Fascination Street

Katie HerzogTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Katie Herzog. Katie is a well-known and respected journalist who has written for publications including: The Stranger, The Atlantic, Reason, Medium, and more. She is also a co-host of the very popular podcast Blocked and Reported; with her friend and fellow journalist Jesse Singal. In this episode, Katie and I chat about where and how she grew up, and what informed her journalistic endeavors. I do grill Katie about some of the crazy stories from her past that I found. We touch briefly on her time working for NPR, and she enlightens me about The Internet Archive, and The Way Back Machine. Then we get into her podcast. Again, it's called Blocked and Reported and she tells me about why she started it, and why she is glad she didn't start it sooner. Finally, we dive into her new book. It doesn't have a name quite yet but should be released around October of 2025. This book chronicles her journey of drinking herself sober. You read that right. That's a very fascinating concept, and she tells me all about how she came to find this path, and why she felt the need to share her experience in the form of her very first book. Make sure you check out her podcast, it is a lot of fun, and be sure to stay tuned for her book around October of 2025.

Aaron PerrinoTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Aaron Perrino. Aaron is the singer / songwriter most known for being the front man of The Sheila Divine. He is also part of the bands Dear Leader, and Aaron and The Lord. In this episode, we chat about how he got into music, and how winning a Sharper Image gift card on the radio, led to his band being signed by a record label. We talk about the tough road of being a touring artist, and some of the pitfalls that he didn't see coming. Since Aaron is an amazing songwriter, I pick his brain a bit on that, and then we talk about The Sheila Divine's more well known songs. Aaron spills the behind-the-scenes beans on touring with Morrissey and discusses why The Sheila Divine is so popular in Belgium. He shares the experience of having one of their songs used in a Cadillac commercial. Then we talk about his other bands Dear Leader as well as Aaron and The Lord. He lets me play my favorite Sheila Divine song, and then we talk about their new album I Am the Darkness. We Are the Light. I wouldn't be me if I didn't also ask him if I could plat a song from the new record! He graciously agrees to let me play Lilydale. Look for The Sheila Divine on Bandcamp and follow their upcoming tour dates on Instagram. Special thanks to John Graziano for making this interview happen. Thanks Graz!

Courtney GainsTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as l get to know actor & musician Courtney Gains in this episode, we chat about his growing up in some rough parts of Los Angeles, and why he decided to become an actor. We also talk about why he eventually moved to Savanah and embedded himself into the local music scene there. Naturally, l ask him about several of his films, including Back to the Future, Can't Buy Me Love, Colors, The Burbs, Queen Bees, and most notably, Children of the Corn. Courtney shares fun anecdotes and the reason for his longevity in show business. Then we discuss his music. Courtney has been a musician for just about as long as he has been an actor. He has released several albums and is part of a new project that came out December 6th. Marshes to Mountains is a compilation album with more than 100 songs. 100% of the proceeds from this album got to support those affected by the recent hurricane that impacted areas from Savanah to Asheville. The album can be found on Bandcamp or Fakefangs.com. Speaking of music, Courtney tells wonderful stories about working with Matt Sorum & Slash on one of Courtney's songs, plus he lets me play one! Finally, we talk about the new projects that he has coming out, including Cowboy Christmas, The Barn 3, and Infernal. Follow Courtney on social media, and be sure to check out his music everywhere you listen.

Ollee OwensTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Ollee Owens. Ollee is a Canadian born and raised Country / Folk / Blues Southern Rock singer songwriter. In this episode, we chat about when she was first called upon by the music gods to be a performer. We discuss her writing and learning to play instruments at a very early age, and then why she decided to take a break from music for fifteen years. Ollee tells me what she was doing during that long hiatus, and what made her jump back into her passion. We talk a little about her debut record "Cannot Be Unheard' and how the energy of that release drove her to write and record her second album. Her sophomore album is titled 'Nowhere To Hide', and was released earlier this year. We break down some of the tracks from this record and she even let's me play my favorite track from it. We do a little bit of a deep dive on this particular song, and she tells me who the inspiration for it is. We do touch on the importance of her daughters seeing their mother lead by example in putting her passion on hold for a very good reason; but then going back to it when the time was right. This album was recorded in Nashville with some iconic Muscle Shoals musicians, and a legendary producer. Follow Ollee on Instagram, and check out her website for upcoming tour dates and new release info.

Don McLean Returns.Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know even more about Don McLean. You know this legendary singer songwriter as the artist behind some of the most iconic songs of Americana music. In this episode, we chat about his new children's book 'Vincent: Starry children's Night'. This is the second children's book based on one of his classic songs. The first one was titled 'American Pie, The Fable By Don McLean'. There will be five books in total, so 3 more to come! The books are written by Judith A. Profer, illustrated by Yoko Matsuoka, and released by Meteor 17 Books. In this episode, we also discuss his newest studio album called 'American Boys'. The album came out earlier this year, and as Don tells it; this may be his last studio record. He explains why, and we do a bit of a dive into a couple of the songs on this record, plus he lets me play the title track! I ask Don what he is listening to these days, his thoughts on the current state of songwriting, and he fills us in on some upcoming projects. Make sure you check out these children's books, and Don's new record American Boys. Also, for more information about upcoming projects and tour dates; go to DonMcLean.com

Jeff SmithTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Jeff Smith. Jeff is an icon in the local south Texas music scene. I caught up with Jeff in San Antonio, at his multi-use arts facility called The Corn Pound. In this episode, we get to know Jeff, and how he got into music. From his brother's involvement with The Krayolas, to his friendship with filmmaker Richard Linklater, we go everywhere in this episode. Jeff tells me about: Flagship Records, the Jett Bass Studio, High Voltage Music Program, Tex Pop In Exile Music Archive, and SausTex Records... all housed at The Corn Pound. We discuss some of the musical acts Jeff has worked with at SausTex including Pinata Protest, and DiNOLA. Then we get into how Jeff came to be part of Richard Linklater's Woodshock documentary short film, and why Jeff's scenes were cut from Linklater's early film Slacker. Jeff and I chat about how streaming services like Spotify have essentially gutted the already small income streams for the smaller, independent artists. Plus we talk about a recent collaboration between SausTex Records and Cacophony Clan Records on a super cool album to support some charities. Naturally Jeff and I talk about his band Hickoids, which has been around for decades, and he even lets me play one of their more recent songs! If you are even in or around San Antonio, you MUST check out The Corn Pound... and tell 'em you heard about them on Fascination Street Podcast.Special thanks to Peter Illing at Cacophony Clan Records for putting this together.

Spencer GarrettTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Spencer Garrett. In this episode, I get to know the actor and how he got to where he is. We chat about his family, and what made him decide to get into show business. We trade Hollywood stories; although he has many, MANY more! We take a little detour, when Spencer tells me what he was doing between college and acting; while working in Washington D.C. Next we Talk about how and why he studied with Sanford (Sandy) Meisner, and how Spencer came to be in several of Emilio Estevez's film projects. From behind the scenes on some of the greatest films ever made, to some fun down time with Mike Nichols, and Dustin Hoffman; Spencer is full of stories. I ask Spencer about his involvement in the super popular scripted fiction podcast called America 2.0, and he hints there may be more on the horizon. That leads into an unbelievable story about a group of character actors who meet every month for dinner and have a BLAST together. The CADS, is a group of like-minded actors including: Michael McKean, Lawrence Fishburne, Steven Weber, Titus Welliver, Kevin Pollak, Richard Kind, and so many more! I want to attend this dinner just once!!. Make sure you check out Spencer in the upcoming Korean spy thriller on Disney+ called Tempest (2025), and tell him you heard him on Fascination Street Podcast!

Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Corinne Britti. Corinne is a comedian and an actress. Her recent projects include: For Sale, Condor's Nest, Take Care of Emily, and Saturday Night. In this episode, we chat about what made her want to be an actress, and why she felt NYU Tisch was the place to go. We discuss some of the things that you DON'T learn in acting school, and some of the things she learned at the Stone Street Conservatory. Corinne shares funny audition stories, and even a story about why there were bodies strewn all over her apartment during Covid! I ask her about the live comedy show / therapy session she co-created, and whether she plans to bring it back. She shares how she came to work on an ICE T music video, and we talk about some of her previous projects, and some of the weird ways that filmmakers find their talent. Naturally we touch on her new film SATURDAY NIGHT; which is in theaters NOW. In this film, Corinne plays real life comedian Valri Bromfield; and the film covers the back stage events in the hour or so leading up to the LIVE pilot of Saturday Night Live. Since this film is directed and co-written by Jason Reitman, naturally I ask what it was like to work with him, and I ask if she would ever work with him again. Her answer may surprise you..... but probably not! GO SEE SATURDAY NIGHT!!

A.J. LambertTake a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know A.J Lambert. AJ is a singer, a songwriter, and now a filmmaker. In this episode, we chat about her new short film THE JUNCTION. We discuss why she wrote it, why she made it, and why she decided to make it a short film. She also shares where it can be seen, and what she hopes to gain from this project. AJ is also the daughter of Hugh Lambert and Nancy Sinatra, as well as the grand daighter of Frank Sinatra. We talk about her Siruis XM show caleld Seriously Sinatra, and how that came about, plus, i ask her if there are "gate keepers" in the music business. Naturally we talk about her family; but she also discusses losing her father at a very young age, and some of the things she missed out on; as well as some of the ways that affected her. I ask AJ about her music, and she even lets me play one of her songs! Look for AJ everywhere that you listen to music, and wherever you see short films.

Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Justin McKenzie. Justin is the founder of Das Greenhaus, a business incubator located in Boerne, Texas. In this episode, we discuss his growing up in south Texas, Europe, and the Midwest United States. We chat about his firsthand accounts of transitioning entire production facilities from the Midwest US to Mexico; and what it did to each of those local economies. Justin has a passion for economic development and helping businesses get started. This is why he created Das Greenhaus, as well as the Boerne Kendall County Angel Network. We discuss a little about what each of those things are, and why these projects are so important to him. Along the way, we discuss NAFTA, ARPA, innovation, and the importance of leadership at the local level. Finally, we discuss Justin's podcast called The Building Texas Show, and why he decided to bring this show to life. You can follow him and his show, just about everywhere, including the video episodes on You Tube.