Gerry Rosenthal plays in many bands. He is also the voice of the main character &quot; Jimmy Hopkins&quot; in the classic video game, &quot;Bully&quot;. He has been in some movies and on some tv shows. But, most importantly, he is a genuinely good guy, a SUPREMELY talented musician, and a truly kindred spirit. We talked about what the live music landscape is like right now (hint: it doesn&apos;t exist), how he has coped with the loss of his younger brother Hank to the opioid crisis, and he regaled me with tales of meeting my idol, Ben Folds. He also played a few tunes. <a href='https://www.gerryrosental.com'>Check out all of Gerry&apos;s music here. </a> Please spread the word. <a rel="payment" href="http://patreon.com/lightersidepodcast">Support the show</a> (http://patreon.com/lightersidepodcast)

The Essential Lighter Side: Author Amy Dresner

It started as a weight loss podcast, which quickly became a mental health podcast, which somehow became a pandemic podcast.  Jay, your host  (anxiety/depression/OCD/childhood trauma/family addiction)  lost 185 lbs after having bariatric surgery.  Guests have ranged from actor Ken Marino to a woman you have never heard of who lost 250 lbs, to a recovering addict, to essential workers during COVID-19. In 2020, the show became daily and ran for 100 episodes in 100 days. The culmination of everything The Lighter Side strove to be, Jay created an oral history of the pandemic, as told through the voices of the people who lived through it. There's something for everyone on the Lighter Side.