Catalog
Episodes
Leftists Of The Italian Diaspora, Creator of the MAGAroni Tag, George De Stefano - 142Jun 2, 2026 · 41 minGeorge De Stefano is an author, journalist, and critic. In my show, Anti-Fascist Pasta Night, I make reference to MAGAroni, a new moniker for right-wing Italian-Americans. I knew I needed to find the inventor of this hysterical slogan. Well, George is the inventor! Please welcome to the show, the creator of the MAGAroni tag, among so many other amazing things.- Bad Hasbara, Co-Authoring w/ Dr. Gabor Mate, Daniel Mate - 141May 26, 2026 · 47 minDaniel Mate is a musician, playwright, author, and podcaster. He recently co-authored a book with his father, Dr. Gabor Mate, and he’s the co-host of the Bad Hasbara podcast.
- Maybe Wisconsin's ONLY Leftist Punk Band, How the Trial of Kyle Rittenhouse was Tilted in His Favor, Nick O'Malley - 140May 19, 2026 · 54 minNick O’Malley is the singer/songwriter for the Wisconsin leftist punk band, The First Rule. Also, as a resident of Kenosha, he has a first hand perspective on the event, trial, and murders, and yes they were murders, committed by Kyle Rittenhouse.
- To Have or Not to Have Children, NYC So Far With Mamdani, Katie Compa - 139May 12, 2026 · 44 minKatie Compa is a comedian. Her new album, Incurable Optimist, is out now. She lives in NYC and was active with the Mamdani campaign. She co-hosts a podcast called Kid/Life Crisis, that goes in-depth about their guest’s decision on whether or not to have children. Which is quite the topic given the state of the world...
- Italians For A General Strike, Partisans, Fighting Fascism - Mike LoBello 138May 5, 2026 · 56 minMike LoBello is an organizer who has been instrumental in the rise of the Italian-American Left in New York. He helped organize the Italians for a General Strike demonstration in Brooklyn. His speech was incredible, it was about his family being Partisans. It literally brought me to tears. I didn’t even know he was because he does not use his name for his IG account. I found out who he was, and immediately sent him a 1000 invite.
- Breaking Down The Inside/Outside Approach, Importance of Local Politics, Madinah Wilson-Anton - 137Apr 28, 2026 · 1 hr 20 minMadinah Wilson-Anton is an elected official in the state of Delaware, and a comedian. Also, she’s a polyglot! At least I would say she is, I guess some people define it differently. We have an in-depth conversation about how she weaved her web, and the inside-outside strategy for change. Myself being on the outside, and her being on the inside.
- Project Censored, Free Speech, the MAGA Takeover of Academia, Nolan Higdon - 136Apr 21, 2026 · 45 minNolan Higdon is a political analyst, author, and academic. He writes the Gaslight Gazette on Substack and works with the amazing, Project Censored. We first cross paths via Substack over a cordial disagreement on Section 230, and started collaborating. Yay Substack!
- From Searching For Community to Touring with Laura Jane Grace, Black Guy Fawkes - 135Apr 14, 2026 · 50 minBlack Guy Fawkes is a musician. I first came across him when I saw a video of him covering an Against Me song. I became an instant fan. Aside from the great music, his story is one of the importance and challenge of finding your community amidst these difficult times. Said challenge is not a destination, it’s a journey. One that we’re all still on. Please welcome to the show, Black Guy Fawkes.
- "Don't Sell Out! Start Local!" Dennis Kucinich, Advice For Future PoliticiansApr 7, 2026 · 57 minDennis Kucinich is a public official. He’s been a Mayor, State Senator, Congress Member, and Candidate for President of the United States. He is, in my opinion, one of the few out there who has genuinely tried to use public office, as corrupt as it is, for good. We talk about his history, the current state of affairs, and even a few points of disagreement.
- Trying To Find Common Ground Amidst The Fractured Left, Craig Pasta Jardula - 133Mar 31, 2026 · 1 hr 26 minCraig Pasta Jardula is a Journalist and YouTuber. Also, we’re friends, at one point we were roommates. Pasta and I were both part of the Bernie movement. When that fractured, we went different ways. I’ve been curious about that fracturing, so I decided Pasta was somebody I needed to ask about it. We see things differently. We’re not aligned on issues such as Covid, Kyle Rittenhouse, and social issues. We talk about it, and its impact on the splintering of a movement that once, at least in my opinion, had potential, and hopefully will again.
- How Today's Comedy Helped Fascism, Punk Houses, Mutual Aid, Jake Flores - 132Mar 24, 2026 · 1 hr 11 minJake Flores is a comedian and podcaster. I first cross paths with Jake when he was a guest on The Jimmy Dore Show many years ago (when it was a much different show), and have been following his path ever since. He’s a huge contributor to the left podcasting space, and he’s never been shy to call out what’s been happening politically in the stand-up comedy world amidst this fascist rise.
- The Perfect Song for St. Patrick's Day, St. Patrick's Battalion, Protest Music Past and Present, David Rovics - 131Mar 17, 2026 · 1 hr 6 minDavid Rovics is a musician, songwriter, anarchist, and activist. I’ve been listening to David for over 20 years, having first discovered his music when the Iraq War jolted me awake and I started participating in the anti-war movement in the United States. If you’re not familiar with him, you are about to learn why this is the perfect episode for St. Patrick’s Day.
- Finding Politics in Grade School, Found Footage Indie Horror, the Other 1/2 of the Vanguard, Gavin Charles - 130Mar 10, 2026 · 1 hr 5 minLast week we had Zac Polston, well, this is the other half of the Vanguard. Gavin Charles is a YouTuber, Journalist, and Filmmaker. He’s the creator of the Found Footage Indie Horror series, No Clip, and, as mentioned, he’s the co-host of the YouTube Breadtube show, the Vanguard.
- Holding Indie Media Accountable, Building Lefty Community in the Midwest, Zac Polston (The Vanguard) - 129Mar 3, 2026 · 57 minZac Polston, known on YouTube as Zac from the Vanguard, is a YouTuber, Journalist, and Filmmaker. He’s the co-host of the Lefty Breadtube show, The Vanguard. They do a news show from a progressive point of view, and dissect the inter-fightings of indie lefty media. Also, they talk film, sports, and culture as 2 dudes from Kansas City.
- Son of a Preacher, Ameircore, Punk Rock, Anarchy, John-Michael Bond - 128Feb 24, 2026 · 58 minJohn-Michael Bond is a writer and comedian. He’s had quite a life. The son of a preacher, Americore, being held up at gun point, and that’s barely scratching the surface. Punk rock, public broadband in Chattanooga, philosophy, politics, religion, and cats. This is everything 1000!
- Getting a Question in on Tom Cruise, the Right-Ward Shift of the BBC, Sarah O'Connell - 127Feb 17, 2026 · 1 hr 4 minSarah O’Connell is a show host, writer, and movie reviewer. I had the honor of being a guest on her show, she’s an incredible interviewer. She noticed things about Loner and Left At Wall that I didn’t even think of. She’s interviewed some of the biggest actors in the world. This is her story.
- Italians for Zohran, Some of the Grassroots Behind Mamdani's Victory, Jesse Ortiz - 126Feb 10, 2026 · 43 minJesse Ortiz is a med student and activist. He is the founder of the Instagram account, Italians for Zohran, an account in support of the election of Zohran Mamdani. It remains active post-Mamdani’s victory, as an outlet for leftist and progressive Italian-Americans (and everybody else, too) to gather and exchange ideas, and pushback against the commonly held generalization that Italian heritage in the US automatically means right-wing conservative.
- Is the Lefty YouTube Space Actually Helpful? How the US Lost Public Health - Matt Lech 125Feb 3, 2026 · 54 minMatt Lech is a podcast producer and media maker. He’s best known for Jacobin, Left Reckoning, and the Majority Report. We both dwelled or currently dwell in similar YouTube spaces and we’re both anti-capitalist. Lot of talk about the current state of affairs in this one.
- Getting US Citizenship In Trump's America, Finding the Intersection of Comedy and Science - Matt Kirshen 124Jan 27, 2026 · 1 hr 13 minMatt Kirshen is a comedian, writer, and podcast host. He’s one of the co-hosts of Probably Science, one of my favorite comedy podcasts that incorporates science news. Matt and I first met at a live show of the Infinite Monkey Cage and then reconnected when I moved to LA. He’s one of my favorite comics to watch.
- Origin of the Radical Publishing House, PM Press - Ramsey Kanaan 123Jan 20, 2026 · 1 hr 17 minRamsey Kanaan is a musician, anarchist, and publisher. He is the founder of AK Press and, later, PM Press. I’ve been a fan of PM Press for many years, I highly recommend diving into their catalog if you’re not already familiar, it’s one of the best out there. They’ve tabled at some of our events over the years. We talk Ramsey's origin story from Scotland to San Francisco, what it means to him to be an Anarchist, the contemporary state of Socialism, and, of course, punk rock.
- Running One of London's Coolest Comedy Clubs, From Drama School to LA, David Whitney - 122Jan 13, 2026 · 51 minDavid Whitney is a London-based actor and comedian. He helps run one of my favorite comedy clubs in the world, not an exaggeration, the Backyard Comedy Club in London. Turns out David went from Drama School, to getting booked to do stand-up in LA, only problem was, David had never done Stand-up. What? We go through it, buckle in for a wild creative journey!
- Going Local For Political Change, The Tricky Science of Platforming, Mary Houlihan - 121Jan 6, 2026 · 57 minMary Houlihan is a comedian, writer, and artist. She’s the host of the Mary Houlihan Show and she paints live on Twitch. She had an interview with Martin Shkreli that I thought was hilarious and exposed and unmasked him.
- Launching a Theater Run From Start To Finish, Sharing a Florida Hometown with Hulk Hogan and Scientology, Sara Kay Godot - 120Dec 30, 2025 · 1 hrSara Kay Godot is an actress, comedian, and producer. Her and I have collaborated on an awful lot. She was in Loner, Left At Wall, and Termination Fee. Termination Fee began as a read through at a pizza place. It went on to do the Hollywood Fringe, sold out 60% of the run, got nominated for an award, and its film version is currently in post-production. Sara was a driving force behind all of that, so we’ve had quite a year.
- Capturing Solitude In Film With Nothing But a SmartPhone, "Quitter" - Tim Warner - 119Dec 23, 2025 · 50 minTim Warner is a comedian, podcaster, and filmmaker. Most importantly, though, he’s Tim Warner. I’ve known Tim for a long time. We did comedy together in Seattle when I was first starting out, he had been doing it in New York a few years prior. Tim released a short film on YouTube called Quitter. I loved it. It captured what I was trying to do in a short film we did (also on YouTube), Loner, but, at least in my opinion, didn’t quite capture. Quitter was done, exclusively, on a phone. We dive into it.
- Forgiveness in a Friendship, Lucy & Ron, Art & growing up Greek - Chris Liatsis - 118Dec 16, 2025 · 1 hr 13 minChris Liatsis is an artist and illustrator. He is the other half of Lucy & Ron. I would write them, Chris would draw them. Lucy & Ron was a labor of love for us for a long time, out of necessity, it was an on-again off-again pursuit. At one point in our professional and personal relationship, I messed up. Fortunately, we were able to reconcile, and we revisit that time in this interview. This is an episode about friendship, collaboration, love, loss, art, and growing up Greek.
- Escaping the Alex Jones Cult, Finding Your Creative Tribe, Andrew Saxena - 117Dec 9, 2025 · 1 hr 5 minAndrew Saxena. You’ve heard that name before on this show, Andrew does the music for 1000. Andrew Saxena is a filmmaker, musician, actor, and podcaster. Andrew and I met a few years back in the lefty creator space in San Pedro. He was a huge part of Left At Wall, Frank Azurri, Termination Fee, and there’s another project we’re working on that has to do with cats. Also, we’ve become close friends over the past few years. We talk online media and young Andrew's escape from the Alex Jones cult, discovering punk rock in middle school, hanging out with David Lynch, CATS....This episode is everything that 1000 holds dear!
- Battling Stage 4 Cancer in your 20s, the complexities of Friendship, Probably Science - Jesse Case - 116Dec 2, 2025 · 1 hr 14 minJesse Case is a comedian, writer, and podcaster. Jesse’s one of the best comedians I know, and he’s a good friend. We spent our early comedy days in Seattle, Jesse went off to LA, and then, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer in his late 20s. He documented the whole thing in a podcast series called Jesse vs. Cancer, it’s absolutely brilliant. His journey’s wild, and we go through it.
- Italian-American Leftist History That the Powers-That-Be Suppress, Steve Cerulli - 115Nov 25, 2025 · 1 hr 20 minSteve Cerulli is an Italian-American Historian. Like Steve, I’m an Italian-American, too. The Italian-American identity seems to be very right-wing-presenting, at least in the mainstream. But, that is far from reality. Steve’s work has exposed why that is the case in the contemporary United States, the scam that is Columbus Day, and so much more. In a landscape where all of the most powerful Italian-American organizations are praising Trump, Steve is among the voices of opposition.
- Carving a Lefty Niche Out of the Bernie Movement, Collaborating in Film with a Spouse, Leila Leigh - 114Nov 18, 2025 · 1 hr 9 minLeila Leigh is an actress, writer, and podcaster. We first met amidst the online Lefty Bernie Movement. She’s the co-host of one of my favorite Lefty YouTube Shows, PunchUp Pod. In addition to podcasting, she’s done a ton in the indie film space, some of it with her husband, Josh Stolberg, who was Episode 98.
- Surviving Anorexia, Stigmas Around the Eating Disorder, Dave Chawner - 113Nov 11, 2025 · 50 minDave Chawner is a speaker, comedian, and anorexia survivor. I first met Dave at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival because we had a similar timeslot and our venues were near each other. I think most people don’t understand how anorexia works, or even what it actually is. I include myself in this. Well, I wanted to learn more...
- What REALLY Happened With The Young Turks' Alleged Union Busting? Hank Thompson - 112Nov 4, 2025 · 1 hr 25 minHank Thompson is a video editor, writer, and comedian. Hank and I both worked at The Jimmy Dore Show, and overlapped a little bit. Hank also worked at The Young Turks, and was heavily involved in the Union efforts there. Hank was laid off. The TYT Union effort was a national story. For the past 2 years and counting, Hank’s been fighting to get his side of the story out there. This one’s a deep dive.
- What is Modern Monetary Theory? Christian Reilly - 111Oct 28, 2025 · 1 hr 4 minChristian Reilly is a musical comedian and self-proclaimed "MMT lover." Are you familiar with Modern Monetary Theory? Honestly, I don’t even know if it’s accurate to call it a 'theory' because it’s basically just the actual way money works. Christian breaks it down, and shares what got him into MMT in the first place.
More MMT Stuff:
(5-min read) Explainer: what is Modern Monetary Theory? By Steven Hail: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-modern-monetary-theory-72095
Re “What’s the solution?” (to most of the suffering caused by austerity policies, and mainstream economic policy in general): everything you need to know about the Job Guarantee in a really accessible format: https://pavlina-tcherneva.net/job-guarantee-faq/
Our podcast on economics - The MMT Podcast with Patricia Pino & Christian Reilly: https://pileusmmt.libsyn.com/
Or: https://www.patreon.com/MMTpodcast
My website: www.christreilly.com
Me on Twitter, but mostly posting about econ: https://x.com/mmtpodcast
- The Hard Times Co-Founder Says Goodbye, Bill Conway - 110Oct 21, 2025 · 55 minBill Conway is a comedian, writer, and co-founder of The Hard Times. The Hard Times is basically the Onion, but for punk rock. You’ve probably heard of the Hard Times, you’ve definitely seen one of their headlines. Recently, after over a decade, Bill decided it was time for him to step down from The Hard Times. How do we know when it’s time to say goodbye to a creative endeavor? Especially when it’s a successful one?
- "ADHD Is My Super Power" Betsy Cox - 109Oct 14, 2025 · 44 minBetsy Cox is a comedian, writer, and solo performer. Her Fringe show, “Broke B*tch Got Rich”, was among the most popular and talked about shows of the festival. At the award ceremony, she wore a cape that said “ADHD is my Super Power.” At a time when Eugenics is on the rise in the United States, it was powerful and encouraging to see. We talk about what it means, how she got out of a difficult background in New Orleans and got to Los Angeles, and navigating a life where one doesn’t fit in a box.
- Taking Back "Building Better Men" From the Bigots, Chris Smith - 108Oct 7, 2025 · 1 hr 15 minChris Smith is a writer and performer. From a small farm in rural California to the movie business in LA, he’s had successes, failures, and has dealt with crushing loss. His Fringe show, Mine For the Tribe, tackles all of this, and takes a one-person deep dive into our search for meaning. I went to his show not really knowing what to expect. What is this tribe, anyway? I guess we’re all still searching, and that’s the point.
- Before Lady Gaga, Before Madonna, There Was Johanna Went - 107Sep 30, 2025 · 57 minBefore Lady Gaga, before Madonna, there was Johanna Went. Johanna Went is a performance artist. She found her home in the LA punk scene of the 1970s after a run doing experimental theater. The Minutemen opened for her. I got to meet her in Vetura because she was on a panel I was moderating for a screening of the film Desolation Center. I was stoked when she agreed to do the show.
- A Man Wrongfully Convicted of Murder? Temujin Kensu Book, Joy Marie Mann - 106Sep 23, 2025 · 58 minI’ve known Joy Marie Mann awhile now. We’ve collaborated on a ton of shows. We met amidst the Bernie Movement in 2016, which seems like a different life at this point. In many ways it was. In the time I’ve known Joy, among other things, she lost most of her eyesight. Despite that unexpected hurdle, she’s written a few books. Recently, Joy wrote a book about Temujin Kensu. Temujin was convicted of a murder and has spent the last 38 years and counting in prison. The problem: There’s some serious holes in this conviction. We dive into it.
- The 60s California Commune That's Still Standing, The Messenger - Jonathan Berman - 105Sep 16, 2025 · 49 minJonathan Berman is producer, director, and academic. His documentaries include Calling All Earthlings, My Friend Paul, and Commune. Commune is coming up on its 20th Anniversary. It’s about a commune in California that started in the 60s, financed by rockstars, and still exists to this day. We dive into his origin story, and what made him want to chase the counterculture.
- Blackout at a Wedding, Punk Shops to Fringe: Kerri Van Auken - 104Sep 9, 2025 · 56 minKerri Van Auken is an actress, writer, and comedian. For a brief period of time, her, myself, and Joe Moran ran a show together at a punk shop in Pasadena. Then, the Pandemic happened. Kerri and I crossed paths again this past June at the Hollywood Fringe. Her show, Blackout, blew me away. It inspired me to write a solo theater show, and I knew I had to have her on.
- Worldwide Fringe Warrior Now Stuck in the US! Jon Bennett - 103Sep 2, 2025 · 1 hr 2 minJon Bennett is a comedian and storyteller. He’s a Fringe warrior who does more festivals in a year than anyone I know. He’s hysterical, and he’s one of those guys on the circuit who you see and wonder, “how does he pull that off?” In this interview, he gives some insight into that. Also, due to complications at the border and Jon being Australian, he can’t leave the US right now out of fear he won’t be able to get back in. He explains it, and why he had to cancel a Canadian tour. Strange times.
- Jen Barnett (Expatsi) - 102Aug 26, 2025 · 54 minAre you from the US? Have you thought about moving abroad? Many Americans have as of recent. I know I sure have. Jen is the co-founder of Expatsi, an organization that helps Americans move abroad. Several years ago, Jen and her partner found themselves wanting to leave the states, so they made it happen, and decided there was need for an organization that helped other people to do the same. Expatsi continues to grow, and quite fast.
- Will Wood (Slouching Towards Branson) - 101Aug 19, 2025 · 1 hrWill Wood is a musician, songwriter, and comedian. His show is part storytelling, part comedy, part music, and he can really wail on the piano. Will’s been open about his mental health and incorporates it into his art. We take a deep dive into all of it.
- Sage Francis - 100Aug 12, 2025 · 1 hr 4 minSage Francis is an underground hip-hop legend. He’s won battles, toured the world, written everything from rhymes to poetry, runs Strange Famous Records, and he’s a dad. Also, he’s in my movie, Left At Wall, and we’re both big cat people, which is a big part of this episode.
- Dale Dymkoski (Being Deaf, From Athlete to Comic) - 099Aug 5, 2025 · 1 hr 9 minDale Dymkoski is a comedian, personal trainer, and he’s deaf. I saw his Fringe show, Feminist Ass Man, where he shares his story. He talks politics, and we talk politics. We have some different observations strategically, but we definitely want the same things. This was a really fun conversation about Dale’s life and the world at large.
- Josh Stolberg (Saw X, Piranha 3D) - 098Jul 29, 2025 · 1 hr 1 minJosh Stolberg is a Screenwriter and Director. The Saw Franchise, Avatar, Piranha 3D, and that’s just barely tipping the iceberg of his extensive resume. He has a new podcast called "Darren and Josh Make A Movie". It’s a must-listen for any writer slash filmmaker slash creative.
- Angeline Mirenda (AP Sex Education) - 097Jul 22, 2025 · 54 minAngeline Mirenda is a Sex Educator. I saw her Hollywood Fringe Show, AP Sex Education. Not only was it entertaining, but also incredibly informative. She draws the connection between sex ed in the US and imperialism, racism, and capitalism. Ready to talk about sex?
- Jason Freeman (Zeke) - 096Jul 15, 2025 · 55 minJason Freeman is a musician. He plays bass for the hardcore punk band, Zeke. Zeke’s been a legendary Seattle institution since the early 90s, setting their own bar, fitting in nowhere and everywhere all at once. We talk about him joining the band, how he discovered music, and the phenomenon that was the Seattle music scene of the 1990s.
- Walker Bragman (Public Health in the Rise of Eugenics) - 095Jul 8, 2025 · 1 hr 20 minWalker Bragman is a journalist. He covered Electoral Politics, particularly during Bernie’s first run in 2016, and now his main focus is public health. Right now, literal eugenics is on the rise in the United States, and this isn’t limited to some 4Chan space, this is an actual positions of power. We dive deep in this one.
- Matthew Rantanen - (Tribal Broadband Bootcamp, MuniBroadband) - 094Jul 1, 2025 · 51 minIf you know me, you know Municipal Broadband, also known as Public Broadband, is an important issue to me. Matthew Rantanen is one of the founders of Tribal Broadband Bootcamp. It’s an extensive that teaches the development and maintenance of public broadband systems on tribal lands. I got to attend one. It was life-changing.
Matt’s also a crazy interesting guy. He’s a soccer player, a graphic designer, he grows food, and he found his way to being a broadband advocate. He’s petitioned government, and brought countless networks to life.
- Kelly Spillman (Battling Stage 4 Colon Cancer) - 093Jun 24, 2025 · 55 minKelly Spillman is a psychology professor and comedian. She’s also a friend of mine. In 2020, she was diagnosed with stage 4 Colon Cancer. She has a show currently running at the Hollywood Fringe Festival called “I Blame Florida”. The show documents her cancer battle, as well as how she finds meaning and hope in this incredibly difficult struggle. This is an emotional one y’all...
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