Cocktails with Dimples & The Beard

Drew Fortier and David Ellefson join Dimples and The Beard to talk Bunker Heights — Crime. Comedy. Creatures. Drew wrote it while recovering from cancer surgery and made it for under $30,000 with his some of his favorite people, including David and every member of The Lucid, Hannah Fierman and Violent J from Insane Clown Posse. Inside the making of it: practical creatures, a haunted hospital, and a genuine blooper he refused to cut from the ending.

The conversation also covers how Drew and David met and formed The Lucid, recruiting Vinnie Dombroski of Sponge, Drew's ze...

No guest this week — just Dimples and The Beard, a stack of unhinged news stories, and a brand-new assistant named Eleanor Vance, who lost her last job at the zoo for reasons we probably shouldn't say out loud. (We say them out loud.)

We also get into the Milwaukee woman who faked her way into a classroom as a substitute teacher, the girlfriend who smeared peanut butter on her severely allergic boyfriend, a Florida poop-bucket situation, the Christa Pike execution saga, the viral claim that California is making short drivers use booster seats, donuts an...

Heidi Shepherd, vocalist of Butcher Babies, and KateLynn Newberry star in Devour — the wild horror flick with an all-female metal band made up of vampires battling a warlock-run cult including a werewolf and a minotaur. They join Dimples and The Beard to talk about the minotaur fight — shot in about an hour at dawn, two days before Christmas, in the freezing cold — and the "soup room," an actual swimming pool of blood and body parts.

We also get into the casting shuffle that landed Heidi in KateLynn's original role, the improvised "boring Jerry" line that t...

Greg Giraldo Jr. is carrying one of the most famous names in comedy — and he's earning it on his own. The New York roast-battle regular joins Dimples and The Beard to talk about starting out under a fake name (Greg Hernandez, and the hacky jokes that came with it), why being a nepo baby is like being a hot girl, and what it's like when every roast battler you face has the same obvious target.

We also get into his day job as a New York City substitute teacher — why seventh graders are the wors...

There's a Big Baby on Shudder... or at least there will be soon. October 30th to be exact. Powerman 5000 frontman Spider One and Terrifier 3's Krsy Fox join Dimples and The Beard to talk Big Baby, their new meta slasher hitting Shudder this Halloween. They dig into how a deliberately absurd short grew into a full psychological horror feature, the custom Big Baby mask, and the moment Spider admitted two podcaster characters in the movie are directly based on Dimples and The Beard themselves.

Spider and Krsy also get into Art the Clown actor...

Comedian Galina Rivina joins Dimples and The Beard to talk about her Kill Tony appearance, performing in front of Tony Hinchcliffe and Jimmy Carr, and why “fast and furious” was the perfect accidental description. She also explains why Furious 7 is her favorite installment in the franchise, how Austin wore her down after her comedy career stalled in Los Angeles, and what the city’s massive Kill Tony bucket scene is really like.

Galina shares how she learned English by watching Rugrats, escaped Cleveland for Los Angeles, discovered stand-up during her first visit to The Comedy...

Hannah Fierman joins Dimples and The Beard to discuss playing Lily in V/H/S and SiREN, including the producer who wanted to recast her, the contortionist stunt double behind Lily’s inhuman movements, and why Hannah’s real singing voice was ultimately used in SiREN. She also takes us behind the scenes of St. Agatha, revealing that Sarah’s brutal tongue-cutting scene wasn’t originally in the script and explaining what it was like working with director Darren Lynn Bousman and Carolyn Hennesy.

Hannah also discusses winning Best Lead at HorrorHound for Demonatrix and the...

Sky Elobar—Big Brayden from the cult comedy The Greasy Strangler—joins The Beard and Dimples for an uncensored look behind one of the strangest movies ever made. Sky reveals what he thought when he first read Jim Hosking and Toby Harvard’s outrageous script, how he landed the role, Don Swayze’s unexpected audition, Michael St. Michaels’ struggle to remember Big Ronnie’s dialogue and Elijah Wood’s reaction while watching them film. He also discusses the uncomfortable prosthetics and greasy suits, Big Ronnie’s unforgettable dance, scenes considered too extreme to shoot, the film’s surprising Sundance success and the or...

Comedian and screenwriter Greg Roque joins The Beard and Dimples to reveal the full story behind the viral Roast Battle clip in which he relentlessly roasted Tony Hinchcliffe. Greg explains why their history became personal, whether he would still go after Tony today and why he considers himself one of the comedy “punk pioneers” who criticized Tony before it was cool.

Greg also discusses his Black List-recognized Jerry Springer screenplay, the influence Steve Martin had on his education, his massive physical-media collection, watching more than 1,000 movies in one year, becoming a quadriplegic after a spin...

Everlee Wihongi returned to the United States through LAX after a family trip to New Zealand and was detained by ICE over a 2012 marijuana conviction involving less than two grams. What she believed would be a brief delay for paperwork became 73 days inside immigration detention facilities in California, Texas and Arizona. Everlee tells The Beard and Dimples how she was separated from her family, pressured to sign a document she wasn’t allowed to read, transported in belly chains and shackles, and denied food and privacy. She also describes detention-center failures that repeatedly kept her from scheduled court hearings.

Matt Noveskey of Blue October joins Cocktails with Dimples and The Beard to talk about the 20th anniversary of Foiled and what it’s like revisiting one of the band’s biggest albums two decades later. Matt shares which songs had to be relearned, why playing Foiled front to back has been such a different experience for the band and fans, and how rehearsing “Let It Go” revealed that he’d been counting the same part wrong for years. We also get into Blue October’s massive 70-show North American tour, the appeal of full-album anniversary concerts, deep cuts fans have wa...

Ethical adult filmmaker Inka Winter joins The Beard and Dimples to explain how she creates adult films women actually want. The founder of ForPlay Films breaks down the difference between ethical, feminist and female-friendly pornography, why mainstream adult films didn’t work for her, and how consent, authentic pleasure, emotional connection and performer collaboration shape every scene she directs.

Inka also shares her remarkable journey from growing up in Austria’s Friedrichshof cult to studying economics, fashion and costume design before entering adult filmmaking. She takes us behind the scenes of her *Bridgerton*-inspired prod...

Comedian Liz Zagone joins The Beard and Dimples for a funny, unfiltered conversation about building a stand-up career from scratch, beginning with the unexpected text from her little brother that pushed her toward her first class at Second City. Liz talks about turning nearly two decades of bartending in Chicago and West Hollywood into comedy, creating her debut stand-up special Sick Little Freak and watching it surpass 100,000 views on YouTube. She also shares stories about winning a refrigerator on The Price Is Right, appearing on Comics Unleashed, growing up around her family’s Halloween-mask business, serving celebrities in Los An...

Milwaukee comedian Justin Leon joins The Beard and Dimples ahead of his August 7th and 8th shows at The Laughing Tap, and the interview immediately turns into a full-scale roast. The Kansas City native looks back at getting his first laugh at six, being one of three Black students cast as thugs in a Lutheran school play, performing twenty minutes his first time onstage, and finding stand-up at Stanford and Sons. He also resurrects the poem that once crushed at an open mic—“Bitch, You Made My Nuts Itch”—which somehow prompts Dimples to confess that he once ignored a friend...

Milwaukee comedian Justin Leon joins The Beard and Dimples ahead of his August 7th and 8th shows at The Laughing Tap, and the interview immediately turns into a full-scale roast. The Kansas City native looks back at getting his first laugh at six, being one of three Black students cast as thugs in a Lutheran school play, performing twenty minutes his first time onstage, and finding stand-up at Stanford and Sons. He also resurrects the poem that once crushed at an open mic—“Bitch, You Made My Nuts Itch”—which somehow prompts Dimples to confess that he once ignored a friend...

Comedian Luke Binkow joins The Beard and Dimples to talk about becoming a recurring guest on Bobby Lee’s TigerBelly—and the Comedy Store parking-lot accident that left him caught between his managers, a damaged car and Bobby demanding to know who ratted. Luke explains how his relationship with Bobby led to the opportunity, what it’s like joining a podcast with a fiercely loyal audience and why working alongside Thomas Lennon immediately made him question whether he was prepared. He also shares the chaotic process of becoming a Comedy Store door guy, winning Set of the Night six times...

Comedian and impressionist Leah Knauer joins Cocktails with Dimples & The Beard for a hilarious, unpredictable conversation about stand-up comedy, celebrity impressions, social media and the persistence it takes to build a career in entertainment. Leah breaks out spot-on impressions of Jennifer Coolidge, Joan Rivers, Drew Barrymore and more, talks about her experience on Kill Tony, explains how she develops new characters and shares the Kevin Smith story that changed the way she thinks about chasing opportunities.

Leah also opens up about rehab, manifestation, internet trolls, editing comedy content and the strange path that led...

A Florida vacation takes a bizarre turn when a 23-year-old man allegedly makes headlines for one of the strangest crimes we've ever heard. From that unbelievable Florida Man story, we spiral into bodycam videos, public bathroom etiquette, crying over animal reunion videos at work, the great oral vs. anal debate, Joey Chestnut's latest hot dog eating championship, a 59-year-old Wisconsin woman swimming across Lake Winnebago, a missing giraffe in Texas, a man trying to steal a medical helicopter, and all the ridiculous tangents you've come to expect from Cocktails with Dimples and The Beard.

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Comedian Gracie Canaan joins Cocktails with Dimples and The Beard for one of our most fascinating conversations yet. From comedy and filmmaking to her background as a dancer and creator on OnlyFans, Gracie opens up about the many layers of her life and career. We dive into the psychology behind dancing, what it taught her about reading people, and why she believes dancers become “emotional athletes.” The conversation gets hilarious fast as Gracie breaks down male psychology, dating, relationships, and which host would’ve been the easier target in a strip club.

We also talk a...

On this episode of Cocktails with Dimples and The Beard, we sit down with Wisconsin comedian Abe Auer for a hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt conversation about stand-up comedy, roasting small towns, and building a career in comedy. Abe shares how his now-viral Menasha jokes first started at Skyline Comedy Club, why local comedy clips have exploded on Facebook, and how roasting Wisconsin towns became one of his most recognizable bits. We also dive into Abe’s journey from getting cold feet at a middle school talent show to performing at major comedy clubs, opening for comics like Dusty Slay, Zo...

On this episode of Cocktails with Dimples and The Beard, we sit down backstage at High Noon Saloon with American Idol standout Genevieve Heyward for an honest conversation about what life has really been like after American Idol. Genevieve opens up about the emotional highs and lows of competing on one of the biggest music shows in the world, dealing with internet criticism, navigating social media pressure, and adjusting to life once the cameras stop rolling. She shares what surprised her most about the experience, how American Idol changed her career, and why life after reality TV is far...

Comedy Store door guy and Employee of the Year Joey Cerone joins Cocktails with Dimples and The Beard to talk stand-up comedy, life behind the scenes at the world-famous Comedy Store, moving from Indiana to Los Angeles, celebrity encounters, Don Barris, Bobby Lee, Ron Funches, and what it takes to survive in comedy. Joey shares stories about becoming the Comedy Store's "Head Door Guy," working alongside some of the biggest names in stand-up, and the unexpected path that led him from the Midwest to one of the most legendary comedy clubs in the world.

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DISCLAIMER: We experienced a severe audio/video lag while recording this episode with comedian Jackson Banks. Unfortunately, it prevented us from getting into the rhythm we normally have with our guests, and you'll occasionally notice Jackson's lips not matching his voice. The connection issues ultimately forced us to end the recording early, which is why the episode cuts off abruptly. We considered not releasing it, but Jackson was too funny not to share.

Jackson Banks is a rising stand-up comedian and newly minted Comedy Store regular whose unpredictable style had us tracking him down...

A man pretended to have Down syndrome so he could get three nurses to bathe him. That's not a joke, that's an actual story we came across — and it immediately turned into one of the most ridiculous debates we've ever had. Was it wrong? Was it diabolical? Was it somehow genius? We honestly couldn't agree.

From there, the conversation goes completely off the rails. We get into the world's most questionable pickup strategy, debate whether orcas are secretly running the planet, talk Dave Matthews, Keanu Reeves, the Home Alone house, and a bunch of ot...

Bobby Lee kisses. Pauly Shore hugs. Don Barris tickles. Somehow that was only PART of our trip to The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. We spent three straight nights inside one of the most legendary comedy clubs in the world — watching comics like Bobby Lee, Ali Wong, Don Barris, Jeff Ross, Pauly Shore, Howie Mandel, David Spade, Dane Cook and more absolutely destroy on stage while we somehow kept getting pulled deeper into the chaos ourselves. From celebrity encounters and Comedy Store insanity to drunk late-night podcasting and complete chaos, this trip turned into one of the wildest experiences we...

Midwest Meg joins us for one of the most Wisconsin episodes we’ve ever done — and things go off the rails fast. What starts with Midwest accents, supper clubs, dive bars, cheese curds, and how she accidentally became one of the biggest Midwest content creators online slowly turns into drunk bar stories, dirty business names, social media chaos, and a story that completely destroys her wholesome image. We also dive into Wisconsin culture, Milwaukee nightlife, recording content in her car, going viral on TikTok and Instagram, and the surprising moment she ended up interviewing Hugh Jackman in Milwaukee.

After hanging out at The Comedy Store all night and waiting out a police standoff at our hotel until nearly 4 a.m., we somehow ended up back in our room with comedians Josh Potter and Nelya Linnik recording one of the most chaotic episodes of Cocktails with Dimples & The Beard we’ve ever done. Running on almost no sleep, the conversation immediately spirals into trauma bonding, growing up in Ukraine, moving to America, Comedy Store stories, weed tests, Glenn Campbell, Alzheimer’s, cremation, onion farms, Boy George, and the ongoing debate over whether “brick” means penis.

The...

This week we’re joined by comedian and horror expert Katie Hettenbach, and yeah… she absolutely unloads on Scream 7. What starts as a simple question turns into a full breakdown of what went wrong — from pacing and missing story beats to why it doesn’t feel like a real Scream movie at all. We get into horror franchises, why some sequels hit and others completely fall apart, and how modern horror is evolving (or not).

From there, it goes exactly where you’d expect with us — comedy store stories, bombing in LA vs Midwest crowds, watc...

This week on Cocktails with Dimples & The Beard, we sit down with singer-songwriter Bryant Thomas and his fiancée Alyona to break down the moment his life flipped upside down—going from singing in the shower to getting the call from American Idol. What started as a random recording turned into a viral moment, leading to an unforgettable audition, behind-the-scenes chaos, and a proposal story that almost went off the rails when he completely forgot the ring at the worst possible time. From getting roasted as a “drunk idiot” trombone player to figuring out how to stand out in a crowd...

This week, we sit down with comedian Kirstie Hayden, known for her appearance on Kill Tony, and dive into the moment that had everyone confused—her explanation of “brain zaps.” What starts as a casual reference turns into a wild breakdown of what it actually feels like to quit Zoloft cold turkey, including the unexpected physical effects, the mental challenges, and how that experience unexpectedly became part of her Kill Tony interview. We get into her journey through stand-up, moving to Austin, signing up for Kill Tony over 30 times before getting picked, and how timing, life experience, and just lettin...

Christy Love has one of the wildest stories we’ve ever heard, and it all starts with a church. Join us as we discuss how she and her husband planted a church in San Diego, struggled to survive financially, and made a desperate decision that changed everything. What began as a way to make quick money through webcamming quickly spiraled when someone from the church discovered her secret, recorded her, and sent it to the entire congregation — leading to the church being shut down. We also get into being kicked out of a second church, the judgment that followed, and...

Jo Ellis has lived about five different lives, and none of them are boring. Join us as we discuss flying Black Hawk helicopters in the Army, realizing she wanted to transition from male to female while still serving, and what it was actually like going through that process inside the military. We also get into the moment an insane internet rumor took off after a Black Hawk crash, leading people to believe she was the pilot — to the point where people were calling to ask if she was dead.

We also dive into her re...

He wasn’t just angry—he was hooked. In this episode, we sit down with Arno Michaelis to break down how hate can function like an addiction, escalating from small acts of rebellion into something far more dangerous. What starts as bullying and shock-seeking quickly turns into a need for more intensity—more fear, more violence, more control—until it spirals into full-blown extremism. Arno shares how he went from a suburban kid with a stable upbringing into a neo-Nazi skinhead deeply embedded in the movement, forming a white power band, recruiting others, and living in a constant cycle of addic...

A Wisconsin snowstorm, a couple of drinks, and a “big guest” on the way… what could go wrong?

This episode quickly turns into chaos as we get into Genevieve Heyward’s run on American Idol, the insanity of voting, and why she deserves to go all the way. From there, things spiral into wrestling talk and Toni Storm, before turning into a heated Scream 7 debate breaking down the killer reveal, Stu theories, and whether the franchise still has anything left. And just when it feels like the episode can’t get any more out of control...

Comedian and Comedy Store door guy Mikey McDonald joins us to unpack the “weird delusional belief” that made him move to Nashville and chase stand-up comedy before he had ever done a single open mic. After failing out of a master’s program, battling addiction, and convincing himself he’d have a Netflix special in nine months, Mikey decided blind confidence was the only option. This is what happens when delusion meets ambition — and somehow doesn’t fall apart.

We get into his early stand-up days, performing at a strip club, grinding through open mics, "playi...

We packed up the mics and headed to Madison to record this one on location at Lola’s — and yeah, we fell in love with the place all over again. From the vinyl spinning in the background to what might be the best cocktail we’ve ever had in our lives, this episode is basically us soaking in the vibe and telling stories we probably shouldn’t be telling.

We talk about sneaking off to see Ozzy in 1984, getting grounded for the entire summer (worth it), tackling construction barrels after Badger games, getting lost in Madis...

Genevieve Hayward joins us right in the middle of her American Idol journey to talk about what it actually feels like to step onto one of the biggest stages in music. From walking into the audition room “literally terrified” to dealing with the long gap between filming and airing, she opens up about the surreal reality behind the scenes and the pressure of knowing the world will soon be watching and judging every moment. We talk about trusting instinct under pressure, how quickly everything can change in the audition process, and what it’s like preparing for a performance when t...

Singer-songwriter Graven joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, music, and the unpredictable paths that shape an artist’s work. From recording his latest album Geographics in an intense six-day studio sprint to reflecting on how travel, memory, and personal experiences find their way into his lyrics, he opens up about the realities of building songs from raw ideas into something lasting. We talk about what it feels like to trust instinct over perfection, why deadlines can actually fuel creativity, and how some songs can sit unfinished for years before finally finding their place.

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Stand-up comedian Kirsten Michelle Cills joins us for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had about where comedy really comes from. From growing up memorizing stand-up albums in the back seat of her mom’s car to finding her voice on stage, she talks about how she developed a dark, self-aware style that pulls directly from real life. We dive into her early experiences in theater school, what it felt like realizing she wanted to pursue stand-up full time, and how her family reacted when she told them she was becoming a comedian.

Th...

Singer-songwriter Caitlin Cannon joins us for a conversation that swings between funny, uncomfortable, and unexpectedly heavy in the best way. We talk about how her songs often hide jokes inside darker truths, why meaning in her writing shifts as the story unfolds, and how learning to do less vocally completely changed the way she writes and records. Caitlin walks us through the ideas behind her album Love Addict, her relationship with faith and desire, and why some of her songs tend to make people squirm before they make sense.

Things also take a turn...