YTunes Shuffle

Episode 44: William Mark McCullough

The actor/direct William Mark McCullough (American Made, Massacre On Aisle 12) happened to be in Los Angeles and made time to visit the YTunes Shuffle studios to share his Fave 5! We talk about growing up in a trailer park in Georgia and his drive to not be poor as an adult. He shares all of the crazy characters that lived there and what it was like being the oldest in a house of 5 kids.

He shares the story of how he was bitten by the acting bug and that before acting, his first career was in law! Mark's dad plays a special role in his life and in his father's passing, tv opportunities were knocking on his door. Literally.

Band or Bar takes us to Sioux City, Iowa. Don't click on the links. See if you can guess which one is which along with Mark and Maggi. His First Concert was amongst a bunch of "old people" but in the same evening, got scammed! 

Keep up to date with his latest works on Instagram or Twitter. Then make sure to follow YTunes online on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 43: Andrew Steele

The Creative Director from Funny Or Die, Andrew Steele drops by the studio to share his unique Fave 5 songs. We learn all about growing up in small town Iowa and coming to NYC to work on SNL. He shares a few highlights of working on the sketch comedy show and times when things went horribly wrong.

We share stories of first loves and how to get in the zone when trying to "write." Plus Andrew shares a lot about his time in New York and what it's like working with Will Ferrell.

Then, during everyone's favorite game, Band or Bar, we head to Hollywood, FL, before learning about an unusual Guilty Pleasure and his AMAZING accidental First Concert.

 

Check out his corner of the Internet here. Then like us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates!

Episode 42: Pete Downing

This special episode, one of the musicians from Adam Sandler's band, Pete Downing stopped by to share his cool Fave5. We learn about how he dropped out of high school, smoked pot on the way to take the SAT's and left Massachussetts to go to Florida to be a drug smuggler...yet somehow managed to finish college.

Pete and David reminisce about how they lived together for a brief time and how it ended so awkwardly. Pete shares his fears of the boogeyman, his sexual awakening song, his "becoming a citizen song" and recalls "bussing" as an adolescent because a young African American girl lived with them, and all about early protests and running away to Philadelphia on a bus.

 

We head to Amsterdam for this week's Band Or Bar before we get to his Guilty Pleasure and incredible First Concert story.

 

Follow Pete on Twitter, then check out YTunes on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Episode 41: Lank & Earl

The infamous duo that got their comedy start in the 80's in San Fransisco, Lank & Earl, joins the show! Barry Lank and Jim Earl met in California and retell the story of how they came to know David.

They birthed famous 'bits' like the "Farting Elvis" bit and the Stamp Song from Jim's one man show with 12 people in it.

We dissect their home lives and they couldn't be more opposite. They share war stories of going on the road and nabbing their first gigs in the entertainment business.

Will they ever get on stage together again? Probably not, but they did talk about the best way to ruin someone else's make out session!

This week Band Or Bar went to Tokyo! Don't click the links yet! Try to guess along with the gang and see if you get it right!

 

Be a part of next week's show as a "Listener Of The Week" sharing a song and story that is important to you! Email Maggi and David at ytunesshuffle@gmail.com.

Episode 40: Ashley Levy

Joining Maggi and David on the show today is singer/songwriter Ashley Levy! You might recognize her most notable work on the show RuPaul's Drag Race! 

The show opens with the gang just talking shop about the entertainment biz. Then we learn her love of music comes from her dad...who is strangely very contemporary and even makes fun of Ashley for how she consumes her music. Then she dishes on how technology CAN work in your favor in modern romance.

We get right into her Fave5 and learn about growing up with grandparents, how Christmas worked in a split Italian/Jewish/divorced/step-family home.  The answer is honey balls. Aways honey balls.

 

Ashley gets particularly insightful discussing her relationship with her grandparents and what it was like growing up with a much older generation of people.

She has an intense love for car shows and we find out about her first "job job."

It's not until much later Ashley reveals a pretty big secret about her love for music and the kind of art she makes.

 

Band or Bar takes us to Rohnert Park, CA in Sonoma County. Don't click on the link! See if you can guess which is which!
Ashley has a quizzical Guilty Pleasure and an "embarrassing" First Concert.

Catch up with her on Instagram and while you are at it...check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Thanks and enjoy the show.

Episode 39: Anyi Malik

Maggi and David are thrilled to welcome, nationally touring comedian, Anyi Malik, who not only has a new album out on iTunes (Pop Grits) but is also featured in the latest Carl's Jr. television commercial campaign...which they talk about at length!

Anyi talks about his start in comedy in the San Francisco area and how his father was actually very supportive of him. School was tough because friends did not come easily. His enlightened parents taught him about the true history of his surroundings and that critical thinking process made it difficult for Anyi to succeed in school socially and academically.

Anyi shares a particular reggae song featured in his favorite movie but the lyrics are jolting. Maggi counters with a song with a great beat but questionable lyrics...Anyi assures her its "not that bad."

We learn that his dad pushed him into performing at a very young age, reading poetry in cafes, that his first car was just the thing to help him learn how to flirt and impress girls, and that driving on road trips was better broken down into albums...not hours.

His mom also loved music...but she listened to it in a particularly strange way that annoyed Anyi. Another song makes him think of a woman whom he really loved, who is unfortunately no longer with us today. We celebrate her through the power of song.

 

Band or Bar heads to Providence, RI; don't click the link yet! See if you can guess the correct answer along with Anyi and Maggi.

Anyi's Guilty Pleasure is reminiscent of his lost love and First Concert story is a real 'first' for YTunes Shuffle.

Follow Anyi Malik online and his new album Pop Grits. And if you haven't already, please like us on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram. Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. Thank you for listening, TuneSquad!

Episode 38: Dave Joseph

This week's guest is a long time friend of Maggi's from her start in radio. Currently, the voice of the LA Kings hockey team at Staples Center, Dave Joseph joins the show.

We learn quickly that Dave is a major sports fan...he is even a part owner of The Packers! He shares all about life growing up in a small town in rural Michigan and how his dad wanted him to take over the family business. One day one the job and Dave quit, and the next move he makes forever changed the trajectory of his life.

Dave had an incredible Fave5 songs where we learned how he won his first and only championship at 10 years old and what a celebration looked like, playing in a band and getting paid for church gigs, plus his incredible albeit naive journey to college in hopes of getting into radio in New York City! Dave has met some great broadcasters in his career including Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity as well as some amazing performers...liked Dave Grohl!

 

Band or Bar takes us to Long Beach Island New Jersey. Don't click on the link...try and guess with Dave and Maggi to see if you get it right!

You can find Dave Joseph on Instagram and Twitter or of course, at every home game the LA Kings play at The Staples Center.

 

Be a part of the show and email in your songs and the story behind them to ytunesshuffle@gmail.com and be featured as our Listener Of The Week.

Likes, comments and shares keep this show fueling for now! Check out YTunes Shuffle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and let us know what you think about the episode!

 

 

Episode 37: Mary Birdsong

Talented comedian and actress, Mary Birdsong joins the show! (Reno 911, The Descendants, Broadway) David and Mary are long time friends so the entire episode feels like a catching up session.

Mary shares her experiences at NYU and how she almost dropped out of college and what made her stay! The best things in her life (improv companies, relationships, etc) she was never excited about. But, what she did to keep the faith and keep plugging away in the entertainment business.

Maggi gets schooled on how to maintain friendships without Facebook and everyone can relatate to comparing ourselves to amazingly talented people like Janeane Garofalo.

Mary sets the tone early in her five songs about what exactly a broken heart sounds like and how you can actually hear god in songs. Mary grew up in a divorced family where dad's 'new' family seemed to be perfect, while her homelife with her mother was led by a woman with serious mental health issues. Mary describes her painfully shy childhood and how neighbors interpreted her.

In conclusion...Mary things there will be love again as much as she hates to admit it.

 

Band Or Bar takes us to Milwaukee, WI. Try and guess along with Mary and Maggi before clicking the links!

Mary's Guilty Pleasure has everything to do with outer space and her first concert becomes a tribute to a high school teacher.

Find Mary Birdsong on Youtube, Instagram and Twitter. Then hop on over to find YTunes Shuffle on Twitter and Instagram!

Episode 36: Lahna Turner

Comedian, producer, writer, singer, filmmaker and actress Lahna Turner joins the show this week. Lahna shares the challenges of being a mom in entertainment, life post-divorce, and making her first comedy musical visual album, Limeade.

 

This episode is pretty dark in the sense that we talk about reoccuring dreams, sex, divorce, and heartbreak. But, the songs are incredibly inspiring and the basis of how she got started performing. Lahna grew up in Canada and Texas and shares memories of her very funny, yet introverted father, the best roommate she had in college and some unbelievable "can't believe this is happening to me" moments.

 

Band or Bar takes us to Jamaica. Try and guess along with Lahna and Maggi before clicking on the links to find out more. We discover her guilty pleasure when the kids finally get out of the car and the cool way she got into so many concerts in her 20s , for free!

 

Check out Lahna's album Limeade, and then follow her on Twitter and Instagram to stay abreast on her upcoming film project.

 

YTunes Shuffle is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Soundcloud. Feel free to reach and and chat with Maggi and David about your favorite episodes!

Episode 35: Sonja Mereu

Hosts Maggi Mayfield and David Earl Waterman were delighted to sit down with the director of the LA Diversity Film Festival, Sonja Mereu. Sonja grew up bicoastally, with her mom in NYC and her dad in LA. She shares about how she was a "bad kid" and how she overcame that, attended college and started making films.

She has quite a special relationship with her very Italian father, who is on the board of directors of the LA Diversity Film Festival. Sonja's music selections were so deep and empathetic, we learn quickly her secret to life and how intensely she loves others. Sonja's boyfriend was also in studio enjoying the show live and she shared the story of how the met on set in Arizona and their unusual first date when they returned home to Los Angeles.

The gang takes a story break to play Band Or Bar, taking place in Cambridge, England. Try and guess along with Sonja and Maggi before clicking on each!

We learn all about Sonja's Guilty Pleasures before she takes us to her first concert.

Find Sonja Mereu online, on Facebook and on Tumblr.

 

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