I catch up with my Chicago comedy buddy Tony Sykowski, who's embedded in the New York comedy scene. We talk doing comedy in COVID, telling jokes on a ship, and what stand-up will be like in the future.Check out Tony on Instagram: www.instagram.com/tonysykowski/If you want to check out The Power Bible, as I mention on the opening of the show, check …

I sit down and talk with Brian Morton & Rachel Ibrahim of Zanies in Old Town, Chicago.Brian you may remember from years ago when I furtively kept glancing at my phone and he very much noticed it. Rachel is head of marketing at Zanies and is a complete delight.This was a fun one - it was really something to get back in that room and actually share s…

Linda Steele is the kind of woman rock ballads of the 1980's were written about. This woman is fit, badass, fun, funny, and sexy as hell.We talk about Chicago, exercise, getting fit, being a hot chick, and joke a ton about what's going on in the world today.Check her out at:https://www.lindasteelehotbod.com/https://www.instagram.com/lindasteelefitb…

I talk with consultant and author Doug Fletcher, who is just charming and delightful.Check out his book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/33ym50DOr directly here: https://howclientsbuy.net/Follow Doug on social media: linkedin.com/in/dougfletcherLooking forward to his tiny house stories!By Brendon "Hammer of the Gods" Lemon

I talk with my co author from The Power Bible (available on Amazon now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578605031) about the recent spat that James Altucher, our friend who wrote the foreword for our book, had with The King of Comedy, Jerry Seinfeld.By Brendon "Hammer of the Gods" Lemon

The second conversation I have with friend of the show philosopher and nihilist John Marmysz. The punk-rocker and philosopher of humor gives me his take on the weirdness that is COVID-19 and our strange COVID year.Unfortunately both he and his wife had it, but each has recovered, though he admits that it was rough.Check out John's writings on Amazo…

I talk with Janelle Murphey, comedian I've known for years from Chicago. We sat down and chatted about New York, comedy, being creative, and generally caught up on life in pre-COVID America.What a strange time, how things have changed.Hope you're well.Follow her on instagram www.instagram.com/comedianjmurph…

I have a chat with @JJTheFitnessCoach (www.instagram.com/jjthefitnesscoach) about positive mindset, his fitness journey, and what "no excuses" means.He's launching another 30 day challenge! If you want to join, follow and message him on Instagram!By Brendon "Hammer of the Gods" Lemon

I talk with John McCombs, hilarious comedian based in Chicago about his experience in the military and telling jokes all over the world.The guy's work ethic and attitude is fantastic. One of these days I have to arrange a tour around Europe with the guy.Check him out online:https://www.facebook.com/johnmccombscomedy/https://twitter.com/realjohnmcco…

The whole freaking world is falling apart and yet Jeremy Miller is GROWING HIS BUSINESS.This guy not only grows his business, kicks ass and takes names, but he's also super personable and one of my favorite people to talk to.We have a couple of drinks during the coronavirus crisis and talk about how he's building his business despite the global dep…

Adam Gold is a hilarious New York comedy producer. He's worked for College Humor and done improv and sketch. The guy's really fun to talk to and one of the nicest people.We chat about all kinds of BS on here. What a lovely man.Check him out: https://www.twitter.com/The_Chai_LifeHis website: https://www.adamgold.co/…

I chat with Brandon Rhoten, CMO of Potbelly Sandwich Shop. He has a career of changing brands with unique and authentic voices and an eye on social and digital media.Brandon earned a reputation for creating the unique brand voice behind Wendy from Wendy's on Twitter.We talk about all kinds of things on this podcast; how to have an authentic voice, …

I've known Jayson Acevedo since we met at Dark Matter on Belmont in Chicago in 2015 when they used to have an open mic. I remember it because not only does Jayson Acevedo leave an impression, but because we immediately started talking about mutual friends we had in the Paris, France comedy scene.Jayson is a dynamic, hilarious, and big-hearted guy. …

I sit down and chat with Jon Boreamayo, head of running things at Stand Up NY. What's it like to helm a classic New York comedy club?Follow him and StandupNY:https://twitter.com/StandUpNYhttps://twitter.com/boreamayoBy Brendon "Hammer of the Gods" Lemon

Matt Griffo and I met at one of the weirdest comedy shows I've ever been to in my life. It was at The Troubadour in London. Amazingly, we were two Chicago comedians who happened to meet at this strange little comedy show in London's west end.The guy is stupid talented - he plays instruments, he makes jokes, he does improv. Honestly, I wish I had as…

Brian Roe is a blast to talk to - he's a natural storyteller and a huge fan of comedy. I love having him as a guest, was finally time to have him in for just the two of us.Check out his youtube channel: http://bit.ly/2XNfniOBy Brendon "Hammer of the Gods" Lemon

Ian Olasov is a philosopher professionally. In a way, I'm very jealous that he's decided to devote his life to intellectual and abstract thought.As I mention in the pod, I've been thinking a lot about what comedy and what philosophy can do in the world - and this guy is REALLY doing it. He literally sets up booths and talks to members of the public…

I know Michael Boothby through Facebook and Chicago comedy. Though now in Florida, he was in Chicago for some time telling jokes.Message with Purpose (https://amzn.to/2Gc5jIj) is an interesting take on dating in our modern times. Mike wrote it and pushed it all out himself! The guy pivots!Just shy of five stars on Amazon, he's had a great launch.…

There are a ton of great shows in Chicago, but of them, the most fun I've ever had was at Makespace at Packback's headquarters.Mike Shannon & Alex Prevolos have done an amazing and unique job creating a space for all kinds of creative people to come together and share their works.The night I did it there was music, graphic art, and of course, comed…

Bill Beteet and I have been friends for years, he's a great guy. We wrote a book called The Power Bible. James Altucher called it the best book he read all year. Honestly, it's really good.You can sign up for the list for release here: bit.ly/2p4uFCoHe's chilling in the south of France at the time of this posting.…

This week I'll be sending out a podcast a day... just a huge backlog of recordings I need to get out to you hungry listeners!Skyler Higley is a hilarious comedian originally from Utah who gets booked all over Chicago and is tearing up the festival circuit.Check him out here:Instagram: http://bit.ly/3aqhZsWBrian Roe, returning guest, is a great stor…

Everyone who knows anything about comedy knows about Lenny Bruce. He's the godfather of socially relevant, edgy, interesting comedy that pushes boundaries.Ronnie Marmo somehow manages to not only deliver Lenny's bits in a 90 minute show, but also channels the man so convincingly it really feels like you're watching the guy live.Lenny passed away mo…

I talk with my buddy James Altucher in his home about all kinds of things: Star Wars, his book, my book, choosing yourself, kicking ass and taking names.I first met James through my friend William Beteet, but I had known about James for a couple of years - since I heard him on The Jordan Harbinger Show and through his TED talk.At the time, I was in…

Dave Schwensen wrote the book on how to be a working comedian. Literally, that's the book he wrote.Dave got a gig booking talent at The Improv and had a whole career in it! He got a cross-section of all kinds of talent from the comedy world. For years he taught courses and coached comedians get work, until he got tired of answering the same questio…

Tristan A Smith is a friend from when I first moved to Chicago. We've been on the road and had shows all over the map (in both location and how good they were).Tristan and I both performed on one of the worst shows of our lives in Davenport, Iowa. We both took it on the chin.Tristan has the ability to be vulnerable, brave, even confessional on stag…

Zach Tomasovic and I met at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, we both had shows at the same venue. Whereas mine went on to receive horrible reviews, Zach received glowing reviews from The Scotsman, AP News, and Time.Time: http://bit.ly/2EtoX1CAP: http://bit.ly/36FzUZKZach is a very charming, super funny, and extremely personable guy - we hit i…

Lancey is a unique comic - I met him in Chicago years ago when I first moved there. The guy is both hilarious and a great friend.I'd been going through some shit recently with the passing of my grandfather, and Lancey made a point to reach out and make sure I was alright.We talk about comedy, Chicago, what it's like getting going in the city, how h…

Dre is the man behind a kind of legend on the internet. Codename: Diablo is thrown around so much in forums, on reddit, twitter, and is somewhere between a curiosity, a fetish, and a punchline.Quite frankly, I have a ton of respect for someone who creates anything. The drive to helm a project, put money into it, gather investors, get talent, rent e…

Taking a break from heavy topics, I ran into Brian and Nick at The Laugh Factory in Chicago's Young Hustle show.Both of these guys are so funny and fun to hang out with, we sat down and just caught up for a bit on the podcast.Brian is a comedian who grinds hard in Chicago. He's constantly churning out new material and working on the craft. Check hi…

I sit down and talk with author, sales wizard, and all-around good-time boy Cory Bray! We talk about sales, problems with organizations, and even a little bit about comedy.He just released another book! This guy is on fire 🔥This one is all about hiring & onboarding sales reps. Even if you're not in the field, managing anyone new and onboarding them…

I've known Mark Ridley for over half my life, since I started doing stand-up when I was about 16 years old.But even before meeting him and doing comedy, I heard about the Comedy Castle from my dad, who's best friend was a stand-up comedian in Detroit in the 80s and 90s. The place was like a kind of temple to me, where some of the most talented and …

I came across Naomi Snider's book at The Strand in New York, jumping in to get out of the rain. The catchy cover and title caught my attention and after I picked the book up I couldn't put it down.She and her co-author, Carol Gilligan, take a stab at why the cultural condition we've lived under, patriarchy, is so well described and diagnosed yet so…

Matt Koff's new comedy album, Who's My Little Guy drop this Friday 11/1 on Spotify, iTunes, and his website, www.mattkoff.netHe's been a writer on The Daily Show since the halcyon days of Jon Stewart, and continued through the tumultuous Trump period. He's overcome a lot of frustrating comedy poverty (such as we all know), and all the while continu…

Rocco Siffredi is perhaps *the* most prolific male pornstar. He's transcended the world of porn, particularly in Europe, and is a genuine celebrity.Outside of his career, he's mostly a normal guy, a family man with a wife of 25 years and two great sons. How does he do it?Aside from his, ahem, career work, I took notice of him on the Netflix doc Roc…

An unofficial theme for this podcast from the beginning has been men and women and the #metoo movement.I saw Judith Taylor, professor of sociology and women & gender studies talking about Incels (involuntary celibates)on the CBC after the tragic events in Toronto (https://youtu.be/wEeLSTOZA2Q). She displayed a level of understanding and compassion …

Today on The Madness Continues, we talk to the business-minded comedian Ron Tite. Founder of Church+State, he cut his teeth in the world of comedy and advertising before moving more thoroughly into the world of marketing.He and I are of one mind about "marketers" - they're pretty eye-roll-y. He has an authentic, grounded, no-BS approach to branding…

On this episode of The Madness Continues, I talk with author and businessman Jeremy Miller. He talks with me about his new book, Brand New Name.We walkthrough the truth of what I've always expected: my life is meh because I'm "Brendon Lemon" and not "Raef Cortez." He talked me into changing my name, because I want to eventually be successful.Jeremy…

I talk with ugallery.com founder Alex Farkas.It's one of the best websites for buying art online. Following the theme of curation I've been into lately, we discuss what it's like to find new artists, and starting a business.We chat about the marketplace for art, how he got the idea to start it, and all kinds of things related to art, comedy, busine…

I talk with Matt Guralsky about growing up in Florida, moving to Chicago, and working with Tucker Brookshire about the maybe genius, maybe ridiculous web series Untucked.By Brendon "Hammer of the Gods" Lemon

I talk with the very talented and hilarious Shannon Noll about comedy and their amazing show Just Call Me Ripley, which they wrote, directed, and starred in.Shannon's been an amazing talent since I met them, and they continue to impress at every turn.Check the show out on Open Television or https://www.justcallmeripley.com/…

I talk with my friend Megan Eskoff. You never know what the people you meet in your life are into, turns out the barista at the cafe around my office is a really talented artist!I talk with Megan about her gallery solo show at Happy Gallery (https://happygallerychicago.com/).Go take a look, we'll dive into her gallery and post-gallery experience in…

I met Colby Kennedy when we both moved to Chicago in 2015. He was always grinding mics and brought an amazing energy to every set he had.After a bit he disappeared from the standup scene. However, he wasn't gone from comedy. From time to time other projects he was working on would appear on Facebook. Improv, sketch, short films, all kinds of creati…

Headed to New York recently and caught up with my friend William Beteet and co-host of the upcoming SiriusXM show they have together, Keren Margolis.We have a chat about comedy, about hustle, about all kinds of things.Check them out.Bill:https://twitter.com/billbetweethttps://www.instagram.com/billbeteetBill's great podcast: https://soundcloud.com/…

Rodescu has always been one of the chillest guys from the moment I met him in the Chicago comedy scene. He's easy to talk to, has a great demeanor on stage, and always been one of the nicest guys.He has his hands in a bunch of great projects with other talented comedians in the city. I'm glad I finally had the chance to meet with him and record the…

Phoebe Claire is one of the first people I met after moving to Chicago. We became fast friends. She's interesting, intelligent and creative.I love being around her, as her motivation is contagious. On the occasion of her first gallery exhibition, I sat down and talked with her about what it was like to go through years of art, the creative process,…

I talk with Chicago darling Tucker Brookshire. He's able to create a kind of levity that I'm envious of.Follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/tuckbrookshireInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tuckerbrookshire/Check out Untucked: https://youtu.be/ops0zB_q7gQBy Brendon "Hammer of the Gods" Lemon

Nick Ogle has always been one of the funnest comedians to watch in Chicago. He wins over audiences with his huge smile, and grinds shows all over the city. He's a member of The Young Hustle Crew.Forgive the talk about a porn festival I went to at the the start. Actually, don't forgive it, get into it, it's cool.Nick and I talk about all kinds of th…

One of the first times I remember laughing so hard I was crying in Chicago comedy was watching Jeff Arcuri. It was at the now-closed Five Star Comedy at the Four Star Lounge. The guy's a talent - I laughed so much in this episode I probably ruined this recording.Check out Jeff on Colbert: https://youtu.be/YbiJgpr74F8On Twitter: https://twitter.com/…

I sit down with one of my best buddies in Chicago comedy, St James Jackson. This conversation meanders all over the place, but discussing the differences between black & white church, culture, and as always, Chicago comedy.St James is one of my favorite comedians in Chicago and always has been; he has a unique voice that can get audiences to lose i…

I chat with heartthrob Zach Dietsch about what it's like to be a teen pop star AND comedy wunderkind.We worked together for about a year and he was my one link to sanity. After this I'm off the deep end.Zach talks about touring with his successful punk band Rust Belt Lights (found here on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7hjCCpfiVNNsPLjJNZn…