Ep. 44: Amber Tozer, Cole Escola and Brad Lauretti of This Frontier Needs Heroes
Christian & Shonali quickly admit to things they never have before in their newest segment called Admissions. The show is packed and hot, literally due to the fact that it is late June but also the lineup is yet again hawt with first guest comedian, performer, actor, writer Cole Escola in his summer wear: white denim cutoffs. Cole talks with us about growing up in rural Clatskanie, Oregon surrounded by a prison of trees, following a boyfriend to NYC, getting a tv series at a very young age, and his favorite catcalling moments. Check out his video Mom Commercial and die. We invite our WDEK friend Isabel Restrepo to Get It Off Her Chest and boy did she ever. WDEK's second guest of the night is comedian, writer and storyteller Amber Tozer who just published her memoir Sober Stick Figure, a book chronicling her life as an alcoholic and her eventual recovery all told with the help of childlike stick figures. For the most part her family has been supportive of her TMI book, but then there's Aunt Pam. Amber admits drinking is so fun but then it took a turn for her. Amber says she can become irritable and grouchy but Shonali can not imagine it. Shonali has to Get It Off Her Chest with a story about a recent bullying incident at a birthday party. Our last guest is Brad Lauretti, frontman of This Frontier Needs Heroes. Brad a former Brooklynite now lives in Jacksonville, Florida where he was inspired to start the Stetson Kennedy Songwriter Residency in Beluthahatchee Park, a place where both Woody Guthrie and Stetson Kennedy would spend time writing. Brad calls himself an artistic refugee with regard to his move from NYC to Jacksonville. He did not experience much culture shock moving to the south and claims that the south has changed dramatically since he was kid visiting his relatives in South Carolina. He noted he met an Italian person working in an Italian restaurant. Brad's music is beautiful and haunting. His newest album coming out soon is called Real Job. He sang three new tunes for our wonderful audience, Freemarket Music, I Love Immigration, and Don't Let the Dreamers Die. Listen and be amazed.