Paul Varghese is a stand-up comic and a veteran of the DFW comedy scene. He has performed on Comedy Central, Showtime, and NBC, and has won major competitions including The Funniest Comic in Texas, The Laughing Skull, and Trial By Laughter.

Paul’s career highlights also include appearances at the Montreal & Toronto Just For Laughs Festivals and the Moontower Comedy Festival. He has opened for legends such as Russell Peters, Joan Rivers, Gabriel Iglesias, and many more. Enjoy!

I'M A FAN OF: https://linktr.ee/Imafanof

Paul Varghese: https://linktr.ee/paulvarghese

"Something's Going Around" Stand-up Special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho1ckt4G7_U

Von Daniel and Jared Berger are the co-owners of The Comedy Arena in McKinney, TX. The Comedy Arena is both a performance venue and a training center, offering improv, stand-up, sketch, and more. In this episode, we talk about the growth of the comedy scene in North Texas, the challenges of running a venue, and how The Comedy Arena has built a community for both performers and fans. Enjoy!

I'M A FAN OF: https://linktr.ee/Imafanof

The Comedy Arena: https://www.thecomedyarena.com/

I had the usual amount of nerves that come with interviewing someone I’ve never met in person. However, those nerves disappeared the moment J. Isaiah Evans pulled up to the podcast studio in a brown car. The make and model are irrelevant. The important detail is that it was brown.

You see, I, Travis Wright, have long wanted to buy a car in a sophisticated and timeless brown hue. Knowing that J. Isaiah is also a man of impeccable style, my nerves vanished. It felt like a sign from the universe that this episode was destined for greatness.

J. Isaiah is best known as the frontman of the band 40 Acre Mule and has recently unveiled his solo project, J. Isaiah Evans & The Boss Tweed. With a new record coming out on July 11th, he was kind enough to sit down and talk music.

Be sure to check out the release show at The Kessler Theater in Dallas on Saturday, July 19th. Enjoy! 

I'M A FAN OF: https://linktr.ee/Imafanof

J. Isaiah Evans & The Boss Tweed: https://jisaiahevans.com/

This episode we feature music from Andrew Gabbard and our interview guest is stand-up comic Shaun Murphy.

We feature songs from Andrew's album Homemade, as well as his single Cloud of Smoke. Then we listen to a clip from Shaun's comedy special "Neal" before settling into an interview. Enjoy!

This episdoe we feature music from the latin infused, indie, ska, jazz band from Austrialia, The Cat Empire. Then I sit down with the hilarous stand-up comic, and just all around nice guy, Jon Stringer. We talk about his comedy, the differences of working on land and at sea and his historic church that both he and his wife are restoring and living in. Enjoy!

Then we settle into a fun interview with one of my favorite stand-up comics, Arun Rama! Enjoy!

Brandon Lewin is the owner of Big Laugh Comedy Club in Fort Worth, TX. In this episode, we dive into his journey through the world of stand-up, from performing on stage to producing shows, and how those experiences shaped his path to opening one of Fort Worth’s newest comedy venues.

We talk about the real challenges of launching a club, from managing operations and compensating staff to navigating the dynamics of the local comedy scene. It’s an honest and insightful conversation with someone working to build something meaningful for comics and audiences alike.

I'M A FAN OF: https://linktr.ee/Imafanof

Big Laugh Comedy Club: https://fortworth.blcomedy.com/

This episode we feature music from the band Sad Park and our interview guest is the immensely interesting Tony Drewry.

Our interview guest is the hilarious stand-up comic (and much more) Lucy Perry. Enjoy!

Keegan McInroe is a talented folk and country musician and we sample music from his album A Good Old Fashioned Protest.

Sallie and Danny are part of the comedy sketch group Comedy for the Internet. They produce a wide range of sketch comedy videos... for the internet. Enjoy!

Nick Shoulders has recently released a phenomenal album called Home On The Rage that blends some incredible song writing with some even more incredible vocal abilities.

David and Lynsey are stand-up comics in the DFW area. We talk about comedy and their many other unique hobbies and careers. Enjoy!

Noogy is a Texas based punk rock band that reminds me why I love this genre more than any other. Punks not dead, it never will be. (middle finger emoji)

Ryan Perrio is a hilarious stand-up comic that I've had the pleasure of watching for years. We talk about his life changing DUI, his comedy journey, his awesome podcast and what it's like to be a booker for a large comedy club. Enjoy!

Bruce Magnus is a rock band from North Texas that plays everything from garage rock and rockabilly to catchy ballads and island music. We sample music from their 2020 album Elevate. Don't forget to check out their Just One videos of Robbery and Elevate. 

Michael Pasvar is a hilarious standup comic that I've had the pleasure of having on the show before and I now also have the pleasure of producing his podcast Back In The Day Day. Enjoy!

There was a palpable tension in the room. Jonathan hadn't been on the podcast in a long time. Our last interaction was through a text message where he thanked me for an article I wrote about his previous full album release "Borrowed Time". I thought the article was clever and complementary but, it ultimately said that the music didn't resonate with me. Did the article enrage him? Was he playing the long game? Pretending to be appreciative of the article but secretly waiting until he could come on the pod to confront me? I've never thought of him as a violent man but, he could've been training Jiu Jitsu his entire home school career for all I know. As I set down at the microphone, full of fear and confusion, I decided to let come what may and I hit the record button. Bomethius is the brainchild/alter ego of Jonathan Hodges. Jonathan is multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. His latest single Thunderbird is available for streaming everywhere.

I'M A FAN OF: https://linktr.ee/Imafanof

Bomethius: https://www.bomethius.com/

I feature music from Neutral on Paul's album Paper Brats and then we jump into an interview with Tom and Brandon. Enjoy!

John Brown is a hilarious stand-up comic from the DFW area but he tours all over the country.

The Thermals are an incredible indie rock/punk rock band. We sample music from their phenomenal 2006 release, The Body, The Blood, The Machine.

I literally discovered Stef Frederick and her album Kid just hours before recording this episode. She has an incredible voice and a beautifully simple style of songwriting that will serenade you into bliss.

Emily Grefer is a hilarious stand-up comic from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. She performs in Texas and some of the surrounding states and in my opinion is one of the strong rising talents in our comedy scene.

Fishboy is an indie rock band out of Denton, TX that has been making music since the early 2000's. We sample music from their album Art Guards however, their new album Waitsgiving will be out April 2nd.

David J. Diaz and Peng Dang are stand-up comics from the DFW area. Both are extremely active in the local comedy scene and can be found performing somewhere almost every week.

Carlo is a moody surf and soul instrumental band. We feature some songs from their self titled 2018 album.

GI Sanders is the owner of NTX vinyl and the co-founder of the DFW Legacy series.

Our musical features for this episode are Bomethius, Madame X and Dave Walser from the Room Sound Live series. 

Phantomelo is an awesome indie rock band from the DFW area. We play a few songs from their EP Pet Your Dog More.

Paul Varghese is an incredibly talented local stand-up comic that has opened for Gabriel Iglesias, Dave Chappelle, Russell Peters and Joan Rivers. We play a clip from his 2013 comedy album Paul and Oates and then settle into his interview. Enjoy!

www.imafanofpod.com

This episode we feature music from Heart of the City and interview the two founding members of the band Paco Estrada and Brandon Callies.

Heart of the City is a collaboration between the two that aims to bring together Dallas and Austin as well as people in general. It's a mix of R&B and soul with some elements of rock.

As usual we play a few songs and then settle into a nice interview, enjoy!

We listen to some great music and talk about the highs and lows of creating and curating live shows. Enjoy!

If you've read this far please consider joining the DLS Patreon.

Matt George is the guitarist for The Yes Ma'am band. He is a man with only first names. Even his middle name (which we reveal in this episode) is a first name. In addition to that amazing fact, we found out before starting the interview that we are neighbors and live on the same street. I walk my dog by his house everyday. The universe is weird, man! But seriously, the band is awesome and Matt was a great guy to chat with about many different subjects. So please, check out my neighbor's interview and go check out his band! Enjoy!

Go to his website to experience his wide range of work and pick up his albums on bandcamp to help support what he's doing.

Enjoy!

Mean Motor Scooter is set to release a new EP "Mr. Sophistication" on May, 1st. We play a two songs from the EP and one classic that I really enjoy.

Hannah is our interview guest and she is one of the few comics that both my wife and I agree is absolutely hilarious. We talk about performing jokes about her deceased mother, our terrible eating habits, and more.

Enjoy!

Swimwear Department is a high energy rock band that play songs exclusively about swimming pools and shopping malls.

Jack Freeman is a relatively new comic that has made me laugh at multiple shows. He sits down with us to talk about comedy, religion, and his upcoming move to New York.

New Tribe is in the process of releasing a trilogy called "Later Days". We play some music from the first album of the three, "Health Camp"

Shahyan and Katy have been in the Dallas comedy scene for several years now. They perform, teach, and produce shows. We discuss many aspects of comedy and much more with the both of them.

Levees is a singer songwriter from Dallas, TX that writes "Folk music about dysfunctional people who need to get their lives together". 

Brad McKenzie and Taylor Higginbotham are comics, producers and hosts of The Brave Boys Podcast. They join us to talk about the evolution of the podcast, growing a comedy scene in Denton, TX, and much more.

Grady Pruitt is a stand-up comic that I've had the pleasure of watching multiple times. We talk about comedy, his crippling anxiety, and much more. 

Enjoy!

We discuss recording, music equipment, T-Swift, Sheryl Crow, the ups and downs of the music industry and much more. Be sure to follow Relick on social and check out the new album Lotta Noise!

Sammy Brue is an Incredibly talented singer songwriter that bridges multiple styles of music with a voice and sound that remains original to him.

Wes Corwin is a stand-up comic and producer. We talk about producing shows, writing bits, sex robots and much more.

This episode our featured band is Naked In Public and our interview guest is Luis Juarez.

Naked In Public is a punk rock band from Dallas, TX that has a handful of singles, and an awesome cover of one of my favorite bands. They're new to the scene, but I'm excited to experience their journey.

Luis Juarez is a hilarious stand-up comic from North Texas. We talk about his sometimes last minute approach to writing a bit, his upcoming wedding, and much more.

We listen to a few songs from the album and go straight into the interview. Don't forget to check out their website and their music video for the song "Move on Cue" that features 201 references to The Office. Enjoy!

Jacob Marshall is a stand-up comic and show producer in the Dallas/Ft. Worth comedy scene. Hopefully this interview is good but, in truth, it was sabotaged from the beginning. Sadly, only a couple of days before this interview, I went to trim my beard and I had it on the wrong setting. After accidentally taking a large chunk of my beard off my face I had no choice but to shave it all off and regrow it. So through most of the interview I'm just sitting across from Jacob staring at his glorious beard wishing I still had mine to give my jawline the male equivalent of contouring and to hide my double chin. Jacob was kind enough to bring a high percentage beer which helped ease my beardless face woes. Jacob is really funny and I can personally vouch that his show producing skills are damn fine also. Please go watch him perform live after listening to this podcast. Enjoy!

I'M A FAN OF links: https://linktr.ee/Imafanof

Jacob Marshall links: https://linktr.ee/kickbackcomedy

This episode our featured musician is Tomar & The FCs and our interview guest is Michael Pasvar.

Tomar & The FCs are a soul band from Austin Texas fronted by Tomar Williams. We feature songs from their debut album "Heart Attack". 

Michael Pasvar is very funny comic from the DFW area that gives a lot of insight into how a comic balances family life, an acting career, and reveals some of the interesting truths about having a theatre degree. 

Oil Boom is a Dallas/Ft. Worth garage rock band that sadly doesn't play anymore. However, in their time of creating, recording, and playing they left the world with some great music. 

Brent Crable is the owner and operator of Deep Bro Films out of Dallas, TX. He currently has a series of short films that are being entered in festivals as well as creating a T.V. series.

Lawrence Rosales is a comic from Dallas, TX that performs locally and around the country.

Leopold and his Fiction is an incredibly talented band that has released multiple albums over the past 10+ years.