Explore every episode of the podcast The Blackout Diaries

Chicago bartender and musician Christian McGann explains the differences between the Front Of The House and The Blackout Of The House, to our live audience at The Blackout Diaries. Christian tells some stories about bartending in Chicago and concludes with a hilarious song about what it's like to hear the drink orders of customers all night long. Christian joins CJ and Sean in the studio and we discuss the demands of bartending, along with Christian's other tavern-based job- he is one half of a dueling piano duo. CJ and Sean discuss some stats about bartending and how much the service industry drinks, along with how some bars have adjusted to bad internet reviews in hilarious, albeit confrontational ways. Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review- plus follow Christian to checkout more great piano tunes and live apperances.

Legendary Chicago comedian Joey Villagomez tells a couple of stories at the live show, about the time he got high at work during a polar vortex and then about the time in highschool when his buddy drank too much and had to be hosed down. Joey then joins CJ and Sean in the studio and shares some crazy stories about working for the city of Chicago, along with other drinking buddy tales. This leads to a theme on drinking buddies. We discuss the science of how drinking buddies impact our alcohol consumption, share some stories, and extend an open invite to a FL lawyer who got separated from his drinking buddies and entered the wrong car, naked.

Comedian Matty Ryan tells the (hilarious) story of how he got stung by a jelly fish while taking a dip in the ocean in what was intended to be a quick frolic into the water while stuck in traffic. Matty then consults with an increasingly large number of people and experts to get advice on the pain, all of which just seem to laugh. Matty joins CJ and Sean in the studio and we talk about the story, and most importantly the urban legend that they only way to fix a jelly fish sting is to urinate on it. This leads to a theme on 'urban legends', in particular urban legends that drunks believe, like sucking on a penny to get out of DUI or eating the right foods to become sober.

Comedian, radio broadcaster and pro wrestling personality Kevin Kellam tells a story about the time his mom picked him up from a train stop while he was drunk and she started doing tricks in the car to tease him. Kevin then comes into the studio with CJ and Sean and they discuss this story plus some of Kevin's favorite wrestling stories. We discuss how parents always know you are drunk, wether they choose to confront you or not. CJ and Sean talk about failed attempts to hide drinking from their parents along with rushed cleanup jobs after parties. We also discuss Rick Flair's recent twitter spat with a FL pizza place along with the science of why your parents will probably always know you are drunk.

Comedian Lyssa Laird makes her (HILARIOUS) debut on the Blackout Diaries. She tells the story of dating a city boy in high school where her and her best friend from the south suburbs had a terrible night in the city after meeting him to drink an alley. Lyssa joins CJ and Sean from her kitchen while she preps food for her birthday party. We talk about Lyssa's past in the air force and what she learned about drinking in highschool. This leads to an overall theme on alleys, in particularly Chicago's sometimes love affair with partying in an alley. We end the show on a story from Chicago writer Raf Miastkowski -- a documented lover of alley drinking -- who tells the story about his roommate's fascination with alley amore.

Comedian Daniel Bergamini performs at our live show and tells about the time he and his girlfriend narrowly avoided a hospital trip after loosing a sex toy. Daniel then joins us in the studio to talk about the whole, Odyssean night, which began with a near trip to the hospital, then a night out that ended with a party where everyone was drugged. This leads to CJ and Sean sharing their own stories of drinking Odysseys. Sean shares a story about how a massive beer purchase lead to a three day lost trip and we share the science of why groups of drunks are more likely to get sloppy then loan drinkers, which can lead to more chaotic Odysseys.

Chicago is stuck in a polar vortex so CJ and Sean talk about drinking in cold weather. We share stories about football games in subarctic temperatures and how bars change their rules when it gets super cold, almost like they are welcoming weary travelers. We also talk about the science of why drunks don't feel cold but are actually more in danger of it than sober people.

Comedian Mary Kelly tells the story of when she went on a Corned Beef Sandwich Crawl for St Patrick's Day. Mary hits just about every Irish pub and sandwich shop in Milwaukee before finally have one-too-many shots of whiskey and it all comes out while the band is playing. Mary joins CJ and Sean in the studio and they share some more St Patrick's Day stories. We talk about how much Americans spend binge drinking on St Patrick's Day alone, why Chicago had to move it to a weekend holiday because of the chaos and how LA is so healthy- they ru a marathon on the day.

Legendary Chicago comedian Dwayne Kennedy tells the story about when he was so drunk at a club, he left to sleep on the hood of a parked car but still had the wherewithal to prepare his wallet and ID for when the police eventually woke him up (which they did). Dwayne also talks about why he quit drinking and then joins CJ and Sean in the studio to share more drinking stories and hilarious standup stories from his Emmy-winning career, like the time he promoted a nonexistent album on Jimmy Kimmel. Dwayne's story leads to other stories on the theme of falling sleep while drunk. We discuss why your body becomes so sleepy when drunk and also share stories about falling asleep on city streets along with famous cases of people sleeping in the wrong house drunk.

Adam Burke, one of our favorite comedians and drinking buddies, stops by to promote his amazing new album, "Weaponized Empathy". We share a clip from the new album then talk with Adam for almost the entire episode. Adam explains how he recorded the album, then moves on to hilarious drinking stories from his various ports of call, throughout his life- Western Australia, Northern Ireland, London, Chicago and (in one we still can't believe) Dallas. Adam's stories about drunk red necks that split time between the outback and beaches of AU always put us on the floor laughing. Checkout his new album- available everywhere online.

The podcast took a few weeks off because CJ was in the hospital due to a 'bum' lung, which he explains. This leads to a conversation about how often, even though CJ is sober, drunks end up in the hospital. Sean tells the story about the time he failed a stroke test and they institutionalized him. Then we share stories from the live show where a bartender ends up in the hospital due to an ill-planned attempt to hide a hickey and a bouncer nearly watches his friend die, then land in the hospital, when chugging a beer nearly ends in a drowning.

Chicago comedian Conor Cawley tells the story of a weekend trip to Mexico gone-wrong. Conor comes to from a blackout, trying to bribe a Mexican Federale while learning Conor has no money. Conor shares what happens next at the live show, then joins CJ and Sean to answer questions on this story plus Conor shares some holiday drinking stories. Conor's story leads to a theme of BRIBES on this episode, where we talk about the challenges -- and unique benefits -- of drunk bribing. Everything from the Olympics to Private bar parties is in play for bribing. The Blackout Diaries Podcast is now back to a weekly release schedule. Apologies for the missing weeks in Feb- we were recovering from some illness and, much as Santa needs people to believe in him for his magic to work, The Blackout Diaries loses some of its mojo during Dry January and Dry Feb. But we are back! And for those of you listening in Chicago- check out Conor's album recording this week at The Joinery.

Special episode where CJ and Sean talk about their favorite, world sporting event- The Olympics. We laugh about how an Australian professor might have danced so poorly her sport has been thrown out of any future Olympic consideration; how some swimmers are pounding Cokes to eat away at the polluted water; and the weird and often funny career opportunities that Olympic athletes have to jump on once the games are over.

LONG time friend of The Blackout Diaries, John Leadley, tells a story about the time he and his friends bought a bar off a guy in jail and how that bar was saved when gay people started drinking there. John Leadley is a comedian and bartender and one of the first ever performers at our life show. He joins CJ and Sean in the studio to talk about what it was like to own a bar in college, along what its like to own a bar now-a-days. CJ and Sean then talk about Chicago and LA gay bars , including the hilarious union demands that were made at one Chicago club.

Professional gambler and all around good-time Kevin Meeusen tells a few drinking stories at our live show about how the Internet has made gambling too well-documented and therefore too embarrassing. Kev calls in from his bunker in Vegas to talk gambling with CJ and Sean. We talk about how seemingly unethical all modern gambling commercials are, how alcohol effects gambling (both good and bad.. and, we hate to break it to you, its mostly bad) plus some famous court cases where drunks sued casinos for their losses.

Comedian Claire Sundbye performs at our live show, telling three of the most questionable decisions she made while drunk. They range from falling in love with a stripper to picking fights online with an internet troll. Claire joins CJ and Sean in the studio and we talk about how hard it is to interact online, sober or drunk, but particularly drunk. This leads to a topic about how dangerous the modern internet has become -- with everything from your bank to job connected -- when drunk. CJ and Sean talk about apps that are designed to prevent you from using the internet while drunk, along with some studies about how much money we waste online when drunk shopping and why modern AI can identify drunk people online very quickly.

Chicago legend Robert Hines, one of our favorite standups, tells a story about the time in high school when his New Year's Eve date with a woman who did not want fool around went south and ended with her attacking him. Robert's big-hearted brother drove his date home. Robert joins CJ and Sean in the studio to share more details on the story along with some other hilarious, family stories. We also talk about Robert's legendary youtube character, Jones Big Ass Storage and Good Ass BBQ. Robert details how he's been shafted on the royalties for those videos and is looking for legal help so he can re-claim his comedy creation. Please go to Robert's go fund me (link below) to help him in that battle if you have extra money. Finally, CJ and Sean discuss more NYE topics, including the science behind why we birds have even worse hangovers than us. Robert's go fund me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/Robert-L-Hines-legal-fund?member=26762561&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=sms&utm_source=customer

Comedian (and reformed lawyer) Paul Farahvar tells the story about how his highschool experience all changed for the better, nay the flawless, after he received his old brother's drivers license and was able to buy beer at any liquor store. Paul details how they always went to the same liquor store and quickly became that owner's favorite customers but, unfortunately, the owner believed Paul was his old brother, i.e. in med school and capable of giving doctorly advice. Paul joins CJ and Sean in the studio to talk fake IDs and what it was like for Paul to start standup comedy while still being a practicing trial lawyer. This leads to a discussion on lawyers and, in particular shady DUI lawyers- a favorite industry for The Blackout Diaries. CJ and Sean share some stories about their own experiences with shady lawyers plus share some news stories about lawyers so shady they made world news.

Comedian Abi Sanchez rejoins the Blackout Diaries and tells the story of the time he hooked up with a hoarder. Abi shares how he started to recognize the signs that this woman's apartment might not be normal well before he entered it and saw the chaos. This leads to a theme of 'messiness'. CJ, Sean and Abi share messy drinking stories- times they found themselves covered in dirt or trash while drinking. We also share some science on why some people keep messy places than others and how it might be a strength.

Comedian Lindsey Shaw tells the story of ending up at Clark's Diner after last call and hiring a beggar to protect her from some angry drunk customer. Lindsey, CJ and Sean share some stories about how crazy Clark's Diner was and how none of the current places seem to match that chaos. Lindsey shares how her protector, who had no shoes on, just got out of jail and this leads to a conversation about spending time in jail. We share stories about local judges who assign creative punishments rather than forcing people to spend time in jail and share a few personal stories about getting out of (or in) jail.

Comedian Brian Dejka tells the story about how after 30 years of hard drinking and dangerous living, he gets sober and ends up totaling his car into a school bus on day 90 of his sobriety. Brian also jokes about how he timed his sobriety terribly, choosing to stop drinking right before COVID hit. Brian joins CJ and Sean in the studio and talks about what its like to work for the city of Chicago in waste management, plus what its like to be sober in Chicago. This leads to a wider discussion on Sober-October and other sober-curious trends. CJ and Sean talk about the growing worth of non alcoholic breweries and how young people are reporting to drink much less than previous generations.

One of our favorite comedians and drinking buddies, Mike Burns, joins us in the studio to share some drinking stories from his home state of Michigan. Mike talks about his past, self-destructive habit of insisting he never leave a bar voluntarily and, instead, insisted on being thrown out. He, CJ and Sean try to recall the time Burns snuck back into a bar in a disguise after being thrown out. This leads to a conversation on how Michigan drinks much more than people realize, including how they laughed about their attorney general passing out at a college football game. Sean and CJ both share some stories about performing in MI venues and how drunk the crowds were, particularly in the UP. Check out Mike's hilarious twitter alter ego, Dad Boner, plus his podcast Power Moves. Mike additionally cohosts the fun and hilarious podcast, Monday Night Beers with Vince Averill.

Comedian Jared Logan talks about how condescending wait staff at a brewery can be about beer- recorded from his live album. Jared then joins CJ and Sean in the studio and we talk breweries and beer, including how and why Jared stoped drinking during lockdown. Jared talks about how most drugs effect him poorly, except for food, which he has always loved. We talk about the best spots to pick for late night food along with the best fast food chain restaurants. CJ and Sean dive more into the brewery theme, sharing how much money craft breweries now contribute to the US economy, which is great, but how it all comes at a cost- namely the names and labeling of their beers are insufferable. We discuss some of the worst flavors and worst labels. Sean talks about what the new Guinness craft brewery is like in Chicago too. Check out Jared's show on The Glass Cannon Network.

Comedian Joe Kilgallon tells a story at our live show about the time he was the only man invited to a bachelorette party. Joe talks about being de facto security for the women, along with the funny differences between bachelor and bachelorette parties. Joe joins CJ and Sean in the studio and they talk more about how Joe is the perfect security layer for bar hopping friends. CJ and Sean also talk about how bachelorette parties are viewed as near locusts by some people, including a group of Boston researchers who say bachelorette parties are ruining gay bars and a town in Spain that is banning public displays of sex toys to try and discourage bachelorette party tourism. Give it a listen, give us a review and check out Joe's comedy specials on youtube along with podcast Let's Get Dumb!

Comedian Jaime de Leon tells about the time he left an employee holiday party drunk and accidentally jumped into the path of a pickup truck. Jaime wakes up in the hospital, still drunk, and believes he is in a Grey's Anatomy episode. Jaime joins CJ & Sean in the studio and they talk about the fallout of all your coworkers knowing that you just drunkenly injured yourself at the annual Christmas party. Jaime also talks about the time he back-packed across Mexico and gives some great traveling advice that also happens to double as good safety guidance when walking drunk inside your own city. This leads to a theme on the dangers of drunk walking. CJ and Sean share their own stories of drunk walking, including trips that ended in ditches, broken glasses and (once for Sean) dangling from a fence. We also talk about the statistical dangers of walking drunk and how some governments are trying to crack down on the problem. Make sure to follow Jaime online for not only his jokes but he also gives great Mexican food suggestions for Chicagoans, and checkout his monthly show- Pilsen Standup.

Comedian Joe Kwaczala joins The Blackout Diaries and talks about his days trucking drunk people around LA as a ride share driver. Joe has a new comedy album coming out , "Joe Kwaczala- Funny Songs & Sketches", that is a hilarious, inventive mixture of standup and sketch and music comedy. We play a track from that album inspired by his days as a ride share driver, then Joe joins us in the studio to answer questions on what it's like to drive some of LA's biggest drunks around that city, always afraid they will either puke in your car or -- even worse -- leave a bad review. This leads to a wider discussion on ride sharing apps versus cabs. CJ and Sean talk about why they prefer traditional yellow cabs over ride shares, particularly for drunk people. Purchase Joe's new album online!

Galway Bay is the best damn bar in Chicago and the two owners, Jason and Nolan, sit down at the live show to answer questions (from our live audience) and share stories from their years of managing one of the craziest places in Chicago. At the live show, they share a story about the difficulties of hiring and firing employees when everyone is drinking, plus how their bar has both helped and hurt their love of sports. Jay and Nolan then call into the studio for an additional conversation with CJ and Sean where they detail the odd ways they have decorated the bar and how -- as crazy as they are -- they somehow provide a more stable environment than the previous owner. After they leave, CJ and Sean share some of their favorite stories from The Bay.

One of our favorite drinking buddies from Canada, Shane Coupland, joins us on The Blackout Diaries. Shane tells a story from the live show about the time he tried to open a door with his feat at a college party, breaking both of them. Shane joins CJ and Sean in the study to give more, hilarious details like how the whole party happened because Canada gives college two, huge lump sums of money while in school, which he and his friends through on an epic, too-drunk party. Additionally Shane shares that he injured himself the day before 9/11 and watched the world burn while dealing with broken feet and a hangover. This leads to a wider discussion where CJ and Sean share some of their 9/11 drinking stories, as it was a tragic, awkward day, with drunks walking around confused because they were too hungover to get the news as quickly as sober people. Sean tells how he was fired on 9/11.

Comedian Tom Thakkar joins us in the studio! Tom shares a track and story from his great, new album, "Thakkar Noir", about why he thinks we need to tax hot people more heavily. CJ, Sean and Tom talk about drinking in Indiana , where Tom is from, versus LA, where he lives now. Tom shares some hilarious stories about how people misinterpret and then overreact to his musical comedy show, "Stand By Your Band". Tom's joke about taxing hot people leads to a theme about how different drinking is for hot people- really just how different life is for them. We share a couple stories about how hot people walk into bars and get totally different reactions than what we ugly people get. We also share some studies on the difference in how hot people lie versus normal people.

Inspired by some news stories about drinking contests, CJ and Sean share some of the funniest drinking challenges they have participated in. Stories include unsafe bar specials, like 'bladder busters', where beers are discounted until the first customer pees. We all share the story of a English tourist who died trying to 'win' a recklessly challenging Jamaican contest where customers finish over 20 cocktails and compare that to other famous contents and challenges where people have died, including Dylan Thomas's final last words of , "I've had eighteen straight whiskies and I do believe that's a record".

Comedian Joe McAdam tells the story of a legendary liar he used to drink with at a secluded dive bar in Chicago. Joe's liar claimed to be everything from a CIA hitman to a world class hacker to a bounty hunter. This leads to a longer discussion on how fun liars are. CJ and Sean discuss some of their all time favorite liars, both ones they knew personally, like the carpenter Sean meet who said he out-ran a police helicopter, along with famous liars like Wilt Chamberlain. We also discuss how times are tougher now for liars, with everyone having smart phones and google.

Comedian Tyler Fowler tells the story of when he and his under-age friends took the train into Chicago and got drunk, then detained by police, at Wrigley Field. Tyler joins CJ and Sean in the studio to share what its like to drink in the pleasure island of downtown Chicago when you are a kid from the nearby burbs. Tyler, who has been sober for years, also shares why he is glad he retired from drinking when he did. CJ and Sean then share more stories about what its like to venture into the big city for drinks, when you live in nearby suburbs, including how the cops seem nicer but the tow truck drivers are a lot worse.

Comedian Marc Levalle tells a story about sneaking booze into Lollapalooza, having a great night, but then having to jump into action on the Red Line when a crack head starts menacing everyone on the train. Marc joins CJ and Sean in the studio and tells some more hilarious stories he's made since moving to Chicago (from Georgia), including how he became a passenger in a late night police chase. CJ and Sean share their own crazy train stories and wonder who is crazier- the Chicago train employees or passengers? We also talk about how passengers in Europe are upset about new alcohol restrictions on trains and how an American train conductor would not last one shift in Japan, where they are famously strict about their arrival times. We also mention the mysterious death of base great Ed Delahanty who died after being ejected from a train due to drunken disorderliness.

Comedian Cece Nunyaz makes her debut at The Blackout Diaries and tells a hilarious story about a town who's only 4 AM bar is a chicken shack where fights always start. Cece finds herself in one of those fights but, unlike the other combatants, Cece keeps her head on a swivel, thinks fast, and launches a hilarious, well-planned escape! Cece joins CJ and Sean in the studio and we start a wider discussion on escapes. We share the science of why some people act more decisively when drunk, which Cece thinks aids fleeing and we share some funny attempts of drunks attempting to flee cops with good plans but totaled bodies. Sean also gives a fireworks update from the 4th of July

Comedian Ed Towns tells the story of how a woman ghosted him, while they were both inside her apartment. Ed, who is also a producer of the The Blackout Diaries live show, joins CJ and Sean in the studio to discuss the story in more detail and share his thoughts on everything from ghosting, and bartending to how open mikes should be run. CJ and Sean talk about ghosting in more details and share some studies that prove ghosting is on the rise, particularly with younger people.

Comedian Tommy MacNamara tells a story about falling into a bon fire at a wedding (from the live show). Tommy then joins CJ and Sean in the studio to talk about more wedding mishaps, involving everything from remembering your preschool safety lessons (stop, drop & roll) to errant, wildly-expensive taxi rides. CJ and Sean talk about fire in this episode- how drunks are doubly irresponsible around fire in that we not only create more fires, but we also can't seem to understand how hot they are. CJ tells a story about camping trip where fireworks, a bon fire and psychedelics nearly combined to kill people and we extend an open invite to a legendary wedding guest who nearly burned down a wedding venue. Checkout Tommy's forth coming live album, along with hilarious podcast Stand By Your Band!

Comedian Chris Damen tells a story at our live show about the time he had a stroke during sex after leaving a late night bar. And Chris, "being a feminist", decides -- with his partner's permission -- that its best they finish before looking into the medical urgency of a stroke (BTW, it turns out doctors say that's not the best way to handle a stroke and you should go straight to the hospital). Chris joins CJ and Sean in the studio and shares more hilarious details from the story. This leads Sean and CJ to a larger conversation on how drunks always ignore or under-estimate how hurt they really are. CJ tells a story about bleeding badly at a party without knowing it and Sean tells some highlights of the story that his one man show was centered around- falling off the roof during a Huey Lewis concert.

Comedian Tom Clark, a long time favorite of Sean and CJ's, joins us in the studio. Tom is an amazing standup and has the best 'bad road show' stories in the business. Tom spends about 30 minutes with us, hilariously detailing his 4 worst road shows. This leads to a discussion on how the bookers of bad shows often trick you into agreeing to perform. CJ and Sean also tell some funny bad road trip stories. Thanks for listening. Make sure to checkout Tom's podcast, "I'm a Rescue" and share Blackout Diaries with friends!

Comedian -- and long time friend of the show -- Clark Jones joins us. From the live show, Clark tells a few college stories with his best friend Will Miles (another hilarious comedian). Clark and Will share stories about college house parties and give advice on how to get high and drunk on the cheap in college. Clark then joins CJ and Sean in the studio to share more college stories and explain why HBUs are different than other colleges, both in terms of partying and academics. This leads CJ and Sean to theme of 'college drinking stories' for the episode. They each share some of their college stories- Sean talks about getting drunk on a state minimum beer after the Browns relocated to Baltimore while in College and CJ tells some stories about what it was like for all his buddies to be attending college within a 2 hour drive of each other on the east coast. We also talk about recent college drinking trends from tik tok and what both parents and doctors thing about the trends.

Comedian, writer, producer, and all-around-Chicago-legend Mick Betancourt tells a story about the time he saw a gun-drawing fight at a Chicago diner on Thanksgiving night along with how little the responding officer cared about the fight. Mick joins CJ and Sean to share some more stories from Chicago, along with some hilarious quotes -- and great advice -- from his time as a writer on Law & Order SVU. Mick's story was recorded from the final comedy show at the original Lincoln Lodge location -- also a diner -- and this leads to a wider theme on how much drunks love diners. CJ and Sean share stories from some of their favorite late-night diners and we also talk about the science of why you want to eat such unhealthy, greasy food when drunk.

Comedian Lele Mason tells some college drinking stories, including how she found a really good set of friends who protected her while drunk. Lele, who has been sober for over 10 years, also talks about what it was like to be drug and alcohol free during lockdown and tells a funny story about her fears of and reaction to anesthesia as a sober person. This somehow leads to a discussion on interesting animal facts with CJ, Sean and Lele along with a conversation on the importance of drunk protectors. CJ and Sean tell stories about how being a drunk protector has changed over the years with the loss of yellow cabs and how sometimes being a protector of drunks can backfire on you if the drunk person is so blacked out they they think you are the enemy that created all of their problems.

Comedian Jonah Jurkens tells the story of the time he did a terrible show in Wisconsin where he was not paid for the show, but got as much free beer as he wanted. Jonah also shares his thoughts on blacking out, which he calls Swiss Cheesing and views as an inevitable part of drinking. Jonah starts us on the topics of blackouts. We discuss the science of what happens to your brain when you blackout and then share the story of a FL man who brought an alligator into a liquor store while blacked out. CJ, Sean and Jonah also talk about terrible comedy shows. Checkout Jonah's new podcast "Let's Get Dumb" with fellow Blackout-Diaries-favorite Joe Kilgallon.

Comedian Brian Lirot tells two stories at our live show: getting drunk at a music festival which resulted in a short mystery about who was to blame for ruining the tent while they slept, and then what his first experience was as a wedding guest when his mom wasn't his date. Brian joins CJ and Sean in the studio and also tells some stories about what its like to work in the reality TV industry (Brian does camera and production work by day). All of this leads to a wider conversation on music festivals and concerts and how they are lot of people's first introduction to booze. CJ and Sean talk about some of the early concerts they attended while drinking, including a George Thorogood show where CJ never saw the first bar of a song. We also talk about some Chicago shows that were famously ruined by drinking and weather, including a Jimmy Buffet show that launched 1,000 negative yelp reviews and a Creed show that ended in a lawsuit.

Comedian Wendy Wilkins tells the story of her first love- a drunk, asshole coworker at Chuck E Cheese. Her story of hooking up with him at bad high-school parties (and nature centers) leads to a discussion on terrible first jobs and the overall terrible experience of drinking at kid themed restaurants. Sean talks about how Chuck E Cheese parties always ended in a fight in Cleveland, sometimes making national news. CJ and Sean talk about the pros and cons of drinking at kid themed restaurants and if, maybe, kids should just be banned from restaurants like a place in New Jersey famously announced. We also discuss the times that family restaurants accidentally served kids booze, creating the words worst drunk- a toddler wino.

Comedian Dan Drees tells a story about going back to his alma mater, Miami of Ohio, for Halloween, only to end up in a jail in rural Ohio while dressed in daisy dukes. This leads to an overall discussion on how much and how weirdly Ohio drinks, in that they either don't touch the stuff or have 19 beers in one sitting. Dan and Sean both talk about being from Ohio, included a few hilarious encounters Dan had with the Cincinnati Bengals. CJ and Sean share some stats on Ohio drinking (they punch above their weight) and extend an open invite to the Cleveland couple that got arrested for arguing about the greatest guitarist of all time too violently (as though there was a quiet way to settle that debate).

Comedian, and Blackout Diaries regular, Adam Burke tells the story of when he and a group of friends were robbed at gunpoint while drinking at a neighborhood bar. Adam shares all the details at the live show, which are equally funny and scary, then joins CJ and Sean in the studio to answer some questions on it. CJ and Sean then share some personal stories about drunk crimes they have witnessed and we share some statistics on how Americans are terrible at estimating how often crime happens.

Comedian Alex Joyce, who is a coproducer of the live show, and an all-around renaissance drinker, joins on the podcast. Alex tells the story of the time he and his brother invited hillbillies from the mountains of North Carolina to stay with them on the same weekend when hillbillies from the cliffs of Ireland also arrived, creating a hilarious vortex of hard-drinking, high-maintenance house guests. Alex also talks about how differently Chicago police react to everything versus the sheriffs from back these podunks. CJ, Sean and Alex then talk about how all drunks have two groups of friends that can never meet each other, otherwise the evening -- maybe even the universe -- collapses.

Comedian Jarrell Scott Barnes tells a story about the time he took a long bus ride from the south side of Chicago to the north side, to attend a party with some new people. Jarrell gets drunk and is asked to settle some arguments at the party, then learns some white people songs he's never heard before. CJ, Sean and Jarrell then share other stories about dealing with public transportation when heading to parties and how the CTA is both a blessing and a curse for us drunks. We also talk about how hilariously mean CTA employees are, which we blame on them not having good break rooms.

Stories from CJ and Sean about St Patrick's Day in Chicago. Sean talks about the history of how Chicago started dying its river and why no other city is crazy enough to duplicate that process. Chicago also spans St Patrick's Day into a two-weekend bacchanalia rather than celebrate it on just the 17th of March. CJ tells a story about the drunkest St Patrick's Day show he did in Chicago, which ended in two performers being banned from life from the venue and all crowd members insisting upon a refund.

Our favorite comedy duo, The Puterbaugh Sisters, tell a story at our live show about traveling to a wedding while drunk, which is a risky enough idea, made worse by their decision to also pack for it drunk. They land with an impractical collection of clothes and bad hangover. Danielle and Tiffany Puterbaugh were both long-time contributors to The Blackout Diaries, when they lived in Chicago and we discuss how they always managed to keep some daytime job, however dead-end or weird, while working on the show. This leads to a conversation with CJ, Sean and The Puterbaugh Sisters on dead end jobs. CJ and Sean further discuss strategies for happily joining and leaving dead end jobs.