The 86ed Podcast w/ Ray Wroten

On this episode we talk to Howie Spangler of the band Ballyhoo!!  He's not just an excellent singer-songwriter, he's a recovering Italian restaurant employee. We wax poetic about moving on from industry life and following dreams of success in music and family.

This ish is Bananas...B-A-N-A-N-A-S!!!  Meet Adrienne Hollister, an extremely fun and energetic lady who talks sex for a living.  This is part 2 of a split episode, the first half can be found on her podcast "Midlife Craving".  She's a whole lotta woman and we talk everything from the walk-in fridge to the panda room. This is by far the most NSFW episode we've ever produced.  As I say in the episode, "This episode is hospitality adjacent". But it's a fun one for sure.

Meet Lauren!!! She's a funky music loving taco slinger.  She's got a wonderful heart and a drive to help local musicians break it big. And did I mention tacos? Give her story a listen.

We start of Season 2 off The 86ed Podcast with an adventure of a lifetime. It's the story of Emily Baker, a bartender from Baltimore who hiked the Appalachian Trail in the summer of 2022. The show is her story of perseverance, spiritual renewal, and a reawakening of her faith in humanity.  An excellent start to our 2nd season!!

Logistics!!! The culmination of months if not years of planning coming together all at once. Vendors, bands, DJs. bartenders, food & drink, that's just what you see on the outside. Behind the curtain a mountain of permits, contracts,& tax forms. All in a days work for Brian Snyder owner/operator of BMore Aroundtown. He see's to it that local fans can see their favorite events when and where they want all the while providing the party as well. Here's his story.

When fraternizing at a certain type of establishment, why do we really only want to see the bartender naked. Our bloodlust for wanting what we can't have is a truly a deadly sin.  Meet Kaitlyn a twenty-something bartender at one of those establishments. She slings beers and shots like any other libation distributor but while she's doing it exposed vaginas and breasts are no less than 5 feet from her. She is the strip club bartender. And a damn good one.  She walks the fine line and exudes confidence and class, while being surrounded by all walks of life that are willing to do outrageous things for your hard earned dollar. Here's her story.

This week's episode features an amazing musician who was formerly and still is an amazing cook, Charles Kavoossi. Charles has played music with me for the past few years and we've gotten to chat at length about our musical loves and our joy of cooking.  You can find his music on every streaming platform out there. He plays gigs with his own band Kavoossi or catch him as lead guitar in Joey Harkum band. He's an awesome dude and we hope you enjoy the episode.

Allow me to introduce Bill Shoe, who's gone from the salad bar to the owners box. This is an episode about respect for ones self-worth and the quality of their work. So many people choose not to take ownership in their job, literally Bill became an owner. He's lover of life, a Jack Daniels man, a mason, and meat eater. He's also a straight forward guy.  We recorded at his spot Primo Pasta Kitchen in Pasadena, MD...it's one of my favorites.

Not many people work their way up the hospitality industry ladder from busser all the way to manager. This guy went even further. Tim "Scooter" Christofield is a case study in work ethic and taking what you want out of life. Scooter is a certified Cicerone, which means he is basically a human encyclopedia of beer knowledge. We ask him some questions about his career and what it takes to be come a Cicerone, shoot the breeze about life, and he even profiles a special beer that near to my heart!!

On this episode we get to explore casino culture as well as Hawaiian culture with our friend RJ Chun.  He's currently a bartender at Maryland Live Casino in Hanover, MD. RJ began his career in his home state of Hawaii 15 years ago.  He's got and ear to ear smile and a polite disposition, making him easy to get along with.  Normally a quiet guy, today RJ gets to open up about his hospitality experience as we sip a cold one in the game room of Fish Head Cantina after a trivia night...Mahalo!!