str8 ppl : s6 E5 Zahid Dewji

OK, We did this over Zoom (what a crap product) so the audio is spotty in a few spots but what a lovely chat with a lovely fellow.  Catch the episode and then catch a show as Joe does a tour (details below). Joe Esch is a sweet candy boy and professional homosexual from Pittsburgh PA. Being America's premier gay comic, his engaging storytelling and out-of-no-where punchlines are on par with that of the average lesbian comic. Joe has performed at numerous festivals throughout the nation including Motorcity Comedy Fest, AlsakaB4UDIE, and Burning Bridges Comedy Festival to name a few. He also makes it a point to stay humble and live and die at the blade's serendipitously placed edge. 9/2, 9 pm Wheelfish, Pittsburgh, PA 9/3, 7:30pm, The Comet, Helltown, Cincinnati Ohio 9/4, 8pm, Black Circle Brewing, Sunday Show, Indianapolis, IN 9/5, TBA Chicago IL 9/6, 9pm, Beat Kitchen, Chicago Underground Comedy, Chicago IL9/7, Time TBA, 123 Pleasant Street, Kate Willet, Morgantown, WV

I met Ryan when he was producing a charity event for Lost-N-Found Youth, an LGBTQIA organization in Atlanta with a focus on helping queer youth without housing to get them housed, providing essentials from health and hygiene items, clothing, and transit cards, job training, and more.  Ryan and his partner love Rupaul's Drag Race and that prompted Ryan to start an annual fundraiser through his production company Flying Banzai (https://www.flyingbanzai.com/) called Super Nova which was a mix of drag and stand-up comedy and they have raised over $12k for Lost-N-Found in the last year.   We talk all things str8 and more!   Follow Ryan on insta at https://www.instagram.com/jyroman/ and check out Lost-N-Found Youth at https://www.lnfy.org/

Drew Lausch is a Brooklyn-Based comedian, writer, actor, producer, and an "oversharing flirt" (NY Press) originally from Fargo, ND. He recently filmed a Showtime Special hosted by Alan Cumming and his show "Haus Party," which he host's and produces w/ Zach Teague, has been featured in the NY Times, Gothamist, and Time Out NY. Drew Performs Regularly at New York Venues such as Chelsea Music Hall, Public Hotel, Bell House, Union Hall, Stand Up NY, West Side Comedy Club, and more. Drew's "Easy Confidence and Stage Presence" has been linked to a "Dinner date that's going really well," (Theatre Jones) and he has a "Strong, Hilarious, and Provocative point of view," (Dallas comedy House.) Drew's debut web series "Sugar Baby" is out on Youtube and you should absolutely watch it if you love fun. IF YOU ARE IN NYC, catch Drew 8/18 at Joe's Pub https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2022/z/zach-and-drew/  

Gabe Haynes is a real funny fellow and we chat about str8 ppl pretty hardt

Minori Hinds is a musical goofball forged in the mountains of Japan, southern California and western North Carolina. Minori mixes silly, smart, dark, and absurd sensibilities that delight audiences all over the country. Minori has shared the stage with Janeane Garofalo, who deemed them "almost too funny." Todd Barry called Minori "funny" in his book. Bobcat Goldthwait thanked them for not being terrible and gave permission to put this here. Minori has been a featured festival performer at various comedy festivals including Limestone, Cape Fear, Asheville and Red Clay. These days you can find Minori most nights on a stage in and around Atlanta.

Justin McCollum is a professional kickboxer, fighting out of Atlanta Georgia who I met at a drag/comedy charity event, which is a very Atlanta way to meet.  He was volunteering and working the door and I was doing a set on the show but showed way too early and hung out by the door until it was my time and he laughed at all my jokes, so naturally he has to do the podcast.  Justin is a very sweet fella who could most definitely kick your butt a few times over.  We talk about how he identifies and why it doesn't matter because he is putting his fighting career over his romantic life, or his he?    If you are in Atlanta you can catch him fighting at District Atlanta on July 16th at 8 pm!   Follow him online at  https://www.instagram.com/tkd.for_life/

Will Foskey is a 27 year old stand-up comedian based in Atlanta, GA. After being named one of Just For Laughs' "New Faces of Comedy" he recorded his debut album/special "All Things Sacred" which was released this summer. He can currently be found touring the country in preparation of his next project. While back in Atlanta, he can be found regularly performing at The Laughing Skull Lounge or playing bass for "Square Pizza" a band comprised of fellow comedians. After a good set in Chattanooga, an Angry Karen took to facebook and described his comedy as "Depressing," "Judgmental," and "Not Funny!" Will is very proud of this and to this day, has the review as his phone background. 

As seen on Just For Laughs, Hulu, Apple TV & more! Cara Connors is an LA-based comedian, actor, wrier and multifaceted homosexual with an ass that won't quit. Cara stars on Dating #NoFilter on E! and her feminist investigative comedy series, Cara Takes Up Space, is now streaming on OUTtv. In 2018, she performed at the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and in 2019 debuted her hour long stand up show at the New York Comedy Festival as a part of the Upright Citizens Brigade series. A headliner at comedy shows across Los Angeles, Cara has quickly developed a cult following after her first national stand up tour, Straight for Pay. After a successful 15 city run of sold out and standing room only shows at some of the most highly regarded indie comedy venues in North America (The Hideout Chicago, Union Hall NYC, PianoFight San Francisco, Fallout Theater Austin, Comedy Bar Toronto, Dynasty Typewriter at the Hayworth) Connors is taking her hour back on the road for an expanded summer tour. Her solo show, Straight for Pay, will bring her unique brand of high energy, self-effacing and unapologetically feminist and queer comedy to an additional 15 cities throughout the U.S and Europe. Connors is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory in Toronto and has trained extensively with the The Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade. She is the creator, writer and star of two original series for CBC Comedy, the comedic voice behind the social media for Workin' Moms and a writer for Brat TV. Cara is also the creator and star of a 90 Day fiancé impersonation series on Instagram with nearly half a million views. Cara is a fearless weirdo and enthusiastic creator of chaos known for her physical performances, earnest yet unhinged original characters, and absurdist takes on the struggles of modern life.   Additional credits: Put Your Hands Together with Cameron Esposito (UCB), Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen (The Virgil), JFL42, NACA National Showcase, Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Siriusxm Top Comic, Hollywood Improv Main Room, Kevin Nealon Show (Laugh Factory), Chicago Funny Women's Festival, Toronto Sketchfest and CBC. Follow her @caraconnscomedy

Zahid Dewji is a Texas favorite that can most recently be seen touring with comedy icon Whitney Cumings on the "Touch Me Tour" & with Noel Miller on "My Darkest Hour" Tour. He has also opened for other killer acts like Mark Normand, Mo Amer & Dusty Slay. Zahid has placed in more than a handful of national comedy competitions, toured internationally and featured on over a dozen comedy festivals including Oddball Comedy Fest, Come & Take It Comedy Takeover and Desi Comedy Fest. Want to learn nothing at a comedy show? Need a break from extracting meaning out of every dying second? Don't miss the chance to see him now!

Comedian. Writer. Retired Gogo Dancer. Teresa Lee is a stand-up comedian and comedy writer. She was formerly a senior creative producer at the digital comedy giant Cracked before the great media-pocalypse, and has written for staples such as Reductress and College Humor. Her solo videos have surpassed 1+ million views on social media and have nabbed features on Mic.com, Buzzfeed, and Vulture (FKA Splitsider). In March, 2020, she created the show Comedy Quarantine on Instagram Live, which ran over 200 shows in 10 months, raised over $20,000 for mutual aid and charitable organizations, and was voted #1 Social Distance Comedy Show on Time Out LA. She co-penned and co-stars in the short film, "I Think She Likes You", which played at Tribeca Film Festival and was featured in Out Magazine as a Queer Film to watch at the festival, and went on to receive international distribution with the premiere queer streaming platform in Asia, GagaOOLala. Teresa Lee has appeared on shows such as NBC's A Little Late with Lilly Singh, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and ABC's To Tell the Truth. She hosts the podcast You Can Tell Me Anything on the WhoHaha network and released her debut album "We're Still Doing This" in April, recorded live on Zoom of all the jokes she wrote in 2020's quarantine. She has been described by others as sweet, thought provoking, smart, and way too into the musical Cats.