Welcome to Joanna & Kevin’s Big Show. Joanna Leban is a professional poker player, bartender, and wellness enthusiast. Kevin Fitzpatrick is the author of 7 books tied to New York City history, and a walking tour guide. The Big Show is recorded live at The Lambs in Midtown Manhattan.
New York, NY
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The podcast is finally back. Joanna and Kevin's Big Show took an extended break since the last episode in March 2022. Episode 47 here, and we are catching up and planning big things for the show. For Kevin, it was 27 month of a variety of activities. There was 18 months working for NYC Parks and working on a podcast for the city. And in January 2023 becoming Shepherd of The Lambs. Joanna has been Continue Reading → The post Podcast Episode 47: Return from the 27-Month Break appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
Still a little rusty after our podcasting hiatus, we have dusted off the cobwebs by now for our third episode since our big time off. In this episode, Joanna and Kevin talk about the return of poker playing, writing books, and side hustles. Joanna's eBay store is heating up, and Kevin is looking forward to going to New Orleans one of these days for Tales of the Cocktails. Will Jo go? We wrap up with Continue Reading → The post Episode 46: Poker, Books, Side Hustles, Drinks appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
In our second podcast from our too-long hiatus, we welcome our first guest to sit down with us. Shower Curtain Patrick (his bar name) is a longtime regular customer of Joanna's, and he invented a radical new shower curtain design. He sent a complimentary shower curtain to Jo, which we unbox on the show. The idea came to Patrick when he was sick of “the cling” and the “gunk” of cheap plastic shower curtains, which Continue Reading → The post Episode 45: Shower Curtain Patrick appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
In our first broadcast together since May 2020, Joanna and Kevin settle into the groove of getting the Big Show back up and running. We are together again at The Lambs, catching up. It is indeed sad that we lost two of our guests, Billy the Artist from Episode 4, and Big Ed Cody from Episode 16. Ed also recorded our theme song, which we are keeping on the opening and closing of the show. Continue Reading → The post Episode 44: Return from Hiatus appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
With life shutdown everyplace close to us, we make some changes. Joanna has launched a home business with an Etsy store to sell DIY cocktail mixes to make bloody marys and Moscow mules yourself, hand sanitizer, healthy hair serum, and essential oil roller bottles. We talk about the changing nature of the New York bar scene, and what the changes brought by the pandemic mean to life in the city. Kevin has been leading virtual Continue Reading → The post Episode 43: Adjusting to New York’s New Reality appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
With rhinestones on her facemask and wearing purple or camouflage, the always-stylish Queen Elizabeth is out with quarantine fashion in Brooklyn these days. We chat with the Williamsburg resident while she’s stuck at home, sometimes on her sewing machine adding bling to her vintage clothes. By day she works for one the most recognizable fashion designers, but that is on hold for now. A longtime regular at Doc Holliday’s and other East Village joints, Liz Continue Reading → The post Episode 42: Bowling & Quarantine Fashion Style with Queen Elizabeth appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
It’s the ship everyone has heard about. For the 41st episode of the podcast—still recorded remotely—Joanna and Kevin’s Big Show welcomes tour guide Dave Gardner who offers RMS Titanic walking tours. Dave has a wealth of knowledge about the fateful 1912 voyage and offers insightful (and fun) tours of locations around Manhattan that have ties to the shipwreck. His tours are packed with history and we get the scoop on how they came about. You Continue Reading → The post Episode 41: A Titanic Talk with Guide Dave Gardner appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
We need to laugh. For the 40th episode of the podcast—and the first one recorded remotely—Joanna and Kevin’s Big Show welcomes comedian Todd Montesi. For more than a dozen years he’s been the host of a roving underground comedy series, the Ug! Comedy Show, a downtown New York showcase. While Todd is stuck at home in Brooklyn, he’s making and sharing comedy online with this friends on his Instagram Live Show. On the show, we Continue Reading → The post Episode 40: Comedian Todd Montesi appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
The stars aligned and we were able to bring New York’s favorite podcast heroes on the Big Show: Greg Young and Tom Meyers. They are best known as The Bowery Boys, and for more than 300 episodes they have delivered New York City history with equal doses of knowledge and fun. In this show we learned about the roots of the show and their rock-solid friendship that goes back to the early 90s in NYC. Continue Reading → The post Episode 39: The Bowery Boys appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
We meet one of the rising stars in the city, Alex Rivera, aka The Bronxer. He’s part of the driving creative energy coming out of The Bronx as a visual artist and creative, with his photographs gaining wide appeal, his projects at El Fogón and borough hotspots, to his brand Section 8 Entrepreneur. Alex has a lot of plates spinning the air, and it’s a pleasure to meet someone so focused. He’s got new books Continue Reading → The post Episode 38: The Bronxer, Alex Rivera appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
Alcohol plays a big part in our host’s history, so we of course need to celebrate Repeal Day on December 5. Joining us today is Dandy Dillinger, the co-host of the Repeal Society. She is a baker and burlesque star, and for four years has helped host the annual party to mark when booze was legal again after the disaster of Prohibition. She is a dancer, model, and pastry chef. Dandy is also Miss Art Continue Reading → The post Episode 37: Baker & Burlesque Star Dandy Dillinger appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
The show this week has a guest with stories about growing up where Marilyn Monroe and Liz Taylor dropped into his life as the son of famous writer parents. Today Steve Zolotow is more known for his poker tournament appearances and sage wisdom on everything from bridge, chess, pool, and poker. He regales us with tales about playing cards at the legendary Mayfair Club, at Larry Flynt’s house, and among card cheats. We never know Continue Reading → The post Episode 36: Raconteur and Poker Star Steve Zolotow appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
We have an excellent show with East Village composer-singer Julian Fleisher, who also gave us a new song he produced to include on the show. It is “Nothing Rhymes With Christmas” that he wrote and is performed by the great Ana Gasteyer. It’s included to hear in its entirety courtesy of them on the show! Julian wears a lot of hats, but he likes being on the stage the most. In this episode, we chat Continue Reading → The post Episode 35: Composer-Singer Julian Fleisher appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
After a break of a few months, we are back with a new season of shows. Joanna and Kevin catch up on what has been happening during the break. Joanna played in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, and gave a talk about poker to a crowd at the Algonquin Hotel. Kevin promoted his newest book 111 Places In The Bronx That You Must Not Miss. Plus had a trip to meet some Continue Reading → The post Episode 34: Season 2 Kickoff Show appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.
On our second episode recorded at Bronx Native, we sit down with photographer Joe Conzo, Jr. He shot the photos for 111 Places In The Bronx That You Must Not Miss, which came out this month. Joe is a lifelong Bronxite, and talks about growing up in the shadow of famous parents, and navigating the world of The Bronx. Today his images are recognized around the world as being at the moment when Hip Hop Continue Reading → The post Episode 33: Photographer Joe Conzo, Jr. appeared first on Kevin C. Fitzpatrick.