The Towel

This is not a regular episode of The Towel. Spencer (Episode 4!) and I sit down and talk a lot of nonsense. You're probably better off not listening. But I've been told our conversations are good background noise when you're trying to sleep. We'll be back next year with actual new episodes!

A brief message from Dan. PLEASE DO NOT DELETE US FROM YOUR FEED! WE'LL BE BACK!   @thetowelpod

My guest this week is Pastor Adam Smith from Reality LA in Los Angeles. We talk about how he went from (in his words) the "biggest jerk I've ever met" in high school to finding his calling as a Pastor, and the sort of divine moments that can change your life... even when you're just hanging out at Denny's. We had a really great conversation, and I'm so glad Adam was willing to talk about his journey.   If you enjoy the show, tell a friend! Or perhaps rate and review us! The feedback is helpful, I promise. Or tweet at us! @thetowelpod for all your at-ing needs.

This week my guest is writer/comedian Joel Anderson, one of the hosts of The Sports Sports Sports Podcast! We talk about... so many things. The Royal Wedding! Politics! Michigan! Sports Fandom! Comedy! So basically, everything! It's a fun time. Finally a new episode! We've missed you. Check out The Sports Sports Sports Podcast wherever you listen to such things! We are on Twitter sometimes at @thetowelpod and other times not there at all.

  This week's guest (and third Colin on the show) is Colin Whitman, a reality TV Story Producer. We talk about the varied path he's taken over the course of his career so far, how those detours have held him back... but also how they've helped him in his neverending quest to tell stories. If you like the show, maybe rate and review it? I mean, if you want. It doesn't take much time, though. SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod   AUDIOROPE  

This week's guest is Seth Boston, a television writer currently working on the Fox TV show Gotham, which wraps up its fourth season on Thursday, May 17th (with an episode co-written by Seth!). We talk about how he originally wanted to be a pharmacist, and how he survived six years of being a PA, and how a lunch conversation led to him finally getting his first staff writer job! SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

This week, a conversation with Josh Griffey (The Long Box Sessions) recorded shortly before he left Los Angeles! We talk about the good and bad of LA, how his creativity has been rekindled, and how he held on to that little kid inside that fell in love with movies. It's a good episode. I hope you enjoy it. You can find Josh on Twitter at @jlgriffey621, and The Long Box Sessions at @longboxpod. Give them a follow! SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

This week's guest is Ellie Kushner, who works as an Art Department Coordinator for film and television, while also co-owning event design company Damn Good Shindig! We talk about how and why she got into the art department, just what it is they do, anyway, and also how she's putting what she's learned over her career thus far into her own company! You can find Damn Good Shindig on the web at: http://damngoodshindig.com/ As well as @damngoodshindig on your preferred social media platforms.   SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod WE ARE AUDIOROPE

This week I'm joined by Adam Bowers, the writer, director, and star of the indie film Paperback! We talk about how he ended up in Los Angeles, what it's like to go to Sundance with your first film, and the ups and downs of the independent film world. Paperback is available NOW on Amazon (Free with Prime!) and on iTunes, so please check it out! It's really an excellent film that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Paperback-Adam-Bowers/dp/B078YDLBX7 iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/paperback/id1336319557 SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod WE ARE AUDIOROPE

  This week's guest is one of the co-hosts of the podcast "This of That", Nate Ramsey! He talks about growing up in rural Massachusetts, the dangers of how a day job can sidetrack you, and we bond over the fact that we both feel like we're getting dumber! You can find "This of That" on all the same podcast platforms that you use to listen to this one, so go download it already wouldja?    SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod WE ARE AUDIOROPE  

This week's guest is another standup comedian, Jon McCarthy! He drops by to talk about how he got started in standup, about his attempts at becoming a firefighter, and he tells some terrifying tales from his day job as a clinical service technician for medical equipment.  Jon also shares some pro life tips for everyone, so make sure you're ready to take notes!     SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

On this week's episode I'm joined by Humorman, Observationalist, Former Dog, and Conceptualizer Extraordinaire Mike "Sally" Faerber! We talk about his journey from Austin to Los Angeles, his adventures in comedy, and how he keeps getting auditions to play cavemen! You can also hear Mike on his podcast, Mike Needs A Friend (available wherever you get your podcasts), or follow his musings as @beardontap on Twitter!     SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

On this week's episode we talk to my friend Adam Bradshaw, who talks about how a kid from a small town in Michigan ended up working in Television in Los Angeles, what it's like to produce independent film, and, of course, about the time he won on The Price Is Right!     SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

On this week's episode we talk to Tony Nagatani, an old friend who wears many hats: he's the co-host of the Model Majority Podcast (available on your favorite podcast source), he's a former field organizer for President Barack Obama, and he works as an editor in reality television! We cover all of this and more! For more from today's guest follow @AnthonyNagatani or @ModelMajorityP on Twitter!   SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

Writer/Producer Ken Hanes ("Rizzoli & Isles", "Make It or Break It", many other shows) comes on the pod to talk about his career as a writer, how he moved to Los Angeles as an actor before his career shifted, and even talks a bit about his time as a Private Investigator!   SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

Musician Jason Arimoto (who also wrote our theme song!) is on the pod this week talking about how he first got into music, and explores all the different ways he's able to share his love of the ukulele. If you're in Los Angeles, you can visit Jason and check out his shop, U-Space, in downtown. You can also find them at: https://www.facebook.com/UspaceLA/   SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

Lauri Roggenkamp (@lauriroggenkamp) comes on the show this week to talk about being a comedian, how to survive and balance comedy and your day job (or not), and talks about some of the weirdest places she's ever performed standup!  SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

We're back after taking last week off! I'm sure you missed us very much. In this episode, I speak to actor/writer/comedian Colin Contreary, who moved to Los Angeles thinking that he'd only be here for a couple of years before moving on with his life. Now, almost a decade into his detour to the West Coast, he reflects on everything that he's been through, and what's kept him going, even as he's adjusted his priorities over the years.   SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

This week we go off the rails a bit, thanks to tech entrepreneur Spencer Toyama, who I've known since we were five years old. We talk about how he went from music to renewable energy to tech, and how everything has been preparing him for the work he does today, as one of the co-founders of tech company Sudokrew. You can find Spencer and Sudokrew on Twitter: @spencertoyama and @sudokrew Sudokrew's website: www.sudokrew.com SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

In this episode, comedian Colin Hughes talks about how he originally moved to Los Angeles to be a musician, and how everything he's done as a performer has been building to his pursuit of a career as a stand-up. Besides performing as a comedian, you can hear Colin on the podcast he co-hosts, Tight Top Five, available on all major podcasting platforms. You can find Colin in the following places: TWITTER/INSTAGRAM: @colinhughesla and @ttfpod   SHOW THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

In this episode, Corte, a friend who I used to write with, talks about his roots in Kansas City and Chicago, and how things don't always go the way you planned.   THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod

In the premiere episode, Josh, my buddy from softball, talks about moving to Los Angeles from Wisconsin to pursue screenwriting, and trying to balance taking care of family and working toward his dreams.    THEME SONG: "Brightside" by Jason Arimoto TWITTER: @thetowelpod