Five Dollar Buzz

Of All the Gin Joints in the World...

Special Guests:  Brandon Hinke and Nate Garden

 

SPECIAL CONTEST FOR THIS EPISODE - SEE END OF THIS ARTICLE!

 

On this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ, the Buzzards find themselves deep in overly navigated waters with enough experience between the three of them to be experts themselves. It is a love letter to the lowbrow (or is that Löwenbräu). An episode especially dedicated to the Dive Bar.

 

We are excited to introduce Brandon Hinke, who started Pictures of Dives, both a Twitter account and an Instagram page (@picturesofdives on their respective accounts) dedicated to all things Dive Bars, wherein folks get to submit a photo, almost all of them exteriors, of their favorite dive bars from around the country.  The accounts have picked up steam as he's been interviewed by SFGate and The Takeout and several other online publications.  A surprisingly young man with a real earthy aptitude for all things down and dirty in the drinking establishment game.

 

George, Pete and Roger are joined by the Terry Gilliam Buzzard of the group - their very own Ralph Steadman, if you will - Nate Garden. Nate will turn you on to some of the clandestine happenings during the infamous Santa Monica dive Chez Jay's heydaze (check this episode's artwork for clues). 

 

There are over a dozen or more bars name-checked throughout the episode with some very intimate details unleashed by each participant (maybe TMI, if you know what I mean). Funny, spicy, fast-paced and delivered with a passion that questions our real priorities, this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ will have you crawling out of your year-long slumber and back into the arms of your favorite local haunt.

 

SPECIAL CONTEST:  This episode we are offering a special prize for the first three folks to do the following:

 

a) Subscribe to Five Dollar Buzz on Spotify or Apple;

b) Follow Pictures of Dives AND Five Dollar Buzz on Instagram or Twitter;

c) Email Pictures of Dives (picturesofdives@gmail.com) with a photo of your favorite dive bar and let Brandon know that this is for the special contest and prove you did the first two steps.

 

The first three folks will get a $20 gift card from FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ to support your local bartender.  Spend it wisely, our friends.  I would recommend a Boilermaker, myself.

 

If you have any comments or questions about this or any other episode or ideas for topics and guests for future ones, please email us FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com. We'll get back to you as soon as we sleep one off.

 

Don't forget to follow us, like us, subscribe to us on all formats except Tik Tok, and, holy Hell, that'll probably change soon.

An American Non Regents Diploma Story: George Kursar Buzzard In The Flesh

Another special edition of what we've unofficially nicknamed "Meet the Buzzards" has our man George Kursar in its crosshairs. Pete and Roger hold a pair of single bolt action rifles at George's head to get the inside dirt on his life's story. To pile on the insult, we blast on with Buzzard-at-Large Tom Glasgow, who doubles down on the Kursar Comedy Hour.

 

George is a life in constant transition, from his interest in all things arts & sciences to sports & leisure to finance & technology, and on and on he goes. His is an ever curious mind with a heat-seeking information valve that never stops dripping all over the carpet. A family man, a composer and music producer, a technology salesman and now a 19-episodes deep podcaster!  

 

Pete and Roger owe a great deal of debt to George for pushing them in the right direction and holding a burning flame when their own had diminished due to jobs and circumstances. COVID-19 certainly helped, too. Without George, we don't have Jersey City Mayor Fulop or war writer Adrian Bonenberger, two of our absolute best episodes up to date.

 

Everyone loves George. But we also sometimes have to get a tickle out of him, too. And this episode is mined for a trunk load of comedy funk.

 

So, grab a cerveza and a shot of tequila, eat a few edibles, relax in a comfy chair and listen to another episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ as we take our holy modal rounder George Kursar down memory lane.

 

If you like this episode or any others, please subscribe to us on Spotify or Apple or if you have any comments or suggestions please email us at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com. We'll answer back as quickly as it took us to launch this podcast...which could be three years...

 

Artwork and this episode's title by none other than superstar Nate Garden.

Portrait of a Punk as a Young Artist: Special Guests: Walter "Monsta" Ryan and John Stewart

On this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ, the Buzzards get down with hardcore punk rock drummer Walter "Monsta" Ryan and his good friend, and ours, John Stewart.

 

Walter is the seminal journeyman drummer and is featured in bands such as Burnt Offerings, Chronic Plague, Paranoia, Decayed, Possessed, Bonecrusher, Machine Head, Powerhouse, Madball, Lordz of Brooklyn, Subzero, Doomsday Device, Cromags, Merauder, Murderer's Row and D.R.I.  

 

John joins in the conversation from the "mean streets" of Marin County and explains his near lifelong friendship with Walter.  He might also be secretly shepherding a gaggle of geese in his house.  We'll let you decide.

 

They both give a vivid depiction of the hardcore punk scene from the mid-80s until now from the inside out and what it means to be part of a community.  This episode is real inside baseball but it's a fascinating portrait of a seldom explored cultural genre.

 

This is a mad sick episode full of enough variations of the word "fuck" to give Scorsese a run for his money. So light one up, put some cans on your ears, and thrash about the room as we explore the world of hardcore "muthafuckin'" punk.

 

It's mad crazy, yo.

 

If you have any questions or comments or have any ideas for future guests and topics please email us at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com. It might take a second because we're in the bathroom trying to get ears to stop bleeding...

Melancholy and the Infinite Comedy Badass: Bridget McManus Cracks Wise

Comedy guru Bridget McManus schools the Buzzards on this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ, where she waxes poetic on all things stand-up; past, present and future. 

 

McManus is an award-winning stand-up, performer, television host, screenwriter, director, producer and actor who created and hosted the comedy talk show "Brunch with Bridget" and "Bridget McManus Presents: That Time of the Month," both for the Logo Network. 

 

She has starred in her own comedy specials, wrote and produced a mockumentary series aptly titled "McManusland," a romantic series called "Maybelle," a horror series "Buyer Beware" and the relationship talk show "Happy Wife, Happy Life." 

 

Bridget had a recurring role on the hit series "Transparent" and played Queen Latifah's sidekick on "The Queen Latifah Show" and is also one of the most sought after warm-up comedians, who opens frequently on comedy specials or television shows by Tiffany Haddish, Wanda Sykes, Ellen DeGeneres, Chelsea Handler, RUPAUL, Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker.Todd Chrisley, Keke Palmer, among so many others. 

 

The list goes on and on. Bridget works. A fuck ton. 'Cause she's that damn funny.

 

The Buzzards do all they can to hold it together through her rapid-fire intelligence and earnest exuberance for the comedy game. They get home-schooled like  Covid-era kindergarteners. 

 

So join the Buzzards on this edition of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ and experience this Masterclass in comedy by one badass teacher.  Your innards are gonna hate you.

 

And remember, if you have any questions or comments about this or any other of our episodes or have suggestions for guests or topics in the future, please email us at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com. We'll be sure to get back to you...just as we are able to stop hyperventilating through our steady stream of happy tears

A Soldier's Story

Special Guest:  Adrian Bonenberger

 

In this FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ episode recorded specifically to coincide with Memorial Day, the Buzzards have a heavy full metal discussion with author and teacher Adrian Bonenberger, a Yale graduate with a B.A. in English, who then joined the U.S. Army for seven years.

 

Adrian spent twenty-five months in Afghanistan in the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 10th Mountain Division and was awarded two bronze stars, three army commendation medals (one for valor in combat), and an army achievement medal.

 

Post military career, Adrian wrote "Afghan Post: A Memoir" about his first hand experiences through a series of letters he writes to friends, family and others.  He also was the co-editor and contributor of an anthology of fiction by and about veterans called "The Road Ahead."  He has published essays for the New York Times, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Commonweal Magazine, Forbes Magazine, Deadspin's Concourse, among others. He took his MS in Journalism from Columbia, and his MFA in Creative Writing at SUNY Stony Brook Southampton.

 

 

George, Pete and Roger are joined by Buzzard-on-the-beat, Tom Taylor, who each get to give their two cents on Afghanistan, war movies, the treatment of soldiers coming home from battle, the military-industrial complex, major corporation influence, and so much more. It was difficult to fit everything we wanted to talk about into one episode. We see another one down the horizon (Veteran's Day, perhaps!).

 

By all means, the Buzzards have different perspectives and opinions in regards to the military, war and the politics surrounding them.  But that's what makes this a great country (as so pointed out by Adrian himself) in that we can each freely voice those differences.  For that, we can all agree to salute those that have served this Memorial Day.  It's what makes all podcasts from the U.S., let alone ours, possible.

 

So, throw those vegan dogs on the grill, have an ice cold White Claw in hand, pluck in those wireless airpods and listen to another episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ. 

 

If you have any questions or comments about this episode or others or have any great ideas for topics and guests please email us at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@GMAIL.COM. We will surely get back to you, double-time, soldier!

Thoughtful Leadership: Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and the GenX perspective in The Garden State

Steve Fulop is the mayor of Jersey City, NJ.  In a few weeks, when the census results are tallied, most observers expect it will become the largest city by population in the Garden State.  Seeking election for a 3rd term this coming November, Mayor Fulop takes some time out to check in with The Buzzards. 

 

By 2001, the SUNY Binghampton alum had found his way back to the NYC area after spending some time in Chicago.  He was working for the distinguished financial services firm Goldman Sachs on Sept 11 in lower Manhattan when the planes hit the World Trade Center.  Not only did he feel the reverberations of the impact physically, but in a greater spiritual sense as well. Shortly after that tragic day, Fulop quickly enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was amongst some of the first troops deployed to Iraq.

 

Mayor Fulop reflects on his military service , his time in office, and his thoughts on the future direction of a city closely intertwined with New York City, just a small distance across the Hudson River.  We discuss contemporary police department  functionality, the continuing growth of a dynamic city and the current state of the broader U.S. political system from the perspective of 4 GenXers.  

 

As we approach Memorial Day, Steve gives us much to be thankful for.   

 

An individual who willingly departed a lucrative career to serve his country in a time of war and returned to his home state to serve the public in a meaningful way.  He also provides a few entertaining stories along the way including an eventful voicemail from Hillary Clinton and enlisting Mike Tyson to assist at a retirement community charitable event! We salute Mayor Fulop for his service and applaud him for being a transparent politician who takes time out to engage with the public and discuss challenging subjects.

The Mt. Rushmore of the Almost Famous: Axemen

Here's a blast from the recent past; the very first recording the Buzzards ever did. This will also be the first time that you will hear just the three of us - George, Peter and Roger - do an entire show just by our lonesome. And being the first episode...well...you could hear the initial sparks of the Buzzards discovering their fire. It can be a bit rough but we were just spreading our wings!

 

The topic at hand is one dear to all of our hearts - music - particularly guitarists.  We each got to pick four but with a catch: they couldn't be the obvious choices like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, etal. We used an article by SPIN magazine that had a list of those almost famous slingers that you may have heard of but aren't exactly household names (well, with maybe an exception or two).  Note: the 2012 article seems to have vanished on SPIN's website, so sorry for the lack of reference. 

 

We have built a Spotify playlist with songs from each guitarist as well as songs from other artists we mention. Lookout for our Spotify playlist on our social medias!

 

So kick off your shoes, lay back and listen to the Buzzards nerd out. This is where FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ hatches from their eggs and learn to fly (we might fall out of the tree a few times but, hey, you gotta start somewhere).

 

For deeper dives, here are the 13 guitarists chosen by the three of us (Roger cheated and picked an extra guitar player...in rock 'n' roll, rules are meant to be broken).

 

Roger's List:  D. Boon (Minutemen), Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Greg Ginn (Black Flag, Gone), Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar).

 

George's List:  Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers), Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan).

 

Pete's List:  Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell), Frank Zappa (solo, The Mothers of Invention), John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis), Jack White (White Stripes, The Raconteurs).

 

If anyone has any questions or comments about this or other FDB episodes or has potential topics or guests for future episodes please email us at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com. However, bear with us because we could be bleeding from our ears from all that goddamn treble.

Blood, Boobs and Balls: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Cancer But Were Afraid to Ask Special Guests: Mike Vail, Sarah Shapiro and Tom Glasgow

This episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ is unlike any other thus far. The Buzzards have three special guests that give us their personal accounts of their experiences with the Big C: Cancer. From the harrowing ordeals of chemotherapy to the darkly humorous side effects and oddball experiences the three guests share with wit, warmth and a funny bone.

 

First up, Pete interviews Mike Vail and his detailed wrestling match with leukemia. After a few days of noticing that he has tiny round spots on his lower extremities (called petechiae - pronounced puh·tee·kee·uh) Mike decides to have them checked out only to discover that he is merely a short time away from a potentially fatal situation. His ordeal sets up a best case scenario that only the right hospital, staff, medical insurance and the love of friends and family could provide. You will instantly fall in love with Mike and his no frills "can-do" spirit that many other folks in his shoes would merely go straight into the abyss. Mike stares and laughs right at it.

 

Roger interviews Sarah Shapiro and her breast cancer odyssey. She is a woman with no real ego or who suffers from vanity but makes the one decision in her life that she wishes she had done differently - a decision based on her one true moment of body awareness. Her candid conversation is filled with a no-nonsense approach to her treatment, ailments and bodily functions that will have you laughing as much as feeling compassion for a person that no one in their right mind would ever wish any ill-will upon. This is a solid gold story about a solid gold woman.

 

The final interview has George talking to Tom Glasgow as he regales us with his split second bout with testicular cancer. Every possible piece of toilet humor you could think of is, of course, mined for twelve-year old comedy gold but, in the end, that's all due to Tom's super trooper mentality.  He was faced with having cancer, the doctor said what needed to happen and in a matter of days, without a moment's hesitation, he got it handled. The most interesting coincidence about his situation is that he already went through the ordeal with Mike Vail, who is one of his closest friends. After witnessing what his friend went through he had no choice but to face it with cold certainty and a goofy Tom Glasgow face.

 

Cancer is a disease that affects us all in one way or another. No one alive will live free and clear of its all-encompassing reach. We here at FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ wanted to share three stories of people we know and love who fought cancer and maybe their stories will help those going through it or those who know someone close to them going through it.  There are nuggets of wisdom and true advice in their shared experiences; what they did right and what they feel they may have done wrong. Listen to them. And remember to always stare at the darkest moments of your life and crack a smile (or crack a beer like the Buzzards do but only if your doctor says it's okay).

 

If anyone has a question or wants advice from any of our guests on this episode or has any questions or comments about other episodes or has potential topics or guests for future episodes please email us at FIVEDOLLARBUZZ@gmail.com. We'll get back to you right away.

 

Much love to our listeners and always remember to put the towel under the door, have the citrus ready and....well, George will fill in the rest...

 

Buzzards in the Flesh: Waking Pete Liska / Ghost in the Machine: Kaitlin Weichsel

In this episode of FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ, Buzzards George and Roger tackle their toughest interview yet:  fellow Buzzard Pete Liska.  Liska is not a man to indulge in ego-centric self-aggrandisement. His gifts tend to be focused on his supportive-ness, his genuine interest in the human condition and his respect for humanity. But, man, does he really hate talking about himself. His fellow Buzzards shake Pete's leaves loose from his tree (and at 6'6", that's a tall tree) and get him to open up about his past and how he came about to be the person he is today.

 

And then we smack him with a curveball.  Out of nowhere, one Kaitlin Weichsel shows up to the party and starts talking about ghosts, and not just the proverbial ones Pete left buried in his past!  She means the real deal.  But none of us really have any super scary stories to tell because, hey, the ghosts all really seem to dig us. What starts out as a potential "Coast to Coast" special that radio legend Art Bell might have been proud of simply devolves into alcohol-inspired silliness in one of our more good-humoured episodes.

 

So, mix a strong elixir, throw on your headphones, turn out the lights and get yourself set to learn a thing or two about Pete Liska until crazy Kaitlin barges in with her witchy tomfoolery.  It's a fun one here on FIVE DOLLAR BUZZ!

 

And don't forget, if you have any comments or questions about this episode or others or have any topics or guests you'd like us to cover, please email us at fivedollarbuzz@gmail.com.  Just beware that your email may take a second for us to get back to due to, ahem, those damned ghosts in the machine. 

Phish's The Clifford Ball: 25 Years Later, Part II

The Buzzards reload Clark's glass slide piece (another Aaron's Alley purchase) one more time and double down on Phish's The Clifford Ball show.  Premo's spoof of choice, "Kurt Muller", is tested early and often.

 

During this particular sesh, they are joined by none other than Sigmund Bloom, the co-owner of Footballguys.com and one of the most significant podcasters generating content in the world today. Bloom's knowledge of Phish is deep and vast.  He attended Syracuse University in the mid 1990s, properly positioned to witness Phish 1.0 at the absolute peak of their power.  Bloom expertly shares his experiences at various Phish shows which include the last performance of Gamehendge, touring extensively in the Western United States, as well as experiencing The Clifford Ball firsthand.  

 

Get on the bus...sit back, relax, and enjoy the immersive oratory of a peerless narrator.  This is the definitive tribute and firsthand recap of Phish's triumphant accomplishment which turns 25 years old this coming August! 

 

And if you have any questions or comments about this episode or others or have ideas for topics or guests, please reach out to us at fivedollarbuzz@gmail.com. It may take a minute because we gotta finish this extra long, shiny and happy guitar-noodle noise filibuster and then we have to straddle over slowly in our flip flops so as not to trip...but we will get there...