WELCOME TO THE SHOW
My name is Steve Owens and I meet a lot of people; sometime in my travels, sometimes in my own home town. Several times (quite by accident), I have stumbled into what I consider to be fascinating stories. So after way too many got away, I decided to start recording them. Some of these conversations will be fascinating ONLY to me. Some will be fascinating to you too. In the end, I guess this podcast is just an excuse for me to get to travel, meet, and talk to more people. So if you are so inclined…
Walk with me, down Fascination Street!
Recent Episodes
Lew Apollo – Neo Soul Singer / Songwriter (Fool’s Gold)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Lew Apollo
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Minnesota / Austin musician Lew Apollo.
In this episode, Lew and I chat about his growing up in Minnesota, and what made him decide to move to Austin, Texas. Naturally, I ask him about his tattoos, and what they mean. Then we move onto a good ol’ Texas burger slap fight! Lew and I go round and round, /1/4 pound for 1/4 pound about who has the best fast-food burger in South Texas; Whataburger or P. Terry’s. Then we get into his music. Lew’s new debut album is called Fool’s Gold, and is a 9-track journey through heartache, acceptance, and finally contentment. We discuss a few of the tracks individually, and he even lets me play his most talked about song from this record. Lew does talk about learning from and being mentored by Austin local legend Blk Odyssy. We touch a bit on Lew’s previous E.P. called Jungle, and what that title means to him. Sadly, we do discuss some rough subject matter related to his father’s passing, and how this tragedy reframed the feeling and meaning of some of the songs he wrote before the event. Lew Apollo has a unique, original sound, and I can’t stop playing his music in my house! Special shout out to Victor Gaspar, Orb Studios, and Rey Roldan at Rey Bee Publicity.
Phil Rossi Returns! – O.G. Podcaster (Crescent / Harvey / Don’t Turn Around)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Phil Rossi Returns!
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know even more about Phil Rossi, as he and I catch since his last appearance 7 years ago. Phil is one of the ORIGINAL podcasters. He first started podcasting his unpublished speculative fiction novels twenty years ago! In this episode, I fanboy out a little bit as Phil is on the Mount Rushmore of podcasting in my opinion. Then we move on to discuss his first ever novel ‘Crescent’ and why he is re-releasing it with a few changes. Next, he spills the beans that he is also working on a sequel to Crescent! A few years ago, Phil started a podcast called Don’t Turn Around, which focuses on the scary and the paranormal in our everyday lives. So, we talk a bit about that and why he started it. More recently, Phil started another podcast called It Came From The Web, where he introduces and comments on paranormal videos and sightings that he finds on the internet. Then, He teamed up with fellow old school podcasters Tee Morris and Philippa Balentine to form Old Spirits Investigations; a YouTube show where these three investigators are exploring purported haunted areas. So, we discuss all three of these shows, why they got started, and what the listener or viewer can expect from these shows. Phil even shares some personal stories of spooky and unexplainable events that happened in his own life. Make sure you check out the 2 audio podcasts, as we as the video podcast on YouTube. Phil, Tee, and Philippa are the bee’s knees!!!
Throwback Episode: Katie Herzog – Journalist / Author / Podcaster (Blocked and Reported)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
THROWBACK: Katie Herzog
*****This is a THROWBACK episode with guest Katie Herzog.*****
Katie first appeared on the show on December 23, 2024.
The book she was writing at that time, and that we talked about, IS NOW AVAILABLE!
‘Drink Your Way Sober’ is available everywhere, and we are giving 4 copies away in this episode!
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Katie Herzog. Katie is a well-known and respected journalist who has written for publications including: The Stranger, The Atlantic, Reason, Medium, and more. She is also a co-host of the very popular podcast Blocked and Reported; with her friend and fellow journalist Jesse Singal. In this episode, Katie and I chat about where and how she grew up, and what informed her journalistic endeavors. I do grill Katie about some of the crazy stories from her past that I found. We touch briefly on her time working for NPR, and she enlightens me about The Internet Archive, and The Way Back Machine. Then we get into her podcast. Again, it’s called Blocked and Reported and she tells me about why she started it, and why she is glad she didn’t start it sooner. Finally, we dive into her new book. It doesn’t have a name quite yet but should be released around October of 2025. This book chronicles her journey of drinking herself sober. You read that right. That’s a very fascinating concept, and she tells me all about how she came to find this path, and why she felt the need to share her experience in the form of her very first book. Make sure you check out her podcast, it is a lot of fun, and be sure to stay tuned for her book around October of 2025.
Titus Welliver – Actor (Bosch / Bosch: Legacy / Ballard / Deadwood)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Titus Welliver
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know actor Titus Welliver. In this episode, we chat about his growing up with a father who was very well known and well respected in the academic & artist community, and how that led to Titus meeting some of the most influential people on the planet. Then we talk about the new television series he is working on called The Westies (MGM+) alongside J.K. Simmons, and others. Then we discuss his playing the title character of Bosch for ten years on the Amazon series Bosch & Bosch: Legacy, as well as reprising that role in Amazon’s Ballard. Titus loves this character so much, that when the creator & writer Michael Connelly asked him to read the audiobooks, he jumped at the opportunity. Titus still voices the audiobooks to this day. Along the way, we talk about why Titus decided to study with ALL of the great acting teachers & playwrights of New York, why he has so many tattoos, and of course, the CADS. Titus is the third member of the Character Actors Dinner Society to appear on the show. The CADS is a group of character actors in Los Angeles that occasionally, and in various configurations, have dinner and tell stories to each other; as friends often do. Titus is also part of The Funky Homo Sapiens; a New York based group of likeminded individuals who do roughly that same thing on the East Coast. This episode is a ton of fun, and I can’t wait to have Titus on for round 2. Keep your eyes peeled for Titus’ new series The Westies on MGM+ sometime in 2026.
Mike Tramp – Musician (White Lion / Solo Career)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Mike Tramp
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Mike Tramp. After making a nationwide name for himself in his home country of Denmark, with a band called Mabel, Mike set sail for the musical shores of America. Early in the 1980s, Mike Tramp formed the rock band White Lion. Selling millions of records across the country, White Lion charted top 10 hits like “Wait”, and “When the Children Cry”. Over the years, band members have come and gone on their way to five albums between 1985 & 2008; but one thing never changed… their fearless leader Mike Tramp has always put the music first. In this episode, Mike and I chat about his getting into the music business as a teen in Denmark, and what that was like with his band Mabel. Then we talk about why he felt the need to come to New York to start the rock band White Lion. Naturally we discuss this band’s success, and specifically my favorite of their songs “When the Children Cry”. We dive into the meaning behind the lyrics, and I give my own interpretation of its meaning at the time to a pre-teen me. Mike graciously lets me play that track, and then we move onto his newest project. In 2023, 2024, & 2025, Mike has released the albums: “Songs of White Lion”, “Songs of White Lion Vol II”, & “Songs of White Lion Vol III”, respectively. He explains why he felt the need to do this and even lets me play one of the new tracks from this third installment. Along the way, we discuss some of Mike’s early influences like: Thin Lizzy, Ronnie James Dio, Freddy Mercury, and more. Mike Tramp is everything you hope an 80s rock front man would be. Great guy, open and honest, and generous with his time and talent. Follow Mike on all the socials, find him playing live all over the world, and check out his 16 solo records as well as the newest “Songs of White Lion” installment.
Ally Walker – Author (The Light Runner) / Actress (Sons of Anarchy / Longmire / Profiler)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Ally Walker
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street, as I get to know Ally Walker. Ally is a veteran actress who you know from such amazing television shows as: Sons of Anarchy, Longmire, Profiler, and many more. You also know her from hit films like: Universal Soldier, Singles, & Kazaam. In this episode, we chat about all of these projects, plus some of her other works. I even get her to tell me some ghost stories from Santa Fe! Finally, we really dig into her new book. The Light Runner is the first in The Realities Series and is Ally’s first ever novel. She has written screenplays and scripts, but never a novel! The book is a murder mystery of sorts, but with psychiatric themes, plus paranormal, and time elements. I won’t spoil it, but I will say that I really, really enjoyed this book. I reached out to a couple of her actor friends who wrote blurbs for the book, and I read their responses to her. One of them is even a previous guest of the show! Ally was a blast to speak with, and she even got me to spill a secret that I have never shared on the show, or in most of my real life. You can get this book everywhere books are available and even get a personalized copy from her website. Follow Ally on all the socials, and BUY THIS BOOK!
Chris Storer – Computer Tech Expert. (Definitely Not the Creator of The Bear)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Chris Storer.
Over the years, I have been fairly successful at guessing the email addresses of some folks. I wanted to interview Christopher Storer, creator of The Bear television series. So, I used my email magic, and guess what…. I got a different Christopher Storer! Confusion was had; fun ensued. Chris and I thought it would be a fun twist to go forward with the interview anyway. This episode is with Chris Storer, “just a regular guy, living in a no name town in Kentucky”. In this episode, we discuss how he became a computer guru at an early age. Chris discovered his love and knack for computer tech stuff before he was even a teenager. With the encouragement of his brother, Chris decided to write a computer program for a very specific niche of figurine collector, and then he and his mother traveled the country selling this program to these collectors. Next, Chris and I talk a little bit about The Bear television series, and some of the fun that has come about due to the mistaken identity of it all. Alas, I am not the first to confuse them! Then we get into the importance of a work / life balance, and how the passion that he followed when he was 12, manifested into a lifelong career in tech. From steel factories to book warehouses; Chris has made a wonderful living and fulfilling life stemming from this early computer interest. Lastly, we discuss Chris’ brother-in-law (comedian Josh Sneed) who convinced Chris to do the interview as himself, the next time someone reached out. I and a lot of fun speaking with Chris, he has a great sense of humor and an easy-going storytelling style. Thanks again, Chris.
Ted Page – Author (Good Grandpa) / Marketing Executive (Captains of Industry)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Ted Page
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Ted Page. Ted is a marketing executive with his own firm, as well the author of several books. In this episode we discuss his early days in advertising; working for McCann- Erickson, and what led him to start his own company called Captains of Industry. Next, we get into a couple of the books that he has written previously, including a collection of family stories, and a book about branding & marketing. Then we talk about his most recent book Good Grandpa: Stories From the Heart of Grandfatherhood. Along the way, we discover that he worked with a previous guest of my show, more than 30 years ago! We dive into the impact that his own grandfathers had on him growing up, and why he felt that it was important to be that figure in the lives of his own grandchildren. We touch on the book and some of the folks that he interviewed and some of the things that he learned during this process. Ted shares anecdotes about Monarch butterflies, City Slickers, ‘The Number One Thing’, and ‘The Greatest Generation’. This book is a fantastic read, even if you may never be a grandparent. The book is worth the read just for life lessons and the engaging stories from his family’s campground on Lake Willoughby in Vermont. Special thanks to previous guest and really good dude; Greg Payne of The Cool Grandpa Podcast for making this happen.Â
Brian Huskey – Comedian / Writer / Actor (Bob’s Burgers / Mr. Neighbor’s House/ Veep)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Brian Huskey
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Brian Huskey. You know Brian’s face from such iconic shows as Veep, Neighbors, Search Party & Mr. Neighbor’s House 1 & 2. You know his voice from mega hits like Bob’s Burgers, Beavis and Butt-Head, and Central Park. In this episode, we chat about his path to television & film. Brian started making movies in high school with some friends but didn’t really pursue it as a career until college. He shares some of that inspiration and some of the moments that let him know that this was a legitimate career option for him. We touch on some of his early work as a writer, as well as his early days as the bass player for a band called Bicycle Face. (Spoiler alert, he lets me play his favorite track from their album). Next, we talk about getting involved with the Upright Citizens Brigade, Naked Babies improv, comedy, and writing his own projects. Mr. Neighbor’s House is one of his favorite projects that he has ever been part of. He created it, wrote it, executive produced it, & starred in it. He did the same a few years later with Mr. Neighbor’s House 2. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t grill him about his previous podcast called Bald Talk! Naturally we discuss his VH-1 television show Free Radio, some of his earliest acting memories, and his upcoming horror film Thinestra. Follow Brian on Instagram and see / hear him on just about everything you watch.
Dana Teller – Comedian
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Dana Teller.
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know comedian Dana Teller. In this episode, we chat about where she grew up and what made her decide to become an accountant. She shares wonderful stories about how supportive her parents were, and continue to be. Next we discuss how her brother giving her 5 minutes notice that she would be giving a toast at his wedding, inspired her to become a comedian. Dana worked her butt off as an accountant, and socked away enough money to give her a bit of a bumper, so that she could pursue her dream to become a stand up comedian. Dana routinely travels the country crushing at sold out shows from Los Angeles to Miami. Next we get into some specific instances where her parents, and even her siblings, have helped her gain the confidence to make this massive career change. We talk about how to treat hecklers, some of the crazy stuff that happens to female comics, and her ‘no excuses’ mentality that has served her so well. We end the show talking about her pending nuptials, and whether she will change her name when she finally does get hitched! I should add that Miles Teller is her brother; though this interview is not about him, we do talk about him a tiny bit. Follow Dana on all the socials, and go laugh at her on stage if she is anywhere near you!