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
Shawn’s Picks #1 Chris Ballew
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Shawn’s Picks: Chris Ballew
Hey Streetwalkers. THANK YOU SO MUCH for inspiring me to get to 400 episodes!
As you may have guessed; lm taking March “off” from releasing new episodes.
HOWEVER; all month long, l will be releasing some of my wife’s very favorite episodes, in a “Best Of” style.
So expect a re-release of an older favorite every weekday; with an all new intro from my wife, explaining why she chose each specific episode.
Keep in mind that these are in no particular order, and l’ll be back in April with all new episodes.
Like, follow, subscribe and tell a friend!
-Steve Owens
Fascination Street Podcast
Chris Ballew
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Chris Ballew. Chris is a musician and founding member and lead singer of the alternative rock band The Presidents of the United States of America. Chris is also known as Caspar Babypants; catering music for parents and kids to enjoy together. In this episode we chat about why he was drawn to music, touring as a band member with Beck for 2 tours, forming The Presidents, managing huge hits like Peaches, and Lump, and some of the strangely stringed instruments he has played in those songs. He shares stories about Sir Mix A Lot, Beck, Madonna, and even a great story about Kurt Cobain’s GHOST! We talk about he second, third, and now fourth musical incarnation; including Caspar Babypants, writing music for tv, film, and commercials, and his latest project, ethereal music. All of this and more, Chris HAS to com back!
Follow Chris on social media:
Insta: @ChrisBallew
Check out his music at: ChrisBallew.org & Babypantsmusic.com
Dicky Barrett – Musician (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones / The Defiant) [Episode 400]
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Dicky Barrett
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Richard Michael Barrett. Better know as Dicky; he is also called The Godfather of Skacore. Dicky is former frontman and founding member of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and current frontman and founder of the new super group The Defiant. In this episode, we chat about how he came to be the bow-tied plaid leader of The Bosstones, and some of the cool things he got to do along the way. He tells the story of getting to open for The Misfits while he was still in high school, as well as getting to play Fenway Park many years later. Dicky shares stories of meeting and befriending Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel when they were just getting started; and some of the fun things he got to do as a result of these friendships. Adam uses Bosstones’ songs in the intro and outro of his Adam Carolla Show podcast; and Dicky was the announcer for Jimmy Kimmel Live for nearly 20 years. Of course, I ask Dicky if I can play my all time favorite MMB song… and he says yes! Obviously we discuss how MMB ended up in the cult classic iconic film Clueless, and what made them decide to do it. Next, Dicky explains what happened between him and the other Bosstones, as well as his relationship with the Jimmy Kimmel Live late night show. Finally, we discuss his new band The Defiant. This super group features former members of: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Offspring, Smash Mouth, Street Dogs, and The Briggs. The Defiant is: Pete Parada, Greg Camp, Johnny Rioux, Joey LaRocca, and Dicky Barrett. Their debut album “If We’re Being Honest” was released in late October 2023. Naturally I ask him if I can play my favorite song from this new album…. and Dicky said yes again! I had such a blast talking with Dicky, I think we are best friends now! Don’t be surprised if you hear more from Dicky on Fascination Street Podcast. This dude is rad as balls. Thanks Dicky! And thanks Mike Dawson, you know what you did.
Teresa Strasser – Television Writer / Author (Making It Home)
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Teresa Strasser
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Teresa Strasser. Teresa first came into my heart as co-host / sidekick on The Adam Carolla Show on the radio, then in podcast form. I have wanted to get Teresa on the show for quite some time. Special thanks to Vinnie Tortorich for helping make this happen. In this episode, Teresa and I chat about how she came to work on the radio in Hollywood, in sort of a unique way. Then we discuss her podcast with Gina Grad, called Easy Listening. She explains what the show started out as, and why the show recently ended. Next we get into her book. The book is called Making It Home: Life Lessons From a Season of Little League. Teresa explains why she felt like she needed to write this book, and who it is for. The backstory of the book, is that Teresa and her father are repairing their relationship and coping with grief, while attending every game in a season of her son’s little league baseball games. Teresa lost her brother and her mother 4 months apart. This is the story of coping, grieving, and healing….. through the ups & downs of her little boy’s athletic efforts… all while repairing her relationship with her father. This is an extraordinary story, written by a remarkable author. I enjoyed this book very much. Touching, funny, sentimental, while on the edge of your seat with the winning and losing of the season. We do touch a bit on what it is like to grow up separated from your sibling, and Teresa tells a story of sweet, sweet vindication from her wicked, wicked stepmom. GET THIS BOOK!
Sam Lachow – Rapper (Heavy Hearts)
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Sam Lachow
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Sam Lachow. Sam is a rapper based in Seattle, who was brought to my attention by previous guest John Sylvain. In this episode, Sam and I chat about how he came to be a rapper / hip hop musician; even though he grew up in Seattle, known for it’s grunge style of music. Then we get into sobriety. Sam is very open and honest, and even vulnerable when it comes to the reasons he got sober. He shares some of his fears about the possibility of losing his creative passion, and talent without the use of drugs and alcohol. He even shares a bizarre story about having to call the treatment center every day at 8am, just to see if there was an available bed yet. Then we jump right into how much I enjoy his music. We get very deep into some specific songs of his, that I love. He lets me play my favorite of his songs, and he clues me into the meaning behind some of the lyrics. The day we recorded this; he released a new single called “I Might”, and he is gracious enough to let me play it in this episode as well. Sam lays out his plans to release a new single every month of this year, culminating in two new albums. This conversation gets pretty deep with regard to drug and alcohol use, as well as why he decided to seek treatment. He openly discusses some of the consequences he was facing during that time, and what he sees for himself going forward; both personally, and professionally. I had a great time speaking with Sam, and look to have him back on at some point.
Reed Diamond – Actor (Orphan Black: Echoes)
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Reed Diamond.
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Reed Diamond. Reed is an actor who has appeared in so many films and television shows that I could spend all day naming. In this episode, we chat about when he decided to become an actor, why he went to the University of North Carolina, and how he got into the Julliard. Then we discuss some of the bands he was in growing up, and the hilarious names & antics that ensued; including making a drum set out of some very unusual items. Next we get into some of his acting credits, including: Dollhouse, Much Ado About Nothing, Homicide: Life On The Streets, and his newest series ‘Orphan Black: Echoes’. Reed shares some wonderful stories about working and going to school with the great Andre Braugher, what it is like to be part of the Whedon-verse, and how much fun it is to get to work with his wife on the same show. Along the way; we talk about Reed’s ‘alter ego’ while away at college, reasons to never believe Wikipedia, and how the universe finally revealed the REAL reason he learned to play guitar.
Lori Fetrick Returns! – Fitness Trainer / Former American Gladiator (Ice) / Podcaster (Chillin’ With Ice)
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Lori Fetrick Returns!
Take a walk with me as I get to know even more about Lori Fetrick! Since this is a return appearance, we don’t really do the ‘how did you get to where you are, from where you were’ thing. Go back and check out her first appearance for that (5/29/23). In this episode, we catch up on everything that has been happening for her since we last spoke. Two documentaries about The American Gladiators came out, she has been on numerous tv shows, and podcasts, and her podcast (Chillin’ With Ice) is nearing the end of it’s second season. She tells me about how the show has changed, and her right along with it. I ask about some of her interview experiences, and what is was like to attend the Adam Carolla Show Christmas party. Plus we talk about her new children’s book (Playground Warriors), which is set to be released midway through 2024. She tells a fun story about why she declined to appear on The Howard Stern Show at the height of The American Gladiators TV show, and we end the show discussing a very sensitive subject. She mentioned it on her show, and I felt like it brought to light some valuable information that could help women who might be in a similar situation. So pay attention!
Evan Woodward Esq. – Lawyer / Musician (Kash Mojo)
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Evan Woodward Esq
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Evan Woodward. Evan is an attorney who practices personal injury & family law in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is also a musician under the name Kash Mojo. In this episode, we go on a journey to find out why Evan decided to become a lawyer, and why he chose to practice in New Mexico. Along the way, we discuss journalism, his stint working for NPR (National Public Radio), and some of his law influences. Then we get into his musical side. I ask him why he chose the stage name of Kash Mojo, and what it means. Then we chat about his musical style and dub it “Ghost Rock”; which is a genre we both just made up! We talk about his musical influences, including Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous, and Evan even lets me play his new cover of ‘Cow’ by Sparklehorse. Look for Kash Mojo’s new album ‘Buried or Replaced’ to drop midway through 2024. Finally, we end the show talking about how he got into listening to podcasts, and what some of his favorites are. Special shout out to Vincent from Gone Cold Podcast for connecting me with Evan. Thanks Vincent, I appreciate you, buddy.
Raffaello Degruttola Returns! – Filmmaker (To Love A Narcissist)
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Take a walk with me down Fascination Street, as l get to know even more about Raffaello Degruttola, in this RETURN visit! Raffaello was last on the show in June of 2019. This time, we don’t do the ‘get to know you’ thing; so go back and check that out.
In this episode, we catch up on how Raff spent his Covid lockdown, and how well his previous film performed. It’s called Transference, and it did gangbusters on YouTube.
I ask him about one of his early projects called “The Other Side of My Sleep, as well as a television series he is working on.
We also discuss his new film project called ‘To Love a Narcissist’, and stars Lindsay Marshall alongside him, and others. Toward the end, we chat about the disposable nature of the current culture, and how we can learn to focus on the things that are important to us.
Of course, we touch on an upcoming film he is acting in, where he got to work with the great David Bautista called ‘The Killer’s Game’s and a Netflix movie called ‘Scoop’ that when worked on too!
Stay tuned for ‘To Love a Narcissist’ to come out midway through the year, and check out Controvento Films for other great independent projects!
J. Logan Austin – President & COO (Crazy Ant Media)
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J. Logan Austin
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know J. Logan Austin. In this episode, we chat about why Logan, and his partner Dustin created Crazy Ant Farm Media, and what they hope to accomplish with this production company. We also talk about film & television, being a storyteller, and his two podcasts. His first podcast is called ‘Inside The Crazy Ant Farm’, and it deals with entertainment news, rumors, stories, and general fun in and around show business. The second podcast is called ‘Everything’s Okay’, and it deals with anxiety, depression, loneliness, and overall mental health. We briefly touch on Logan’s upcoming wedding, and a bizarre and petty feud between Martin Scorsese and the rest of Hollywood. Logan tells me more about Crazy Ant Farm Media’s pending projects, including: an hour-long comedy, a short film, a feature film, and even a half hour animated comedy. This guy is BUSY! For some reason, Logan starts to interview me about halfway through; but what matters is that you should check out his two podcasts, and the cool stuff on their You Tube channel.
Chris Larsen – Senior Director of Clean Energy (Dynapower)
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Chris Larson
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street, as l get to know Chris Larson. Chris has a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from NC State and a degree in Economics with high honors from Princeton. He is Senior Director of clean Energy at Dynapower; a leading developer and manufacturer of grid scale power electronics solutions and power conveters, and recently celebrated its 60th year in 2023. In this episode we get to know why Chris decided to get into the clean energy space, what exactly Dynapower does, and why it’s important work. We get into everything from: very large, and very small micro grids, to full scale battery solutions, to developing & harnessing hydrogen energy, and even electric car chargers built into the roads. We even discuss why clean, or green energy is so politicized. This is a wildly fascinating conversation, where we end with a story about Chris being a cotton smuggler! Enjoy my conversation with one of the smartest people out there!