We Don't Even Know

WE DID IT! We created 100 Episodes - which mean we stuck together for 100 months celebrating people from all walks of life, the comedy found in our lives and world, the amazing art created by those in our community and the voices of a wide array of inspirational people.  We are proud and we are not shy about saying we are excited about what is yet to come.  We open with the WDEK crew in different cities: Shonali in DC, Christian in Palm Springs and Justin in Brooklyn.   Christian reveals his first "Daddy" t-shirt.   When we look back over our 100 Episodes, we give shout outs to the many performers who delivered brilliant character performances throughout the years including (but not limited to): Alan Yaspan who played the Russian Hacker; Theo Koppel who played WDEK Dance Choreographer; Becky Chicoine who played Rhonda The Dog Trainer; Roy Koshy who played NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere; Jordan Clifford who played the Grumpy Holiday Guy; Nat Towsen who played the Podcast Protestor; Matt Hunziker who played

Happy New Year!  Justin, Christian and Shonali are together again virtually for their 99th episode. 99 months together and they start the year out with a bang. Insert - Shonali's video of a downpour in her apartment.  Christian coins the term twinergy.  Our first guest is stand-up comedian, writer, actress Subhah Agarwal (Late Night with Lilly Singh, Westworld, The Jim Jeffries Show.)  She's bicoastal which we find out is not as not as glamourous as you might think.  She started doing stand-up when she was 17 years old bc as she says, she was a "bizzarre" child! Subhah is getting married this year and is having an Indian wedding.  To her fiancé's delight, there will be no "big robes" used during the ceremony.  Follow Subhah on her socials and catch her live on a stage near you! For the first time ever Christian  shares his singing talents in singing his recent collaboration with Adele! It's an emotional performance. One you might want to watch for yourself on YouTube or FB Live.  Our last guest of the evening

Christian and Shonali are back with two celebrations under their bigger belt lines - Halloween AND Thanksgiving!  Our special guests are NYC comedian, actor, host Rashad Bashir and for the first time ever, Christian's twin sister Julie Felix, an expert leader in diversity, equity and inclusion join us on the show.  Don't tell us you can't figure out what Shonali and Christian's 2021 Halloween costumes are.  They discuss pandemic weight gain in the chest area AND the stress of Thanksgiving leftovers. Julie Felix, Christian's twin sister joins us for the first time on WDEK!  We delve into Christian and Julie's childhood which started out in the womb together.  Womb Wars Julie Christian illustration by Jasper Patch.   The two grew up in Deerfield, Illinois in which Julie says they were "99.9% of the 1% of diversity in Deerfield."   Shonali and Julie unite in their throat scratchers status which Christian hates.  Julie shares her pet peeves about her brother.  Can you guess what they are? Our next guest is c

It's October and the creepy crawly mood is upon us.  Shonali has her jack-o-lanterns lit. Christian says there's a chance that he'll be an N95 mask for Halloween.  Justin and his family will be "Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti" (3 Happy Dead Guys!)  Our special guests are former actor turned public servant,  Assessor-Recorder of San Francisco Joaquín Torres and comedian, actor, writer Jordan Carlos.  You ever consider what it would be like to leave your current occupation to embark on a journey as a public servant? Our first guest has done that. Joaquín Torres explains how attending the Obama inauguration in 2008 inspired him.  He quickly transitioned from a professional actor who received an MFA from NYU to working for a San Francisco mayoral campaign within no time.  Now he is occupying his first job title for which he will need to win an election as Assessor-Recorder of San Francisco. He explains that the acting bug never leaves you but the education that comes from acting always stays with you. Learn more abo

It's September! Fall has arrived and WDEK is not looking forward to the pumpkin spice lattes signage that will soon be everywhere!  Justin the Intern joins us from Duluth, Minnesota.  Christian and Shonali have just returned from visiting their parents in Chicago and Nashville.  They discuss the Jedi mind tricks of their respective parents.    The brilliant Lizz Winstead, comedian, co-founder of the Daily Show, founder of Abortion Access Front and co-founder of Air America amongst joins us from her abode.  Find out how a 16 year old Lizz Winstead's life experience is directly connected to her activism today as the founder of Abortion Access Front.  Do you know about the thousands of fake "clinics" in the US used to intimidate and spread misinformation to women regarding abortion?  We discuss destigmatizing abortion and how men should contribute to the conversation surrounding reproductive rights.   Follow Lizz on Twitter here! She's doing shows in Portland and San Francisco in November - you lucky West Coas

Justin The Intern is the father of a month old baby! Whoa! Christian was mask shamed in Justin's home state.  Shonali learns what "bussin" means.  It's US Open Tennis Tournament time in NYC and we needed this!  Our guests are comedian, performers, writers Merrill Davis and Táhlia Audrí! Merrill currently lives in Los Angeles.  She generously shares her expert napping techniques with us.  She's a pro napper and she and Christian may go into business together!  Merrill answers our questions about her experiences as a person with ADHD.  Merrill has been doing a solo show on the challenges she has faced and the misconceptions about ADHD called Merrill Means Well.  Follow her on IG to make sure you see her perform!!   Táhlia Audri, originally hails from Charleston, SC but came to NYC to fulfill her dreams as an all around performer. She shares the joy of drinking from a green goblet.  Táhlia is relatively new to cycling in NYC and loves it.  We talk biking attire and the videos she's been making while on her tr

Congratulations to Justin the Intern and his fiancée Laura on the birth of their baby boy Zachary! While Justin is having a baby, Jason Lam takes over introduction honors.   Within a month, tides have turned and Covid-19 (Delta variant) is back.   The "normalcy" we discussed last month is no more.  Shonali attended her first super spreader event and Christian has a new nickname "Big Man!"  Everyone PLEASUHHHHH get vaccinated!  We are excited to talk to Helen Nwosu!  We met Helen at a mutual friend's dance birthday party just after we were fully vaccinated and thought we could be "normally" social again.  We were taken by her energy, humor and intellect.   Helen left a long standing career in fashion to start her own non-profit called Science Couture and it's "chief mission is to help consumers and fashion brands contribute to a more sustainable fashion system."  We also discuss upstate living;  youth activism; The Olympics - sexist double standard fashion, the athlete's' stories which pull at your heartstri

Happy Pride Everyone!  We celebrate our friends and our fashion icon former guest Jack Dwyer!  June was the first month in a year and a half that we were social in a seemingly "normal" way.  Shonali's exhausted already. Our first guest is Cisco Bradley!  He's an Author, Professor of Cultural & Social History, Free Jazz & and Experimental Music Aficionado!  Just what is "cultural production?"   Cisco has just published a book about the genius free jazz bassist William Parker, titled Universal Tonality. We dig deep into the philosophy and inspiring music & words of this influential artist whose career has spanned over 5 decades.  We tie together Mr. Parker's philosophy of life and art to the current state of the world.  Cisco says "...the history of the United States is the history of racism and the struggles against it..." We discuss underappreciated artists in America & Shonali brings up Shannon Wright, our former Ep. 61 guest! Turns out Cisco is also her fan! Cisco knows what's up!  Father

The warm weather has arrived, masks are slowly coming off and Christian comes out HOT.  Shonali is in Nashville, Tennessee doing yard work and Justin The Intern is prepping for his role as a new father.  George Floyd's murder was a year ago to the day.  We discuss the importance of the moment surrounding the pandemic and social justice.  Will we be forever changed or suffer from amnesia?  Comedian and film critic Brandon Collins comes to us on the high of interviewing Lin Manuel Miranda just the day before.  Brandon is from Ann Arbor, Michigan but has been in NYC for over a decade. He's doing cool things such as being a member of the African American Film Critics Association, hosting the Medium Popcorn podcast, a one man show called It's Not Going to Work Out.  We talk movies including White Christmas, A Quiet Place 2, and Sonic The Hedgehog.  Brandon is hosting his live comedy series, Drunk Black History on Juneteenth at The Bell House which will also be livestreamed! Don't miss it.   Shonali and Christi

Shonali got her wisdom teeth pulled.  Justin got a sun tan and Christian shares new (not exactly accurate) CDC guidelines.  As more of us are vaccinated and we start to venture out more often, nature is not ready for us.  We warn Christian not to watch last week's viral rabid bobcat video in which this brave husband in North Carolina rescued his wife. Shonali loved it.  Christian as you all know is terrified of urban wildlife.  Our first guest is an award winning playwright, poet & actress Stefani Kuo!  Stefani makes powerful and compelling art which often features stories from the Asian American community.  She describes her recent work The Conservation of Parity about a brilliant female Chinese physicist, Chien-Shiung Wu who immigrated to America and worked on the atomic bomb.  Stefani shares her thoughts on the state of American theater, the general lack of awareness Americans have regarding the Asian American community, Andrew Yang's candidacy for NYC Mayor, and great hiking spots in the NYC vicini

We are officially now a year into the pandemic! We are thankful for vaccines, our health, friends, family and this show.  Catching up on the heavy: Anti-Asian Hate, Chauvin trial, voter suppression & the good stuff: seafood enchiladas, the beach and puppy time!  Check out StopAAPIHate.org for ways to support the Asian American community now.  Our first guest is our longtime friend & acclaimed science writer Roxanne Khamsi and notably she has focused her writing on viruses for years.  Roxanne moved to Montreal, Canada just over a year ago from NYC. We discuss where we are at with regard to conversations surrounding the coronavirus, washing vegetables, empathy, soaking cilantro and Canadian living.  Christian gives guidance on some of his favorite Montreal spots.  Our second guest is currently Los Angeles based comedian and writer Rae Sanni who misses her hometown of NYC very much. Rae was a former staff writer for shows like The President's Show, The Good Place, A Black Lady Sketch Show.  We talk ho

We are celebrating a full month of having a new POTUS in the White House, Shonali's new jumpsuit, expectant father Justin the Intern and comedian Anuvab Pal guest joining us all the way from the UK where it is 2AM.  Anuvab is a comedian, screenwriter, playwright, author among many other things.  We discuss finding humor in the complicated history between Indian and Great Britain, the emerging Indian comedy scene, millenials and history, Zoom yoga, surviving the pandemic in India & the great Bollywood Classic Disco Dancer.  Our longtime WDEK friend & bartender Lori Schwarz joins us from the Red Room our old stomping grounds before the pandemic.  She teaches us how to make a Flirtini: 2 oz Vodka, 3/4 oz Chambord or any raspberry liqueur, 2 oz pineapple juice.  Make sure to listen to her shaker shaking techniques!   Musician Bryan Malone joins from Atlanta, GA!  Bryan is the frontman of the band The Forty-Fives and Bad Spell & pre- pandemic was the club booker/promoter for the legendary Star Commu

Happy New Year! We survived 2020 y'all! Sure 2021 has already brought us an insurrection and an inauguration BUT here's some joy for you! Christian got a new 2021 couch (see couch background filter) and Shonali is resolute in her plan to make no 2021 New Year's resolutions.  She insists you do the same! To start out 2021, we introduce you to a bright light - Kadine Anckle!  She is an accomplished creative: showrunner, writer, producer, director and more!  We talk the rarity of showering during the pandemic along and the accumulation of stuff in a NYC apartment, hair issues in Zambia & gardening in NYC.  Kadine shares her pride as a creator and an Afro-Latina woman from Panama.  We Get It Off Your Chest with WDEK crew member Jason Lam. Shonali has roommate issues with her husband.  Christian discusses the casual usage of the word "slave" by friends.  Jason Lam, one of the most annoyed people we know - but today he surprises us all! Musician Greg Humphreys comes to us live from his NYC music room. Greg

We end this grueling 2020 year with two awe-inspiring guests & Covid-19 survivors: Activist for the Homeless & Writer Shams DaBaron a.k.a. Da Homeless Hero and drummer extraordinaire & style guru Ramsey "Satellite" Jones with a special introduction by Jason "the Elf!"  He discusses his flex spending account issues.  Justin The Intern is here but is having wi-fi issues! It's tit for tat at WDEK headquarters! Shonali & Christian discuss pandemic peer pressure, dogs in first class & Trump fatigue (note this is taped pre-insurrection!)  We are so honored to have lifelong New Yorker, activist/writer Shams DaBaron a.k.a. Da Homeless Hero be our guest.  We discuss his path towards activism on behalf of the homeless while experiencing homelessness himself; his brush with death while suffering from the Coronavirus; the biggest misconceptions surrounding those who are experiencing homelessness; how as a  foster child he later found his identity through hip hop; and his vow to not waste another m

In our final edition, Part 4 of the WDEK Election Special Episode, comedian Katie Compa shares with us ways she copes with ongoing Election Day anxieties.   Musician Brad Lauretti brings us the fire.  We talk the John Lewis graphic novel, existential threats & good people believing false propaganda. He gives us his Election Day predictions along with performing his song Dumb It Down.  Find out how comedian & weed smoker Nimesh Patel's father voted on the NJ legalize marijuana referendum.  Have you ever heard of the Indian beverage bhang? Let Nimesh and Shonali explain.  Go now to check out Nimesh's new half hour comedy special  online at Patel2020.com. Musician Maggy Adeleye shares her beautiful voice with us by performing her song Fullstorm.  Christian has fro jealousy.  We talk voter unenthusiasm & invisible voices.    Jason's twin brother Jiminy makes a special appearanceo on WDEK also the WDEK crew loves each other. Our final guest is one of our first ever WDEK guests; comedian, actor, &a

Part 3 (of 4) of our Marathon Special Election Day Ep. 86 opens with the Godfather of Alt-Rock Tyson Meade who has been cited by Kurt Cobain as one of his influences. Tyson performs Feel Like A Drugstore in front of Midway Grocery in Oklahoma City, OK.   Writer, comedian, actress Negin Farsad joins us from NYC. She celebrates Election Day by purchasing lots of desserts. Christian and Shonali approve.  Why isn't Election Day a festive national holiday? Negin makes many "astute points" regarding the ease with we should make voting in the United States.  17 year old Singer-songwriter Emmrose discusses her feelings on  being too young to vote.  From talking with her, she seems more prepared to vote than many of the thirty somethings we know. Emmrose sings one of her newest releases Grass Is Greener.   Corn Mo is a multi-talented musician and songwriter.  Have you ever met an accordianist before? His hat collection may top David Cross'. He's been saving money by performing on livestream shows and not having to

We continue with Part 2 (of 4) of Ep. 86 our Election Day marathon special begins with the wonderful Kendra Cunningham. She's a comedian, actress, writer who voted on Election Day. We discuss her new Brooklyn apartment with a BACKYARD, Kendra look-alikes, and making a lot of money.   Our 2nd guest is restaurateur and children's book author Jeff Goldstein out of Charleston, SC.  He has some "bones to pick" with our prior guests. He also gives us some expected bad news regarding SC election returns but also surprises us with some promising news about dirty politics.  Comedian Eric Slovin joins us from his abode in Brooklyn.  Eric is a lifelong New Yorker. He not only shares his astute observations regarding NYC, but also answers not one but two "How Democracy Works" trivia questions correctly.  Most impressively, for the first time ever, Eric Slovin reads his poem written just for WDEK, titled "Brooklyn Bridge." A match made in WDEK heaven and by WDEK heaven, comedian Chelsea White & musician Tash Neal

WDEK Election Day Special: Please Vote America was a special episode with comedy, music, guest pop ins from across the country, videos and chat all in place. Our guests include John Early, Tash Neal, Chelsea White, Kendra Cunningham, David Cross, Cocoon Central Dance Team, Jon Glaser, Marcellus Hall, Tommy Do, Katie Compa, Negin Farsad, Nimesh Patel, Katie Compa, Eric Slovin, Tyson Meade, Marcellus Hall, Maggy Adeleye, Brad Lauretti, Emmrose, Matt Arnold and more!  We celebrate voting! In Part 1 of 4, our guests include Marcellus Hall, Jon Glaser, Matt Arnold, Cocoon Central Dance Team & David Cross.  Our first guest is musician, illustrator Marcellus Hall joins us performing a brand new tune off his forthcoming album called The Kitchen Sink Blues.  Comedian Jon Glaser appears in his most amazing Detroit Pistons attire. We divert our thoughts on voting to discuss #urbanwildlife and Jon leaves us with #moreproof of why Christian's fears of squirrels are warranted.  Matt Arnold of The Iowa Idea Podcast jo

Out the gate, our show gets down to the real. Shonali & Christian break it down regarding snuggle buddies during covid, cult leaders and unique social distancing philosophies. The description "Hobbit Ball" was invented in this discussion. Our first guest is John Feal, inspirational activist and founder of The Feal Good Foundation.  He was a 9/11 responder and is responsible for enacting 13 pieces of legislation which provides & protect the healthcare of 9/11 and first responders injured and/or currently sick caused by their heroic work.  He has partnered with Jon Stewart for years doing this work and they are currently working to pass legislation to provide healthcare for veterans sickened by their work near burn pits. The best description of why John is so successful is that he calls bullshit when he sees it.  You must follow him on Twitter @JohnFeal1 (The Real John Feal) to witness this. He was suspended on Twitter for a few days because he is so real. There's so much important here to listen to b

During these pandemic times and social unrest, we are so thankful for our time together on We Don't Even Know.  We are especially thankful for Christian's first time reading of a letter he may or may not have received from his white family.  It is very touching. Our first guest is artist Rodney White.  Rodney is an artist originally from August, GA who now lives Brooklyn, NY.   Rodney explains how his gear line Black On Black BK was created as a way to process trauma.  We talk what gives him hope in these times, multi-hyphenates &  how work makes a statement and starts a conversation!  See Christian & Shonali wearing their' Black on Black shirts on the show.   Our own Jason Lam is a tech wizard who often warns his friends as to how AI may be used in evil ways in the future! Here he shares his gorgeous AI children with us. See the video on YouTube  For the first time ever Christian & Shonali make a wardrobe change in honor of their friend and guest singer & dancer Jack Dwyer!   Singer, act