04:51 – Justin kicks off the show by sharing how listeners can tune into live recordings of the show, introduces Casey, and Casey talks about the demographics of his pet t-shirt sales. Justin talks about having stream accounts for both of his cats, how he follows other Justin Robinsons on Twitter, and Casey shares how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted him when it started. He talks about how he was able to share comedy during the pandemic and the difficulty it is now to get back into theaters post-COVID.

21:04 – Justin reflects on his and Scott's trip to Spokane, Casey talks about getting booked on the GCP comedy shows back in the day, and one of the worst gigs he did at O'Malleys in Tacoma. He talks about getting paid in drinks, shares a story about an experience at the Lusty Lady back in the day, and Scott talks about the recent tech layoffs. Casey talks about how common it is to get bumped in comedy, Justin shares his love of being interactive with comedians behind the stage, and Casey talks about recording the show at Summit City in Indiana.

39:29 – Justin expresses how he loves comedy even if he disagrees with what they may be saying, Casey shares the wisdom of Joe Rogan, and Justin talks about how upset people were at GCP for interviewing Flat Earther Mark Sargent. He shares the aspect he loves about podcasting, Casey talks about the evolution of his sports podcast, and they discuss what it's like to be around multiple comics. Casey talks about the sports teams he likes to follow, growing up in the area, and how Tacoma has changed over the years.

55:16 – Casey shares his love of the diversity in Tacoma, Justin talks about the areas in Tacoma where he's lived, and the different types of fantastic food in the area. He explains what line dancing is, Casey reflects on the Big Whiskey Saloon in Tacoma back in the day, and gives recommendations for people visiting Tacoma to try. Justin talks about his love of The Parkway Tavern, Casey talks about his favorite place in Tacoma for breakfast, and talks about his special coming out soon.

Special Guest: Casey McLain.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.
• Grim Workshop: Grim Workshop specializes in the making and using of ultralight, reusable, and wearable everyday carry tools. Perfect for a standalone ultralight survival kit that you can keep on hand at all times or as an addition to an existing survival kit to remove unwanted weight. A Family Owned and Operated Company Grim Workshop is proudly family owned and operated deep in the heart of Texas
• Uneasy Events: Make Memories, Forge Friendships That's our mission. We've designed our games to be optimal for conversations amongst teammates. Our hosts have seen recent transplants make their first friends, watched good-natured team rivalries form, and helped form countless memories. Small. Diverse. Local. Good. Those are our values, and we consider them all when making any business decision. Small We only work with owners who operate three or fewer establishments. No real estate developers, no chains, just hands-on restaurateurs. Diverse We continue to work to make sure our content writers, fact-checkers, and fun-checkers represent our players. Local Rounds on PNW history, prizes from other small businesses, and customized games for each one of our venues. Good We generate money for good people. We visit every site that applies or is recommended, and make sure the hourly staff are treated well.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Poor Sports: Sports and Comedy Podcast - YouTube — Comedian Casey McLain and media adjacent former aspiring-journalist Alex Akita podcast about sports, comedy, and life.
• The Grit City Podcast: GCP - Casey McLain — Local comedian Casey McLain sits down with the guys on this episode to talk comedy, podcasting, and The Pacific Northwest.
• Comedian Casey McLain — HEY! I AM CASEY MCLAIN, ONE OF THE FUNNIEST COMEDIANS YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF.
• Casey McLain (@caseymclaincomedy) • Instagram photos and videos
• Casey McLain - YouTube

5:46 - Justin apologizes to Brogan for hijacking his backpack 22 years ago, Supe introduces himself, and plays Judge Judy determining that Justin needs to buy Brogan a new backpack. He tells the guys how long he’s been rapping, what got him into it, and he gave a shout-out to his producer Spaz on the Beat. He shares the want to move to a more positive life after his release from prison, the love of supporting his craft, and gives his reviews of the other amazing hip-hop artists from Seattle.

14:39 – Supe gives a shout-out to The Crocodile venue in Seattle, the process he went through to get his latest EP out, and he talks about being hit in the neck with an axe 9 months ago. He shares being in downtown Seattle and seeing a guy walking towards him, him looking up and realizing he had been hit in the neck. He gives a shout-out to Harborview Hospital, his steps towards recovery, and his quickness to get back into rapping a week after he was out of the hospital.

24:12 – Supe shares his love for his new song, Name Offa Work, shares how he came up with the name, and his shock at the amount fans that visited him while he was in the hospital. He shares his close connection with his family, talks about his recent video, and where people can find it online.

33:45 – Supe talks about his want to turn his music into a career, he explains the importance of networking and promoting fellow artists, and Brogan talks about the power behind simply sharing stories and promotions on social media. Supe talks about his like to meet his listeners in person, Justin gives Supe props for the remarkable message he has to share, and how people can find him online.

In closing, keep in mind, that no matter how tough things get, it's still a win if you didn't catch an axe to the neck. #perspective

Special Guest: Streeball Supe.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.
• Grim Workshop: Grim Workshop specializes in the making and using of ultralight, reusable, and wearable everyday carry tools. Perfect for a standalone ultralight survival kit that you can keep on hand at all times or as an addition to an existing survival kit to remove unwanted weight. A Family Owned and Operated Company Grim Workshop is proudly family owned and operated deep in the heart of Texas
• Grit City Magazine: Grit City Magazine was founded on the notion that Tacoma has good stories to tell. We explore the places that define it, pay homage to the history that built it, and celebrate the people who make it what it is today.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• The Grit City Podcast: Streetball Supe — This time the guys are joined by local Seattle rapper Streetball Supe. Streetball Supe is an independent artist from Seattle's Central District.
• GRIT CITY MAGAZINE
• Stream StreetBall Supe music | Listen to songs, albums, playlists for free on SoundCloud
• Streetball Supe - Hit Different (Official Music Video) - YouTube

00:24 - Justin reflects on the recording of this best of, talks about GCP ramping up this coming fall, and Jeff talks about getting out of the city to camp out. Justin talks about his trip to Ocean Shores, getting sprinkled on while there, and gives props to Brogan and his van. He gives a shout-out to Ocean Pores and talks about watching live
music at Galway Bay Irish Pub. The guys give love to Porch Fest and jump into the replay.

Special Guest: Dan Nims.

Sponsored By:

• Manscaped: MANSCAPED™​ is the best in men’s below-the-waist grooming. ​Their products are precision-engineered tools for your family jewels. MANSCAPED’s™ Performance Package is the ultimate men's hygiene bundle! Inside this package, you’ll find their Lawn Mower® 4.0. trimmer, Weed Whacker ear and nose hair trimmer, Crop Preserver ball deodorant, Crop Reviver Toner, Performance Boxer Briefs, and a travel bag to hold your goodies! Join over 8 million men worldwide who trust MANSCAPED with this exclusive offer for you... Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code GRITCITY at MANSCAPED.com! ... #ad #manscapedpod #gritcity ... Promo Code: gritcity

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Galway Bay Irish Pub - Ocean Shores, WA
• THE OFFICIAL WASHINGTON STATE CHAPTER MUFON - Official WA State MUFON
• MUFON – Mutual UFO Network
• The Grit City Podcast: Talking UFOs with Dan Nims, MUFON Investigator.

01:06 – Justin kicks off this week’s podcast sharing with listeners ways they can find GCP online, the upcoming plans for a GCP BBQ with Brogan vs Rusty, and introduces this weeks Best Of. He then turns it over to the Late Night Drunken Palooza recorded at the Clone A Palooza in Easton Washington a few years ago. Todd explains what Clone a Palooza is, the type of people that attend the event, and Brogan starts the BBQ. Todd gives Brogan props on his fajitas and Brogan shares the food that is coming up next.

14:17 – They discuss the brilliance behind the tent within a tent covered by a tarp, Brogan talks about the hassle with cooking outside, and the huge number of yellow jackets that are also at the event. Brogan shares who invented fajitas, various sounds that are trademarked, and Todd talks about what modern capitalism is. He gives props to Elon Musk for his realization of the need for electric cars, they talk about burn bans in the area at that time, and Todd talks about how he got into comedy in 2010.

25:15 – Todd shares his love for hiking, the downfalls to being a pothead and hiking, and what his comedy adventure has been like since starting in 2010. He talk about what keeps him going when he feels like he’s like to quit comedy, the feeling he gets when he realizes that people appreciate the stories he shares, and Brogan talks about finding his comedy spot when in High School.

36:32 – Todd talks about how he and other comics he works with see comedy, the importance of enjoying what he’s doing, and the amazing feeling he gets when he realizes that it’s easier when you’re not afraid of loosing. They talk about family names they each have, Todd gives props to his dad, and Brogan talks about when he realized that his name is actually Willis. Todd discusses his plans for kids at some point in his life, Brogan talks about the downfalls of parenting and what happened when getting a vasectomy.

Special Guest: Todd Armstrong.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Todd Armstrong (@armTODDstrong) on Twitter
• Todd Armstrong, Comedian on Facebook

4:03 – The team made it official that ‘T-Rex’ is the code word to use when ready to record, they talk on Scotts nickname in high school, and Justin tells listeners how they can help support the podcast. Each of the guests introduce themselves and position they play, where people can find more information about them, and they give a shout out to Amber who runs the Sirens social media. They discuss how each of them got into Rugby, how fast Rugby has grown over the past couple of years, and why so many women are drawn to Rugby.

19:07 – Justin asks them to breakdown how Rugby is played, Melody talks about the importance to put the ball down after crossing the goal line, and Melody breaks down the scrum that happens off a penalty. Kelsey talks about what is going on in the league, their coach’s career prior to coaching the team, and what a Capped Eagle is. She talks about who founded the club in 2010, Melody comments on the supportive people in the league, and Justin brings up where people can find them online.

34:21 – Kelsey explains how they are always open to sponsors, Justin brings up the haunting of the Union Club where they record, and Jeff explains how his app the iOvilus works. Scott shares the ghost hunt him and Brogan did with Andres at Brandys Attic, Justin jumps into Coaster Questions, and Monica answers the question on what’s something non-sports related that she’s really good at. They give props to the Camp Bar, what their favorite Tacoma bars are, and Justin mentions Drinking for Conservation.

49:56 – Monica leads them through a prayer from the ghosts request, Melody shares that her favorite fantasy animal is a mermaid, and Kelsi shares that her favorite is the centaur. They talk on what animals they have a phobia of including Melodies fear of lizards, Justin shares how people can support the team, and asks how they get into their opponents head. Kelsey closes out with talking on where fans can purchase gear to support the team.

Many thanks to Melody, Kelsey, and Monica for a great conversation on Women’s Rugby!

Special Guest: Tacoma Sirens.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Tacoma Sirens Womxn's Rugby Football Club — Separation of the Tacoma Sirens from the Tacoma Rugby Club.

01:05 – Brogan shares his and his wife’s Halloween costume plans, his plans for the birthday party celebration happening at Acme Tavern, and Andrew shares how Tacoma Ghost Tours got started. He talks about being into scary things since he was a kid, his love for history, and where Tacoma ghost stories came from. He talks about the haunting at what is now the Forum Bar and Grill, where listeners can find the pics he was talking about, and they converse about each of their personal ghost experiences.

14:32 – Andrew shares that his first ghost interaction when he was 19, he talks about how the tour works, the length of the tour, and how they really try to focus on a mix of ghost reports and proven historical facts. He talks about the skepticism he has on the ghost stories he’s heard, he gives credits to the people that run Brandys Attic, and talk about the ghost experiences they have had there.

27:20 – Brogan talks about his stepson getting to play for the Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Tacoma, how the secret services coached the kids during the visit, and Andrew expresses how good it is that Tacoma is taking strides to reconcile when the city expelling of 200 Chinese people in 1885. Scott shares on how amazing it is that over the course of 150 years how much we have advanced our relationship with China, how India separated part of their country to turn over to the Dalai Lama, and Andrew explains how Buddhist monks are, at time, also martial artists.

45:00 – Brogan talks about working as a security guard at the Tacoma Road Center and the hauntings there, Andrew talks about working with local ghost hunters on investigations, and how running the business turned him and his dad into minor level ghost hunters. He talks about more on the creepy “ghost” incidents at Brandys Attic, Scott offers to join him with a ghost hunt there, and Andrew talks on other potential buildings that are haunted in Tacoma, including Theatre Comique run by Harry Morgan, who controlled just about anything illegal in Tacoma in the late 1800’s.

Our hearts go out to Andrews parents, GCP is grateful for being able to know him.

Special Guest: Andrew.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Tacoma Ghost Tours on Facebook
• Tacoma Ghost Tours on Twitter
• Tacoma Ghost Tours Website

On that episode, Brian gave a great explanation of why he started his companies: 99.99999999% of all my failures were due to self-sabotage of one form or another, and this training teaches us how to get out of our own way to accomplish our values-aligned goals. In many ways, Unleashed at Grit360 are my attempts at solving the same problem.

6:09 – Brian explains where the idea for Unleashed at Stadium Bowl came from and how the proceeds from the race are to support their animal rescue, Kindred Souls Foundation. He talks about how they were always looking for fundraising ideas outside the traditional fundraising model. In 2007 a friend suggested he run the stairs at the stadium. In 2011, one day after running the stairs, he remembers looking out at the sound where the idea come to him to race the stairs to help raise funds for their foundation.

10:28 – Brian talks about the length of the race, ¾ of a mile, 814 stairs up, and 814 stairs down. He explains that at the beginning, they line everyone up at the uprights away from the water, leaving in 5 – 10 second intervals, with groups of five at a time. He then talks about the iconic scene at Stadium High School, what drives people to participate, and the inspirational support the participants have for each other.

20:16 – Brian dives into the growing number of participants, starting at 120 members in the first race, they have grown to 471 participants and he expresses his want to hit 500. He also explains their community partnership where businesses that get 10 people to sign up for the race, are then treated like a sponsor, a benefit that helps get all of the public involved. He also expresses the overall objective of Kindred Souls foundation, which is to raise enough funds to expand to a no kill sanctuary.

30:14 – Brian discusses his career in the army until 97 and while enlisted, he did his undergrad and grad study. He left the army 97 but stayed in the guard part time. In 2002 he moved to an active duty position in the guard and served from 2002 – 2015. He then dives into his current position working for a tech company that does foreign language training and explains the new business him and his friend just started, Grit360 where they train mental skills and resilience to help learn who they are and perform at their best.

Thank you to Brian for joining the guys and giving them an insight on Unleashed at Stadium!

Special Guest: Brian Nelson.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Kindred Souls Foundation
• Unleashed | Race the Stairs

1:41 – Justin provides tips to fellow podcasters, his process when editing podcasts, Scott and Derek talk on their editing and Derek tells the guys about what he’s been doing since the last time he was on including his new collaboration, Rolling Misadventures. He talks about some of the storylines behind misadventures and Justin recently joining the podcast as a delusional superhero. They discuss the comic and show The Tick, where people can find Rolling Misadventures, video games each of them have been playing lately, and what the best of is going to be. Scott also talks on GCP’s early days of recording.

14:01 – Jeff Black talks about being from Aberdeen, what drew him into becoming a comedian, how he was never a child to shut up, and his drive to make people laugh vs making money in comedy. Jeff talks about mindset, cognitive dissonance, and how producing comedy for his mom as a young child became the building blocks to being a comedian. Jeff talks of holding court in church, his appreciation for Bill Maher, and the guys briefly chat about germs.

32:21 – Brogan comments on Jeff’s unique comedy performance, Jeff talks of, in his opinion, the missing individuality in comedy, Brogan comments on the format of his favorite comedians including Ralphie May, and Scott comments on his appreciation for musicians that play outside of the box. Jeff comments on being poor on purpose, his opinion on why people enjoy silence, and Brogan discusses his plan to have the Drag Queens on the podcast that had recently performed at Malarkeys.

39:22 – Jeff talks of his want to start performing in the Midwest, where people can find him online, the illusions of humanity speaking to each other, and how he circulates money back to the community to help future children. They close out talking about aliens, Zombies, politics, their support of drones, and realistic self-defense.

Special Guests: Derek G and Jeff Black.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Rolling Misadventures — A podcaster collaboration creating short form audio drama with a real play style show playing Fiasco.
• The Sometimes Geek Podcast — All of the major news from the gaming industry in a short and easy to listen format.

The guys kicks off with conversation on the GCP’s 4 year anniversary and Justin’s new house in Tacoma. Justin chats about his neighbors and they play a voicemail Brogan left Justin while he was at the Solstice Fremont Street Festival. Jeff talks about seeing Girl Trouble in concert and they give an update on Blue Helix who is performing on July 20th at the Chris Cornell Tribute at The Crocodile where portions of the proceeds go to the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation.

17:00 – Brogan introduces how he was introduced to Blue Helix. Sami explains how the band came together in 2008, building a recording studio, how he learned about recording with other engineers, and putting out his first record. He talks about playing full time, being a music teacher, in addition to how he taught himself to play the guitar and writing his own music.

25:15 – Sami discusses what his back up quest would be if he didn’t play music, which is playing in the NFL. He then talks about the other two members of the band, the move from a four person band to a three piece band, incorporating backing tracks, and future plans as the band continues to grow.

36:36 – The guys ask Sami’s opinion on a venues responsibility and an artist’s responsibility for promotion of the event. Sami explains that unlike most bands, they themselves promote their band via social media, where most bands are burnt out on self-promotion and they do expect the venues to do most of it.

50:27 – Discussion of the two years it took to make the “Aliens” video and what they went through for the planning and permits that were needed to make it happen. He explains working with Touch or Not Productions to turn his vision into a reality. Sami then talks about the trip with his wife to Africa, the video he recorded there, and what local tribe members have to do before getting married.

This episode comes to and end with them chatting about where people can find the band online, the importance of making a video with metaphors in it, their show on October 22nd, 2016, and the significance of getting feedback from their fans.

Thank Sami for joining the guys on this episode and you’re insightful look into the life of a musician.

Special Guest: Sami Chohfi.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Blue Helix — Blue Helix is an independent rock band from the state of Washington, USA and São Paulo, Brazil formed in 2008 by Sami Chohfi. Following in the sacred footsteps of the ’90s movement, their music is a perfect blend of melodic rock and powerful heavy grunge.
• Chris Cornell Tribute w/ Outshined – Tickets – The Crocodile – Seattle, WA – July 20th, 2018 — Chris Cornell Tribute w/ Outshined Outshined (Soundgarden & Temple of the Dog Tribute Band), Blue Helix