Welcome to the final episode of Clown, Interrupted with KiKi Maroon. I’ll explain in the closer why it’s the final episode, but first, let’s talk about today’s show. When I first started the podcast, I decided that a personal rule of mine would be not to have newly sober people as guests. Firstly, because the point of the show was to get advice from people who were more experienced than me on how to handle this new way of being. Secondly, it seemed dangerous. I remember how difficult my first year was; everything was so raw and confusing. I didn’t want to risk shaking up anyone’s fragile, or non existent, foundation for the sake of entertainment.

Clown, Interrupted with KiKi Maroon

#15 Veronica Young- Finale

They say that the best standup is real. Yes, you need joke structure. Of course you need punchlines. But it can all feel empty if you don’t hear a real person on stage. They also say it can take years for a comic to “find their voice”. Though I conceptually understood that, I didn’t really get it. Anytime I was on stage, I used an over the top performance voice. Which makes sense. I hosted burlesque shows for years before doing standup. And BURLESQUE IS BIG! IT’S SHOWMANSHIP! But in a comedy club setting, that’s too big, too loud, and very weird.

#14 Kurtis Matthews – Comedy

I went to San Fransisco to meet up with my mentor and sober buddy, Kurtis Matthews (who will be the guest in the the next episode). I asked Kurtis if he had any suggestions for other sober comics I should reach out to while in the Bay Area. He connected me with his friend and today’s guest- Michael Meehan. Michael is a standup comic, sketch artist, and film-maker based in San Fransisco. He’s been on The Late Late Show, The Dennis Miller Show, Last Comic Standing, and many other shows and movies.

#13 Michael Meehan – Comedy

If you’ve ever been to (or seen photos from) Burning Man, you are familiar with Art Cars. They’re those crazy mutant vehicles you see driving around, like mobile sculptures. There are so many kinds of Art Cars! Some people paint them, some people do mosaic tiling, some people sculpt around the cars, and one person welded two flame throwers and a stripper pole on the roof of their car! That person is Paul McRae.

#12 Paul McRae – Art Cars

Welcome back! This episode’s guest is Dan Danzy. Dan is a standup based in Dallas, TX. I booked him to perform in my variety show, even though I knew nothing about him. He was recommend by another comic I knew, so I asked him to come do standup at my Burly Q Lounge show. While we were back stage waiting for Dan to go on, Confetti Eddie ( a magician who also lives in Dallas) says “hey Dan, congrats on that article!”  Apparently, The Dallas Observer came out with an article just ONE day before highlighting sober performers in Dallas! First off, I didn’t know Dan was sober when I booked him. Second, thank you universe! That article is like a rolodex of people for me to interview! Dan and I gush about the Outlaw comics, he teaches me about the different types of alcoholics, talk about the time he thought he killed someone, and then he explains Twitch to me.  I hope you like it!  • Dan Danzy on Twitter • Dan Danzy on Twitch • Dallas Observer article- Straight Edge: Performers Explain How They Stay Sober While Working the Nightlife Scene • American: The Bill Hicks Story • Robert Downey Jr. talks about addiction on Oprah 2004 • The 5 Types of Alcoholics  • Calculate how much you spend on alcohol • 1000 True Fans • KiKi Maroon on Patreon • KiKi Maroon on Twitter • KiKi Maroon on Instagram • Clown, Interrupted on Instagram The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE. If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to The Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!” 

#11 Dan Danzy – Comedy

I always describe this podcast as me talking to artists and performers “who live and work in party scenes”. This week, I talk to someone with a very different experience. Jef Rouner is an author and a journalist. We’ve known of each other for several years, but I did not know he was sober until he contacted me to write an article about this podcast for the Houston Chronicle. I might be biased, but I think it was the best headline ever written: “Stripping clown explores sobriety, one podcast at a time”. Yup. That’s me! Being an author isn’t typically associated with a party lifestyle, unless your Hunter S. Thompson (but that guy partied enough for everyone, ever). However, addiction is still an issue within that community. It is, as Jef called it, a creative isolationist culture. We discuss internet bullying, the science of dopamine, and fake love. I hope you enjoy it! If you’d like more info on some of the stuff we discuss, here are the links: Wickedly Abled: an anthology featuring Jef’s short storiesStripping clown explores sobriety one podcast at a timeJef's interview with Art Alexakis of EverclearHorses and other bizarre “treatments” for addiction Maternal Fetal Stress Transfer (cortisol and adrenal glands)This American Life #474 Back To School (cortisol and adrenalin production and it’s affects on children) Hemingway’s interviewClown, Interrupted on InstagramKiKi Maroon on Instagram If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to The Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!” The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE.

#10 Jef Rouner – Author

Welcome to Season 2 of Clown, Interrupted with KiKi Maroon! It’s been a while. Thank you so much for your emails, messages, worries, and concerns. I want to start off by catching you up on why it’s taken so long to get these episodes out to you.  First off- No, I did not relapse. That was the number one question I was sent. I appreciate your concern. After my cancer scare and surgery in Episode 6, things got a little dark. But I am doing great now, both physically and mentally. Nothing has grown back, and the doctors said I don’t have to follow up until this fall. I originally wanted this podcast to be weekly, but I had to change it to “seasons”. Theres a lot of travel involved in finding artists who are comfortable sharing their stories. That, plus the post production work, makes this a time consuming project. I love getting to connect with these people and I extra love getting to connect with the listeners who write to tell me that something resonated with them. So, I will 100% continue this show, I’m just not going to be able to make it weekly until I have more resources.  But while 2019 was a hard year, it was also a great year! My comedy burlesque show- KiKi Maroon’s Burly Q Lounge was picked up by Live Nation and is now a monthly, multi-city production! I also gave my first TEDx Talk called “The Beauty of Rock Bottom”. The video’s not released yet, but I’ll put it on the website once it is.  My first guest of the season is a professional clown. Bobby Barnaby is the head of Fou Fou Ha Austin. Fou Fou Ha is a nation wide brand of clown tricksters. They’re a glorious mix of clown meets drag, coated in showgirl; beautiful, whimsical, and so entertaining. Fou Fou Ha started in San Fransisco 19 years ago and has since expanded to New York, Portland, and Austin.  On top of being a professional drag clown, Bobby is also an award winning, international burlesque performer. We talk about the art of clowning, escapism, sober drag queens, and the time he was almost eaten by a python. Seriously.  If you’d like more info on some of the stuff we discuss, here are the links: Bobby Barnaby’s websiteFou Fou HaBimbos 365 ClubBurlesque performer: Dirty MartiniBurlesque performer: Catherine d'LishFind the next 20 meetings near you with the Meeting Guide AppPlay the tape forwardBurlesque Hall of Fame The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal FreedomClown, Interrupted on InstagramKiKi Maroon’s Burly Q Lounge The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE. If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to The Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!” 

#9 Bobby Barnaby – Circus / Burlesque

It’s Season 2 of Clown, Interrupted with KiKi Maroon. That’s me!  If you missed Season 1, here’s the recap: I was an alcoholic stripping clown, lost everything, found sobriety, but still didn’t understand simple concepts like feelings or friendship. So, I started this podcast to as other artist, comedians, musicians, and other party people who don’t drink, “Hey, what’s your deal? How do you do this?” And they helped me. A lot. The press release says “this is a recovery podcast featuring in-debt interviews with sober artists". But really, I’m just trying to make friends and understand what’s going on in my brain. After a 15 year blackout, I’m just trying to learn how to be a person Hi, my name's KiKi Maroon. And I’m a Clown, Interrupted. 

Season 2 Teaser

I met Sam Tripoli in St. Louis a couple of years ago. I have to be honest, I thought he was shit-faced. Not that he was sloppy or anything. He just has so much energy and talked to me for 30 minutes about how Lady Gaga is a Satanist Illuminati agent (or something like that). But it turns out he doesn’t drink, he is just REALLY into conspiracy theories. On top of being a comedian, he has a podcast called The Tin Foil Hat with Sam Tripoli. If you are into conspiracy theories and want to hear a comedians take on them, please check that out.  I got lucky that Sam, Eddie Bravo, and Reed Becker were coming though Houston on the Tin Foil Hat standup tour. The show was amazing and the Q&A after was just… beautiful chaos. The audience was drunk, Eddie Bravo was soooo high, and Sam was like a sober ringmaster trying to wrangle it all in.  We recorded this at the venue after the show. You’re going to hear a lot of background noise because it was so loud in there. We tried to record it in the greenroom, but a bunch of people came in to smoke back there. Which I thought was hilarious! My sobriety podcast was being held up by a bunch of people getting high.  Anyway, we made it work. I only had an hour with him though, so there are a lot of tangents that don’t get explored. It’s really hard when everything he says is interesting, and I only had an hour. I had a great time. I hope you do too! Here are some of the things we talk about:  •Sam Tripoli on Instagram and Youtube •Sam’s podcast Tin Foil Hat •Sam’s special- Zero Fucks | Live From The Viper Room •Bill W., founder of AA on LSD  •Sam Tripoli Twitter •KiKi Maroon’s YouTube diary •Distilled Spirits: Getting High, Then Sober, With A Famous Writer, A Forgotten Philosopher, and A Hopeless Drunk • The New Yorker article- The Trip Treatment: Research into psychedelics   The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE. If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to The Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!” 

#8 Sam Tripoli – Comedy

I went to this show called The Addicts Comedy Tour, which is put on by a comedian named Kurtis Matthews. He tours all over, doing standup about being an addict. You don’t have to be sober to go, it’s hilarious no matter what (it’s in a comedy club, so plenty of people were drinking). I went to the show because Andy Huggins (from episode 1) was opening and yet again, Andy simply existing changed my outlook on life.  I was a deeply troubled child, living in depression from birth until 22 around (that’s how stripping clowns are made). At 22, I left an abusive boyfriend, gave up everything I owned, decided to turn my life around, and crawled out of the hole that had been my lifelong mental state. One night, I was boxing up all of my stuff to take to the Goodwill while StumbleUpon played in the background. I don’t know if it still exist, but it was a website where you selected categories and it would play random videos based on your taste. So there I was, alone at 3 am, high as fuck. Stumble upon played random videos while I was packing up my life, trying to figure out how to be happy. The next random video started and it was the last few minutes of Bill Hick’s Revelations, the “it’s just a ride” speech. I didn’t know who Bill Hicks was or that this clip was part of a standup special. All I knew was that it felt like this man was talking to me (I’m sure the pot had something to do with it). But Bill saying, “life is just a ride..and we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice” was exactly what I needed to hear at that time. I probably watched it 10 times in a row, and a thousand times since. It helped me make a lot of important choices, including the choice that night to never let my depression win. Fast forward to The Addicts comedy show a few weeks ago. I’m sitting in green room with Andy Huggins, Kurtis Matthews, and a few other comics whose names I don’t remember (sorry!). Somebody asked Andy “Hey, how long was Hicks sober before he died?” He answers and they all start talking, “I remember when he first asked me about wanting to quit…” “Remember how crazy he was…”, “he fit in a lifetime’s worth of drinking in a few years…”, “remember him first going on sober”, etc. Years ago, was terrified that quitting would derail me. It would make me someone different and fuck up everything I had worked for. Now here I was in a room full of people. Not just any people, but direct connections to someone who died when I was NINE, who somehow still had a HUGE effect on my life, helping me overcome a lifetime of depression. And I was only in that room because of the choice I had so feared. It was surreal and affirming: I AM on the right path.  Part of that path is that comedian Kurtis Matthews. I have not had him on the podcast yet, but I am going to. It’s my new goal. However, I was in NYC last week and Kurtis put me in touch with another comic he works with, Ross Bennett. Ross Bennett was a cadet at West-point Academy when he quit to become a stand up. He moved to Los Angels in the 80’s, quit drinking in '87, and had done SO MUCH since! He taught me a lot. This episode is full of quotes! We met at a recording studio in New York, so you can hear lots of activity in the background, but I think it just adds to the New York feel. Plus, I can’t afford a studio... I hope you enjoy it. Here is my conversation with Ross Bennett.  •RossBennett.com •Ross’s Album …Not If you Were the Last Man on Earth! •Bill Hicks “Just a Ride” •The Road Less Traveled  •John Rabon’s podcast •“It Gets Better” blog post The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE. If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to The Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!” 

#7 Ross Bennett – Comedy

Hi. It’s been a little while. I wish I could say I went on vacation, but that’s not even a little true. I had to have surgery to remove some…stuff from one of my breast before it turned into cancer. It went fine, I am healthy and healing now. But the surgery and all the uncertainty that came with it put me in a very bad place. I DID NOT relapse but for the first time in years, it was really, really hard to not drink this all away. So this episode is completely different. It gets really heavy, really fast. Mostly, it’s a catch-up to explain the last month to you and introduce two very special people. July St. Juniper and Honey Moonpie are my left and right hand women when it comes to the all shows I produce. They are not in recovery, but love someone who is (that’s me). July has been my rock for years. She began as my intern and has since become my best friend, assistant, and un-official therapist. I wanted them on this episode for two reasons. First off, because they nursed through this last month’s pain, so I can’t do a catchup if you don’t know who they are. And second, I always talk to the unravelers. This time I wanted to ask someone (or two), “how do deal with someone you love unraveling in front of you?” They are amazing, I love them, and I hope you love them too. Coincidently, this month is breast cancer awareness month, so feel yourself up. It might have saved my life. Maybe it’ll save yours too. Anyway, here's the show notes: •Honey Moonpie on Facebook and Instagram •July St. Juniper on Instagram •How to self exam for lumps •The Burly Q Lounge •The BCBC Festival The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE. If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to The Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!”

#6 July St. Juniper and Honey Moonpie – Burlesque

This weeks episode is a little different. I sat down with Nicole Morgan aka Marceline the Murder Queen. She’s a roller derby girl based in Austin, TX. She calls herself a “high bottom”, which makes me laugh every time I hear it. She tried a bunch of different ways to moderate her drinking, including putting washi tape on the bottles to keep track of her drinking, but finally decided that moderation wasn’t for her. She comes from a family in recovery, her parents even met in rehab! That’s a crazy story I’ll let you hear from her. Honestly, I wanted to talk to her because I heard roller derby was a party scene and thought it would be hard to be sober there.  I was way wrong.  They’re super supportive and even make mocktails and sober shots at the after parties to make everyone feel involved. She talks about her parents falling off the wagon and explains roller derby to me. We also talk about the mindfulness trend and it’s affect on party culture. I hope you enjoy it! •Marceline The Murder Queen on Instagram •Rolling Stone on Austin Roller Derby •Article: Why Mindfulness is Gaining Popularity  •Valley of The Dolls movie trailer •Hip Sobriety Project •Annie Grace This Naked Mind The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE. If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to The Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!” 

#5 Marceline the Murder Queen – Sports

This episode makes me SO HAPPY. This is the first time I sit down with a stranger. It was very weird for my friends because I was walking around going, “Oh my god, I’m so excited! I’m gonna meet a heroin addict!” His name is John Rabon. He is a standup comic based in Austin, TX. He just recorded a comedy album at the Velveeta Room that will be out soon. He also has a podcast called “Yes, I’m still sober” because he was tired of people asking.  John was arrested 8 times, several of them being DWI’s. He’s got time in jail, time in rehab, and lots of time on stage. He quit with a combination of  Buddhism and Fight Club (which makes way more sense when he says it). And of course we talk about dating, because I told you, it’s going to come up a lot. John Rabon on Twitter  and Facebook Yes, I’m Still Sober Podcast The 8 Fold Path: Buddhism Dishwasher Pete (famous Dishwasher story) SMART Recovery “Self-Management Program” Cicadas, like woah The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE. If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to The Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!”

#4 John Rabon- Comedy

I recorded this episode at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender in Las Vegas. It’s a burlesque convention and fundraiser for the Burlesque Hall of Fame museum. I was invited to be a judge at this years competition, which was a really big honor for me. I used to go to this event every year and just be a giant wasted mess for 4 days straight. While some great stories came from it (I banged an acrobat) it still wasn’t the best use of my time. It hasn’t been that way for a while now, and I thank this episode’s guest for that: Kay Sera. She gives us a little bit of burlesque history, talks about the museum, and I tell her about how an article she wrote about alcoholism in burlesque changed my life. Kay went from starting her burlesque career to putting herself in an outpatient rehab center in 6 months! She’s since become an an advocate and created the BHOF Bill, which hosts meetings at the Burlesque weekender. Kaysera.com Supporting Recovery in Burlesque article Burlesque Hall of Fame Museum Jennie Lee Dixie Evans BHOF Bill Twitter Hawaii Burlesque Festival NOLA Burlesque Festival NYC Burlesque Festival  The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE. If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to The Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!” 

#3 Kay Sera – Burlesque

Hi! KiKi Maroon here. Second episode and were already jumping into my insecurities. Why? Well, I sat down with David Garrick. He’s a music journalist in Houston and hits 3-5 bars a night, promoting as many bands and events as possible. He quit drinking which makes that extra crazy. Mid-conversation he talks about first getting sober and realizing he didn’t know how to talk to girls anymore. Annnnd that’s were I’m at now. I stopped drinking while in a long term relationship. That shit’s over, so now, I’m in my 30’s and don’t know how to go on dates. I don’t know how to talk to men, I don’t know how to look at men, and dear god, I definitely don’t know how to have sex with men. (Which is way different than drunk me. By, like, a lot.) I’ve narrowed it down to 2 possibilities: Either my lady bits are broken or I actually have to like them now.  And I don’t know how to do that… Unfortunately, David selfishly did not have an answer for me. So you will most likely be hearing about this problem, a LOT more. But do we talk about other stuff of stuff.  David also totaled his car and got a divorce, but his story is WAY different than mine. He and I disagree on a bunch of stuff including friends quitting, tacos, and AA (he’s not a fan).  If you have any thoughts about what we talk about, hit me up on twitter. Here’s my talk with David Garrick. David Garrick on Twitter and Instagram David’s Articles on Houston Press The long tail The LAMDA Center Houston- LGBTQ Recovery Did Wilt Chamberlain Really Sleep With 20,000 Women? Will Chamberlin is not Winston Churchill  National Geographic calls barbacoa “Head Tacos”  The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE. If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to The Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!” 

#2 David Garrick- Music

How do you go from being an alcoholic stripping clown to running a multi-media burlesque circus empire? Well..that’s a long story.

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Clown, Interrupted with KiKi Maroon

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