Episode 441

with Thomas Middleditch & Ben Schwartz, Atsuko Okatsuka, and Amthyst Kiah

In this "Best of 2020" holiday special, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello confess to being both naughty and nice this year; actors Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz discuss the secrets behind creating their long-form improv comedy series; comedian Atsuko Okatsuka shares a gut-busting anecdote about getting too close to a stranger's dog; and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah performs "Firewater."

Thomas Middleditch
Actor

Thomas Middleditch is best known for his starring role as the lead character, Richard Hendricks, in the critically acclaimed series Silicon Valley. His most recent project, Middleditch & Schwartz, is a series of three live-shot specials alongside Ben Schwartz. He's also the voice of Terry on Solar Opposites, an animated series on Hulu.

Ben Schwartz
Actor

Ben Schwartz is an Emmy award-winning writer/actor from NY who has played roles on House of Lies and Parks and Recreation. He's appeared in episodes of the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast and he served as a vocal consultant for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in which he also played a cameo role as a Stormtrooper. Ben Schwartz and fellow comedian, Thomas Middleditch, star in Netflix's first long-form improv special, Middleditch and Schwartz, a three-part series of hour-long performances filmed at New York University's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.. Twitter

Atsuko Okatsuka
Comedian

Atsuko Okatsuka has a firm grip on her comedy. The stand-up, writer, and actor just released her new comedy album But I Control Me, which delivers her unique brand of observational and relatable comedy in a tidy package. Featured in Vulture as one of “38 Comedians You Should and Will Know,” Okatsuka has also been named a top comedian to watch by TimeOut LA and performs to local and nationwide audiences. She’s recently starred in her own one-hour special for Hulu, written for Adult Swim, and has a number of pilots in development. Atsuko's latest creation, Let's Go, Atsuko: A Woke Japanese Game Show, has monthly sold-out shows in Los Angeles and is a hit weekly podcast as part of Forever Dog Productions. Website • Twitter

Amythyst Kiah
Singer-Songwriter

Amythyst Kiah’s raw and powerful vocals seem to travel across time. Accompanied with banjo, acoustic guitar, or a full band, her eclectic influences span decades, finding inspiration in old time music, alternative rock, folk, country, and blues. Her latest full-length album, Songs of Our Native Daughters, is a collaboration with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell. It contains the song “Black Myself,” which was written by Amythyst and nominated for a Grammy for Best American Roots Song. Kiah tours the world and has performed at Celtic Connections, Cambridge Folk Festival, the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, and the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Art. With her next full-length album expected this year, Amythyst is creating music that stirs echoes of the past and makes us eager for the future. Website • Twitter • Bandcamp