Hosted by nationally touring comedian John Poveromo, Dystopia Tonight dares to ask the question: Is this too much? Are we hurtling through a dystopian nightmare, trapped in an endless, self-perpetuating whirlpool of clickbaity headlines, viral memes, and doomscroll-fueled chaos? A carnival of absurdity where every click feels like another nail in society’s coffin? Or is this the moment before we wake up, pull the plug, and rewrite the story — hoping someone remembered to hit record? Either way, welcome to Dystopia Tonight.
Episodes
Jan 5, 2022
Jan 5, 2022
1hr 1 min
Landing a rock legend like Stevie Van Zandt right before the holidays was a thrill. Stevie was Extremely affable, hilarious and fun to talk to. We talk the optimism of Rock and Roll, his resilience to keep pushing forward through some extremely tough times, his incredible activism, his dive into the acting world, the Sopranos, the E-Street Band, his friendship with Bruce Springsteen, his family life, his early influences in music and his hopes for the future. Enjoy guys!
His new book can be found here:
https://www.amazon.com/Unrequited-Infatuations-Stevie-Van-Zandt/dp/0306925427/ref=asc_df_0306925427_nodl/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=509032862638&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9277568390273457785&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003810&hvtargid=pla-1214008245257&psc=1
Jan 5, 2022
Jan 5, 2022
1hr 23 min
We’re back from holiday hiatus and just in time for another covid variant and the 2 year covid pandemic anniversary with Dr. Heather M Butts to give us the full and accurate peer reviewed scoop on what’s really going on with the virus. This episode is packed with questions the media isn’t covering and answers that, while may be unsettling are the truth nonetheless. We also briefly discuss the passing of Betty White in the beginning. Enjoy!
Jan 1, 2022
Jan 1, 2022
1hr 5 min
Buckcherry is the last true touring rock and roll band and Stevie D knows it to be true. We had a blast having him on to talk about his life, their new album Hellbound, his start as a musician, what he’s been binging, Marvel movies, the state of Rock and Roll, favorite places to tour, “blue light special” gigs, comedy, comedians, and wanting to be a comic when he was younger, and some hard truths about life, love and family. Enjoy!
Hellbound represents the first album released by Buckcherry and their new label partners, Round Hill Records in North America, Earache Records in the UK, Europe, and Australia, and Sony Japan in Japan. Pre-Orders for Hellbound with multiple bundle options including exclusive new merch designs and limited-edition smoke vinyl: https://lnk.to/BC_Hellbound
Dec 30, 2021
Dec 30, 2021
58 min
Steven Cropper, sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas and Johnnie Taylor.
His new album is a triumph during the age of lock downs, because the entire thing was done on an iPhone and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if you tried. We talk about that, extensive life and career, some name drops, road stories, his writing process and his love for music above all else. Enjoy!
His new album can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Up-Steve-Cropper/dp/B08TYSB8PK
Dec 28, 2021
Dec 28, 2021
58 min
Had the pleasure of being on another podcast with Dr. Firth a few months back and after finally getting to read his book “A Human History of Emotion” having him on Dystopia was a must! Incredibly thoughtful and funny with an ability to communicate what he’s found while digging through our emotional history makes him a great guest and a brilliant author. Enjoy!
Dec 21, 2021
Dec 21, 2021
1hr 9 min
Amazing comic and great friend of the show, Tommy Taylor Jr. joins us hot off the heels of his standing ovation worthy Dry Bar Comedy special out of Utah! Hailing from DC and crushing it in commercials, dating shows, HBO and his own long running live monthly shows titled Almost Ladies Night it was a blast catching up with him. Especially considering he was on the very first “lost” episode of Dystopia Tonight. Enjoy!
Dec 14, 2021
Dec 14, 2021
2hr 7 min
Getting either Jane or Jeff on individually would have been incredible (and will eventually have to be done) but to get them both on at the same time was an unbelievable treat and a fascinating trip through their history in comedy/improv and the acting world.
Almost all of late 20th century comedy came through them. And to say they’ve worked with everyone is an understatement. Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Jackie Gleason, Amy Sedaris, Chris Farley, Stephen Colbert, Drew Carey, Gary Marshall - I’ll stop there because it is harder to find someone in comedy who isn’t connected to Jeff ands Jane and I’m truly happy to call them friends and to have had them on my show. Enjoy!
Dec 10, 2021
Dec 10, 2021
1hr 6 min
On Dystopia Tonight’s 100th episode we’re celebrating the Holiday Season with Trans Siberian Orchestra’s Chris Caffery and Al Pitrelli!!! These two rock legends were a blast to talk to and we can’t thank them enough for being on the final show or first season. We talked about their life on the road, favorite places and people they’ve performed with, how they started out, their influences, and of course the legendary Paul O’Neill who started the band and has stated, “TSO is the first major rock band to go straight to theaters and arenas, having never played at a club, never having an opening act and never being an opening act.” Enjoy!
Dec 10, 2021
Dec 10, 2021
31 min
Dr. Edward Hallowell is an American psychiatrist, speaker, New York Times best-selling author and podcast host. He specializes in ADHD and is the founder of the Hallowell ADHD Centers. Hallowell is the author of 20 books, including the Distraction series, co-authored with Dr. John Ratey.
It was a blast getting to speak with Dr Hallowell and pick his brain on ADHD, neurodivergent behaviors, how they’re often overlooked or misdiagnosed, the benefits of having ADHD, his current book designed specifically for those of us with ADHD and his current rise to fame during the pandemic on TikTok! Enjoy!
His books can be found and purchased here: https://drhallowell.com/read/books-by-ned/
Dec 10, 2021
Dec 10, 2021
1hr 11 min
I stumbled upon Clara’s live stream on TikTok a few months back and absolutely loved what she was doing. Her lyrics and vocals have a lot of heart and well…she also has a song called New Jersey so there’s a good to fair chance that got me too. We talk about her love of street performing, bouncing around from Cali, to Nashville, and finally to Georgia, touring with her sister and living out of a car in the process, her new album, song writing, and her hopes for the future. Enjoy!
Check out all things Clara Waidley here: https://linktr.ee/clarawaidley