Hey, guess what?

Our pals at Sketchfest Seattle are now taking applications for performers. It's a really great festival, in a really great town, and highly recommended.

Which reminds me... The Sound of Young America is proud to be a sponsor of This year's Sketchfest NYC. We're still working on getting the names of events into the live shows section of the sidebar, but there it is down there as "New York, NY." It runs the same dates as MaxFunCon, so I won't be there, but those guys always put together an amazing festival.

Look, I've been getting emails about this all day. The so-called "Jordan Jesse Go concert rider" that was leaked this morning by smokinggun.com is completely fabricated. Also: the employee who leaked it from our confidential files has been fired. Plus, I think the demands are perfectly reasonable if you're trying to do professional-quality work. The point is this: we're not spoiled Hollywood types, we don't bathe in Perrier, we use regular old Crystal Geyser just like you. Don't get it twisted.

Here's what's true: the Monsters of Podcasting are coming to the Pacific Northwest, with a show in Seattle on April 23rd and one in Portland on April 26th. Here's what isn't: any demands on the list of demands that strike you as innapropriate or whatever. Again: don't get it twisted.

Note: if you are a venue wishing to book The Monsters of Podcasting, please talk to me about this denial before repeat *before* you set up our green room.

Peter Rothbart; Photo by Thomas Hayden

Peter Rothbart is an editor of Found Magazine. It's a compendium of the discarded -- ranging from shopping lists to personal notes to (once) a dead frog. Peter talks about the history of the magazine, shares some finds with us, then sings two songs inspired by found items. This interview was recorded live at Sketchfest Seattle.

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Savage (L) and Jesse (R); Photo by Thomas Hayden

Dan Savage is a writer and editor based in Seattle. He pens the popular sex and advice column Savage Love, which runs in alternative newspapers around the country, and edits an alternative newspaper himself, The Stranger. He also hosts the audio version of his column, the Savage Love Podcast.

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Look: I'm as excited as the next guy about John Hodgman coming to my town. I'm so excited that I'm inviting him over TO MY HOME. And even allowing his feral mountain man sidekick to CO-HOST one of my programs.

But what about you, Seattle?

Are you taking care of business?

Because not only is Hodgman coming to see you, and not only is he bringing his mountain friend, but he's also bringing Sean Nelson AND John Roderick. That's TWO indie rock super-celebs, ONE expert on everything, ONE singing feral mountain man, and ONE show that you should not miss.

TICKETS ARE FIVE BUCKS! Are you kidding me?!

A challenge: there were FOUR Sound of Young America shirts in the audience in Chicago, I'm told. Seattle, you can beat that! Do it! It's in you!

Rhett Miller, photographed by Chris Graham

Last month we were live at the Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival in Seattle. Our shows included three fantastic music performances -- Jonathan Coulton, PWRFL Power and Rhett Miller of the Old 97s (above). In addition to the podcast version of this show, you can download individual songs from the direct links included below.

Jonathan Coulton is the internet's leading serio-comic troubador. He's blazed a trail for independent musicians everywhere, blending comedy with subtle character studies. In 2006, we interviewed Coulton on The Sound of Young America. Later that year, Coulton performed as part of our Live in New York show.

Jonathan Coulton - Skullcrusher Mountain (MP3)
Jonathan Coulton - I Feel Fantastic (MP3)

PWRFL Power is Kaz Nomura, a classical guitar virtuoso and indie pop stylist. He rocketed to the top of the Seattle Music scene over the last two years with sweet, simple songs backed by sometimes baroque guitar lines. He recently self-released a self-titled LP.

PWRFL Power - A Wonderful Ghost (MP3)
PWRFL Power - Baby Tiger (MP3)

Rhett Miller jumped out of an airplane and onto our stage at Bumbershoot. He's best known as the frontman of the country-rock band The Old 97s, and has also released music under his own name. He rocked our crowd with two Old 97s classics. (Special note: please excuse the awkward mix on Dance With Me, we had a verse worth of trouble with the house sound system).

Rhett Miller - Dance With Me (Into the Ocean) (MP3)
Rhett Miller - Timebomb (MP3)

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Janeane Garofalo is an actress and comedian. As an actress, she's appeared in films like Wet Hot America Summer and Ratatouille, and on television series like 24 and The Larry Sanders Show. She was also an early leader in the alternative comedy movement of the early to mid 1990s, and is currently touring with comics like Marc Maron and Greg Proops as part of the Satiristas. She's also well known as a liberal activist, and for several years, she cohosted a leftist radio program on Air America Radio.

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Last month we were live at the Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival in Seattle. Our shows included two standup performances, from two of our favorite standup comics - Tig Notaro and Greg Behrendt (above).

Tig Notaro can be seen as Officer Tig on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program, and of course touring the nation as a standup comic. She performed standup for us in Seattle.

Greg Behrendt is a veteran standup, who found unexpected success a few years ago with the relationship book "He's Just Not That Into You." The success of the book, and popularity of his appearances on Oprah Winfrey's show netted him a daytime talk show. Greg performed, then we talked with him about fitting his persona into the odd format of daytime talk.

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Thomas Hayden of Immersive Media was kind enough to share these photos he shot of TSOYA Live! in Seattle this past weekend. Look for the show on the podcast in a few weeks.

Hey! That's me!

That guy's Dan Savage! I'm still me!

Hey You Millionaires!

Peter Rothbart from Found Magazine

Nice boots, me.

There's Peter again!

Luke Burbank was kind enough to invite me on his very fun radio program, Too Beautiful To Live, last night. It was all kinds of fun. I got to talk with Luke and his charming producer/co-host Jen, and play their game Awesome/Not Awesome. You can listen below, or download the hour directly with this link.