For the 2nd time, Fergal Lawler, the drummer of the Cranberries joins us on the show.  We dive into everything from the MTV Unplugged performance which was just released on November 7th, the history of the band, memories of Dolores, and more.  Fergal is a great guy and an even better conversation.   We also dive into voting, Mike feeding a giraffe, and dive into some death chat.  Have a listen!

As the moon falls on an another Halloween, we have one more spooky guest to give…and it's not Burlew in another vampire outfit. Special effects makeup artist, Todd Tucker, tells his story of going from a hair metal band to being a makeup artist on a Steven Spielberg movie. We chat on him founding his makeup studio Illusion Industries, acting and creating looks on horror show and movies like Charmed, Hook, Dracula, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  We also talk about the full circle moment with his latest movie, Rockbottom, where Todd had to create an original soundtrack with rock legends from Quiet Riot and Dokken.  Have a listen!   We also learn about another interesting body encounter from Mike, and Scott has quite an interesting experience at a CPR class.  Check it out!

It's here folks! The 2025 Halloween Extravaganza has arrived.  And it is everything we love to do here at Verbal Shenanigans.  First, friends of the show, Dom and Harry, join us to compete in a grueling game entitled "Escape from Burlewsferatu".  The guys must navigate through 3 nights of Halloween themed questions to avoid being killed by his Lordship, a gross vampire with an aching back, Burlewsferatu!  Lot of fun.  Listeners be weary!   Next, we step into the shadows of Hollywood with this year's Halloween guest, Mark Steger, the actor, performance artist, and choreographer renowned for bringing some of modern horror and sci-fi's most iconic creatures to terrifying life. Steger pulls back the curtain on his unique career, discussing his process for embodying nonhuman characters like the Demogorgon in Netflix's Stranger Things ,the Pale Lady in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and what it's like working with Tool.  A great Halloween episode.

Our guest today is the man who literally holds the keys to some of the most iconic music in history. Mark Linett is a three-time Grammy-winning producer and audio engineer, he's worked with legends like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, and Randy Newman. But you know him best as the sonic architect for The Beach Boys' incredible catalog—the one who gave us the definitive stereo mix of Pet Sounds and meticulously brought The Smile Sessions to life.  A great guest all around.   We also dive into what scared us when we were young, kinks, and play a game where Mike must decide if he has the same brain as Scott's 5 year old.  Have a listen!

We sit down with a true living legend, Parks Bonifay. From being the youngest person ever to waterski at just six months old to becoming arguably the most influential wakeboarder of all time, Parks has redefined water sports. We dive into his decades-long career—covering X-Games gold, pioneering new tricks, the wildest Red Bull stunts, and his time with the Jackass crew. Hear the untold stories from the water and beyond that cemented Parks' unparalleled legacy. This is a must-listen for any fan of action sports and a rare look inside the mind of an icon.   We also get back on track and talk about the Riyadh Comedy Festival, Burlew finds Scott's hate list, and we bust out some Bear News!  Have a listen!

Between being in Thursday, L.S. Dunes, and touring my My Chemical Romance, I'm not sure how Tucker Rule found the time to chat with us.  Tucker is a killer drummer, great guy, and an awesome story teller.  We dive into everything from the life balance involved with being with 3 awesome bands, the mentality of drumming in everything from boys bands, to Dancing with the Stars,  to heavy music, and to simply navigating life as an artist and father.  Check out Tucker on My Chemical Romance's tour today!   We sucked ass this week.  But, we did talk about cheese, lemon sharks, and Diddy, so there is that.  Have a listen!

Another great show for you this week. We not just whistling Dixie, but our guest may. This week we talk with two time world champion, the whistling diva Carole Anne Kaufman. We get into the work and competition in musical whistling. We chat about the whistling community, the work, the different styles, and the upcoming documentary Whistle. Carole was a joy to talk with and you can check her out at the Masters of Musical Whistling International Festival and Competition October 3rd through the 5th in Hollywood, CA. Go to www.mastersofwhistling.com after you listen to our interview.   We also dive in Mike's love of lollipops, Mike returning to visit his cow friend, and Scott has some stories about some interesting side gigs.  Have a listen!

For the 4th time, we are thrilled to bring back US soccer legend, and now Emmy award winning broadcaster, Marcelo Balboa, back on to the podcast.  We dive into everything from the excitement of the growing MLS, the expectation of the US men's team, the problems with youth soccer, and even a trip down memory lane with some gear talk.  Check it out!     We also hear listen to some classic Burlew clips, Mike's dog almost dying in his blanket, and play a new game called Futbol vs Football.  Have a listen!

Here is a little bonus content for our fellow football fans from two arm chair quarterbacks.  Every year, we give a prediction on both Giants and Commanders upcoming year, and give our Super Bowl picks for the season. 

Don't turn your back on this podcast, You might wind up in a body bag! Tonight, we talk with ESPN reporter and author Marc Raimondi. Along with his coverage of MMA and the Atlanta Falcons, Marc wrote the book Say Hello To the Bad Guys : How Professional Wrestling's New World Order Changed America. We go in depth into wrestling stories, the effects on everything from fashion to politics, and deep dive into all sports.   We also talk about the Charlie Kirk assassination, Scott checks out the original TMNT movie, and Mike gets another dog??  Have a listen!

I know we're out there, somewhere out there.  But today, we reel it in to interview the frontman of Our Lady Peace, Raine Maida.  Our Lady Peace has been making music for over 30 years and continue to change their sound and experiment musically.  Raine is a very unique, up front, and honest guy, who gave us a great interview about the history of the band, the secrets to the band's longevity, his charitable work, and more.  To conclude their year long 30th anniversary celebration, check out their new version of “Whatever (Redux)”, where proceeds donated to mental health and suicide prevention initiatives.   And then there's a guy who thinks he's Superman...Michael Burlew.  Today, we celebrate Mike's 500th episode with the show and get all sorts of strange, from bathtub pics, to a cacopohany of voices, to some good old Burlew trivia, we had a blast celebrating.  Have a listen!

End of summer and Labor Day caught up with us, so today we put together a flashback to some ofthe great games we've played over the last year.  The games are a huge part of the cast, so here are 3 that made us chuckle.  Back to your regularly scheduled program next week!   Game 1 :"Is it Blind or is Melon" from episode 515 with Christopher Thorn Game 2 : But Stuff" from episode 516 with Monique Powell of Save Feris Game 3: "Par-tners" from episode 499 with Whit Watson

Today, the metal gods shine down on the podcast as we welcome Helloween frontman, Andi Deris to the show.  For over 30 years, Andi has helped make Helloween a global metal act with legions of loyal fans.  Andi is laid back, funny, and honest guy, who gave us a great interview about the longevity of the band, his life in music, his woodworking talent, and a peak into the new album, "Giants and Monsters", coming out this Friday, 8/29/25.   A real pleasure to have on.  Have a listen! We also talk about an unique gig Scott had, a hypothetical bank robbery, and selling Mike's bath water.  Check it out!

We sky dive right into a killer episode this week, with RedBull skydiver, Jeffrey Provenzano.  Jeff, not only a skydiver, but a wingsuit flyer, BASE jumper, HALO jumper, and stuntman, has been an innovator in the sport for decades and is responsible for some of the world's most mesmerizing stunts, ranging from skydiving among fireworks, flying in a wingsuit through Mahattan, or freefalling strapped to a couch.  Jeff is a funny, laid back, guy with tons of funny, crazy stories to tell.  Check it out!   We also chat about the mess that is the Philly Phanatic's family, the possible end of Howard Stern, and play another dumb game called "Distract or Deploy."  Have a listen!   Jeff "Jeffro" Provenzano (born September 12, 1976)[1] is an American professional skydiver, wingsuit flyer, BASE jumper, HALO jumper and stuntman. He is a member of the Red Bull Air Force, and is considered to be a pioneer of the skydiving discipline of swooping.[1]

Being dumb is in our DNA.  However, our guest has used the study of DNA to solve numerous missing person's cases across the world.  Dr Colleen Fitzpatrick tells us about her career in forensic genetic genealogy which resulted in solving cold cases such as the Phoenix Canal Murders and the Sarah Yarborough Homicide.  Have a listen as Colleen explains her discoveries, working with authorities and the military, and projects like the DNA Doe Project.  Another fascinating guest here on the show.    Scott breaks some interesting vacation stories including tiny showers, pizza dilemmas, car accidents, and hovering hounds.  Mike gives us an update on Shirtless Wood Boy.  Have a listen!

Ketchup with the show, relish Scott as he calls Burlew a mustard and enjoy our next guest. This week we chew the fat with long time veteran of Major League Eating Crazy Legs Conti. We go over how not getting a Super Bowl ticket led to him setting a record in oyster eating. We also go over the evolution of the Nathan’s Hot Dog competition, his training, his work in film and television, and so much more. We also talk about carnival memories, Burlew’s trip to a peanut butter and jelly party, and apparently Mike is a swinger.  Have a listen! 

Do we have another interesting guest this week? OHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHH! You probably would not know who some random guy named Aaron is,  but you would recognize his cosplay personality the Machoverse who you can see at conventions and wrestling events as Macho Man Randy Savage. We chat about his love of the character and wrestler, dressing up on the streets and vacation, and participating in subway wrestling events paying homage to his favorite wrestler.   We also bring on longtime friend of the show, Harry, and discuss a recent Wu Tang Clan concert, look at some movie trailers, and Scott gets a bit of revenge by putting Harry and Mike through his twist on a wrestling game called "Wrestling Buddies."  Another great week.  Have a listen!

Our podcast pairs wonderfully with breakfast, so let’s have the most important meal of the day together this morning at a little place called Tiffany's. We sit down with the lead singer of Deep Blue Something, Todd Pipes, and discuss making music with his brother, riding the wave of their hit song Breakfast at Tiffany's, frustrations with lawsuits, and returning from their hiatus with their, new album Lunar Phase.    We also talk about Conor McGregor's recent allegations,  the Epstein List, Mike gets terribly distracted, and we discuss names of grandparents.  Have a listen!

July brings parades, BBQ meat, burning in the sun, and even Christmas, so we got a guest involved in all of that and then some. John Law grew up around art and pranking which led to a grouping of amazing life stories. From the Cacophony Society, to meat parades, to creating Burning Man and Santacon. We barely scratched the surface of this free spirit and his amazing life. Come listen to some amazing stories.   We also talk about Scott's squirrel visitor,  Mike rescues a bird, we revisit an old beloved character, and play a game involving unique festivals around the world. Have a listen!

When listening to our show for a few minutes, listeners usually make up their minds and they start packing. However, today is different.  Join us for an engaging episode with Miles Zuniga, guitarist and co-vocalist of Fastball, the band behind '90s hits "The Way" and "Out of My Head." Miles dives into the origin stories behind their iconic songs, navigating the evolving  and sometimes depressing music industry, and finding new avenues for Fastball.  Miles shares some great stories, we share a bunch of laughs, and get a glimpse into what makes Fastball unique. Check out their latest album, Sonic Ranch, today!   And as usual we get real weird and talk about Mike's multitude of dog voices, Diddy opening Christmas presents, some crazy things Scott's son said, and the sad reality of having a fat boy session.  Have a listen!