This week stand up comedian Shapel Lacey joins Charlie on the Cripescast. Even though his comedy career started on a dare, he eventually wound up at the Just For Laughs New Faces showcases in 2019. He explains how being adopted into a white family at the age of 15 affected his life, his comedy, and ignited his passion for competitive cheering.   Use promo code CRIPES at milwuaukeeimprov.com for free tickets to Shapel's shows on October 21 and 22 and be sure to find more dates to see Shapel at shapellacey.com. Find him on Instagram @shapellacey.    Find the Cripescast on all platforms @cripescast and find us on Patreon for exclusive content, extended cuts, behind the scenes and more at patreon.com/charlieberens.    The music behind the advertisements are "Double Polka" and "Manic Polka" by Kevin McLeod

Live from Washington DC, Charlie sits down with a variety of guests from the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. Guests include: Suzy Delong, Chef, Executive Director and Founder of LaSoupe in Cincinnati; Carrie Mess, a Wisconsin Farmer and agricultural influencer; Sherri Tussler, Executive Director at the Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee; Dr. Dave Nayak, a Chicago-based doctor turned farmer; Avani Rai, 4-H member and 17-year-old student; Tara Roberts Turner, a Waupaca farmer and General Manager of the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative.

Stand up comedian and host of the “Chrissy Chaos” and “Hey Babe!” podcasts Chris Distefano joins Charlie this week. Chris talks about his first job as a court attendant at the U.S. Open and how he smuggled in Gatorade for star tennis players like Roger Federer and the Williams sisters. He also shares how he quit being a physical therapist to pursue a career in comedy and the weird things that he’s encountered while doing stand up in the Midwest. Chris and Charlie discuss how they were both bad altar boys back in the day, their trip to London and how Chris is going to stay in Charlie’s cheese room in Milwaukee.

This week comedian Michael Yo joins Charlie on the Cripescast where the two talk about Michael’s career, stand up and his new special “I Never Thought” on YouTube. Michael shares stories of being on “Chelsea Lately” and how his kids have changed his comedy. The two compare their time as red carpet hosts and Michael gives his best advice for anyone wanting to break into the entertainment industry.  Find Michael’s special “I Never Thought” on YouTube and find him on all social platforms @michaelyo.  Milwaukee listeners, make sure to use promo code CRIPES to get tickets to see Michael at the Milwaukee Improv September 22-24 improv.com/milwaukee Find us on Patreon at patreon.com/charlieberens and on all social platforms @cripescast and @charlieberens. The music for the Cripescast is “Double Polka” by Kevin McLeod and “Old Wisconsin Jubilee” by Berens and Greuel.

This week Charlie is joined by content creator TJ Therrien. TJ talks about growing up in Minnesota, his goals to break into different areas of comedy and how birth order and his kids inspire his content. The two discuss how TJ started making online videos, how he made it onto Sports Center’s top 10 plays as a ball boy for the Minnesota Twins and whether Wisconsin or Minnesota has more lakes.   Follow TJ on all platforms @TJ_Therrien  Find us on all platforms @cripescast @charlieberens  Find us on Patreon at patreon.com/charlieberens    The music behind the advertisements is "Double Polka" by Kevin McLeod

This week, comedian and content creator Nick Colletti joins Charlie on the Cripescast. Nick talks about starting out on Vine and his ambitions on the big screen and on stage. The two discuss social media’s role in their comedy and whether Pittsburgh is in the Midwest or not.    Follow Nick @nick_colletti and for more info in his shows head to nickcolletti.com. Use code CRIPES at milwaukeeimprov.com to get $5 tickets to his show TONIGHT!    Follow the Cripescast and Charlie on all platforms @Charlieberens @cripescast and all podcast content can be found at cripescast.com.    The music behind the advertisements is "Double Polka" by Kevin McLeod.

This week Charlie is answering all your fan submitted questions.    Find us on Patreon, patreon.com/charlieberens    Find us on all socials @cripescast and @charlieberens    Advertisement music is "Double Polka" by Kevin McLeod

Emmy-nominated screenwriter and comedian Tracey Ashley joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week. Tracey is the head writer on "A Black Lady Sketch Show" and has written on TV shows including “The Neighborhood” and “The Last O.G". Not to mention her time on tour with Dave Chappelle, Tracy Morgan and many more comics. Needless to say, she is funny. She talks about her career path, her time in a variety of writers rooms and her comedic influences. Tracey also shares about her experience being in an interracial marriage and how society’s reactions has changed over time.      Follow Tracey Ashley on all platforms @itstraceyashley  Follow the Cripescast on all platforms @cripescast  Follow Charlie Berens on all platforms @charlieberens    Advertisement Music: "Double Polka" By Kevin McLeod

This week Charlie is joined by musician and comedian Bill Doucette. The two talk about Bill’s time on the East Coast, performing at the State Fair as well as his ties to Wisconsin. Bill explains how he and Charlie met and the work they’ve done together in recent years.   Follow the Cripescast on all platforms @cripescast    Join our Patreon - patreon.com/charlieberens

This week Charlie is joined by comedian Tumua Tuinei. The two talk about their similar career paths and how they use comedy to honor where they're from. Tumua explains the comedy scene in Hawaii, his start in stand-up and how he’s used social media to help his career take off. They exchange common phrases in Hawaii and the Midwest and Tumua teaches Charlie how to properly do the shaka.    Follow Tumua on social Tumua Tuinei or @tumua_, check out what he’s doing at tumuacomedy.com.    Follow the Cripescast on all platforms @cripescast and find all the info about the show, Merch, tour dates, and more at cripescast.com.   Find Charlie on Patreon to buy a membership for exclusive content for just $5 a month at patreon.com/charlieberens.    Special thanks to our sponsors JollyGood Soda and Duluth Trading Company, find out more about them at jollygoodsoda.com and duluthtrading.com.    Advertisement Music: "Double Polka" By Kevin McLeod

Academy Award winning producer and Charlie’s close friend, Jim Burke, joins the Cripescast this week. He and Charlie talk about how they met, growing up in the Midwest, and how Charlie lost Jim’s car keys in the ocean in Hawaii. Jim offers advice for those trying to break into the entertainment business and he tells the story of how he and his family competed on the hit game show “Family Feud”.  Follow the Cripescast on all platforms @cripescast and find all the info about the show, Merch, tour dates, and more at cripescast.com.   Find Charlie on Patreon to buy a membership for exclusive content for just $5 a month at patreon.com/charlieberens.    Special thanks to our sponsors JollyGood Soda and Duluth Trading Company, find out more about them at jollygoodsoda.com and duluthtrading.com.    Advertisement Music: "Double Polka" By Kevin McLeod

Head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers Men’s Basketball team, Greg Gard, joins the Cripescast this week. He talks about starting his coaching career with an eight grade basketball team, how growing up in a small farming town in Wisconsin propelled his work ethic, and his non-profit Garding Against Cancer. He even shares some photos from his deer cam.    Find out more about his non-profit at gardingagainstcancer.org    Follow the Cripescast on all platforms @cripescast and find all the info about the show, Merch, tour dates, and more at cripescast.com.   Find Charlie on Patreon to buy a membership for exclusive content for just $5 a month at patreon.com/charlieberens.    Special thanks to our sponsors JollyGood Soda and Duluth Trading Company, find out more about them at jollygoodsoda.com and duluthtrading.com.    Advertisement Music: "Double Polka" By Kevin McLeod

Comedian Ton Johnson joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week. You may recognize him from his shows across the Midwest or collaborating with Charlie in various videos including “Midwest Nice”, “Midwest Olympics” and “Real Husbands of Deer Camp.” Ton and Charlie trade stories from the road, discuss the art of bombing and highlight Milwaukee’s growing comedy scene.   Follow Ton on all socials @itstonjohn Follow Charlie on all platforms @charlieberens  Follow the Cripescast on all platforms @cripescast and find all the info about the show, Merch, tour dates, and more at cripescast.com.   Find Charlie on Patreon to buy a membership for exclusive content for just $5 a month at patreon.com/charlieberens.    Special thanks to our sponsors JollyGood Soda and Duluth Trading Company, find out more about them at jollygoodsoda.com and duluthtrading.com.    Advertisement Music: "Double Polka" By Kevin McLeod

This week Charlie is joined by his long-time friend and fellow Midwest content creator, Myles Montplaisir, aka the You Betcha guy. They talk golf, Midwest red flags and their new podcast Bellied Up.   Follow Bellied Up on all platforms @bellieduppod  Follow You Betcha on all platforms @ohhyoubetcha  Follow Charlie on all platforms @charlieberens  Follow the Cripescast on all platforms @cripescast

Rachel Harrison, advocacy coordinator for the Milwaukee human trafficking non-profit Fight to End Exploitation (FEE) joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week. The two discuss the baseline definition of human trafficking and its impact in Southeastern Wisconsin. Rachel shares some signs to look for and the role that social media and online porn sites have on sex trafficking. Rachel also explains the difference between sex trafficking and prostitution, what people can do to help victims of sex trafficking, and opportunities in Wisconsin legislation to help stop the exploitation of children.   For more information about FEE and the work they’re doing, go to fighttoendexploitation.org.    If you see something, say something.   National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888.

This week Charlie answers some fan questions. Wanna get a question answered? Email us at [email protected].

This week, Charlie’s high school English teacher, Jim Kearney, joins the Cripescast. They talk about the book “Hero With a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell that Jim taught Charlie about back in the day. Jim reflects on his career as a teacher, the pivotal trips he took his students on, how to reach kids on a deeper level, and what being a teacher meant to him. Jim and Charlie share a beer and Jim recommends his all time favorite books that everyone should read.

This week, Charlie is joined by the hosts of the “And That’s Why We Drink” podcast and authors of the new book “A Haunted Road Atlas: Sinister Stops, Dangerous Destinations, and True Crime Tales” Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer. They discussed their fascination with paranormal and true crime stories. Christine and Em outline their individual careers before ATWWD. Christine worked as a staff writer for Nickelodeon and Em shares some deep dark secrets from their time working on “The Price is Right”. The three talk about their shared experience staying at the notoriously-haunted 5-star hotel in downtown Milwaukee, The Pfister Hotel, and other interactions with ghosts.

Ryan Busse, a former firearms executive for Kimber America and author of “Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America” comes on the Cripescast today to talk about gun control. Having grown up with guns, a love for the outdoors and hunting, and years of experience in the gun industry, Ryan has a unique relationship with guns and offers insight on the gun problem in America and their place in our society. Ryan and Charlie talk about all areas of the gun control conversation including universal background checks, red flag laws, mental health, the NRA, conspiracy theories, and where we can go from here.

Stand-up comedian and actor Jon Reep joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week. You may know him from "Last Comic Standing", from his own podcast "Country-ish" or from his special "Ginger Beard Man" on Amazon Prime. He and Charlie compare their similar career paths and talk about how they both spent time working in the entertainment industry in LA and made their way back to their hometowns to continue creating content. Jon shares about how he finds humor even in dark times, how social media has changed the comedy scene and his approach to it all. Jon shares about his creative process for stand up, his worst experience on stage, and Charlie offers him some travel advice for when he visits Milwaukee.

Stand-up comedian Dan Cummins joins Charlie this week on the Cripescast. You may recognize him from his half-hour special on Comedy Central, his appearances on the Tonight Show or the Late, Late Show, or the host of his own podcasts “Timesuck,” “Scared to Death,” or “Is We Dumb”. Dan dives into his path to comedy and provides some advice to those starting their stand-up careers to be authentic to themselves. He also talks about how social media has changed the comedy game since his start in the early 2000s. He and Charlie talk about creative burnout, where to find inspiration, performing for Midwest crowds. Charlie also addresses America’s latest mass shootings.

Bluegrass legend Vince Herman joins the Cripescast this week. He and Charlie talk about his start in music, how bluegrass has evolved over the years, and his bands Leftover Salmon and the High Hawks.

For the 100th Episode of the Cripescast, Charlie invited on his folks Molly and Dick Berens. They came ready with embarrassing stories of Charlie and much more.

Israel Del Toro Ph.D. and Relena Ribbons Ph.D., faculty for the Lawrence University environmental studies program and leaders for the No Mow May initiative in Appleton, Wisconsin join Charlie this week to talk about how not mowing in May can help the environment and economy.   Find out more about No Mow May at byobeez.org  Follow the Cripescast on all social media @cripescast Follow Charlie on all social media @charlieberens

Comedian Joe Dombrowski joins the Cripescast this week to talk about growing up in Michigan, his path to comedy and how he blends his teaching career into his stand-up.   Follow Joe Dombrowski on all platforms @mrdtimes3  Follow Charlie and the Cripescast on all platforms @CharlieBerens @cripescast

He’s back! Taylor Calmus a.k.a Dude Dad returns to the Cripescast to talk about his new book “A Dude’s Guide to Baby Size“, improv, the best part about home renovations, and of course, bird watching.    Follow Taylor on all platforms @dudedad   Follow Charlie on all platforms @charlieberens   Follow Cripescast on all platforms @cripescast

Comedian and teacher Chastity Washington joins Charlie on the Cripescast to talk about the Milwaukee comedy scene, incorporating her job into stand up and the wisdom of the kids she teaches.

Comedian Sasheer Zamata joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week to talk about her experience on SNL, her role on ABC's “Home Economics”, and her and Charlie's shared love of bird watching.    Follow Sasheer on Instagram and Twitter @thesheertruth

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week to talk about comedy, his new Netflix special “The Good Old Days” and his love for hunting arrowheads.    Follow Jeff on Instagram @realjefffoxworthy, Twitter @foxoutdoors and on Facebook Jeff Foxworthy.    Follow Charlie and the Cripescast on all social media @CharlieBerens @cripescast

This week comedian and actor Kevin Pollak joins Charlie on the Cripescast. You may recognize him from his roles in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “A Few Good Men,” “The Usual Suspects,” or listened to his podcasts “Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show” or “Alchemy This”. Kevin came on to talk about stand-up, podcasting and shared some funny ideas from his notes app.   Follow Kevin on Instagram @kevinpollak123 and on Twitter @kevinpollak    Follow Charlie on all social media @charlieberens    Follow the Cripescast on all social media @cripescast

This week comedy writer Joey Clift joins Charlie on the Cripescast. Joey is an enrolled member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. They discuss Native representation in Hollywood, his journey to screenwriting and the process of pitching a show.   Follow Joey on Twitter @joeytainment and on Instagram @joeycliiiiiift Follow Charlie on all socials @charlieberens Follow the Cripescast @cripescast on all platforms   Special thanks to JollyGood Soda and Duluth Trading Co. for sponsoring the podcast.

Fishing guide and television host Larry Smith joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week to discuss their recent fishing trips, how the outdoors can bring people together and the role fishing and hunting have on preserving the environment.

Live from New Hampshire, it’s the Cripescast snowed in! This week, Charlie is joined by his opening acts, Andy Roffe and Bill Doucette, and the Cripescast’s executive producer, Colleen Muraca, where the group gives a glimpse into life on the road with Charlie on tour, all while at a bowling alley.    Make sure to follow:  Andy – @asap_roffe on all social platforms Bill – @billydeuce86 on all social platforms Colleen – @colleenmurrr on all social platforms  And of course, Charlie and the Cripescast @charlieberens and @cripescast on all social platforms.

Director for Athletic Bands at UW-Madison, Dr. Corey Pompey, joins the Cripescast to discuss his career path, the audition process, upholding important Badger traditions, and his goals for promoting diversity in the band.

Packers legend LeRoy Butler returns to the Cripescast this week to talk about being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, stories from his childhood and diversity in NFL ownership and coaching staff.

USA Olympic Luge team member Brittney Arndt joins Charlie to discuss what it takes to compete in the Winter Olympics, how climate change is affecting winter sports and Charlie’s first time attempting the luge.

Former owner and editor-in-chief of The Onion, Scott Dikkers, joins Charlie on the Cripescast to discuss how The Onion started, the space for satire and humor in news today and how to craft great jokes.

This week comedian Julie Nolke joins Charlie on the Cripescast to talk about her rise to success during the pandemic, Canada vs. the Midwest, and the proper way to get your car out of snow.

Former high school government and law teacher turned viral non-partisan educator Sharon McMahon joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week to discuss the importance of facts versus conspiracy theories and bias versus spreading lies.

Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week to talk about his journey to becoming a Packer, his love for Door County, and crushing watermelons with his quads.

Multi-time National Champion Heavyweight Olympic boxer, diversity consultant and motivational speaker Cam F Awesome joins the Cripescast this week to talk about the importance of discussing race and racism in the Midwest.

Multi-instrumentalist, performing artist and producer Klassik joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week where they talk about building Milwaukee’s music scene, the importance of art education and finding inspiration in the Midwest.    Follow Klassik on social @IAMKLASSIK and find more information at iamklassik.com.

Casey Creech, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer for Everlight Solar, comes on the Cripescast to discuss the solar power industry and how his company is working to make it accessible to all.

Resource recovery program manager for the City of Milwaukee, Samantha Longshore, joins the Cripescast this week to discuss the dos and don’ts when it comes to recycling and the impact it has on our environment.  For more information, visit milwaukeerecycles.com or cityofmilwaukee.com.

Television writer, actor, and host of the podcast "Keep It!", Ira Madison III, joins Charlie this week to discuss content creation, podcasting, and growing up together in Milwaukee.

MKE Black’s co-founder, executive director, and board president, Rick Banks and director of strategic partnerships and initiatives, Ayrton Bryan, join the Charlie on the Cripescast this week. They talk about the work that MKE Black is doing, the importance of supporting Black owned businesses, and ways to help further their mission of promoting, advancing and empowering Black businesses in Milwaukee.   Find out more about MKE Black at mkeblack.org or download the app MKE Black.   Want to contribute to the movement? Please donate here to further support the MKE Black mission: https://mkeblack21.givesmart.com/

Milwaukee-based digital artist and muralist Emma Daisy Gertel joins Charlie this week on the Cripescast to discuss her recent works, the benefits of art in our everyday lives, and the Midwest’s potential for harboring vibrant art scenes. For resources concerning the Waukesha parade incident:  Find a place to donate blood near you: https://rcblood.org/3FCCGAs  Consider donating to the United for Waukesha Community Fund: https://bit.ly/3DO8Ete

Kristin Brey, creator of As Goes Wisconsin and video columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, joins Charlie on the Cripescast this week to discuss Wisconsin politics, gerrymandering, and the importance of voting for every election.