Pop Cultivation

Sat down with Mike Occhipinti to talk about the time he fell flat on his face after running from a cop. After the show I talk with Eric Martens about throwing up. I put this together VERY LAST MINUTE. Tomorrow I am getting surgery on my nose. You'll hear all about it in this episode. Also starting next week, during my absence from this podcast, former guest Rob Guizio will be filling in as hosting duties. Check it out.

Sat down this week with a terrific line up of former guests of this podcast. Plenty of people call in. I try to apologize to Edgar Buggman. Eric Martens returns for the millionth time. Regina is back already and Tanis is trying to get a kiss from her. Naomi talks about more than just geocaching. Danny B from DannyBWins.com calls in. So does Dillon Teague Devoe from the band Mime Game to say hi and talk about his new EP. Oh wait, I forgot to mention... IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! FOLLOW US: POPCULTPODCAST.COM // @POPCULTPODCAST

Sat down with the owner of GETLOSTALOT.com to talk about his brand. We hear about how he went from writing "LOST" in the streets to labeling it on t-shirts and other various merchandising items. He also takes us through forms of graffiti and street art. This episode of Pop Cultivation is a little different since I am somewhat keeping the identity of my guest private. This is a very raw interview so I try to get right to the point. FOLLOW US: POPCULTPODCAST.COM // GETLOSTALOT.COM // IG: @_GETLOSTALOT twt: @GETLOSTALOTS

Sat down with Shyam Kabaria who returned to the show to give us an update, a recap, a total blowing minding sequel episode of Pop Cultivation. We last and first heard of Shyam from episode 28 entitled "Arranged" when he was a month away from heading to India for his cousins wedding. He also was next in line in his family to meet a bride to be. During episode 28 he broke down what an arranged marriage is to help us understand it better. He seemed unsure on whether to follow this tradition. In this episode we find out what happened and what went down as now he's living a completely different life. Also we hear about a very embaressing, scary story that I've mentioned here on the show, that only Shyam can tell best (because I don't really think I was there). My "roofie" story. So check it out! Stay tuned for the end of this episode to hear a phone call I had with a potentional guest I found on Craigslist. FOLLOW US: POPCULTPODCAST.COM // @POPCULTPODCAST on Tumblr & Twitter.

Sat down this week in my backyard in Waldwick, NJ to talk with today's guest. Regina returns to Pop Cultivation to give us a more personal and intimate coversation then her last appearance. We talk about her life. How the social networking of Facebook saved her life. We hear about some clairvoyant experiences she has had in the past. She also shares with us a lot of valuable insight. Regina sometimes goes a little off track when she tells stories. Her stories usually lead to side stories and sometime side stories of those. But this is what makes her a unique and amazing guest to have on. Check it out! FOLLOW US: @POPCULTPODCAST // POPCULTPODCAST.COM Also check out Regina's original appearance on a LIVE edition of Pop Cultivation Episode 10 entitled: "Regina".

Sat down... ok, I didn't really sit down for this one. Today's episode is all about geocaching. An outdoor recreational activity, in which the participants use a GPS receiver or mobile device and other and naigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world. Naomi, who I met when I first started attending the Waldwick Public School system, takes us on a fun and adventurous tour and my first ever geocaching experience. She tells us about her history geocaching, shares tips, and how to get started. Check it out and stay tuned for a familiar voice that joins in at the end.

Sat down with April Brucker in her New York City studio apartment for this week's episode. April is a ventriloquist and landed an appearance on the popular TLC show My Strange Addiction in 2010 for her addiction to puppets. She's definitely a character and that's why I got her as a guest. During the day she uses one of her many talents, her voice, as a singing telegram delivery girl. She even wrote a book about it called "I Came, I Saw, I Sang: Memoirs of a Singing Telegram Delivery Girl". We hear about her life growing up to what she's doing today. What it's like being a female comic and how My Strange Addiction affected her career. Also various appearances from her puppets! Check it out. FOLLOW US: POPCULTPODCAST.COM // APRILBRUCKER.COM // @POPCULTPODCAST // @APRILBRUCKER

Sat down this week to talk about my experience of doing stand up comedy at UCB east in New York City two weeks ago. Eric Martens, who is always on this show, shared the same experience, and he returns this week to discuss what went down. Also Sammy Obeid, a Los Angeles based comic who is performing stand up for 1,000 consecutive days calls in. During this call, he's on day 949. I pick his brain about his recording breaking feat and advice he could give to someone just starting out. Check it out! FOLLOW US: PopCultPodcast.com // @PopCultPodcast // @SammyObeid

Sat down on the front porch to Matt Garville's home in Old Tappan, NJ. Joining us, Ryan Miller, returning to the show. Also returning this week, an old format to Pop Cultivation. One where I just hand out a couple microphones and the guests and myself just talk. More Joe Rogan Experience gab, then a WTF psychology lesson. We enjoyed a couple beers and listened to the cicadas hum. Is that what cicadas do? Hum? Chirp? Buzz? Whatever. What matters is I got to relax and enjoy this beautiful summer weather we've been receiving the past week and see some good friends of mine I haven't seen in a while. Check it out! FOLLOW US: @PopCultPodcast // PopCultPodcast.com // @yeahgiancarlo

Sat down this week with Evan Cataldo in his Ringwood, New Jersey home. Evan better known to most as wrestler "The Lone Wolf" Evan Myers and I discuss doing Weird NJ things. His start in wrestling training with former ECW World Champion Steve Corino and the hardships that he faced not being the biggest guy. From his BWO matches to his LWO matches. We hear about the tragedic death of his father and performing the night of his passing. We hear about the downfall he went through and the people who brought him out of the darkest moment of his life. Evan comes from the same crop of guys such as JC Bouchard (Episode 3) and Dr. Callahan (Episode 18) which really makes this episode come full circle. Check it out if you're a fan of wrestling or not! Enjoy. FOLLOW US: POPCULTPODCAST.COM // @POPCULTPODCAST // FREQUENTINTENSETRAINING.COM

Sat down in the back of the UCB theater inside of a storage closet of their Chelsea location. In today's episode I talk with comedian Andy Rocco. Who seems to of made himself a fixture with at the theater and in the UCB community. Andy and I talk about performing comedy, auditioning for commercials, and dealing with introvertiveness. Is that a word? Anyway, we also talk about having a job and not getting too comfortable. Check out today's episode and Andy's $5 Midnight comedy show Underground Americana at the UCB theater in New York City. Check it out: @POPCULTPODCAST // POPCULTPODCAST.COM // @AndyRocco // @yeahgiancarlo

Sat down in a graffiti coated loft located in Newark, New Jersey to meet this week's guest. Luther Wright played basketball for Seton Hall University and eventually the NBA. Signing a 5 million dollar contract with the Utah Jazz. After being cut from the team in his first year, Luther returned home to New Jersey to enter a life of addiction. He even ended up homeless. We hear about his battles and what it took him to recover. Luther, also known as DJ Lou Bee, and I talk about music. Something he has a passion for. FOLLOW US: POPCULTPODCAST.COM / @POPCULTPODCAST / LW50.COM / @YEAHGIANCARLO You can purchase Luther's book "A Perfect Fit" from LW50.com, Amazon, or anywhere else books are sold.

Sat down for this episode under the dome. I thought when we recorded this show in a thrift store, that was an odd place to do a podcast. This just beat that. Bruce Bernardo returns to the show. Kyle Reinfried returns to the show and of course Dave Tanis, as we travel to Warwick, NY to the Church of Bruce to check out what he built. If you listened to Bruce's first appearance on Pop Cultivation, back in episode 9, you'd know that he lives in a church with his wife and son. This was the first time I went to his place and it definitely is a unique living situation. A lot of Bruce's roof was destoryed during Hurricane Sandy, but he used this to the best of his advantage by building an observatory. We sit in the dome and talk about his house and everything else we could think of. This is a round table discussion between a few friends. Check it out! FOLLOW THE SHOW: POPCULTPODCAST.COM // @POPCULTPODCAST // @YEAHGIANCARLO

Sat down with Chris Monsanto at Larry McConneughey's Bronx, NY apartment for this week's episode. Chris and I used to make music together. I met Larry through Chris years ago and we actually cowrote a song together. We talk about what they both do. I discuss my lack of energy to create music and Larry shares his insight and gives advice. Stay tuned to the end of the podcast to hear an exclusive unreleased track of mine cowritten by Larry and produced by Chris, entitled "Beat Beat". Follow: @POPCULTPODCAST // POPCULTPODCAST.COM // MOVEMAKERSNY.COM

Sat down with John Dickinson in my basement to play catch up. He just finished up his freshman year in college. We hear about his internship with RapGenius.com and how he got his start with the website and what they do. We also hear about his band Standstill and his latest project Youth Novel.Check it out. FOLLOW THE SHOW: @PopCultPodcast.com Check out: PopCultPodcast.com // RapGenius.com // Youth Novel on Facebook // Standstill on BandCamp

Sat down with Ryan Miller, last August. Yes, this is an unreleased episode of Pop Cultivation that I let sit on a hard drive and am now ready to release. At first I didn't care for this episode. Now listening back to it I really love it. We talk about being friends with Matt Garville, hashtagging photos on Instagram, and sports. Yeah, I know nothing about sports, but like what sport teams I would like. Ryan and I met from being in bands, not in the same band but playing the same shows and venues. We reminisce about those days and bands we enjoyed from that era. Ryan expresses his desire of taking an acting class, something I am interested in as well. We hear a story about shoplifting the wrong Greenday album.  Some how we end up listening to some Korn songs. This is really a great episode and Ryan is a really great friend and this really shows his sense of humor. Really. FOLLOW THE SHOW: @POPCULTPODCAST and head over to POPCULTPODCAST.COM for more information and more podcasts like this.

Sat down for very special live streamed episode 50 with my dad, Jay Dittamo. We talked about what he does for a living. The accomplishments he achieved and the risk he took and takes every day to have a career in music. From audition for Frank Zappa to getting to play with his band years later. From playing a school show, showing how computers are used in music with Sonic Boom. And his opportunity to play with Junoon, a popular band from Pakistan.

Sat down to sift through over 70 hours of podcasts. This is the one year anniversary, best of episode of Pop Cultivation. Listen to your favorite stories again from Scott Harris to my grandmother. Gianluca and the Four Floors of Whores. Regina. I'm Shmacked. ItsBongoBoy.com's Matt Cohen. An update about Shyam, did he come back from India? A special tribute to Francesco. Eric Martens stops by and joins me to highlight his experiences on Pop Cultivation. Plus a ton of awesome little bits of fun edited through out. Check out this BEST OF episode!

Sat down in the attic bedroom studio to record this week's episode. The beautiful Victoria Matthews joins me to open up and talk about dealing with depression, taking antidepressants, and how to let it all out to feel better. She shares her moments of going to a therapist and how it helped her in a big part of her life. FOLLOW the SHOW: @PopCultPodcast // @vmatt09 // @yeahgiancarlo // PopCultPodcast.com

Sat down with today's guest to discuss being a land lord at 24 years old. David Telemaque and I discuss everything from getting pulled over by cops, to getting a tax write off when you take a girl out on a date and just life in general. This guy is a funny character. Check it out and enjoy. FOLLOW THE SHOW: @PopCultPodcast - twitter/tumblr // PopCultPodcast.com