Welcome To Connecticut

Larry Kenney is best known to kids of the 1980’s as the voice of Lion-O on the hit cartoon ThunderCats, but throughout his amazing career he was also the voice of Count Chocula, a regular part of the Imus In The Morning program, appeared on shows such as Family Guy and hosted Bowling For Dollars. Ken sits down with Larry in the home office to discuss his career, with a major focus on his time as the voice of Lion-O in ThunderCats. Also, Chef Plum swings by the home office to have a little chat with Ken about the upcoming Connecticut Chef’s Challenge. This episode is brought to you by Mellow (MellowWebDesign.com). You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Dr. Brian Davis is the President of The Maritime Aquarium, a place that has been a Connecticut institution for over two decades. Ken sits down with Dr. Davis to discuss his passion for sea creatures, the process of creating exciting exhibits for guests, the upkeep and maintenance of the animals, creating an environment that is appealing to the youth of today and more. This episode is brought to you by the Blues, Views and BBQ Festival in Westport, happening Sept. 5th and 6th (BluesViewsBBQ.com). You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Jose Oyola and the Astronauts are an experimental indie rock project based out of New Haven. Their unique brand of music has been catching the attention of a wide range of fans across the state. Ken sits down with Jose and Carrie from the Astronauts to talk about the formation of the band, life as a career musician, the inspirations in writing and more. This episode is sponsored by the Blues, Views and BBQ Festival in Westport CT (BluesViewsBBQ.com). You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Brooke Baldwin is one of CNN’s premiere news anchors and the host of CNN Newsroom. Ken sits down with Brooke to talk about what life is like working for CNN. They discuss what she goes through everyday for show preparation, her experiences when she first started with the network, her career goals and they even discuss how Wolf Blitzer is surprisingly hip. This episode is brought to you by Mellow Web Design (www.MellowWebDesign.com). You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Emily Liebert is an author from Westport who has made an impact on the world of women’s fiction. Her latest book, Those Secrets We Keep is currently available in bookstores everywhere. Ken and Emily sit down for a conversation about her career working with Peter Jennings, her transition into the literary world, her creative process and more. This episode is brought to you by Mellow Web Design (www.MellowWebDesign.com). You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Drew Drechsel is one of the biggest stars on the NBC show American Ninja Warrior, and he’s opened up a Ninja Warrior training facility in Hamden, CT. Ken sits down with Drew to talk about his training regimen, the boom in popularity of American Ninja Warrior, his analytical style of running the course, the launch of his training facility in Hamden and much more. This episode is brought to you by Mellow Web Design (www.MellowWebDesign.com). You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

This is the second live episode of the Welcome To Connecticut Podcast, and it was recorded Saturday, July 18th 2015 at Half Full Brewery during the release party for the very first Welcome To Connecticut Podcast beer; Home Office IPA. Ken Tuccio took the stage with Conor Horrigan, the founder of Half Full Brewery, in front of a jam packed crowd for a live conversation about his business, his life, his beers and the release of Home Office. This episode is brought to you by Mellow Web Design (www.MellowWebDesign.com). You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

One of the foremost authorities on Connecticut beer, Will Siss, makes his way to the home office to have a few pints and chat with Ken. Will is a well known writer for the Republican American in Waterbury who also pens the popular blog BeerSnobWrites.com. His new book, Connecticut Beer, went on sale earlier this year and can be bought wherever books are sold. Ken and Will talk all things beer, both Connecticut and beyond, in a really fun and relaxed conversation. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Baseball is coming to Hartford! Tim Restall, the General Manager for the Hartford Yard Goats sits down with Ken for a candid conversation about what fans can expect when the Yard Goats take the field in 2016. They also discuss the unique name, community concerns about parking, their plans for the inclusion of local businesses in the ballpark, ticket prices and more. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Since it was established in 1981, the Greenwich Polo Club has been regarded as one of the elite high-goal polo venues in the world. Ken sits down with Leighton Jordan from the Greenwich Polo Club to discuss the sport of polo, the history of the club, the common misconceptions and stereotypes associated with polo and more. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

The Brothers Crisp are artisan shoe makers based in Hartford. They produce some of the most unique and impressive shoes on the market, and they do it all by hand. Ken sits down with Joshua and Jeff from The Brothers Crisp to discuss their unique business model, the shoe making process, the lost art of shoe making and more. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Cold Creek Brewery, based in Ellington, has not opened their doors yet, but they’re excited about contributing to the Connecticut beer scene. Ken sits down with Derek, Sean and Jamie from Cold Creek before they pour their first public pint. They discuss the plans they have for their brewery, what they hope to contribute to the Nutmeg State’s beer community, as well as tell the story about how it all came together. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

It’s June, which means our good friend Mitch Hallock is back on the show. This is Mitch’s second appearance on W2CT and it’s just as much fun as the first. Ken and Mitch shoot the shit about the challenges in running events, the art of promotion, the creep factor of social media and much more. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Chad Spencer is one of the stars of the Hulu Original Series , Behind The Mask, where viewers follow his career as Tux The Penguin; the mascot for the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Penguins minor league hockey team. Ken and Chad sit down to discuss the show, his career as a mascot, his ambitions to make it to the pro-level, his weird encounters with furries and more. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Robin Banks is heralded as one of the top drag performers in Connecticut, performing in The Robin Banks Show at York Street Café in New Haven. Ken sits down with Robin to discuss the life of a drag performer, how Robin got started, the backstage politics of drag performing, the different types of performance and much more. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Trish Stratus is a former WWE Diva, a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, a fitness model, an actress and now … a small business owner with Stratusphere Yoga. Ken chats with Trish briefly about her time in WWE, but the primary focus of the conversation is her transition from pro-wrestler to business owner. Trish talks about the obstacles she faced getting Strtausphere Yoga going, how being a “former WWE wrestler” effected her when she first started her business and much more. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

1974 is a Connecticut based progressive rock band who are known for their extremely unique concept albums. Ken sits down and grabs a bite to eat with 1974 band members Mike, Tim and Adam to discuss their band’s unique approach to music, the Connecticut music scene, their challenges getting gigs in the early stages and so much more. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Listeners of Welcome To Connecticut have been asking for an episode with Beer’d Brewing for quite some time, and it’s finally happening. Ken trekked to Stonington to sit down with Aaren and Precious, the couple behind Beer’d Brewing. They discuss their popularity, the process of brewing their beers, their thoughts on “white whale” beers and much more. This episode also features a special monologue cameo from Chef Plum. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Hardcore Sweet’s cupcakes are known nationwide, having been featured on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars among other national television shows and publications. It all started as an idea from Jeremy and Nicole Braddock, who started this company from scratch out of their house. They talk about the development of their business, the authenticity of their branding, their experience on Cupcake Wars, their relationship with Rob Zombie and more. This episode is brought to you by The Taste of Westport, taking place May 7th at the Westport Inn. Visit TasteofWestport.com for details. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com).

Marijuana is a hot button topic, not just in Connecticut but also nationwide. Ken sits down with Angela D’Amico from the Compassionate Care Center of Connecticut in Bethel. CCC is a dispensary for medical marijuana patients. Ken and Angela talk about the topic of marijuana reform in depth, focusing on the growth in support over the years, the hurdles that still need to be jumped, the challenges places like CCC face in CT and more. This episode is brought to you by The Taste of Westport, taking place May 7th at the Westport Inn. Visit TasteofWestport.com for details. You can get more information about Welcome To Connecticut at WelcomeCT.com. Welcome To Connecticut’s theme music is “Catch The Ball” by The McLovins (TheMcLovins.com)