Crash Chords: Autographs

Today, Matt shares highlights, interviews and more from Flame Con 2018! This episode features brief interviews with Con participants and attendees, as well as the (Doctor) Who Queered panel in its entirety. First, Matt chats with poet and Black Nerd Problems co-founder, Omar Holmon, artist and creator Fyodor Pavlov, and finally con attendees Rachel Schenk and John Henry. Then, sci fi and fantasy author Brian Olsen is your host and curator for the hour-long (Doctor) Who Queered panel featuring teacher, actor and art director for The Lipstick Project, Rachel Schulte…and our very own Matt Storm! Special thanks from Matt go to Director of PR for Geeks Out, Michelle Rose, as well as the rest of the Flame Con staff for the opportunity to cover this event. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Kris Keyser, a chip tune musician hailing from Brooklyn, NY. With Matt, he discusses his latest album, Reviver, along with his instrument of choice — the classic Gameboy —- and how he makes music on it. They go over his writing process, specifically with regards to his newest records, and chat about his love of games, how that’s influenced his style, and the other genres of music he’s dabbled in. And so, from his upcoming performance in Japan to his love of live performance in general, here’s presenting Kris Keyser. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Maggie McMuffin, a burlesque performer, producer, clown, kink educator, and sex worker from Seattle, Washington, living in New York City. With Matt, Maggie chats about her start in burlesque and her foray into sex work, which predates her burlesque career. She also chats about her clowning career and what inspired it, not to mention her one-woman show, “Three Raccoons in a Trench Coat.” And so, from her future projects in the Big Apple to her love of nerdy things, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Maggie McMuffin... Continue reading

Welcome to episode 100 of Crash Chords: Autographs! Thank you for sticking with us these past 4 years. To celebrate how far the show has come, check out our brand new theme music, written, produced and performed -- expressly for the show -- by two-time previous guest, Mikal kHill, who we thank for his contribution to Autographs, and its next 100 episodes! Now for the prime event... This episode has been a long time coming, for today we are excited to welcome actor, writer, producer, storyteller, singer, guitarist, and of course the companion and constant supporter of Matt Storm, his wife Sarah Storm.  As an actress, Sarah has appeared in familiar household dramas like Law and Order SVU and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. With Matt, she chats about her experience as a recurring character on SVU and what it's like to be a day player. She also describes how she first discovered her love of acting and how her family has influenced her love of the craft. A member of the 24 Hour Company, Sarah has also facilitated b

Today, Matt welcomes Lee VaLone, a drag king, producer, and burlesque performer based in NYC. The producer of BEEF SHOW at Bizarre Bushwick and also ‘Jump Shark!’ (a monthly open mic Drag, Burlesque, & Vocals event that fundraises for Planned Parenthood), Lee VaLone is also the current reigning Mr. Coney Island. With Matt, Lee chats about his start in drag and burlesque, and discusses some of his most iconic performances. He also chats about the Beef Squad Drag Collective, which he also runs, and his production on The Yell Club, a drag & karaoke event at Rock Bar NYC. And so from learning and growing in the burlesque & drag scene, to how he met Sasha Velour, here’s presenting Matt Storm and LeeVaLone. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Matt Karpe, an author, journalist, and podcaster hailing from March, Cambridgeshire in the UK. In light of his newest book, called 'Nu Metal Resurgence', a detailed history of the return of the Nu Metal movement, Matt chats about his history as a journalist and what inspired him to write his new book. With Matt he chats about growing up during the heyday of Nu Metal and how the bands of today, who have survived from the time, continue to evolve. They also chat about about his website and podcast, both called “Head for the Barricade”, its section called “The Lowdown”, and they explore the ever-evolving music landscape and how the defined lines between genres are more blurry than ever. And so, from some band bonding to other musical discourse, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Matt Karpe. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Lex The Lexicon Artist, a Taipei-raised, Oakland-based nerd core rapper. With a debut full-length album out called Raging Ego, and two music videos (for the singles “Glasses” and “Artist Anthem”), Lex discusses her early exposure to rap in Taiwan and who her early influences were. With Matt, they discuss her visit to NYC, what it was like to perform at SXSW 2018, and chat about the connectivity of social media and how it’s helped her reach more people more quickly and directly. And so, from her love of anime to the progress she’s already made on her second album, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Lex The Lexicon Artist. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes magician, DJ, and host Nelson Lugo, a.k.a. DJ LugoTron, a.k.a. DJ Jalopy. A three-time Crash Chords Podcast podcast veteran, Lugo stops in to Autographs to chat with Matt about his continued work, and some updates to his latest one-man show, ‘Cheating Death: Magic, Memoirs & Mortality’. They talk about his relatively recent dive into DJing, how he got started, his partnership with Schaffer the Darklord, and what it’s like to be a performance DJ in a live show environment. They also discuss Lugo’s monthly gig at the Red Room (above KGB Bar in NYC) called Green Fairy, a live Jazz Age party, show, and Absinthe tasting event. And so from Lugo’s monthly open mic & variety show to his love of 90s hip-hop, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Nelson Lugo. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Kayla Smith, vocalist for the band The Scars Heal in Time, a band consisting of Kayla, her sister Tayler Smith on drums, and Tyler Niccum on guitar. The band’s latest EP Unidentified is recently released, featuring the singles “Grip”, “In Your Flame” and “I’m About to Break.” With Matt, Kayla chats about how long she’s been playing and writing music with her sister and about the band’s origins. They dip into tour life, their influences, and the idea behind making a live performance video for the single “Grip”. And so, from some notes on the album’s cover art to more facts about Kayla and the band, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Kayla Smith. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Kara Eliza, a singer/songwriter hailing from New York, NY. Known for making a splash on YouTube with her cover videos of “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys and “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake, Kara chats with Matt about her upcoming 2018 release and the process of writing for it. She talks about her early days singing and playing instruments, which artists have had the biggest effect on her style and songwriting, and why she chose to do covers for YouTube. And so, from the process of shooting her cover videos to some details on her live album at The Bitter End in NYC, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Kara Eliza. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Heart Crimson, Anja Keister, and Lefty Lucy for a special episode that focuses on the much anticipated Nerdlesque Festival — the original festival dedicated to nerd and pop culture-related burlesque. Created in 2014, this festival showcases the best in nerdlesque from across the globe, all brought together for one jam-packed weekend in New York City full of shows, classes, parties, panels, and more! Meeting our panel, Lefty Lucy is a burlesque producer/performer based out of New Orleans and is the executive producer of The Nerdlesque Festival; Heart Crimson is a NY-based burlesque performer/producer, alternative model, stage manager, and Associate Producer for The Nerdlesque Festival; and Anja Keister a burlesque producer/performer based out of NY, is also the Sponsorship Manager & Chief Graphic Designer for the Nerdlesque Festival.  Your host for this episode, Matt, a.k.a. Stormageddon, is the Official Festival DJ. The event will take place April 27th through 29th at Coney Island USA

Today, Matt welcomes Faux Pas le Fae & Aurora North, together known as The Brides of Burlesque. Hailing from NYC, the duo’s productions, dance routines, and burlesque performances have taken the cabaret tradition to a new place; queer/trans-inspired burlesque, cirque, and world class modern dance are brought together in provocative art! With the duo, Matt chats about their new monthly variety show at BIZARRE Bushwick (DJ’d by Matt himself). They also chat about how they got their start in performance and burlesque, their background in theater and dance, how they create new performances, and what goes into producing a variety show vs. a burlesque show. And so from their production company (Kinetic Cabaret Productions) to how the duo met, fell in love, and got married, here’s presenting Matt Storm and the Brides of Burlesque. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes the members of the hard rock band Saint Tragedy via Skype. Hailing from Kenosha, WI, Saint Tragedy formed their unique hard rock sound in 2008. Their line-up features Wayne Wiginton (vocals), Matt Brudniewicz (guitar), Eric Serbedzija (bass), and Jason Scuffham (drums). Their new EP is called Prolonging The Agony and their first single off the record is “No More Religion”. With Matt, the group chats about how and when the band got started, they chat about the songwriting process and their musical roots, what inspires them, and how long they’ve been at their craft. They also discuss Wayne’s passion for writing and how some of his songs were written before the band even formed. And so, from their ‘live show’ experiences to their excitement at hitting the road, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Saint Tragedy. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Broody Valentino, a Boylesque performer, puppeteer and theatre educator based in the NY/NJ area. Known as the “Teddy Bear With Claws”, Broody chats with Matt about how he got started in burlesque and how he's always loved theater from a young age. They talk about how going to school for theater has informed his performances and how he tends to lean towards a ‘classic Hollywood’ style.  He talks about the first show he saw, how he’s come so far so fast, and about the power he draws from being a confident stage performer. And so, from his unabashed love of birds to the costumes they’ve inspired, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Broody Valentino. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Collibrina, a model, yoga instructor and singer hailing from Boston, MA. Having first met Matt when she was primarily a singer, Collibrina discusses her shift to nude (and nearly nude) modeling and how she’s continued to grow her presence online. She chats about the ups and downs that go with being a professional naked person on the internet, her vetting process before agreeing to work with photographers, and how the model community comes together to recommend professionals. And so, from her Naked Yoga series, to her ability to make strange things sexy and sexy things bizarre, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Collibrina. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Kate Nyx: songwriter, showgirl, seamstress, and wrestling enthusiast from Philadelphia, PA. Her latest singles “Bet It On the Bootstraps” and “Changeling” can be found on her bandcamp along with her last full-length record Sage & Silver Bullets. With Matt, Kate discusses her love of wrestling, her clothing line Closet Champion and what it’s like to design costumes for wrestlers. They chat about her podcast Bump and Grind, which she co-hosts with her husband, the wrestler Ophidian the Cobra, and they chat about the wrestling-themed burlesque show Tasselmania as well as “GLOB: Gorgeous Ladies of Burlesque.” And so, from her online store to her neighbor’s annoying dog and the struggles of back pain, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Kate Nyx. Continue reading

Today, Matt welcomes Kita St. Cyr, a burlesque performer, producer, fire spinner, fire eater, renaissance faire performer, and actor hailing from New York City. A two-time guest on the Crash Chords Podcast (Eps. #45 & #129), Kita chats with Matt about some developments in her life including her recent hiatus from and triumphant return to burlesque. They explore her background and training with fire -- and how exactly one becomes a fire eater/spinner/dancer. They talk about her new monthly show at The Way Station called The Kita St. Cyr Show; her first summer performing at the Renaissance Fair in Tuxedo, NY; and why she has retired her tiki act. And so, from the importance of self-awareness and growth as a performer to Kita’s love of comic books, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Kita St. Cyr. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Kat Green, a producer and renaissance woman hailing from Brooklyn, NY. The Managing Director and Executive in Charge of Production for Lady Parts Justice League, Kat is also the founder and producer of Spygirl Pictures. With Matt, she talks about LPJL and how she got involved with them, and what it was like to work on “The Justice League we Deserve”, a short film about protecting reproductive rights. She talks about going on tour with them, the importance of getting accurate information about abortion out to the masses, and how the group uses comedy to spread awareness and outreach about abortion. And so, from the subject of art to mass media, to the importance of escapism, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Kat Green. Continue reading

Today Matt welcomes Elisa Flynn, a musician hailing from Brooklyn, NY. With her latest album out called The World Has Ever Been on Fire, Elisa chats with Matt about her time on tour as a solo artist and the bands she met along the way. She discusses the video shoot for the music video of the album’s first single “Before He Went Down”, along with the album’s second single “Sugar”. They cover her writing process and how she puts together an album, and they also share some lamentations over the dwindling music scene in NY — contrary to some of its neighbors such as DC. And so, from the Tripeg Lobo singer/songwriter show she produced at the Way Station to other topics, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Elisa Flynn. Continue reading

This week, Matt welcomes Dan Colonna: gamer, podcaster, writer, and YouTuber from Brooklyn, NY. The creator of (and writer for) the website/blog NerdPundit, Dan is also behind the YouTube channel Hit Buttons! (a source for Let’s Plays and gaming vlogs). He can also be found on the Dinosaur Machines Game Club Podcast along with his co-hosts Mark Magro and Dave Grima — a podcast described as the equivalent of a book club, but mostly focused on independent video games. With Matt, Dan chats about the origins of his website, YouTube channel, and podcast, and how they each compare as avocations in terms of content production and workflow. They also get into gaming and talk about Nintendo’s 2017 domination and the return of Mega Man with his 11th game. And so, from more on the games they’ve been playing to what they look forward to, here’s presenting Matt Storm and Dan Colonna. Continue reading