Episodes

  • Episode 223 - Yannis Pappas
    Nov 20 2024

    Yannis Pappas remembers the old way of comedy. Having gotten his start in New York City in the early 2000s, with the likes of Mark Normand and Nate Bargatze, Yannis has witnessed first hand the changes that social media has brought to the industry. In this episode of the Cripescast, Charlie has met his match as the two go down the existential rabbit hole, reflecting on the effects of social media, climate change, and artificial intelligence. Despite the existentialism, Yannis highlights his silver lining: discovering a passion for doing his popular podcasts “The Yannis Pappas Hour” and “History Hyenas” with Chris Distefano. He and Charlie discuss Milwaukee’s must-do activities, the ways in which parenting humbles a person, and Yannis’s dream to establish daddy-daughter public bathrooms for all the girl dads out there.

    Follow Yannis on all platforms @yannispappas and get tickets to his December 6th & 7th shows in Milwaukee at yannispappascomedy.com.

    Find us on all social platforms @cripescast and at cripescast.com for all show information. Visit patreon.com/charlieberens to get access to bonus content, early ticket information, giveaways, and more!

    To continue supporting Doctors Without Borders, follow them at @doctorswithoutborders or donate at doctorswithoutborders.org.

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    59 mins
  • Episode 222 - Becky Robinson
    Nov 13 2024

    Becky Robinson loves character work. This is evident through her numerous online personas, including her most viral one, “The Entitled Housewife”. Before the hard seltzer-drinking and golf-loving housewife catapulted her comedy career, Becky spent a decade working hard on her stand up chops as well as picking up random odd jobs to make ends meet. This week, she joins Charlie on the Cripescast and two discuss their parents’ initial reactions to their sketches, the drama-filled reality of country clubs, and both of their career goals. Stick around to the end of the episode to hear Charlie’s Midwest Dad character get into a heated debate with the Entitled Housewife.

    Follow Becky @beckyrobinson4 and @entitledhousewife, and find her tour dates at beckyrobinsonthegreat.com.

    Find us on all social platforms @cripescast and at cripescast.com for all show information. Visit patreon.com/charlieberens to get access to bonus content, early ticket information, giveaways, and more!

    To continue supporting Doctors Without Borders, follow them at @doctorswithoutborders or donate at doctorswithoutborders.org.

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    55 mins
  • Episode 221 - Kathleen Madigan
    Nov 6 2024

    Kathleen Madigan is a Midwest girl through and through. Although she’s spent the last 33 years doing stand up comedy around the world, her Missouri roots still make the Midwest feel like home. Over the course of her career, Kathleen has made over 40 appearances on daytime and late-night talk shows, performed for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has earned over 10 million downloads on her podcast Madigan’s Pubcast. With six comedy specials already under her belt, she’s currently gearing up to film her seventh at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. Aside from comedy, she and Charlie connect over growing up in large Catholic families, their love for common hobbies like fishing and gambling, and commiserate about the worst parts of golfing. Kathleen also shares her airplane grievances and which Midwest-ish city she thinks is America’s best kept secret.

    Follow Kathleen on Instagram @officialkathleenmadigan or X @KathleenMadigan. Check out her website kathleenmadigan.com for tour dates and tickets, including tickets to her special taping at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee in April!

    Find us on all social platforms @cripescast and at cripescast.com for all show information. Visit patreon.com/charlieberens to get access to bonus content, early ticket information, giveaways, and more!

    To continue supporting Doctors Without Borders, follow them at @doctorswithoutborders or donate at doctorswithoutborders.org.

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Episode 219 - Cripescast Live: Election Q&A
    Oct 24 2024

    Live from Comedy on State in Madison, Wisconsin, journalism professor Mike Wagner makes his return to the Cripescast to answer more election questions. With November 5th right around the corner, there’s no better time to discuss pressing topics that Amercians feel are at stake in this presidential election from social to economic issues. While America feels more divided than ever due to misinformation and sensationalized news, Mike reminds us of the importance of seeking out the truth and remaining open minded, regardless of party lines. In this episode, Mike and Charlie discuss topics ranging from AI to national debt to border control. They also take questions from the audience about the environment, third party voting, and where individuals can go to find unbiased information. For more details about voting in Wisconsin, visit myvote.wi.gov and don’t forget to vote on or before November 5th.

    Follow Mike on X @prowag.

    Find us on all social platforms @cripescast and at cripescast.com for all show information.

    To continue supporting Doctors Without Borders, follow them at @doctorswithoutborders or donate at doctorswithoutborders.org.

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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Episode 218 - Chapel Hart
    Oct 16 2024

    Country trio Chapel Hart never envisioned themselves pursuing a career in music, much less earning a Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent. For these Mississippi sisters, Danica and Devynn, and their cousin Trea, family is quite literally everything. With over 100 cousins and nearly 20 aunts and uncles, many of whom are also musically inclined, the girls never saw their talents as anything out of the ordinary. At least not until they started busking on the streets of New Orleans. Their crowds grew, they gained the attention of country music stars like Darius Rucker, and eventually, America’s Got Talent came calling. Having found success on the show with their original song “You Can Have Him Jolene,” Chapel Hart has gone on to tour the country, perform at the Grand Ole Opry, and earn recognition as one of CMT’s “Next Women in Country.” This week, Danica, Devynn, and Trea join Charlie on the Cripescast to discuss family dynamics, learn about ice fishing, and share stories from their blossoming career. They also reveal their hot takes on “cosplay cowboys” and whether or not Nashville can really be considered “the South.”

    Follow Chapel Hart on all platforms @chapelhartband. Pre-save their upcoming Christmas album, Hartfelt Family Christmas, here: https://originsrecords.lnk.to/hartfeltfamilychristmas?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaQ18lfVytaS1qZ_mD2qsdf3nqlRJ3WeoG8wrcJr5GbCugc2uOtNw3kA1w_aem_kcyVoQ7PusvJyN3X-5JoaQ

    Find us on all social platforms @cripescast and at cripescast.com for all show information.

    To continue supporting Doctors Without Borders, follow them at @doctorswithoutborders or donate at doctorswithoutborders.org.

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Episode 217 - Jessie Opoien
    Oct 9 2024

    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Jessie Opoien has been covering politics in Wisconsin for over a decade. With the 2024 presidential election just around the corner and with several hot button issues on the ballot, many Americans have questions about what’s really at stake this November. Luckily, Jessie brings her expertise to the Cripescast this week to answer viewer submitted questions. She sheds light on topics such as election integrity, how to register to vote, and whether or not we can put an end to increasing political polarization. In true Charlie fashion, the two go down the rabbit hole of artificial intelligence and its impending implications in the media and in energy policy. Along with giving Charlie the inside scoop on all things politics, Jessie slips into her best Midwest accent to reveal her biggest grammar pet peeve and to have a taste of Berens Old Fashioned Brandy.

    Follow Jessie on Instagram and X at @jessieopie and follow her work at the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com.

    Find us on all social platforms @cripescast and at cripescast.com for all show information.

    To continue supporting Doctors Without Borders, follow them at @doctorswithoutborders or donate at doctorswithoutborders.org.

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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Episode 216 - Cooking with Yia Vang
    Oct 3 2024

    Yia Vang’s new Minneapolis restaurant, Vinai, is a place of restoration. Named after the Hmong refugee camp in Thailand where Yia’s parents met and where he was born, the restaurant serves as a love letter to his family and heritage. Both of his establishments, Vinai and Union Hmong Kitchen, are some of the first ever dedicated Hmong cuisine restaurants in the United States. On top of being a critically-acclaimed chef, he also hosts a cooking show called “Feral” on the Outdoor Channel, and has made appearances on shows like “Iron Chef” and “Good Morning America”. This week on the Cripescast, Charlie steps in as Yia’s sous chef and helps him prepare a dish using Berens Old Fashioned Brandy. While they cook, Yia shares some of the cultural details woven throughout Vinai’s decor, how he learned to cook, and his preferred method of drinking Charlie’s brandy.

    Find Yia on Instagram and TikTok @yiavang70 and on Facebook and X @chefyiavang. Visit his restaurants Union Hmong Kitchen and Vinai if you’re in the Minneapolis area!

    Follow us on all platforms @cripescast and visit cripescast.com for all show information.

    To continue supporting Doctors Without Borders, follow them at @doctorswithoutborders or donate at doctorswithoutborders.org.

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    46 mins
  • Episode 215 - Steve Trevino
    Sep 25 2024

    Steve Treviño’s career isn’t what defines him, being a husband and father does. With six comedy specials under his belt and spending decades as a touring comedian, he explains that despite all his success, he still lives a normal life. Whether it’s taking the stories from growing up, raising his kids, or squabbling with his wife, he strives to relate with his audiences when he’s on stage. This week, Steve joins Charlie on the Cripescast to talk about everything from coaching little league, to developing a strong work ethic, to going viral in the early days of social media.

    Follow Steve on Instagram and TikTok @texastrevino, @MrSteveTrevino on X, and on all other platforms @stevetrevino.

    Find us on all social platforms @cripescast and at cripescast.com for all show information.

    To continue supporting Doctors Without Borders, follow them at @doctorswithoutborders or donate at doctorswithoutborders.org.

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    1 hr and 6 mins