Sick Day with Dan Fishback

Playwright Dan Fishback interviews cultural luminaries in the apartment that he's too sick to leave. Dan brings NYC to him so he can send it to you.

"Swallowing the Road" with Santiago Venegas - Ep. 25 09/11/2019

"Swallowing the Road" with Santiago Venegas - Ep. 25 The first season of Sick Day with Dan Fishback comes to a close! Dan blubbers over the recent New Yorker article about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, reflects on a recent experience of antisemitic trolling, and ropes in his partner Santiago Venegas to honor the Amazon rainforest in song. Dan returns with season two later this autumn! /episode/index/show/sickday/id/11211866

"To Go Up" with Rebecca Vilkomerson - Ep. 24 08/12/2019

"To Go Up" with Rebecca Vilkomerson - Ep. 24 Dan talks to Rebecca Vilkomerson--outgoing director of Jewish Voice for Peace--about her decade long tenure, her cultural background, her evolving perspective on Israel, the dynamics of Palestine solidarity, how JVP became a national membership organization, and how JVP decided to endorse BDS and the Movement for Black Lives Policy Platform. In the conversation, they mention Arielle Angel's essay "Performing Power" (Jewish Currents) and the book Carolyn L. Karcher's book "Reclaiming Judaism from Zionism." /episode/index/show/sickday/id/10847276

"Infanticiders, Socialists & Antisemites" with Sophie Ellman-Golan - Ep. 23 07/29/2019

"Infanticiders, Socialists & Antisemites" with Sophie Ellman-Golan - Ep. 23 Dan talks to activist Sophie Ellman-Golan about Never Again Action, Jewish solidarity politics, Tamika Mallory's discussion of antisemitism on The Breakfast Club, and how the right wing uses the specter of antisemitism to disrupt progressive movements. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/10686524

"Stances, Pronouncements and Directives" with Joseph Keckler - Ep. 22 07/15/2019

"Stances, Pronouncements and Directives" with Joseph Keckler - Ep. 22 Dan talks to performing artist Joseph Keckler about his essay, "On The Redemption of American Culture," the recent passing of writer Steve Cannon, the apocalypse that never happened, and dying in Russian. Joseph will be at Joe's Pub on July 27, 2019. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/10526564

"Reverse Tachyon Pulse" - Ep. 21 07/01/2019

"Reverse Tachyon Pulse" - Ep. 21 Dan is too sick to talk to a guest, so he drops a mini-episode connecting Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to the temporal anomaly episodes of various Star Trek series. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/10360550

"The Performance Starts Now" with Taja Lindley - Ep. 20 06/17/2019

"The Performance Starts Now" with Taja Lindley - Ep. 20 Dan talks with artist Taja Lindley about working space vs. living space, her gateway to teenage Christianity, the life of her project The Bag Lady Manifesta, and her work on Black maternal mortality. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/10165898

"These Guys Are As Dumb As They Are Brutal" with Rebecca Pierce - Ep. 19 06/03/2019

"These Guys Are As Dumb As They Are Brutal" with Rebecca Pierce - Ep. 19 Dan talks to writer and filmmaker Rebecca Pierce about her work documenting racism in Israel/Palestine, the anti-deportation movement of African asylum seekers in Israel, online harassment, homophobic violence at the Jerusalem pride parade, and healing through comedy. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/10026899

"What It Means to Wake Up Every Day" with Michael R. Jackson - Ep. 18 05/20/2019

"What It Means to Wake Up Every Day" with Michael R. Jackson - Ep. 18 First, Dan talks about how chronic illness makes him care too much about TV. But what's really important is that he then talks to musical theater writer Michael R. Jackson about Michael's upcoming show "A Strange Loop," which starts previews at Playwrights Horizons on May 24th, 2019. They talk about the 16-year evolution of the piece, "what it's like to be a self in general, and what it's like to be a Black queer self in particular," and Tori Amos. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/9836051

"The Pitcher and The Bed" - Ep. 17 05/06/2019

"The Pitcher and The Bed" - Ep. 17 Dan is too sick to talk to a guest, so, despite his instinct to avoid/ignore/diminish the gravity of his condition, he actually just talks to you about being sick. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/9660356

"All That You Are Is Stolen From Me" with Gina Young - Ep. 16 04/22/2019

"All That You Are Is Stolen From Me" with Gina Young - Ep. 16 Dan talks to feminist playwright and lapsed punk folksinger Gina Young about her introduction to Riot Grrrl, the plays she made at WOW Cafe, the wrong lessons she learned about theater and commerce, her years as a traveling folksinger, her break-up with punk rock, Feminist Acting Class, and her evolving feelings about art and industry. Featuring clips of Gina's songs "Intractable," "Cuts," "Snowflakes & Cigar Butts" and "So-Called Straight Grrrl." /episode/index/show/sickday/id/9464141

"...And Then At The End He Bottoms" with Stephen Ira - Ep. 15 04/08/2019

"...And Then At The End He Bottoms" with Stephen Ira - Ep. 15 Dan searches for representation and finds only Yolanda Hadid on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; he also talks to poet Stephen Ira about living in Iowa, Stephen's childhood perspective on 9/11 and the War in Iraq, that "weird abortion performance art scam girl," and the erotic Watchmen fan fiction novel Stephen wrote in high school. Plus: Stephen reads his poem, "Night Of The Chaser 2: Last Minute Business." /episode/index/show/sickday/id/9294875

"Yoncé Taught Me How To Love Star Trek" with Kirya Traber - Ep. 14 03/25/2019

"Yoncé Taught Me How To Love Star Trek" with Kirya Traber - Ep. 14 Dan rages at the "I'm Tired Too" people, compares his high school girlfriend to Captain Marvel, and talks to theater artist Kirya Traber about her Bay Area youth, her roots in socialist anti-war activism, being a Scorpio, repressing her inner nerd, and how Beyoncé taught her to love Star Trek. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/9120488

"Lily, That Was Genius" with Michael Cavadias - Ep. 13 03/11/2019

"Lily, That Was Genius" with Michael Cavadias - Ep. 13 Dan digs into the smears against Ilhan Omar and talks to performer/activist Michael Cavadias about Michael's recent trip to Cuba, the chance for Universal Rent Control in NYC, the hopefulness of today's left movements, and Michael's memories of the late, great Hattie Hathaway. You can see a video of Michael and Hattie performing in 1994 here. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/8961200

"Somebody Is Screaming" with Erin Markey - Ep. 12 02/25/2019

"Somebody Is Screaming" with Erin Markey - Ep. 12 In this episode, Dan takes the presidential candidacy of Steve Butt way too personally, weighs the options of weaponizing his identity politics, reflects on his final performance at Sidewalk Cafe, sings the Ladies of Old Hat song "Worm Salad," and talks to performing artist Erin Markey about their drag character Hardy Dardy and their newer play "Singlet." /episode/index/show/sickday/id/8762369

"What If I Told You..." with Daniel Alexander Jones - Ep. 11 02/11/2019

"What If I Told You..." with Daniel Alexander Jones - Ep. 11 Dan realizes his therapist is ghosting him, starts relying on the healing spectre of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to substitute for inner strength, and talks to performing artist Daniel Alexander Jones (steward of Jomama Jones) about love, ancestors, courage, doubt, and his beautiful show "Black Light." /episode/index/show/sickday/id/8601077

"Smokin' Like a Fish" with Tanisha Christie - Ep. 10 01/14/2019

"Smokin' Like a Fish" with Tanisha Christie - Ep. 10 Dan gets super into Game Of Thrones fan theories because he just wants life to make sense, and talks to artist Tanisha Christie about her circuitous, many-chaptered life, including both times she did "Big River," the time she opened for Letters To Cleo, her call-back process for the first national tour of RENT, her political awakening in the Living Stage Theater Company, and her powerful recent work "Bathtub." /episode/index/show/sickday/id/8238098

"Future Cold Shakes From Stupid Mistakes" - Ep. 9 12/31/2018

"Future Cold Shakes From Stupid Mistakes" - Ep. 9 Dan catalogues the Best and Worst Things He Didn't See in 2018 Because He Was Sick In Bed, revisits some of the music that made him emotional in 2018, plays his band Cheese On Bread's song "The Party Dance," and answers questions from this season's guests. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/8081225

"The Totality of Light and Dark" with Diane Cluck - Ep. 8 12/17/2018

"The Totality of Light and Dark" with Diane Cluck - Ep. 8 Dan reads the New Testament, subjects himself to right wing conspiracy theory YouTube, and talks to sublimely talented singer-songwriter Diane Cluck about her process, her history, the connection between craft and wellness, and her experience of touring America at this moment in history. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/7936916

"You're Hopeful" with Avram Finkelstein - Ep. 7 12/03/2018

"You're Hopeful" with Avram Finkelstein - Ep. 7 Dan debriefs being followed on Twitter by Elayne Boosler, gets nostalgic about early 90s Comedy Central, compares the death of George Bush to "Love, Simon," and talks to iconic artist Avram Finkelstein about pretty much everything. Avram's book, "After Silence: A History of AIDS Through Its Images" is out now. This episode features the song "Ladysplainer" by Yoko O.K., from the album "Immediacy," available on Bandcamp! /episode/index/show/sickday/id/7774742

"The Asshole Line" with Leo Ferguson - Ep. 6 11/19/2018

"The Asshole Line" with Leo Ferguson - Ep. 6 Dan sings the new She-Ra theme song, blubbers over his recent Joe's Pub show, and talks to Leo Ferguson (Jews for Racial & Economic Justice) about organizing and anti-Semitism. (Features the song "Track Work" by The Decibelists) /episode/index/show/sickday/id/7607066

"No One Survives Anything" with Laurie Stone - Ep. 5 11/05/2018

"No One Survives Anything" with Laurie Stone - Ep. 5 Recorded on Saturday, November 3rd, 2018: Dan gets sad about Nazis, remembers that movie where the girl from Rilo Kiley survives the Anschluss, and talks to writer Laurie Stone about her coverage of the Kavanaugh hearings, her irritation with the language of social movements, and how she doesn't believe in human improvement. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/7435247

"Tribes, Vibes & Scribes" with OlaRonke Akinmowo - Ep. 4 10/22/2018

"Tribes, Vibes & Scribes" with OlaRonke Akinmowo - Ep. 4 Dan deconstructs the Democracy Now! theme music, gets aroused by the prospect of joining the Beto O'Rourke "Texting Team," and talks to artist OlaRonke Akinmowo about her traveling installation "The Free Black Women's Library," and how her history of activism brought her to this incredible project. They discuss depression and suicide from 46:40 to 56:00. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/7261193

"This Is Not The Cadence of a Lesbian" with Justin Tranter - Ep. 3 10/08/2018

"This Is Not The Cadence of a Lesbian" with Justin Tranter - Ep. 3 Apologies for the poor audio quality in the interview! Next episode will be way better! In this episode, Dan talks with pop songwriter Justin Tranter about his early years playing Dean Johnson's HOMOCORE, hosting Flaming Sundays at Sidewalk Cafe, dealing with industry homophobia in his band Semi-Precious Weapons, the differences between writing for other people and performing his own work, and using his success to champion artists like Shea Diamond, the first out Black trans woman on a major label. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/7139116

"First Truvada at Stonewall" with Ty Mitchell - Ep. 2 09/23/2018

"First Truvada at Stonewall" with Ty Mitchell - Ep. 2 Dan mourns Cynthia Nixon's candidacy, bemoans riding Cuomo's MTA with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, remembers his abandoned musical about Rosie O'Donnell's condo at the St. Vincent's Hospital site, and talks to porn star Ty Mitchell about the venn diagram of sex and acting, the tension between art and punk in Brooklyn drag, the relationship between art, authenticity and suffering, how great sex doesn't always make great porn, and how the passage of SESTA/FOSTA felt like the sequel to Trump's election. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/7079153

“Double Gay” with Theda Hammel - Ep. 1 09/09/2018

“Double Gay” with Theda Hammel - Ep. 1 Dan introduces the podcast, refuses to apologize for describing a tarot reading he had in 2009, and talks to major trans celeb Theda Hammel about her years of peak rage, incels, her role in Wallace Shawn’s “Marie & Bruce,” and the inherent dangers of heterosexuality. /episode/index/show/sickday/id/7024806

Sick Day with Dan Fishback

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