Celebrity Sighting #LA Podfest 2016

I have been reduced to making a list of shows I saw and hopefully I'll remember those I ran into while going to the bathroom will pop into my head as well. I can't begin to describe my experience at Podfest this year. Know that I love these people and I had such a good time.

Friday:

Welcome to Nightvale, episode The Librarian
Cecil Baldwin & cast (I'm sorry, I don't know!)
bonus Wil Wheaton
Criminal
Phoebe Judge

Saturday: 
 
Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend
panel including Jeff Fox
Comedy Film Nerds with Chris Mancini & Graham Elwood
guests Cecil Baldwin & Wil Wheaton
The Crabfeast with Ryan Sickler & Jay Larson
guests Welcome to Nightvale creators Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
Rooster Teeth with Gus Sorola, Burnie Burns, & Gavin Free
All Star Pod Smash
Damn blurry memory. I swear there was Ryan Sickler and April Richardson. And it was funny as hell.

Sunday:

The JV Club with Janet Varney (seriously, my new spirit guide)
Charles(Chuck) Bryant, Natalie Morales, and Timothy Omundson

Everythings Coming Up Podcast with Allie Goertz & Julia Prescott

guests Simpson writers Josh Weinstein, Matt Selman and Tim Long, 

superfans Alex Hirsch, Samm Levine and Luke McGarry

Sklarbro Country Jason & Randy Sklar & Daniel Van Kirk

guest Nick Swardson

(special appearance by Brad Morris)

Fitzdog Radio with Greg Fitzsimmons & Mike Gibbons

guest Nikki Glaser

The Mental Illness Happy Hour with Paul Gilmartin
guest Murray Valeriano

Bonus sightings:
Rob Hubel
Kevin Pollack
TJ Miller

2016 Podcast Battle

This is being written a month after coming down from my high of attending the fifth annual LA Podcast Festival. I write now because this week I will be on the road again attending Now Hear This Fest. 

I am already torn about this. When it was first announced, I was excited because it was a chance to see How Did This Get Made. Tickets always sold out so damn quickly and driving down to LA for the show seemed excessive. We were hoping for a northern California show eventually. But if an entire festival were happening and I didn't have a job? (That was a different emotional burden of how the hell would I pay for it without begging my husband for an extremely early birthday present.) Not to mention there would be meet and greet opportunities. Granted they were for "select talent" so who knows what podcast hosts would share crab cakes with me.

 I cannot wait for Jason Mantzoukas to call me a jerk in real life.

Then at LA Podfest and on Comedy Film Nerds, Chris and Graham began to make not subtle jabs at these upcoming "corporate" festivals. The meet and greets were part of a spend twice as much package. They did mention that any events that brought attention to podcasts were a good thing. Still LA Podfest was by Podcasters for Podcast fans. And it is very apparent with the casual events open for people to just mingle with other fans and casually stalk podcast celebrities. (I'm sorry DVK!)

All of this emotional torture came after I had my panic attack, but still pushed the purchase button for the Extra Special VIP tickets. But I would still get to see How Did This Get Made, Doug Loves Movies, and the various other Earwolf shows that would not be at Podfest. (Sadness.) 

For the record, I saw the most amazing podcasts and discovered new ones I had to add to my subscribe list. (Janet Varney moved from totally cool to my new spirit guide.) In addition, I met people in the podcast lab and they were so kind. One even pulled me in and asked me to be on her podcast about podcast fans. Look at me participating!

Teach me all you know!

The enthusiasm for Now Hear This Fest took a sort of decline when I saw coupon codes for tickets. I made the mistake my first year at LA Podfest that I could wait until the coupon code came out to buy tickets. There were only came out for the live stream and I waited too long and the prices went up. So to see buy one get on free code up really stung. Especially since we spent  so much extra for the Amazingly Uber VIP tickets. (Update: I just looked at the schedule and one of the podcasts I made a mental note to give a shot AND made the difficult decision to NOT go to another one is now gone from the schedule. SHIT. Starting to get upset....er.) I know I will have a good time, but I am starting to sound like a whiner. And a whiner that demands crap because I paid money. 

LA Podfest was a free for all, so if someone was there, you could approach them. The premium to hang out with people adds to my anxiety. Also if I hesitate again, I have a financial aspect to hate myself, not just the wuss factor. 

I promise that I will go and have a great time. There is no reason to take any misgivings with me. They can develop after things go wrong. And it does not help that I got a damn job and have to be back to work the next day. Damn slow vacation accrual.