Best Jr The Handler Podcasts (2025)

1
Episode 8: Robert Gallagher 1:09:24

4d ago1:09:24

1:09:24

Y'all subscribe now! This week's guest comes to us from his home base in the Lone Star State- Living legend Robert Gallagher comes on to discuss his history, and career at the legendary Billy Bob’s in the stockyards of Ft Worth TX. He’s been working with their entertainment department since 1981. Also, we discussed his relationship with our past po…

1
In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art & Public Space with IRVIN WEATHERSBY JR. 49:45

6d ago49:45

49:45

“One of the biggest symbols of America is Mount Rushmore. This monument, right? But I think most people fail to realize where it's located and why it's located there. Even more importantly, who did it? It's on a sacred Native American mountain, a place that was central to their creation stories. But then you think about who did it, and it was a Kla…

1
Episode 267 - Michael Kosta 1:18:23

6d ago1:18:23

1:18:23

This week Michael Kosta joins us at the table! What could be better than a pro tennis player turned comedian?! Michael and Tom discuss the absurdity and beauty of living in big cities, eating trash standing up, why Butterfingers needs new publicity. Enjoy! Check out Michael Kosta’s new book: Lucky Loser and catch him on The Daily Show! For Last Bot…

1
An Actor Prepares - SHARON LAWRENCE on Crafting Complex Characters - Highlights 20:42

7d ago20:42

20:42

“I would encourage you, as I do if you're an actor, to know your own equipment, know your own psychology, and use the great teachers that are synthesized in my favorite teacher's book, Moss, who I studied with later. There is a book called Intent to Live that distills down Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, Bobby Lewis, and Stanislavski. The great teachers a…

1
SHARON LAWRENCE on Acting, Activism & The Art of Transformation 1:02:31

9d ago1:02:31

1:02:31

“That transformation was key to my next step as an artist, to knowing that's what acting is. It isn't just posing; it isn't just being a version of yourself in a way that was free. Performing wasn't just performing; it was transforming. I think that artists find that in many different ways, and as actors, there are many ways into that. I would enco…

1
Childhood, Creativity & the Stories that Define Who We Are with MEGAN ABBOTT - Highlights 16:23

13d ago16:23

16:23

“I think that it all goes back to childhood. I’ve always really been writing about family. I suppose we always are. I do think that it is the original wound, and it's where we are kind of wired and built from those early years. So I think every other relationship just replicates that. It's very natural for me to go there, I suppose because the feel…

1
Exploring Family Dynamics & Fierce Female Friendships with Novelist MEGAN ABBOTT 49:59

13d ago49:59

49:59

“I always say to young writers, you need to put your heart on the page. Don't worry about being like anyone else. I would say that foremost, in any of the arts, it is self-expression at its core. I don't buy rules or a set criteria or a static criteria. I don't believe in any of that. I think the most exciting talents are kind of inexplicable. You …

1
Episode 266 - Carol Leifer 1:16:36

13d ago1:16:36

1:16:36

The incredibly talented Carol Leifer joins us at the table! Everything Carol touches seems to turn to gold - Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and now Hacks. Carol shares behind the scenes stories of writing for each of these hit shows. She also discusses why kids can absolutely not be at her stand up shows. Enjoy! Check out Carol's new book How to W…

1
Episode 7: Mike Nash 1:25:13

18d ago1:25:13

1:25:13

Y'all subscribe now! This week current Tour Manager for Joe Nichols, Mike Nash joins J.R. on the zoom machine to discuss his journey from growing up as a fan of rock bands, to working with rock bands. Then working with one of the biggest managers in the business and how that let him into the world of country music. Also, another 2° of separation fr…

1
"We're connected to the lives of every creature on the planet" EIREN CAFFALL - Highlights 15:07

19d ago15:07

15:07

“The more that you have that evolving relationship with the natural world, that's dynamic and alive to the moment you're in, and that's not afraid of the feelings of fear, hopelessness, grief, or pain that attend paying close attention to the world as it is evolving around you, the better we are able to be flexible in the relationship we need to fo…

1
All the Water in the World with Writer & Musician EIREN CAFFALL 1:00:18

19d ago1:00:18

1:00:18

“We are in a complex and delicately balanced relationship of connection to everything else on the planet. We begin to recognize, write into, and speak into the complex interdependence and interconnection of every gesture that we make on the planet. Most storytelling that I really respond to, whether it's from my own culture or from previous civiliz…

1
Episode 265 - Mike Birbiglia 1:10:51

20d ago1:10:51

1:10:51

This week on Breaking Bread Mike Birbiglia joins us at the table! Two Italian comedians in one booth - what could go wrong?! Tom and Mike share old Comedy Cellar stories, discuss thoughts on the Pope, and whether or not they would feel comfortable sharing a sleeping bag. Enjoy! Check out Mike's new special The Good Life on Netflix May 27th. Thank y…

1
On Motherhood & Memory, Trauma & Survival with Author HALA ALYAN - Highlights 13:28

22d ago13:28

13:28

“I think that it's almost like in some ways the specificity of Palestine also becomes kind of a universality, where you can stay in this specific example because there is something about this experience that makes it specific, right? It's happening because it's been sanctioned to happen in this way. Right? Because you can't slaughter tens of thousa…

1
I’ll Tell You When I’m Home - Author HALA ALYAN on Motherhood & Memory, Trauma & Survival 44:41

24d ago44:41

44:41

“I want to live a life of consequence, and I want to live a life that has stakes in it because that means that things matter to you. I think, in some ways, this memoir was a project of sifting through and excavating the darkest hours, both for me and for the lineage and ancestry that I came from. I think the darkest hours were experienced by so man…

1
Episode 6: Tommy "Opie" McDonald 1:27:27

25d ago1:27:27

1:27:27

Y'all subscribe now! Veteran Road Warrior, and Tracy Lawrence's tour manager Tommy “Opie” McDonald joins JR on this week’s episode. He’s a true Arkansas Razorback. Hear how a childhood friend of Tracy Lawrence ends up being an integral part of his camp for over three decades. Think he’s got some stories?? Show your appreciation and send a tip to th…

1
Happy World Bee Day w/ The Best Bees Company Co-Founder NOAH WILSON-RICH - Highlights 12:15

27d ago12:15

12:15

“I was originally drawn to bees because they're social creatures. And as humans, I always wanted to know about ourselves and how we can be our healthiest selves and our healthiest society. Bees and wasps, and all of these organisms have been around for so long. Bees especially have been around for 100 million years.” Noah Wilson-Rich, Ph.D. is co-f…

1
Bees on the Brink: How Climate Change, Habitat Loss & Our Choices Shape the Future of Pollinators 1:03:04

27d ago1:03:04

1:03:04

Happy World Bee Day! Let’s give thanks for these tiny hardworking pollinators who play a huge role in our ecosystem. They are vital to our food supply and biodiversity. Bees can sense electric fields and navigate using the sun, and have to visit millions of flowers to produce just a pound of honey. Remarkably intelligent, they have excellent memori…

1
Episode 264 - Atsuko Okatsuka 1:01:52

27d ago1:01:52

1:01:52

This week Atsuko Okatsuka joins us at the table! It's never a great sign when Ira Glass informs you that you have a story worth telling, which is exactly what happened to Atsuko. She discusses life in Japan, being kidnapped by her grandma and moving to the US. She also shares how she found out she wasn't married to her "husband." Enjoy! Check out A…

1
Building Bridges, Breaking Cycles: Personal Stories of Healing, Social Justice & Activism 12:59

1M ago12:59

12:59

How do our personal relationships affect political movements and activism? What can we learn from Native American tradition to restore ecological balance? How can transforming capitalism help address global inequality and the environmental crisis? DEAN SPADE (Author of Love in a F*cked-Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell T…

1
Episode 5: (feat. Chris Tate) 1:38:47

1M ago1:38:47

1:38:47

Y'all subscribe now! From a frozen field in Louisiana, to texting Stone Cold; The story of how Tater went from playing college baseball to a career as a Tour Manager. Currently Tour Manager for Big and Rich, Chris Tate sits down to give us his story and his long standing connections with J.R.. Show your appreciation and send a tip to the show, with…

1
Episode 263 - Aaron Weber 1:03:00

1M ago1:03:00

1:03:00

The hilarious Aaron Weber joins us at the table! Fresh off his first ever special and fresh off a flight from Nashville, Aaron sits down with Tom to discuss comedy, football, and belly buttons. Typical table talk. Enjoy! Check out Aaron Weber's special Signature Dish right here on YouTube! -----------0:00:00 Intro0:00:45 Welcome and suitcases0:02:0…

1
What would it be like to live 100 milion years? Life in the Deep Subsurface Biosphere - Highlights 9:23

1M ago9:23

9:23

“I want to draw the similarities with alien life, and we have these questions. They're the same questions that we would be asking if we could get a sample from Europa or if we could get a sample from Mars. I think the parallels are partly in how we study them. They're teaching us how to look for strange life, but then they're also teaching us about…

1
INTRATERRESTRIALS: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth with KAREN G. LLOYD 41:55

1M ago41:55

41:55

“It's really changed my view of what life is. So many of the things that we attribute to the trappings of life look like requirements, like oxygen and sunlight. All the things that humans would absolutely die without — they’re not really necessary for life. Studying these things sort of breaks down what is necessary; what are the things that life h…

1
Bama in the Big Leagues (feat. Chase Butler) 1:23:40

1M ago1:23:40

1:23:40

Y'all subscribe now! Chase Butler, Riley Green’s right hand man talks about his connection to JR and how he got from working an internship at a radio station to working on one of the biggest tours today. Also they discuss the significance of Alabama artists currently thriving in the world of country music. Show your appreciation and send a tip to t…

1
Episode 262 - Ike Barinholtz 1:20:48

1M ago1:20:48

1:20:48

This week Ike Barinholtz joins us at the table! He's a renaissance man! He writes, acts, AND cooks. He's so skilled, his talents rubbed off on his father who starred in Jury Duty. Tom and Ike discuss the future of Hollywood, possibly starring in a movie together, and share their favorite recipes! Enjoy! Go to WildGrain.com/PAPA for free croissants …

1
Exploring Trauma, Healing & the Creative Process with Author LIZ MOORE - Highlights 12:13

2M ago12:13

12:13

“I think income inequality really greatly contributes to the rage that people might feel, even as some Americans won't. What don't recognize that a more communal society might benefit them. What they see instead is, why don't I have what that person has? Something's getting in my way. And it's not a lack of, of community, it's: somebody else is kee…

1
Drive Me Smooth (feat. Boyd Causey) 2:13:29

2M ago2:13:29

2:13:29

Y'all subscribe now! Drive Me Smooth, Rowdy Randal! JR catches up with fellow TM and Alabama Brother Boyd Causey. Boyd has toured with artists of several different styles and has some great insight what it takes to make it on the road. He is currently TM for Chase Mathew but has worked in the past with Clay Walker, Chris Janson and Morgan Wade. Tun…

1
Family, Addiction & Overcoming Trauma - LIZ MOORE on Long Bright River starring AMANDA SEYFRIED 49:08

2M ago49:08

49:08

“ I've lived in Philadelphia for about 16 years. The book itself was inspired by my time spent in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia interviewing a lot of the people that I met there, both longtime residents of the neighborhood and also people who were transient, a lot of people struggling with addiction and a lot of women doing sex work…

1
Episode 261 - Ed Helms 1:06:58

2M ago1:06:58

1:06:58

This week comedian, banjo player, and history buff Ed Helms joins us at the table! Ed and Tom discuss some of history's biggest snafu's and the fact that somehow, we always make it through. Ed also shares about some of the biggest moments in his career: The Daily Show, The Hangover, and let's face it, probably his appearance on this podcast. If you…

1
PAUL LYNCH discusses Prophet Song, Beyond the Sea & his Creative Process - Highlights 18:19

2M ago18:19

18:19

"The country spoke Irish largely before it spoke English. Grammatically, the structure of Irish is different from English. As Ireland adopted the English language, this sort of hybridization started to occur, where the English language was placed on top of Irish grammatical constructions. You get this slipperiness, this ability to move sentences, t…

1
Boston Johnny (feat. John Lessard) 1:30:06

2M ago1:30:06

1:30:06

Y'all subscribe now! From the hockey rink to Music City, J.R. sits down with his good friend and fellow Tour Manager, Johnny Lessard currently Tour Manager for duo LoCash who just had their 3rd number one song at country radio! We discussed Johnny’s journey and how he and the Handler first met. Show your appreciation and send a tip to the show, wit…

1
On Storytelling & The Human Condition with Booker Prize Winner PAUL LYNCH 48:39

2M ago48:39

48:39

“We narrate the story of our lives to ourselves. We narrate it in linear fashion. And I know many writers have played with time in all sorts of amazing ways, but we're storytellers. This is what we do. And if you give the brain a story, a prepackaged story, you're giving a cheesecake. That's what it wants. That's why it loves stories. That's why o…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Jr The Handler Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide