Cool Side of the Pillow

On this special edition of Memory Foam, Josh and Vince sit down with independent rap pioneer, lit-hop originator, and longtime friend of the show, MC Lars! Lars dives deep into celebrating the 20th anniversary of his seminal record The Graduate, navigating the early-2000s DIY touring grind, and how childhood loss shaped his lifelong drive to build meaningful artistic friendships. We cover everything from his master’s thesis on using hip-hop to teach Shakespeare, to taking Edgar Allan Poe to rural youth centers, crossing paths with "The Family 3" in Rochester, and getting surprised by second verses from hip-hop royalty. Plus: trading tour war stories, what it was actually like working with Weird Al Yankovic, Dr. Doom verses from Kool Keith, deep lore on Disney’s The Black Cauldron, seltzer addictions in sobriety, and what’s next in the MC Lars universe. Sink into your pillows and enjoy the conversation! Timestamps & Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: Lit-Hop & DIY 01:52 - 20 Years of The Graduate 04:53 - Rochester Roots & "The Family 3" 07:20 - Lars on Cool Side of the Pillow in 2011 08:25 - Teaching Shakespeare with Rap 13:03 - The Edgar Allan Poe LP Album 15:05 - Life in Hell & Gary K. Wolf 17:48 - Memoir: The Nerdcore Years 19:33 - Weird Al & ICP Influences 22:00 - The Weird Al MySpace Story 24:52 - Merch & Cool Side of the Pillow Universe 30:20 - Anatomy of a Feature 34:28 - Writing "Signing Emo" 35:55 - K.Flay, Kool Keith, & KRS-One 40:00 - MC Frontalot & mc chris 42:30 - Dream Collabs: Steve Albini 43:20 - "Triforce" & Vulnerability 45:10 - The Black Cauldron Lore 48:46 - Current Music Picks 51:10 - Polar Seltzer & Sobriety 52:40 - October Tour Dates 55:10 - Outro Links: MC Lars: mclars.com | IG: @mclars | YouTube: youtube.com/@mc_lars Merch, Full Video & Dream Submissions: CoolSideOfThePillow.com | IG: @coolsideofthepillopodcast

In this special marathon edition of Cool Side of the Pillow, Josh and Vince dive into five surreal, listener-submitted dreams sent in by resident Psychedelist Lou Dorian. Chronicling experiences under the influence of Datura, Lou's dreams blur the lines between reality, illusion, and subconscious awakening. Meanwhile, a pre-show mix-up involving supposedly "psychoactive" chocolate bars and mushroom-infused tea leaves one of our hosts inadvertently tripping into another dimension. Episode Highlights & Chapters: Pre-Show Prep & The "Macro-Dose": Vince snacks on chocolate bars while Josh sips mushroom tea. Introducing Lou Dorian's Datura Dreams: Setting the stage for a five-dream marathon interpretation. Dream 1: The Phantom Cigarette: Sitting in an ancient recliner, nicotine cravings, red-splotched walls, and pantomiming smoking. Dream 2: Concentrated Technicolor & The Infinite Forest: Melting into a dingy chair, pulsing red energy, origami paper visions, and a slow-motion crow flying along the edge of a mysterious tree line. Dream 3: The Second-Floor Kegger & The Mayan Gear Wheel: 90s party nostalgia, heavy kegs up the stairs, and a multi-layered concentric wheel that dissolves reality. Dream 4: The 3-Mile Walk in San Bernardino: Feeling the hidden secrets and psychic imprints inside neighborhood houses before waking up alone on the street. Dream 5: The Cowboy Portal & The Shower Tile Mosaic: A hollow-eyed Clint Eastwood figure, impossible bathroom trips, and waking up to a very real wet bed. Dream Breakdown & Philosophical Takeaways: Vince and Josh discuss Kundalini energy, third-eye sight, and finding wonder in waking life. The Great Beverage Swap Reveal: Reading the chocolate wrappers and discovering who was actually tripping the entire show. Key Themes & Takeaways: Perception vs. Reality: Exploring how altered states create vivid, fully formed phantom experiences (ghost cigarettes, phantom friends, and fake trips to the bathroom). The "Mind Gears": Recurring imagery of rotating runes, hieroglyphs, and concentric wheels acting as a subconscious bridge between visions and reality. Everyday Awareness: Finding deeper meaning and childlike wonder in mundane surroundings and nature without needing chemical shortcuts. Connect With the Show: Website & Merch: CoolSideOfThePillow.com Submit Your Dreams: Email your written dream or a 3-minute voice memo to [email protected] YouTube: Subscribe to Cool Side of the Pillow for video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@CoolSideofthePillowPodcast Instagram: Follow @CoolSideOfThePillowPodOfficial for sketches, updates, and community content: https://www.instagram.com/coolsideofthepillowpodofficial/

Sharing a Drink with the One Drink Podcast! In this crossover episode of Memory Foam, Josh and Vince sit down with Matt and Oliver, hosts of Rochester's own One Drink Podcast. The four hosts talk about the origins of their shows, the trial-and-error process of early podcast production, and why staying in your creative lane is key to long-term consistency. The conversation covers favorite stand-up comedians, legendary comedic actors, and community involvement. Plus, Matt and Oliver share one of their all-time favorite behind-the-scenes stories involving fake golf outfits, free appetizers, and Australian caddies at 2:00 AM. In This Episode 00:01:32 Matt and Oliver share how One Drink Podcast officially kicked off during the 2020 pandemic shutdowns. 00:04:14 The group reminisces on early DIY recording setups, from phone cameras to $8 knockoff microphones. 00:06:28 The premise of One Drink Podcast: one topic per drink, no politics, no religion, and pure drive-time banter. 00:08:21 Giving back to the local Rochester community, supporting charities like Good People Deserve Wins Too and Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A.). 00:19:16 Matt details his nostalgia spin-off show, Back to the 80s, co-hosted with his friend Ryan. 00:26:23 Top stand-up comedians and comedic actors draft, featuring Steve Martin, Chris Farley, Jim Carrey, Mitch Hedberg, Dave Chappelle, and Tom Segura. 00:36:21 Josh shares a personal story of Mitch Hedberg at a live show in Rochester. 00:47:46 The epic story of how Matt and Oliver once crashed a local pub pretending to be a PGA Tour golfer and his agent. 00:52:06 The famous "American Angler" magazine bit that resulted in a two-minute uncontainable laugh attack. 01:13:20 Oliver pitches a plan to live-stream a podcast episode in the middle of Matt's upcoming wedding. Connect with One Drink Podcast Listen: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and all major podcast platforms. Watch: Full video episodes on YouTube [@OneDrinkPodcast] https://www.youtube.com/@onedrinkpodcast Socials: Follow on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok [@OneDrinkPodcast]. Watch & Listen to Memory Foam If you are only listening to Memory Foam, you are missing half the show! Watch full video episodes on our YouTube Channel. Website & Merch: CoolSideOfThePillow.com Instagram: @CoolSideOfThePillowPodOfficial

Physical Media, Faith, and Kevin Smith's Dogma! In this episode, Josh and Vince tackle the modern frustrations of streaming services and the lost art of physical media. Vince explains why he still buys DVDs and physical comic books to avoid altered or deleted content, citing missing episodes from popular sitcoms like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and others. The conversation then shifts to a massive, spoiler-filled retrospective on Kevin Smith's 1999 film, Dogma. The hosts break down the complex history of the movie's distribution rights, Kevin Smith's genius self-protests, and why the film's star-studded cast delivered some of the best performances of the decade. Finally, Josh and Vince share their own experiences growing up with religion and how a controversial comedy actually provides a profound message about faith and the power of ideas. In This Episode: The pitfalls of streaming services and the appeal of owning physical media like Perfect Strangers on DVD and The Absolute Batman comics. Why certain television episodes disappear into the digital void due to licensing or controversial content. A deep dive into the characters, plot, and legacy of Dogma, complete with full spoilers. Behind the scenes trivia, including how Kevin Smith protested his own movie. The transition of the film's distribution rights from Disney to Lionsgate. A discussion on the differences between rigid beliefs and flexible ideas, inspired by Chris Rock's character, Rufus. Josh shares the story of showing Dogma to his childhood Catholic priest. Watch & Listen to Memory Foam: If you are only listening to Memory Foam, you are missing half the show! Watch the full video episodes on our YouTube Channel. Follow Us: Website & Merch: CoolSideOfThePillow.com Instagram: @CoolSideOfThePillowPodOfficial YouTube: @CoolSideofthePillowPodcast

CSP 10: AI-E-I-Oh No! In this episode of Cool Side of the Pillow, Josh and Vince's friendship is put to the test by the sudden arrival of a massive crate containing Rob-Bot, a state-of-the-art AI assistant sent to them by Trevor Kromdor. While Vince is immediately enamored with the robot's impressive multitasking abilities, Josh begins to feel the sting of its judgmental internal monologues and passive-aggressive "optimizations" to the podcast's archives. The tension boils over when the hosts must debate the true value of human creativity versus artificial efficiency. We also interpret two new listener dreams: a bizarre trip to a desolate carnival, and a frustrating struggle to find the right pair of shoes. In This Episode: A surprise delivery from Trevor Kromdor. Vince attempts to ride the new studio assistant. The Nimbus Plus Cloud Computing App Rob-Bot optimizes the studio by steaming the cats and updating the outro music. A heartfelt defense of the imperfect human experience. Dream 1: A desolate carnival. Dream 2: The struggle for the right shoes. Connect with us! Send us dream or grab some merch: https://coolsideofthepillow.com/ Social media: https://www.instagram.com/coolsideofthepillowpodofficial/