Their Own Drum

# 12 - Their Own Drum x Sean O'Keefe

I had the honor of sitting down with music producer Sean O'Keefe. The first place I ever saw Sean's name was written next to the words "produced by" on my favorite album of all time, Fall Out Boy's 2003 debut record, Take This to Your Grave. Sean played a vital role in not only that record, but an incredible amount of music that changed people's lives, including my own. It was surreal getting to have this conversation. Sean is a brilliant creative mind and one of the kindest souls you'll ever meet. I can't wait for you all to hear this one.

# 11 - Their Own Drum x David Koechner

I had the honor and privilege of sitting down with the beautiful and brilliant David Koechner. We talked about growing up in the small town of Tipton, Missouri, the years he spent getting his comedy and acting reps right here in Chicago, how a combination of his upbringing and early political aspirations shaped a lifelong, deeply socially conscious worldview,  and so much more. I am so excited for you all to hear this one. David is performing at the Den Theatre in Chicago May 22nd & 23rd. Get your tickets TODAY! Tickets → dentheater.com Tour info → david-koechner.com/tour Also — David’s is making music you need to hear. Find him → instagram.com/sargento_official

# 10 - Their Own Drum x Dr. Robin Gurwitch: On Crisis Intervention

Dr. Robin Gurwitch was a young psychologist in Oklahoma City on April 19th, 1995. Less than a mile from the Murrah Federal Building, she felt the blast, and within hours was on the ground helping families navigate something nobody had a playbook for. That day set the course for the next thirty years of her career. A Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Duke University, Dr. Gurwitch has spent three decades responding to mass violence, natural disasters, and acts of terrorism around the world, and has become one of the leading voices in disaster mental health and trauma care for children. In this conversation she talks about what we've learned since Oklahoma City, how children process collective trauma differently than adults, why talking to your kids about scary events is always better than silence, and the free community training  she's bringing to cities across the country. It's a heavy topic delivered with remarkable warmth.

# 9 - Their Own Drum x Kyle Cubr (Music Box Theatre)

On Episode 9 of Their Own Drum, I sat down with Kyle Cubr, the Senior Operations Director at The Music Box Theatre.  Kyle Cubr has worked at Chicago's beloved Music Box Theatre for over a decade, climbing from front of house to Senior Operations Manager. But before any of that, he was a kid from Brighton, Michigan who saw Jurassic Park at age three and never forgot it.  In this episode, Kyle talks about choosing his neighborhood based on proximity to a movie theater, the wildly unexpected detour touring Europe with Rodriguez, and what it felt like to finally program the Godzilla festival he'd been pitching for six years. Plus: the state of independent cinema, the Music Box's exciting expansion, and why Gen-Z might just save the moviegoing experience.

# 8 - Their Own Drum x Pat Healy

Pat Healy is one of my guys. If you've been listening to this show, you probably already know what I mean by that.  Pat grew up in the Chicago suburbs, ended up at Illinois State University, stumbled into a Steppenwolf internship, and just never stopped working. Over the course of three decades he's shared the screen with DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Meryl Streep, and worked with Scorsese, Spielberg, PTA, and Werner Herzog. But the stuff that first made me fall in love with his work? Cheap Thrills, Compliance, The Innkeepers- smaller, independent films where he got to do what I think he does best: play a real, fully complicated human being. We talk about the craft, the grind, therapy, the Chicago work ethic, and what it felt like to be on set with Martin Scorsese. Pat is as thoughtful and genuine as they come. I think you'll feel that by the end of it.