The JV Club with Janet Varney

This week JV e-visits with acclaimed novelist and poet Rebecca Dinerstein Knight (“Hex”) for a chat about envy, love, eyebrows, mac and cheese, and the myth of living large in the West Village. Be well and be kind to yourselves, wonderfuls!

Direct download: JVC368_200415.mp3
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It’s the other charming half of the delightful Max Fun pod “Can I Pet Your Dog?”, Renee Colvert! With a chew about catching up with stay-at-home technology, screaming and crying in musicals, and being mad at the thing you loved. Stay safe out there, Janetors! 

Direct download: JVC367_200408.mp3
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Major Surprise Kindred Spirit Alert! JV and Houston-based actor, author, activist and podcaster Stephanie Wittels Wachs (Everything Is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love, and Loss) meet for the first time and drill down into some deep sh*t without wasting any time whatsoever. What follows is an intense, funny, emotional and honest gab between two new friends.

Direct download: JVC366_200401.mp3
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As another week of shelter-in-placing passes, JV has a long-distance couch hang with the very cool musician and human being Patrice Pike (Sister 7, Pike & Sutton) to talk art, music, her rad non-profit Step Onward, and the perfect hot fudge sundae!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC365_200325b.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

It’s an Arizona-thon! Sedona-native Alexis Preston (from the "Can I Pet Your Dog?" podcast on the Max Fun Network) and Tucson-native JV swap tales of two cities and a few others besides, each from the quarantined safety of their couches, complete with occasional dog-terruptions. Sending love in these strange times and hoping this episode makes you smile!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC364_200318b.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

After the obligatory “are you going to infect me with coronavirus but seriously what is happening in the world right now” opening conversation, JV and the truly awesome comedian Atsuko Okatsuka discuss being uprooted from Tokyo to West LA without knowing you’re never going back, the power of ranch dressing, and #garagelife.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC363_200311.mp3
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In honor of the 8th anniversary of the JV Club, it's a rerun of the first episode! Christina Hendricks chats about small towns, the fierce passion of Celine Dion, and the importance of special effects in high school stage productions of Agnes of God.

Direct download: JVCHendricksB.mp3
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This week, JV and comedian and writer Ellington Wells do some tarantula performance art, talk about what constitutes a “thin” town, how to make your own creativity Absolutely Fabulous.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

 

Direct download: JVC362_200226.mp3
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Take a deep dive into underwater civilizations… and into the adventurous life of the very talented actor/comedian/writer Nalini Sharma! Find out if gemstones protect you from harm! Think about what belongings you’d save from a fire! Find out that you might surprise yourself if you actually had to do just that!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC361_200220.mp3
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Put down that Stephen King book and enjoy to this episode of The JV Club with the awesome Keisha Zollar (Netflix’s “Astronomy Club”), whose history of multiple moves and a challenging health situation in her teens made her the badass she is today! Plus! Find out what the one and only Abraham Lincoln had to say to Keisha during their in-depth conversation! 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

 
 
Direct download: JVC360_200212.mp3
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Maybe a record-breaking length for a single episode? And this conversation with comedian Nori Reed is worth every minute! Join Nori and JV for a deep-dive into subjects from the silly to the heartbreaking, with lots and LOTS of g-o-l-d GOLD!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC361_200206.mp3
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Make some room at your lunch table for comedian Helen Hong (Go Fact Yourself) and delight in stories of potato knishes, disappearing rabbits, and someone who actually loves “Cats."

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC360_200129.mp3
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The delightful Jamie Loftus (The Bechdel Cast) joins JV to talk real-life SORTING HOUSES (!), band instrument hierarchy, Algebra-Hacky Sack-Juggalos. Also, I had to look up how to spell “hacky sack” but already knew how to spell “juggalo,” which means something but who knows what.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC359_190123.mp3
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Allie Goertz, the other half of the Round Springfield podcast, joins JV for a chat about regional accents that aren’t what they seem, cheddar cheese powder, and what it’s like to move all the way to “LA City!”

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC358_200115.mp3
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Today! Discover the one time you should trust strangers with candy (okay, yes, we are talking about the tv show) in this episode with Max Fun friend and podcaster, Julia Prescott! (From the "Round Springfield" podcast) Plus: Hot Topic Goth, Ska and much more!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC357_200108.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Doughnuts, Cigarettes, and Hot Sauce, Oh My! It’s a rerun of the episode with Emily Gordon (The Indoor Kids), chock-full of fond remembrances of first kisses, My So Called Life, and the once-pervasive Manic Panic hair dye, the use of which apparently makes you a communist. This week’s bonus: Theories on how hot dogs got their name.

This episode first aired in 2013.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun

Direct download: JVC355_200101.mp3
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Hello Calga-reeeee! Find out what that last sentence means, as well as how comedian and writer Amanda Brooke Perin handles JV’s oh-so-personal, prying questions about the weather in Alberta, on this tell-all episode of The JV Club!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC354_191220.mp3
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Get out your Rydell High letterman/woman’s jacket and/or pomade up your hair for this chat with author and storyteller Courtenay Hameister (Author of the new book Okay Fine Whatever: The Year I Went from Being Afraid of Everything to Only Being Afraid of Most Things) who be-bopped all across these United States and even over the Pacific Ocean for a childhood of Army-Bratting… with plenty of energy left over to experience some juicy panic and anxiety in her adult years!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun

Direct download: JVC353_191218.mp3
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Tensions are high as the final two contestants of Burning Love (Janet and Abigail Spencer) face off to discuss counterculture of surfing, discovering Barbra Streisand, the rush of a flea market find, and the emotional magnetism of the City of Angels.

This interview originally was originally published in 2017. Abigail's new show "Reprisal" is now streaming on Hulu.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVCRR.mp3
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It’s a podcast spanning the whooooole wooooooorld! JV lolls on her bed on the phone, staring at the ceiling like a proper teen, with guest  Alice Fraser (“Savage”) who cover female friendships in all their highs and lows and much much more!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC352_191204.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

It’s a healing of old wounds as Rizzo and Sandy come together at last in the spirit of forgiveness. Or, it’s JV’s dear friend, actor and writer Danielle Weeks (“Baby Love”), who comes over to reminisce about their shared junior high experiences in Tucson, complete with a certain musical they performed in the school cafeteria.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC351_191127.mp3
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Surely this is the most mime-and-clowning-heavy episode of The JV Club to date, thanks to award-winning comedian DeAnne Smith, who gamely humors JV’s ongoing enthusiasm for the subject. Plus! Jodie and Joni worship, surprise cherry pie, and much more.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC350_191120.mp3
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It’s not just anyone who gets featured in an Amy Grant music video, y’all. So load up your baked potato and delight in the joy that is Susan Yeagley (“Parks and Rec”) and her tales of the wonders of Nashville and surrounding areas. Including an upside-down country music legend!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun

Direct download: JVC349.mp3
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FINALLY! A conversation about the Winchester Mystery House. But there’s more! The charming Sarah Enni (who you can also hear on the “First Draft with Sarah Enni” podcast) and her fellow chatterbox JV rove all over topics including staying interested in life, the deliciousness of cheese, and JV’s nickname for sheep in New Zealand.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun

Direct download: JVC348b_191107.mp3
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This week on the podcast the luminous Lillie Mae, musician extraordinaire, is freshly back from her tour with Robert Plant (yes, that Robert Plant!) and sits down with JV to talk mobile homes in the truest sense, pet deer and pigs, and the beautiful simplicity of the perfect potato. 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC347_191030.mp3
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Water towers! Grain elevators! Hair bands! Surprise and delight await you in this week’s episode of the podcast, as the simply wonderful Kari Wahlgren ("Rick and Morty," a million other things) hikes up a dirt mound and claims her place in the world!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

 

Direct download: JVC346_191023.mp3
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From ballet slippers to leather studs, this week’s guest Rebecca Knox (“Orange is the New Black”) has deep teenage roots in music… in part thanks to crying when she couldn’t get into a concert. So treat mouth to a crunchy salad and your ears to this episode!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC345.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Comedian Katie Compa ("Hard Pass”) joins JV for a chew about Swedish culture, “mean girl” friendships and the mysterious spelling of “Bamf.”

Hosted by Janet Varney

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC344.mp3
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 If you could cram a sleepover into an hour and change, you’d have this episode of The JV Club featuring Jennie Pierson (Showtime’s ‘Kidding”), whose wonderful imagination should surely be put to use in the realm of theme park design.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

The JV Club will be LIVE at the Bellhouse in Brooklyn on Wednesday Oct. 9th! Details and tickets are available now.

Direct download: JVC343.mp3
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This week: JV welcomes musician Tatum Lynn! Put on your tap shoes and tap, tap, tap your way through a world of non-glitzy pageants, playing on an all-boy basketball team, and impromptu PA performances at department stores.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

The JV Club will be LIVE at the Bellhouse in Brooklyn on Wednesday Oct. 9th! Details and tickets are available now.

Direct download: JVC342_190925.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

This week: Two Ladies, Two Couches. JV is tickled pink to chat with her podcast crush, Rebecca LaVoie (Crime Writers On; These Are There Stories) as Rebecca recovers from leg surgery (Folks- she’s doing great!) and reflects back on the general embarrassment of high school, the deep truth of “it gets better," and her too-perfect photo mate, the mysterious Lisa N!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

The JV Club will be LIVE at the Bellhouse in Brooklyn on Wednesday Oct. 9th! Details and tickets are available now.

Direct download: JVC341_190918.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

This week JV is delighted to welcome her dear friend, the uber-talented and hilarious Kit Pongetti (“Scrubs”), for a conversation consisting of 50% JV laughter! Plus! Falling in love at first strum and the special thrill of a good old fashioned stakeout.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

The JV Club will be LIVE at the Bellhouse in Brooklyn on Wednesday Oct. 9th! Details and tickets are available now.

Direct download: JVC339190911b.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

It’s a last Boy of Summer post Labor Day! How scandalous! Indulge yourself with the delightful Mexican-American-Queer-Writer-Illustrator Terry Blas, whose experiences growing up Mormon in both Boise, ID and various places in Mexico make for quite a journey. Happy listening….

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

The JV Club will be LIVE at the Bellhouse in Brooklyn on Wednesday Oct. 9th! Details and tickets are available now.

Direct download: JVC339_190904.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Enjoy this multimedia festival of conversation and pre-loaded sound effects on this week’s episode with Boy of Summer Justin McElroy! And wait— what’s that in the air? It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Politically Incorrect Musical!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

The JV Club will be LIVE at the Bellhouse in Brooklyn on Wednesday Oct. 9th! Details and tickets are available now.

Direct download: JVC338b.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

This special Boys of Summer episode with Michael Rosenbaum (“Smallville” and oh-so-much-more) features the very first (and possibly only?) time JV gets a lesson in how to do a Walken impression. Enjoy Michael’s talent as much as you enjoy JV flailing! Plus: it’s never too late to become the person you’re meant to be. We mean it!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC337.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains a discussion of Scott Thompson's experience surviving a school shooting from 23:22 to 37:38

The sketch comedy legend that is Scott Thompson joins JV this week as a spectacularly fascinating and funny Boy of Summer, including a JV-jaw-dropping-moment after a disclosure by Scott that left her temporarily speechless.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC336_190814.mp3
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Throw on your merit badge tape up that racket for this conversational mosey with the delightful Chris Sullivan (“This is Us”), who may or may not be the secret son of a certain California “Governator!” Plus! Taking chances in music, life, love, and podcasting.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC335_190807.mp3
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In a rare and exciting twist, this week’s accomplished Boy of Summer Seamus Dever (“Castle") also happens to be an old college chum of JV! Enjoy a reminiscence about Flagstaff Arizona, nerding out on Shakespeare, getting schooled on the wonders of Tom Waits, and what 90’s Moscow has to offer a college-aged American.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC334_190731.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

It’s a very special Boys of Summer with the audio from January's SF Sketchfest Tribute to Neil Patrick Harris, in conversation with your good pal JV. Magic, Muppets and More!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVCNPHd.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Join Boy of Summer Johnathan Fernandez (“Lethal Weapon”) for one of the most shocking revelations to ever occur on The JV Club… about the film Dirty Dancing. Plus! Sunday night braid sessions, secret beaches, and a new pastime we like to call Canoe-dling.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC332_190717.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Chris and Steven, the delightful gents from the Is This Adulting? podcast, have a phone tree with JV and talk cargo pants, undershirts, evangelical youth camps and the natural disasters of North Carolina in episode 331 of the podcast as Boys of Summer saunters on!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC331_190710.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Heads up! It’s another Voyage to the Stars cohort, the delightful human being that is Steve Berg! (You also probably know him from tons of other stuff, too.)
 
JV and SB goof around and talk river cities, football dustups, and late night college radio dj action in this latest episode bringing you Boys of Summer!
 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC330_190703.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

This week JV sits down with Boy of Summer and Voyage to the Stars co-star Colton Dunn (“Superstore”) for a conversation about Michael Jordan t-shirts, hipster video stores, and what it means to be an “Act-lete."

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC329_190626.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Boys of Summer rolls on as JV sits down with her friend and Stan Against Evil co-star John C. McGinley to yak about lazy susans and big families, endurance in sports and Broadway, and much more, including insight and information on Down Syndrome and the amazing Global Down Syndrome Foundation, which you can check out and support via this link!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC_328.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

This week's episode was recorded in front of a live audience at POD X in Nashville, Tennessee.

JV takes a one-week break form the boys of Summer series to chat with attorney and podcaster Susan Simpson!

In addition to being one of Janet's all time favorite people that she's admired from afar, Susan's got tons of stories about being a sporty high schooler and childhood dismemberment at Chuck E. Cheese (yes, really!)

Plus: live musical performances from JV Club alum Jenny Tolman!

Direct download: JVC327_PODXb.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Boys of Summer begins with a heart-surgeon-turned-controversial-Egyptian-ex-pat: the fascinating and funny Bassem Youssef! From high school biology to cardiology, from watching Jon Stewart to becoming what some call Stewart’s Middle Eastern counterpart, episode 326 should leave you inspired!

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC326_190604.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Mind your shmanners, because this week’s guest is the delightful and talented Teresa McElroy! Learn about the follies of high school ID badges, the triumph of speech state competitions, and the guilty pleasure of a good old American hot dog.

Come see Janet at PodX in Nashville from May 31 to June 2! 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

 

Direct download: JVC324_190529b.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Clear backpacks, gator-laden bayous, and an absolutely extraordinary story of Hurricane Katrina come to you this week courtesy of the radiant Ciera Payton (“She’s Gotta Have It”), whose teenaged medical knowledge was of the “Anaconda” variety.

Come see Janet at PodX in Nashville from May 31 to June 2! 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC324.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

It’s part TWO of JV's chat with entrepreneur and fellow Post-Mormon, Tresa Edmunds.They continue to with stories about her teenage years and Latter Day Saints atrocities before getting to happier times with the MASH game!

Come see Janet at PodX in Nashville from May 31 to June 2! 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC_323.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

It’s part one of a two-parter with advocate, entrepreneur and fellow Post-Mormon, Tresa Edmunds. Interwoven stories of Tresa’s unconventional (to say the least) teenage years and “big picture” Latter Day Saints atrocities in this we-had-to-talk-for-almost-three-hours conversation with JV!

Come see Janet at PodX in Nashville from May 31 to June 2! 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC322b.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Meet the delightful singer/songwriter responsible for creating the opening song Jeff Bridges sang at Lebowski Fest! Nashville native Jenny Tolman hangs with JV in LA and these new gal pals talk Dolly and Burt, the glory of creative collaboration, and even some classroom panic attacks— you know, just to spice things up and get in touch with their true grit. 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC321b.mp3
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Episode 320 welcomes the terrific and talented Irene Koh, illustrator extraordinaire of, among many other things, the Legend of Korra: Turf Wars books! Join JV and Irene as they dish on inspiring anime, old-timey Connecticut fruit stands, and complicated girl crushes, and oodles more.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC320_190424.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Atlanta, Atlantis, and other words that begin with an “A,” like Amber Nash! This week’s guest, perhaps most famous for her role on “Archer” (now in its TENTH season), regales JV with tales of Peruvian love, historic strip clubs and so much more.

Come see Janet at PodX in Nashville from May 31 to June 2! 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC319.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Enjoy this episode with this real-life Attendant-to-the-Queen, Bridget Nelson (MST3K, Rifftrax) as she expounds with JV upon the marvels and dangers of thick shag carpet, grecian statues, and the kind of name-pun you can expect from a Tennessee Williams-loving singing group.

Come see Janet at PodX in Nashville from May 31 to June 2! 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC318_190410b.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Put on your tank top and suuuuuuper baggy jeans for a visit with Lilan Bowden (known for her role in the Disney Channel show "Andi Mack"), and don’t let the Usher poster on her teenage wall fool you. From early improv to wall collages, this episode is a potpourri of creativity.

Come see Janet at PodX in Nashville from May 31 to June 2! 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC317b.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

The nearly nonstop Max Fun Crossovers continue! Try out your best Mid-Atlantic accent for this chat with Danielle Radford (who you may have heard on the Max Fun podcast Tights and Fights or on Screen Junkies), who shows us the nefarious side of choir with surreptitious cigarettes and how a certain Little Woman can clarify your dreams...

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

This show is directly funded by our Maximum Fun Members. As part of the annual #MaxFunDrive, you can sign up for as little as $5 a month at maximumfun.org/donate to help support this and other Max Fun shows you listen to AND earn great gifts in the process!

Direct download: JVC316_190327.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Put on your sequined vest and don’t let the band kids snub you— you’re show choir royalty with this week’s guest, Sydnee McElroy (Sawbones)! It’s all about singing, the raggle taggle delights of high school theatre, and the long road to figuring out that it doesn’t take dress slacks and a pair of heels to prove you’re a grown up.
 
Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC_307.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

This is what teenage Alison Becker (Star of the Maximum Fun podcast "Bubble!") might refer to as “a really great episode, eh?” Join her as she takes JV for a trip from the firefly-laden woods of New Jersey across the globe to the mountains of Switzerland. By the way, do you pronounce the “T” in mountains? Tweet us about it.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC314.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Did your hometown have its own urban legend about a mine-slag-monster-man? If so, you may be from a village in Northern Britain, just like this week’s wonderful guest, author (and wrestling aficionado) Lindsey Kelk! Plus: Logans vs. Troys, Oasis vs. Trance, and Dolphin vs. Dolphin. Suit up!

You can hear Lindsey on the Maximum Fun wrestling podcast Tights and Fights and on the make-up and beauty podcast Full Coverage.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC312_190306.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Swing set Millennium Falcons! Giant Tinker Toys! Band bus makeouts! All this and oodles more with this week’s enchanting guest, Kara Morgan ("Fortune Rookie," "The Kara Morgan Show"). Reach for the stars with us and dare , yes dare, to dream the ultimate Impossible Dream: to intern on a yogurt farm.

 

 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: 190228_JVClub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:24pm PDT

This week’s inspiring guest Erika De La Cruz (creator of the TV & Personal Development Conference Passion 2 Paycheck) goes deep with JV about controversial tildes, NoCal and SoCal surprises, Lords and Rings, and the heartbreak and unexpected gifts of losing your home at nineteen. 

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC311_190229b.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Calling all giant-cross-necklace owners and cross-legged sitters! If you’ve been waiting for a very niche episode of The JV Club made just for you, this episode with the wonderful Carrie Poppy (Host of the podcasts "Oh No Ross & Carrie" and "Hidden Mickeys") is it.

Everyone else: never fear! There’s also plenty of whale-watching-out-for, summer camp revelations, and everyone’s favorite, pig dressage.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC310_190213.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Get ready to cut some alarm wires, escape your apartment and sneak on over for some teenage tales of literature devouring, lakeside sulking, and blue hair dying with musician Vera Sola, and find out who King Solomon was (no, not that King Solomon) and the mysterious fate that befell him.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC309_190206.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

This special episode recorded live at SF Sketchfest has a little something for everyone. Thrills! (Pneumatic high school theatre orchestra pits!) Chills! (Is Aparna a biter?) Spills! (Okay, maybe no spills. But aren’t you glad there weren’t any wet messes to mop up?). Join JV and marvelous guests Scott Adsit, Aparna Nancherla and musician/dreamboat Matt Nathanson for a double M.A.S.H. game unexpectedly featuring worms.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC308_19130.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Comedian Emily Catalano joins JV mid-Sketchfest for a hotel room hang covering very controversial topics like earring backings, family card games, and comfy sweatshirts. But fear not! There’s also plenty of lighter fare, like heartbreak and religion.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC307_190123b.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

JV’s old chum Sonita Henry (who's been seen in shows like Luther and Krypton) pops over from across the pond to indulge JV’s interest in regional accents, Guyanese cooking, and Sonita’s adorable boyish alter ego Giuseppi.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC306_190116.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Join us this week for a very exciting guessing game of “Which Instrument Did You Play in the Marching Band” and much, much more with the simply delightful (and Janet's fellow only child) Rachel McElroy, who, it’s probably safe to say, had one of the most original and exciting dollhouse inhabitant dynamics of the late 20th century.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Direct download: JVC_190109b.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

The very funny, very candid and very present Carly Jibson talks Broadway grinds, Tinder surprises and something wonderful called “Poopy Chicken,” all the while reminding us it’s possible to be vulnerable at the same time you’re being a complete badass.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

 

Direct download: JVC304a_190102.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

It’s a foamy almond milk latte of an episode with the delightful Alicia Witt, who talks Nashville, Bill Shakes, and the simple elegance of a tv show title when it’s as self-explanatory as “That’s Incredible!”

Direct download: JVC_303.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

<a href="https://twitter.com/janetvarney">Janet Varney</a> indulges her most recent lady crush with this week’s guest, the immensely talented <a href="https://twitter.com/breedawool">Breeda Wool</a>. She's known for her role in the Audience Network TV series <a href="https://start.att.net/exclusive/audience/mr-mercedes"><i>Mr. Mercedes</i></a>.

Breeda tells Janet about how her precociousness combined with life in a sleepy college town created a perfect storm of pre-teen wildness. Plus! Homemade clothes, campfire witches, and breast-exposing ballgowns!

Direct download: JVC302_181219.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Semper ubi sub ubi, everyone! This former New Jersey native and Latin Club superstar Grace Helbig joins Janet Varney for a stroll down their mutual in-state scholarship experiences, a Halloween costume quid pro quo, and camping out in your teacher’s backyard.

Direct download: JVC301_181213.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:07pm PDT

To celebrate the 300th episode of The JV Club, JV is joined by Say Hi’s Eric Elbogen! Eric, of course, is the reason for the very existence of The JV Club’s theme song, “Back Before We Were Brittle!” Before some excessive mutual fawning (don’t worry- it’s at the VERY END), Eric and JV talk living rooms, first guitars, and the indignities of class team presentations in this special 300th Episode Non-Boy-of-Summer!

 

Direct download: JVClub_300Episode_181206.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:50am PDT

Great news, janitors! The JV Club will have a brand new home on Maximum Fun. Listen to find out when our 300th episode will debut on Maximum Fun. 

Direct download: JVClub_NewLaunch.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:21pm PDT

Originally Aired 3/2/2012

It’s the first episode of The JV Club with Janet Varney! Throw on your tunic and Birkenstocks for a chat about small towns, the fierce passion of Celine Dion, and the importance of special effects in high school stage productions of Agnes of God.

Direct download: jv_christina_hendricks_re.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:24am PDT

Special Post-Labor Day Boy of Summer Cedric Yarbrough talks JV through the adventures of faking a bath, using a wall for your flattop, and having a secret college theatre identity. Oh, and it’s SEE-Dric.

Direct download: jv299_cedric_yarbrough.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Put on your rollerblades and stay OFF your bike while this week’s Boy of Summer Justin Willman (Netflix’s "Magic for Humans") indulges JV’s endless questions that somehow combine teen era trivia with magic-centric interrogation for this deep-dive into broken arms, sleights of hand, and an eco-burial cameo. 

Direct download: jv298_justin_willman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

The wonderful, self-effacing yet let’s-face-it-multi-award-nominated Jonathan Coulton joins JV as the latest Boy of Summer with a cross-continental chat covering parties and guitars, the fierce competition of flavored chips, and what it takes to cultivate a Professor X / Magneto friendship, Old Chum.

Direct download: jv297_jonathan_coulton1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:36am PDT

The most important takeaway of this special episode with musician and Boy of Summer Mondo Cozmo/Josh Ostrander is that HE HURT HIS HAND PUNCHING A SHARK IN THE NOSE (self defense)! But you’ll also hear about basement-band-eavesdropping, math-class-stressing, and what can happen to a baseball player when he hears the music that changes his path. 

Direct download: jv296_mondo_cozmo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

This week’s Boy of Summer is the extremely cool Michael Irby, star of the upcoming highly anticipated “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff, “Mayans,” and he brings with him tales of growing up Palm Springs-adjacent, the necessary amnesia of a good soccer player, and the satisfaction of a good karaoke jam. But remember… don’t name your fish! Or turtles!

Direct download: jv295_michael_irby.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Originally aired 7/16/2015

It’s the badass creator of You’re the Worst, Stephen Falk! Episode 162 lets you straddle the disparate high school worlds of theatre, jazz band, and sports, and then fall in love with the new girl in school, who naturally drives a stick-shift pick-up truck. Swoon!

Direct download: jv_stephen_falk_re.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:47am PDT

Boy of Summer and author/screenwriter Jonathan Ames (“You Were Never Really Here,” “Blunt Talk”) joins JV for some satisfying deep-dives into mind, ego, body, aging and, of course, the appeal of a really cool mime. 

Direct download: jv294_jonathan_ames.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:58am PDT

This week, SNL and Groundlings alum (and creator of The Black Version!) Jordan Black graces Boys of Summer with tales of Kankakee, Illinois in all its small-town glory… inspiring such topics as the perfect Bruce Springsteen song, a badass mom with an impressive approach to raising 4 boys, and the right way to wear a fringe vest.

Direct download: jv293_jordan_black.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

This week JV geeks out over the latest Boy of Summer: Undisclosed’s Colin Miller! From debate club to huevos rancheros; from long-distance running to a film club with a name that sounds like a funny-yet-unpleasant diagnosis (sorry Colin!), this law professor and true crime/legal podcast dynamo does not disappoint!

Direct download: jv292_colin_miller.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

This week’s Boy of Summer is the delightful, uke-strumming, movie-riffing, dog-paw-admiring, nose-fluting Kevin Murphy ("Mystery Science Theatre 3000"; Rifftrax), who regales JV with tales of abruptly-ending football “careers,” sibling album-borrowing, and how a certain summer song can accidentally transition into a “Flashdance" favorite. 

Direct download: jv290_kevin_murphy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:48am PDT

Originally aired 6/26/14

 

This week with the always wonderful Paul F. Tompkins: build a snow tunnel, sing a few piano tunes, or recite Edgar Allen Poe in the place where his macabre work truly shines, a brightly lit classroom. Boys of Summer continues!

Direct download: jv292_pft_rerelease.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:06am PDT

From a shared mutual love of the “Miss Chevious” detective novels to the perennial -- if scary -- appeal of an old diving suit, JV and this week’s Boy of Summer Jordan Morris (Jordan Jesse, Go!) cover a lot of ground in both the real and thoroughly made-up worlds of Earth, Earth 2, veiny comic book characters, and maybe the best name ever for a turn-of-the-century baseball team.

Direct download: jv291_jordan_morris.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Originally Aired 6/11/2015

Hey, everybody — it’s the sublime Marc Evan Jackson! The latest Boys of Summer episode will reveal some compelling and charming new things about the man you may also know as Sparks Nevada from Thrilling Adventure Hour. Addendum: you will not be asked to sign a pledge to abstain from drinking, smoking, sex, or dancing during the consumption of this episode. We are not the boss of you.

Direct download: jv290_marc_evan_jackson.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:03am PDT

This year’s first Boy of Summer and longtime JV pal Tony Hale ("Veep”) relives the fond and not-so-fond memories of his youth... but for goodness’ sake DO NOT ASK HIM ABOUT ANYTHING pre-7th grade! Plus: Asthma, cigarettes, and unfortunately artfully dodging being the Artful Dodger. 

Direct download: jv289_tony_hale.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:21pm PDT

Calling all witches! Head up to a wild and lovely mountain outside of Santa Barbara for this magical yet utterly grounded visit with “Unreal” creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, who completely inspires JV with her honesty, humor, and particular and surprising fierceness that comes along with skiing to Enya!

Direct download: jv288_sarah_gertrude.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

A chance airport encounter finally yields this episode with the charming Marla Sokoloff (“Fuller House”) who patiently indulges Janet’s love of “The Practice” and pontificates with JV on relativity, dry mouth sounds, music-making and the clown in A Christmas Carol(!).

Direct download: jv287_marla_sokoloff.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Put in your nose ring and pull on your long skirt for a meander through the delightful misadventures of teenaged Gaby Dunn (Bad With Money Pod). Plus, Gaby and JV bask in some mutual crime/murder/justice television and podcasting love, and discuss the phenomenon of listening to other people listen to Phish.

Direct download: jv286_gaby_dunn.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Tidy up your closet fort and put a new coat of wax on your race car bed for this Seattle-centric chat with Eddie-Veddered-hair Tarin Anderson (Take My Wife). See you in the darkroom, shutterbugs!

Direct download: jv285_tarin_anderson.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

The stars aligned this week and very fortuitously brought us the stars of the new film Duck Butter, Alia Shawkat (who also co-wrote and co-produced) and Laia Costa (who co-produced) for a chat about basketball, double lives, and the discovery of maybe the most charming pronunciation of an American cartoon ever. 

Direct download: jv284_alia_laia.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

The fabulous Bree Essrig talks boarding school magic, construction-site hook-ups, and the times in your life when wearing your bra on the outside of your shirt just feels right. Strap on your aviator hat and all hands on deck for Commander Crazy!

Direct download: jv283_bree_essrig.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Attention Dillards shoppers: Episode 282 with Rachael O’Brien (Be Here For A While podcast) brings lots of embarrassing tidbits about both Rachael and JV’s earlier years, though Rachael arguably walks away with more dignity overall! This episode could aptly be enjoyed on a long walk through Los Angeles, if you’re in the neighborhood.

Direct download: jv282_rachael_obrien.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:03pm PDT

Put on your grown-up glasses and fire up your self-walking dog for this visit with comedian and author Laurie Kilmartin (Dead People Suck: A Guide for Survivors of the Newly Departed) as she and JV talk swimming breakthroughs, sadistic teachers, and chewing-not-swallowing in Episode 281 of the podcast!

Direct download: jv281_laurie_kilmartin.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am PDT

Throw on your best speakeasy togs or your plaid school uniform for this chat with the brilliant delight that is musician Jill Sobule, who meanders with JV along topics like mountains vs. ocean views, metaphorical circuitry-exploding friend crushes, and the wonders of the short-lived Viva magazine.
Direct download: jv280_jill_sobule.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00pm PDT

Actress Nicki Micheaux (Lowlife, Animal Kingdom) blows JV away with an immediate name-drop of Prescott, Arizona, and what follows is a spirited chat ranging from the criminal justice system to the super-heroism of parenting to the appeal of a good vampire. 

Direct download: jv279_nicki_micheaux.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00pm PDT

The delightful Maria Blasucci (Drunk History, The Big Ones podcast) comes by for a heart-to-heart with JV that includes both birds and bees, but maybe not how you’d think. Plus, a lot of love for Manor House and its sister shows… and some fantastic ideas for new ones, if we do say so ourselves, PBS!

Direct download: jv278_maria_blasucci.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00pm PDT

Janet gets swept up by the ethereal Kimmy Robertson (Twin Peaks) and a pondering of mango yogurt, serendipitous events, curling toes and the new envy theme of the podcast (not actually the new theme).

Direct download: jv277_kimmy_robertson.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00pm PDT