L.a. Meekly

This is episode 57 but you might know it better as the old "Heinz Variety."  That's because this month we're talking about some of the most famous nicknames of people in Los Angeles history.  We'll go from the confrontational "Fighting Bob" Shuler (:17), "Slapsy" Maxie (:32) and "Greek" George Caralambo (:49) to the criminal "Two Gun" Davis (:58) and "Machine Gun" Walker (1:20).

It's the first of the month and you know what that means: It's time to listen to a brand new episode while you write out your excessively long rent check!  Tune in as we dive into a thoroughly researched yet still unqualified discussion on LA's housing crisis and the who, what, where, when and why of it.  Our answer?  We have no idea

Hot town!  Summer in the city is here!  Cool down with this month's episode on the harnessing of the LA River as the city's water source in the early days (:15) and the creation of the Owens Valley aqueduct and the ensuing water wars in the slightly less early days (:55).  Chinatown references need not apply.

Welcome to the island!  Once your seasickness subsides take a load off and listen to the millennia spanning story of Catalina Island.  We'll cover everything from the pre-Spanish era of the Pimuvit (:20) to the gum chewing resort fun of the Wrigley era (:54) and literally everything in between.

Here we go on another field trip in search of health, wellness and nice tiling at the Rockhaven Sanitarium in Montrose.  Listen in as we interview the President of the Friends of Rockhaven Joanna Linkchorst about her efforts to preserve this vital part of LA history started by women to help women in need.

Now boarding all indirect flights to knowledge!  Settle in with a bag of airplane peanut references while we cover three of the most important airports in the city's history from Burbank (:19) to Grand Central Airport in Glendale (:25) to LAX itself (:58).  There will be no refunds and we've already been delayed until after whenever your connecting flight is.  

Put on your pod-ing glasses and settle in for this book discussion with author Craig Owens of "Haunted by History Vol. 1"moderated by your very own LA Meekly boys live from the Mystic Museum in Burbank.  We delve into the history and lore of some of Southern California's most haunted locations all while spooky speakeasy music plays faintly in the background.

Stop what you're doing and take a couple minutes to hear (handsome) us explain how we want you (loyal) listener to be part of a new segment on LA Meekly!

Sit. Stay. Download. Good audience. Lend us a floppy ear as we spend this month celebrating National Pet Day with some of LA's most famous citizens that haven't yet developed complex language. We'll be covering the MGM lion (12:28), the absurd lion obsession of Tippi Hedren (28:03), Toto (42:35), Room 8 the cat (51:26) and, unfortunately, the LA Pet Memorial Park (1:05:35). Plus we unleash a new segment on the show! Most species welcome.

We've already disabled your snooze button so it's time to get up and listen to our trip to one of the strangest, most indescribable "secret" societies in the city: the Los Angeles Breakfast Club.  We talk with the wizards behind the curtain of it all Lily Holleman and Phil Leirness about the inclusive positivity of the place and which of your favorite stars from yesteryear were once members.  

Kick off Women's History Month right right here with two men telling you the stories of Brenda Allen (Madame to the Stars) (5:24), Alice Stebbins Wells (Officer with a Star) (20:11), Aggie Underwood (Reporter of the Dead Stars) (34:43) and Amelia Earhart (Pilot that almost reached the Stars) (1:03:27).

Grab the nearest planchette and ask your local ouija board if it's time to listen to our newest field trip episode and the answer will be most definitely probably!  Tune in as we talk to two of the owners of the Bearded Lady's Mystic Museum and stay tuned afterwards to hear about Mystic Dylan's experience with a haunted lamb!

50 episodes! Could ya ever believe it?  Could ya ever have even wanted it?  To celebrate, we've compiled all 50 of our episode intros into one long episode that you just keep wanting to start, but it never will.  We want to thank all of you for listening these past 50 episodes and for reading this far into the episode description.

It's February and we're here to celebrate Black History Month like it's none of your business; unless your business is one of the businesses we're talking about. That's right, this month we are covering a few of the most famous LA businesses started by African-Americans. We'll be covering KJLH (6:24), Fatburger (20:42), Roscoe's (32:01), the Lincoln Picture Company (42:14) and Famous Amos (58:56). This is our 50th episode so tune back in in a few days for our big, unnecessary 50th extravaganza!

NAZI PUNKS FUDGE OFF! Listen to our first episode of the new year as we discuss the various homegrown local Nazi groups operating in the city pre-WW2 (7:58) and the efforts of Leon Lewis and his network of spies to bring them down (44:36) as they learn the hard way that two wrongs don't make a Reich.

It's December and you know what that means: Murder! Demons! Plagues! Dreidels! This time live! Light your menorah under the mistletoe and tune in to this year's haunted episode live from the Comedy Central Stage yet again as we discuss this year's helping of ghosts, ghouls and...g-ack Parsons. We cover Myra Hess the White Vampire of Malibu (12:59), haunted Hollywood Boulevard (16:20), the plague outbreak of 1924 (25:23) and Jack Parsons (37:02).

Thanksgiving comes early in this, a very special episode of LA Meekly.  Join us as we give a rundown on the places and things in this city that we are most thankful for and mean the most to us.  Sincerity reigns supreme while sarcasm silently stages a coup.

Hop on the LA Meekly school bus and take a trip with us into the cabinet of curiosities that is MorYork.  Part art gallery, part immersive experience, part motherload of human molars.  We talk with the man behind it all, Clare Graham, to get some insight into what it all means and where the nearest bagel shop is.

Feeling empty? Afraid? Alone? Then turn over all your personal possessions and click download! Join us as we take a journey of self discovery through a few of LA's cults from the Blackburns to Synanon. "The Man" and police involvement need not apply. We cover Aimee Semple McPherson (10:07), the Source Family (47:26), the Blackburns (1:19:38) and Synanon (1:33:23).

Pull up a demolished chair and join us for our field trip interview with author Anne Louise Bannon at the site of the old Ambassador Hotel as we discuss her novels, the Cocoanut Grove and just how drunk the old stars of the silver screen got at this place.