Osiris Podcast Profile: Amigos

Gary Fletcher is co-host of the Osiris network’s comedy podcast Which Is Better? that compares two topics in an effort to determine the superior of the pair. Below, Gary details fellow Osiris podcast, Amigos.

Imagine yourself lying in a peaceful floatation tank.

You can’t see anything.

Your body feels weightless.

You feel completely at ease.

You hear the sound of a friendly voice. He’s talking about Bruce Springsteen and the tremendous impact The Boss’s lyrics have had on his life.

“There are albums where you’re not gonna skip a track.”

“You’re gonna go start to finish.”

“It tells a story.”

That’s when you realize— you forgot to turn your phone off, and it’s playing the Artie Lange episode of Mike Finoia’s podcast Amigos.

Mike Finoia (TruTV’s Impractical Jokers producer) seems like an a friend you haven’t met yet. His podcast Amigos on the Osiris Podcast Network couldn’t be more appropriately named because before the end of an episode you feel like you just had a conversation with an old pal. On Amigos, Mike likes to talk about his love of music without pretension and pulls you in close with personal stories about life as a standup comedian on the road and at home in New York City. He’s sincere, he’s hilarious, and he’s been to at least 231 Phish concerts and counting.

If you’re into stand up comedy like me, then you might want to start with the Artie Lange episode “That’s The Boss.” The episode starts with Mike receiving a “Who the hell are you?!” from Artie Lange’s mother who wasn’t expecting guests, but within two minutes Artie’s mom fell in love with Mike, and I did too. Artie and Mike then go on to discuss the ups and downs of life in stand up comedy, the absurdity of award shows, and of course The Boss himself.

[DISCLAIMER:] I have to be honest — please don’t be mad — I have never listened to that much Bruce Springsteen. I wasn’t allowed to listen to “devil music” as a kid, and my earliest memory of The Boss is seeing a Springsteen impersonator on an episode of Sally Jesse Raphael. At this point in my life I’ve heard and enjoyed the hits, but hearing the way Mike and Artie talk about Bruce made me finally understand The Boss’s appeal, which then caused me to dig a little deeper than “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.”

The Boss is a story-teller. The Boss is a friend. The Boss is your Amigo. Just like Mike.

Mike and Artie felt a strong connection to Bruce’s music because he is intimate and authentic. That’s why I connected with Mike and Amigos: There’s no phoniness and there are no unnecessary frills. There are just friendly and funny chats, and you get to be a fly on the wall trying not to laugh too hard so as to get caught.

If you happen to be interested in psychedelics, then you may want to take a trip with Mike’s guest Shane Mauss on the “Choose Your Torture” episode. They discuss their personal relationships with psychedelics, their religious upbringing and transcendental meditation, all the while avoiding taking themselves too seriously.

People have referred to podcasts as “friend simulators,” and as sad as that sounds, I couldn’t think of a better podcast to fill that void. So if you find yourself at work, stuck in traffic, or meditating in a floatation tank, press play and spend some time with Mike Finoia: Your Amigo.