My guest today is actor and musician, Ben Paul Williams. I first met Ben about 10 years ago at a little open mic in Astoria Queens. We chat a bit about his stage career, the recent pull he’s been feeling to getting back to performing original music, and play a little catchup since the last time we spoke.
I also have to give Ben some special credit for his contributions at the brainstorming meeting for what would become my long-running variety show The BZ Douglas Carnivale. Initially, it was a house show that I put together in the Bushwick warehouse I was living in at the time that we called the Compound. The first show featured Ben and several other musicians and comics, and I tossed up a few colored vinyl tablecloths for decor and dubbed it “The Compound Carnivale”. Following that first show, I invited Ben and a bunch of other folks from our open mic circle together to think of ways to play with the circus motif more, and many of the ideas that make up my Carnivale, most notably “Feats of Strength”:
So suffice to say, Ben has been one of my favorite people for quite a while. If you are in the Milwaukee area or have friends thereabouts, be sure to catch Ben at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn this Sunday, November 24th. After that, keep an eye on https://www.benpaulwilliams.com/ for more shows.