Crazy! Right? With Dave Asher

31. Liz Komos – "Butterflies"

Liz Komos is a Chicago-based actor and comedian who was born with a physical deformity and chronic illness. Growing up as a square peg in a world of round holes, she developed a passion to live earnestly and with a deep appreciation for every moment. Her goal is to create more access and awareness for others to express their true selves through art while also bringing light to the world with comedy. Liz shares about her powerful and spiritual journey to accomplish big things. Liz and Dave sing two improvised songs together.

30. Jam Alker

Jam Alker is a leader in the recovery-through-music movement. Following a battle with several addictions, including heroin, Jam returned to his musical roots and used songwriting and expressive therapy to improve his life. He has gained a large following in the process, inspiring others and showing them a light to guide their own paths to wellness. On this episode, he shares his story, including performing a live version of a song he wrote for his wife during treatment.

29. Alexia Jasmene

Alexia Jasmene is a Chicago-based trans actor/musician/comedian/poet who performs across the country and Chicago at various events, theaters, bars, and digital mediums, trying to open hearts and change minds with her seed-planting storytelling art forms. She has been diagnosed with ADHD since she was 3 years old, lives with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation, and through a combination of spiritual practices (like loving awareness meditation and Bhakti Yoga) and therapy (EMDR and trauma therapy), she has been able to heal, feel, and deal from her complex PTSD from childhood and reduce her Borderline Personality Traits to a manageable level.

28. Norm Holly

Norm Holly is a Chicago-based improviser, teacher, actor, and director, who has been inspiring students and audiences for more than 30 years. He’s shared in the evolution of the next generation of performers who are sharing more openly about their mental health. Dave and Norm talk politics, improv, addiction, and the way in which artists are “broken toys” that can overcome and use their life history. The episode ends with Norm performing an improvised monologue, with Dave providing musical underscore.

27. Thomas Schuberth

Thomas Schuberth is a Chicago-based podcaster with Asperger Syndrome. He struggles with depression and anxiety. He and Dave explore experiences with difficulties in relating to people due to an unquiet mind, misinterpreting social cues, and emotions that are at times more extreme. They sing two improvised songs together.

26. Violet

Violet is a musical artist who writes, produces, and performs hard rock and indie pop music all around the city of Chicago. She speaks about her experiences with mania, depression, addiction, and gender dysphoria.

25. Brandon Krisko

Brandon Krisko is an actor and an improviser who recently relocated to Chicago after graduation from Washington University in St. Louis. As a Psychology major with a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, he is passionate about advocating for a greater understanding of and compassion toward individuals with mental health disorders.

24. Rebecca Shrom

Rebecca Shrom is a Chicago-based actor/improviser. She was diagnosed with anxiety and major depression at a very young age. She speaks with Dave about her experience with electroconvulsive therapy as well as her feelings about the stigma surrounding mental illness.

23. Anderson Lawfer

Anderson Lawfer is a Chicago-based producer, director, and event host. He is a proud recovering addict and speaks with Dave about his history with addiction and the family of artists who support each other. They improvise a song together inspired by “Lean On Me.”

22. Rob Gaughan

Rob Gaughan is an improviser, truck driver, and spiritualist whose own challenges in life set him on a path 20 years ago to understanding the many depths and dimensions of anxiety and addiction while working to de-stigmatize the pursuit of mental wellness.