Guests for the Week of May 19, 2015

Monday

Nicole Pence

Nicole Pence is an Emmy-nominated journalist living in Central Indiana.

Pence joined FOX59 in June 2014 to help launch a brand new newscast, “FOX59 NewsPoint at 11PM.”

The NATAS Lower Great Lakes chapter nominated Pence for an Emmy award for her work as a broadcast anchor in April of 2014.

Before coming to FOX59, Pence solo anchored Indianapolis’ number-one rated weekend morning program, Weekend Sunrise on WTHR. Pence helped to increase ratings nearly twenty percent year to year. Pence left WTHR in November of 2013.

Previously, Pence was nominated for a 2010 regional Emmy Award for her work at WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky as the main morning co-anchor. Pence also received second-place honors as “Best News Anchor” in the 2011 Kentucky Associated Press Awards.

Prior to working at LEX-18, Pence reported for Indiana’s NewsCenter (NBC/ABC/CW) in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

A midwestern girl, Pence grew up in Columbus, Indiana. She graduated Cum Laude from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana with a double major in Communication Arts & Sciences and Spanish and a minor in Political Science. She also earned her Master’s of Public Affairs (MPA) from Indiana University-Purdue University at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indianapolis with high honors. Pence is married.

In her spare time, Pence loves to travel. She lived with a family in Segovia, Spain, studied cooking in Italy, climbed the Great Wall in Beijing, China, crawled through the Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt, and tangoed in Argentina!

Pence is involved with several Central Indiana organizations, including Make-A-Wish, Pacers Cares, and the DePauw University Alumni Association. Follow her on twitter.

Ian Bagg

Ian Bagg started his comedy career in his native country, Canada. He proceeded to do all the show business things that every successful Canadian entertainer does. He went to a “Hockey Night in Canada” game on a Saturday night, performed at the “Montreal Comedy Festival,” kissed a fish in New Foundland and a “Comedy Now” special on CTV. So what does a Canadian do when he has done it all? He boards a train to New York City, lives in a youth hostel and ends up on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “The Late Late show with Craig Ferguson” and “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” It is not always fun and games. He was forced to do “Make Me Laugh,” “Showcase Comics with Louie Anderson,” “Fridays” on NBC and the “Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.” His new, one-hour special “Ian Bagg: Getting to F*cking Know You” premiered on Showtime in April 2013.

Bagg has acted in Tim Robbins’ “The Cradle will Rock,” “MVP 2,” and “MXP”. Fun fact: he’s the the only known comic to have worked for famed director/producer Judd Apatow and not become a multi-billionaire. Life has been amazing for Bagg being on such diverse platforms as the History Channel, the Food Network, the Biography Channel and being the first ever Canadian to meet three US presidents– Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter and George Bush…although only one was in the White House at the time while he met one on a plane and the other at a hockey practice.

While working red carpet interviews, Ian has pissed off Brad Pitt, been hit with a champagne bottle and asked for chocolate covered pretzels by Alec Baldwin. You probably wonder what kind of man does this and without imploding? The answer is a man whose dog survived a three- story fall and who’s been known to think he is twelve–but may actually be twenty-nine or seventy-two.

Ian went to school to be an explosives engineer, but a lucky chance at an open mic made him the volatile one. He may be in your area sooner than you think, because this manchild does over 100,000 air miles a year…or you could listen to his radio/podcast show on XM Radio channel 160 or The Toadhopnetwork (The Ian Bagg Show.) He has performed 2 successful half-hour specials, “Comedy Central Presents” and HBO’s “A Comics Climb” and has been seen on “Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand-Up Revolution.” Visit his website here. Follow him on twitter here.

Tuesday

Jeff Daniels

Well, mostly I act, write, play a Martin OM Jeff Daniels Custom Signature Edition guitar, have authored about 400 songs, played over 300 gigs the past 12 years from Maine to Alaska to Californ-i-a with my preferred venue of choice being clubs and hundred year old opera houses, drank from the fountain of youth by touring with my son’s band (the Ben Daniels Band), founded The Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan for which I’ve written 15 plays (working on #16), and with great pride and a range that would drive a normal actor straight to Betty Ford, can most recently be seen as Will McAvoy on HBO’s THE NEWSROOM, and after 20 long years, with the one and only Jim Carrey in DUMB AND DUMBER TO. The rest you can google.

So with that, welcome to the musical side of myself. Through this little portal into the digital universe and with a singular focus on the songs that continue to pour out of my pores, take my hand as I valiantly meander my way towards something yet to be defined and, more than likely, never will be. Life’s more fun that way, don’t ya think?

– Jeff Daniels

Visit his website here. Follow him on twitter here. Buy his new single “Mr. Funny in a World of Sad” here.

Matt Holt

Matt Holt has been making people laugh most of his life. He’s been doing it professionally for nearly 20 years. He displays a quick-wit and razor-sharp delivery along with a very laid back and conversational style on stage. When a comic lives in the moment, no two shows are alike. With his relaxed style, Matt transitions seamlessly from scripted material to of-the-cuff conversation with the audience, leaving them laughing, applauding and gasping for air. Being the youngest of 8 kids, twice divorced and having no health care is what drives Matt to the stage night after night.

Matt never misses a chance to laugh at himself, which allows him to break down the barrier between the audience and the performer. It’s like sitting down with an old friend and having the time of your life. In addition to his stand up performances, Matt has also kept busy creating one-man shows.

In 2014 he debuted his show “Thank You Johnny Carson”, which received great reviews. He is currently finishing his latest show, “Acting My Age!” Matt has performed with many of the greats in the comedy world: Louis CK, Dave Attell, John Pinette, Ron White, and Jimmy Pardo among many, many more. Matt’s debut CD, “I’m In Show Business” is available on iTunes.

 Visit his website here. Follow him on twitter

Wednesday

Tim Bedore

For longer than we can remember comedian Tim Bedore has been calling in or stopping by to deliver an editorial in which he talks about whatever happens to be on his mind. These musings can range from his relationship with his daughter, to hot topics in the news, and even updates on how the animal kingdom is waging war on mankind. From the Animal Conspiracy to his daughter Claire, Tim takes us inside his mind, and with the help of a few sound effects, puts together one of our favorite features. Follow Tim on Facebook. Visit his website here.

Costaki Economopoulos

Costaki Economopoulos is a comedian, true, but he’s also a football fan. Those two factors alone make him the perfect candidate to give us a comedic look back at the NFL each week with his new feature that’s also been picked up by The Huffington Post and Bleacher Report. With his Greek heritage, it’s not surprising that he’s been described as a “joke philosopher,” and we’re sure he’s not the only one saying that. Costaki is also a talented joke writer who’s punchlines have been heard on “The Tonight Show,” Showtime, BET, and MTV. Follow Costaki on facebook and twitter. Visit his website here.

Thursday

Friday

Edwin McCain

The voice behind Dr. Phil’s Best Wedding Song Ever and American Idol staple “I’ll Be,” the tunesmith who wrote the father-daughter tearjerker “Walk With You,” the road warrior who spends more time performing concerts than performing chores. And now the guy who guts, renovates and transforms boats for the new television show Flipping Ships. How did the hitmaking singer/songwriter Edwin McCain get from the chart tops to the boat shops? As it turns out, with surprising ease.

While toiling away at his “day job” of writing hit songs and touring the world, McCain’s razor sharp wit and really darn funny sense of humor began to surface in a series of VH1 specials. Shows like “Greatest Week Ever,” “I Love the 80s,” then the 90s and then the 2000s came calling, asking for his cheeky commentary on pop culture. Entertainment Weekly took notice, pointing out his “amazing” contributions and the rest of the world discovered what his concertgoers already knew – McCain knew how to entertain a crowd in more ways than one.

And then there came a new passion after Edwin stumbled upon an old boat in the corner of a warehouse and decided to rebuild it. The hobby turned into a calling, and not much long after Edwin launched Boats Have Souls (www.BoatsHaveSouls.com), a restoration shop dedicated to bringing life back to vessels and customizing them to perfectly fit their new owners. “We started the business to put good boats into good families’ hands by restoring them in ways that might otherwise be financially out of reach,” Edwin explains.

So when he suggested the idea for a new show to Animal Planet last year, all the pieces fell into place. His fans would tune in, eager to hear his comedic riffs and maybe a tale or two about his songs and concerts. New folks would be drawn to his affable everyman sense of humor. Boaters would be fascinated by the blood, sweat and the occasional tear that he pours into his renovations. Rehabbed boats would find new life and new owners, including a few non-profit organizations in his homestate of South Carolina. And Edwin would get to do all of this with his friends, a quirky band of gear heads from his Boats Have Souls operation to perform their acts of nautical salvation. Sometimes, an old touring buddy with a familiar face drops by to help out. But, the job isn’t always as easy as it sounds, especially with some of the outrageous ideas they have and quick turnarounds to get jobs complete. And like his songs, Edwin’s boats all have a story to tell; about the people who built them, Edwin’s team who defies all odds to reconstruct them, to the families who take them home.

“I’ve been working on and developing this concept for several years, but I never imagined it would get this kind of attention,” says Edwin, “so I’m thrilled that Animal Planet shares our vision.” “It’s crazy, too,” he adds. “I’m blessed to have an amazing team along with the help and support of boating enthusiasts statewide here in South Carolina.”

Once McCain sweeps up the last of the sawdust and sends his final boat off to sea when the Flipping Ships season ends, he’ll pick up his guitar once again and return to the road, but always on the lookout for another boat to bring home.

Social Media Links: 
www.edwin.com 
www.facebook.com/theedwinmccain 
www.twitter.com/theedwinmccain 
www.boatshavesouls.com 

Pat McAfee

Pat McAfee is Number 1 on the field as the punter for the Colts, and he is number one in the hearts of sports fans in Indianapolis. Well, at least he’s in the top 10. Drafted in 2009 out of West Virginia University, McAfee has not only been an important part of the Colts specials teams (and emergency QB if needed), he’s also become one of the faces of the franchise off the field. Follow Pat on twitter. Check out the Pat McAfee Foundation.