Citywide Blackout

Citywide Blackout

Citywide Blackout is the home for artists of all kinds, from filmmakers to musicians to authors and everything in between. The show also covers comic-cons, book expos, and film festivals.

Episodes

May 4, 2026 26 mins

Zara Marielle’s empowering fantasy debut “The Cafe of Infinite Doors” (now available) follows a trapped housewife who finds shelter in a magical cafe after a fight with her toxic husband, only to be drawn into a thousand-year-old battle between two Scottish goddesses, which threatens to destroy not only the cafe, but the entire world.

In this episode, Zara talks about the origin of the story and how she developed and worldbuilt it ...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Comic creator Dave Wielgosz joins us to walk a road of revenge and redemption in his first creator-owned comic, “Showdown.” The first issue drops on May 13 through Ignition Press. Here’s a look at what’s in store:

When Trish Sullivan left her hometown for college, she left behind unfinished business. Now she’s back and looking to settle up.  

Trish blames Harvey Harlowe for the death of her little brother, so Trish’s homecoming is ...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

What should be your first step as a musician? I pose this questions to singer and actor Michelle Forziati in this week’s episode. We talk about the lessons she’s learned as an artist and her advice to those just beginning their own journeys.

Michelle shares the story behind her single “Stranger” and how this pushed her into the world of music and the story behind her most recent release, “Once More.”

Michelle’s recent single, “Once...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Woodstock, 1969–A cultural milestone in this country’s history. Now, add some vampires. Trust me, it works.

Now, picture yourself, an aspiring comic creator looking for that first step to make your idea a reality.

You’ll get both in this week’s episode, where I talk with SHP Comics founder and the writer behind their new title “Woodstake,” Shawn Hainsworth. Shawn and I begin with the origin of this great new comic, including how he...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

When it comes to launching your music, starting can be the hardest part. How long before you know if you’re ‘ready’ to play? Tyler Pollard of the Boston-based band Robotic Hawks has been in the music game for a long time and believes that there is no ‘ready.’ You just gotta go for it!

Check out this episode for that discussion, as well as a dive into their new EP, “New, Better Things.” It’s four songs of awesome, recorded by Benny ...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Ottawa-based hard rock band The Space Between recently released a new single, “Weapon of Choice,” from their forthcoming album, “Dying Sun,” and I for one cannot wait to hear the rest.

Band members Maryn Pegan and James Shaheen join us to talk about working with producer Brian Moncarz at Noble Street Studios and how this offered a brand new experience for the band.

We go into the themes and story behind the single and their vintage...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Awhile back, we featured the single “Comets” by the Boston alt-rock duo Arrows of Athena as part of the Blackout Collection. Now, Scott Lerner and Jac-Lyn Gibson join me to talk about the 19th century story that inspired it.

We also dive into their new album, “Daydreaming,” which came out on April 3. We talk origin stories, being live on stage for the first time in awhile and what's next for Arrows o...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

With her new EP, “Between Then and Now,” 19-year-old fiddler, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Irish Millie captures the space between two chapters of life and the quiet realization of how much growth happens in the in-between.

In this episode, we talk about that time and the different stories that the album covers, including a powerful dedication to her fiddle teacher. Millie also shares how she first found the fiddle and what ab...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Picture this—an island paradise, cut off from all the craziness that we see in the world today. A perfect society, where nothing can go wrong….until it does.

Author Mia Dalia joins me to talk about her new book, “Beautiful, Once,” out through Crystal Lake Publishing. Here’s a look at the story:

When a controversial tech billionaire retreats from society, he constructs a private island designed to be the ultimate controlled experime...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

JUNO Award-winning blues artist Crystal Shawanda’s new album “Sing Pretty Blues,” has earned her a 2026 JUNO Award nomination for Blues Album of the Year. It’s a real powerhouse of an album, with a range of music that doesn’t hold back.

In this interview, Crystal talks about what it means to receive this nomination and her reaction on getting the news. We talk about her many years in music and the di...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Between winning awards and releasing a new album, Boston’s Elisa Smith has a lot to talk about, so kick back and enjoy the stories!

Back in November, Elisa was at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville to accept the Female Country Song of the Year at the 2025 Josie Music Awards. To describe the venue as legendary would be a tremendous understatement, and Elisa shares how it felt stand on that stage. She tal...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 9, 2026 40 secs

Citywide Blackout is your source for the best musicians, writers and filmmakers from around the world! 

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Who’s ready for a quest?!

Comic creator/writer DM Ray joins us to talk about his debut fantasy comic series, “The Madcaps,” being published by Philbo Entertainment. It’s a medieval fantasy mini-series about the reunion of four friends interrupted by a local drug problem.

Ray, Curtis and Max talk about the making of the four main characters—Dunnan, Sarlac, Chasgo and Medrakus. We dive ...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Founded in 2021 by Shawn Hainsworth, SHP Comics is a blend of different styles and stories, from children’s imagination to horror set at Woodstock. Shawn joins us to introduce the company and how it came to be, as well as the different titles they’re working on.

One of those is “Zicky: Wrath of the Rat King,” out on April 14. Deep underground, Zicky plunges into the lair of the Rat King—a tyrant amassing an army of rodents to invad...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
February 20, 2026 32 mins

Victoria Dillon’s new novel “Ava” (She Writes Press, March 3) asks a pivotal question: What if the only way to reclaim reproductive freedom was to rewrite the very nature of birth itself? 

Ten years after Roe v. Wade is overturned, 22-year-old comparative biologist Larkin finds herself unexpectedly pregnant in a country where choice is no longer an option. Initially uncertain, she embraces motherhood—until a devastating diagnosis c...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Kimberly Behre Kenna has become a familiar name on this show, having been featured twice already. So of course, I knew we had to have her back on for the third book in her Brave Girls Collection, “Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances” out on March 3.

In this episode, Kimberly talks about the theme of second chances and how it’s featured in the book. We’re introduced to Lola, who’s desperate to complete their treasured Per...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Some of it comes from real life, some of it from her imagination. The result—the Carolina Crossfire Mystery series, now two books in….and more to come!

In this episode, author Wendy Gee joins us to talk about her newest addition, “Side Hustle,” and you’re going to love the story.

Charleston’s top investigative TV reporter, Sydney Quinn, lives to expose the city’s darkest secrets. So, when a former firefighter takes two paramedics h...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

From years spent as a backup singer for the Moody Blues, Sarah McLachlan, Melissa Etheridge, and Janiva Magness to releasing her albums “Redeemed” and “Walking Around This Town,” Bernie Barlow has had quite the music career.

In this episode, we dive into her time with these musical legends and how this influenced her as an artist. She talks about her recent release, “Walking Around This Town,” and the people she worked with to make...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Horror author John Ward is back, but instead of killer clowns, we’re talking about dark entities in his new book, “A Blackened Heart, A Blackened Soul,” now out through Crystal Lake Publishing.

John Tinsley’s life was shattered as a child when he lost his mother in a tragic car accident—but that was only the beginning. From that moment, a dark entity marked him, one intent on destroying everything and everyone he loves. Haunted by ...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

After a decade of working in Hollywood on shows like “Arrested Development” and a project with Danny DeVito and Jeff Goldblum, writer Jake Korell took what started as a “truly awful adult animated TV pilot,” then transformed it to a podcast series and finally into his first novel, “The Second World.”

“Mars has declared its independence from Earth. But building a country takes more than a new flag, an arena-worthy anthem, and naming...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Post Run High

    Post Run High features conversations with high-performing founders, athletes, artists, health and science experts, and leaders about what it really takes to succeed. Through honest, post-movement conversations, guests share how they’ve navigated challenges, built resilience, and used movement as a tool for clarity, discipline, and growth. Each episode explores the mindset behind performance — what keeps people going when things get hard — and offers tangible advice listeners can apply in their everyday lives.

    The Buck Sexton Show

    Buck Sexton breaks down the latest headlines with a fresh and honest perspective! He speaks truth to power, and cuts through the liberal nonsense coming from the mainstream media. Interact with Buck by emailing him at teambuck@iheartmedia.com

    The Interface

    Stop doomscrolling. Start decoding the tech rewiring your week - and your world. The Interface is the BBC's fiercely informed, fast and funny take on how tech is changing everything. Hosted by journalists Tom Germain, Karen Hao, and Nicky Woolf, each episode unpacks week-by-week the unfolding story of how technology is shaping all our futures. No guests. No jargon. Just three sharp voices debating the tech news stories that matter - whether they shook a government, broke the internet, or quietly tipped the balance of power. As TikTok shifts geopolitics, Trump drives digital shockwaves, Elon Musk expands his space-internet empire and AI reroutes the routines of everyday life - the trio ask: what world are the tech titans building for us? And do we want to live in it?

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.

  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • AdChoicesAd Choices