[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Pittsburgh's YaJagoff podcast launches live Wednesday night music, comedy sessions via Faceboook

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By Maria Sciullo

Laughter being the best medicine, it seemed only natural that the Pittsburgh “YaJagoff” podcast would bring you some, and music too.

“YaJagoff LIVE!” begins Wednesday night at 7:30 via the podcast’s Facebook page. It kicks off a series of four streaming events running through April 15.

“Each time when we do our podcast, which is typically audio only, we’ve asked ourselves ‘should we be doing a Facebook Live-type thing? Because podcasts are being more and more [supplemented] with the video component,” said John Chamberlin, who founded and hosts the podcast with Rachael Rennebeck. “You know, looking back, looking behind-the-scenes. This just sort of kicked the new element into high gear.”

So, live from the YaJagoff headquarters of Ms. Rennebeck’s house in Ross Township, tonight’s remote performances are by New York City comedian Collin Chamberlin — John’s son, who escaped to the North Side after the pandemic cancelled all of his gigs — and Oakland-based axe-man Byron Nash.

(John Chamberlin and Ms. Rennebeck promise they will be practicing safe podcast distancing at her home).

Mike Sorg of Sorgatron Studios in Beechview will be handling the technicals, gratis. In addition, each participating “starving artist” featured will receive $100 from the podcast’s sponsors. It’s a Yinzer sort of payment from some very Pittsburgh-sounding sponsors: Dormont’s Higgins Professional Wall Covering and Painting, and Coraopolis’ KB Plumbing.

“Look, we’re not millionaires, but we thought ‘How can we help someone who is a ‘starving’ artist?’” John Chamberlin said. There will be PayPal and Venmo links, should the audience feel moved to contribute.

The comedians kick off the events. Rather than have them burn through material for x-number of minutes, John Chamberlin said, they will probably do more of a funny interview set.

The musicians have more of a free rein. Both aspects of the program will be PG-13, and while YaJagoff figures to keep the total streams under an hour, they might go on longer if the band/musicians are still going. 

“We are not going to close it down,” John Chamberlin said.

The rest of the schedule is as follows: Samantha Bentley and Jess Klein (April 1), Ray Zawodni and folk rock Living With Monsters (April 8) and Aaron Kleiber and Justin Wade Kalcevic (April 15).

Maria Sciullo: msciullo@post-gazette.com or @MariaSciulloPG.