Alcoholics Eponymous With Xander O'connor

Xander and Ben are joined by returning champ Travis Gilkeson and first time guest, long time listener (I choose to believe) Cristina Luzarraga to discuss gaining weight to prepare for the apocalypse and how the word 'finger' in upstate New York's Finger Lakes should be a verb instead of a noun. Also we review a white wine.  Ladies?

Episode 21 marks the start of a new season of AE with XO and we are kicking it off by getting back to basics...expensive, expensive basics.   Xander rewards his faithful cohost Ben with a two man episode where they have two outrageously fancy wines and talk about seeing fathers naked, making things more fancy by writing 'u's as 'v's, and writing checks that are mostly just drawings of dicks. Also, season two means changes like a new sponsor and cohost Ben getting to put on the Daddy pants and take on some hosting responsibilities.  His tiny legs look adorable in those Daddy pants.  Check it out.

Xander and Ben are joined by returning guests Erin Lann and David Linz-something-something for the last episode of 2012 and of the first season of the show and, since we all know that the world ended on Dec. 21st, the last show of mankind's existence. In addition to reviewing a lovely champagne we talk a whole lot of bollocks.  Evidently, in the post-apocalypse, Erin is worth one cow and a handful of bullets.  At best.

Sexual predator Kramer and the belief that signing up to be an organ donor does not mean people are allowed to have sex with your corpse are just two of things that were edited out of this fine episode of AE with XO wherein Xander is joined by Nick Demos, Danny Pustizzi, and Colin Hanson.  That's right, this episode was so bloated with fine comedy (and some offal) and, thanks to a new year's resolution to lose weight, such inanity did not make the show. Other stuff did.  Put it in your head.

Xander and Ben are joined by the supervillain SuperCoach (aka David Linzenichnich) and white-hot-and-wet Chicago stand-up comedian Aaron Sutherland.  Together they try to convince the imaginary jerk Mark Thoroughgood to commit suicide and christen Ben "old fisty-hips". To find out more, try listening...or thinking really, really hard about it.

Xander and Ben are joined by Michael Grush and Chris Tindell for this incredible episode that can best be described as "definitely a thing that now exists".   If you wanted to learn about homosexuality but were always to afraid to ask (or to get drunk enough that experimentation seems like a solid plan), put your ear-type headholes up to your portable device or wax cylinder player and listen to self-proclaimed "gay expert" (citation needed) Chris Tindell break it down.

Xander and Ben are joined by Michael Grush and first time guest Jeff Quintana (or "coon-ton" as someone in Florida believes it is pronounced) to review an Italian red wine, listen to a drunk Orson Wells, and be visited by an unsurprisingly shirtless Matthew McConaughey. Also, people say 'light urple' a lot.  So that is a thing.

In this stunning episode of AE with XO, Xander and Ben are stunningly joined by Travis Gilkeson and first time guest Carmen Christopher in a stunning fashion that is sure to leave listeners stunned.  That is, unless you are expecting a normal episode full of nonsense, in which case you will not be as stunned. Learn about Mexicans named Jenkins and getting fingered by an unexpected source by listening to this show.

Join, by which I mean passively listen to, Xander, Michael Grush, David Linzinichnizchnick, and Erin Lann as they discuss classy, classy subjects like why adults shouldn't give or receive HJs.  If you don't know what an HJ is you are either too young to be listening to this show or have lived a charmed life where you skipped that stage of sexual development.  Well done! Also we review a beer and say things that are inarguably ridiculous.

Xander, Ben, Michael Grush, and Nnamdi Ngwe have a special men-only ladies night on this episode of AE with XO.  The scientific periodical known as Cosmopolitan is read, passive voice is used in the episode description, and scary haunted cabinets are learned about. Presumably you are not too cool to listen to this so just go ahead and do it.

Join us for a special cohost focused episode as Xander talks all episode to cohost Ben Russell about Ben's forthcoming action figure, his spot-on scientific horoscope, and why he should be ashamed of himself for not being able to dunk a netball. Oh and also we review a red wine.  So there is that.  Put your ears up to the internet and listen to this show.

Ladies night!  Xander and Ben are joined by people with lady-parts named Maggie Gottlieb and Erin Lann.  Together they discuss important female issues like using a German train to explode a horse...and there is really no other subject of discussion on the show that approaches the importance of that. Also they drink and review the Belgian-style beer, La Fin Du Monde.  But is that what is really important in a world where high speed trains can make horses full on explode?  No. 

The long awaited part 2 of the birthday spectacular arrives.  Learn about astrology is fact and also learn how to fake commiserate with a recently-broken-up-with woman while secretly hitting on her. Enjoy!

Hurray!  A special birthday episode of AE with XO celebrates the 10 episode milestone and Xander's 29th birthday by having tasty whiskey (spoiler alert: it's really good), bonus guests, and talking total nonsense for a change. Due to technical issues (and also it being extra long), this episode is being split in two.  I am sure my fabulously smart and attractive listeners can handle the abrupt end of part 1 and start of part 2.

Xander and Ben are joined by Danny Pustizzi and Patrick Thorpe Zuchnik to review a cabernet-sauvignon, discuss Ben's mum's rock hard glutes, and a whole bunch of other nonsense that can best be described as a 'laff-riot'.  It is a lot like an actual riot but with worse spelling a slightly fewer nightstick blows to the head. Apologies for the episode running over two hours but: a) that means there was enough good stuff in it to let it run long; and b) presumably if you like this show more is better.  Also the files are better compressed these days so it is actually a pretty small download.   Enjoy where applicable!

Xander and Ben are joined by 'supes' special guest Tim Baltz of Second City Mainstage fame and they review a super-Frenchy beverage in honor of Tim's heritage, say "Boner Sound" a bunch of times, and actually get into some fairly serious chat about Tim's career in Chicago comedy. This episode is extra long to make room for Tim's wealth of hot insider comedy knowledge.  If for some bizarre reason you want to skip over the large chunk or two about live comedy in Chicago, there is still plenty of nonsense to enjoy.  Boner Sound!

In a special episode of the show, Xander and Ben are treated to Chicago stand-up comedian Rob Pro-wreck's home brewed beer.  Just because you can't buy the beer we review doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to the hilarious conversation about prison wine, the difficulties in naming a beer company, and women with facial hair. Once again, the show is a class act from jump-street to land-avenue.

Special bonus 10 minutes where Xander, Ben, and Justin discuss comedy (in a very non-comedic fashion) and what kind of people are drawn to performing stand-up.  This is recommended only for people who want to hear a brief serious chat about that and not so much recommended for people who just like hearing us say silly things and review booze.

Xander, Ben, and guest Justin Covington celebrate the milestone of the fifth episode (and also celebrate Justin's new job at Google and the show's first black guest) by drinking a sparkling white burgundy called the 'white of whites' and of course talk about Black Google and Black Jesus.  Racial sensitivity and awareness abound as does sweet lady comedy. And yes, we are aware it is not technically a champagne but for an episode title it seemed the shortest way to describe it.  If you got worked up about that you should rethink your life.

Chicago improv superstar (his words) Josh Logan from Michael Pizza and Improvised Shakespeare joins Xander and Ben for some delicious beer, discussion of his controversial new one man show, and we learn that, with a little brown hair dye, he could steal Ben's life and no one would notice. Also there are a whole bunch of Germans.  A gaggle.