Last Podcast On The Left: Side Stories – The Haunting of Ed Larson

Episode Date: October 29, 2025
Hosts: Henry Zabrowski & Ed Larson
Theme: Personal Hauntings, Halloween Ghost Stories, and Listener Paranormal Tales

Episode Overview

This Halloween special Side Stories episode takes a break from the heavy themes of their main feed’s World War II coverage to focus on the paranormal. The highlight is Ed Larson sharing, in detail for the first time, a lifetime of his personal encounters with the supernatural—from haunted childhood bedrooms in New Jersey, to poltergeist activity in Florida, and odd, unexplainable ghostly phenomena. The show embraces its signature mix of humor, skepticism, and genuine fright, making for a raucous ghost story session befitting the spooky season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Halloween Traditions & Recent Tour Fun (01:42–05:46)

• Seasonal banter about Halloween merch, costuming, and touring in Humboldt County, praising the local cannabis culture and crowd interactions.

• Henry and Ed explain their current Halloween costumes (Henry as a chili pepper, Ed as a beer glass) and lament the realities of adult digestive issues interfering with seasonal enjoyment.

• Notable moment: Henry recounts injuring his back while trying to perform a risqué bit on stage during their Humboldt show.

  “It was perfect for what? To help me with the pulled muscle I currently have in my back because I wanted to do the funny bit of sucking my own dick on stage.” —Henry Zabrowski (05:31)

2. Paranormal and the Need for Spookiness (16:35–18:39)

• Reflection on how the lengthy WWII series impacted their Halloween energy.

• Expressed desire to “get spooky” and return to more paranormal topics, justifying a special focus on ghost stories for this episode.

  “The audience sometimes, they do want paranormal, but they don’t really like paranormal. But this time, we’re going to see how it goes.” —Henry Zabrowski (18:17)

3. Ed Larson’s Personal Haunting Stories (18:39–45:33)

Linden, New Jersey: The Haunted Family House (22:44–32:59)

• Ed sets the stage: an old house where multiple relatives experienced inexplicable ghostly activity—breathing through intercoms, being held down in bed, lights turning on in the attic, a “haunted” middle room, and a medium’s visit confirming the haunting.

• Familial generational experiences (Ed, cousins, mother, aunt, and a mentally challenged uncle all had their own frightful moments).

• Mafia backstory: The medium reveals the haunting is linked to a murdered family named Vito, victims of mafia violence.

• Ed’s six-year-old cousin, never told about the ghosts, later tells the family she “misses the children… used to play with” in the house—corroborating sightings of spirit children.

  “Several times it would feel like I was being held down in that bed in the middle room… and we would just be like, ‘Oh, he’s just screaming and stuff.’ But then after the medium came, they were like, ‘That room’s haunted.’” —Ed Larson (25:14–27:28)

  “We’re all out to lunch at TGI Fridays… and my little cousin was like, ‘I miss the children that I used to play with there.’ …We were all just like, frozen.” —Eddie (30:44–30:57)

The Uncanny Phone Call (32:59–33:36)

• After Ed’s mother and her twin both die on July 19, three years apart, Ed’s aunt receives a call from Ed’s dead mother’s number on the day her brother dies—the morgue calling to report her brother’s death.

  “So she gets a call. She looks in the ID, says my mom—she picks up the phone, and it’s the morgue. Telling her that her fucking brother is in the morgue.” —Ed Larson (32:41–32:46)

Florida Years: Shadow Figures and Neighborhood Hauntings (33:43–45:33)

• Cemetery-adjacent school: Ed and his mom both see a bluish shadow figure, which the car physically drives through; the locks then go haywire. Years later, a friend experiences the exact same apparition and weird lock activity in the same spot.

• In their newer, supposedly “not-haunted” suburban development, Ed and his neighbors experience unexplained poltergeist-like phenomena, including objects moving or appearing out of nowhere, physical manifestations (books falling oddly), and seeing shadow figures inside their homes.

• Ed tells a particularly eerie story of seeing a blue, faceless shape in a chair, thinking it was his father, but the entity doesn’t respond.

  “Me and my mom, we see this… shadowy blue figure in the middle of the road… and then all of a sudden, once we get in the car, all of the locks in the car start going up and down. Like a spasm.” —Ed Larson (34:48–35:47)

  “My room was right before me and my buddies, we were about to go see Independence Day in the theater… and a book falls off of the speaker… and then I look back and the book’s back on the middle of the ground… then I saw the book… go to the ground. And it didn’t fall normal…” —Ed Larson (38:58–39:36)

  “We see, like, a man sitting in the chair in the darkness… no answer… the figure just like, sitting there… then the door shut behind us, and that was just fucking weird.” —Ed Larson (40:09–41:45)

Paranormal Skepticism vs. Experience

• Despite numerous chilling personal experiences, Ed remains a ghost skeptic:

  “Technically, I think it’s stupid, but I can’t explain this shit. …If someone could prove it to me… I think when we die, we become dirt.” —Ed Larson (19:36)

  “He says he feels the ghosts are a waste of time. These are the best ghost stories we’ve all heard. …He doesn’t believe in ghosts!” —Henry Zabrowski (36:32)

Discussion: Who Gets Haunted?

• Henry and Ed debate the roles of “sensitive people” vs. “haunted places”—settling on the combo being key for paranormal events.

• They touch on the idea that frequent marijuana use might reduce one’s susceptibility to such experiences.

  “There are people that can see it, and I think that there are places that have it. And they have to be together.” —Henry Zabrowski (43:59)

  “I’ve heard… weed dampens your ability to have contact with the other side. Weed’s bad for magic.” —Henry Zabrowski (45:01)

4. Listener & Internet Ghost Stories (47:59–56:44)

Haunted Sandwich Shop (48:03–52:43)

• A fan writes in about working at a haunted sandwich shop in Texas, complete with mysterious handprints, moving objects, and a vanishing man in a fedora and wool coat after close. The hosts riff on haunted hotels in Vegas (especially the Luxor) and discuss real-life tragedies at tourist attractions.

Hooters Haunting (52:45–53:16)

• Ed recounts security footage at a Tallahassee Hooters that inexplicably shows an old woman walking around inside the closed store, with the alarm never tripped.

Spooky Pasta: “Is It Safe?” in the Woods (54:51–57:21)

• Ed reads a chilling “spooky pasta” about a man camping alone in the woods who hears voices from different directions asking “Is it safe?”, ultimately realizing he’s not alone and arming himself, only for human predators to run off.

  “Not every scare is supernatural and not every predator is four legged.” —Ed reading “spooky pasta” fan tale (57:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On trying to perform on stage in costume:

  “I just feel your clothes were just slowly coming off. I had to redress Henry on stage multiple times.” —Eddie, on Henry’s plus-size Edward Scissorhands moment (09:39)

• On the paranormal and parental pranks:

  “Set up scenarios where they don’t know whether or not the house is haunted or not. Do what Eddie’s family did to him, probably.” —Henry (62:24)

• On the fatalism of life and death:

  “I want you to be…cost $60 to come pay, you know, your dues to me, you know… Look at his balls. Wow. Did they add to his balls?” —Henry and Eddie, envisioning Ed’s corpse displayed in the Bodies exhibit (20:32–21:02)

• On fan involvement:

  “Here’s a call: If you’re an engineer in the clothing industry and you want to work with me—Side stories lpotl gmail.com to make a standing up underwear for the egg shaped man!” —Henry (12:14)

• On Halloween safety:

  “Be safe. Make good choices… Don’t do pcp. … As parents, I think you guys…are being too kind to their children. Scare your kids.” —Henry (62:12–62:23)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Buying Halloween Merch / Humboldt Show Recap: 01:42–05:46
• Paranormal vs. True Crime Halloween Discussion: 16:35–18:39
• Ed’s Haunted Childhood Home (NJ): 22:44–32:59
• The “Dead Mom Calls About Her Brother” Story: 32:59–33:36
• Florida Ghosts & Shadow Figures: 33:43–45:33
• Listener Ghost Stories (Sandwich Shop, etc.): 47:59–52:43
• Hooters Ghost Tale: 52:45–53:16
• Spooky Pasta (“Is it safe?”): 54:51–57:21
• Closing Q&A, Plugs, and Parenting Advice: 57:32–62:45

Overall Tone & Takeaway

This episode is a quintessential Side Stories blend of wild storytelling, self-deprecating humor, and candid reminiscing, all wrapped in the irreverent but enthusiastic tone that makes Last Podcast so beloved. Personal stories of hauntings, skepticism, and childhood trauma both amuse and spook, providing the perfect Halloween treat for fans. Whether you’re a believer or not, the sincerity and detail in Ed’s stories—bolstered by moments from listeners—make for a genuinely engaging and occasionally chilling hour.

Happy Halloween from Side Stories!

For further stories or to submit your own: sidestorieslpotl@gmail.com