RISK! — Live from Austin!
Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Kevin Allison
Episode Theme: True, uncensored stories recorded live in Austin, Texas.
Episode Purpose: To showcase an array of unforgettable, often hilarious and deeply personal stories from a diverse group of storytellers—many of them local or directly connected to the Austin community—illustrating the power, unpredictability, and heart at the center of the RISK! live storytelling experience.
Episode Overview
Kevin Allison brings RISK! to Austin, presenting a lineup of storytellers—some comedians, some writers, some everyday people—sharing stories that range from the outrageous to the poignant. Every story pushes the boundary of vulnerability, humor, and authenticity, true to the RISK! ethos: "People telling true stories they never thought they'd dare to share."
Key Segments and Stories
Opening Remarks
Host: Kevin Allison
Time: 03:50 – 06:41
- Kevin introduces RISK! for new listeners and sets the scene of the live event in Austin.
- Expresses excitement about visiting Austin and a desire to engage deeper with the city's storytelling community.
- “We want so much to come back and we want to do several shows and several workshops...we really want to make that great city a place where we're building a little bit of community.” (Kevin Allison, 05:20)
Story 1: “The Redhead”
Storyteller: Paul Normandon
Time: 06:41 – 15:51
Summary
- Paul recounts the saga of repeatedly asking for a “redhead” for his birthday, year after year, from girlfriend-then-wife Victoria.
- The running joke weaves through milestones (dating, marriage, adopting a child, teaching Sunday school).
- On his 40th birthday, Paul is led to believe his long-standing wish will come true, only to have an epic surprise party instead.
Highlights & Memorable Moments
- The tension-filled anticipation from Paul’s perspective, believing his wife and her redheaded best friend are about to fulfill his fantasy.
- The punchline lands at the climactic “Surprise!”—the real gift is a party with friends, family, and even Sunday school students.
- “And 40 people, some co-workers, many from church, Sunday school students, my 13-year-old daughter...” (Paul Normandon, 14:07)
- Self-reflective and comedic: “I'd like to tell you I was a brilliant improviser...I was fucking so confused. My head was ready to explode.” (Paul Normandon, 14:33)
Notable Quote
“Did you really just say that? And then she said, what do you really want? So I got out of that one.”
(Paul Normandon on his wife’s reaction, 08:36)
Host Interlude: FetLife and the Redhead Fetish
Host: Kevin Allison
Time: 15:51 – 17:20
- Kevin shares his own encounter with fetish groups online, noting the disparity between groups for those who love redheaded women versus redheaded men.
- “There’s a fairly newer group which is like people who love red headed men. And there’s like four members. So we’ve got to do something, people.” (Kevin Allison, 16:50)
Story 2: “Testicular Torsion”
Storyteller: Nick Scott
Time: 20:21 – 32:30
Summary
- College student Nick’s late-night solo session at home goes awry when he is overcome by severe testicular pain.
- Convinced by WebMD that he has six hours until emergency surgery or permanent loss, he panics but is desperate not to reveal the embarrassing cause to his parents.
- Hilarity and mortification ensue as his only option is to elicit his dad’s help and navigate the hospital system in agony—and secrecy.
Highlights & Memorable Moments
- Recurring attempt to “power through it,” echoing football-coach motivation.
- The mortifying 7-11 detour by his Ambien-dosed dad: “I open my eyes and see that we are at 7:11. And my dad gets out, walks in...and he finally gets a donut and he comes back out and he's like, I just thought I'd get snacks. I don't know how long this is going to be. I was like, dad, we're on a time crunch.” (Nick Scott, 27:23)
- Series of excruciating parent, nurse, and doctor interactions, all while refusing to admit the true context.
- Eventually, it’s “just a cyst”—and Nick feels simultaneously relieved and frustrated.
Notable Quote
“I really disappointed my football coach.”
(Nick Scott, 32:26)
Story 3: “Graffiti Rosetta Stone”
Storyteller: Daya Lakshmanarayana
Time: 33:12 – 44:12
Summary
- Daya describes an uprooted childhood as the daughter of Indian immigrants, bouncing from city to city and school to school.
- Misfit status is constant, magnified by race, vegetarianism, and an unpronounceable last name; behavior issues lead to expulsions from both Lutheran and Catholic schools.
- Struggles with academics and reading, until one fateful day she learns to decode her first sentence—from bathroom graffiti.
Highlights & Memorable Moments
- Daya’s deadpan observations on fitting in: “We were tiny brown Indian, Hindu vegetarians with a 16 letter last name. We did not fit in.” (Daya, 34:20)
- “My mother read a letter, and she looked at me with sadness in her eyes, and she goes, ‘Your scholarship was not renewed, which just means, never come back to our school, you little brown heathen.’” (Daya, 36:14)
- Her breakthrough reading moment with “Jesus loves you, motherfucker” written in lipstick in a bathroom stall.
- The affirmation: “Their pornographic graffiti was my fucking Rosetta Stone.” (Daya, 44:08)
Story 4: “Coke vs. Pepsi (Girl Code)”
Storyteller: Michael Jastrow
Time: 44:53 – 58:11
Summary
- Socially awkward Mike’s longing for a girlfriend leads to his first relationship via coded messages at a high school party.
- Girls refer to him as “Coke” and orchestrate the courtship with Mary, who ultimately switches her affection to his more charismatic friend Craig—now “Pepsi.”
- The fallout: heartbreak, betrayal, and the revelation that Mary is terminally ill.
Highlights & Memorable Moments
- Comic detail: “...a silk paisley shirt that was kind of opened in a half butterfly neck that showcased my single chest hair...” (Michael Jastrow, 47:24)
- Girl code sequence: “Mary really likes Coke...Coke is out. Pepsi is in.” (Michael Jastrow, 52:30 & 53:10)
- Anti-climax: Michael is dumped, Craig moves in, and a “Truth” game reveals Mary’s terminal illness—stunning everyone but her close friends.
- Sobering reflection: “Other people aren't objects to be coveted, and...there's a very good chance that you're not going to be the main character.” (Michael Jastrow, 57:39)
Story 5: “Drive Good”
Storyteller: Sam Dingman
Time: 59:00 – 71:45
Summary
- Struggling in New York as an actor, Sam takes up cab driving, finding satisfaction and belonging in simply “driving good.”
- A severe accident leads to an illegal offer from the other driver’s husband, a brush with insurance fraud, further vehicular misfortune, and a profane voicemail threat.
- After a full mental breakdown (in front of a passenger), Sam pivots in life, lands an office job, and reflects on both happiness and mundane security.
Highlights & Memorable Moments
- The gravitas of “just drive good” as existential guidance.
- “If I took this mangled taxi back to Sonny’s garage, he wasn’t going to care how the whole thing happened. He was just going to fire me.” (Sam Dingman, 62:15)
- “You motherfucker. You think you’re gonna get away with this bullshit? I got your phone number, asshole...” (Voicemail played at 68:30)
- Final moment of catharsis—surrendering the cab for an admin desk job, acknowledging he's never again had as much danger nor ever been as happy as that moment on the Grand Central Parkway.
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
- Paul Normandon (on surprise party switcheroo):
“I was fucking so confused. My head was ready to explode. I don't know that anybody noticed it, but I'm sure for a few minutes I was a little pissy.” (14:33) - Nick Scott (on not wanting to tell his mom):
“Mom, I'm talking to dad right now. Dad, just trust me. Like, we need to go to the hospital. It's a time. We have six hours.” (25:40) - Daya Lakshmanarayana (on graffiti literacy):
“Jesus loves you, motherfucker. And I started reading because of bathroom graffiti on the stall...their pornographic graffiti was my fucking Rosetta Stone.” (43:20, 44:08) - Michael Jastrow (on lesson learned):
“Other people aren't objects to be coveted, and...you're not going to be the main character.” (57:39) - Sam Dingman (final realization):
“And I have never again been in as much danger as I was that day...But I've also never been as happy as I was that night on the Grand Central Parkway.” (71:43)
Episode Highlights & Tone
- Candid, irreverent, and brutally honest—stories run the gamut from embarrassing sexual mishaps and adolescent heartbreak to the immigrant child’s outsider perspective and the search for purpose amid urban chaos.
- Frequent comic relief is used even in moments of serious vulnerability.
- The episode features a lived-in, confessional tone that makes each narrative intimate, often hilarious, and sometimes unexpectedly moving.
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Time | Segment/Story | Storyteller | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------| | 03:50 | Opening, Austin intro | Kevin Allison | | 06:41 | “The Redhead” | Paul Normandon | | 15:51 | Host interlude (FetLife, redhead fetish) | Kevin Allison | | 20:21 | “Testicular Torsion” | Nick Scott | | 33:12 | “Graffiti Rosetta Stone” | Daya Lakshmanarayana | | 44:53 | “Coke vs. Pepsi (Girl Code)” | Michael Jastrow | | 59:00 | “Drive Good” | Sam Dingman | | 72:52 | Outro song snippet and wrap-up | Kevin + group |
Closing Reflection
RISK! “Live from Austin!” is an indelibly wild, funny, and humane listen. Whether new to the show or a longtime fan, this episode captures the highwire act of live storytelling: moments of excruciating honesty and humor that viewers think could never happen—but that always do. For all its unfiltered moments, the warmth and heart of the evening shines through.
Final Word:
“Today's the day. Take a risk.” (Kevin Allison, 73:11)