The Night Owl Podcast — Episode 55

"Spirits at Sunset Strip, Part II"
Released December 30, 2024

Overview

In this immersive episode, host Stephen Belyeu and the Night Owl Paranormal Research team continue their investigation into the Sunset Strip Comedy Club, a venue layered with decades of Austin history and mounting reports of chilling paranormal activity. The crew, including psychic medium Jeffrey, investigative teammates Alexis and Franklin, and staff members, aim to both validate personal experiences and scrutinize physical explanations for strange phenomena within the club. Through psychic impressions, technical experiments, and unprecedented witness validation, the team explores what — or who — haunts these historic walls.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recap & Context: What’s Haunting Sunset Strip?

• Previous reports included:
  • Disembodied voices calling out staff names
  • Shadowy apparitions in the back areas and green room
  • Unexplained, shifting foul odors
  • A pervasive, ominous presence in the back stairwell, possibly tied to a reported suicide (Lysol ingestion) years prior
• Purpose: Test these reports with a fresh investigation, including use of the Estes Method and Ganzfeld experiments (psychic/sensory deprivation techniques).

2. Arrival & Psychic Impressions (00:25–14:00)

Early Impressions from Jeffrey (Psychic Medium)

• Without prior knowledge, Jeffrey reports:

  “For the last couple of days, I've been seeing someone hearing their name called, you know, when nobody else was there…” (04:06, Jeffrey)

  • Picks up on music and old records — possibly referencing prior venues (The Parish, Mercury Lounge).
  • Hints of overlapping human voices, laughter, secrets, and a lingering sense of activity, especially in hallways near the green room and bar.

Validation

• Staff confirm this matches their experiences of invisible voices and misplaced objects.

Specific Visions

• Witnesses the back of a man’s head, brown hair, white shirt seated in the audience:

  “It looks like the back of a guy's head, brownish hair, wearing a white shirt. He's just sitting there.” (10:11, Jeffrey)

• In the former apartment area (now storage):

  “I feel like it was a guy who lived back here. I saw him in the shower...” (11:04, Jeffrey)

  • Historical note: Former male owner did live there, though still alive.

• On the infamous stairwell: not much felt, but mentions a “liminal space” (transitional, energetically charged).

• Repeated encounters with a male “stagehand” energy:

  “Taller than I am...maybe kind of chunky, short brown hair from the back...stage manager vibe...” (13:09, Jeffrey)

In the Green Room and Backstage

• Echoes of strong, residual energy; shadow figures glimpsed only in mirrors.
• Feels a touch on his shoulder, hears “excuse me” (from male entity). Feels dedicated but lonely; possibly attached to equipment, not the building.

3. Technical Investigations: Explaining the Unexplainable? (25:33–27:49)

• High EMF readings in the back office (breaker boxes): can make sensitive folks feel uneasy, but not dangerous.

• Dimmer switches that move on their own: some explained by age/faulty parts, though one high capacity dimmer remains a mystery:

  “The dimmer switches moving on their own wasn't as explainable. So this still remained a mystery to us.” (27:49, Stephen Ballew)

• Attempts to debunk loud banging noises (thought to be pipes or restroom sinks) fail:

  “...banged on the wall as hard as they could. It did not produce a banging sound at all...very hard to debunk.” (30:22, Stephen Ballew)

4. The Experiments: Estes Method & Ganzfeld Sessions (37:27–59:30)

a. Jeffrey’s Estes Session—Evidence of Theft, Fear, and a Sinister Voice

• Keywords repeatedly surfaced: thief, theft, switches, six (6), fear.
• Notable exchange:

  "Thief. Again. Snake. Sneak. Jump." (37:55, Jeffrey) “Six. Six. Six...Sinister.” (39:02, Bo) "Fear." (39:10, Jeffrey)

  • Multiple presences: young man, young woman, and a deeper sinister male voice.

b. Franklin’s Estes Session—A Skeptic’s Terrifying Encounter

• Repeats “thief”, “Steven” (not sure if host or historical), “jump”.
• Name “Emma” surfaces, amid urgent, repeated female screaming:

  “Muscular. Screaming. Woman screaming...” (45:14–45:19, Franklin)

  • After session, Franklin (self-proclaimed skeptic) admits:

    “...the woman would scream, the sounds would ultimately just turn dark and then it would sound like you're hearing a woman screaming on the telephone...Afraid for their life. Screaming.” (46:40–47:21, Franklin)

c. Alexis’ Ganzfeld Session—Faces, Snakes, and a Demand for Attention

• Experiences physical sensations (chair kicked, face touched), intense visuals of angry male with snake-like eyes, crowd of shadow figures.
• Repeated mention: "Steven, the stairs–you need to go see the stairs." (51:18, Alexis)
• Staff member Philip confirms seeing similar visualizations, adding further credibility.

d. Philip’s Estes (on the Stairs)—Snakes, Screams, and a Plea

• Snakes “coming from the outside edges,” loud female screams, words “snitch,” “bodies,” “leave,” “escape,” and “war against women.”
• Unnerved by desperate pleas:

  “I didn't like the ‘please’ at all. It kind of made me want to take it off immediately...the pleas was, like, desperate.” (57:34, Philip)

e. Jeffrey’s Second Estes (on the Stairs)—Names Surface, Blocked Communication

• Voices fragment: “Help. John. Help John, out, please...”
• "Stop" and silence whenever the team tries to press for details about “John” (possibly referencing J. Waller Stevens, Jr., alleged suicide victim).

5. Physical & Historical Correlations (Throughout)

• Psychic impressions frequently match staff reports and historical sketches:
  • Audience/Stagehand presences
  • Area between the green room and the stairwell recognized as a “liminal” hot spot
  • Several sessions reference a “theft” (rumored bookkeeper embezzlement, confirmed by staff memory but unproven by research so far)
  • Female presences—some friendly, some in distress

  “I feel like he's...a guardian angel for this building...kind of a backstage work hand.” (29:20, Jeffrey)

  • Aggressive, possibly protective or oppressive male presence.

6. Witness Testimony: Performer from St. Louis Validates Psychic Visions (68:49–78:27)

Lindsay's Account (remote performer)

• Walks into the building and feels “a lot of presence, a lot of heaviness,” especially at the top of the stairwell.
• Backstage, repeatedly feels an extra person present, hears unexplained rolling noises (“...something was rolling, but there was nothing.” (68:49, Lindsay)).
• Feels a youthful, feminine energy in the green room and an older, masculine energy at the stairwell/back door.
• On stage, senses both someone in the audience and another on stage with her, both masculine:

  “The energy and presence that was on the stage with me felt like someone who was there to do a job. The energy in the audience felt like someone who was there to have fun...” (77:26, Lindsay)

• Stephen:

  “The most prominent energy [Jeffrey] felt was a male who worked the stage there...not something that the staff ever described.” (77:58, Stephen)

• Lindsay’s testimony strikingly validates Jeffrey’s earlier, otherwise unconfirmed impressions.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Psychic Impressions Matching Reports:

  “More than images this time. Usually it's pictures, but this all had to do with human voices. Lots of human voices.” (04:29, Jeffrey)

• On the Stagehand Spirit (“Hank”):

  “He's a big guy...very dedicated. He likes being busy, but it feels like he's kind of hurt, too. Maybe lonely.” (14:58, Jeffrey)

• On Technical Failures to Explain Phenomena:

  “...banged on the wall as hard as they could. It did not produce a banging sound at all...very hard to debunk.” (30:22, Stephen Ballew)

• On the Repeated Theme of ‘Theft’ and ‘Snitch’:

  "Thief. Again. Snake. Sneak. Jump." (37:55, Jeffrey)
  "Thief Again." (43:00, Franklin)

• On The Female Scream (Estes Sessions):

  “The woman would scream, the sounds would ultimately just turn dark...Afraid for their life. Screaming.” (46:40–47:21, Franklin)

• On Validation from Lindsay’s Outside Testimony:

  “I felt someone on the stage with me who wasn’t there, and...someone in the audience...Both of the energies felt male...” (77:51, Lindsay)

• On The Unexplained ("Hank")

  “...no one on the staff had ever reported anything like him. I wasn't sure what to make of that...” (67:24, Stephen Ballew)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–04:00: Recap of prior episode, staff reports, introduction of the team
• 04:00–14:00: Jeffrey’s first psychic walkthrough and initial impressions
• 14:00–28:00: Investigating private areas, back stairwell, green room, and backstage—psychic impressions, object movement
• 25:33–27:49: Alexis & Franklin run EMF and technical explanations on electrical “hot spots” and dimmer switches
• 30:58–33:47: Alexis & Franklin try to debunk unexplained sounds
• 37:27–41:21: Estes Method session #1 (Jeffrey)
• 42:28–47:56: Estes session #2 (Franklin) and detailed debriefing on overwhelming “screaming woman”
• 48:54–53:16: Ganzfeld session (Alexis): physical sensations and intense visualizations, “Steven, the stairs”
• 54:20–59:30: Estes sessions on staircase (Philip/Jeffrey): snakes, “bodies,” desperate pleas, “help John”
• 61:20–67:24: Final team recaps, staff & psychic perspective, open questions
• 68:49–78:27: Lindsay’s surprise witness account from Missouri—external validation of psychic findings
• 78:27–80:20: Stephen’s reflection, next steps, plans to research "Hank’s" true identity

Conclusion & Ongoing Mysteries

The investigation delivers a rare blend of psychic impressions, technical scrutiny, overlapping witness testimony, and unresolved mysteries. The team's findings suggest:

• Multiple distinct spirits: A busy, recent-era male "stagehand" (possibly “Hank”), a frightened or oppressed female (possibly tied to historic or criminal events), and a more sinister, controlling masculine presence.
• Persistent themes: Thievery, pleas for help, intense emotional echoes (fear, loneliness).
• Physical phenomena: Name-calling voices, shadow figures, objects moving, unexplained electrical anomalies, and ritualistic mention of “snakes.”
• Historic intrigue: Rumored embezzlement and suicide (J. Waller Stevens Jr.), yet unconfirmed by research.
• External witness validation: Independent testimonies echo the team’s psychic findings, especially regarding stage/audience presences.

Next Steps:
The Night Owl team will continue their investigation, seek deeper historical context, and introduce a new psychic (Kate the Brave) in a subsequent episode, aiming to further unravel the Sunset Strip’s ghostly enigmas.

For New Listeners

This episode is a prime example of the Night Owl Podcast's evocative, respectful approach to paranormal investigation. The team’s balance of skepticism and sensitivity — coupled with technical rigor — offers a compelling, accessible entry into real-world ghost hunting.

Tune in for Part III of “Spirits at Sunset Strip” on January 27, 2025.