033: DAVE from DOPEY PODCAST + KEITH GRINER (music photojournalist) - On Addiction & Recovery

Episode 033 of *The Upful LIFE Podcast* welcomes the legendary DAVE from DOPEY PODCAST! This conversation is a couple of years in the making, and is one helluva heart-filling, harrowing, ultimately heroic story of human resilience and the magic of recovery. Dave has been a fearless leader of the Dopey Nation for a few years now, and his wildly-popular podcast just clocked it’s 4 MILLIONTH DOWNLOAD about a week ago. Just an astonishing story with inspiring highs juxtaposed with some of the darkest lows, brutal losses and excruciating sacrifices along the way. Absolutely riveting 100-min conversation with Dave. Followed by a topical, personal journal entry from yours truly, we hear from KEITH GRINER, a successful music photographer also in recovery. WARNING: This episode contains graphic content with regard to drug use and addiction. Please enter with caution, big heart and an open mind. DAVE of DOPEY PODCAST intro @ 8:00  SOMETIMES IT SNOWS IN APRIL - B.Getz - 2:00:00 KEITH GRINER @ 2:17:00       Dave built the Dopey Podcast with his friend Chris, and the show has found unbridled success, though at great cost to Dave, and those around him. From Long Island, NY, he checks in for a 100-minute chat that runs the gamut of his entire journey. We touch on a number of topics, including his personal and career paths, the evolution of Dopey Podcast, his musical tastes and experiences, the tragic deaths of two people very close to him, and the descent into the abyss of his own struggle with heroin and other drugs. Before ultimately partnership, fatherhood, and 4-plus years of recovery deliver us the Dave of today, happy, healthy and radiating. Listening to Dopey Podcast every week for a couple of years, Dave has become one of the most inspiring cats in my life, real talk, and it’s nothing short of an honor and privilege to give him a platform to share his story, straight no chaser. A beautifully human tale of darkness, depravity, recovery and rebirth. After Dave’s interview, I took the opportunity to read a journal entry from about a month ago with regard to conquering my own demons. Titled “Sometimes It Snows In April”, its a four-year reflection written on the anniversary of the day that Prince passed away.   To wrap things up on Ep.033, I reached back to late December 2019, well before all this virus madness, to a conversation I had with rock photographer KEITH GRINER. Keith is someone I’ve worked with in the music media on a few epic festivals & other occasions. He also has several years in recovery, and it was wonderful to give him the chance to reflect on his own journey, personally & professionally, and share some wisdom with regard to overcoming his addiction. If you or anyone you know is struggling with substance abuse and addiction, please reach out. There are numerous resources to assist. Feel free to hit me up directly at [email protected]   Vibe Junkie JAM of the Week “Down In A Hole” by Alice In Chains from MTV Unplugged in 1996.   EMAIL the SHOW! [email protected] PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW on iTunes! You Can Listen on Spotify!  Theme Song: Mazel Tov by CALVIN VALENTINE