Author: Margareth Soriano
As the days have gotten colder, wetter, and darker, the only thing getting me through them is the Upstairs Neighbors podcast. Hosted by Maya Umemoto and Dom Roberts, this podcast is consistently hilarious and is always up to date with recent pop culture moments. Maya and Dom share storytimes and “bold advice,” and if you’re “chronically online,” this is the podcast for you. Maya and Dom are quick with their internet references, as they’ve talked about the recent internet craze over Labubu’s and for their most recent episode, they dressed up as Elphaba and Gelinda in honor of the release of Wicked: For Good.
A favorite episode of mine is “EP: 75 Roommate Horror Stories” with special guest Mickey Gordon. In this episode we get to know more about the popular internet personality Mickey, and she discusses her “gap year life” and stories about her freshman year roommate. These three’s chemistry is unbeatable and left me on the floor laughing; the two have also been on their North American tour, going from state to state trying new cafes, restaurants, and activities, and then putting on an hour-long show, with VIP access allowing people to meet them before the show starts.
Apart from talking about what some people may call “brainrot,” they also touch on recent social and political movements in some of their episodes, and they were even able to interview New York’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani. In the short interview they discussed the changes Mamdani has in plan for New York, like universal childcare, how people can create community during political uncertainties, and how the city can lead a more sustainable life.
The podcast has recently joined TMG Studios, a podcast network owned by Noel Miller. This was a big move for the podcast, as it exposes them to a bigger and newer audience. This was a big jump from previously filming and recording their podcast in Dom’s living room to having a full-on studio and production team. As a day one listener, it’s been amazing seeing and hearing their growing success. So, if you’re in for an hour-long laugh, give these neighbors a listen.
Margareth Soriano | Music Reporter