Monthly Archives: January 2014

Those are the balls that I like best

What can you say about AC/DC that hasn’t already been said?
I have always liked them, a straight forward, no nonsense
Rock and Roll band with some serious talent.
As much as I admire them now I REALLY dug ’em when the
original lead singer, Bon Scott, was live and kicking.
During the 70s they were on fire, with Mr. Scott on top
of his game and singing like no other.
Here’s a cool little video of them, doing a song that I
played on this weeks show, with Bon at his best…

A GREAT party song!

I had ankle cancer and…

The great Kathleen Madigan is one of the very best comics
on the circuit, and has been for over twenty years.
I love to play her on the show and the listeners have
nothing but good things to say about her.
She has it all… superb material, a nice delivery and a
personality that is just perfect for stand up.
Here she is talking about New Years resolutions and
self diagnosis…

Great stuff!

RIP Peter, you WILL be missed

Legendary folk singer, Pete Seeger passed away yesterday
at the tender age of 94.
Mr. Seeger was much more than just a singer though, he was a
true American patriot who tirelessly gave voice to the lives
of the downtrodden, the blue collar worker, the middle class
and countless others who deserved more than they had.
I have the utmost respect for this man, one of just a very
few who risked everything…career, reputation and his
personal freedom, for refusing to play along with the
insidious McCarthy era anti-communist hysteria.
He was blacklisted, beaten down and shunned, but his spirit
was never broken…a real one of a kind patriot that has
done more for this country than ANY politician EVER!
Please take a moment and check this amazing human being
out on the internet.
His story should be told to all who care!
This is a video of him from 50 years ago, from a gig he did
in Australia, singing a ditty that I play on the show!

I WILL be playing it on the show this week!

I was gonna make espresso

Good ol’ Mel Brooks, real name Melvin James Kaminsky, there
are not enough compliments on the planet to extol all
of his virtues, in my humble opinion.
His contributions to the world of comedy are legendary…
Your Show of Shows, 2000 Year Old Man, Get Smart,
The Producers, Blazing Saddles, History of the World part 1,
Space Balls, Young Frankenstein and MANY more!
Young Frankenstein, is a favorite of mine for many reasons.
He uses some of the best comedic talents of the time and they
all do a stupendous job…Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman,
Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman and others are
perfect for their roles, couldn’t have pick a better cast.
One of the parts that stands out is a scene where Frankenstein
(Peter Boyle) is wandering, tired and lonely, through the
woods when he stumbles onto a rustic cabin lived in by an
old hermit (Gene Hackman).
This scene is a parody of the classic Bride of Frankenstein
movie from the 1930s, the original is one of the most touching
pieces of cinema ever created, and to see what Mel has done
with it, well…it’s a real hoot!

Great stuff!

And they’re STILL my friends

Here’s a twist.
Normally I like to post the three major comedy sources,
sketch, stand-up and musical in a sequence so that I can
mix things up a bit, rarely do they overlap.
This one will be a bit different, it is indeed a great
piece of stand-up by Mike Birbiglia but he released it
in an animated form, which is kind of neat.
This is a nice little cartoon by Mr. Birbiglia.
Some minor naughty bits but nothing to worry about.

Very funny stuff!

I’m the best that’s ever been

I’m in the mood for some Primus!
Les Claypool is the lead singer and bassist for the band
and one of the main reasons that they are as good as they are.
He has a reputation for being rather odd and eccentric and
it’s that set of attributes that make for a very unique sound
and experience, I’d love to see them live.
Here’s a great piece, both musically and visually, that I’ve
played on the show…

Primus sucks!
But you knew that…didn’t you?

Not to the cat, in any case

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were absolute trend setters
in the world of sketch comedy.
They were two of the four principle members of the stage
revue, Beyond the Fringe, a British comedy troupe that inspired
Monty Python, Not the 9:00 News and a multitude of other
humorous folk.
In the mid 60s they starred in a television show called
Not Only…But Also, which gave us many fine sketches that
I play on the show from time to time, just as fresh today
as when they were made.
They starred together in the classic Bedazzled film, where
Cook played the Devil and Moore a love struck average Joe
smitten by a women he could not have.
I could go on and on, there is much to discuss here, their
talent was that vast, but I’d rather show you a slice of their
comedy from Not Only…But Also, a piece called A Bit of a Chat.

Dark but funny!

I like doing nothing!

John Mulaney is a very talented up and coming stand up
comedian with a bright future ahead of him.
He’s laid back, has great observational material and
is as smooth as they come, he will go far.
He fits really well into the show and I play him whenever
I can, to good reviews, I might add.
Here he is talking about…nothing.

I like it!

Little pig, little pig let me in

Green Jelly, otherwise known as Green Jello, a name they
had to give up when sued by the Bovine Hoof People, is a
theatrical based band that started in Kenmore, NY back in
the 80s.
I have played them on the show and it works quite well.
I find it a little funny that the members were not musicians
when they began, barely able to strum and drum, but their
desire to be entertainers eventually overcame their lack
of talent. Fast forward a bit…they still tour and create
gleeful mayhem when given the chance.
They entertain on a level that most bands cannot, or will
not, and they have fun doing it.
Interesting stuff…

Rambo…?!