Podcast episode 435ish: Rob Pue

Rob Pue makes his debut appearance on What's So Funny?... again. That's right, he was with us years ago, but that is one of the lost episodes. Maybe one day it'll resurface. In the meantime, check this one out. He was keen to return, given how early he showed up. One of us mixed up AM and PM. We talk about his harrowing car accident, his new album Puegilist, juggling drama with hockey in high school, winning the San Francisco Comedy Competition, punking celebrities, and we end with him taking the Trivial Pursuit Challenge. Who will win?! Tune in to find out.

Here's the link. That's all you need. But if you prefer, go subscribe to What's So Funny? on iTunes and it'll magically show up in your feed every time a new podcast episode is dropped. We're also on Stitcher.

Podcast episode 434ish: Brett Martin

Brett Martin's talk show premiered at Yuk Yuk's on Sunday, September 11, i.e. before we recorded this episode. But I believe it'll be a monthly show so you can still check it out. And if the next one is anything like the first, get your tickets early. The place was packed! I was impressed with the show. It had everything you want in a talk show: a band, a sidekick, crummy monologue jokes, prepared bits, and interesting guests (an Olympic bronze medalist, a comedy reviewer – ahem! –, a freak show, a comedian, and a wrestler). Good times.

But I'm here to talk about this latest podcast episode. Sure, we talked about the upcoming (now past) talk show, but we also talked about Brett's varied career. Did you know he ran for mayor of Calgary when he was in his early 20s? He also worked at the Calgary Sun despite not graduating from high school. And we end with a Trivial Pursuit smackdown. More good times.

Here's the episode in its sweet entirety. You can also go download it at iTunes or Stitcher and the like.

Sept. 18: Sophie Buddle (again... for the first time)

Efthimios was our guest last week.
(Check last week for Sophie's picture.)

If you read this blog without tuning in to the show on radio, you'll be surprised to read that Sophie Buddle is our guest tonight when I wrote last week that she'd be our guest. After I wrote that, Sophie informed me she was sick. So at the last moment, I snagged Efthimios Nasiopoulos to sub in for her. And tonight, Sophie will make her return visit... for the first time.

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM at 11 pm to see if she's there. You can also livestream us at coopradio.org or on TuneIn Radio and other such apps.

In the Dark – episode 14

What's this now? In the Dark? Yeah, remember a while back when I had Jason Bryden on What's So Funny? I told you about his new podcast, In the Dark? And I mentioned I guested on it. Well, here it is. I gotta say this is some of his best work! If you haven't heard his podcast yet, check my episode out and then work your way backward. I really enjoy it. Something about the way Jason thinks and talks greatly amuses me. In each episode, he gives a lengthy solo preamble to a conversation he has with someone on some esoteric topic, and then at the end gives a rundown of five (or so) things he learned in the discussion. It's a lot of fun and you might even learn something, too. Not necessarily from me in this episode, but I had a great time talking to him.


This hyperlink will take you to our talk. And, as with What's So Funny?, you can always go find it yourself on iTunes or Stitcher.

Sept. 11: Sophie Buddle Efthimios Nasiopoulos

Who's been the youngest guest on What's So Funny? Good question. I don't keep stats but I betcha tonight's guest is right up there. We've got 22-year-old standup sensation Sophie Buddle in studio. And she's already a wily 7-year standup vet having started at the tender age of 15. She's already played Just For Laughs in Montreal twice and been on cool alt shows in Los Angeles. Tonight we'll find out how this happens and where she'll go from here.
Turns out Sophie was sick so we got Efthimios Nasiopoulos in at the last moment. Sophie will be in studio on Sept. 18. Fingers crossed!
We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. Tune in.

Podcast episode 433ish: Jason Bryden

Jason Bryden left us for Toronto 3.5 years ago but we still love him. He was back in town visiting family so we nabbed him while we could. In this episode, JB talks about being a quitter. He's quit comedy, quit theatre, and quit social media. He's still acting in almost every TV commercial, though. Plus he's started something new. In the Dark with Jason Bryden is his new podcast. Get in on the ground floor and start listening. As of today, he's only 12 episodes in so it's manageable. But first listen to this fun talk I had with him. He may or may not have been wearing adult diapers during our conversation.

Here's the link to get you started on your way. If you prefer, you can always go to iTunes or Stitcher or Tunein Radio or PlayerFM or wherever else you can find it. We're there for you.

Sept. 4: Rob Pue

September already? Good lord. We went on the air officially in September 2004 (after our first unofficial episode aired in April of that year). So what does this make it? The start of our 13th year? That can't be right. I don't know. I just take it one show at a time and give 110 percent each show.

Tonight we've got Rob Pue for the first (second) time. I do believe Rob was with us once before but I wasn't there for it and it's not in our audio archives so it never happened. Rob used to live in Vancouver. Used to live in L.A., too. And Edmonton. But he's been in Toronto for the last ten years. He's got a new album out called Puegilist available on iTunes and Spotify and the like. Rob was headlining Yuk Yuk's Vancouver this past weekend and will be doing the new Yuks in Abbotsford and Victoria in coming weeks. We'll play a clip from his new album and talk about everything we haven't talked about before, including a near-death experience he had five years ago.

Tune in tonight at 11 pm to 100.5 FM in Vancouver. Or livestream us from Toronto (and anywhere else) at coopradio.org or on Tunein Radio.

Podcast episode 432ish: Tim Nutt

The hits just keep on comin'. This episode features the great Tim Nutt, one of the country's top headliners. That he manages this feat being based in West Kelowna is remarkable. He explains it here. We also talk about the Sirius Comedy Competition, but the voting for that is over now. Spoiler alert: Tim didn't advance. It tells you something either about the level of talent in the country or the competition itself that Nutt, John Beuhler, and Chuck Byrn didn't make it to the next level. Any one of those three in any given year could win the whole thing, yet here they are on the outside looking in. I really hate competitions. But that's neither here nor there. We talk about other things, too, including the problem with open mics, human rights commissions, and parenting today.

I give you my permission to start listening right now by offering you this gizmo below. You may also go off on your own to find it and download it on iTunes or Stitcher or elsewhere. Go now in peace.