Podcast episode 549ish: Dino Archie (& Jon Bryant)

When Dino Archie came over to play, he brought a friend: musician/singer Jon Bryant. We didn't know Jon would participate, so he didn't get the introduction he deserves. But we eventually got around to it, and we all had a grand old time. Dino talks about his life of leisure now that he's retired. Or should I say "retired"? I still don't know if he is or not. We talk about Dino and Jon's LA exploits, the perils of Twitter, door-to-door knife salesmen, and an idea for a new podcast.

Listen below or find us on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, all the usual places. Subscribe to us wherever you download podcasts. And leave a review, while you're at it.

Oct. 20: Dino Archie

Old pal Dino Archie, who has been our guest five previous times, hasn't paid us a visit in 3.5 long years. But that all changes tonight when he returns. We always have a fun, spirited discussion. I like the way he thinks. About everything. Who knows what we'll talk about, but it's never hard coming up with topics with him. Dino spends time both here and in Los Angeles, where he's kinda from (I mean, technically Fresno, but... close?). He performs standup all over North America, and even did a set on Jimmy Kimmel Live a couple years ago.

Tune in tonight at 11pm to CFRO 100.5 FM. If you're in LA or Fresno or wherever you may be, you can livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app somewhere. Dig around. You'll find us.

Podcast episode 421ish: Dino Archie

I love talking with Dino Archie, whether we record it or not. That's why I keep having him back. This is his fourth solo appearance on the show. Once he came on with Sunee Dahliwal. And another time he guest hosted for me. But he's never been hotter than he is right now. The guy's career is on fire. He just filmed a spot on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Adam Devine's House Party. He won the Seattle Comedy Competition in November. He's got a new album coming out later this month called Settling Old Scores. And he's about to bring his VanCity Comedy Extravaganza to the River Rock Show Theatre stage (Saturday, April 30). This episode was recorded during the radio station's spring member drive (if you'd like to become a member or simply donate to the station, go to coopradio.org and click on 'donate'). When that happens, I usually edit out the pitches for the podcast. But because Dino jumped in and made them fun, I decided to keep them in.

Enjoy this one like I did. You can click on the gizmo below if your browser lets you see it. If not, head over to iTunes or Stitcher or a place like that and download us into your head.

Apr. 17: Dino Archie

It's Dino Archie time again, ladies and germs! Dino has been on the show numerous times before. With this appearance, he now joins the exclusive 5-time Member Club along with Paul Anthony, Steve Bays, Graham Clark, Ian Boothby, Will Davis, Harry Doupe, Darren Frost, Richard Lett, Darcy Michael, Kliph Nesteroff, Dylan Rhymer, and Tim Rykert. I guess that's not so exclusive after all. But fine company, nonetheless. Dino's been on a roll lately. He won the most recent Seattle International Comedy Competition and even more recently taped a set on Jimmy Kimmel's late night talk show. His star is on the rise. And on April 30, he's getting together another one of his Comedy Extravaganzas at the River Rock Show Theatre featuring himself, Graham Clark (see list above), Darcy Michael (see list above), Ivan Decker (former guest of WSF?), Dave Merheje (former guest of WSF?), Kathleen McGee (former guest of WSF?) and New York comic Mike Blaustein. All for the low, low price of under $20. You can't afford not to go! Dino's one of my favourite people to talk to whether it's on the show or on the town, so I'm looking forward to it.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver and around the world streaming at coopradio.org or whatever radio app you use. So no reason to miss us.

Podcast episode 383ish: Dino Archie

I always love talking to Dino Archie, whether it's in studio or just around town. I like the way he thinks. Plus he's a good dude. Sure, I don't understand his hip lingo half the time, but I get the gist of it. In this episode, we talk about getting down with softball, the power of positive thinking, being a heckler whisperer, the Dubai/Mumbai hilarity, delivering ice cream to Charles Manson, and bike lane/weight room a-holes. Plus he's got some bonus tracks in his pants for you!

Listen below. Or download us at iTunes, Stitcher, etc.

Mar. 29: Dino Archie

Back in studio this week with a live guest (the best kind of guest, if you ask me). It's old friend Dino Archie dropping by. The eminently likeable Californian will talk about his new album, Choosy Lover, and tell us all about his recent trip to Dubai. This will be his fourth visit with us (fifth if you count the time he guest-hosted for me with Shirley Gnome as a guest), but he hasn't been on for a couple of years. It's always a fun time when Dino's here.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM and will be talking non-stop until midnight. We might take a little break to play a clip from his new album, though. Join us.

Podcast episode 339ish: Shirley Gnome (with Dino Archie)

It's too bad I got sick the day Shirley Gnome was scheduled to drop
by the What's So Funny? studios. Last time she was on the show, I got a front row seat and private show for her cheeky and filthy songs. Not only are they funny, but she's such a good singer. But alas I couldn't make it in. Thankfully Dino Archie was able to guest host in a pinch. He says it was his first time, but that's not quite right. He once spent an episode interviewing me. I let him have full reigns. So I knew he could do it.

This is a fun episode. I listened to it. Not at the time, of course, because I was sick. But I heard it. They had great chemistry, although it might very well have been the alcohol. See if you agree. They talked about creepy fans, her recent foray into the Edinburgh Fringe, and they got in plenty o' slags at me. But why not? I can take it. And of course Shirley sings a couple of ditties.

Check it out. You can also find it on iTunes (eventually), Stitcher (now), and PodcastLand (now).

Feb. 16: Shirley Gnome

Shirley Gnome (Alex
Waterhouse photo)

It's Valentine's Day weekend so it's only fitting we've got Shirley Gnome back for her second visit. Unfortunately, I won't be there. I'm sick as a proverbial dog as I write this. But the show must go on! I've enlisted the aid of Dino Archie to serve as guest host. He did such a good job of interviewing me a couple years ago, now he gets a chance to interview a real guest. Both he and Shirley crushed at the CFRO fundraiser back in November so it'll be good to have them together again. What they'll talk about, I don't know. But I do know Shirley played the famed Edinburgh Fringe Festival last summer to rave reviews and she was featured on Global News a day or two ago for her Valentine's Day show at Little Mountain Gallery. And that she still has a potty mouth. And the voice of an angel. I hope she brings her guitar like last time and sings some songs for us. If I'm not passed out, I'll be listening. It should be tons of fun.

Dino Archie

That's tonight from 11 to midnight on CFRO, 100.5 FM, in Vancouver. And you can livestream it, which is how I'll be listening, by going to coopradio.org.

Comedy extravaganza at Pat's Pub, Nov. 22

You're here so I assume you love comedy. Well, have I got a deal for you! Mark November 22 in your calendars. Not only is it the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, but it's also the night of a thousand stars. Or six, anyway. CFRO, Vancouver co-op radio, is holding a fundraiser at Pat's Pub and Brewhouse (home of cheap and delicious beer and eats) and you're invited! For the low, low cost of $10 (plus $1.59 for Eventbrite's troubles), you can get yourself a ticket to the extravaganza featuring six of Canada's top headlining standup comedians, plus the music of James Danderfer and the What's So Funny? Orchestra, and Eric Cottrell of She Was The Law.

Let's run down the line-up for you if you're not sold on it already. What do these comics have in common, besides being hilarious? You guessed it, they've each guested on What's So Funny? on co-op radio over the years. Here, in alphabetical order, is who you'll see:

Dino Archie. This Fresno, California, native is practically a local given the amount of time he spends up here at his home-away-from-home. Vancouver fans have come to love his infectious enthusiasm and "simply dope" comedy. In June, Dino brought in a couple of his comedy brethren from Los Angeles and Toronto, added in Ivan Decker, and packed the Vogue Theatre on the strength of his brand.

Graham Clark. The bearded wonder spent the summer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where his show garnered great reviews like this and this. A four-time nominee at the Canadian Comedy Awards and co-winner twice for his podcast Stop Podcasting Yourself. In 2008, Graham pocketed $25,000 as the winner of the Great Canadian Laugh-Off in Toronto. He's appeared on HBO's Funny as Hell series. Zach Galifianakis (of Hangover fame) calls him, "A really great comic... I wish more people knew of him." And that's not a made-up quote!

Ivan Decker. The Georgia Straight called the boyish(-looking) Decker "a real star in the making." Yes, I wrote that. And I stand by it. He never ceases to amaze and amuse with his smart(-aleck) observations. Decker has played the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal and this past summer performed at JFL42 in Toronto. Maybe you saw him opening for Brent Butt at the River Rock Show Theatre. In 2011, Ivan won the Vancouver Comedy Showdown.

Charlie Demers. CBC radio listeners are familiar with Demers through his numerous appearances on The Debaters. But that's just one aspect of this multi-faceted performer. He's the author of the novel Prescription Errors and the book of essays Vancouver Special. Charlie's latest gig is as adjunct new media studies professor in the creative writing depart of UBC, but don't let that scare you off. The 32-year-old doesn't lecture when he's on stage telling jokes.

Shirley Gnome. The voice of an angel, but her lyrics are anything but angelic. The naughty songstress sings hilariously filthy c*untry songs. Shirley won the 2012 People's Champ of Comedy award, which was accompanied by a cheque for a cool $20,000. This past summer Shirley took her act on the high road, all the way sunny Scotland where her performances drew raves (and more raves, and still more) at the Edinburgh Fringe Fest.

Erica Sigurdson. One of the most prolific comics in the country. Sigurdson never ceases to impress me with her constantly changing act. No wonder she holds the record for most appearances on CBC's The Debaters. The woman knows how to write. Erica has performed all over the world, from Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan (during a rocket attack, yet!) to Alert, Nunavut, the northernmost permanently people place on the planet. She's played in every province and comedy festival in this country. Plus, she won a Leo Award for Best Comedy Screenwriting.

What a winner of a show! If you get your tickets online at eventbrite.ca, not only will you be saving yourself money (tickets are 12 bucks at the door), but you'll be entered into a draw for prizes, such as passes to the two premier comedy clubs in town, the Comedy MIX and Yuk Yuk's. And you'll be helping co-op radio, which relies on memberships and donations from its listeners to keep on keeping on.

Podcast episode 307ish: Dino Archie & Sunee Dhaliwal

Here's one of the liveliest episodes we've had. Dino Archie invited along his good buddy Sunee Dhaliwal at the last minute and the two of them left me in the dust. Sunee would help things along by translating Dino's hip street talk to old white guy so I could understand. Along the way, Dino emotes like a true thespian for any casting agents who might be listening, Sunee tells the story of a time when he innocently used a racial epithet by accident, and I talk about getting dunked on by Alonzo Bodden. It's three dudes enjoying each other's company... pause. (Did I do that right?)

Have a listen below or go download it at iTunes. It'll do your heart good. If you don't see a player below, click on this link for the stream.

Feb. 24: Dino Archie

Your Oscar party is over. The adrenaline has subsided. Time to ramp it up again listening to our old pal Dino Archie. Dino's really made his mark on the Vancouver stand-up scene in his relatively short time here. He's running shows, headlining at clubs, hosting Super Bowl parties, and getting roasted by his peers. The California native will mark his third appearance on What's So Funny? tonight at 11. Have I run out of questions for him? You'll have to tune in to find out. You know where to find us: 100.5 FM in Vancouver or listen to the livestream at coopradio.org.

Podcast episode 259ish: Dino Archie and me

I had a good chat with Dino Archie. But in reverse fashion since he was the one doing the asking. Or more like grilling. He asked me about not writing enough about locals, about the perception of favouritism and if it's true I'm hard to work with. The guy's got a future when Mike Wallace retires. But it was fun.

Have a listen here or download it at iTunes. Even though I list it here as episode 259, that's not how it's listed there since they have the most recent episode as 1. So if you're coming to this after the fact, just do a search for Dino Archie. Or better yet, just subscribe to the damn thing!

Seeing as this episode was all about me, I couldn't very well make a video snippet of it. So instead I dipped into the mouldie-oldie podcast vault and pulled out a show from December 18, 2005 when Brent Butt guested. I mentioned this episode with Dino so it's somewhat relevant. It's one of my faves, too, so if you've never heard it, and you like what you see below, go download the whole thing at iTunes.

Dec. 11: Dino Archie interviews... me?

Yes, it's true. A month or so Dino Archie told me he wanted to interview me on the show. I laughed it off, saying I appreciated the sentiment but nobody would be interested. Hell, I'm barely interested. But he was adamant. Several weeks ago I ran into him again and he hadn't let go of the idea. We had such a good rapport his first time on the show, and he let me tease him mercilessly for cancelling on me twice before, I agreed to his crazy pitch. I figure I can make fun of his questions as we go along and we'll have a grand old time. I'm not going to do a bit of work on this one. I'll show up and let Dino run the show and see what he's made of. That is, if he shows up!

I even made him write a blurb for the blog. So here's Dino:

Tonight we're gonna mix it up a bit. For the first time critic for the Georgia Straight and host of What's So Funny Guy MacPherson will be answering the questions. And guest host Los Angeles comedian Dino Archie will be jamming him up. The LA transplant was a recent guest and one hour wasn't enough. Now it's time to ask Guy the question all comics want to know: What the hell is his problem? Should be interesting, should be funny. Check it out!

Tonight at 11 pm on CFRO 102.7 in Vancouver, or livestream it at coopradio.org.

A taste of WSF? II

It's fun making these little videos. And easy. Who knew? After the runaway success of my first effort featuring Ken Lawson (46 views and counting), and in anticipation of the return of Dino Archie this week, I thought I'd put together a little snippet of the last (and first) time he was on the show... after cancelling on me twice earlier. If you didn't hear that episode, maybe this little snippet will whet your appetite. I'll periodically go through some select past episodes and extract a nugget, add some pics, stir and post the end result here (and YouTube). Enjoy.

Podcast episode 250ish: Dino Archie

250 episodes?! Are you kidding me? No, I'm not. We've done more just on radio, but with today's installment, we've now got a cool 250 podcast episodes up and running. Impressive, no?

I left you hanging last week when I suggested Dino Archie would be our guest. After missing his first two scheduled appearances, I wasn't 100 percent certain he'd show up. But Archie was good on his word. He arrived early, even, and we had a grand old time on air. Here is the proof of that exchange. We get to know how the California native wound up in sunny Vancouver performing at stand-up stages all around town, learn about his irrepressible irrepressibility, find out about his days playing college basketball, and I dredge up a news-making gig he had at a UFC event in his hometown of Fresno. Good times.

Here's the episode for you. If you'd rather download it and listen to it on your commute, you go right ahead. I'm not going to stop you. Search for 'What's So Funny?' over at iTunes, if you will. All 250 of our episodes are there for the taking.

Sept. 25: Dino Archie

Third time a charm? Here's hoping.

Regular readers of this space will have noticed Dino Archie's name has appeared here twice before. Each time he's had to cancel his spot on What's So Funny? for reasons we'll get to tonight... if he shows up! I'm confident he will. We spoke several weeks ago and he was eager to do the show. As an American, he's familiar with the baseball analogy of three strikes and you're out.

Archie has been an irrepressible figure on the Vancouver stand-up scene the past few months despite being a California native. What's he doing here? Career move? I'm guessing not. We'll find out if there's a woman involved. That's usually the way things work. And we'll find out all other things Dino Archie-related tonight between 11 and midnight on 102.7 FM in Vancouver and livestreamed at coopradio.org.

That is, if he shows up! (Oh yeah, he's never going to hear the end of it!)

Feb. 20: Dino Archie -- CANCELLED

A few weeks ago, this space started with the lyrics to theme from Alice. Well, if Alice were a dude, like Cooper, it would have started, There's a new boy in town...

Okay, I'm struggling here but that's because I know almost nothing about tonight's guest, Dino Archie. I just happened upon him about a month ago out at Lafflines, where he was emceeing. Who is this guy, I wondered? He's funny. He's African-American (hold on to your charges of racism – I draw attention to it because Vancouver usually only has one black comic at a time). I guessed that he was American by his accent. And he is. Yet here he was hosting a show. American comics tend only to come up when they're headlining.

I spoke to him a bit that night and he said he'd be in town for the next couple of months. Bingo! I snatched him up for What's So Funny? I've since seen him do a set at Nevermind on W. 4th and he killed just like he did at Lafflines. Tonight we'll find out who, exactly, is Dino Archie and why he is here? Is it for a woman? Is he on the lam? Or did he just hear that Vancouver is the place to be for his comedy career? How long will he stay? Tune in.

THIS JUST IN: Just got word Dino can't make it tonight. Doh! But we'll figure out something. I'll let you know as soon as I know.