Podcast episode 329ish: Godfrey

Here it is, by popular demand, the Godfrey episode, wherein the New York-based comedy veteran of 18 years sticks it to the know-it-all comedy critic. And after we get that all sorted out, we bonded over our fondness of old-timey television. We could have thrown out references all hour. Godfrey even admitted a love of Rich Little. You gotta appreciate that in a hip, modern-day comedian. He even displays a Little-like ability of impressions throughout our conversation. A modern-day George Kirby, if you will (Bing him, kids; Godfrey won't have to, though). I threw in a little 10-second musical intro. Bonus points if you can get the singer and the song without Shazaming it. I think my man Godfrey will appreciate it.

As always, there's any number of ways to access this puppy: Right here, by clicking below, subscribing to the show or downloading the episode on iTunes or PodcastLand, or... I'm sure there are other ways. You'll figure it out. I have faith in your abilities. (iTunes is always a little tardy getting the latest one up, but PodcastLand is right on top of their game.)

Oh, hey, thanks to peppermintswirl2, who gave us a rating and nice comment on iTunes a couple weeks ago. I appreciate it.

Oct. 27: Godfrey

We got a good one tonight, folks! This will go down as one of my all-time favourites. It also marks the first time we've had a one-named guest. Godfrey was headlining Yuk Yuk's last weekend and I sat down at the club to talk for an hour. And he handed it to me right off the bat, as you'll hear, calling me out for being a "so-called expert" and critic who's never performed. We got into that a bit and emerged from it to talk about black & white films and early television, doing warm-up for Bill Cosby's sitcom, and he gives some unsolicited advice to Eddie Murphy. Along the way, he does a bunch of spot-on impersonations. I edited them together and put them in a little video montage below. That'll give you a sense of what to expect tonight. Despite getting off on potentially a bad foot, when it was nearing the end, he called our conversation a "kick-ass interview." I agree. Loads of fun.

As always, we're on the air at 11 pm PT at 100.5 FM in Vancouver. If you're in Godfrey's hometown of Chicago, his current residence New York City, or anywhere else on the globe, you can livestream it coopradio.org. And, of course, the episode will be available in podcast form within the week.

Now enjoy a taste of our conversation through Godfrey's amazing impressions. If you're keeping track at home, those voices are David Brinkley, Snoop Dogg, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Eddie Murphy, Andrew Dice Clay, Bill Cosby, Sheldon Leonard, Howard Cosell, Muhammad Ali, Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Jimmy Stewart, and Walter Cronkite:

Podcast episode 328ish: Alan Zweig

It takes us a while to get into the comedy talk in this episode, but if you're at all interested in documentary films, you won't mind. The reason I reached out to the man in the mirror – Toronto filmmaker Alan Zweig – was because his latest work, When Jews Were Funny, is filled with comedians. And he was in town. But I haven't seen the movie yet (it plays at Fifth Avenue Cinemas on Nov. 10 as part of the Jewish Film Festival here in Vancouver and I will definitely catch it), but I've seen, and loved, three of his previous movies: Vinyl, I, Curmudgeon, and Lovable (damn comma – if that looks like four films, know that the first and third films both have one-word titles). So we talked about his early unsuccessful career making features, how he stumbled into his current successful career, and why talking to old-timey Jewish comedians wasn't as fulfilling as you'd think.

It's all right here for you. Or at iTunes. Or at PodcastLand. Or fine hardware stores everywhere. Enjoy.

Podcast episode 327ish: Michael Gelbart

Here's a fun episode with me and my good buddy Michael Gelbart. We knew each other for 12 hours when we recorded this and haven't spoken since but that's the kind of guy he is. You automatically feel like you've been hanging out for years. We talked about his days as a brash young know-it-all comic, his relationship advice, why positivity is the way to go, growing up the son of a karaoke star, and the imagined hell of going through life with the name of Oprah. In the end he calls it "one of the best podcasts of all time." I concur. Heartily.

Have a listen here, on iTunes or PodcastLand. Your choice. There are others, but what am I, your mother?

Oct. 20: Alan Zweig

Zweig winning his Tiffy.

We've got a legit film maker on the show this week. Alan Zweig recently took home the Tiffy (I don't know if there's an actual name for the award but there should be) for Best Canadian Feature Film at the Toronto International Film Festival for his documentary When Jews Were Funny. That's how good it was – a documentary won for best feature, not best documentary. I haven't seen it yet but it will apparently be playing the Jewish Film Fest here in Vancouver in November. I have seen three of Zweig's other docs and I recommend each one highly: Vinyl, I, Curmudgeon, and Lovable.

When Zweig was in town for the Vancouver International Film Festival a couple weeks back, I sat down and talked over an hour with him about all his films, including his most recent one and what it's like to interview old Jewish comedians. If you haven't seen any of his highly personal docs, you've got to check them out. Here's your homework leading up to the show Sunday night: Watch Vinyl (from 2000). You won't be able to stop and you'll wish there was more. It's ostensibly about fanatic record collectors but really about Zweig. You don't even have to go looking for it; I've embedded it below for your viewing pleasure. Of course, you don't need to have seen it to enjoy our talk. Tune in at 11 pm PT to CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver or livestream it at coopradio.org. And if those don't work for you, you can always wait about a week until it's released in podcast form.

Podcast episode 326ish: Dave Nystrom

When Dave Nystrom returned to his old stomping grounds from his new stomping grounds in Los Angeles, we sat down in the showroom of the Comedy MIX for a talk on all things Nystrom, from his roots in Thunder Bay, to his early luck with auditions, from the roller coaster ride of the Hollywood machine, to raising a family of three boys all under the age of seven.

This episode was almost lost. The file was corrupted and it took months before we got it sorted out without losing a second of the conversation. Celebrate by listening below or downloading at iTunes or at PodcastLand. (iTunes always seems to be a day or so late in getting the most recent episode up but this one is already available at PodcastLand and probably elsewhere.)

Oct. 13: Michael Gelbart

Michael Gelbart (Jennifer Elizabeth photo)

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm glad I've got tonight's episode in the can because I'm going to be tripping on tryptophan after a big turkey dinner. I spoke to Montreal-raised, Toronto standup comic now residing in Los Angeles, Michael Gelbart. Perhaps you've seen him on Speaker's Corner... No, wait, there's got to be a more current credit... Got it: Open Mic with Mike Bullard... No, hang on. Yes, here it is: Late Night with Craig Ferguson. And here's a piece of trivia for you: Gelbart – born in Montreal, you'll recall from four sentences ago – is the only Canadian comic who's appeared on an American late-night talk show who has never performed at the Just For Laughs festival. Go figure! We talk about that, as well as all sorts of other stuff. And Michael is his inimitable ebullient, funny and positive self.

Show starts at 11 pm PT on CFRO, 100.5 FM, in Vancouver. Livestream it at coopradio.org. Or wait a week for the podcast to drop. Your call.

Podcast episode 325ish: Brian Regan

Brian Regan is a busy man, jetting all over the place doing theatre gigs. He was in California the night before he came to Vancouver a few weeks ago, then the following night was off to Alaska. And still he made time for What's So Funny?! What a guy! Okay, we didn't get the full hour but we'll take it. Regan invited us backstage just prior to his show and we snuck in an extra four minutes. Over the course of 34 minutes, we talked about his pre-show rituals, his experience on Arsenio, unintentionally borrowing from Dennis Wolfberg, his multiple university degrees, and an idea for an invention. Interspersed throughout are clips from his standup act. If you're a Regan fan, you've heard all these routines before. But if you're a Regan fan, you can listen to these bits over and over again and laugh each time. I suppose if there were a real clamouring for it, I could always release the interview uninterrupted.

As always, you can click here, download at iTunes or check us out at PodcastLand.com. You've got options.

Oct. 6: Dave Nystrom

It's been a long, long time since Dave Nystrom has visited us. Nine years, in fact. He was last here in studio with Patrick Maliha in 2004. But this time he's all alone so he actually gets a word in. (Ah, but we kid Fatty!) I always think of Nystrom as a Vancouver guy because he got his start here. But he grew up (with Maliha) in Thunder Bay and now makes his home in sunny Los Angeles, California. We catch up with him about life in the big city, acting, writing, standup, and kids. We recorded this in the summer. The file was corrupted somehow but we eventually got things working and it's presented tonight in all its glory.

Show starts at 11 pm PT at CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver. Or you can livestream if you like at coopradio.org. Or failing that, you can always wait a week and download the podcast. That's a service we provide to you free of charge!

Podcast episode 324ish: Ryan Hamilton

Ryan Hamilton ventured outside the comforts of his own hotel room, where we last caught up with him, to be with us in studio in the Downtown East Side. The Ashton, Idaho native (pop: 999) was brave, though – he's lived in New York City for a while now so nothing phases him. We talked about his respect for teachers which is so extreme he still does whatever he's told by them to this day, being a non-hockey-playing Ryan Hamilton and one of many other Ryan Hamiltons, how the teetotaller pedals booze for a living, and his fond memories of his missionary position.

Download the episode at iTunes or wherever you download fine podcasts. I found this site last week. It's called Podcastland and you can even vote for your favourite podcast of the week (hint, hint). And, of course, it's posted here, too, for your convenience.

Sept. 29: Brian Regan

Got a real special episode airing tonight. I got a chance to speak to Brian Regan when he was in town a few weeks ago. I've interviewed him via telephone a few times over the years for the Georgia Straight, but this was the first time we met. He agreed to sit down for What's So Funny? for half an hour backstage prior to his show at the Chan Centre. What a great guy. My challenge was not to tread the same old topics he always gets asked about. Sure, you might have heard some of this before, but maybe there's some new info to put into the world, too.

Since we spoke for only 34 minutes, I decided to intersperse the conversation with clips from his act to fill up the hour. I tried to make the clips semi-relevant to the conversation, too, so I think there's a nice flow to it. (As an added bonus, there's even a short excerpt from the late Dennis Wolfberg, who we spoke about.)

We were given a very echoey room next to his dressing room so we sound like we're speaking from on high, but you'll get used to it.

As always, we hit the air at 11 pm (or minutes thereafter) on CFRO, 100.5 FM in Vancouver. You can also streamline it from any point on the globe at coopradio.org.

Podcast episode 323ish: Paul Anthony

Paul Anthony getting ready for Arsenio

On the heels of the very popular Ewan Currie episode, we now bring you the Paul Anthony episode. I told you I was catching up this week. Paul visited us a couple weeks ago and talked all about the fun time he had on the new Arsenio Hall show. It was the best night of his life! (we need an irony emoticon) We also talked about his impending fatherhood, his confidence crisis about performing standup, and his latest film work. You'll have to guess which film it is and who stars in it because it's heavily bleeped. These things are top secret, afterall.

I know Paul's been asked a lot lately about the Arsenio debacle. Now you won't have to ask him anymore. Just listen to the show. Either right here below or check it out on iTunes.

Podcast episode 322ish: Ewan Currie

Ewan Currie not doing standup

Catching up on the podcast entries. I've got a flurry of them this week, starting out with Mr. Ewan Currie of the rock and roll outfit called The Sheepdogs. If you're wondering which Sheepdog he is, he's the long-haired one. They're a straight-ahead rock band; they don't sing funny novelty songs. So why, you ask yourself, is he guesting on What's So Funny? Glad you asked: Because I asked him and he said yes. He's also a really big comedy fan. So big, in fact, he wanted to become a standup comedian when he was in high school. He even performed – and killed! – for his high school. Sure, it was using someone else's act, but you gotta start somewhere. To find out whose act it was, you've got to listen to the show.

We also talk about his Aussie beginnings – yes, that's right, Mr. Saskatchewan was actually born down under – I plant the seeds of turmoil in the band, he opines on shampoo and Tim Horton's, and we play a home-made version of The $20,000 Pyramid. I perhaps should have explained the rules better.

So have a listen. You can click below or, preferably, go download it at iTunes where you'll give us a star-rating and comment. It would be the decent thing to do.

Sept. 22: Ryan Hamilton

Little change of plans tonight, folks. I had originally planned on running an interview I did recently with Brian Regan. Then later this week I'm heading over to Victoria for the second annual Blue Bridge Comedy Festival where I'd record an episode with Ryan Hamilton. But when I heard Ryan was in Vancouver and not sailing to the island until Tuesday, I thought we should have him in the studio to get the full What's So Funny? experience. And he agreed. Ryan has opened for Brian Regan so it all works out. We'll play Brian next Sunday and it'll be like Ryan opening for him again.

If you don't know Ryan, you should check him out. He's hilarious. You should have heard the compliments coming from everyone exiting the Comedy MIX last night, where he headlined the weekend. He's been on Conan, Last Comic Standing, and been featured in Maxim magazine. And tonight, he's all ours.

Tune in around 11 pm PT (I can never remember if it's Standard or Daylight but I know it's Pacific) to 100.5 FM in Vancouver or livestream the show at coopradio.org.

Podcast episode 321ish: Jeff McEnery

Jeff McEnery has spent the last two years living in Vancouver. So what happens? We finally meet on the air and he tells us he's moving back to Toronto. That's a fine how-do-you-do. But I'm glad we got to talk before he left town. The rhubarb genius from Acton, Ontario, tells us about avoiding hard labour at all costs on the dairy farm, dishes the dirt on film sets he's been on, waxes poetic about Williams Lake, and, you know, stuff like that. This episode was catered by KFC: "We Do Weddings Right!"

Have a listen by streaming below or head on over to iTunes and dowload the episode to your listening gizmo and take Jeff and me in your ears with you.

Sept. 15: Paul Anthony

Paul Anthony ready for his close-up

We're gonna get busy tonight, folks. We've got local actor/comedian/host Paul Anthony in studio off his triumphant debut on the new Arsenio Hall show. Or something like that. As you may have read in the Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald or watched on CBC TV, Paul won a contest to be on the famous sycophant's latest television vehicle and flew down to Los Angeles on Thursday to be on the updated version of the show he revered as a child. (Take a look at his winning video entry below – it's pretty great.) We'll find out if it's a good thing to meet one's hero. We'll discuss just how groovy he felt dancing to Johnny Gill. But there's more to talk about, too, such as the return of Talent Time, Anthony's monthly showcase at the Biltmore, and his newest baby Data Transfer.

Tune in tonight for all the Hollywood gossip at 11 pm PT to CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver, or livestream the show at coopradio.org.

Sept. 8: Ewan Currie

We're rocking out tonight on What's So Funny? The Sheepdogs were in town a week or so ago playing the Malkin Bowl. Lead singer Ewan Currie is a big comedy fan so I thought that was reason enough to have him on the show. I do believe he's the first WSF? guest to have been on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. We talked about that, why he likes to maintain an air of mystery, his brief career as a standup comic, shampoo, his distaste for Tim Horton's, and meeting Larry David. I also throw in a track from The Sheepdogs for good measure.

We're on the air at 11pm PT on CFRO 100.5 FM or you can livestream it at coopradio.org.

Canadian Comedy Awards

You may have noticed the change in description in the above banner a couple months ago. My how time flies. Yes, What's So Funny? was nominated for Best Podcast at the Canadian Comedy Awards. The five nominees were decided by jury – and hey, being nominated is as good as winning, right?! That's what I keep telling myself. But the actual award winner will be selected by... YOU! You, the people. If that sounds a bit like a popularity contest, I'm hooped. But we have our fans, too. And if each one of those fans goes to canadiancomedy.ca and registers to vote, then actually votes, and votes for What's So Funny?, and then tells two friends to do the same, and they each tell two friends, and so on and so on, we actually stand a chance!

So what are you waiting for? It takes all of a minute to register, and even less to vote, unless you want to listen to the submissions for each nominee. You only have until 11:59 ET (8:59 PT) on Sept. 13 to make your vote count.

I like that each nominee in our category is stylistically different. It's a great cross-section of what a comedy podcast can be. Also, three of the five nominees are based in Vancouver: us, The Sunday Service Presents: A Beautiful Podcast and last year's winner Stop Podcasting Yourself (the other two, based in Toronto, are Ward and Al and Illusionoid).

The awards are handed out on Oct. 6. I'd love to go out to Ottawa to be a part of the three-day mini-festival and record some episodes, but that's an expensive trip (unless there are any sponsors out there who'd want to send me). But I'll be happy just knowing you took the time to vote for us. And if we lose and they don't announce who finished second, I'll be able to say I did. Because how would they know?

Sept. 1: Jeff McEnery

Happy September! We are back in full swing with guests lined up all the way to the end of the month. Tonight we start our 9th season off with a first-timer. I've seen Jeff McEnery live a few times now but we've never spoken. I remember when he was a young Toronto comic who won the Yuk Yuk's national competition taking home a cool $25,000 in 2006. I wonder if he's got any of that left? Maybe that's how he can afford to live in Vancouver now. Anyway we're glad to have him with us.

To remind you, the party gets started at 11 pm PST on CFRO 100.5 FM. Or if you're one of Jeff's fans or family outside the lower mainland, you can always livestream the show at coopradio.org.

Podcast episode 320ish: Steve Bays

Well, look what we have here! Another podcast episode. I know they've been scarce this summer, but as guest Steve Bays says in this one, it was also the driest July on record. So maybe we were just trying to match the weather, guest-wise.

Raw dawg Steve Bays makes his annual visit in this one and we had a good time talking about all sorts of things. Like what, you ask? Like his aversion to the definite article, for one thing. About what kind of nightmares he has. And why he'd invite Larry Flint to dinner. We also play a track from his new band's new album. That'd be Fur Trade with the song Kids These Days. His other band, Mounties, provides the brief intro: Headphones. No track from his third/first band Hot Hot Heat, though. It's not a rock 'n' roll show, kids. Take what you're given and be happy with it.

In case you've forgotten the drill, just click below to start streaming the episode. Or, if you'd rather, go on over to iTunes or CastRoller or Player.FM or... you get the idea... and download it for convenient listening later. That works, too.