Podcast episode 572ish: Ellyn Marie Marsh

This week's episode marks a first in our 16-year history. It's the first time (I believe) we've had a bona fide Broadway star as a guest. And Ellyn Marie Marsh is even more than that. She also performs in New York cabarets, hosts her own trivia nights, teaches how to belt out a song, and co-hosts a true crime podcast. I'm probably forgetting more. Anyway, in this episode, Marsh tells us what it's like to be on Broadway, what the one true crime she keeps thinking about, and what she did when she was fired from her job as a singing waitress.

Check out her podcast, Obsessed With: Disappeared, on your favourite podcast platform. And check out this one below, or wherever you found Ellyn's. We'll be there.

Podcast episode 571ish: Darren Frost

Darren Frost is back for his sixth pony ride. The Toronto-based (well, Barrie-based now) comic was first with us way back in 2006 and we managed to get him on the show every year or two after that. Well, until 2014, which was his previous appearance. But he joined us in the Isolation Studios from his home in snowy Barrie. Darren was all set for his biggest and last cross-Canada tour when a nasty virus put the kibosh on that. We talked about his distaste of crowd work, what advice he'd give to young Darren, his kids' opinion on his work, cartoon voices, dark humour, and Hairspray. He's recently released his seventh album, aptly titled "Story Yelling." And he, Dave Martin and Kathleen McGee have rebooted their old podcast Anything Goes.

Take a listen, why don't you? Click below or, better yet, go download us at your favourite podcast site.

Podcast episode 570ish: Lachlan Patterson

It's been 15 years since Lachlan Patterson was last with us. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, and modern virology, we've got him back in the Isolation Studio from his home in Venice Beach. He's got a new special out, Dark White, which you can purchase for the low, low cost of $3.99 US, or you can watch it for free if you share it on social media. Lachlan's one of our funniest exports. The West Vancouver native has been in the US for a couple decades now and has performed on The Tonight Show as well as being a finalist on Last Comic Standing. We talk about all that... and more!

Listen. Download. Don't just stream unless you really have to. You'll find us on Apple podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, et. al.

Podcast episode 569ish: Bonnie McFarlane

Bonnie McFarlane is a funny comic... Sorry, I can't get that song out of my head. What song? You'll hear it at the start of this episode with Bonnie McFarlane, who is a funny comic. She's the only guest in our 16 years who's been immortalized in song by The Pursuit of Happiness. This is an episode 10 years in the making. It took a pandemic to finally get us together. You've seen her on Letterman, Fallon, and Colbert, but did you know she got her start right here in Vancouver? It's true, and we talk about it here. We also talk about living in the US, we pry into the anonymous names in her memoir You're Better Than Me (the best one of its kind, say I), and she reveals that although she does hate her husband (per her podcast My Wife Hates Me), she also loves him and loves their differences. You don't often hear earnestness from her (a trait she dislikes), but we manage to get it out of her.

Listen at the link below if you like. Otherwise, you know the drill. You're not podcast newbies. Go to iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and all your favourite podcast dispensaries. Leave us a rating and a review, too, why don't you? Thanks.

Podcast episode 568ish: Colin Mochrie

As social isolation continues, our guests keep on coming. This week we invite the great Colin Mochrie into our isolation studio. Everyone knows Colin from his work on Whose Line Is It Anyway? (they should bring back that show!) or from just about any other TV show made in the past 20 years. I've interviewed him five times for the newspaper, but in this chat he really opened up (thanks in large part to the Malbec he was guzzling throughout). He's talks about politics, comedy, fate, Archie Bunker, The $10,000 Pyramid, Donny & Marie, mime, and his weirdest Hollywood night.

It's a good one so you're going to want to get started right away, which you can do by clicking below. Or you can find us on your favourite podcast server. Go download us there and put us in your ears. And then give the show a much-needed rating and review. You have no choice in the matter. It's fate!

Podcast episode 567ish: Michael Gelbart

This week on the program we've got the delightful Michael Gelbart, aka... well, let's just forget about all those nicknames. We recorded a great episode with the LA-based standup and writer back in 2013, episode #327ish. Now, some 240 episodes later, he's back. The bad part about all this isolation is not getting to speak to anyone face-to-face. The good part is that our guests don't have to physically be in Vancouver anymore. Michael is still a Canadian, even if he's forsaken the land of his birth for the bright lights of the big city down south. In this episode, he tells us about being the King of Tween Sitcoms, writing a hit holiday classic, unleashing his best bits with Byron Allen, and so much more.

This show was recorded Tuesday, April 14, 2020, and here it is already for you. Work your magic to get the show in your eardrums, either by clicking below or finding it wherever you usually get your podcasts.

Podcast episode 566ish: Marcus Ryan

We're back with another episode to get you (and us) through our social isolation. We talked to old pal Marcus Ryan all the way down in Wonthaggi. Where? Google it. It looks lovely. Marcus has been with us four times previous to this one, in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. Seems we forgot we were working on an every-other-year thing. He is a comedian and world traveller. I mean, in normal times. These days he's at home for longer than he has been at any one time in the past 17 years. We talk about what that's like, what his part of the world is like these days, adventures he's had in the 60-odd countries he's visited. There's also talk about snooker and jailbirds.

Listen to the episode wherever you like, be it down below or downloaded at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, et. al. The podcast world is your oyster.

Podcast episode 565ish: Dwight Slade

We can't leave the house, but new episodes keep on coming. This week in the What's So Funny? Isolation Studio, we've got Dwight Slade! He joins us from his study in Boise, Idaho, surrounded by toilet paper. We talk about the situation and whether it's covid or corona. We also talk about his days as a 15-year-old standup comedian in Houston with his partner and best pal Bill Hicks, moving to Los Angeles, then steadily moving farther and farther away from show business: first to Portland for 23 years, and then on to Boise. We even talk about UFOs. Or at least, one specific UFO.

To help keep you from going stir-crazy, have a listen. We're here for you. You can click down below to listen, or simply go download us wherever fine podcasts are handed out. We'll be there, too.

Podcast episode 564ish: Eddie Brill

We're doing things a little backwards this week. Usually we start with our radio program, then release it later as a podcast. This week, and maybe for the next little while, we'll release the podcast version first. Yesterday, Sidekick Sam and host Guy MacPherson talked with Eddie Brill, live from New York! It was all done through the magic of Zencastr, a nifty little tool that maybe doesn't sound as good as an in-face conversation, but it sounds a lot better than Skype or a phone call. We asked Eddie what it was like in New York in these sci-fi times. Then we started the great diversionary talk of all things comedy, from how late night TV stacks up today versus the early days and the 17 years Eddie spent with David Letterman's show, his salad days at Emerson college, his mullet-days performing on the Comedy Club Network in 1990, doing drugs with Sam Kinison, and more!

Eddie has three podcasts of his own, including OG Talk, which you can listen to the regular podcast way or watch on YouTube (OG stands for Organic Grill). There's also 11 episodes of The Break with Eddie Brill and Relationships are a Motherfucker.

As for this episode, you can listen below or check out all the podcast platforms. We're there. If you find us on a place you can leave a rating or a review, please do so.

Podcast episode 563ish: Carl Turnbull

Got nothing to do? Thank God for podcasts! Here's one you haven't heard yet. It's Vancouver standup Carl Turnbull talking with good pal Sam Tonning. Just the two of them, face to face, heart to heart. Turnbull talks about his dad's standup career and all the greats he worked with south of the border. They also touch on 90 Day Fiancé, Jay & Dan, misbehaving in school, and giving relationship advice to senior citizens.

You can click below to get things rolling, or go download the episode (and any of the other 562 you haven't heard yet) at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, PodBay, what-have-you. Actually, I think those sites only include the latest 250 or some such number. If you want some of the early shows dating all the way back to 2004, go to comedycouch.com. Maybe even Libsyn has them all.

Podcast episode 562ish: Paul Myrehaug & Damonde Tschritter

Oh, the fun we had on this episode with old pals Paul Myrehaug and Damonde Tschritter. Former Vancouver resident Myrehaug now plies his trade based out of the south of France. He tells us about that lifestyle. Tschritter, the only Canadian to have won the Seattle International Comedy Competition (as he's quick to remind us), was on fire on this night, ripping into all of us with reckless abandon. Laughter abounds.

Have a listen below or, better yet, find us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And leave a review, why don't you? We need them.

Podcast episode 561ish: Eddie Ifft

Standup comic Eddie Ifft has been around, from his early career stint on the second season of Last Comic Standing and his legendary podcast with co-host Jim Jefferies to a kinder, gentler family man today. It's all relative, though. He's still edgy. In this episode, we talk about the story behind getting two of his jokes tinto GQ's top 75 jokes of all time, drinking urine, monsters in the walls, and identity politics humour. He's got opinions!

Listen below, or find us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Deezer, iHeart Radio, OwlTail, PodTail, Podblast, Libsyn, Podbay.fm,  MyTuner, RadioPublic, PodParadise, iVoox, Moon.fm, PodPalace, and more! (I literally have never heard of most of those. Just googled them now to see where we were.) But if you're a fan of Eddie Ifft listening for the first time, give us a review and ranking. Come on, man. Just do it.

Podcast episode 560ish: Ed Hill

When Ed Hill was with us a few weeks ago, we thought it was his third time on the show. Turns out it was his fourth. As always, he came with gifts, as you can see. But we'd have him on even without the goodies. We talked about why he felt the need to change his name, the Corona Virus, getting real with comedy, and filming his new special, among other things.

You can listen down below, or search for us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, all the usual suspects.

Podcast episode 559ish: Andrea Jin

What a good time meeting and talking with standup comic Andrea Jin. The only child (by law) tells us about growing up in China eating worms for laughs, peeing her pants in high school not for laughs, her homeless grandfather, learning English through Rachel and Ross, and so much more.

The episode is below. Or you can go download it from iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, all the usual sites.

Feb. 16: Paul Myrehaug & Damonde Tschritter

We've got a dynamic duo on the show tonight. It will mark Paul Myrehaug's third visit with us, but first in nine long years. The former Vancouverite is living now in... well, not Vancouver. We'll find out exactly where tonight. He and Damonde Tschritter, who still lives here, are in town for the annual Snowed In Comedy Tour, which has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. This is Tschritter's sixth time with us, the last coming in 2018.

We're on the air on CFRO at 11 pm here in Vancouver. Livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app if you don't have a radio or live outside the 604 area code.

Feb. 9: Eddie Ifft

Is it Oscar night? I never know until I skim over tweets or Facebook posts. It's either tonight or soon. Will we talk about it tonight with our guest Eddie Ifft? If he wants to. We're easy. Otherwise, we'll talk about his career and opinions and whatever else we think of. Living in Los Angeles, the podcast king is in the lower mainland performing at the House of Comedy all week. He'll come visit us after his last show of the week.

You can listen tonight on CFRO 100.5 FM, or livestream it on coopradio.org or on the TuneIn Radio app. And of course, it'll be up in podcast format soon, too. Just be patient.

Podcast episode 558ish: Lars Callieou

Here's our episode with old pal Lars Callieou, all the way from Edmonton. He was in our province doing a corporation performance and stopped by to talk about old day jobs, winter long-haul driving conditions, the influence on masters on new comics, touring 50-weeks a year with his parents' bar band, and working with Joan Rivers.

It's all here waiting for you. Click below if you absolutely must listen to it immediately. Or take a minute to go over to iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or elsewhere and download it.

Podcast episode 557ish: Jon Bryant

This episode is a little late getting to you, but it's timeless so you can still enjoy it, now and forever. Our guest, angelic singer-songwriter Jon Bryant is currently on his cross-Canada tour. Click on his name, which will take you to his website, and see if you're anywhere near him. If so, go see him live. Music, like comedy, is best seen live. On the snowy Sunday night he was with us we talked about his nice jock beginnings, his start in Halifax, the perils of employing the falsetto, meeting James Taylor, his OCD, and flying saucers.

Listen below or find us on your favourite podcast dispensory and download. If you're on iTunes, please leave a ranking and comment. Good or bad. We can take it.

Feb. 2: Ed Hill

It's Super Bowl Sunday! You know what that means? Not a damn thing around these parts. It's comedy as usual tonight on the program. We've got standup comedian Ed Hill on to talk about his upcoming special taping on March 28, entitled Candy & Smiley. Did you know he's the first ever person in his family to record a comedy special? It's true! Tune in tonight to hear all about it.

We're on the air at 11pm in Vancouver. We're off the air at midnight in Vancouver. Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM or livestream us at coopradio.org or on the TuneIn Radio app.

Jan. 26: Andrea Jin

Tonight on the old program we've got a new guest. Andrea Jin has been all over the Vancouver comedy scene the last little while but this marks her first appearance with us. This Friday she's recording her debut comedy album at Little Mountain Gallery, which is very exciting. We'll talk to her about that, about her early childhood in Shanghai, and loads more.

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM at 11 pm tonight. If you're in, say, Shanghai, you can also listen live if you go to coopradio.org. Or find us on one of them radio streaming apps, like TuneIn Radio.