The Best Show on WFMU

oh and the AP Mike blood story was amazing

I really hate it when Tom gets down on himself/the show though. He's probably ambivalent about doing the show, but his hand wringing is kind of lame.

I hear you on this but he's been doing it as long as I've been listening to the show, it's just part of the deal. Like how after his dad died he said he might do the show less frequently, then I think he took one week off and has done every single week since then.

That stretch in 2010 before he took his long break was the only time that it was seriously overwhelming. Like, he was clearly pretty much hating the show and the fun ground to a dead stop.

I like this show best when it moves rapidly between the smart and the stupid, and the last few episodes have been great for that. Charley Morgan is maybe a good example of that -- he's not got a lot to say and says it and is kind of a joke of a non-celebrity, except that the tiny handful of roles he's had have been solid bits in amazing projects. I thought Scharpling and LJP brought out the best in Patton Oswalt, too.

Oh also the Half Hour of Power is killer

Definitely.

I lost it a few times during this half hour of power. mike is straight fire right now.

he might need to get a promotion to p mike.

I would buy a Free AP Mike t shirt

So, I wrote this:

http://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Best-Show-comes-to-S-F-with-song-born-in-6469137.php

Tom's two interviews with Marc Maron are great. He talks a lot about the "theater" of radio. Makes me think the show's not doing too bad, which I was worried about.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aZL6lcmUpnY
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HJIA_uo7AwI

I'm on Zing, but if those are videos from the Seattle show, someone screengrab & MSPaint circles & arrows round the back of my & Mackro's heads

Those are years-old interviews with Marc Maron.

1/2 Hour of Power rather low energy doing it before rather than after the main show...also, not to pander and it's end of summer, but good to have at least one woman in there in the future

Mrs. Dudio has been on board pretty consistently. Would love to hear more Terre T., but I suspect she has scheduling issues.

Mrs. Dudio has been on board pretty consistently. Would love to hear more Terre T., but I suspect she has scheduling issues.
--Three Word Username

She is, and she is very funny indeed. The show always gets better when smart funny women are involved, and it's clear that Scharpling knows that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8MiF7m_v8U

I saw their show dead dad's club in mtl after I called the show and Tom told me I have to and my god, they are just two of the most talented, funny, touching performers and also are insanely kind and gracious and they're the best.

Therese is the only talk show/call-in host that has never made me scream at the radio.

Therese has such a great on-air personality--totally winning.

Therese is a great off-air personality as well.

This is a little esoteric, but I just discovered through work-related means that the Society For Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing of America (S.E.B.S.Q.S.A. for "short"), which was mentioned in one of the first Zachary Brimstead calls and which I always assumed was a Wursterism, is an actual organization. I felt like the walls of reality were dissolving when I read that.

I feel bad that the show hasn't taken off more. I hope he is able to keep it going.

has it really taken off that little? or does he play that up for comedy? i mean, he's also not reaaaallllly monetizing it either.

he really needs to start charging

the uhh yeah dude guys got like $10,000 a month when they started their patreon, kind of a good model maybe?

I think the "3 listeners" thing is a little bit schtick, but long-time listeners know Tom struggles with depression when the days get shorter, and I also think he's writing on a sitcom and just overworked in general, so every little indignity feels huge. So he uses it.

https://twitter.com/scharpling/status/706385459065315328

I have never called but maybe I should keep my 5-year-old up late to call in tonight.

It happens so infrequently but I love when kids call in. Particularly the one kid (who I presume Tom knew) who called in as Molly Molesworth and a dying old man.

I have never called in either, because I'm already pretty good at the self-administered variety of masochism.

I've only ever listened live once or twice but yeah I would need a really good on-topic story before I'd even think about calling.

feel like you can call without an agenda/story tonight with a baby or Grammy

Reminder: Tom and Jon on The Simpsons tonight.

Thank you for reminding!

I've been trying to find a particular Wurster call for a while now but haven't been able to manage (even searching through the detailed recaps): guy calls and says he's taking Oldzonareveren to prematurely age to get back at his dad? Feel like he called himself a Yearlie maybe? Think the call was from the last few years of the show (think the call ended with either a bomb or someone falling asleep after some Blue). Does this ring a bell for anyone?

Tom is co-hosting Prove it All Night's WFMU marathon show on Saturday. PLEDGE!!!!

great ep this week, julie klausner always seems to bring out the best in Tom. best musical performance of the new version of the show. the woody allen riffing at the end was the obvious highlight but I also loved Tom's imitation of Barack Obama reading Dilbert to the American people.

hey i've been out of the loop on this

is wurster still phoning in?

Yes. He does take a couple shows off when touring requires.

wish there was still a 'best show gems' podcast :/

There is! It's part of the Best Show podcast feed, not a separate podcast, but it's called Best Show Bests.

YEEEEEE HAWW!!!

Saw from Tom's feed that Alan Vega died; would kill to have a supercut of all Frankie Teardrop Challenge talk.

good god the woody allen/pokemon riffing at the end of this week's. woody allen watching soon-yi playing pokemon go on a pop tart was all-time hilarious.

glad to hear tom advocate the same "barb from stranger things is overrated" perspective I was pushing on ILX a couple of weeks ago. i feel vindicated.

also it's been nice seeing pretty much every Half Hour of Power regular show up on Difficult People this season

I died at his riff on "that Belle and Sebastian song, 'Rooty Tooty Fresh 'n Fruity'" during the Scottish guy's call in the most recent ep

Last couple of weeks have been great. The Beach Boys flashbacks are hilarious, Sal from Impractical Jokers was a good sport last week, and there were some hilarious "duh" calls this week.

big changes:

best show 24/7 channel soon
no more ads, he's taking donations instead
tom's getting a dog