Podcast episode 458ish: Diana Frances

Here's an episode that's so old, it's new. Sorry, it's been a busy month. Diana Frances was our guest on the radio back on June 18. Here it is July 24 and it's just coming out in podcast format. If you're a long-time listener to the show, you'll know Diana is a Vancouverite through and through. She was our guest back in our fifth ever episode, back in 2004. Now she lives in Toronto where she's busy writing for TV, award shows and radio. And she still performs when she can. In this episode, we talk about her early days in standup, why she's such a good podcast guest/lousy softball player, a bit about her crazy childhood/life, complaints about traffic/linguistics, and, of course, vagina jokes.

Listen to this now before it gets even older! You can do it here, or over at iTunes or Stitcher, et. al.

July 16: Chuck Byrn

Tonight we bid a fond adieu to our temporary radio station on Wall Street. We've been there for three years. We move back to our old space in the downtown eastside next week. Our last guest in this spot is a good one: Chuck Byrn! Chuck has been in Toronto for longer than I remember, but he's a Vancouver boy. He started out here in the 1990s with the likes of Tim Nutt, Glenn Wool and Kevin Foxx. We'll find out who else tonight. Chuck's only been with us once before and that was part of a comedy round-table, with Dylan Rhymer, Toby Hargrave and Steve Bays. Tonight he gets the hour all to himself. I'm writing this on the BC Ferries so barring a nautical disaster on the high seas, I'll be there, too.

We are on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver. If you're not in Vancouver, you can still join us by livestreaming at coopradio.org or find us on TuneIn Radio.

July 9: Christina Sicoli

Tonight on your radio, we're welcoming Christina Sicoli. It's been a long time coming getting her in here but our schedules finally aligned. Her hubby, David Milchard, has been on the program a couple of times but not for years and years. But it's Christina's turn tonight. She's an actress, improviser, writer, and producer. Perhaps you've seen her in the web series Paranormal Solutions, Inc. or Convos with my 2-Year-Old. Or maybe in the TV series Supernatural or Psych. Or maybe it was her first listed credit, from 1999, when she played "Foxy Girl" in Detroit Rock City. We'll get her complete story at 11 (or whatever will fit into the hour).

Get your radios warmed up. We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver. (For those without such fancy contraptions, you can always stream us online at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app.)

July 2: Bob Robertson Tribute

Tonight we're going to pay tribute the great Bob Robertson, who passed away in March. There was a beautiful (and hilarious) memorial service for him at Bard on the Beach on Friday afternoon, but if you didn't get there, this might help.

Bob, along with his comedy – and life – partner Linda Cullen, was a guest on What's So Funny? three times over the years: on episode 41 in 2005, then on episode 69 in 2006 (along with Trevor Devall), and again in 2011. Tonight I'm going to play clips from all three of those episodes. You'll hear Bob talking about his early days in commercial radio, the Double Exposure heyday, the live revue called the Snides of March they did on Granville Island, and his book Mayan Horror: How to Survive the End of the World in 2012. Along the way, we'll hear some old clips and he'll do some voices.

They say never meet your heroes, but Bob Robertson was an exception. He was a superstar to me growing up in Victoria. He was the funniest deejay I'd ever heard. As the weekend man on CFAX 1070 from noon to six, I'd listen all day, often with my cassette recorder poised to record one of his numerous regular segments, like Little Mansion in Oak Bay, the Moldy Oldie Music Vault, a conversation with Old Ernie (with Bob doing both parts), and always a phone call from Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (also voiced by Bob), who always condescendingly got Bob's name wrong. Bob was the best.

He went on, of course, to real fame with his wife Linda on CBC radio for 10.5 years, then over to CTV, with Double Exposure.

In the late '90s, I had a job where I had to do the daily banking. More than a few times, I saw the great Bob Robertson in the bank but he was too mythic for me to approach him. Cut to: 2004, when I started hosting What's So Funny? on Co-op radio. I figured, what the hell, I'll contact Bob and Linda and see if they'd come down to the downtown east side to do my rinky-dinky little show. I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. And they graciously accepted. They couldn't have been nicer.

Bob gave me an autographed copy of his book on their last visit to the station in 2011, but even better, knowing that I was such a big fan of his early CFAX days, he gave me a disc with a bunch of his old radio bits.

He was a great guy and he is missed.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. You can livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on TuneIn Radio. I think it's going to be a long one, in the 90-minute range, so get a nap in!

June 25: David Beckingham

It's the first show of summer! I don't know why I'm excited. It just means the studio is going to be stinking hot. It would be hot anyway because our guest tonight is the very hot David Beckingham: singer, songwriter, pop star. David is in the fantastic indie pop band Hey Ocean! I don't know the status of this band, since he and Ashleigh Ball both have recently released solo projects, but they're playing at Canada Place on Canada Day to celebrate the country's 150th birthday. We'll find out tonight if they have plans for other shows, too. I hope so. But we'll talk about all sorts of things, as we do, like the time he couldn't speak for a month. In the meantime, check out to the two videos below: one is David as a solo artist; the other is David with Hey Ocean!

We're on the air at 11 pm in Vancouver at 100.5 FM. Livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on TuneIn Radio if you don't have a radio. They'll work, too.

June 18: Diana Frances

Could it really be six years since Diana Frances last visited us? That's what my records indicate. They also show that she was on one of the very first episodes of What's So Funny? back in 2004. She was also in studio with Urban Improv in 2009, setting the record for most number of guests on one show. And the records also show... that's it. Just three appearances?! There must be some missing episodes because I could have sworn she's been with us more than thrice. Diana's now living in Toronto where she's making a living writing for TV, but she still hits the stage when she can, and comes back to town on occasion. So we've nabbed her while we can.

We'll find out everything that's new since 2011 so tune in tonight at 11 pm to CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver or livestream us on coopradio.org or tune in to the TuneIn Radio app. So many options.

Podcast episode 457ish: Kevvy

Have you bought/streamed the new Fake Shark album yet? You really should. It's called Faux Real and I never got the punny title until I said it out loud in this episode where we talked with front man Kevvy. You expect something humorous from Kevvy. Not only is he an accomplished musician, but he's recorded probably more standup comedians than any other individual. He talks about all of the above, as well as about his high school daze, tattoos and hair dye. Plus I challenge him to a jazz-off. I won't tell you who wins but suffice it to say if I lost, chances are that segment would be edited out of the podcast.

Podcast episode 456ish: John Cullen

John Cullen returns! The TOC/curler/drummer/podcaster/
comedian/straight arrow has just put out an album and is here to talk about it. It's called Most Likely to be a Comedian and is available in all platforms. Check it out. But first listen to this chat we had. He talks about being gifted, being in bands, his hidden aggressions, his two podcasts (Podcaps and Real Good Show), and sponsoring a Little League baseball team (go Jokers!). We also put his gifted status to the test.

We, too, are available in all platforms. So go check us out on iTunes. Or Stitcher. Or PodcastAddict. Or TuneIn Radio. Or right here!

Podcast episode 455ish: Ryan Gunther

It's podcast drop time. The latest is with guest Ryan Gunther, a standup comic who's been doing his one-man Fringe show, Leash Your Potential, all over the place. He talks about how he overcame crippling stage fright to finally hop up on a stage and perform comedy. He also tells us of his early life growing up in the wilds of British Columbia.

Get listening already. It's right here for you. Or go download us at iTunes, Stitcher or some other podcast emporium.

May 28: Kevvy

Tonight on the old programme, we welcome the mono-named Kevvy, from the band Fake Shark. They just released a brand-spanking new album on Friday and are off on a month-long tour on the morrow. Timing, as they say, is everything. Go buy the album Faux Real now. We'll play a track or two tonight to whet your appetite if you need to hear it first.

But Kevvy isn't just a musician and Leo-nominated film scorer. He's also the pre-eminent comedy album producer in this city. He's recorded close to 20 (I think) standup comedians. So we'll talk to him about his love for comedy, as well as tons more. Promise.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 in Vancouver. You can always livestream us at coopradio.org, if you like. Or find us on TuneIn Radio. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Meanwhile, check out a video by the band, with a special guest appearance by funnyman (or two-time former guest of What's So Funny? Ivan Decker). Our man Kevvy is the one with the florescent hair: