Need a publicist? May I suggest
NYC-based publicist extraordinaire Ryan
McCormick?
NONSENSE:
There's
something wonderfully stupid, and yet scientific, about Will
It Blend? They chop up everything
from rake handles to hockey pucks (props to Letterman and Steve
Allen) so wear your safety goggles!
Comics always say this or that is "what
separates us from the animals." Is it a conscience? An opposable
thumb? Credit card debt? No, no, and no. We're the only animals
that love to pop bubblewrap! YouKnowYouWantTo!
Left to Right: Machine Gun
Kelly, Billie Joe Armstrong, Johnny Cash, Jack White and Mark
David Chapman (Jackass!)
The
Smoking Gun has weird crime stories, high profile trial
coverage and mugshots of the famous and the infamous! Jack Ruby
(the patron saint of seducing cocktail waitresses) is strangely
absent.
Found
Magazine collects stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids'
homework, to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone
bills, doodles - anything that gives a glimpse into someone
else's life.
My
old pal Blaine's website. Blaine is as thin as a Baywatch plot
and twice as funny! Comedian, writer, television personality
and guitarist in the garage band THE BUXOTICS. His appearances
with Lucha Va Voom (mixing comedy, burlesque and mexican wresting)
are the stuff of legend! BlaineCapatch.com
PattonOswalt
is another old friend who's all over television, and who pops
up in movies more than product placement. His hand's in everything
from block-busting films to comic books! A true Renaissance
man. What other comedian can you web-search along with "Batman"
& actually have something come up?
RickOverton
has influenced every comic who’s ever seen him, and he's been
the best thing in a multitude of movies like "Groundhog
Day," "Willow" and "Mrs. Doubtfire."
Rent "Trekkies" for his classic and influential (read
"often imitated") "Star Trek Bits" during
the closing credits.
MattWeinhold's
also in TREKKIES. He's a bona-fide genius with great taste in
music, British Comedy & action figures.
Jay Leno called EmoPhillips
"The best joke writer in America."
I doubt there are any better in other countries, either.
Jake and I, a photo I took
of Jake on Hilarities' stage, and Nick Kostis (owner/mastermind
of Hilarities) and I.
Jake Johannsen's
done Letterman over thirty times, and yet he's still down to
earth, personable, and fun to hang out with in Cleveland, or
ANYwhere! These shots were taken at Hilarities--one of my favorite
comedy theaters. :)
Steven
Wright never fails to deliver hilarious,
original, one-liners, and he done won an Oscar!
Mike
Donovan is one of Steven Wright's
homeboys, and has been a Boston comedy star for a lotta years.
If you see him live, you have to request his impression of Howard
Cosell as a galley slave... He's naturally dropped it from the
act (since it's past it's "freshness date") but it's
one of my favorite bits ever.
Greg Proops
"Proop Dogg" is the shining
star of "Who's Line Is It, Anyway?" and (like Emo)
he's HUGE in England where they "know what's what".
He's also one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.
WeirdAl
and his band are the nicest guys I've toured with. It's been
said that The Who were "the world's best cover band"
because Townsend would walk in with a tape of new songs fully
realized in his home studio. (See his "Scoop" albums.)
Now that Moonie and The Ox have gone onto that great band rehearsal
in the sky, I'd say the title goes to Weird Al's Band. They
credibly cover every style of music from polka to rap!
In this San
Jose MercuryNews interview, I tell
the story about the second time I opened for Al.
Right up there with Emo and Steven Wright
in the short joke writing department is Dwight York. Dwight's
comedy is nothing to shake a stick at. I once saw him attack
a dowser with no further provocation. DwightYork.com
No one lives up to their hype more than
"The Pitbull of Comedy" Bobby
Slayton. Slayton has a knack for making
a seemingly outrageous statement and then proving it with his
own twisted logic, AND he's been in more movies than gunshots!
Another guy that always lived up to his
hype is the late, great Bill
Hicks.
In London, I was luck enough to work
with Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh at Hils Jago's Amused
Moose. He blew me away, and is a new favorite. Here's a clip
of him on Never
Mind The Buzzcocks
Another high point of my second trip
to London was working with Irish observational comic Ed
Byrne .
What does Tom
Megalis do? What doesn't
he do? I love his site and his short films.
Charlie Chaplin is recognized the world
over as a genius, but do you know why? Check out this clip for
clarification.
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Harold Lloyd was one of
the most popular comedians of all time, but with the advent
of TV, his popularity lagged behind more visible comedians like
Three Stooges, Laurel & Hardy, and Charlie Chaplin. You see,
Harold owned all of his films, and he wouldn't license them
to television, because he felt folks would tire of them after
repeated viewings. The sight of him hanging from the clock face
is an iconic a movie still, yet few people realize that the
amazingly physical comic was missing several fingers on one
hand from a prop bomb that misfired, and wore a rubber glove
to hide the injury. This is Harold Lloyd vs. The Jon Spencer
Blues Explosion. WHAM!
Fear Factor's Joe
Rogan is my new hero! He takes a dim view of (some very
high-profile) joke-thieves and has a very funny blog--go get
'em Joe! Recommended reading for comics! His battle with Carlos
Mencia contnues! Go Joe!!
My first two friends in London were Steven
Alan Green and Earl
Okin, both of whom are multi-talented.
Earl was the only opening act to do an entire tour with Paul
McCartney And Wings. .I recommend
his clip "In My Room." .Steven
has long been a respected stand-up, producer, and actor. .He
brought Jerry Lewis to The London Palladium and he's also done
drug and alcohol charity work with his High
On Laughter shows in Edinburgh and
elsewhere.
No one makes me laugh harder than the
lovely SueMurphy.
The Onion
is always good for an audible laugh--worth reading just for
the headlines.
Always one of the true gentlemen of comedy,
Mark Klein has come a long way from his days of performing in
animal skins as his alter ego, world-class wrestler, HARRY THE
MAD HUNGARIAN. Nowadays he’s a corporate comedian (and
one of the best) and a comparatively sedate family man and racehorse
owner. Have you ever heard of Seabiscuit? So has he! CorpJester.com
Tom
Mabe consistently cranks out great prank call CDs (on major
labels!) and is one of the most frequently e-mailed humorist's
this side of George Carlin. He's a good friend and one funny
cat.
Speaking of George
Carlin ... he's been an influence on everyone that came
after him. Thanks, George!
JohnnySteele
has long been a great comic and a good friend. He specializes
in frustration-fueled tirades against society that never cross
the line into self-indulgence.
DavidFeldman
has always been cool to me. Besides that, he's one of the best
comedy writers ever. My favorite Feldman story took place at
The Crow's Nest in Santa Cruz, where Feldo was doing his classic
"Eat the homeless" bit. A woman stood up in the middle
of the packed house and said: "Can't SOMEone stop him?!!"
Oh, yeah... he's also written for Dennis Miller.
ArjBarker
is a success across the globe, co-wrote The Marijuana-logues,
and is an old softball buddy.
Sometimes greatness really is
thrust upon you. When Groucho Marx's
son was born, he was late getting from the hospital to a theater
in Queens. With no time to glue on his moustache, he
painted one on with greasepaint. It got big laughs, but the
theater manager insisted that paying customers deserved real
false hair. Groucho wisely refused. When The Marx Brothers were
making their first film, the director demanded a genuine mustache,
arguing that audiences wouldn't believe a painted one. Groucho
told him, ''The audience doesn't believe us anyhow.''
Continuing my obsession with "unsung
heros" I present Al Boasberg, who was a writer for Burns
and Allen, The Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, and virtually created
Jack Benny’s enduring stage persona and, in doing so,
the stand-up comic. Allmovie.com’s Hal Erickson wrote
that, in the 1920’s: “It was said that virtually
half the acts playing the Loews vaudeville circuit were subsisting
on Boasberg's material.” Boasberg supplied gags and scenes
to classics that include Buster Keaton’s “College”
and “The General,” The Marx Brothers’ “A
Night At The Opera” and Tod Brownings’ “Freaks”
which influenced everyone from modern horror filmmakers to the
Ramones! Cheers, Al!
Chris Harwick and Mark Phirman make up
Hard 'N
Phirm, who do a riotous country medley of Radiohead tunes
that they call Rodeohead.
My good friend Kurt Weitzmann and I worked
on “Austin Powers: Operation Trivia” and he’s
a very funny fellow. His CD “TALENTED”
has some great voice talent on it including Matt North and the
legendary Ron Lynch. I took this photo of Kurt drumming for
Blaine Capatch at The Fake Gallery. KurtWeitzmann.com
Nasty
Canasta was part of the NYC
shows I did at CBGB's and The Lucky Cat, and damn near stole
the show! For my money, she's the best burlesque dancer out
there: funny, charming, AND sexy.
The medics of the 2/8th have a wall of
fame FULL of great autographed photos of comics, actors, athletes,
the famous, AND the infamous!" ArmyWallOfFame.com
I know a LOT of nutjobs. This one took
the photo at the top of this page! TechnoStud
San Francisco's Dan Dion is a flat-out great photographer. As
the official shutterbug for "Bill Graham Presents" he's shot
more famous people than Clint Eastwood! Here's the shot he took
of me. Check his stuff out at: DanDion.com
I've been lucky enough to have shots
taken by a lot of wonderful photographers, including Stuart
McAlister at my Paris show for Karel
Beer's AnythingMatters.
Stuart has a new company specializing
in Panoramic
Photography
that's way cool!
Rich
Rossi
is a wonderful illustrator specializing in greeting cards, books,
& childrens books & he's an authority on rock &
roll (especially pop) music & a good friend. If you need
an illustrator--call him!
For the proper etiquette of everything
from putting on a condom to playing a jukebox, check out this
informative and richly entertaining book by Phineas Mollod &
Jason Tesauro: The Modern Gentleman: A Guide to Essential Manners,
Savvy & Vice. To get your copy, may I suggest one of my favorite
independent bookstores? "Hi" Kelly! FountainBookStore.com
SAVE ANIMALS, THE RAIN FOREST, AND
FIGHT WORLD HUNGER:
(If it's not too much trouble:)
Koko the gorilla is an ambassador for her species, because she
can communicate with humans using ASL (American Sign Language)
and plays a mean techno-version of "Too Much Monkey Business."
When Koko met her favorite TV personality, the late Fred Rogers
(of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood) she took off his shoes! If the
videos on this site don't make you as misty as Johnny Mathis,
you're a hard case indeed... Koko.org
Save the rainforests and/or feed an orphaned
chimp. RedJellyFish.com
Feed an animal in a shelter, a hungry person, OR fight breast
cancer and save the rainforest all from a single site. Please
add to your "favorites" and click every day--your
contributions will add up quickly--you can easily save over
400 square feet of rainforest in a single year. Think of how
happy you'll make Sting! TheHungerSite.com
Sarasota Florida's non-profit
Big
Cat Habitat does amazing work rescuing (endangered) big
cats, all of whom have been raised in captivity, and they presents
an amazing show with trained dogs, bears, and tigers.
It's run by Kay Rosaire and her son, Clayton, whose family is
the subject of the Circus
Rosaire Movie. It chronicles their families
long history of performing animal training across Europe and
the U.S. They do good work, and could use your donations, hint,
hint.
A California non-profit animal rescue/pet
supply place that needs your help. Volunteer or donate money
(or ANY useful item.) They have offices in Canoga Park and Eagle
Rock. Angelpuss.org
I'm always eager to perform at "12 Step
Program" Conventions, and I also work with The Bay Area's Non-Profit
Bread and Roses Foundation (started by Mimi Farina!) They're
"dedicated to uplifting the human spirit by providing free,
live, quality entertainment to people who live in institutions
or are otherwise isolated from society." BreadAndRoses.org
MUSIC SITES:
AllMusic.com
The perfect site to settle music trivia arguments.
Holly
Golightly led the British all-girl garage/rock/pop group
Thee Headcoatees, and went solo in 1995, making more sedate,
but no less amazing music album after album. She's also quite
funny! Her new CD is entitled YOU CAN'T BUY A GUN which was
"inspired" by my joke "I learned a lot from my
second marriage... I learned they won't sell you a hand gun
if you're crying..." How cool is THAT?!
Holly also did a duet on an album by Detroit's brightest stars,
The
White Stripes
Dave Spark, boy genius, has done it again! He turned me onto
this site of Bad
Album ArtWhat a pal!
My friend Ida's
DOORS site. When people write books about The Doors, they check
out her collection of memorabilia!
The Stiff Records Site! I still have
my STIFF RECORDS t-shirt from the 80’s that said: "If it
ain’t STIFF, it ain't worth a F*CK." Needless to say, it
was Mom's least favorite. bestiff.co.uk
Sewell NJ’s Kool Kat imprint re-released my comedy CD
“UNSWEETENED” in 2006, and I’m the only comic
on the label. If you’re into Power Pop music, check out
their roster, and all the stuff they carry from other labels!
KoolKat
Jacko and Franco
Franco, my friend Jack,
Sean Doe and Chango
Get Thee behind me, Satan.
THROW RAG and their SAILOR ROCK may
just be the future of rock 'n' roll. If you go see them, be
sure to say "hi" to Cap'n Sean Doe for me (he's the bastard
son of John Doe, don't cha know.) ThrowRag.com
Despite his oft’ mentioned mental illness, singer/songwriter/artist
Daniel Johnston writes honest, heartfelt, often loopy and always
endearing songs. His early supporters included Sonic Youth,
Yo La Tengo, and Kurt Cobain and a recent tribute album includes
covers of his songs by Beck, Tom Waits, and Sparklehorse w/
The Flaming Lips! You can’t argue with a guy that has
fans like that! HiHowAreYou.com
The Fuzztones. A legendary garage rock
band fronted by the charismatic Rudi Protrudi! Fuzztones.net
During one appearance on The Bob & Tom
Whow, I got to crack wise with none other than CHEAP TRICK's
Rick Nielsen, who is truly hilarious! They all were! Rick, Robin
Zander, and Tom Peterson (everyone but their drummer, Bun E.
Carlos) played live. During the break, I said to Rick: "Why's
the drummer always the first to die, when they get to SLEEP
IN?" It's been nearly twenty-five years since Budokan, and they
still sound great! CheapTrick.com
Engelbert
Humperdinck
biggest hits were on the jukebox in my dad's bar, so it was
a real treat to get to open up for him. You wouldn't have believed
the women rushing the stage, and fighting over scarves. And
ENGELBERT did well, too!
The Shocking Blue’s "Venus"
is the only song in the history of the Billboard charts to hit
number one three times; in 1970, 1981 (by Stars On 45) and in
1986 (by Bananarama). They had a unique sound an put out a LOT
of great singles, and had a smoking hot lead singer.
The
Shocking Blue
The Records were an 80's power pop band that I rate right up
there with their influences; Big Star, Badfinger, and The Searchers,
who covered their song "Heart In Her Eyes". Chartwise, their
(nearly) top forty high point was "Starry Eyes" a perfect song
(and I'll fight anyone who says different). John Wicks leads
a new bunch of Records these days, but they still sound great!
Their new, improved site! JohnWicksAndTheRecords.com
Everyone knows the #1 hit "96 Tears"
but what you might not know is that ?
and The Mysterians (who wrote/recorded it) never
went away! The original line-up has been performing and recording
all this time, and they were a big influence on some of my other
favorites like The Fuzztones and The Lyres. Everything
I've bought by these guys is fantastic.
Tommy
James and the Shondells’ garage rock classic “Hanky
Panky” was one of the first songs I ever loved. Tommy
didn’t write it, but he went on to write a string of hits
for himself and others. In 1987, Tiffany and Billy Idol each
took their versions of his "I Think We're Alone Now"
and "Mony Mony", to the top spot on the charts. It
was the first time in music history that two cover versions
of songs by the same artist went number one back-to-back. Want
more TJ triva? The lyric; “Mony Mony” came about
when, trying to put words to an instrumental Tommy and the crew
came up with in the studio, Tommy’s eye fell on the Manhattan
skyline and the “Mutual of New York” Insurance Company’s
building!
You know what I love about Monterey-based singer/songwriter
Kiki Wow? EVERY THING.
KikiWow.com She hosted a weekly show
at Kulak's in NoHo for years.
TheMuffs
lived in my neighborhood in L.A... Nobody shrieks like lead
guitarist/singer
Kim Shattuck, who did a short stint in LA's all-girl band The
Pandoras with Rita D'Albert of Velvet Hammer/Buxotics/Lucha-Va-Voom
fame. Do you like sexy
dames with more feathers than Daisy Duck? Then you'll love
Rita and her Buxoticas!
Do girl groups come any
better than The
Donnas? I don't think so. They're like lumpy Ramones!
The
Charms from Boston are a great live outfit whose
songs have been featured on MTV, in films, in commercials, and
on Little Steven's Underground Garage. I love 'em, and they're
finally getting their due thanks to their appearances on LITTLE
STEVEN'S UNDERGROUND GARAGE shows!
Jill
Sobule is one hell of a songwriter with funny, poignant, and
intelligent lyrics (often all in the same song!) JillSobule.com
Was Paul Mc Cartney replaced by a look-a-like
back in 1967? Heck if I know--he won't return my calls.
PaulIsDead.com
Want more Beatles
sites? ...I live only to serve you. Beatles
Links
For the die-hard Beatles fan, Video Beat
offers a U.K. documentary about the songs on John Lennon’s
jukebox: John
Lennon's Jukebox
I.R.S.
Records was a great label, and this a great fan site!
If you like Merseybeat era Beatles, The
Dave Clark Five, Kinks and the likes, you should check out The
Spongetones superior power pop! Their new CD is out now, and
highly recommended! Spongetones.com
Another one of my favorite power pop
bands is (early MTV staples) The
Producers. Their first LP is a masterpiece!
Shel Silverstein was a genius who wrote
for Playboy AND wrote children's books! He also wrote hit songs
for the likes of Johnny Cash (A Boy Named Sue) Dr. Hook (Sylvia's
Mother, Cover Of The Rolling Stone) & The Irish Rovers (The
Unicorn) so (like a breakfast special) he gets three links!Children's
BooksAdult
WritingsFan
Site
Richard
Hell was more influential than anyone this side of The Ramones
in terms of influencing music in general, and punk specifically.
He originated the torn clothing/safety pin fashion (reportedly
out of necessity, as he was broke) which globe-trotting limey
Malcom McLaren swiped and brought back to The Sex Pistols. Hell's
a respected solo artist, poet and novelist, and was a member
of influential NYC bands that include Television and The Heartbreakers
(Johnny Thunder's, not Tom Petty's)
The
Ramones. Nuff said. It kills me that, now that three of
them are dead, you see their t-shirts everywhere! The've been
Morrison-ed or Hendrix-ed! Send me flowers while I'm here to
enjoy them, please... Here's longtime Ramones art director Arturo
Vega's site--he designed those iconic Ramones logos! Gabba Gabba
Hey! RamonesWorld.com
The
Bowel Tones are peerless purveyors of punk rock from SF's
East Bay with a lot of influences stirred in from rockabilly
to calypso. I love 'em, and it doesn't hurt that their bass
player, Alle Mae Fishpaw, is muy caliente!
Herman
Brood was Holland's biggest rockstar
ever, who had an American Top 40 hit in the U.S. with
"Saturday Night." He was also an amazing painter,
and was known in Holland for "printing his own money"
by knocking off a quick sketch or a painting in return for goods
or services--anything from a train ride to a visit to a cathouse
(several have his paintings proudly on display.) The recipient
always knew they could sell the artwork for much more than Herman
owed them. Herman shot speed everyday for 35 years, quit, and
released one of his best albums; "Ciao Monkey." His
body couldn't handle life without drugs and his health started
to fail. He leapt from his room in The Amsterdam Hilton after
recording a version of "My Way" to provide for his
family. It became his first #1 record in Holland. Since I'm
an international comedy star (and Richard, the tour manager
for The Comedy Cafe pulled some strings) we were given a tour
of his studio, which was kept just as he left it. A movie is
being made of his life and scenes were filmed here the day before
we visited. Gallery
I finally got to see seminal punk band
“X” playing at LA's Sunset Junction Street Fair,
and took these photos
XtheBand.com
Top: All of X: DJ Bonebreak,
Xene Cervenka, Billy and John. Lower Left: Billy Zoom, Lower
Right: John Doe
PeggyJudy
is a swingin' 60's movie starlet turned cabaret singer and shares
my penchant for leopard print. She's the kind of sugar poppa
likes! I met her when I did stand-up at one of LesMichaels'
fantastic cabaret nights (they're "all the rage" in LA). Peggy's
alter-ego is a cartoonist with a great new book out Everyday
Cat Excuses.
The legendary Jimmie Wood is the kind of electrifying performer
that makes you wonder why he isn't a houshold name. I can't
describe their music any better than it's described on their
site: “If you're a man, The Imperial Crowns music makes
ya wanna git out on the hard streets and preach the Holy Gospel,
then armed with a cheap small caliber pistol, rob a liquor store,
make it to your best friend's house while he's away on his job,
and make love to his girlfriend.” That's the effect it
had on me, anyway... ImperialCrowns.com
Chris
Murray is maybe the only ska act represented
on LordofLaughs. I love his live shows, his CDs and his songs
about recovery and love (which are inextricably entwined).
Speaking of love, do you
ever wonder what our Russian friends are rocking out to? Russian
Radio Station
THE
DON STUCK BAND Don
Stuck , the
originator of the room-clearing "R" chord, continues
to labor in obscurity despite being an Indianapolis favorite
on the air (on X103) and in bars from stem to stern. I've been
known to shake a tail feather at his shows, and to even jump
onstage with them until the bouncers get involved.
Don worked on-air with the
magenta-maned Gonzo
and onstage with his lovely wife, Nicole, until a Sin City station
made them an offer they couldn't refuse. The bonus cut on my
CD is from Gonzo and Don's BIG DUMB SHOW.
The
Slaptones have toured with The Brian
Setzer Orchestra and really swing, but not in that way... What's
sexier than a girl playing a stand-up bass?
L: The last place that Buddy
Holly , Richie Valens and The Big Bopper performed (The Surf
Ballroom in Clear Lake IA) R: Dion
Dion was the prototypical“rock
star.” He was very first to do the now familiar BEHIND
THE MUSIC cycle of starting out in a successful group, going
solo, writing enduring songs, reaching the top, getting hooked
on heroin, losing it all, finding God, and coming back as good
as ever! His CD “Deja Nu” is a return to the Dion
of old! “Hug My Radiator” is about touring on the
unheated bus that The Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly
died flying away from after their show at The Surf Ballroom.
He’s also one of the first “single name” stars
and, while Cher looks better in a mid-drift, she could never
write “Runaround Sue”. DionDiMucci.com
Younger folks may only know her as Trish Murtaugh
from The Lethal Weapon films, but Darlene
Love is one of the most underrated voices in rock music.
Svengali Phil Spector routinely released sessions she sang lead
on under a variety of group names that he owned, like Bob. B.
Sox & The Blue Jeans. She sang lead on The Crystals #1 smash
“He’s A Rebel” and Da Doo Run Run, as well
as her solo hit "Today I Met the Boy I'm Going to Marry."
Darlene had a career as a back-up singer before and after
those successes, singing on hits by Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke,
The Beach Boys, The Mamas & The Papas, Tom Jones and The
Righteous Brothers. With The Blossoms, she sang back-up on Johnny
Rivers’ Poor Side Of Town, Sam Cooke’s
Chain Gang, Shelley Fabares‘ Johnny Angel,
and Bobby "Boris" Pickett's perennial Monster
Mash! In my opinion, people should throw rose petals in
her path everywhere she goes.
Carole
Kaye was a female bass session player at a time when it
was unheard of. She played the classic bass line on Nancy Sinatra's
These Boots Are Made For Walking, as well as The Beach
Boys' Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda, I Get Around, California
Girls, God Only Knows, and the classic Pet Sounds LP.
If that isn’t enough to impress you, add the #1 hit Something
Stupid by Frank & Nancy Sinatra as well as The Doors’
Light My Fire, and hits by Paul Revere & Raiders,
The Monkees, Glen Campbell, Simon & Garfunkle, and The Supremes.
She also provided bottom end for TV Theme songs from Mission
Impossible, The Addams Family, and more!
Have you noticed I'm obsessed with unsung heroes? It's
hard to believe that you don't know
Leo Burnette by name, when everyone has come in
contact with one of his creations. An adman for nearly six decades,
Leo created The Marlboro Man, The Pillsbury Doughboy, Tony the
Tiger and The Jolly Green Giant! Sal-ute!
Speaking of The Jolly Green Giant, baritone Elmer "Len"
Dresslar, Jr. provided his first "Ho! Ho! Ho!" back
in 1959. Len's other voice-over work included providing voices
for Snap of Snap-Crackle-Pop fame, Dig-'em, the Kellogg's Sugar
Smacks frog, and The Marlboro Man (the second most recognizable
advertising character behind Ronald McDonald). He also sang
"When you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer."
Here's more info on these and other
ad mascots.
How can I describe my dear friend
Joey's site? Part of it's in LATIN
(which is smart, if your target audience is Catholic
priests) and it links to the band FILTH JUGGERNAUT (so it probably
isn't aimed at the clergy...)
If you're a fan of album cover art, THE KNOCKOFF PROJECT collects
parodies of famous albums covers as well as intentional and
unintentional ripoffs. Lots of fun. KnockoffProject.com
If your idea of a good time is sifting
through stacks of wax, this record store database is for you!
My friend comedian/writer Dave Spark (DavidSpark.com)
turned me onto it. With 900 reviews of
stores in 25 countries, it probably includes a store in your
neck of the woods. Vinyl RULES! RecordStoreReview.com
. Why not listen to David's podcast (for Sprint) The
Communications Insider on which Sparky discusses all things
techie (like cell phone ettiquitte) in an amusing fashion, and
if your company is considering branching out into publishing,
why not visit his Spark Media Solutions
which specializes in custom editorial and new media.
If you're a fan of records, eventually,
you'll need a new needle. The Needle Doctor has the best service
and selection I've found. Whether you have a "Close 'N'
Play" or a DJ Service, they'll hook you up! NeedleDoctor.com
if you're looking for cool vintage or just solidly built and
thoroughly checked-out used stereo equipment, try TheSoundWell.com
The first Sunday of every month, there's
a great Record
Swap record in Pasadena CA.
LA vinylmaniacs would also do well to visit Amoeba
Records (who were one of the
first to carry my CD) and HouseOfRecords
in Santa Monica.
Would you believe that this is the oldest
GET SMART site on the web?... How about the second
oldest?... Would you believe it's a website devoted to leg wrestling?
We lost Don Adams this year. He was 82, and he almost made it
to 83. He "missed it by THAT much!" WouldYouBelieve.com
The Psychotronic Guide reviews rock
'n' roll, horror, and cult movies, and is definitely worth having.
The magazine is always entertaining as well, with lots of interviews
with otherwise ignored B-movie actors. Psychotronic.com
GhoulNextDoor.com
Kyra Schon was the little dead girl in the original NIGHT OF
THE LIVING DEAD and she’s still milking it like a comic
with an EVENING AT THE IMPROV credit. You can buy a trowel (yes,
a trowel) with a zombie on it. Where else can you do that?
If you’re looking specifically
for Rock ‘N’ Roll, Juvenile Delinquent, Bad Girl
& Hot Rod movies, try TheVideoBeat
Fair movie reviews. RottenTomatoes.com
Finally! A site devoted to the #1 role model of rockabilly
kittens everywhere,Bettie
Page.
My friend Mr. Jones (you can call him
“Mr. Jones, SIR”) obsesses about good acting like
I obsess about good music. If the name Clu Gallagher means anything
to you, his may be the blog you’re dreaming of. YourFiendMrJones.com
FAVORITE
RADIO SHOWS:
The Bob and Tom Radio Network. Simply the best, and
heard in 150 markets. BobAndTom.com
Buy all the "Best of Bob &Tom" CDs, or just the one
I'm on! BobAndTom.com
They rock like a nymphomaniac's trailer!
The Tom Leykis
Show is one of the most controversial,
entertaining and informative radio shows out there. I loved
doing the show. I'm considered to be pretty quick on my feet,
and I wouldn't argue with "The Professor" without my attorney
present--yet housewives from Van Nuys have no reservations about
doing so!
Rodney Bingenheimer,
the influential and world reknowned
KROQ DJ, helped put the LA station on the map by being the first
to play Beck, Joan Jett, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Hole, The Strokes,
The Ramones, X and many more on his RODNEY
ON THE ROQ program. Despite that, and a recent documentary
about him,"The Mayor Of Sunset Strip" KROQ moved him to a crummy
timeslot! Rage against the machine by signing this
petiton to get Rodney's show moved back to Sundays at 7
when someone other than tweakers & nightwatchmen can listen!
Meand fellow B-more boy Maxwell,
Hilarities' Box Office Queen Jessica with producer Stansbury,
and Crackerman at the controls.
Bob & Tom are now on
Cleveland's WMMS (The Buzzard). I had a blast on their afternoon
show with Maxwell!
I’ve done a lot of radio, but rarely
do I enjoy it as much as I did with fellow Carson-fan Bob
Rivers and his crew, who have the #1 Morning Show in Seattle
and a slew of hilarious “Twisted Tunes” CD’s!
Gary
Jeff Walker does "Car Phone Karaoke" on his afternoon
show and plays highlights from Bob & Tom. He and The Fox
have always been supportive of my Cincinnati area appearances!
Thanks, guys!
My friend comedian/actress/Rooster
T. Feather's owner
Heather Woodhull & I at the Mix 106 studios in San Jose.
KFM brought me to Chico
in January, and has always been supportive! Whenever I'm nearby,
I drop in and hang out with my buddy Wheezal Dogg. If all stations
were as cool as KFM
, the world'd be a much better place!
Wheezal's so invaluable that
KFM's cloned him 3 times! Pictured on the right is Wheezal Dogg
#4. Wheezal Dogg #1 answers phones & #2 is with me on the
left before his shift doing the weather during Bob & Tom.
They keep #3 for spare parts...
COMEDY BOOKERS, COMIC’S SITES AND OF INTEREST
TO COMEDIANS:
An online magazine published by, for,
and about comedians. SheckyMagazine.com
Can't remember what's in a Harvey Wallbanger?
No problem, the folks at I DRINK do! IDrink.com
If you can't remember anything after
that seventeenth Harvey Wallbanger, maybe you should seek help... AA.org
My friend Dave Schwensen writes books
on HOW TO BE A COMIC and his Twelveteen Magazine interviews
comics and rock and roll legends like (Elvis' originally guitarist)
Scotty Moore! Twelveteen.com
Elite Comedy Booking is run by my good
friend (yes, since BEFORE she was a "booker") Becky Porter,
who really loves comedy. EliteComedy.com
Comedian Rob Twohy's site, which has
a TON of information for and about stand-ups. HeyLady.com
If you're producing shows in the midwest
Mike at Toledo's TRS has provided sales, rentals, repairs, audio
and lighting production services in the tri-state area since
1972. They even shoot video! TRSMusic.com
What does a comedian need more than a
good lawyer? Prepaid legal services make a lot of sense... it's
like AAA for legal matters. For less than a cup of coffee a
day, you can supply a starving child with legal advice!
My
old pal Blaine's website. Blaine is as thin as a Baywatch plot
and twice as funny! Comedian, writer, television personality
and guitarist in the garage band THE BUXOTICS. His appearances
with Lucha Va Voom (mixing comedy, burlesque and mexican wresting)
are the stuff of legend! 
