Joel Radio presents Comedy Night Live: March 2014
Apr 1st
Joel returns to host O’Mara’s Comedy Night for March and the results are spectacular! Joel himself starts out the night with all new material, including riffing on the Gweynth Paltrow/Chris Martin divorce, the worst things on the internet, and why Kermit The Frog is not an asshole. It’s a night of strong premises from Joel, but a joke is not a premise alone, and the audience responds in kind. Writing jokes is hard! Still, the raucous crowd enjoys a great night of performances, including John Tenney recounting his bus driving days and reading out of the newspaper, Jeff Scheen returns from Chicago to do a wickedly funny set, Gary Sylvester tells us why it sucks getting old, and the always-funny Jeff Horste gets berated by the host for missing his opening spot for the most hilarious of reasons. Never number two, when you’re number one, OK? Also, Ray Topper is so funny you will want to have a stroke and “The Most Autistic Man in Showbiz” Andrew Ackner keeps the handicapped humor coming with a decidedly un-PC set that is a big hit with O’Mara’s crowd. Also, strong sets from Wesley Ward, Loyd Digg, Marty Smith, Carl Johnson, and Tanner Oliver make for an incredible night of comedy that is probably not safe for work, school, church or any place with a good sense of what is right and wrong.
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Joel exchanges weird looks with John Tenney……………..
And plots a money-making Special Olympics of Comedy with Andrew Ackner and Ray Topper
Joel Radio #125: We Lost The Ford Plant
Mar 20th
Taste in music is subjective – except on this episode of Joel Radio, where Joel and his buddies do a March Madness-style playoff bracket to decide who really is the best act in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The panel consists of Joel, Corey Hall, and a returning Bill Hildebrandt, a comic who also worked as a recording engineer in the 60s and 70s. Joel worked hard creating the brackets, seeding all the acts and whittling them down from a list of almost 200 acts to just sixty-four for the tournament. The guys then fill out their individual brackets before making a final, group decision listening to each act’s best song and deciding the merits of each. Corey hates metal and blue collar rock. Bill has never hear of “that guy” Public Enemy. Joel has never smoked enough pot to enjoy Pink Floyd. The debates fly fast as Joel considers Dylan a genius but the Stones merely great. Bill can’t believe The Animals are better than The Eagles, and wonders why Journey aren’t in the Hall. Corey has never roofed a house, so he can’t enjoy Van Halen. No one understands the appeal of Fleetwood Mac, but they know there’s fans out there. It’s a great, funny debate, sprinkled with trivia, like how the organ got so prominent on “Like a Rolling Stone” and why Little Richard might actually be more dangerous than Guns N’ Roses. It all comes down to a Final Four that is probably to be expected but at the same time leaves no one happy. Download a a copy of the brackets for yourself and play along! Also, the guys say goodbye to comedy legend David Brenner and wonder why he was even considered a legend to begin with. Plus, movie reviews of The Grand Budapest Hotel and Tim’s Vermeer, both recommended and playing at an art-house cinema near you.
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Who is Rock’s all-time greatest act? Listen and play along yourself! Click the image to download and print the brackets
Joel Radio #124: Know What I’m Sayin?
Mar 7th
It’s back to the studio, as Joel Radio welcomes the return of John Tenney to the podcast. Last week’s live event is on the forefront of Joel’s mind however, as he recaps the challenges of recording a live show, the new equipment he used and the pressure of writing an all-new comedy set. Joel and John listen back to Joel’s set critiquing the material in an attempt to figure out why some stronger jokes died and some weaker ones succeeded, and why local references, topical jokes and arcane references should be avoided. The guys also review the amazing, incomprehensible performance of Nino Brown, who strolled on to the comedy stage with a full month’s notice and managed to yell, curse and make other indescribable noises to the delight of Tenney, who is planning a potential CD release of Nino’s material. Even a tardy Corey Hall can’t deny how funny the set is on playback, despite the fact that he got up and left the room as it was happening live. The bad comedy doesn’t stop there, however, as Seth Myers makes his late night debut, and even if it’s better than Jimmy Fallon’s debut, there’s still a long way to go. Plus, a full Oscar recap including Travolta’s hair and intro mishap, why 12 Years a Slave won all the awards, and the sheer awfulness that was Ellen Degeneres. Hey Ellen, a woman wearing a tuxedo should not tell another woman she looks like a dude. Read more Oscar and late night snarking on the official Joel Radio Twitter @joelradioshow.
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The official Oscar review from the staff of JoelRadio.net
Joel Radio Live at O’Maras Comedy Night February 27, 2014
Mar 1st
Joel Radio is proud to present a real-life “bar” open mike show, recorded live and without edits at O’Mara’s Irish Pub in Berkley, MI. Joel is the host and opens with several minutes of fresh material written specifically for the night. He riffs on the Sochi Olympics, The Lego Movie, the Oscars and perhaps most successfully, pitches his idea for a new reality show, one that might help him actually get laid. It’s risky material, and some is so new it’s practically read right off the page, but it works, mostly. Except for that Girls joke, which bombed, but is still funny if you watch the show. You’ll also hear a similarly unrehearsed set from Corey Hall, who while every bit successful (or unsuccessful) as Joel on the night, clearly spent exactly no time actually writing his stuff down. Also, show favorite Mike Lundy returns to the stage and does what he does best – getting laughs, recent show guest Samantha Rager does some sit-down comedy, and Michael Babbish and Allen Smock team up to play Battleship with jokes, which ends up being exactly funny as it sounds. Plus, Dan Brittain arrives fresh from comedy school, Marty Smith proves that crazy old men can still write pretty good jokes, and lots more terrific comedy sets from Michael Geeter, Zach Stein, Ron Lutze, Amit Jain, Esther Navarez, and AJ Rice. Perhaps most importantly though, you’ll hear the comedy debut of Nino Brown, a young man who has a krunked-out, English-language defying delivery that is either the worst or the funniest thing that you’re ever likely to hear. Listen as Nino roasts the room, hampered somewhat by the fact that the targets of his jokes can’t seem to understand what he’s saying. After years of hearing wild stories from Joel and Corey about open mike comedy shows of the past, here’s a chance to experience one for yourself from the comfort of your own home or car, no cover charge required.
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Joel’s comedy set and running order for the show. A clash of handwritten chaos and word-processed brilliance
Joel Radio #123: Better Than Charades
Feb 21st
It’s the dawning of a new era in late night TV as Jimmy Fallon takes over the Tonight Show. The critical mass has been largely positive on the shows first few episodes, but can Jimmy Fallon win over card-carrying Leno-haters Joel and Corey? Joel’s thinking no, as the kiss-ass interviews and lame party games are sure to deflate any discerning viewers interest, and Jimmy’s lack of comedic teeth will soon make the show as dull as any number of daytime TV’s talkers. Corey sees some light on the horizon, but is more happy about Leno’s ouster than anything else. Hear their hard hitting criticism, including Joel’s twitter play-by-play that was so scorching the mainstream media picked up on it. Also, Emma Stone may or may not be nude on the internet and the guys pour over paparazzi bikini pics to do some comparisons – even more expert analysis! Plus, podcasting’s technical details explained by Joel, if you hate coffee you’re a commie (according to Corey), and looking at people’s ex-girlfriends is a total blast and how you can do it yourself.
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This games of charades was as funny as it looks. Thanks, Jimmy.
Joel Radio #122: Too Many Girls For Jerry
Feb 7th
The folks at Gawker should be loving Joel Radio right about now. At least the one asshole over there who challenged Jerry Seinfeld about diversity in comedy, as Joel Radio is proud to bring you two female comedians on one big show. Joel and Corey along with guests Lauren Uchalik and Samantha Rager discuss why Seinfeld is right about comedy not necessarily needing diversity and why being funny is (usually) enough. You’ll also hear the girls’ ridiculous stories about being a woman in comedy, including free motel rooms for open mike spots, late night Scrabble invites from pervs and in-boxes overflowing with poetry from strangers. The guys also share the worst story they’ve ever heard about a horn-dog comic that involves a long road trip and one bed for the headliner and opening, female, performer. Also, this year’s Super Bowl was the worst ever, Jay Leno is leaving but things are gonna get worse (says Joel), and is the Jeopardy! champ a fink or a genius, the panel debates. Plus, superfan Cam sends “disgusting” and “weird” foreign candy bars to the panel that end up being neither disgusting or weird and Joel makes a big announcement about a fun future project for Joel Radio.
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Lauren and Sam give this show two thumbs up
Joel Radio #121: Movie Mania
Jan 21st
In their final look back at 2013, Joel and Corey Hall look back at the best and worst films of 2013. The guys review over 70 movies in this marathon show, include their personal favorite fifteen films of the year, their honorable mentions, and Joel’s personal list of thirteen documentaries to see. There’s some disputes, of course, most notably about American Hustle, which is either inventive and fun or a bad ’70s-themed cocktail party, depending on who you choose to believe. Also, hear why Philomena is actually not a movie for old ladies, how Nebraska director Alexander Payne made a great movie despite the presence of MacGruber, and the totally obvious reasons why a three-hour foreign lesbian romance is one of the year’s best. Plus, Joel tries to not ruin a film’s shocking twist, Sylvester Stallone needs a new soundtrack, and, even though they told you before, Room 237 still sucks.
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This is a still from Blue is the Warmest Color. Hard to believe Corey liked this.
Joel Radio #120: T.V. O.D.
Jan 10th
Joel Radio kicks off 2014 with it’s annual in-depth look at the state of television. While it’s not so much the best and worst lists – though Joel and Corey have those – it’s more a look at the state of television today, the different way people are viewing it, the audience’s expectation of TV in 2014 and where it’s going. Don’t worry – there’s dick jokes, too! The guys breakdown the best late-night shows segment-by-segment to see who has the best monologue, interviews, bits, musical guests, etc. There’s true winners and losers, too. Sorry, Jimmy Fallon. Also, a look at the original series on streaming services like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon. The guys will tell you the best and the worst, including one with a Bill Murray cameo! Plus, Joel tells you what’s wrong with sketch shows and which one gets it right, Corey can’t say Breaking Bad is bad, and Joel discovers the new American minority that’s ripe for reality TV exploitation – sorry Cajuns! A two-hour powerhouse show. Listen before you watch!
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Gather ’round kids! Amy’s doing a sketch about vagina size!
Joel Radio #119: Assholes of the Year 2013
Dec 23rd
It’s time for everybody’s favorite show – the Assholes of the Year for 2013! This podcast’s annual celebration of villiany, bad behavior and self-serving dickery as selected by your hosts, Joel Fragomeni and Corey Hall. It’s quite a list, too, filled with sleazy politicians, money-hungry CEOs, idiotic actors and even a few “regular” people! Anyone can be a giant asshole! While the choices aren’t necessarily unanimous among the hosts – and you probably won’t agree with all of them – there’s a lot of passion on display here. And it’s not just a list of names, you’ll hear exactly which dirty deeds were done in 2013 and how that could affect the your choice of people to vote for, the place you choose to eat dinner, or the celebrity who’s latest movie or TV show you might choose to watch. Of course, this show is done for laughs, and there’s plenty, but Joel and Corey would like to think you’ve got it in you to hate these people as much as they do. As the last show for 2013, it’s two plus hours of your favorite podcasters doing there favorite thing in the world – calling out assholes in the most asshole-y way possible. A perfect end to 2013. Listen and enjoy.
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Actually, not everybody pictured was chosen as a top 10 asshole, but you’ll have to listen to find out who was! No spoilers!
Joel Radio #118: The Middle School Dance
Dec 14th
They say “If you can remember the ’80s, you weren’t there”. Actually, they say that about the ’60s. No matter, as guest John Tenney remembers the ’80s and tried to bring back some of that feeling to a recently middle school dance where he was the DJ. As you’ll hear, John’s choice of ’80s dance-floor filler flopped with the kids – but the teachers loved it! Hear Joel, John and Corey’s memories of the dances of their youth and hear the songs to which the podcasting stars of the future would touch their first tits. Also, Bruce Springsteen tells dirty jokes for charity and he might have been drunk! Listen for yourself and decide. Plus, Corey hangs with Gilbert Gottfried and talks SNL (of the 80s!), Panda cookies are delicious, The Hobbit should go back in his hole, and much much more on this fun, nostalgic episode of Joel Radio.
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You can totally picture John Tenney in this scene, can’t you? No? Then go listen to Bruce tell jokes (below)
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