Host Dave Walk is joined by Gregg Gethard to analyze the world of prank phone calls. We play calls from The Knofler Tapes, Stev, Earles and Jensen, Buddyhead’s Torture Device, Longmont Potion Castle, and more. Plus, we play a few that Gregg recently recorded and take calls from listeners.

Subscribe to the podcast feed (iTunes)

(Liked this episode of the podcast? Please write a review in iTunes so that we can get bigger…huge even!)

Subscribe to the podcast feed (in another podcast reader)

Listen to this episode in this nifty player (43:50):

Download this episode (as a .mp3) to take with you wherever you may go.

Gregg Gethard continues his journal of performing as “The Greggulator” (profile). This week, hypnosis.

My biggest challenge in stand-up has, much like everyone else, been in developing new material. This isn’t a feeling that I’m used to having. Professionally, I’m a freelance writer/journalist. After about ten years of constantly have to beat deadlines, it has become second nature for me to bang out a few hundred words in only a few hours. And, in my dabbling in comedy, I’ve mostly been able to transfer my skill. In the sketch group I was in for a while, I wrote a lot (probably too many) of sketches consistently. I’ve written a ton of somewhat humorous personal essays and other bits that I’ve used for Bedtime Stories without too many problems.

But stand-up has been a lot harder for me. There are two reasons for this. First, stand-up is a whole different art and form of communication that pretty much anything else. Secondly, I perform as a character, and a pretty odd one at that, so finding that voice doesn’t come naturally. I do think of a lot of that would be good if I performed stand-up as myself, which is something I’m thinking about starting to do. But I’m a lot more interested in The Greggulator persona; I spend enough of my day worrying about whether or not I’m a good person, so portraying someone who is a delusional faux-celebrity is really cathartic, in a way.

Read More…

The show that Philly Citypaper called “pissed-the-fuck-off”, “frenetic”, and “hilarious” brings some friends online for a night of laughs born out of their own anger.

8PM, $10, BYOB, Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147, ticket website.

Longform improv: activate!

9:30PM, $10, BYOB, Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147, ticket website.

The show that Philly Citypaper called “pissed-the-fuck-off”, “frenetic”, and “hilarious” brings some friends online for a night of laughs born out of their own anger.

8PM, $10, BYOB, Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147, ticket website.

Competitive longform improv at its finest! Two teams perform; you decide who wins. Rookie Card defends their title again.

9:30PM, $5, BYOB, Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147, ticket website.

A college improv group and a Philadelphia improv group are paired up in this super-fun monthly show.

8PM, $5, BYOB, Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147, ticket website.

Holy heck, are we lucky. Elephant Larry — the epic, award-winning, festival-hopping NYC sketch group — is doing a one-night-only performance in Philadelphia. Do not miss!

9:30PM, $10, BYOB, Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147, ticket website.

New sketch group Catch 22 and veterans Animosity Pierre present a full hour of awesome.

8PM, $10, BYOB, Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147, ticket website.

This Thing of Ours (a new sketch group of Swathmore graduates) and Meg & Rob (featured in the Chicago Sketchfest, Seattle Sketchfest, and Boston Comedy Fest) bring the absurd and incredibly funny straight to you. As long as you come to the theater first.

9:30PM, $10, BYOB, Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147, ticket website.