When - How - Why (did you start listening to the Best Show)

[Steve G]

A few years ago a friend played for me a few cuts from the first compilation. Jarrett the weight loss kid and Chocolageddon cracked me up...I was instantly sold. Same friend, probably later that day, then showed me the Mets v. Yankees show from the archive (which I now realize is Glaser and Benjamin). "I love my wife... I love my kids... and I love the Mets-GO METS!"

Been a FOT ever since. Got the card to prove it.

[buffcoat]

I think it's Walsh and Benjamin, right?

[A.M. Thomas]

I started listening to WFMU via Pat Duncan when I was thirteen or fourteen. I discovered the station when I was flipping through the radio channels late one Thursday night and heard an Adverts song.

WFMU changed my small-minded musical tastes and I eventually became a big fan of the station. I first heard The Best Show sometime in 2004, but I didn't start listening religiously until 2005.

[dave from knoxville]

Joe Walsh? Richard Benjamin?

[Dorvid Barnas]

Joe Walsh? Richard Benjamin?

Matt Walsh
H. Jon Benjamin

[Sarah]

I was just looking for something else on the old board and came across my long post about this (in a thread I started, in fact--I was you, erika!).  Rather than repeat it, I offer a link.  Many others' stories are to be found here as well.

[Chris L]

I wonder how many more times we'll repeat and fine-tune these stories.








One?

[Mason]

I caught on to the show the summer of 2006 after stumbling around looking for new comedy podcasts to get into. The Best Show was linked off a comedy site. At the time I had heard of WFMU, but never heard of this show and had no idea what it was. I think the first episode I tried was the one with Philly Boy Roy's track on Art of the Slap. I didn't pay full attention so I didn't exactly dawn on me what the show really was. It seemed like another call in show but with some very weird callers and host who'd humor them. Probably because I saw that picture from Hippy Justice, I pictured Tom was an old beardy radio vetran who looked like the late folk singer Burl Ives. In hindsight that's hilarious to me.



A couple of months passed, I got bored again and once again came across the Best Show. This time something clicked and I've been a loyal listener since. It's definitely a show that rewards you for your patience once you get used to its rhythm.

Compelling story right? In a nutshell; I listened, stopped, listened again and became a fan. The end.

I feel like I've written this before.

[paul]

OT: Rutgers FOT here!  Livingston College '89, and former DJ on the maligned-on-TBS* station WRSU.  I discovered WFMU in college (my high school years were occupied by WRSU and WPRB), and have been listening ever since, wherever life has taken me.


*  I have not listened to WRSU in years, but the schedule always had a few truly excellent DJs at any given time.  I'm sure that's true today.  WRSU is not and never has been in WFMU's league, but you could say that about any other station.

haha. i guess its my fault that tom makes fun of wrsu, since i dj here and every time i call in tom makes fun of me and my station.

[Martin Edison]

I've listened to WFMU since the late 90's.
A friend's brother always had the station on in his dingy basement bedroom.

I never caught a Best Show until the Tuesday night around the 04'
Presidential election. Tom said something like he had jury duty the next
day and would release a serial killer on society if Bush won again.

That pretty much did it for me.

[Rainer]

The "Al Green" show, probably the week after it was originally broadcast, alone in the office one night.   Wurster talking about "calling a special lady friend" and his gym shorts and that Al Green album cover, "you know, the one that looks like he's getting ready to make love."   

[Josh]

Rainer!

Where ya been?

[Rainer]

Where ya been?

Getting my Baltimore rowhouse sold (check), de-molding my apartment (check) and visiting my eldest son (check), who came out to the PNW to see me in all my lonesome.   I'm also working on my entry to the video/art contest, which I hope to have done before the contest ends.   

[Gus]

I discovered WFMU through a Bob Dylan message board a few years ago. Someone posted that Yo La Tengo were playing requests for donations and I was intregued.  So I listened to bits and pieces on and off for a while.  Then I saw a link for The Best Show on Danielson's site, have been hooked ever since!

[Tim G]

Checked it out after Ted Leo said in some interview
that it was like a religion to him.