The Best/Worst Moments of last night's show

[yesno]

those playlists of what he plays at the start of each show are like a fucking goldmine.

Has someone actually compiled these?  I'd back a kickstarter that would just come up with a list of every song Tom's played over the past 13 years.

[Greggulator]

The show with Chris Gethard is not happening. IFC chose not to move forward with it. Too bad, the script is one of my favorite things ever and working with Chris was an absolute dream.

Tom.

On the bright side, there will be no litigation amongst my family members because of this show.

On a really serious note, watching you and Chris form a collaborative process was so great to see unfold. You two really work well together. The show where you drank soda and talked about New Jersey was great.

[fonpr]

The show with Chris Gethard is not happening. IFC chose not to move forward with it. Too bad, the script is one of my favorite things ever and working with Chris was an absolute dream.

Tom.

On the bright side, there will be no litigation amongst my family members because of this show.

On a really serious note, watching you and Chris form a collaborative process was so great to see unfold. You two really work well together. The show where you drank soda and talked about New Jersey was great.

I thought Tom quit drinking soda quite a while back.

[Mr. Spacely]

I think we just discovered that everything Gregg has said has been a lie all these years and he's not even related to Chris.

[fonpr]

I think we just discovered that everything Gregg has said has been a lie all these years and he's not even related to Chris.

Yep.

[Cori]

I don't really know how to express this. I knew it would come to an end sooner rather than later.

I started listening when I was in my junior year of college. I was going through a tough period, dealing with social anxiety and deciding to become a teacher. My boyfriend introduced me to the show, which he started listening to when we started dating in high school. TBS is the perfect combination of genuine kindness, great music, and New Jersey randomness. I grew up in Irvington and it was so cool to find a connection back to those things I missed in PA.

Seven years later, I'm now a successful teacher who tries not to laugh when my students pronounce long o sounds like Philly Boy Roy (seriously). I look forward to every podcast and relish the nights I can listen live. I will truly miss hearing Tom's voice (and Spike's cackle).

All good things must come to an end, eventually.

Thank you Tom, Mike, and everyone who contributed positively to the show. I will look forward to anything that comes out in the future from you, Tom.

[CSW]

Bear with me on this stroy, the end point is relevant....

Ok, so there's this band called Rocket From The Crypt. Hopefully some of you know them. They are really great, in fact they are my favorite band of all time. (Best Show related aside: JW has been friends with them for years and played drums on one of their albums when they were between drummers.)

Anyway, after 15 years of being THE BEST, they decided to call it a day back in 2005 because they had achieved everything they had ever possibly hoped to achieve and didn't feel they could commit to the "25 hours a day 8 days a week" commitment that they'd always demanded of themselves.

So they played a final show - R.I.P RFTC - on Halloween 2005 in their home town of San Diego, CA. I was lucky enough to be there, having flown from the UK just for that show. Maybe some of you were there, who knows? (JW - "Mr LiftOff" in RFTC parlance -  was there, and was on stage with them for a few songs)

During one of multiple emotionally charged moments in the set, during a song called Glazed, singer/frontman/all around boss/punkrock lifer John "Speedo" Reis made one of his classic mid song monologues, about developing a photo he took 15 years earlier which culminated thus:

"It was me....looking out at a perfect world that only exists in this music, ladies and gentlemen.....so to all the naysayers, to all the people who don't believe, we say......Take That....Take That"

That sentiment seems to me to be entirely relevant to the ending of Best Show.

You did it, Tom, you created a beautiful world that exists only because of the Best Show and just like I was so grateful for RFTC, I will be forever grateful to you for creating it and letting me share it in. Thankyou so much. I mean it a lot.

Oh, and because every story eventually has a happy ending, RFTC got back together this year and played a bunch of shows, made a bunch of people happy and seem to be having a great time doing it. I'll be seeing them twice in December when they come to the UK.

So nothing is ever over forever...
 

[Epic Soundtracks]

"Best Show on WFMU" theme on Fenway organ

Tom just posted this on twitter...Best Show theme song played on the organ at Fenway, Game 6. Amazing!

[mike a]

This show made me proud to be from New Jersey - and specifically the Middlesex County of my youth and 20s.  There is scarcely higher praise I can offer.

[mike a]

Only slightly off-topic: Tom's Titus Andronicus video literally made me tear up with pride for NJ.

[Bridgey]

That last "Tuesday has now become Wednesday" almost had me crying in my sleep. And that there was no "One Day I'll Fly Away" collage ending, given that he actually is, um, flying away.

But the worst "Fridge Sadness" moment came after Conrad from London's call. Tom's talk about Harry Styles and "Ian" from One Direction made me think of things what could have been. Oh man, we'll never have Jon Wurster calling in as an old man pretending to be a jaded and disgruntled member of One Direction.

    

[mike a]

Swearin' is a great band, btw.  But I wouldn't worry about not responding from the audience.

[Epic Soundtracks]

Comrade from London was amazing....how did he screw up the courage to call? So British he was almost evaporating into thin air...

[Crusherkc]

Comrade from London was amazing....how did he screw up the courage to call? So British he was almost evaporating into thin air...

I was gonna say...based on relistening on the podcast and absorbing "The Announcement"...that what I thought was a dud of a call live was a minor gem listened through my noise-reduction 'phones ( and hearing Mike cackling in the bg).  Pretty nice guy and funny "You gotta be more like an American...rude, obnoxious..." advice from Tom.  I say, Comrade, good show and all that, very cricket indeed.

And the "Son, this is the Golden Age of Framing" bit about E-Framing was hee-larious.

[MiddleBro]

Hey FOT,
   It's great seeing everyone sharing the outpouring of connections, memories, and feelings, but for now, while there's still about a month and a half left, I think I'll save that for later.  I just wanted to chime in and mention a BEST, though it's from last week, which I only heard the podcast of, slightly before this week's live episode.

The impression of the Sopranos fan approaching David Chase, today, and the reactions of both parties was pretty priceless.  Having only recently watched through that show on HBO Go, though I did watch the finale live, and having been interested in the different reads on the finale, reading Chase's comments (or lack thereof), this was spot-on and much appreciated.  Pretty great Vince Gilligan impression in there, as well.


   -Zach