newsday funbook
Transcription
newsday funbook
| TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014 B2 B4 DANIEL BRENNAN N PLAY TIME Indoor fun for kids exploreLI.com/kids Explore LI B4 entertainment There’s a gig for gagson ‘Mulrooney in the Morning’ show gets weekdays off to a funny start BY DAVID J. CRIBLEZ [email protected] I HOW IT BEGAN The station was born out of frustration. Governor’s coowner Marc Lund says he couldn’t get the comedians appearing at his clubs on local radio shows to plug their gigs, so he built his own radio studio and created his own station. Lund hooked up with Mulrooney, who had done radio in Albany and New York City, to put together a morning show. After a February launch, it was picked up last month by Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio, which has 30 million subscribers. The show is a mix of comedy, interviews, news commentary and pontifications on pop culture. While “Mulrooney” can venture into PG-13 territory, there’s no profanity. And this isn’t shock radio. “Funny, fun and friendly — we go for funny, we keep it fun and we make sure it’s friendly,” says Mulrooney. “We don’t shock or ambush people. We are entertainers first, radio people second.” A TYPICAL MORNING On a recent weekday morning, comedian Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling is in the room — he goes back 35 years with Mulrooney — and the pair is talking about rolling on stage. “You know you’re killing when they’re not serving drinks because the waitresses are standing idly by,” says Mulrooney. “Because they are not looking for the next drink, they are looking for the next joke!” Martling interjects. Soon, the entire crew samples Taco Bell’s new breakfast item, the Waffle Taco. “I want to take it to Jiffy Lube for an oil change,” says Mulrooney. “It tastes better than it looks,” Kowalski adds midbite. “I’m eating this with no shame.” “There’s 700 calories in each one, by the way,” says Tyrrell. PLACE FOR COMICS The foursome is joined each day by a different comic guest, be it someone who is in town for a gig at Governor’s or a regular from the local circuit. The lack of a live audience doesn’t seem to bother anyone. The banter is unscripted. “It’s kind of like seated GOVS RADIO ON THE AIR “Mulrooney in the Morning,” 6-10 a.m. weekdays WHERE TO LISTEN govsradio.com, iheart.com — or download the Governor’s Comedy Club or iHeart Radio apps on iTunes. CALL IN 844-646-5233 improv,” says Ronkonkoma comedian Chris Roach, who drops by once a week to sit in. “I don’t try to write jokes, they just kind of happen.” Such is the essence of good comedy, anyway. “I’m like a chef who walks into a kitchen armed with a rack of spices and a fridge full of ingredients,” says Mulrooney. “I might not know exactly what I’m going to cook up, but you are going to like the meal.” ABOVE AND ON THE COVER Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling, a guest on the show, hosted by John Mulrooney, below, and broadcast from Governor’s Comedy Club in Levittown. ] Video: exploreLI.com DANIEL BRENNAN NEWSDAY, TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014 exploreLI.com t’s 6 a.m. and the sun is starting to come up over Levittown. Despite the wee hour, laughter is leaking out of Governor’s Comedy Club. There’s no audience; in fact, the club is empty, but there’s a foursome piled into a small studio in the back who might be starting a revolution. Welcome to Govs Radio — the only radio station to broadcast from a comedy club. On the mic is veteran comic/on-air personality John Mulrooney, surrounded by producer-engineer Tim Tyrrell, newswoman Rocky Kowalski and comedian Kevin Downey Jr. Together, they make up the “Mulrooney in the Morning” show, which airs weekdays 6-10 a.m. and replays all day on the popular Internet streaming radio site iheart.com, as well as govsradio.com. It’s early, but no one is complaining. The mics are open and they are going live. exploreLI.com/entertainment ATTENTION NEWSDAY SUBSCRIBERS IS COMING IN MAY! Explore LI a.m. radio THE FUN BOOK B5 N $6.99 VALUE DANIEL BRENNAN Delivered to All Newsday Home Delivery Subscribers on May 18! ALSO ON THE AIR Other comedy-centric radio programs: WHEN 6-10 a.m. MondaysWednesdays on Sirius channel 100 In 2006, shock jock Howard Stern moved his infamous radio show to satellite, Stern where he works in uncensored form. Some things never change: Stern still nabs indepth celebrity interviews and puts on edgy high jinks with longtime sidekick Robin Quivers and crew. WHEN 10 p.m.-1 a.m. weeknights on DirecTV channel 239, Sirius channel 92 and XM channels 208 and 165 Comedian Artie Lange spent nine years by Stern’s side, only to leave due to Lange his well-publicized addiction to heroin and a suicide attempt. Lange now runs his own comedy and sports show on DirecTV and artielangeshow.com (also available as a free podcast on iTunes). ‘The Opie & Anthony Show’ Gregg “Opie” Hughes and Anthony Cumia are known for their outrageous and unpredictable radio — comedy sniper Jim Norton chimes in with the sarcasm. WHEN 6:30-10:30 a.m. weekdays XM Radio channel 103 and Sirius channel 206 dining and restaurants • entertainment & nightlife fairs & events • shopping & deals • weekend getaways family activities • and much more... NOT A NEWSDAY HOME DELIVERY SUBSCRIBER CALL 1-800-NEWSDAY SUBSCRIBER? to subscribe and d guarantee your copy or visit: news sd newsday.com/funbook Order by May y 16. 1 Ask for the Fun Book offer. NEWSDAY, TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014 ‘The Artie Lange Show’ exploreLI.com ‘The Howard Stern Show’ Your go-to guide for summer fun on Long Island including where to find the best: