MP: As a kid, I always dreamed of being a broadcaster. My career started after I made a comment to a friend who was dating a guy named Bobby D on a "Top 40" station (WQXA-FM) in York, Pa. I told her I wanted to be on the radio. She had him call me and he said I could come in and do an "Air Check" and that he'd give it to the program director named Scott McFadden.
Scott called me the next day and offered me [an opportunity] to be board op (pretty much mindless work) during Phillies games on the AM station. I did that for about a week, and, after two games, I turned off the broadcast and started doing the play by play myself.
It was a tiny AM station; maybe 100 people listened to it. The next week the station changed over to an Alternative Station, 105.7 The Edge (later the X), and all the DJ's quit. The new program director, John Machida, moved me over to board op the FM station while they searched for new DJ's. After a few weeks of phantomly going on the air, he realized it was futile to stop me and gave me the go ahead to just be a normal talking DJ. From the start I was horrible. Forever messing up, laughing at myself on the air and people loved it for some reason.
After a few years at the station I was in a bad car wreck coming home after a shift and flipped my car. I injured my back terribly and, in the end, the ride from Reading to the station (now in Elizabethtown, Pa.) was too far for my back to handle. The program director moved out to run the X in Pittsburgh and I decided that it was best if I stopped. With all that being said, years went by and I missed broadcasting terribly. I would do my own silly shows on a reel-to-reel machine and eventually tried to talk some friends from the early days of the internet into what I called at the time a "Pirate Internet Station."
That never panned out and, one day talking to my friend Nerraux (the Awful Show) over AIM while we were at work, he brought back up the Internet radio idea again. I pounced on it. This was what I was waiting for. I put together a pretty low class studio in my basement that night and we tried to record a show. It didn't pan out so well. The mixer blew up and the recorder shredded the tape so I went back to the drawing board. Over the course of the next week I put together a few old laptops for playing audio and recording and bought a new mixer and mics. That night we recorded the very first episode of the Awful Show. The date was Saturday, June 24, 2006. Wow, five years this week I have been podcasting.
In the beginning, there was a lot of trial and error: What kind of show we'd have; working on bits and trying to get interviews; how to get listed on iTunes and actually get some listeners, etc. We learned the hard way. These days you can podcast with a USB mic and a program will do every little bit pretty much for you, but we had to really start from scratch and see what worked. Eventually we brought two more co-hosts on, Keyz and Joel, and never looked back.
Later that year I met Eric Tomorrow from the Mediocre Show, another pioneer of podcasting/internet radio and it was nice to be able to share ideas and talk shop with someone who really understood what we had to go through. I ran the Awful Show out of that basement studio until I ended my run on the show on Friday, May 15, 2009, after almost three years and hundreds of thousands of downloads. I had some incredible times on that show. We invented game shows, grew a wonderfully rabid fan base and interviewed many celebrities. I now have some of my greatest friends in my life due to that show. By the end, that pathetic basement studio turned into a top 10 comedy podcast in iTunes and included thousands of dollars I spent on six different computers to run, record, Skype and broadcast the show and countless other gadgets to help the show be a success.
Shortly thereafter, I was guest hosting on the Mediocre Show on June 4, 2009, since Matt Kittensparks had to stop doing the show. By this time, Eric and I became great friends, and he blew my mind and asked me to be the next co-host of the show. I was honored. I accepted with the terms that Hope (the Lady Tomorrow) also be given a mic, and we have only skyrocketed from there.
A great deal of the listeners from the Awful Show who didn't listen to the Mediocre Show already followed me over and the Mediocre Nation only grew to be a bigger family. Around this same time, my great friend, and past listener of the Awful Show, Evil Cheshire Cat suggested we do a small, bi-weekly show and, having done shows with her in the past, I thought it was a fun idea. From there Obviously Oblivious was born on June 12, 2009.
JW: Since your time with The Mediocre Show and the upstart of Obviously Oblivious with Cat, do you feel your interest/passion for podcasting has increased?
MP: Yes, absolutely. In the beginning, and through the Awful Show run, it was such a challenge figuring everything out, but, after almost three years, I started feeling like I was just going through the motions. It was a ton of work. I was spending 40 hours a week on just show stuff. It became a job. It was no longer just shooting the shit and having fun. I already had a full-time job and a family; it got to be too much. In the end, some unfortunate things happened that caused me to take stock in my involvement on the show and, being the family man I am first and foremost, I thought the best decision would be to retire from the show.
Doing the Mediocre show is effortless. I help Eric out with day-to-day stuff and do my part, but the bulk of the work is done by him. All I really gotta do is drive the 60 (miles) there to do the show. I spend way more time with my family now, I love doing the show with Eric and Hope; it's a blast. I only wish we had the means to do it daily. With OO it's more of my pet project. It's me at my best, or worst, depending on how you look at it. I have great co-hosts, but the show, being a jerk to Cat, giving South Philly Paul a hard time, acting cocky and just being my everyday self in good spirits or bad, is my guilty pleasure. Since I started doing these two shows, it's just fun again. I can't see stopping anytime soon. I'm much better at this than I am bowling or painting or any other kind of lame-ass hobby people have. It's a perfect situation for me: Broadcasting with my best friends.
JW: Podcasting alongside so many talented people (Eric, Hope, Paul, Troy, Cat, Fatboy Roberts [of Cort and Fatboy], etc.), what part about the shows/skits you help to develop and produce do you enjoy the most? Is there any one experience you enjoy doing more than the other?MP: First and foremost, I just get a kick out of doing the actual shows. I think that my biggest asset is my brain, thinking on the fly, the silly things that pop into my head during a show. It's like in real life, like if you're hanging out with me or playing games with me on XBOX Live. It's just who I am. Sure, a good deal of what I say bombs, but when that instant happens and an on-the-spot joke or comment works out, there is no greater feeling. I am surrounded by so many talented and funny people, this includes the listeners, too. It just makes broadcasting the shows so easy. It's my favorite thing to do. Be me, be quick, invent words and make people laugh at my ridiculousness. Doing our live show out in Salt Lake City this past March has to be the thing I enjoyed the absolute most. Meeting the listeners, hanging out with them and my close friends, watching the Geekshow live and us getting up there and watching everyone in the theater laughing so hard and giving us an instantaneous reaction. Man, it was out of this world. I will never forget it!MP: A good deal of the many people who attended the listener parties I have already interacted with on Facebook, Twitter, XBOX Live, (through) e-mail or in real life. There weren't too many uncomfortable experiences, maybe some uncomfortably long hugs. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hugger, I hug every listener when I meet them in person, but sometimes a long hug with another man and his junk touching me is a bit weird. I may come off as a really social guy, but, in my everyday life, I pretty much keep to myself. I don't go out much or enjoy big crowds of people. I'm kind of socially retarded. However, at the listener parties, it's not just being somewhere with a bunch of people you don't know. It's like a family reunion. There is lots of love and respect all around and something switches in my brain and I'm not uncomfortable at all. It's a really strange feeling when I actually think about it. In the end I'm just so happy and thankful to be around people with the same interest, people that support what we do and treat us so incredibly well. Coming out of my shell and making them feel welcome and appreciated is the very least I could do.
JW: You are a big fan of music. What are you really into right now and why? You have a longstanding relationship with some of the artists on Scrub Club, also. How did you come across them in the first place? How was meeting up with a lot of them (MadHatter, Powerlifter, Doc Awk, etc.) recently in Philly?
MP: I'm into so much music, man. I put my iPhone on shuffle and can go days without hearing something on repeat. I listen to a lot of popular bands, but (namely) the people who deserve it the most; the ones giving out their music for free or all but free. People who are more talented than most mainstream artists and way more talented than I'll ever be. What you'll hear on my booming system in my GTI if we went for a ride would be anyone on Scrub Club Records (scrubclubrecords.com). I love what those guys are doing over there. MadHatter runs, in my opinion, the best non-profit music label in the world. Kabuto the Python is one of my absolute favorites. ZeaLous1 is like a brother to me; Doctor Awkward, Madhatter, Powerlifter...there are so many awesome acts out there, man, I wish I could say them all.
Doc Awk and ZeaLous1 have a band together called the Boss Fights (thebossfights.com) and they sent me their album that is coming out on June 21st early. I've really been digging that. It's kind of hard metal with bad ass raps and some great singing. I recommend you check it out right away. I also enjoy listening to Tech N9ne and Krizz Kalico. Those dudes can rip it up.
This past Saturday night (June 18, 2011) I attended the Declaration of Independents Tour in Philly and got to see some of these guys live. I was blown away. For being indie artists, they rocked it like pros! Doc Awk and Madhatter were seriously bad ass. The show ended with Powerlifter, and I have to tell you, their show is undescribable. So much energy, great music, it just forces you to jump around and act like a fool. You can't help it, it's almost intoxicating. I'm 36 years old this July and felt like I was in my early 20's again. This was without a doubt one of the best shows I've ever seen and I've seen many. The fact that these guys, people who I am a fanatic of, came up to me and treated me like royalty and mentioned me and the Mediocre show many times on stage, I was truly humbled. I could never thank them enough for what they have given me over the years. Please support these guys, get the word out about them to your friends. Just because they aren't what the industry wants you to listen to doesn't mean that they aren't better than what is out there. I'll forever stand by that.
When I really want to rock out to some heavy music, my band of choice is Top Dead Celebrity. The music more than kicks ass and Jeff Anderson (known by the Nation more commonly as MosJef) is a lyrical genius and a hell of a guy. It was like a dream come true to see them play live after the SLC Mediocre Show listener party.
JW: You are also a big movie and video game fan. What is the best film you've seen recently? What games are you into right now and what are you looking forward to later this year? You have also been heralded for your hilarious banter/provocation on XBOX Live; what do you find most annoying about a lot of the video game nerds out there who just can't keep their mouth shuts and think it's cute to push buttons?
MP: Not too long ago, in 1980, I saw a little movie called The Empire Strikes Back. What an amazing movie! [Laughs]. OK, yes, I love Star Wars, but I'll come up with something more recent. There are so many movies I love, I could sit here all day talking about them. Over the weekend, my lovely wife took me out to see Super 8 for Father's Day. I gotta tell you, we really enjoyed it. I love the feel of the movie, takes you back to those movies made in the early 80's. Felt like Close Encounters of the Third Kind meets The Goonies or The Explorers, before that movie took a turn and got crappy. There was really nobody cast in the movie, but I enjoyed the kids; made me feel like when I was that age. It was shot really well, wasn't cheesy at all and we just overall enjoyed it.
As for games, well, now that the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises are sadly all but dead, I'm looking forward to a game called Rocksmith by UbiSoft coming out in September. You don't have to buy a guitar for it. You can use the real guitar you already have sitting at home. It teaches you how to play and automatically gets harder as you improve. I really am anxious to get my hands on it. I've invested so much money into them that I'll be playing the guitar games until I'm too arthritic to push the buttons.
I love Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but Call of Duty: Black Ops really jaded me. I hate the kids on it and the multiplayer gameplay is humdrum at best. I have said I'm done with that franchise, but, after seeing the Modern Warfare 3 gameplay trailers, I will be partaking in that action. I don't find much annoying about gaming nerds. They have a passion for something, and, having passions myself, who am I to judge? Everyone's allowed their own opinions. I won't argue games with people. It's just silly, even if you win you're still a loser. My biggest annoyance is these kids being overly disrespectful on XBOX Live. Don't get me wrong, I'm a shit talker with the best of them when I'm gaming, but that's for fun and to make things more competitive. The racial and gay slurs on XBOX Live are uncalled for. It's something none of these kids would do in real life, and, since they are protected by anonymity, they just act classless. I've played with 6-year-olds doing this kinda shit. Like really, where the hell are your parents? I guess it's easy to let the kid play a video game than it is to raise them. These parents are doing a huge disservice to their children. They won't be prepared at all for real life. Just goes to show you anyone can have a kid, but not many are actually raising them. It's sad.
JW: Having involved your daughter at various points in your podcasts, do you think she will grow up to follow in her dad's footsteps? Has she expressed interest in being on more of OO with you from time to time?
MP: Anyah's always asking to go up to "What It Do" studios and record something. She can't help herself to not come in while I'm recording a show. It's second nature to her and she legitimately enjoys it. I listen to her around the house doing her own shows: 'This is Anyah on Obviously Mediocre Show.' It's really fucking cute. Some parents force their kids to do stuff for other people, but I really try not to do that. If she walks in on a show, or wants me to record her singing, I'm all for it. I act like it bothers me sometimes, but that's just to be funny. She'll be six years old this year and I could really see her doing something along the lines of entertainment down the road. I think it will be something more musical though. She loves to sing and is getting really good on the piano. I call her Lady An-Yah. She is far more talented than her daddy, I assure you that much. I'll support her in anything she chooses to do and I won't force her to do what she doesn't want to do. She'll be great at whatever she chooses. That kid is my life, my legacy. I'm so blessed to have her. I thought about it the other day, the greatest thing to come out of my podcasting is she has over 400 shows and thousands of hours of me talking to listen to when she grows up. God forbid something ever happened to me, she can listen to all these shows and really get to know her father in a way most kids wouldn't be able to. In a way, it makes me feel good that I'll forever be there for her and she'll hear about herself growing up and how much I loved her.
JW: Your beloved GTI has been through a lot of shit lately. How is she holding up and how many ambulances will be called to the scene of the dealership before it's all said and done?
MP: It took many months, and countless trips, but the car seems to be back in tip-top shape. I love my GTI, but what a headache this has all been. The dealership wasn't doing what they should have been doing and I got Volkswagen of America involved. Once that happened, things changed quickly. That company has its act together and, despite all the problems, I stand by VW and their GTI. After all the time and trips to the dealership, the car now has a brand new transmission, turbo and cold air intake, professionally detailed it inside and out to make it look new, replaced my front axle, replaced the bushings and even fixed the sway bar that I probably damaged myself driving like an idiot. In total they probably did over $10,000 worth of work for free. They more than made up for my headaches. I hope it stays this way. They plan to work with me without question if it doesn't.
JW: For anyone who may read this and is looking to come to Philadelphia for listener party #3, what words of wisdom could you share with them?
MP: Be prepared...to have a blast! Everyone raves about the listener parties. It's not just a few hours of hanging out and a show. It's basically a whole weekend of everyone getting together and spending time with each other. Like I said before, it's like a family reunion. Except it's family you want to actually be around. No one ever feels like an outcast and everyone makes you feel more than welcome there. As the hosts, we try really hard to show everyone our appreciation and love, but I have to credit the awesomeness that is the listener parties to the listeners. They are really the ones that make it what it is. If not for them, we'd be partying by ourselves, but they are the ones that really reach out and make everyone feel at home. Besides my wedding day and the birth of my daughter, I honestly have to say the listener parties are the best days of my life.
MP: We actually have a lot of plans for the next year, I can't reveal any of them, but a lot of planning and thought has gone into the changes/additions. It's some big time stuff and I can only say stay tuned for more information. As always, please listen to the Mediocre Show live on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. EST on AreciboRadio.com or download it through iTunes along with Obviously Oblivious. If anyone needs any print or web design work done check out MikePilotDesign.com or OneEastPrinting.com for all your screen printing needs. I'm still using my Fumo (fumo.biz) electric cigarette, it's been nine months since I touched tobacco and I recommend it to anyone still using that poison called tobacco.
If you are a fan of science, you must check out Obviously Oblivious 0049 that will be recorded tomorrow. We are having overall awesome guy and world-renowned astrophysisist Neil deGrasse Tyson on for an interview, and I am shocked and thrilled he said he'd be happy to come on the show. I can't wait. It will be one of the benchmarks of my broadcasting career.Additionally, I'd like to thank Eric Tomorrow for all his hard work for the Mediocre Show. The man is a beast and kills himself for the Nation. He is my closest friend and his work ethic is paramount. I'd like to congratulate Eric and Hope on their new addition that will be dropping in December. Their baby, not their Christmas album. I'd like to thank my bestest buddy, Evil Cheshire Cat, for putting up with my abuse on Obviously Oblivious. She's a great sport and so smart, talented and funny. Also, I have to say I'm really happy South Philly Paul from the South Philly Paulcast joined OO. The show has gotten even better since he joined. I send my most heartfelt thank you's out to the Mediocre Nation, the people who followed me over from the Awful Show and the listeners of OO. If not for you guys, I would feel like the most pathetic person in the world talking to a wall every week. You inspire me to do my very best every time the mics turn on, and I never want to let you down because you never let us down. Thank you so much for the love and support.Check out my good friend, Jeff Michael Vice, on MSN's Parallel Universe and MSN Movies (paralleluniverse.msn.com) and the Big Movie Mouth-Off (Utah Xfinity, www.facebook.com/bigmoviemouthoff).
Last and certainly not least, I must thank my wonderful wife, Ariana. She has supported me since day one and has been my proverbial rock. She encourages me to do everything I do and supports me 100 percent. Sometimes people forget Ariana and Anyah donate a good chunk of their time with me to share me with the world. They are amazing. Ariana, if not for you, none of this would be possible. Thank you, I love you.More on Mike, his podcasts and his services can be found at:
www.thamike.com
www.mediocreshow.com
www.obviouslyoblivious.com
