
Transcript
Popcorn Pick of the Week w/ Dan Markus(Hour 1)
Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach · Thu Aug 28, 2025
It's usually my son will play and a couple neighbors, but
On this day, my wife and daughter wanted to play too.
And as they're walking over, we kind of had to talk them into playing.
As they're walking over, it is like a monsoon.
And I'm like, are you guys close?
She's like, we're under an awning.
You're still playing.
I'm like, yeah, like there's no lightning.
Getting caught in the rain is fun.
And later, when you get to like season four, you'll see that actor that's going to play Kramer when they do the show within the show does a funny levels thing, too.
That's the bit he auditions for.
Yeah, so great.
I'm so glad you're watching.
Hey, welcome to Nightlight, everybody.
That's the voice of Conrad Krieger working the board tonight, producing the show.
It's a great show tonight.
It's a Thursday, folks.
That means.
You know what I'm gonna say.
It's the popcorn pick of the week tonight at 635 WGB W morning show host and Is Dan the program director?
I called him the program director.
He's like the station manager program He just kind of does everything.
He's just a guy.
I have to watch my P's and Q's around.
That's all I know Yep, but he will be here at 635 to make the popcorn pick of the week
and he told me the kind of movies he liked, so I think he's gonna have a great pick.
But Dan will be here at 6.35.
If you haven't checked out Dan in the morning here at WGBW, spin in the oldies, you have to, because he does really phenomenal work.
And I know I used this, I used this word a couple times already this week.
It's only my second night, but he is a radio legend.
Dan has been around for decades.
He's a radio guy, right?
Yeah.
And he's another guy, been in radio his whole life.
He's like on air, he does the weather, and then he's fixing engineering stuff.
Like, I don't even know how to talk to people like that.
I'm like, I go, how did you learn how to do all this stuff?
And, you know, kind of like Todd Michaels, he said, oh, I've been doing radio since I was like 14.
Yeah.
It's unbelievable, you know.
I don't even have to turn off my own mic here.
That's how inept I am Anyway, we do have a great show and then in the second hour folks at 720 WBA why a morning show host Emerson layman our pal will be here in studio and He's gonna tell us all about the Milwaukee mile which
Here's what I'm gonna do I'm gonna I'm gonna sign up for a lesson with Emerson and I'm gonna show up in really short shorts and roller skates Just to see the look in his face.
I didn't know that that's kind of cool.
Yeah, so he's that good He's a pro he took I thought I saw that he took first place recently
We have a fun question, but before we get to any of that, I would be remiss if I did not tell you all about the Nightlight Last Chance Summer Getaway Contest.
That's right, folks.
We have our own contest here at Nightlight.
It's only happening this week, so if you want to get in on the fun and give yourself a chance to win, you have to do it tonight or tomorrow night.
I will give you the keyword after the first break at like 6.20, and all you have to do...
Well, you have to have the Civic Media app, which I assume most of you have anyway.
You just text in the keyword and you are eligible for a one night Chula Vista overnight certificate and dining voucher.
It is $175 value.
If you're rounding up, it's basically 200 bucks.
But it's a text-to-win giveaway.
Only during between six and eight tonight.
So when I give you the keyword after this first break Text in the keyword on the app and you are all set folks.
Good luck everybody.
It's a fun contest and it's only happening tonight and tomorrow night So good luck.
I we are not eligible again.
No
But it doesn't mean, look, we could still go to Chula Vista.
It's not like we're
20 And he puts it to 10 and starts the highest I don't know if it's the highest on those but he starts just booking it next to me
Like just like trying to like show, you know, show off.
What were you doing?
What level were you at?
I was at like two and I'm at an incline of like eleven.
Very emasculating.
It's, you know, it's, I was like, come on.
And I don't know if I told you this, there was a one time where I got emasculated.
Again, this, I asked for a spotter.
yeah, yeah, I was I was scrolling on Instagram, you know when the trade was happening and I saw an Instagram page that's like bears and then they showed that Micah Parsons follows Cale Williams
They were like, oh my God, it's happening.
It's happening.
He's going to Chicago.
And then two minutes later, it happened.
And everyone in the comments was like, really, you had a jinxed it like that?
Come on.
Question.
Pregunta.
Question.
Question.
Okay, I have a question.
Questions.
This question.
Domanda.
Question.
Question.
What is something outdated that you wish was still popular?
Something outdated that you wish was still popular.
8-5-5-7-5-2-4-8-4-2, 8-5-5-7-5 Civic, if you're listening on the old fashioned radio, or you can text us on the app, or if you're listening on the stream, drop us a stream comment.
If you're on YouTube, Facebook, or X. And give us a like or follow if you're there, folks.
We'd love to get likes and follows.
Who doesn't?
But I thought about this, and I saw that you answered on the, and that's a great one, mutton chops.
No
I wish arcades were still around.
I thought those were fun.
And also flip phones before smartphones.
Oh, really?
I love the flip.
I love.
I love the cell phone technology and I'm in my car a lot and I have been, when I did stand up or when I lived in LA and I was driving around, I love to be able to talk to people.
But when the smartphone came out, it took over my life.
It's just all my apps, I play poker, I'm checking Facebook constantly.
I loved that time when we had cell phones because they're good for safety or whatever and you could talk on the phone to people.
Now people don't even do that, they text.
And you call people and it's like, what are you calling me for?
Uh, to say hello.
No, no, no, text me.
Okay.
Thank you, son or daughter.
Um, so that's what I would say.
It's simple.
I like, uh, I like bow ties though too.
I like, uh, loafers.
Those
We're in agreement with that.
We don't agree on much
But I agree with you.
So let us know, folks.
What is your answer?
What are you something outdated that you wish was still popular?
Rubik's Cube, whatever.
There's no right or wrong answer.
There are only your answers.
Be part of the show.
And let's have some fun.
Dan Marcus will be here at 6.35.
He is the WGBW morning host here, spinning the oldies every morning.
Can't wait.
He's going to make the popcorn pick of the week.
And then Emerson Lehman joins us, both guests tonight are in studio, which is fun.
Emerson Lehman will be here at 720 talking about Miracle Mile, Pickleball, his work at WBAY.
He's an Emmy-winning host.
I don't know if you knew
We're going to ask Emerson to bring in the trophy and then we'll distract him.
We'll sell it on the black mark.
Nice.
Lots going on here at Nightlight, folks.
Great to have you with us.
Let's have some fun.
We are coming back with the keyword to the Nightlight Last Chance Summer Getaway Contest.
That's right.
The keyword is coming up after the break and we'll read some of your texts.
It's Pete Schwabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio
Network.
We are doing the Popcorn Pick at 6.35.
Dan Marcus is here.
WGBW Morning Host will make the Popcorn Pick of the Week tonight.
That's exciting.
Emerson Layman from WBAYtv here in Green Bay.
He is one of the Morning Show hosts.
We'll be here to talk about the Milwaukee Mile.
Have you been
He's a big racing fan and a big pickleball fan, so we'll cover a lot of topics when Emerson is here at 720.
Our question of the night is, what is something outdated that you wish was still popular?
I said flip phones before cell phones, because I do like having a cell phone, but the smartphone has taken over my life.
I also said arcades.
We're doing this in honor of National Bowtie Day.
That was the inspiration for tonight's question.
So we have some texts coming in already from the 331.
That's Nancy from Illinois Disco.
Oh my God.
Conrad, fire up some disco.
We have to find some disco for Nancy.
I love that.
Thank you.
Disco.
How did I not think of that?
I love disco.
Tom from New Berlin, the 414 says the matrix phone, it was by clicking a switch blade style.
Was it Matrix or the, I thought it was the Razor.
He's probably right though.
Tom also says over the top, but cool then.
From the 262, Barb in Waukesha says, the full service gas stations, especially in winter.
Now that's a great one.
I'm barely old enough to remember this, but I'm sure you don't count it, but like, you pull your car up and people come out and check your tires, fill your, the gas tank, it was great.
Yeah.
Monica from Mount Horrib.
She's in the 608 says my hair.
Just kidding.
Had a friend tell me the 80s called.
They want your blue jean jacket back unrelated.
Just watched just a bit outside.
Loved it.
We will have to pass that along to Sean Hannish and Kelly Call.
That's great, Monica.
I really enjoyed it too.
Great film.
And especially if you're a Brewer fan, but even if you're not a Brewer fan, a really good film.
So check out just a bit outside.
Mark from the sack says, WKRP, Les Nessman always wore a bow tie.
Yes, he did, Mark.
Who was the other guy who was the senator?
I think it was Paul Simon from Illinois always wore a bow tie.
Very defining, defining characteristic.
You can say feathered hair, that's another good one.
So we'll read some social media responses too.
We have to do the keyword.
This is exciting, folks.
It's the Nightlight Last Chance Summer Getaway.
We have a few more days of summer here, and we're doing this right.
You get a night at Chula Vista overnight that's in the Wisconsin Dells and a dining voucher, a value of 175 bucks.
That's dinner and a great hotel.
All you have to do is text in the keyword on the Civic Media app and you are eligible to win.
And tonight's keyword is Dells.
D-E-L-L-S as in Wisconsin Dells.
So text in Dells on the Civic Media app and you are eligible for the text to win giveaway.
The Nightlight Last Chance Summer Getaway Contest.
This is fun.
Oh yeah.
Two of us is a great place.
Great place.
We had our Christmas party there a couple years ago and I was pretty drunk.
I was not.
It's funny you said that before because...
everybody was really well-behaved because it's work.
Who's gonna get hammered at a work party?
You know what I mean?
Unless it's like an after party or something and people have already bonded and you feel safe, I think that probably happened
So that's good stuff.
Here we go too, John from Columbia.
He's in the 608 Columbia County.
He says, cell phones are the death of humanity.
Yeah, you could certainly argue that, John.
Thank you for the text.
We've got our social media responses here to tonight's question.
Conrad said mutton chops, of course, and was gracious enough to put a picture of Wolverine, you know, to Hugh Jackman.
Danny Wheels, Daniel Wheeler said, playing video games at a strip mall arcade.
Yes.
until upperclassmen bullies chased you out.
They wanted to play Mr. Do and told you to take a hike.
Sorry that happened, Daniel.
Amanda Nimmer, WGBW zone says, more couch co-op games.
Let me be around people, dammit.
So that's like kind of what kids do now, but they do it online.
And she's saying that like Super Mario Brothers, I guess, stuff
Rob Bobby Utah Smitka.
I know him.
That's Rob Smitka.
I went to DePaul with him.
He says, improv DePaul.
We were a groundbreaking group, Rob.
Miss you, buddy.
And great to hear from you.
Thank you for the response.
And then Marinette's own Scott Lieberin says handwritten letters.
Wow.
That is a good one too.
You could not pay me to write a letter.
I don't remember
You have a pen pal?
Was it the guy from the gym who was on the treadmill next to you?
He knew where it was going to be.
He followed you home just to get your address so he could mail you a letter.
I don't think those muscles work in my hand anymore to write a letter.
Even when I write my signature now, it looks
I went to the dentist today.
That was terrible.
I had to put a cap on and he was drilling, doing the drill.
And he put the numbs, they put that needle in your jaw to numb your jaw and I'm sitting there for 20 minutes and he goes, can you still feel your cheek?
I go, yeah, he'd do it again.
So, but now I got a cap at least.
I was worried I was going to need a root canal.
You're just too good to be true
This is exciting folks One of my favorite segments we do every week here at nightlight is the popcorn pick of the week where we give you
a recommendation for a movie that maybe you've seen it and you want to rewatch it or maybe it's something you haven't seen and it's just kind of an information exchange here that we do every week.
On Thursdays at 6.35 and we always have fun personalities to make said pick and joining us this week is brand new WGBW morning host Dan Marcus and you are a radio legend.
You've been around for decades.
Casablanca.
All
you.
Dan Marcus, everybody.
I'm out of here.
Thank you.
No,
Yeah.
All right.
I guess we're done here.
Okay.
Thank you very much.
Well, thank you.
Thank you for saying that about me.
I don't, I get uncomfortable with that word.
I heard
it
once before.
And, um, okay.
If you want to call me that, I don't.
to do that.
He pays you for that, right?
Sure.
Okay.
but it's great to have you here.
This is
how's it going here at WGBW so far?
I mean, I'm having a blast.
Yeah.
I'm working with you, and Laura McKenna is back, Eric Westphal is back, and working with Conrad every day.
It's a bit much.
Yeah.
But I like the guy, you
know?
He grows on you.
Sure.
It's a good group of people.
It is a very good and a very good company.
And I'm just thrilled
be here.
Well, we'll talk more about your actually, let's do that now.
Before we get into the movies, tell us a little bit about your background, Dan.
Like I called you a radio legend.
You've been around for decades.
You've worked at a lot of cool stations.
Tell us a little bit about how you the path that got
you here.
Oh, gee.
I started at my college campus radio station.
You WSUW at Whitewater.
Okay.
And just to volunteer, it was a non-commercial.
I walked in, they let you play whatever you wanted to play, free form radio.
I was learning what this switch does and how to say that and how to pronounce the letter W. W. W didn't work.
That was day one.
And I gave myself a year to get that first job, right?
If I don't get it in a year, I'll try.
become a lawyer like my dad wanted me to.
Oh, there you go.
Yeah.
And I got a job working for cable TV in Janesville doing directing and camera work and sports and all.
I was Uncle Dan.
I had a kid show.
And it was just a hoot.
And I did that for like three, four years and then got my first radio job in Duluth and started my radio gypsy years.
Wow.
But always gravitated back to
the music of the 60s.
It's my favorite.
wait?
Maybe the next song will be better, you know?
Exactly.
But yeah, there's no lag.
with the music we play.
And all that music is so recognizable today.
And what people don't realize is that yeah, if you grew up in the 60s, that was your music.
But then in the 80s and 90s, oldie stations came on the radio.
And the parents, you know, by now you're 30, 35 years old, but you're listening to your high school music in the car with your kids who are learning your music.
it.
They start to love it.
And that's what we see a lot of now.
We see two and sometimes three generations of listeners.
It's such a great soundtrack too, because most of the memories we have in life, we remember the good stuff.
And my kids will say that to me,
Yeah, you had this music of the 90s.
What a great time.
And I went to high school in the 80s and I'm like, it was, but so is that you'll remember this is being great.
But the fact that oldies are the soundtrack to all of it, whether they're oldies from the 60s or the 80s or 90s, because those are oldies now too.
How far do you guys go up with the oldies here at WTJ?
In terms of what's the newest song we play?
Oh, I probably, you know, that's a good question, but I'd say probably 74 or 75.
Oh, wow.
smattering of songs from that era.
Most of them stop at about 72.
Okay.
So we'll do Chuck Berry from the very early days.
And you'll hear Bill Haley, the very first popular rock and roll record rock around the clock.
And then we'll go up through Rocket Man.
she
So
So is Laura.
Interesting person, but when
guy.
He is.
Yeah, he's there a lot of facets to that Yeah, and if you dig dig dig dig deep enough into my background You'll find out that I spent four years working in a playboy club.
Yeah,
and I have
Pictures you are in or that you
both
Nice.
No pictures I took.
Okay.
Pictures of me with some of the girls.
We called them girls.
They were.
Yeah.
That's what we called them.
They we nicknamed them the girl bunnies.
They were playboy bunnies and I'm friends with many of them to this day.
Yeah.
Where was the was at the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva, Lake Geneva.
I knew my wife's family used to go.
It was called the
Club.
It
a family
Yeah.
Yeah.
The kids would go swimming or skiing, golf with dad, maybe.
Yeah.
Horseback riding.
It was
I can neither confirm nor deny.
He just
But a lot of interesting experiences.
I
Mostly at home.
Mostly at home, a lot of DVDs.
Yeah.
And I, it's, what am I in the mood for?
I'll pull out that kind of DVD.
Do I want a John Wayne War movie or do I want the Ghost and Mrs. Muir?
You know, okay, you know, I've got a wide it's what am I in the mood for and that's what movies do They teleport you back and I like a lot of old black and whites.
Yeah, because I like that culture and I like remembering that people were kind and considerate and You know, it's a it's a harsh world now compared to the 1940s and 50s.
Absolutely.
So classic book classic rock classic
You're just a classic guy.
I'm a nostalgic kind of guy.
Yeah.
Yeah, me too.
I've been really into that the last few years.
Yeah, there's some interesting stuff out there because it takes so many twists and turns so often.
Most of them do.
Totally.
I make popcorn.
Okay.
Extra butter, thank you.
Milk duds.
Sure.
You get milk duds at home?
Yeah.
duds.
He just told
duds.
I don't know what to
No, it's... What do you... Conrad, what do you like?
Good and plenty.
How about good and plenty?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I never got into good and plenty.
You know what I'd like to find?
Sensein.
What's that?
Somebody on the network has to know sensein.
Please explain it to Pete.
If you know sensein, text us and see if you
Yeah, but but that's not a movie treat That's just a that's just a haven't seen it for years kind of treat.
that we're
I was trying to make a bad
there.
Conrad, we got something on Pete now.
I got
stuff on
when I'm at
I guess
that.
Well, and I make...
a wicked cheese dip.
It's my mother's recipe.
I can't tell you what's in it because I want to patent it and sell it and retire with it.
Wow.
But it's that good.
And everybody I play it for guesses, oh, is it got this in it?
It's got beer in it.
It's an ultimus.
It's a cheese dip.
My
Outstanding.
My guest is Dan Marcus, folks.
He is the morning guy here at WGBW and the station manager and he plays the oldies every morning.
There's so much fun to listen to.
And Dan has made his career in radio and he knows this stuff and it's great to have him here doing the popcorn pick of the week.
Dan, what kind of movies do you tend?
Do you lean to genre wise?
You kind of gave us a couple examples before, but do you have a
specific?
I like war movies.
I don't like gory movies.
I don't like scary movies.
Okay, but I like Well, let's see the that thing you do with Tom Hanks Yeah, I like and I've mentioned many times the ghost and Mrs. Muir you asked me off air What movie has made me cry?
I did Brian's song.
Oh great movie.
move.
Yeah, that's a
That is a
a great story Brian song and I told you about the Playboy Club when I was working there in the early 70s They had the Brian Piccolo golf tournament.
Oh, yeah, right two consecutive summers and
Packers and Bears, especially, were there.
Ray Nitschke, Dick Buccus.
Dick Buccus, yeah.
You know, all those people were there in front of my eyeballs, and they were palling around, hugging each other, you know.
But they were on the golf course, not a football field.
were so...
We
Yeah,
you said well I am on sports I think people take sports way too.
People have forgotten that sports is entertainment.
Oh, it's totally entertainment Yeah, we talk about sports here on a semi regular basis.
I would say all right
Dan Marcus is here folks.
We're gonna we're gonna wait after this very short break Then he's gonna give us his popcorn pick of the week and I'm gonna give you the nightlight end of summer getaway Keyword again, so you could text that in on the app and be eligible to win a night at you know what if Conrad and I can't win I saw Dan slipping you 20 bucks earlier.
We're coming right back with Dan Marcus.
This is Pete Schwabba and nightlight on the Civic Media radio network
All right, let you know
Hi, I'm Pete Schwab.
This is Nightlight.
Great to have you with me on this Thursday night.
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, get ready.
It's Nightlight's last chance summer getaway and I'm about to give you the keyword.
All you have to do is text it in using the app and you're eligible to win one night at Chula Vista Resort and you also get a dining voucher.
It's $175 value.
That's more than I make in a week, Conrad.
You know that?
No
Tonight's keyword is Dells, as in Wisconsin Dells, D-E-L-L-S.
So text that in on the app and you will be eligible for our Nightlight Last Chance Summer Getaway.
Summer is dwindling, but the good news is...
Dan Marcus is here.
He is the morning show host here on WGBW, and he is showing me a picture.
Is that you?
That's me.
Wow, what a great getup,
man.
we know who this
bunny, not a playmate.
There's a difference.
There is.
Okay.
Playmate was in the magazine.
Bunny was in the club.
Like the waitresses.
Yes.
Okay.
Yeah.
And that's Bunny, Marcy, and me hugging.
She looks
And were you guys good friends or?
We're still good friends.
Really good friends.
No kidding.
Yeah.
This is Marcy again and me.
Oh, doing a piggyback.
I'm giving her a piggyback ride.
And
buddy on
turning back to the camera.
That's fantastic.
These are not going on the internet.
No, well, they're not too.
being
Well, yeah.
And there was nothing immodest about the club at all, really.
But I don't want them to go on the internet because, well, frankly, I look like a dork.
I think you look cool, Dan.
Well, maybe now.
We
probably.
You know, I don't know.
It just tastes like nothing has tasted since then.
Oh, that's too bad.
Was it like a mint
No, it's not minty
It's actually almost kind of tart and sour.
Yeah, it is kind of weird.
And thank you for texting that in.
I appreciate it.
That's...
flavored charcoal Okay You know that's fair.
It was very different and but Does anybody listening know if they still make that I'd be curious and
it?
Conrad,
Promo, baby.
don't want it that bad
I grew up drinking 7-7s.
Oh, yeah.
But I... It's a big Wisconsin drink.
But I also like Harvey Wabangers.
What's in a Harvey Wahlbanger?
It's a screwdriver with galley on old decor.
Okay.
It's really good.
Very tasty.
Yeah, I remember that.
It's very sweet.
Um, but, um, rum, what is it, rum chaka?
Is it something like that now?
Rum chata.
Rum chata.
Yes.
Thank you.
Wow.
I have a big bottle of that in the fridge.
That's delicious.
It's kind of like Baileys.
Oh, nice.
Okay.
Yeah.
So that's a good
Yeah.
And I do like beer.
I like Patoce beer.
I like my favorite beer is Schlitz.
like in the
Yeah.
Is it a good beer?
It wasn't.
Okay.
In the 70s, that was my college beer.
Okay.
And but then they changed the formula and
they lost a lot of the market.
But then about 2000 or so, they went back to the original formula, and now I'm back drinking it.
Do you
Based on that one question.
have stories and pictures.
Let's go with Butch Cassidy and Sundance.
Oh, that's a
and what did
weird.
The reason it doesn't fit is that movie doesn't have a soundtrack.
There are three songs in the entire movie.
OK.
And so that kind of comes out of nowhere.
Like Conway twos.
I can't even remember who sings that was BJ Thomas BJ Thomas.
Yeah, and I love the song Yeah, and I was like, well, this is kind of a departure for the rest of the movie But that's a great pick Dan Marcus popcorn pick
of the week for
The
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