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Welcome to Nightlight, folks.
Hey, we are live.
This is fun.
We're doing radio on a Monday night.
That's right.
It is finally Monday.
The long treacherous weekend is over, and the night has arrived where we get to talk about the things in life that, A, that we love, movies, TV, sports, comedy, music, and the things that bring us together.
And I think that's exciting.
And let's kick the week off right.
Got a great show for you guys tonight.
Two outstanding guests, one a first-timer, one of our regular guests who always is a blast to have on the show.
It's 6.35 tonight.
My pal, Mike Lucas, will be here.
He's a great comic that I met in the 90s while we were both sort of based out of Chicago.
Mike has kind of been all over since then.
And he's been on The Tonight Show, and he hosted an A&E show that I worked on with him that was a lot of fun.
He's a great guy.
And a very funny guy, he'll be here at 635.
He's so visual though, Conn.
I couldn't find a clip of his when I was looking today because a lot of his comedy, he really sells with facial expressions and stuff and that doesn't quite translate to the radio.
So my other option was play his voice and have me on the stream try to mimic his expressions.
I don't think that would have gone over very well.
So, Mike Lucas at 635.
It's going to be fun.
And then our pal Frank Andersen, writer, producer, director.
animator and animated if you get them going on the right topic and the founder of Wisconsinology.com will be here at 720.
Frank and I are going to talk a little bit about the Madison-Milwaukee rivalry.
Did you know that there was a rivalry, Conn?
Really?
I just think the state is not big enough to have a rival.
We should cheer for both.
They're in different cities.
One's a private college.
One's a, it's kind of strange, don't you
do that.
My son, my brother went to Madison.
My folks met at Marquette.
I don't know.
When I went to Milwaukee, I had a lot of people.
Who would go to some of the bars downtown like have their Wisconsin or their marquette gear on yeah, and then you know cheer for their team that they want but I thought it's weird I'm like You know it's it's a it's cool to have them face off, but I don't know rivalries Yeah supposed to happen for two Wisconsin teams feels weird
not only that but it's not like they play each other every year Yeah, or they're ever knocking each other out of the tournament.
I'm sure it's happened Anyway
So we'll talk to Frank about that, but it goes well beyond sports.
The rivalry.
Frank is always fun.
He is a wealth of knowledge on all things Wisconsin.
So two fun guests tonight.
So it's a good thing you're here, folks.
They're both going to entertain you and probably inform you and hopefully make you laugh.
We'll see what happens.
But Conrad Creer, working the board.
How are you doing today, Conrad?
last night.
I know.
So what we are, I asked a neighbor of mine who's probably as big a pack of fans as you, what would you have done that last play?
Would you have gone for the win on fourth down with one second left or take the tie?
We're then like the 13 or 12 yard line.
But
that's a different.
Yeah, that's a different.
I mean, look.
Here's where I'm at with Matt LaFleur.
I think Jordan Love is really good.
I think you have good receivers.
But I think Matt, I think they all benefit.
And I know Packer fans have an issue with Matt LaFleur sometimes.
I'm not saying he doesn't make mistakes down the stretch or with clock management.
I think he's a really good play
Yeah, fair enough.
But I don't know, I think I probably would have gone for it too, because two and two isn't terrible.
I mean, I know you're going into your buy because the bears are the same buy this week as the Packers, but that was a tough one.
And they didn't, you know what?
Dallas didn't challenge, because some people said that second should have not been there.
stop.
He
shout out to him We have to do some research too because I saw the funniest t-shirt I've ever seen today.
It's not the funniest t-shirt I've ever seen I just I it's a t-shirt I would never wear yeah, and if my kid wore it I would say what does the matter with you?
But it's like a t-shirt that says two in the blank one in the blank so this guy's walking around like that and then
This is so bizarre how the universe works.
An hour later, I'm driving to Green Bay.
It has to have been the same guy.
Driving passes me with that t-shirt pasted up on the passenger window to keep the sun out of the car.
The same t-shirt.
This guy's walking around Marinette and now he's passing me.
Obviously very proud of his apparel.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
This is the one.
That's my Monday shirt.
People are going to look at me.
They're going to think I'm cool.
I don't know what it is, but it's like, oh my God, I wouldn't ever wear something like that.
And OK, on this show, too, I often say I am not.
I say I'm an inside guy.
And for the most part, I am.
I did not get to go see the movie.
one battle after another.
Dude, I was so jazzed about this film.
We had Joe on Friday night to talk about it.
Two friends of mine on Facebook.
One was Ben Reiser, who's on this show.
And Ben is jaded.
But he said, and Ben often leaves these cryptic kind of, and it just drives me crazy when people do that.
Well, that was interesting.
That's the post.
You have no idea what they're talking about.
So you got a timestamp at ask him in the comments, what are you talking about?
But I'm not that guy.
I don't do that.
But Ben said,
It's every bit as good as I've heard and better or something to that effect.
And I had a feeling he was talking about that movie and he was.
So even a jaded guy said it was fantastic.
But here's where I'm going with this.
This weekend, even for an inside guy, was too beautiful to spend three hours in a theater.
It was maybe the most gorgeous weekend of the year.
Did you golf?
That's what you just call, that's all you call them,
Okay, that's a fun weekend.
Is that like Cards Against Humanity?
No, not even.
It
Okay.
I was part of a bonfire contingency on Saturday night.
It was a lot of fun.
And you know what?
It was one of those things.
Like I said, it was such a great weekend.
Our neighbors, I could hear their kids running around and they had friends over and you just hear these great young voices having a blast.
and there was a friend of mine in town and some other people came over so we went over there just to be part of it and ended up staying for like two hours and it was an absolute, it was such a gorgeous night.
And I learned another thing about myself that I'm gonna tell you right after we do the night light question of the night.
Let's talk about
the question.
Okay, question.
Question.
Question.
Question.
Question.
Okay, I have a question.
Questions.
This question.
It is National Coffee Day, ladies and gentlemen.
Tonight's question is how do you like your coffee?
Or how don't you like your coffee?
Do you not like coffee?
Let us know.
855-752-4842, 855-755-CIVIC.
How do you like your coffee?
Or do you not like coffee?
Since I started drinking coffee, I was probably about, I don't know, 24.
Maybe a little younger.
I can't believe previous me did not like coffee.
It's just too much of a joy in life.
That's how I feel about it.
I like it.
I like a dark roast because it has less caffeine.
and I can drink more of it, and I do like to sip it.
And I like it with a little bit of oat milk.
And I will say this, since I discovered this great coffee shop right next door to us, Rise and Grind, Jocelyn, who's been on the show, she did the popcorn pick one week, she put cinnamon and mixes that in with the coffee grounds.
And it's delightful.
So I put a splash of oat milk in there.
That's how I like my coffee.
Pardon me, tell us how you like your coffee, folks.
Black, you put, what do you put in it?
Or you go latte?
Do you go one of those drinks that's basically like a milkshake?
Or do you like it like Conrad?
How do you like your Conrad?
You told me before, but I can't remember.
Yeah.
Oh, that's not too bad.
Which you're rocking right now.
I talked it up too much.
Well, it is National Coffee Day, folks.
Yeah, exactly.
So let's have fun with this.
Let us know what your favorite coffee is, how you drink it.
And I'll give the brand.
I like Pete's Coffee, P-E-E-T-S, no relation.
I fell in love with this coffee about 20 years ago, and I found out that Pete's broke off from Starbucks.
The two guys...
We're in Cahoots.
They work together, but they had some kind of, not a falling out maybe, but a parting of the ways as to how coffee should be presented.
Starbucks kind of burns their beans, I think more, makes them more bitter.
And Pete's like my friend Paul Gilmartin, who's been on the show before, has said, tastes like coffee smells.
I think that is such a great slogan.
And he's right, it's great stuff.
I'm with you though, Conn.
I can drink it black, which I do sometimes if I'm like on a fast or something, but I don't mind a little oat milk in there or even a little cream.
It's just dynamite.
I
I'll tell you this, especially since I kind of took a break from drinking almost three years ago now, my highlight of my day is just making a cup of coffee and sitting out on the porch, especially when it's nice out like it still is.
That is...
outstanding.
So how do you like your coffee?
You can even tell us how you like to drink it, where you like to drink it, whatever.
Have fun, folks.
It is National Coffee Day.
And you can let us know at 855-752-4842 on the text line, or you can text us on the app.
Or if you're watching on X YouTube or Facebook, you can drop us a stream comment.
All good stuff.
If you're there, give us a like or a follow if you don't mind on one of our social media platforms.
And I will say,
Here's what I was going to say.
Should I do this now?
Actually, I'll do this after the break, because I want to get a plug-in for the contest.
And speaking of the app, ladies and gentlemen, everyone listening should be part of the Go for the Green and Gold text-to-win contest we're doing here at Civic Media.
It is a really fun contest going on through the end of the week.
All you have to have is the app to play, and we will give you a keyword after the end of the second hour.
And all you have to do is text in that keyword.
When we send a confirmation link, click on that and sign up for our Civic Media newsletter or Civic Media today or our social media platforms and you have an even better chance to win.
But all you really have to do is text in the keyword and you are all set and you could win 200 bucks cash and gold jewelry or a grand prize of two club level indoor seats to Green Bay versus Minnesota.
That is pro football.
It's a Green Bay home game November 23rd at noon.
That is a value of over 1500 bucks, and the keyword is coming up early in the second hour.
So stick around, be part of the fun, and good luck everybody.
When we come back, I'm gonna tell you what bothers me about sports.
Sports on TV, I should clarify.
All right, we'll do that, and we'll read some of your texts.
It's Pete Schwabba in Nightlight on the Civic Media, our radio network.
You're listening to Civic Media.
Stay up to date on the latest news and information for your local community and Wisconsin by signing up for our free email newsletter.
Visit civicmedia.us slash email to get started.
Swabba, this is Nightlight.
It is great to have you with me here on this Monday night as we broadcast live from beautiful downtown Green Bay statewide, a gorgeous day all around our state.
I don't think there was any rain, Con.
Did you put one of your five day forecasts out?
I don't know if I saw that one.
you don't really, you kind of shy away from the details.
But it would be great.
I mean, details are fine.
I would need to know how much rain.
So I need to know if I should wear my rubbers or if I should, you know, I can say I
He's not the best weatherman in the business for nothing, folks.
If I can quote the great pop, you know, I've decided I never need to see a post game interview again.
because all of them
Yeah, would have killed you to give me a thumbs up or I didn't like it so You can't get enough of post game.
I just I can't stand to just say nothing new
It's always cliches or it's always what I just watched it's not even anything on the coaches of the players They're just stating the obvious which I just saw unless it's Greg Popovich or Mike Leach Mike Leach always had funny stuff Or Phil Jackson sometimes they throw something different at you, but it's just the same old cliches and platitudes.
I don't need it
Have fun with
Right.
And that, a little honesty goes a long way too.
And we know, whatever, maybe those guys aren't, maybe the last thing they want to do.
And the sideline reporters oftentimes don't help.
You know, they don't have the best questions either.
it's like they kind of tend to ask the same stuff.
I'm just I was watching it last night after the I watched one of the games that was on after it was Kansas City.
And it was just like the same.
I'm like, why am I watching this?
Like, I'm just listening to these people like that just shows you how you kind of go into your own head.
And it's like you're just used to having stuff on in the background.
Don't need to see it.
Did you see
Yeah, and some a Detroit fan made a comment right or something
I
and then just stairs see that I don't okay.
That's a little rude.
She's got a job to do too But he's kind of saying challenge
is great in the locker room
There was a two-minute There was a two-minute post a friend of mine posted yesterday, and it was like wow this guy I mean, I hope he works out cuz he he is I think passionate
I think so too.
He's better than all the other
Yeah And everything poor Hebrew flu is like oh pardon me.
I can't he can't do anything like he was such a dink
as a coach.
Now he's got those, he's got different glasses on the Dallas sideline yesterday.
I'm like, look at this idiot.
Like, he can't do anything.
He just has new glasses and I think he's a dork.
So anyway.
So all right, we've got a contest, we've got all kinds of stuff.
Hey, check us out, folks, if you're in Milwaukee on 100.3, that's our new signal, FM signal, WAUK.
It sounds great.
Everybody I know has raved about it.
So that's kind of exciting.
And Mike Lucas is coming up at 635 comedian.
Mike also teaches comedy.
So that's exciting.
He's been on The Tonight Show.
He hosted his own show.
He's all over the place.
Great comic and a really good guy.
He's going to be here at 635.
And our pal Frank Anderson is going to just reinforce why we love Wisconsin at 720.
He is such an advocate for the state.
He can tie anything that happens in the world back to Wisconsin, which takes talent.
That's pretty cool You know,
Oh You know what?
It's my bad.
You talked about this last week.
when Gwyneth Paltrow Says being a movie star is harder than working a nine-to-five job compared to she said that
She knows because she spent years clearing heavy debris from demolition sites.
Oh, no, wait, this just in.
Gwyneth Paltrow's never done.
I still am going to do something on the Nepo babies because I can't.
They all say that, oh, it's actually harder.
Oh, really?
If your last name is Coppola that like here's the dirty little secret.
A lot of people can act even if they're not famous.
There's a lot of good actors who will never be discovered.
That's why it's a tough business So when people like Zoe Kravitz and Gwyneth Paltrow or anybody like I think Nicholas Cage changed his last name But did he really people knew who he was still that is nonsense It doesn't hurt you you still have to be good But like I said, I think there are a ton of great actors in the world not enough stages So our question of the night folks is how do you like your coffee?
Do you not like coffee?
You can share that too.
We're having fun here tonight with coffee, a national coffee day.
It's our text-to-win multi-state text-to-win contest, our go for the green and gold.
I'll give you more details after the top of the hour.
Let's read a couple texts here if we can get a couple in here.
Tom from New Berlin.
No, I'm sorry, I'm on the wrong text.
Conrad, where am I?
I'm totally, here we go.
Terry Ryan says, from the 4014 says, I love coffee.
black like my soul.
Thank you for your honesty, Terry.
That's awesome.
Tom from New Berlin says love you Pete sports is sports entertainment like you blessed to listen to your laughs like me.
Well, thank you, Tom.
I appreciate that.
Where were we at?
John from Oshkosh says got to have lots of creamer and French vanilla Conrad.
There you go, buddy.
You guys, you guys should get together off off the air and talk about you love a French vanilla.
like,
Thank you, John.
We're coming right back with comedian Mike Lucas.
It's Pete Schwabba on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Welcome to Nightlight, folks.
I am Pete Schwabba.
We are broadcasting live from beautiful downtown Green Bay on a gorgeous night statewide.
All over Wisconsin.
Hope you're having a great day.
Great to have you with me.
It is National Coffee Day.
Our question of the day is, how do you like your coffee?
And if you don't like coffee, tell us why.
Either way, there are no right or wrong answers.
There are only your answers.
Tyler from Wisconsin Rapids, he's in the 608 says, Tom Hanks said it best, there's no tying in football.
Also, I like my coffee cheap.
No frills.
All right.
Thank you for your honesty Tyler Ross from Crawford County in the 608 says coffee first thing in the morning Anyway, I can get it like an addiction after that French press medium roast with a little whole milk.
Okay.
I'm so glad I got that coffee.
Yeah,
pretty good.
It's dynamite Steve from Florida Conrad's dad says favorite cup of coffee is Dunkin Donuts their original blend black is the only way to drink coffee.
All right, Steve
So here's the Neapolitan ice cream again.
Dave on the stream said something about that.
We'll get to that.
But I want to bring in my first guest tonight.
Very excited to have this guy on the phone.
And for those of you scoring at home, it is time for the light it up.
It's time to light it up right with the night light.
First guest of the week brought to you by Chicken or the Egg Photography.
Chris specializes in food, event music, and product photography for businesses across Wisconsin and the Midwest.
See what he can do for you at chickenortheegphotography.com.
Chris does great work.
Check him out.
And it is my honor to welcome to the show comedian, TV host, teacher, man of the people.
Mr. Mike Lucas.
Mike, welcome.
Hey, man of the people.
I'll take it.
Oh, I like the beard, dude.
You're looking good, man.
Thanks.
Yeah.
This is this beard comes with a can of sardines and a manifesto.
So it there is some baggage with it.
But I and it also came with a ship that I have to captain.
Well, you packed a lot of you packed a lot of punch lines
into that one.
I
don't mind a little manifesto reading before bed.
It kind of
puts you
Just to let people know where you stand.
How are you, man?
It's good to see
you, Mike.
I'm doing good, man.
You're looking good.
I haven't seen you in a while.
The last time we saw each other, we were working on a TV project that never happened.
Wait.
I believe.
OK, because we did the straight dope.
You were the host of the straight dope.
Right on A&E based on the book and I worked on that a little bit and then
did some of the guest appearances on that You did a great job on that.
Thank you as did you and then here's what I think is so funny We both lived I think I lived within two blocks of you in LA and I was out there almost 15 years and there's so many people that I saw all the time in the Midwest Even though I didn't live close to them and then I live two blocks away in LA and I don't think I ever ran into you It's crazy.
No, you don't walk around outside and there's no real
Um, ways to bump into each other unless you're working with each other out there.
Yeah.
And, uh, I wasn't doing a lot of work with you out there.
We were trying to, um, with, uh, Andy Rosen, we were trying to get a pilot done.
Yes.
I remember after, well, remember straight dope didn't get renewed because A&E said it didn't do that type of programming.
But two, like two years later, and that's all they did was that type of programming.
So.
I don't know what's going on at A&E these days.
It doesn't
make any
sense.
It's not art and it's not entertainment, so I don't know what they're doing.
But in answer to your question, I brew my own coffee every morning and I put creamer in it.
Unlike the person that likes black only, I like creamer in it, but it has to be brand creamer.
It can't be generic creamer.
I can taste the difference.
Wow, that's a very nuanced palette you have there, my friend.
That's
awesome.
It's a blessing and a curse, Pete.
I can tell it's a good brew, but I can also tell when you've cheapened it with a generic
product.
I have a coffee story for you that I'm excited to share with you.
But I also, when you said that pilot, I had totally forgotten about that with our pal, Andy Rosen, great guy.
Rich Tallarico was part of that before he went on to key and peel fame.
And he's been on this show several times.
Rich is a great guy.
I totally forgot we had done that together.
Yeah, it was great.
It was it was funny.
It was a lot of random numbers and
yeah,
things that we were.
It's a conceptual program.
I think it was and it didn't go very far.
Yeah, unfortunately, but we've
been down that
road many times in this crazy business.
But I want to share with you.
I don't know if you remember this, Mike.
You and I were working was somewhere.
It might have been Southern Illinois.
It might have been Ohio.
We were working the road together.
We went out to breakfast.
And we were... I'm gonna take you down this trip on memory lane.
You and I, all right, we were planning a strike against Zany's Comedy Club.
You were into it before I was.
You kind of brought me into it.
They had lowered their money again.
So we kind
of... For all the middle acts.
This was for the middle acts.
Right.
Exactly.
And you and I and two other guys, Paul and Ted, I won't say their names for fear of retribution from the comedy world.
But we were eating at Perkins.
And...
You started loading up on coffee.
And you, I swear to God, Mike, I don't know if the words that were coming out of your mouth and the ideas, it was so rapid fire.
And I'm like, I couldn't even keep up with you.
When I realized you had had like an entire pot of Perkins coffee.
Yeah, they give you a whole pot of it.
Yes.
Yeah, this was this was pre cocaine era.
And so it was just a pure caffeine.
And cheaper than cocaine, too, I
assume it's so much cheaper.
And
We're about the same on your belly, but it was a lot.
I remember that.
We were laughing.
It was a whole pot.
And you were like, you're not supposed to drink the whole pot, dude.
You
tossed a cup over your shoulder and just went to flavor country.
You also told me, I had never heard of the smashing pumpkins before that.
before that breakfast.
No
way.
Honest to God.
And you got me into the smashing pumpkins.
So thank you for that.
I love
them.
Oh, you're welcome.
And yeah, that's pretty funny.
That's the fact that I got you into any music at all.
It's cool.
I like that.
I like when someone turns you on to a band that turns out to be a good band.
Absolutely.
Um, so all right, let's, let's jump back into Annie and the straight dope.
You hosted this show, Mike, and you brought me into it.
And it really hurt that they didn't renew it.
Cause I remember Andy Rosen saying, you're going to be our guy on the street.
We're going to do something.
Oh yeah.
We have big plans for you.
So I was excited, but what a fun gig for you.
I mean, did that tape like, did that help you get other hosting work or get you in the room for other gigs?
That was such a great show for you.
it was, it got me nothing.
It was amazing how it just died and nobody, it was as if it didn't exist.
I did get to promote it on The Tonight Show when I did one of my appearances there.
And that felt good to be able to say you can catch him on A&E during the season of this show.
But then by the time I did my second Tonight Show, the show had been canceled already.
So I can't say it.
Um, yeah, and it was it was a bummer because it was a really good show and I felt like I did a good job hosting it and then doing the man on the street stuff And then I did the little blue guy.
I remember there was a little blue guy.
Oh, yeah The reason why he was blue was because we had a screen that was blue,
And it was the only way we could do the technology at that time as opposed to doing it in post
So we had to do, we recorded me in front of a blue screen doing all that and then they couldn't get the blue out of my face so they made me totally blue.
That was such an education for me.
Like I had never been on a TV set like that, you know, seeing all that technology and and just seeing what you were.
It was really a really fun experience.
Yeah, that whole set was pretty cool.
And that was all Andy Rosen's brainchild was was that set that it looked like you could come at it from three different angles and it looked like three different sets, but it was all one and in the same.
Yeah, he was such a great idea guy and so resourceful.
Are you still in touch with him?
Yeah, I talked to him once in a while.
Oh, nice.
I'll tell him I said hello.
That's fantastic.
I will, yeah.
He's doing good.
He's working in the marketing world, so he's on his own.
How were the Tonight Show experiences for you to be able to do multiple Tonight Shows?
As a stand-up comic, that's pretty incredible.
Was Leno the host?
Leno was the host at the time, so that was in the time period where it was not quite as...
a big of a deal.
You know, I mean, it's a big deal to get the Tonight Show, of course, but compared to when Johnny Carson was the host, that was the big deal.
That was when you could feel like it made your career.
This one was, it was good.
It got me a couple of other things, but I didn't have management at the time.
So it got me management, but then management by that time, they ended up taking a guy, the guy who was originally booking at Jimmy Brogan, booked me for the two
times I did it.
And then he got removed as the booker.
I hope it had nothing to do with me.
But he got removed.
No, this is just his plan.
The plan they removed him as the booker and then they put a younger lady that was in charge of it because Jimmy Brogan was also one of the co-writers.
Yeah.
So
he was his plate was too full.
So the and the woman told me she's like we're going to go towards more traditional type of stand ups as opposed to kind of like comics like me that was sort of different and off the wall.
So basically that was her way of saying good luck.
That's a great way to say it.
My guest is Mike Lucas.
He is a nationally renowned stand-up comedian, TV host.
He also teaches comedy.
He did a lot of work with Second City, just an incredibly talented guy joining me here on Night Light Tonight.
For the first time, I can't believe it took us this long, Mike, to set this up.
I'm so glad you're here.
Let me ask you this.
It's funny you say that too when you say off the wall, because I was looking for a clip of you that I could tease today, but you're so visual.
On
the
radio, I was like, these are really good jokes, but then you'll take 10 seconds to act it out, and you get such huge laughs.
But you can't see anything.
Right.
I mean, is that a radio?
Was that a natural?
progression for you to go because I remember you took some time out of stand-up and you went to Second City and you had a
good
run there too doing sketch and improv and all that stuff.
What was that like?
That was great that I recommend that to every comic is to do Stand up and then also take improv classes because you learn how to do your act outs and you learn how to do characters and voices and you learn how to make choices and You learn how to heighten you learn how to yes and you learn how to take an idea and to add on to it and make it worse or Reader or bigger or better or whatever you want to call it, but that's like to heighten it That's what happened to me was I was always into that
while I was doing stand up.
And so I began to incorporate both into both.
In fact, right now I still do both here in Dallas where I'm located.
I'm at the Dallas Comedy Club and I'm on the house long form improv team.
I also work as a stand up instructor and as a comic in the local scene here.
So I'm bi.
I love doing both.
It's a fantastic journey to
to learn how to do both and to work at a higher level at them because you can trust that anything that happens will be okay.
Yeah.
Do you have a preference as to one or the other?
You know what?
I'm doing improv and I'm loving improv and then I'm doing stand up and I'm loving stand up.
And so it's hard to say which I love better.
I love improv because it's a group
mind.
And so you work with a bunch of other people and people in improv are nice.
They're really even though behind your back, they might be mean, but to your face, they're nice.
And they couldn't be more supportive because that's what the yes hand philosophy does for you.
Right.
And then in stand up, you get a bunch of ball busters there.
Their their language of love is chop busting chop.
And so you get to learn how to be that way and it's fun and it's exciting and you get to treat other people that way and get treated that way and it's a very... It's by yourself.
You have to survive on your own in front of a group of strange drunk people and make them laugh and make them...
enjoy the time.
And so that's such a high when you get that to work.
And it's such a low when you don't, Pete.
You know what that feels like, too, right?
Like having a bad sleep.
Hey, what are you saying?
I'm just saying, I've seen your show.
No, you're a comic, true and true.
You're a pro.
And so you know what it's like to go up and down.
And so...
That's what I'm saying.
Very
well said.
Not to be an expert in failing.
My guest is Mike Lucas.
We'll be back after this very short break.
And Frank Anderson is here at 720, folks.
And I'm going to give you details on the text-to-win contest as well.
We're coming right back.
It's Pete Schwabba in Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio
Network.
You're listening to Civic Media.
Find the latest news, information, and archives of all your favorite shows on the Civic Media website,
civicmedia.us.
It is finally Monday folks and we get to come together and talk about the things in life that make us happy movies and TV and comedy and my guest Mike Lucas who joins us over the stream from Dallas Mike how long I was kind of in all of you like when we were in Chicago you kind of Relocated a few times you went to LA like a lot of us then you were in Dallas I think you're from Cleveland and I thought you started there and where else it like to pick up roots
as a comedian and start over somewhere.
That's not that easy.
No, it's always a new scene that you have to break into.
Yeah.
I started out in Cleveland, then I moved down to Florida and I did MGM Studios and I did what was the other one.
uh, uh, another studio, uh, where I worked there.
Universal
night.
Uh, universal.
That's the one.
Yeah.
Uh, I was in the fire department there where I did a whole bunch of different roles, uh, and, and, uh, filled in whenever I was needed.
And so I did those during the day and at night I worked at the comedy clubs in Florida.
Then I moved up to Chicago and did.
that scene there.
I did Second City and Improv Olympic and Annoyance while I was doing stand up.
And then I got hired by Second City to do their touring company.
So I began to tour with them internationally while I was doing stand up.
And then I moved to New York for a year.
I did Brooklyn for one year and I didn't really care for it.
So I moved out to LA.
And that's what I really fell in love with LA.
And LA is a great city.
If you have anything to pitch, it's just a good
place to to to go try to make money.
And so I I got some TV shows out there I did Then that's when second City called me up and asked me if I wanted to do their Vegas production Oh, so I went to Vegas and I was my roommate was Jason Sudeikis and Kay Cannon.
to two big stars now It must not have rubbed off in my bedroom.
It was just in their bedroom They got the lucky one, but yeah, but you
It was funny that I turned you on to Smashing Pumpkins.
I turned Jason on to the Monty Python of the Flying Circus.
Really?
He'd never heard of Monty Python before.
What?
Oh my goodness.
So I got to show that him the first time to see the Monty Python Flying Circus.
So that was pretty cool.
That's hilarious.
And it was also the first time he smoked weed.
So I got him turned on to that.
And it was maybe that weed or that one joint that propelled him into Ted Lasso fame.
So that's what I like to think.
I like to think that I got some do come into me.
Anything he's done, my friend, you should get a taste of it.
I thought it works, right?
That's how it works.
Right.
You're teaching comedy in Dallas, Mike.
And I'm sure you're great at that.
But like what can you teach people to be funny?
I'm sure you could give them tricks that help.
But is can you teach funny?
Well, I believe you can if you have a methodology to do it.
And I wrote three books on it to give you that methodology.
That's the finding your funny muscle, fine-tuning your funny muscle and flexing your funny muscle.
There are three books that give you a methodology on how to first of all find your comedy lens, which is sort of your brand and sort of your unique take on how your comedy world works.
Number two, it teaches you how to use the humor blueprint, which is sort of like a premise setup punchline format, which allows you to sort of begin to formulate jokes using misdirection and your comedy lens.
And then there's 36 humor heightening devices that allow you to find your punchlines off of the different setups that you create.
And so once you
understand that there's a game to it, you can begin to write material using that methodology and that's what I teach and what I love and believe in and now getting back to your real question, can you teach someone to be funny?
You can teach someone to be funnier.
you're already funny, I can teach you to be funnier.
If you're not funny at all, I don't know what to do with you.
If it doesn't occur to you to make people laugh, I don't know how to get that to occur to you because I call them laugh opportunities.
There's moments in life where you are ready to make people laugh and there are moments to prepare yourself for that.
In my one book, book three, I talk about it at a...
you're at a standing in line at a grocery store and all of a sudden there's 16 people in line and there's only one register open and all of a sudden the announcement comes up.
Tammy to the front, Tammy to the front and as soon as that
Announcement stops and before anyone starts talking there's a moment right then It's a laugh opportunity where you can make a joke and make a comment like you know Tammy for president or something And you could you could you could take advantage of that But but most people don't understand that there are moments like that that you do So there's ways that you can learn how to be more effective as a comedian and as a funny person But as far as teaching someone to be funny at all I don't know that there's a real natural instinct that I think you have to have to get that going
Great.
Very well said.
Tell people how they can find your funny muscle podcast, Mike.
Well, you can go to anywhere podcasts are available, and you can get that.
In the funny muscle podcast, we basically use my methodology to teach people how to look at comedy and how to create comedy.
So if you go to Podbean or you go to the Apple podcast,
Any of those places where you get podcasts, we've joined all of them.
So you can get them and join up for all that.
That's great for anyone who's interested in making laughs happen.
Before I let you go, Mike, we've got about a minute left.
I ask every guest this, are you binge watching anything?
Is there anything you could recommend that you or you and your family are into from a binge watch standpoint?
You know what I've been watching?
I've been watching what's it called?
It's the F1 series on Netflix.
Oh,
yeah.
What is it called?
It's something about driving dangerously or something.
And to me, the F1 is amazing.
It's like having these guys are, they're for two hours in a traffic jam and they're going at 200 miles an hour and they're picking that traffic jam around the track over and over and over again.
And by the end, one person ends up winning it.
So it's a pretty cool, it shows you behind the scenes of the drivers.
It shows you behind the scenes of the owners and the battle that takes place between, it's really only 10 companies that
own these 20 cars.
And so you learn a lot about this sport that you never really understood before.
So that's what I've been watching.
That's so great.
Buddy, it's great to be back in touch.
Check out Mike-Lucas.com for his books, his podcast.
Come back soon, OK?
I will, Pete.
Thanks, buddy.
I'll be on my podcast soon.
Oh, that'd be fun.
Thanks.
All right, Mike Lucas, everybody.
We are coming right back, and I'm going to give you the key word and tell you about the
contest.
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