
Transcript
Storms, Laughs, and Movie Picks (Hour 2)
Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach · Thu Dec 11, 2025
Man, we have to do a great start here.
It is hour two of nightlight on this gorgeous Thursday night in, yeah, Chile, Wisconsin, but it's a glorious night.
We're talking about movies and TV and music and comedy and all the things we love, and it is great to have you here.
Being part of it, folks, our question of the night.
Conn, why don't we reintroduce the question of the night?
Here's our nightlight question of the night.
Let's talk about the question.
Okay, question.
Question.
Question.
Pregunta.
Question.
Question.
Okay, I have a question.
Questions.
This question.
Questions.
I say anime.
Conrad says he can't drink his alcohol neat.
Or read well, he can read he just doesn't get into reading like many of us these days since we have phones But let us know what you think 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2 8 5 5 7 5 civic you can also text us on the app And if you are watching the radio on the stream drop us a stream comment at YouTube Facebook or X We have it is a popcorn
Pick night folks here Thursday Catherine Lake will be joining us at 635 to make the popcorn pick of the week Catherine does great work producing John and Gordy show in Madison and she is the one who put together that great Screening we had last week of my film the Godfather of Green Bay for the 20th anniversary at the Atwood music Hall So we'll talk to Catherine at 635 and find out what her popcorn pick of the week is and then at 720 our pal rich Talarico who is a key and P SNL
Key and Peel.
What's the matter?
See, I didn't talk at all today.
I was alone all day in my house.
It's like I'm warming up on the air.
That's not good.
Rich is a Key and Peel writer and has written for Saturday Night Live and Mad TV.
We'll talk about what is happening with the acting and writing unions and talk a little comedy with Rich, like we always do.
And we've got text to win in hour number three as well.
A new keyword.
Right now, I want to jump back into my...
My interview here with my current guest, Jordan Hall.
Jordan Hall is a storm chaser and he's got some great stories.
I'm really enjoying this discussion.
We have him just for a few more minutes here.
Jordan, we've got Bud on the stream said, he says, what's the most remarkable thing you've seen in a debris field around a tornado?
Cows?
I have not actually seen a cow go airborne yet, but I've seen
What's the craziest thing?
I mean, I obviously you see all the sheet metal and the insulation and stuff.
Um, I think one of the crazier and this is going to sound boring, but just hold it for a second.
So I have seen, obviously you see true branches and stuff, but, uh, in Newton, Georgia, two years ago down in Southern Georgia, I had a drone up on a big wedge tornado.
And I watched it yank a full size tree.
I'm talking like probably 50, 80 foot tall tree
into the air and as a full tree and it wrapped it all the way around the tornado and spit it out like God knows how far.
So
was probably the most insane thing I've ever seen as a full tree.
Just yanked it right out of the ground.
Thank you, bud.
And then we've got Tyler from Wisconsin Rapids says, does Jordan dress like a football player and do a lot of zigzagging?
I would imagine if the if the circumstances weren't yeah.
All right, so let's let's talk about this in terms of like you said you earlier you grew up watching twister the movie and storm chasers with your dad and you became fascinated about this but at some point what are you hoping to accomplish what are you hoping to learn because I would imagine the curiosity
is equal to the excitement for you.
Like, what do storm chasers hope to learn?
So, every storm chaser is different.
I mean, you have some of them, I'll use Reed Timmer's example.
He's out there.
He wants to learn.
He's more research-minded.
And then, for me, I mean, every chaser is unique.
And for me, it's about seeing weather in its rawest form.
I love seeing weather.
I just love to see it.
I have gotten very good at capturing tornadoes extremely cinematically and capturing weather in ways of drones that most people don't get to see it.
And I think long term for me is just being able to find more unique ways to capture weather and bring it to the viewer and bring it to everybody to see and be able to appreciate it kind of like how I appreciate it.
So the best way to make money in storm chasing is selling video breaking news That's how I started.
That's how I got my upbringing with severe studios based out of Wisconsin and it was just shooting
tornado video or basic b-roll video of Breaking weather and selling it to the weather channel or any of the big networks and then also nowadays with the with social media social media has been another way to make a lot of money so It all just comes down to the content, but also I think being very personable and Easy to talk to helps you a lot in that situations too.
Yeah, I look at the storm prediction center, I look at long range forecasts, and if I see something that catches my attention, like, for example, right now, let's say I look at the models and it looks like, oh, there could be tornado potential down in Southwest Texas.
I'll probably roll out in two hours.
That's how quick I could turn it around.
I could be gone.
I've, uh, flown in the Philippines with a one hour, actually the Puerto Rico a few years ago, I flew there with like a two hour notice.
So I mean, it's very spontaneous, but there's a lot of, uh, things you have to give up in that situation.
Like if I plan something out two weeks in advance, there's a chance I might not, might not be able to go there because there could be a tornado outbreak that day.
So it's very tricky.
They've been extremely helpful, so they've known me since I was a teenager.
So I'm 28 years old now.
So they've been around for a while and they've helped me a lot.
Corey's helped me a lot with the business side.
Jamie's almost been like another mom.
She's just always, if you have a question, you can always go to Jamie and she'll give you the most blunt, honest answer.
And I love that.
But they've been super helpful.
They've taught me a lot of the business side and learning how to do the business side of things.
I've always been there for any emotional support or like any any ideas or just anything I need help with they're always there for so that's always been amazing.
I just a couple more questions for you before we let you go is your how do your folks feel about this like your dad was obviously you said you come from a family of first responders you watch these shows with your dad are they do they worry about you or they kind of like go get them some.
So yeah my grandma's like
Worries about it.
She hates it.
She's like, I don't like knowing you're out there, but my dad, I'm trying to get my dad out to storm chase.
He wants to come.
He's, he actually was talking to me.
He wants to go to the Philippines with me one of these days to go chase one.
So he's one of my bigger supporters.
And then, uh, this year, I actually got to take my 13 year old little brother out on his first storm chase and got him within like 150 yards of a tornado in South Dakota.
And he had the time of his life.
It was amazing.
He was more excited than freaked out.
Oh, he had so much fun.
I look back because he's sitting in the back seat and he just had his phone just staring.
Oh my gosh.
He must have
Like a veteran.
Yeah.
So that's pretty cool.
One more storm related question.
You said recently, I read this article about you.
I think it was in the New York Post and you said you say a storm is so dangerous and yet so beautiful all at the same time.
You never know what you're going to get.
I'm guessing the beauty of what you might see outweighs the danger or curiosity.
Would that be accurate or what did you mean by that statement?
So it's crazy because you look at a storm and it was a big tornado and it's one of the most beautiful things you've ever seen.
Like it's mesmerizing.
You can't take your eyes off it.
But at the same time, on the other side of it, you know it could be doing
serious damage and possibly hurting people so it's one of the most beautiful but yet scary and sad things out there because it's you can't take your eyes off it and you hope it's not hitting anybody but at the end of the day it could be so that's kind of that's kind of how I compared that
I have been obsessed with land man on Prime lately.
So that's been pretty fun to watch.
How's the second
It's good.
I like it a lot.
I can't wait for that.
They've released it one episode a week.
So I'm just waiting till Saturday night again.
yeah, it's fun to watch.
Absolutely.
Thanks for having
You got it.
All right.
That's Jordan Hall Go to if you haven't heard all this interview folks go to civic media dot US and download the podcast or listen to the podcast He is he was absolutely fascinating to talk to and love what he does.
I don't think I could do that Could you do that con chase storms?
He said he puts 100,000 miles a year in his car chasing storms.
That's crazy.
But good for him.
I'm glad he's out there because he was really fun to talk to.
So great stuff, Jordan Halt.
Catherine Lake coming up at 6.35, folks.
She's going to make the popcorn pick of the week.
It is Thursday, and that means you are going to leave here tonight, folks, with a movie pick.
So that will be exciting.
And then we've got Rich Tallarico, Key and Peele, an SNL writer coming up at 7.20.
We're going to talk to him about something, a massive undertaking he is doing, trying to get things right in the universe when it comes to studios paying for their content or when they share content on social media.
Lots of fun stuff to discuss with Rich.
Probably have a few laughs along the way as well.
And our question of the night is, what is something you just can't get into?
Monica from Mount Horrib says, I can't get into reality TV.
Great one, Monica.
That's a great one.
She says
one friend who went on and on about the bachelor show and I felt dumber She says I have another friend who loves sister wives and she gets mad at me because I tell her I don't care when she talks about it I tell her it gives me anxiety to hear about such idiocy That's a great one.
Yeah, I cannot get into reality.
You just don't see
That's scripted stupidity.
So there you go.
Listening on WAUK, Brett from Brown Deer says, two things I can't get into are horror flicks and country music.
Kind of with you there.
Although I like old country.
And you know, I like some new country, Conrad.
You know who our favorite country artist is on this show.
And then Lauren Holly, who was on the show last week, tweeted something today about Kelsey Grammer's gastrous habits.
So we'll talk about that too.
Let's see, where else can we go here?
Let's do another text.
Tyler in Wisconsin Rapids.
Oh, this is interesting.
He says, I just can't get into this text-to-win game.
I do not have the technology to join in your reindeer games.
Not fair.
He doesn't have the app.
He just got to download the app.
It's not that tough, Tyler.
There's a way we can help you let us know we've got a lot of tech still to get to and a lot more show coming up folks We're gonna do a very quick break and then we will come back and tell you what Lauren Holly said about Kelsey grammar's gas It's peach wabba and nightlight on the civic media radio
You've got the Civic Media Radio Network.
Conrad Krieger worked on the board tonight.
If you missed our conversation with Jordan Hall, Stormchaser, go to CivicMedia.us and check out the podcast.
He was really fun to talk to and very informative.
Tonight's question is, what is something you just can't get into?
And John Murray says, evening, Peter and Conrad, tough questions.
So many answers.
I used to love bar hopping on a Saturday night.
Just can't get into that at all anymore.
We met John last week.
Actually, I didn't get to meet him.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
Yeah, John and Melissa were there.
That was fun.
He says, the chill bar at your movie screening is more my speed these days, and your movie night was fantastic, by the way.
He's referring to last Thursday night a week ago at the Atwood Music Hall in Madison when we screened The Godfather of Green Bay for the 20th anniversary screening, and it was so great to meet some listeners, including John and Melissa.
He says, you were a wonderful host.
Very happy.
I was able to attend.
Me too, John.
It was great to meet you.
And I'm sorry, Conrad did not get to meet you.
Melissa, John's wife, Melissa from Willy Street in Madison in the 608 says, hi, Pete.
I can't get into any country music from after the 70s.
It hurts my ears.
I kind of agree with it.
I don't want to make that broad of a generalization, but I kind of know what she's saying.
Springsteen's got these anthems.
or U2 where they got this build in this country kind of sounds the same after the 70s.
Love old country.
I like some new country and I like when they genre bend, so to speak, but I kind of know what you're saying.
Al from the 262 says cricket.
It's kind of like baseball, yet nothing like baseball at the same time.
And I'm convinced even those that play don't know the rules.
The only thing I'll say is it looks cool.
I like how they pitch and they have the equipment and all that kind of stuff.
And then we've got Jewel from the 920 says, pumpkin as a food.
I get people like pumpkin spice.
So just eat carrots are edible.
Same goes for rhubarb.
Anyone makes a rhubarb pie, everyone makes a rhubarb plus.
Pie, something pie, I guess.
Example, strawberry rhubarb pie, if you have to make, if you have to have actual food go along with it, why not just make a strawberry pie?
I kind of know what she's saying too.
I love pumpkin pie so much.
Yeah, but I mean, is you referring to that or just like eating pumpkin?
We'll get to some of your social media answers as well.
We've got Sidney Politics as I've tried many times and haven't been able to do fantasy football.
Kind of with him there too.
I'm not.
I've been playing for years and I just don't care after a while.
I'd rather watch the actual game.
He says also FSAs.
I think that's...
Flexible spending accounts?
I Google it.
That's what I came up with.
He says, I refuse to learn how they work.
Come on, Sidney.
Open mindset.
I don't... Those flexible spending accounts are such a joke.
I remember when the government was pushing out, we want to do health savings account.
We'll put $10 a check away to your health savings.
My deductible is like $1,500 a year.
$1,000 in health savings account.
It's not gonna do anything.
And then Bud says, is quiet spelled G-R-E-N.
Oh, he is an avid listener.
Oh, yeah.
He called back, you're spelling miscue.
Thank you, Bud.
All right, we gotta get to this.
Play this.
I found this real.
I was laying in bed last night and I started laughing hysterically because I was just going through reels.
And for whatever reason, people screwing up in church are...
It's, it's hilarious to me when it's a priest or a guy giving a sermon or whatever.
So here's what one pastor said last night on this reel I found.
Let's pray.
Let's pray.
Heavenly farts, heavenly father, our hearts.
Let's pray.
Let's pray.
Heavenly farts, heavenly father, our hearts.
Now here's the other thing I thought was hilarious and I think did you send this to me?
I think I just, or did I just find it that, Lauren Holley.
Oh, you said Stuart J. Waddle sent it.
Stuart Waddle, yes, our pal Stuart from, who does news here in Green Bay.
Lauren Holley drops wild claim about Kelsey Grammer's behavior on set and then he quotes, he farted constantly.
Now that sounds like a medical condition, but her,
I don't think Lauren, she was on the show last week.
I would have loved to have asked her about this, but she put this out on social media.
After all these years, the movie was down periscope.
And it says the Dumb and Dumber actress 62 posted on threads earlier this week.
I'm still not on threads.
Responding to a USA Today post about Grammer's recent political comments by recalling her experience filming with him nearly 30 years ago.
So she didn't like his
Political comments and she said he was like a big-time farter
Okay, that's fine Better to layer let it out and bear the shame then hold it in and bear the pain however Constantly yeah, that's a little in the interview reference by the outlet grammar head
describe President Donald Trump as maybe the greatest in US history.
So Lauren got back by saying he farts.
Oh, that's funny.
And that's about as political as I'll get.
But I probably would have done the same thing for you, Lauren.
We got a text on
This is Peach Waba and Nightlight.
We are coming right back with our pal Catherine Lake who is going to make the popcorn pick of the week.
It's Nightlight with Peach Waba on the Civic Media radio network.
at the Christmas Eve of weeknights.
Lots of fun here on Nightlight Tonight.
Glad you're with me.
We've got Rich Talarico, Key and Peele, SNL, and Mad TV writer coming up in hour number three.
Great talk about something he's working on regarding entertainment unions.
Very important and we'll probably have a laugh or two as we also always do with Rich.
Right now, we're going to turn our attention to
The Popcorn Pick of the Week.
It's that time of the week, folks.
One of my favorite times of the week.
And joining us tonight here on Night Light is one of our favorites.
She produces the John and Gordy morning show at WMDX and is also a movie promoter because she put together a great screening last week that we did a week from...
Uh, we could go tonight at the Atwood Music Hall, the 20th anniversary screening of my film, The Godfather of Green Bay, for which I am very indebted, and she joins us now over the stream, Catherine Lake.
How are you, Catherine?
20th anniversary screening of my film, The Godfather of Green Bay, for which I am very indebted.
What's going on there?
We gotta figure out what happened there.
I'm not that talented.
I can't throw my voice.
So we'll figure out what happened and we'll bring Catherine onto the show.
I'm gonna read some more of your civic media.
Listen, every day, folks, I think you already know this, but we post our question of the night, which tonight is, what is something you just can't get into?
We put that on social media every day as well.
So if you follow us on Facebook, you'll have access and you can answer our question of the day there as well.
Scott, Tom.
Pardon me, Scott Tom from Madison says, getting up early to see a sunrise.
Okay.
I'm kind of, that's so interesting you said that, Scott, because there are people who, I remember when I lived in LA, they would go to the ocean every day to watch the sunset.
I know why that's special.
I know why that's cool.
But I couldn't really get into that either.
It's beautiful.
And I admit that I probably take it for granted and shouldn't.
But that's really interesting you said that.
So keep those answers coming, folks.
What is something you just can't get into?
All right, do we have Catherine?
Conn?
Yes, Catherine, are you there?
So was I So I never put on a face.
I didn't put on this is my you know pretend workout outfit I was gonna do yoga didn't do it.
So I am I am like really low-key today
And I know what it's like to be alone all day.
It's really irritating, isn't it?
It's just low key because you're right.
Yeah.
And that's how I am.
Sometimes I get here and I haven't really talked to anyone and I go on here and I'm like fumbling all over my words.
I'm like, I know how to talk.
What is happening here?
I know.
So I have to tell people, Catherine, before we get too in depth here, the popcorn pick of the week is 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 chicken or the egg of photography.com.
And he gets ready first thing in the morning.
That's what we love about Chris.
Catherine, unlike you and I, how are you?
It's a little early and I was planning on working out, getting my legs going with squats and stuff and trying to teach my kids skiing this year.
But I just can't seem to get back into the exercise to get strong enough to do it.
Because I'm not gonna get on the ski slope.
I already know I'm weak.
I know I'm weak.
I used to ski when I was in my
teens and twenties even but I'm not going to pretend that I could actually do it now
I've never scared cross-country skied.
I've never really had a desire to downhill ski I know people that do it love it and they get obsessed with it and it looks really fun But most of my life has been spent avoiding serious injury.
I don't want to be laid up I don't want to have an oh crap moment.
I just
Honestly, I
I know.
But it is great to have you here.
So let's talk about movies.
How does Catherine Lake?
You, okay, so you're a very busy person.
You're a radio executive.
You've done all kinds of fun things in your career.
How do you like to watch movies?
Do you like to go to the theater?
Do you like to sit home and stream?
How does that work for you?
You gotta say that.
Either you are or you aren't.
Love them.
Love seeing them love watching them multiple times which drives my husband crazy.
He never understood why I to watch My ex-husband he does not like to watch movies more than once I will watch them countless times So when you're ready to ask me what movie I want to talk about it is one that I have watched so many times and I still See something.
Oh, I didn't know
I remember he was one of the first guys I saw in Chicago doing stand-up at the Roxy on Fullerton.
And we had this discussion.
He was playing the piano, and you didn't believe me.
When I first met you, and I found out you were married to Tim, I said, I saw him at the Roxy.
He was playing piano, and you said, no, that's not possible.
Unbelievable.
But you did ask him, right, and verified?
He left it behind, of course.
He just as a stand-up and a good one and a clean one.
So then he went into corporate comedy.
That's when I married him and got it.
I managed him.
So got him a lot of gigs that way.
We got a lot of gigs that way.
And then when 2008 crashed the world and no corporations were having events with
With speakers and comedians and such, he pivoted.
He's an educator.
He has a master's degree.
I do like to go to theaters.
I've gotten into the brew and view here in Madison.
It's right around the corner.
I could literally walk to it if I wanted to.
It's really fun and really good food.
And because I do like to eat while I watch a movie.
That's kind of fun.
That was that's a new thing, right?
That is the big.
Reveal for someone like me that because then I think there's a two different kinds of people see people that I will never watch movie twice and there are people I Watch them.
I can't tell you how many times I have watched don't look up
That's my pick that we'll get to and I can't tell you how many times because I bet you've got a sound or something you want to do
when I tell you it's gonna be that but yes repeating because I I turn on the big television in my living room when I clean the house I turn on the big TV with a movie that I've seen a hundred times and then I can just hear it
while I clean, and I'm so happy.
And it's like I got people around, friends, you know?
I'm no longer snacky.
You can't be snacky when you get to be 60 years old.
You gotta stop the snacky.
But when I was a snacky at the movies, it was popcorn and chocolate.
I learned that from Buzz Kemper, an old friend of mine from Madison.
He's well known in Madison.
He's an audio engineer.
He's got his own business here.
And he taught me salt and chocolate, go together.
So you have to have M&Ms and popcorn.
You're kind of a, I wouldn't call you maybe confrontational, but you're kind of fearless.
You're not afraid to speak your mind.
What do you do?
We've got about 30 seconds before we go to a break, then we'll come back and have more with Catherine.
But what are you doing?
People are loud in the theater, Catherine.
All right, Catherine Lake is here.
We'll have a few more minutes with Catherine after this very short break.
Let us know what you just can't get into, folks.
That's the question of the night and we've got text to win stuff coming up in hour three right around the corner.
This is Pete Schwabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media.
Yeah.
And I could do the lines with her, you know, when she's accused of doing this big thing because she got caught sending personal pictures to somebody and the person says, you know, I'm not a fan of yours, but just because you did this, I get it.
And that's why you're doing it.
And Meryl Streep's response is, right?
I mean, just that line.
Just that.
As soon as you said, did you watch something with her?
The animated Cinderella, when she gets married and I just immediately have this video in my head of taking my little girl's hand.
She's three years old and she's walking down the aisle with me.
I'm playing the prince.
Oh my God.
Oh my God.
Such good times.
Me too.
But let's circle back.
I want to circle back when we both finish Pluribus, because I would love to know what you think about.
when you get to the end of it.
I'm caught up.
It sounds like you're a little behind me, but let's definitely talk about that.
And I want to thank you again for that great event last week.
And I still, I've cracked up a couple of times thinking of Gordy hosting the Q and A at the Atwood Music Hall.
And he said, I feel like Phil Donahue here.
He was jogging around.
All right.
Thanks, Catherine.
Have a great night.
That's Catherine Lake from W MDX and my fellow as civic media.
Colleague, love Catherine Lake.
So we got this text con.
This was kind of funny.
My pal, Mary Bacourny-Donlan, who is one of the producers at PBS, the producer I work with when I go to Madison to do my PBS stuff, she says, she can confirm Kelsey Grammer had flatulence issues.
Her sister-in-law worked with him, but then Mary said, consider me your deep throat source on this.
And I just kind of outed her.
So.
That's great stuff.
All right.
Our number three, act three is right around the corner, folks.
We've got text to win.
We've got Rich Tallarico coming up.
And I'm going to tell you also how Jack Nicholson chose a very creative way to deal with his stalker.
You won't believe it.
It's Pete Schwabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio
Network.
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