
Transcript
Unwrapping Comedy and Tiki Tidbits (Hour 3)
Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach · Tue Dec 16, 2025
Okay.
So we are kicking off hour number three here.
Been a fun night here at Nightlight.
Rob... Rob Gamal.
Yep.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Why am I... I got Scott.
Roa Matt here, Scott Rumat, and my name gets tortured more than anybody's.
Mike Gamal was here first hour, and then we've got Comedy City in the house right now, folks.
We'll be back to Erika and Scott in just a moment, and then Boris Hamilton will join me at 7.20 to talk Christmas movies and about a really cool documentary he is in about the birth of the Tiki Bar, which sounds very exciting.
Our question of the night is, what is a hard gift to wrap?
We're all going to be wrapping presents unless we boycott gift giving.
But what is a hard gift to wrap?
We've had some great answers on social media.
And on the text line, Bridget from the 818 says, mugs and cups.
That's a good one.
I tried last night, had to redo a few times.
Just do your best, Bridget.
Or get one of Conrad's gift bags.
It's going to be a new line.
Yes.
Quick trip right next to the clunkers or dunkers or whatever they're called.
So there you go, folks.
You're caught up.
And please be part of the show and text in a gift that's hard to wrap.
We've got Scott and Erica here in the studio from Comedy City.
They've got a lot of cool things going on over at Comedy City.
They've got a great New Year's Eve show.
Are there still tickets available for New Year's Eve?
Yeah, all
three shows still have tickets.
bring the kids to that early one, what time is that?
6.30?
5.30.
Yeah, still plenty of tickets to that and plenty of time to get them home in bed before nine o'clock and
eye on the kids
careful Or just tell them they have a couple extra Christmas presents hidden around the house
and have it hidden behind like brooms and vacuums and then kids clean the house looking for it.
And then by the time you get home, you have a clean house.
We've done a few plays.
some like one acts plays and some like some plays through Comedy City but most of our stuff during during I'm all over the place I'm sorry
during
August we have a thing called Rogue Comedy Month where we try different shows and different ideas so there may be sketches in there but a lot of times there's either game shows or different types of versions of
of show ideas and stuff like that.
But yeah, pretty much, I'd say like 95% of the stuff is made up on the spot.
Oh, that's so cool.
Comedy City, if I could just give a plug here, offers improv shows every Friday and Saturday evening in their Depeer Theater, along with traveling shows, private parties, and workplace team building exercises, virtually any day throughout Wisconsin and into Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Where do you travel?
How far will you guys go?
Anywhere that pays.
Yeah.
you and I have both been to Tustin, California.
Yeah.
Oh, wow.
I did a improv festival in, what was it?
It's in Tennessee, right around the Pigeon Forge area.
I can't remember the name of the town now.
It's gone.
Nope.
No, it's on the other
side of Tennessee.
Who sang the Elvira song?
We don't know.
Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge.
That's what it was.
Yep, so we did it in prop festival there.
We
probably the furthest California down the rally kill North Carolina.
Oh, that's kind of down to Texas.
Nope.
That was a different thing.
Yeah, we did a comedy festival up in Marquette, Michigan.
I mean, we'll go.
Yeah, anywhere and everywhere.
Well, sure.
We can have, there's a few friends we have hidden right here.
And if you have any questions, we can just toss out some questions for you because we have Barry right here.
I can answer some questions for you.
And who do you have next to
you?
I'm Liam.
Liam
O'Driscoll.
I'm in sixth grade and I like Dragon Ball Z.
Dragon Ball Z to anime.
kind of questions should we ask you guys?
I mean like, I mean Christmas questions.
If you have anything like, what should I get my grandma who has everything or yeah,
My least favorite Christmas movie is Ernest saves Christmas because I had a cousin who did the same thing and he didn't end up saving Christmas either He got Santa's bag and he just he he kept it all for himself.
He did he wasn't a good person
for Christmas?
Oh, I'm so happy you asked!
Well, you see, every time my grandma asks me what I want for Christmas, I tell her I want one of those statues, one of those scantily-quad statues.
Okay, okay.
I get a catawag at my house.
My grandma does not appreciate it.
Grandpa still lives cologne, huh?
Oh, grandpa's a ladies man.
Indeed.
Okay.
bit.
You know, I got the Target SoCo code or whatever.
Whatever you can get at the Target.
I like to use a little...
We,
um, hint
for the other ladies men out there.
You go down to laundry detergent section and you get a can of Febreze.
Smell fresh and clean for a fraction of the price.
Yeah, I got my brother and his wife and her brother and his wife and my brother's wife, who is not the one I mentioned before.
We got a big family.
We have Christmas ham.
Mostly it's Oscar Meyer, but it's still a ham on Christmas.
Oh, boy, I made this eggnog pie once.
You just take it.
Eggnog and you just put it in a pie crust and freeze it till it's solid and then you just eat it It's it's like you're drinking eggnog, but it's just melting down your face
cheapest
Have you ever rented a Home Depot or the Minutes?
Well, you go to the paint section and you'll find that wall of paint samples.
You can get all of those.
They don't even stop you.
You can take all the paint samples.
And you just, you can have all the colors, you have five of them, and you can arrange them in a pleasing, aesthetically vibrant, modern art feature.
And it's on Home Depot's dime.
Barry?
I usually just take 75 cents and go into the local gas station bathroom.
Just buy whatever machines on the wall.
It's, it's pre-wrapped and it's usually a surprise.
There you go, honey.
didn't even know they were here.
I've got to go find out where my car sparked.
I don't think I've ever done that voice sitting down.
I
the hardest part.
We have a game called New Choice that I'm fond of because it's we'll be doing a scene.
And if we say something that.
The host doesn't care for he'll blow the whistle or she'll blow the whistle and say new choice.
And we have to change exactly what we're saying.
So then if I'm like, oh, boy, I sure love to get some coffee today.
New choice.
I want five dollars for bagel new choice.
And then like you just you just it makes my brain just fall apart.
And it's the best feeling in a good way.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sure.
Sure.
It makes like it's the creative parts just cracking.
Yeah.
And breaking off.
We don't play it very often, but I really like the game Town Hall.
Town Hall is a lot of fun.
It's kind of a spoof on small town, well, I guess, Green Bay-sized city politics, like go to a city council meeting or the show Parks and Rec, where they always feature what those open forum council meetings are.
just anybody is welcome to take the mic and address their concerns.
So we'll get some kind of fake disagreement that this town is having, right?
And the audience
is an unwilling participant sometimes, depending on who's playing.
So you'll have four or five players who run around in the audience and sit down next to a family or next to a group of friends or coworkers or a bachelorette party.
And now all of a sudden that bachelorette party that's there trying to watch the show, now all of a sudden that's your family.
or that's
your
harem of Mormon wives or something.
And you stand up and say, I'm Jimmy, whatever, whatever.
And this is my grandma and my cousin and you yank this unsuspecting audience member up off the chair.
Uncle Dave and blah, blah, blah.
Say hi, Uncle Dave.
So that's a lot of fun.
Carol Burnett.
she's so funny.
Yeah, yeah, she, I used to, and, never mind, Laverne and Shirley.
I grew
up watching a lot of TV land with my neighbors
and
my mom, but Carol Burnett sticks out for sure.
Okay.
She is.
I don't know.
She
was
hilarious, so funny,
so witty, and she didn't really care at a time when women were on stage to be a accessory to the guy.
You know what I mean?
Women were on TV to be an accessory to the leading man.
Carol Burnett had her show.
Right, and she wasn't the glamorous sex symbol.
She was, I'm gonna be here, I'm gonna be smart and I'm gonna be funny, just like these other guys on stage.
grew up watching News Radio.
I was a huge fan of David Foley and then also then Phil Hartman because of it and knowing he did improv was.
Kind of cool too.
Yeah.
So that's, wow, great
for being here.
Thanks.
see
available for Snowy Mittens.
okay.
All
Thank you.
And we will
Network.
Great to have you with me, folks.
It is a gorgeous Tuesday night here in downtown Green Bay, capturing the spirit of the season here tonight with Comedy City.
That was fun having those guys here.
And Sydney Politics on the stream line, or on the stream, did say he meant, he texted in a question for our improvisers and he said, what is the cheapest I could buy somebody without getting trouble?
Boy, he's missing a couple words there.
He's a very loose.
You know, he's a good guy and I don't know was going out with this grammar tonight But Sidney said he did correct himself and he said yes thing that something you could buy that's cheap.
Sorry, no problem Sidney We know you're good people and would never involve yourself in human trafficking of any way So, uh, all right, so tomorrow night.
Well, let's not do what time is it?
How we doing?
It's 7 23
Not yet.
We still got a couple segments.
We got a couple segments, and we got a great guest.
I'm very excited to introduce this next guest.
He is a friend of mine.
I met him when I was living in California, and he is... This is a testament, Conrad, because I've had people on the show that say, oh, people in L.A., they're all crazy.
Yeah, some of them are.
But you know what?
In my experience, and I'm about to prove this, the people that were born and raised there are normal.
They're just regular people.
And Boris is, like, waiting in the wings going, because there's a lot of pressure.
I have to prove to be normal here.
But no, he's a great guy and a very funny guy.
And he joins us now here on Nightlight for the first time.
Mr. Boris Hamilton, hey, buddy.
Hello, how are you?
How are you, normal Californian?
I'm OK.
I'm wearing headphones because the email said to wear headphones.
But I'm afraid I look like a robot from Empire Strikes Back.
just going to have to deal with it.
Hope that's not too crazy.
you It's good to see you too Pete.
Um, yeah, it's coming in whiter than I'd like but uh, you know
season.
I guess it's okay.
I'm in it's downtown.
It's it's Korea town.
Oh nice
So I'm there, the Willchern Theater.
I grew up in Costa Mesa, yeah.
mid-90s?
Yeah, I think like 94, like semi-officially, and then by like 96, I was doing it, and then I moved to Los Angeles in 97.
You know the 40 mile drive
Well, you know, all right, it's so funny I made a joke before he came on the show, but a lot of people Say, you know or LA it just has the whole Hollywood thing But I I have said that most of the people that I meet That grew up or around Los Angeles or in Los Angeles are pretty normal I feel like it's the people that move out there and think they have to act a certain way that are the weirdos
I think so too.
I would agree.
Yeah
ahead.
No,
Well, in Studio City, they have their own walk of fame.
And it's like, you're walking on the walk of fame every other day.
And it's too much for you.
It's foreign to you.
Right.
Are you still, do you still work clubs?
I don't do anything like that anymore.
I quit, I stepped away like around 2009.
My car was dying and my health insurance was getting ready to run out.
And I was like, I'm gonna be a real person for a little while.
And you know, that's like peak recession also.
like, yeah, things aren't good.
I did that and then occasionally I'll do some stuff.
I did a Rose last summer of a friend that that went well, you know, and then he didn't talk to me for six weeks, but you know
I think we worked that Ventura comedy club together that Keith Dion booked and I don't remember.
Hornblowers.
Yeah, hornblowers.
I love that room.
Right in the harbor there on the ocean.
It was just beautiful.
And you had a great joke I loved when you said I was getting excited because I put my clothes on today and they were loose and I thought I lost weight.
But then I realized it was wash day.
It turns out I shouldn't wear the same jeans every day.
It wasn't you?
I
Maybe I did headline that room once, but I don't know.
Yeah, I worked there with a couple guys who were total tools.
Was it John Wing?
It was not John Wayne.
I would have enjoyed working with John Wayne.
Yeah.
So all right, before we get into this really cool documentary, you're part of Boris, I want to ask you, do you have two questions?
Our question of the night tonight is a gift that's hard to wrap.
Does anything come to mind?
A tennis racket, I
You know,
like that.
like a basketball stuff like that
that doesn't if you got one that didn't come in a box
you know stuff like that where it's even anything round is hard like hard to wrap bottles are hard to wrap right everyone just gives up and gets the wine bag or whatever and it's like okay so there's no mystery in this at all
is.
I obviously have been thinking about that a lot.
He had such an amazing streak from Spinal Tap, which I have issues, some issues with Spinal Tap.
I think it gets old.
I think
you're at Air Force, by the time you see Fred Willard, you're like, let's wrap this up.
And that's a shame because I love Fred Willard.
But anyway, so spinal tap to north, basically.
All right.
And I'm not going to go back and revisit north or anything like that.
Or remember, I think checking out the first time I tried to watch it.
But the sure thing I love.
Oh,
In North, I forgot about, too.
All right, we're going to do the news.
Boris Hamilton is here.
We're going to talk a little bit more about Rob Reiner films, and he's going to tell us which Christmas movie that's very popular he does not like, ladies and gentlemen.
We're coming right back.
It's Night Light with Pete
Schwabba.
This is Nightlight.
Tomorrow night on the show, lots more fun, folks.
You're not going to want to miss it.
Madison film critic Rob Thomas will be here.
We'll probably touch on the new Avatar film that opens this weekend.
And Rob will tell us what he's seen.
He is always fun to talk movies with.
He'll be here tomorrow night.
Weatherman Mace Michaels can tell us what's in store for the rest of the winter.
And I need to know, because if it's cold, I just need to, you know, he's got to accept it.
And that way I can prepare.
But hopefully Mace will come out and say, it's going to be unseasonably warm.
My forecast doesn't do it for you?
No, your little iPhone does not cut it.
But anyway, that'll be a fun show.
So join us tomorrow night at Nightlight as well.
Conrad will have more window vision weather forecasts
for
Joining us now on Nightlight is Boris Hamilton, a very funny guy who I used to do stand up with from time to time.
Boris we were talking about Rob Reiner you had an issue with This is Spinal Tip which last night this was our question of the night and I would say 20 of the people said that was their favorite Rob Reiner film and you think it went on a little bit too long and I would say you're probably right I haven't seen it in years, but I would think when Fred Willard comes along that would breathe new life into it
you would think but
At that point, they're at the Air Force Base.
have no more steam.
It's just getting sadder.
You would think.
Just pull the plug.
It's one of those movies.
Kind of like the Blues Brothers.
Every time you see it, it's a little longer.
You still love it.
You still love it, but you're like, oh, let's go.
You
You love the parts of it you love, but you're not willing to say, you know, I don't think The Blues Brothers is a great movie.
It's a great movie to me because I got to see Chicago in it and I like John Belushi and the music is great.
Same thing with Spinal Tap.
And I should give it another watch before I say that.
But what about some of his other films?
Well, like I said, The Sure Thing, I love The Sure Thing.
I love Stand By Me.
When Harry Met Sally is a perfect movie.
and a few good men.
I have so much fun watching that movie, even though it's a, you know, it's a darker subject, but
it's
still like, everyone is so great at it.
Everybody.
And then American president has a lot of fun too.
And then it keeps going.
And it's like, okay, I didn't know that he did Mississippi burning.
I never put that together.
Yes, how do
Are you sure?
Okay.
Hang on.
Let me see
Are
Oh, no, I'm thinking of ghosts of Mississippi.
I'm a horrible person burns then the ghosts.
I'm a horrible American.
And I, we were talking about this a little bit last night.
Like he, he never, like directors can ruin good material if they get too directory.
He never did that.
He, he enhanced it and he just like, he didn't write most of what he directed.
I don't think, but he, he was an outstanding director
and outstanding director and then an amazing, you know, producer and incredible actor.
I forgot that he, you know, he's in the Wolf of Wall Street.
And I didn't love that movie, but I loved every scene that he was in.
All those, all of his other movies that aren't Spinal Tap, they don't go on too long.
You're like, I need more.
Yeah.
I think in like 86, maybe.
Interesting.
Do you?
I have to ask you this.
I talked about this at the beginning of the show.
A friend of mine who, a friend of our shows, I guess, who does news here in Green Bay said, did you ever meet Rob Reiner?
I never did.
And I wish I would have.
But I did, I was with an outfit called commercials unlimited for about two months.
And his brother Richie was a commercial agent in LA.
I don't know if you ever worked with that outfit or if you knew that.
If he did, then I'm sure I auditioned for them at some point back then, but I don't really remember.
But of course, the whole family was talented.
Like
like, you're a writer.
crazy?
Well, his dad is Carl Reiner.
And his sister-in-law was Penny Marshall.
It's like, really?
You're asking me?
Isn't
And then, you know, his brother's best friend was Albert Brooks.
It's like,
You know everybody.
But Pinchwab was your guy.
Let's talk about this really cool documentary.
You're part of Boris Hamilton as my guest.
Very funny guy and featured in the new documentary, The Don of Tiki.
I hadn't heard of this today until you sent me the link and it looks like one of the coolest movies I haven't seen yet.
Please tell us about it.
It's a lot of fun.
It's about the origin of Don the Beachcomber and how he turned his small cafe into a tropical bar and then fueled the tiki explosion that lasted from like the late 30s to probably the mid 70s and has been brought back a couple of times since, but it's a really interesting story.
He's a really neat guy and the way they do it, there's
There's archival footage.
There's animation.
There's claymation.
It's, it's all really cool done with original audio.
Um, my friends, Alex and Max did a really nice job on that.
you
Oh, go to, you know, Don at tiki.com and check it out.
Don with two ends and, um, it should be able available for streaming.
I think in 2026.
And yeah, please check it out.
He was always on top of everything, but had his own cool style at the same time.
Like, you know, always...
Ready for adventure.
whether or not he was going anywhere cool or not
No, I think this looks I love movies like this and I it's one of those movies That I know I'm gonna like just based on what I'm reading here And I had never thought about like I've been to Tiki bars my neighbor in LA who lived two doors down had one in his backyard And I thought oh, this is great, but it never occurred to me where it came from
Yeah, and you know, of course, it's Hollywood comes from Hollywood like everything else just
fake paradise, but
It's
I just talk about it really quick.
I'm in it for probably six seconds, but if you watch it, I clearly carry the movie.
It should be called The Dawn of Tiki and Boris.
It's a
sidekick.
We were at Tiki Oasis, which is an annual gathering of Tiki people every summer in San Diego.
And I knew them, so they asked me,
a question and then I threw out like 15 answers and they they took one that worked.
That's how that
Oh
I mean how far are you from from Milwaukee?
quite.
Because they have some good ones.
The foundation room in Milwaukee is nice.
There's some good ones.
Oh, okay.
Well, I would say number one would be the Maikai in Fort Lauderdale.
Okay.
which is an amazing, I think it was 1958 that it was built and it's incredible.
It's massive, it's cool, it just got refurbished, it had some roof damage and they put a bunch of money into it and it's incredible.
Tiki Tea in East Hollywood or Los Feliz is also fantastic.
There's a direct lineage from Don the Beachcomber to Tiki Tea, so that makes it interesting.
And then Smugglers Cove in San Francisco.
That would be for modern Tiki cocktails.
That would be my place to go.
Well, the decor, like, you know, it's got to be, it's got to be legitimate without being jokey.
You know, and without, without being.
inappropriate.
You know, you want to feel like you're somewhere else, ideally.
And then, um, the, you know, the music helps a lot.
You want to like, again, not feel like you're just anywhere else.
And then a good cocktail, like a good rum cocktail where you're like, you know, I needed this and I need another one and I'm going to have to stop right there.
foundation
foundation bar, but foundation in Milwaukee.
it.
Let us
Uh, National Ampluence Christmas Vacation.
It's not a good movie.
I saw it in the theater.
I saw the theaters when it came out.
Yeah.
And even then, I was like, I guess that was okay.
You know, we talked about the five or six laps that it has.
Yeah.
Uh, obviously, uh, cousin Eddie with the, the septic tank situation or whatever.
Yeah.
That's, that's hilarious.
And then, um, my, I think my favorite part is he's actually, he's talking to Clark and there's a little windmill.
on a table and he touches it and it breaks to me that's the best part of the movie you know and then they what they they they torment their neighbors who are just minding their own business uh all his in-laws are horrible people they're dreadful yeah they're a little harsh they kill a cat um you know like the whole the saucer slide scene
Oh, and now he's under a truck.
It's like, okay.
And then one of the things, you know, so I'm willing to accept the Griswolds and their universe or whatever, but then they have Brian Doyle Murray as his boss, but I'm like, wait, he was the guy running the cabins in the first vacation.
I can't do that.
I can't.
fun.
We got to do a really short break this time and we'll finish our discussion about Christmas vacation.
He doesn't like it folks.
Let him hear it on the text line.
I don't totally disagree with him, but we'll get into that after this very short break.
It's Pete Schwabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio Network.
back.
Yeah.
Well, they were doing like a road show with it.
nice.
Yeah.
There's a there's a good endorsement.
Great movies.
That's fantastic.
All right.
We were talking about Christmas vacation Boris and we both kind of agreed.
Here's why I like it.
I'll just play devil's advocate.
I like the memories I have watching it with like my cousins or my friends or whatever.
And we were still was 1989 when it came out.
I was still like in the Chevy Chase fan club, so to speak.
And
And I like the house.
I like how they're getting ready for Christmas.
And it seems like, even though it was on the WB lot, I think, it was the same.
Yeah.
It was the same as the lethal weapon house, actually, I believe.
Okay.
And so, you know, I guess for those reasons, and it's familiar, I like it, but I do agree with you.
It's not a great movie.
It's not.
And, you know, maybe it's paid for or whatever, because they can run it 17 times a day during the holidays.
But it just, you know, it just gets meaner each time.
Yeah.
And
I mean, some of the other jokes, you know, I don't know, Clark Clark just isn't a good dad.
I would I would put Vegas vacation ahead of Christmas vacation.
Okay.
Yeah.
The original is fantastic.
Yep.
And then by the time you get to John Candy, you're like,
I'm not tired
Exactly.
The European vacation I can do without.
not.
I don't know what that is.
uh, okay, I can do that.
I played well,
know, it holds up about as well as Jimmy J's did.
But Conrad's favorite part.
Great
Thank you, Pete.
Miss you too and have a great night.
Low 20s tonight, so be careful.
He's rubbing in.
That's a parting shot.
All right, thank you, buddy.
Have a great night, Boris.
Thanks so much.
You too.
All right, so, you know, he's got a point.
I mean, I watch it, and I'll say Home Alone's not a great movie either.
It's a good movie for what it is, but Home Alone kicks ass in the last like 20 minutes.
when it's him against the bandits.
Yeah, that's true.
Maybe get yourself a nice lamp, John.
Think about it.
That's all I'm saying.
He says, not even the L's dare to try.
Plus, I guess their union would make it okay.
We read Lee's text.
Thank you, Lee.
Steady Eddie from the 608 says, Pete and Conrad, here's a Christmas gift that is hard to rapidly wrap, wrap, wrap.
With a little spelling play on the word wrap there.
Well done, Eddie.
He says, my name is Steady Eddie and I'm here to say I'm wrapping my Christmas rhyme as I watch the snowflakes play.
I'm just chilling and it's so.
It's oh so fulfilling to hear the bells chime ding dong ding wrangling.
Hey, hey, hey It will soon be Christmas Day Rapidly wrap wrap wrap wrap wrap now I'm wrapping up this Christmas rhyme in double time My name is steady Eddie and I'm here to say I love old st.
Nick on Christmas Day Steady Eddie that is gorgeous.
Thank you, sir.
Well done boy.
I love the The care he put into that's
like
Toys when they make the toys I'm running.
I'm at the Fred Willard part of This is spinal tab according to Boris.
I'm running out of running out of steam.
Thank you folks for being here tonight.
Thank you to Mike Gamal Comedy City Erica and Scott great to have them here.
Thank you Boris Hamilton And thank you for all your texts and calls folks always so much more fun when you guys are part of the show We're gonna be back again tomorrow night Christmas creeps ever closer
Be safe out there, folks, and enjoy this holiday season.
On behalf of the lovable producer Conrad, I'm Pete Schwabba saying goodnight,
Wisconsin.
Civic Media is dedicated to providing quality local and state news coverage across Wisconsin.
With the Civic Media app, you can get notifications about local stories that matter to you and your community.
Find the free Civic Media app in your phone's app store and choose notifications from the menu to tell us what kind of news you want to hear about.