Thrilling Adventure Hour "A Halloween Beyond Belief"
I start a new job in almost exactly two weeks. As soon as my first paycheck hits my pocket I'm going to find a way to donate or send a gift to Paul F Tompkins for providing me with more top-shelf comedy than anyone has in a long time. As if his appearances on Comedy Bang Bang (last week as "the ghost of Richard Harrow"), Doug Loves Movies (last week as "Werner Herzog") and other shows weren't enough, his work with Paget Brewster on the Thrilling Adventure Hour is arguably the best comedic duo out there today not named Key and Peele. But as K&P aren't on a podcast and this is the weekly comedy podcast highlight. let's get on with Beyond Belief.
Last week we were treated to a twofer of Beyond Belief episodes because of Halloween. One, "Ladies and Skeleton," was explicitly Halloween-themed and the other, "Son of Beyond Belief," was a sort of bonus episode. Both were everything you want from an outing with the Doyles: witty, saucy and booze-filled. It was also great to hear from Superego's Matt Gourley as [spoiler?] Pinocchio.
Old Crow Medicine Show @ Forecastle
Last time I saw Old Crow Medicine Show was in 2006 at the Tall Stacks festival in Cincinnati. It was so long ago that I wasn't even sure that I saw them there. I thought maybe I was misremembering seeing the Avett Brothers or something. So in a way, thanks to my shaky memory and no photographs, this was a lot like seeing Old Crow Medicine Show for the first time.
I remembered OCMS being good live, but this was way beyond my recollection. Everyone in this big band was an ace at their instrument and working the crowd. They trade off vocal duties, really sharing the burden of entertainment almost equally among all members. It's crazy to think that these guys have been a popular touring band for this long and can still put on a show that feels like you're at the best backyard bluegrass event ever. They didn't play any songs I knew while I was there, but I was actually glad for that. I'm sick to death of "Wagon Wheel" and was appreciative to hear them with fresh ears.