Carnival Personnel

CPP Sideshow 134 - Formal Edition 30th Anniversary

This is a very special episode of Carnival Personnel, but don't worry: you won't learn an important life lesson, or fight drug pushers by just saying "no," or even fend off your handsy neighborhood bicycle shop owner. This episode celebrates the 30th anniversary of FORMAL EDITION!

What the heck is that, you ask? Why, it was only the premier source of public access television sketch comedy from Lexington, Mass. in the years 1994 and 1995 -- THAT'S ALL!

Join Jacques and Joe with their guests and former Formal co-hosts Steve and Jim as they honor... well, themselves! They take a fond and hilarious look back at all of the comedy gold they mined in that little TV studio some 30 years ago. Listen to them laugh at VHS recordings of their own material like four middle-aged cis white male Norma Desmonds. You'll laugh, too--whether it's at them or with them, it all feels the same: FUNNY! Remember the '90s and enjoy!

CPP ep 254 - Barber Shop Comedy Is The Best

Jacques is in LA for two weeks mostly doing (what he calls” comedy.  His goal is 30 open mics in 15 days and come home with 7 new(ish) minutes of yuks.  His travels on Wednesday took him to a barber shop in Inglewood CA … could have been Tom Hanks on SNL Black Jeopardy but ended up … getting invited back!

Joe chats his goldmine of TV show box sets  (LOTS of 70s, 80s some 90s) he’s acquired and the joyful painstaking process of putting it all onto his Plex.  A true investment in our happiness.

Biff between bleeding for the cause … the cause in this case … the annual – FNH / John Taylor Fertilizer Hockey Franchise LLC’s yearly party at his house.  As always, the food and hospitality was beyond expectation … and YES, he bleed for the cause nearly cutting part of his finger off in food prep … should he have gone to ER … who knows but he hockey player-ed it thru and the rest of us, can’t say thanks enough.

Jacques on IG/FB: Carnivalpersonnelpodcast – TiKTok: JacquesFunny

                 Twitter is @CarnivalPodcast @TheJacques4

Biff on Twitter is @BiffPlaysHockey

Joe on Twitter is: @Optigrabber

 

Opening Song: Gomer by Dan Cray and Beyond Id (Beyond Id The Stovin’ Years on Spotify)

Closing Song: I-Rock by Fivehead

CPP Sideshow 133 - Doris Ballard - America's Sweetheart Comedian

Comedian, Actress and soon to be Author, the delightful Doris Ballard is out guest this week.

A life-long love of theater has had Doris on stage for years.  Always active in local politics and local television – Doris’ standing in the Concord NH community really was a road block to pursuing the type of comedy she’s meant to tell … and it’s NOT for the pearl clutching faint of heart!

This rapping grandma exemplifies the “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” when you see the host hand her the mic on stage.  Nothing is off limits and no one is safe … ESPECIALLY that absolutely delightful Norm Ballard … Doris husband, uber driver, sounding board and her personal piñata (as Norm really sometimes takes a beating!)  Look up the term “good sport” and there you’ll find a picture of Norm.

Jacques has been lucky enough to be on line ups all over New England (Maine at Jim McCue shows at Smitty’s Cinema’s – In New Hampshire at Dave Rattigan’s shows At Murphy’s Tap Room and in Lowell MA at Greg Boggis Mondo Comedy Luna Theater Shows) don’t worry Vermont, you’re on our list!

Follow Doris across the socials and GO SEE HER SHOWS … truly, Joe’s right, Kendrick LaMar be doing himself a favor by jumping onto one of Doris’ show closing raps!

Follow / Contact Doris:  DorisBallard@Comcast.net                                                   Facebook: Doris Ballard and Doris Ballard Comedy

Jacques on IG/FB: Carnivalpersonnelpodcast – TiKTok: JacquesFunny

                 Twitter is @CarnivalPodcast @TheJacques4

Biff on Twitter is @BiffPlaysHockey

Joe on Twitter is: @Optigrabber

 

Opening Song: WKRP Parody by Joe and Youtuber: Chipboy

Closing Song: Recess by Beyond Id (find at Spotify on The Stovin’ Years)

CCP 253 - Times Square Taco Bell At 2am

Where can you go to hear Olympic talk from three guys who haven’t watched ANY of the Olympics but HAVE seen a few memes … BUT did spend the night before recording binge watching 3 Battle Of The Network Stars … right here baby!

Where can you go to hear a breakdown of the WRONGFULLY (universally panned) UPN’s 1998 The secret Diary Of Desmond Pfeiffer … (OTHER than the Forgotten TV and Tele-Hell Podcast … Right here baby!

Biff had Joe and Jacques do a blind ranking game of talk show host … there will be more of this stuff moving forward … lots of fun.

Jacques chats car camping at the Judy Blume NJ rest stop on the way to 6 Flags after letting his 14-year-old and his best pal check out Time Square at 2am on a Wednesday night (Did you know the Taco Bell in Times Square has hard booze?)

Jacques on IG/FB: Carnivalpersonnelpodcast – TiKTok: JacquesFunny

                 Twitter is @CarnivalPodcast @TheJacques4

Biff on Twitter is @BiffPlaysHockey

Joe on Twitter is: @Optigrabber

 

Opening Song: Gomer By Beyond Id (find on The Stovin’ Years by Beyond Id on Spotify)

Closing Song: Where U Been by Dan Cray (DanCray.net and on Spotify)

CPP Sideshow 132 - Tyler Morrison Says Horrible Stuff REALLY Funny

Joe and Jacques meet Tyler Morrison back in April when he was in town for the Boston Comedy Festival,  Tyler was at the BCF in his role as owner/producer of the comedy label Standing 8 Comedy (taping the two nights of semi-finals) and to record HIS podcast (Fight Stories) in front of a live Boston / BCF audience.

Tyler himself is a national touring comedian as well as creator of HIS yearly comedy festival (on year 15) – Cottage Comedy Festival.

Tyler has a bunch of amazing special up on his @TylerMorrison @Youtube channel

Buckle up and wear a helmet cause Tyler’s comedy hits hard!

Tyler’s Fight Stories co-host is another great headliner comedian (based in NJ by way of Toronto) John Moses.

This really was a fun chat and Jacques is gonna try to drag Joe up to the great white north too hopefully do shows with Tyler this fall!

Follow Tyler across his socials like – IG is TylerMorrison123 and check out his websites for tour dates TylerMorrison.ca

Jacques on IG/FB: Carnivalpersonnelpodcast – TiKTok: JacquesFunny

                 Twitter is @CarnivalPodcast @TheJacques4

Biff on Twitter is @BiffPlaysHockey

Joe on Twitter is: @Optigrabber

 

Opening Song: Welcome Back Kotter Parody (By Joe and YouTuber: Chipboy)

Closing Song: Sober by Beyond Id (off Stovin’ Time on Spotify)

Thanks to Tyler for letting use us clips from his special: Running Rampant

CPP Ep. 252 - Bye Bob

I don’t think we ever had REAL breaking news while recording an episode … but news broke (sadly) Biden is stepping aside … and we talk about … The passing of the GREAT Bob Newhart.

Joe chats the new NES Champions DELUX he picks up this week and the history of “The Golden” cartilage!

Chat more dead New England comedy summer shows and the few bright spots along the way.

Jacques chats his sons sad trip to St. Louis (and taking them 3 days to get home cause Delta Airlines SUCKS)

Little Godzilla Minus One talk with Biff and well … that’s mostly it.

Jacques on IG/FB: Carnivalpersonnelpodcast – TiKTok: JacquesFunny

                 Twitter is @CarnivalPodcast @TheJacques4

Biff on Twitter is @BiffPlaysHockey

Joe on Twitter is: @Optigrabber

 

Opening Song: Beyond Id “Gomer” (off The Stovin’ Years on Spotify)

Closing Song: Reunion Café by Dan Cray (of Wetbrian album on Spotify and DanCray.Net)

CPP Sideshow 131 - Mark Riley - Comedian and Chirping Zebra

Career hockey referee turn headline comedian (turn podcaster) – Mark Riley was our guest this week.

It was just Jacques and Mark, so it’s not that the chat went off the rails … there were no railed to keep them on tract to start.

Mark has one of the most interesting paths to the mic of any comedian quest we’ve had.

Mark’s podcast Chirping Zebra is a must subscribe to if you're a hockey person … who also likes to laugh a lot.

 

MarkRileyComedy and Chripingzebras on IG                                                                     on Facebook - MarkRiley  And FrankieChrips is also a fun follow on IG

Jacques on IG/FB: Carnivalpersonnelpodcast – TiKTok: JacquesFunny

                 Twitter is @CarnivalPodcast @TheJacques4

Biff on Twitter is @BiffPlaysHockey

Joe on Twitter is: @Optigrabber

 

Opening Song: WKRP Parody by Joe and Youtuber: Chipboy

Closing Song: Laid by Beyond Id off The Stovin’ Years (on Spotify)

CPP EP 251 - Jacques Performed At Mecca - Nick's Comedy Stop

1986 Jacques went to Nick’s Comedy Stop with a buddy from his hockey team … a short 38 years later – He (with Joe there to make it a great night) did a set on the stage the truly launched hundreds of comedy careers. Thank you Mr. Mike Koutrobis! On the other side of the comedy coin, Jacques chats the epidemic of dead shows in the summer and looking forward to LA trip and working with Danta and Sally. When Joe hears “bike shop” he goes to a happy place (Pee Wee’s Big Adv) … Jacques goes to Bike Shop from Different Strokes.  W – Joe. July 11th – the one and ONLY chance for a judge to sentence POS Trump (but we’re not holding our breath) – and credit where credit is do, once again the DEM Party masterfully demonstrating their skills of the circular firing squad NOW, with 3 months to go, saying Biden shouldn’t run.  GOP – Evil, DEMS – Morons. Some football (soccer) talk, some tv talk, parenting tips … and live song (crappy quality) from Jacques’ band Beyond Id playing The Rat in 1993. Jacques on IG/FB: Carnivalpersonnelpodcast – TiKTok: JacquesFunny                  Twitter is @CarnivalPodcast @TheJacques4 Biff on Twitter is @BiffPlaysHockey Joe on Twitter is: @Optigrabber   Opening Song: Beyond Id “Gomer” (off The Stovin’ Years on Spotify) Closing Song: Beyond Id – Live At The Rat in Boston 1993

 

 

CPP Sideshow 130 - Comedian Liam Hales

Working comedian Liam Hales was our super fun guest this week.  Liam can be seen somewhere in New England every weekend hosting or featuring. Most Saturday’s Liam is at McCue’s Comedy Club in Portsmouth – Also a regular at Smitty’s Cinema’s (in Maine & NH) as well as City Winery in Boston to name a few places.  He is also an integral part of the Boston Comedy Festival production team. After time in a college improv troop, Liam spend a few years in Los Angeles working the comedy scene (where he cross paths with our great friend of ours Sally Mullin’s - Sleazy Does It On Amazon Prime) Liam’s material is very open, personal and relatable. He’s liked by and he cracks up all the big name comics (like Tony V) he works with and also goes out of his way to help the new comics (like Jacques) get stage time (as a comic and a host0 and is always so encouraging and supportive.  Between his kindness and being 6-6 and build like a lot 70s Buick station wagon, Liam exemplifies the term gentle giant … but I still wouldn’t want to heckle him. Also, a big thank you to Liam for letting us use clips from his awesome comedy album: Please Forgive Me (available on Apple Music and other places … and there are some fun clips on YouTube as well). Always posting fun clips from shows, Liam is a great follow at:                             LiamHalesNH and McCuesComedyPortsmouth on IG Jacques on IG/FB: Carnivalpersonnelpodcast – TiKTok: JacquesFunny                  Twitter is @CarnivalPodcast @TheJacques4 Biff on Twitter is @BiffPlaysHockey Joe on Twitter is: @Optigrabber   Opening Song: Joe’s acapella of The Sugerhill Games “Rappers Delight”  Closing Song: Building A Wall by Dan Cray and Beyond Id (Check out video Dan made for song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZnlObttN-I)

CPP EP 250 - Stunt Biff Has Left The Building!

Biff and Jacques fly solo this week – chatting Jacques recent comedy adventures: Opening and hosting for ex NHL ref Mark Riley and another show with Steve Bjork where after, Jacques Mom let’s Steve know he is very funny and should stick with this comedy thing.

The only thing worse then everything in your house breaking at once is a repair person who tries bullying your wife into writing a better review as you catch him in the act of trying to mark up a part 600%.

Jacques has a St. Louis trip and a few weeks coming up then a few weeks in LA – doing comedy, yes.  Play hockey … we’ll see.

Very little talk about the (hopefully but unlikely) jail time in Spray Tan Comb Overs July 11^th sentencing … but then onto Stanly Cup and Celtics championship yapping.

Jacques on IG/FB: Carnivalpersonnelpodcast – TiKTok: JacquesFunny

                 Twitter is @CarnivalPodcast @TheJacques4

Biff on Twitter is @BiffPlaysHockey

Joe on Twitter is: @Optigrabber

 

Opening Song: Gomer (by Beyond Id off album Stovin’ Years On Spotify)

 

Closing Song: Dan Cray “Quieter Now” Off album Best Ever (Dancray.net/Spotify)