The Wrong Show is an independent and alternative comedy night in Leeds. This is our blog. Here you will find comedy reviews, features, and interviews. We were formally known as HOWL. First Wednesday of the Month, The Fenton, Leeds.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
The Dana Gould Hour: An Appreciation
By Michael Sterrett
During the Comedians of Comedy Live concert film no less than Patton Oswalt introduces Dana Gould as ‘the man who pretty much invented what we do’. High praise indeed. Gould has been working as a standup since the 1980s when he started performing in the clubs of his native Boston before moving to San Francisco. He is one of those great figures in modern American comedy who is perhaps not a household name, yet commands considerable respect from his peers and fans of the art.
Viewers of Seinfeld will remember him as ‘The Summer George’ and astute comedy nerds might know his work as a writer on The Simpsons. I’m delighted to say that Gould has had somewhat of a stand up renaissance since quitting his Simpsons job, releasing the fantastic Let Me Put My Thoughts In You and appearing on shows like Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel. But perhaps greatest of all was when Gould threw his hat into the pod casting ring this year with The Dana Gould Hour.
You know when you have a friend that is a really good cook and they invite you over for dinner? You just know it’s going to be a slap up feed and you look forward to it all week? That’s how I felt when I heard Dana Gould was starting a podcast and my expectations were exceeded beautifully. The Dana Gould Hour is a gorgeously presented hour long show that includes discussions and anecdotes from Gould himself and a host of brilliant minds like Eddie Pepitone, Jon Ennis and Blaine Capatch. There are also interludes where he explores topics as diverse and fascinating as the Manson murders, Murray Wilson, The Church of Satan, the Kennedy assassination, KISS, and Lon Chaney Junior’s portrayal of The Wolfman. And that’s not to mention his obsession with The Planet of the Apes films (an obsession I share).
What differentiates The Dana Gould Hour from many other podcasts is that it feels like a lot of love has been put into it. The editing is crisp and clear, every episode dealing with a particular theme from ‘the carny’ to conspiracy theories. The fact that Gould has been an industry player in Los Angeles for so long also lends a sense of peeking behind the showbiz curtain for a rubber necking rube like me.
There are many podcasts available to assail your ears with but The Dana Gould Hour is definitely a cut above and a worthy addition to your MP3 player every month.
Check it out the The Dana Gould Hour here.
