There’s something about stand-up comic Clayton Williams that I’ve liked from the second I saw him hosting at Mr. Goodbar some two years ago for their ‘Uncle Jerry’s Comedy Showcase’. He’s got a comedic style and a completely off-the-wall delivery that I’ve never seen around here. I couldn’t wait to get him on the show and I knew he was going to be great, but I had no idea how great. By contrast, Co Host Becca Barnum has been on my radar for one reason or another for the last year. When I had someone in film on the show, she just so happened to be in some of the movies, when I had someone with a cosplay background, she just so happened to be in the same cosplay groups, and so on, and so on.
The dynamic was so magical and the conversation was so fluid while we were filming that I barely scratched the surface on my questions, and that’s okay. We kept on talking after the show and they both got an invite back at a later date and time. Oh yeah, here’s the show:
Thanks to Clayton and Becca for doing such a great job and thanks as always to Producer Richard Wicka. We wound up with what I’m sure will go down as one of my favorite show memories, but there’s still a lot more to be made.
I tell every guest about the idea behind having a Bonus clip to complement each episode of the show. Some bring one, some have a great idea that we do in or outside the studio, sometimes things just fall through or people run out of time. I asked producer Richard Wicka what he thought of rolling the camera during the post-show photo session and he thought it was a great idea, very “Cinema Verite” (sp?). In the 3 years that I’ve been doing the show, this was the most fruitful photo session we’ve done to date. Clayton and co-host Becca Barnum were camera gold, and they came alive during the show as well as before and after it. If you Instagram, you can see ALL of the photos in the next few days @tomfoolery444. I’ve been trying to get away from just dumping all of the outtakes in one payload. Or you can ‘Like’ @bigwordsvideo on FB and see all of the photos there. Here are the results of the live video feed from the session:
A big thanks to Clayton Williams and Becca Barnum for their enthusiasm, their comedy and the terrific dynamic in the studio. You’ll see them again soon, but I’m not telling you when. Here’s the part where I beseech you to SUBSCRIBE to the Channel on YouTube for notifications on new episodes, ALL of the bonus clips and extra incentives that I’m not going to spell out at this juncture.
…which is a legal term for ‘on the face of it.’ I thought it was a good fit for a title because a) Guest Michael Bly is a litigation attorney in addition to being a musician and b) There’s a lot more to him than his party-loving rockstar facade. This was an episode that was originally scheduled back in November of 2014, but Mike had to cancel at the last minute due to traffic coming home from a Bills game in Michigan or something like that.
I’ve known Michael Bly since somewhere around 2005. Recollection is hazy because I drank quite a bit back then, but I’m pretty sure longtime pal Gregg Sansone introduced me to him at The Hidden Shamrock (now shuttered) in Depew during a Night Life magazine assignment. We just keep bumping into each other. Mike was kind enough to do 2 hours of the Big Words Radio podcast back in its’ heyday and even circled back for the Big Words Radio Finale Roast that was supposed to be a joke but actually came true. For those of you who want to hear the podcasts, you can click the link to the right on the page here or just search it on the Internet Archive. Not sure if this is too much backstory, but again, I’m trying to do a bit more than just ‘Here’s the episode, please watch it.’ He’s a charming person, a talented musician and yes, he’s a really, really nice guy. I met Co Host Jason Garra during a Buffalo News review assignment at Woody’s Pub in Lackawanna when he was with band-in-residence Helicopter Pilot. It made for a cozy, hopefully entertaining show:
Thanks to Bly, Garra and producer Richard Wicka for another enjoyable outing. Now that I’m don’t hit the bars anymore, it’s good to find an excuse to catch up with old friends who are still on the circuit. For the love of God and all that’s holy, SUBSCRIBE for new shows, bonus clips and additional unlockable content! Comedian Clayton Williams will be joining me at month’s end along with actress/comedienne/cosplayer Becca Barnum. Don’t adjust your laptops, monitors and tablets!
I’m always at a loss for how to present the #BigWordsVideo Bonus clips here above and beyond ‘Here’s the clips. Click here.’ This time, I’ll share a little story behind the clips. Unfortunately, Michael Bly’s favorite guitar was stolen a few weeks ago, so he brought a new-ish guitar (make and model already forgotten) to the studio with him. We were unsure if his acoustic would even work if we plugged it into producer Richard Wicka’s sound board, so we improvised by placing one of the headsets in front of the guitar and Mike kept his headset on his head. The sound came out incredibly well, but if you watch the videos, you’ll see a foam microphone sticking up from the bottom left corner of the screen. It all worked out in the end. Hence we have Big Words Video 32.1 with a very entertaining rendition of Maroon 5’s ‘This Love’ (from their Songs About Jane album over a decade ago) and Big Words Video 32.2 wherein Michael performs his original song ‘Buffalo’ from his second album, Stay True.
I’m always amazed when we have a musician in the studio and they bring their A game under less-than-ideal conditions, so thank you to Michael for that. We’ve been friends for a very, very, very long time, and I have to say that his vocals and his guitar-playing have improved by leaps and bounds from our days back at the Hidden Shamrock in the stone ages. Thanks as always to Richard Wicka and to Jason Garra for bringing his A game in the Co Host Hot Seat.
And please, pretty please, SUBSCRIBE to the CHANNEL for updates on new shows, more bonus content and other miscellany!
#BigWordsVideo is doubling up for December, so I’ll see you in less than 3 weeks!
big words i know by heart 
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