Enjoy Our Appearance!

The blog has a new design thanks to the time and talent of Listener Greg. Greg is a former studio audience member who talked to Andy about his band Lungs of a Giant (MySpace), and he is also the designer behind WFMU's Free Music Sampler. He says that if he were a woodland creature, he'd be a black bear.

You can learn more about Listener Greg and and his work on his website, Greg Harrison Dot Com.

Seven Second Delay Minus Two Plus Two

July 30, 2008: Clay Pigeon & Grandma Phyllis Fill in for Seven Second Delay

[This show is available from the Dusty Show archives.]

Above: Clay Pigeon interviews brunette and sailors. Grandma Phyllis not pictured.

This sort-of-fill-in/sort-of-not episode of Seven Second Delay traded out Andy and Ken for Clay Pigeon and last week's Grandma Phyllis, with Andrea (and Ken, apparently) just kind of chilling in the background. If you enjoyed Grandma Phyllis last week, well, this show is like coming home. Clay, the director of the Grandma Phyllis Oral History Project, with some help from the listeners, engages Phyllis on discussions of New York, retirement and family. And whether WFMU is AM or FM radio. No way to settle that.

Let me tell you, if I was still in college, this show would be the best thing ever if I had to write a paper on Grandma Phyllis. Her wit and wisdom will be preserved for all time until the archive server crashes.

I can't wait until that one new caller tunes in next Wednesday. Get me a liveblog on that. Stat.

This is Grandma Phyllis! Who are yew?!

July 23, 2008: This is Grandma Phyllis

Last night, Grandma called me over because she was having trouble with her printer. I asked her what she was trying to print, assuming that it was her usual airplane or theater tickets. And, what do I see up on her screen? Last week's live playlist! She loved all of your comments so much, she wanted to take them off her computer and have them for keeps. "Is that terribly vain?" she asked. Absolutely not, I told her. Absolutely not.

The night of the show, I wanted to remember every little detail, so I brought along my recording gear with plans to make this multi-media blog post. On the PATH train from Manhattan to Jersey City, I asked permission to begin the interview.


As we approached the Exchange Place station, I tried to tell her a bit about WFMU.


When we got the radio station, Grandma Phyllis hit both the buzzer and the elevator button. She wasn't nervous at all.


After the show, Andy and I chatted in the stairwell about the show.


In our Town Car ride home to the Upper East Side (so kindly called and paid for by Andy!), Grandma Phyllis opened up with me about the experience of being on the show.


Thank you all so much for your enthusiastic response to last week's show. As we said last week, Grandma Phyllis is in fact returning this Wednesday, July 30th to do it all over again. She will be be joined by someone... (maybe Clay Pigeon!). Be sure to call-in and comment away. It delights her so.

Brought to You by Our Live Studio Audience

Brace yourself. There are now photos online of the live studio audience from the Andy versus the Listener Chorus episode from July 16, 2008.

One of our guests, Listener Max, has created a little photo slideshow for us. You should check it out, and be sure to thank Max in your comments below. She even incorporated the show's theme music!

Click here for more photos by -max-

EDIT: And check out these photos by Call Screener Jeff.

Meet My Grandma Phyllis this Wednesday!

Andy vs. Grandma Phyllis
Round One: The Crossword Puzzle

Join us for yet another live broadcast of Seven Second Delay, and you'll even get the chance to meet my grandmother Phyllis. Call Screener Jeff and I will bet there to help you find your seats, and to entertain you with small talk on Andy's behalf.

WHERE: WFMU Studios in Jersey City, NJ
WHEN: Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 5:45-7pm
RSVP: To reserve your seat, e-mail me as soon as possible, or RSVP on Facebook.

Why Are We Broadcasting At All

July 16, 2008: Andy versus the Listener Chorus

Why are they broadcasting at all? Yeah, who knows. I'm glad they are though, since Seven Second Delay still has the capacity to be surprising. And the capacity to be good. Which can be kind of a surprise in itself.

This week's show was about reversals. Andy played the tragic, put-upon hero, surrounded by antagonists while he tries to do a standard call-in show. Ken, operating from behind the Greek chorus of the studio audience, made the most out of a potentially disastrous conceit by willfully being a jerk and not even pretending to be on Andy's side. Calls come from inside the house. Callers say "thanks for calling." And in Andrea, we have someone actually making money on Seven Second Delay.

The whole studio audience concept has completely reenergized the show, I think. The reason why they're still broadcasting at all is because every couple of years an idea like that comes around.

Still waiting on a grand total for Andy's soaking. 25 people in the studio, how many calls, how many playlist comments? It's offensive if I say it but we need a certain type of person to do that math.

Next week: The Great Crossword-Solving Competition, featuring Andrea's grandmother Phyllis. Phyllis lives on the Upper East Side, which, Seven Second Delay historians will remember, was where a certain young boy was overheard saying something particularly charming.

Live Studio Audience Tonight!

So I've done my darnedest this week to woo all sorts of cool kids to what Tom Sharpling is calling "Ken and Andy's geriatric cuddle party" tonight.

Here are the rules for tonight's show:

$4.23 for each member of the studio audience
$7.00 for Grandmothers
$0.10 per phone call
$0.05 per comment made to the show's interactive playlist

Don't forget: Andy makes a very handsome living. Call screener Jeff is paying off student loans and I still live with my Grandmother!

Hope you can all get involved tonight. Can't wait to see your pretty faces in the studio audience, hear your honey rich voices on the phone lines, and spot your zingers as they fly across the live playlist.

Join the BIGGEST Studio Audience Ever!

You're invited!

WHO: Listeners, strangers, whatever
WHERE: WFMU Studios in Jersey City, NJ
WHEN: Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 from 5:45-7pm
RSVP: To reserve your seat, e-mail ANGE

Feel free to bring every friend or family member you have. Grandparents encouraged!

ALSO, PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU...
Work at a Senior Center/Home near Jersey City
Teach or work in a daycare near Jersey City
Are willing to put up posters where you live/work
Are willing to stand outside of the station during next week's show with a sign that says, "Free Show until 7pm! Come on in!"
Have something free I can offer attendees
Write for a blog/local publication

I want to give Andy the gift of the greatest audience he's ever had-- so, thanks for your help, and hope to see you next week!

Our Critical Mass of Comedy! (That's MASS with an A...)

July 9, 2008: Topic by Jury


7SD before a live audience, the second attempt!

And it got better, no hostile air from any isolated incidents with WFMU DJ's, the scattered chuckles hit a better frequency, and Andy's will to live stayed progressive. (Listen to this and compare Andy's energy level with a 7SD from 1993-4; Check the archives from this past year.)

The one factor I took note from this new experiment: longer foreplay from meeting the audience. At first my itunes-fed response was "GET ON WITH IT!" (Not the first time...), but it's actually works in our favor:

A. Less time for the topic to hit a wall, create a lull, or affect Andy's will. (Remember, Andy needs the pressure.)

B. Studio audience were much more interesting than rest of show: included were Rachel (returnee who recalled paying Andy for facetime), Max (he stole the show at the 7SD House Party), Greg, Erin and Chris (from a band Andy claims to enjoy live, their website), longtime listener Joe (whose Youtube channel earned my highest regard), Listeners Josh and Emma (ask Laurie from Miami about them) and librarian Jacqueline (reminder: you don't need an internet reference to join the audience.)

Twenty-eight minutes into the game, time for a topic; A caller suggested it, calling strangers on payphones, the "jury" (those I mentioned above) gave it the go-ahead, and the race was on.

From there.... uhhh, lotta ringing, lotta busy signals, some who picked up the receiver fell victim to the dump button. But it didn't matter; zingers were flung, the audience laughed, everyone was happy. Now THIS should be called the Happiness Hut!

HEY, LONG STORY! I called in to throw in an idea, but Miami Laurie beat me to it with that one-two punch (she gives good radio.) Yet I stuck around on the line (why I don't know) and continued listening. Turned out it was worth it because I caught the first payphone guy's profanity sans Ken's dump (the initials were D-S, a word I haven't heard in a while). Then it wasn't worth it because Ken put me on the air with a few of my awkward mutterings.

Hey, and hat's off to Ange, huh? She really manned up to Andy with the "stipend" negotiation. The world of radio is really toughening up this innocent young lady. Quick with the zingers she was as well, if I do say so. Watch out Mr. Metro-Diary Pollack; it could be the start of "What Makes Ange Run!"

And for those of you who can make it to Jersey City next Wednesday 6-7pm, it looks like an early round of "Soak Andy." Remember, every warm body who sits in on the next 7SD installment means $4.23 outta Breckman's pocket towards the Ange/Call-Screener-Jeff Survival Fund. So call your cousins, tell them you're busy that day, and come on down to WFMU HQ. It'll be the largest studio audience for 7SD/most blatant disregard for the building's fire codes (Oh, wait! Is Glen Jones still on the air?)/ most-visually-appetizing blood-letting of Mr. Handsome Living!!!!!

See details on Ange's post above.

Oh, and in case you missed it:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/21484/funny-white-guys-andy-breckman

Studio Audience

July 2, 2008: Dissing the Summer Schedule

Today's show, recorded in front of a live studio audience, was an All Star Reunion Show with special appearances by ever-popular Andrea, once-shackled Julie, re-instated Irwin, marathon-champ Tom Sharpling, badly-connected Beth and more.

During foreplay, Ken, Andy and Andrea met the studio audience.
Andy was being very nice. So nice, he reminded Ken , the audience and himself several times. Andy was being very nice.

Then, the show's concept came into play. Andy called up WFMU DJ's to prod them into complaining about the schedule and, by proxy, Ken's recent return as Program Director.

I predict that in the vein of the shows that came to be known as "Andy Makes An Old Lady Cry", "Andy Kicks A Kid Out of the Band", and "Andy Doesn't Recognize His Wife," this show will become the infamous "Andy Gets Hung Up On By A WFMU DJ."

As Andy recovers from hurting Bob Brainen's feelings, Ken steps valiantly up to the plate and churns out the zingers.

Remember to email Ange if you want to be a part of the studio audience. If someone else invites you, the current going rate is $20 and two cocktails.