Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Dahlia Kurtz: Toronto Mike'd #373

Episode Date: September 4, 2018

Mike chats with Dahlia Kurtz about her career on the radio, writing a syndicated column, playing professional table tennis and her father's landmark lawsuit. Oh yeah, and she also kicks out the jams....

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to episode 373 of Toronto Mike's, a weekly podcast about anything and everything. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, a fiercely independent craft brewery located here in Etobicoke. Did you know that 99% of all Great Lakes beer remains here in Ontario? GLB, brewed for you, Ontario. And propertyinthesix.com. Toronto real estate done right. And Paytm, an app designed to manage all of your bills in one spot. Download the app today from paytm.ca.
Starting point is 00:01:01 And Census Design and Build. from paytm.ca and census design and build providing architectural design interior design and turnkey construction services across the gta i'm mike from toronto mike.com and joining me this week is broadcaster dahlia kurtz i feel like I should come running out or something, but I'm already sitting down. Is it too, like, a boxy match? Is it too much, like, Michael Buffer or something? I wish, right? He makes a lot of money doing that. But it's not too much, right?
Starting point is 00:01:37 Look at me. Do you think I know what too much is? Are you referring to your hair? Perhaps. Are you referring to my hair? That's right. You have great Perhaps. Are you referring to my hair? That's right. You have great hair. Thank you very much.
Starting point is 00:01:49 My daughter, my oldest daughter, has what I would call similar hair, I think. It's got body to it. I like how whenever you're describing my hair, your hands are like five feet apart. We're going to take a picture afterwards so people can see the full effect. body is that what that that that's body that your hair has some people call it body some people call it a bit of an afro it's uh you know it's uh i'm i have a bit of a fromance with it and you have uh you're noticeable like i think that's like you don't people notice you right this is half the battle is to be noticed well i'm like half a person big i'm five feet tall so i need something to help me out i suppose i wasn't gonna mention that okay wait let's just tell let's just say
Starting point is 00:02:35 that i'm five foot six then nobody has to know well we're on radio and we i'll just yeah and then in the photo we'll just say i'm like'9 or something like that. That's why. Works out for both of us. Now my ceilings are low. I just thought I grew. But you didn't duck. You didn't duck when you came. I had to pat the hair down a bit. The hair hits.
Starting point is 00:02:56 That's all right. We should tell the good people so that we have met before. This is not our first encounter. How long ago was it that you visited? I visited you probably about 20 guests ago. What is that in dog's ears?
Starting point is 00:03:13 I'm trying to do the math on that. Now this is not how you say your name. Hold on here. This is not your name. You're not Delia, you're Dahlia. There's a big difference. Funny story though yeah I love stories so on air
Starting point is 00:03:32 of course I think I'm saying my name properly right Dahlia but someone called a listener called my program director
Starting point is 00:03:40 to say that I've been mispronouncing my name you've been mispronouncing your own name yeah so I I'd like to admonish my parents for that. That's not my fault. It's my parents' fault.
Starting point is 00:03:50 Say your name again. Dahlia. Because I'm saying Dahlia. It's not bad. It just depends what language you say my name in. Dahlia. See, it's a Hebrew name, so it's Dahlia. And then in French, because I'm from Montreal, so a lot of people will say Dahlia.
Starting point is 00:04:06 And then in English, Dahlia. As long as you don't say Delilah or Dahlia or Delia. Which is what we're listening to now. So this is Johnny Cash, Delia's Gone, which I dig, like it's for somebody else. It would have been better if it was Dahlia's Gone, quite honestly. Next time he says it. I had a guest recently named Nakia.
Starting point is 00:04:26 Hold on. Oh, the hair comes. Dahlia's Gone. Her name's Nakia, and I played Elton John's Nikita. And every time Elton said Nikita, I said Nakia. And I'm doing the same thing with you. This is the new thing I'm going to do. Just changing it a little bit.
Starting point is 00:04:45 That's perfect. Maybe listeners won't call in complaining that I'm mispronouncing my name. Maybe you could teach me. But who did they call into? Your program director? My boss. And did the boss just politely say thank you for the feedback? I'll pass it on?
Starting point is 00:04:59 I would imagine. Did your boss mention that the owner of the name decides how it's pronounced? I would imagine it's radio so he was rather accommodating you're i mean so much to discuss here but let's first uh tell people that you've been here you've been into the basement you didn't dock that time either didn't tuck that time either i thought i grew since then i guess not just just your hair's grown uh and when you were here i i should tell you there's been some improvements to the studio since you were last here even though you were only here i don't know month ago or something yeah about a month new toilet all right seriously i got to experience
Starting point is 00:05:33 that right before we went on air oh i wasn't gonna mention that either uh new toilet uh and some new paint job on the way down that yes i see this railing. There was no railing when you were here last time. It's a bright white railing. I like that. I'm actually regretting that it's painted white because... What? I'm regretting it because my bike is not here now because I have another ride later,
Starting point is 00:05:57 so my bike's in the backyard. But I take my bike down here and it lives down here. And the tires of my bike bump against the white painted walls and leave scuff marks you know what you can call it art that's i'm gonna call it art garfunkel absolutely uh so you were here because why did you visit me a month ago because i was here to turn the mic on you and let me say people are really interested in the story behind the guy who shares everybody else's stories. It was for Toronto Stories? TorontoStories.com.
Starting point is 00:06:32 I'm managing editor of that site. It tells the stories behind Toronto Stories, so to speak. And we were talking about you and how you've had all of it. It's just I am sitting in a chair. I can't imagine all of the people who have sat here before me. And they want to come on your show and share their stories regardless of the color of your railing that comes down the stairs. Correct. You're like only the third guest to get the railing. Every other guest had to risk their lives to come down here like only like the third guest to get the railing.
Starting point is 00:07:05 Every other guest had to risk their lives to come down here. Ron McLean didn't get the railing. George Strombolopoulos didn't get the railing. No, like those men could have tumbled to their death. You know, that's a danger. Yeah, but you had no such risk. You were fine.
Starting point is 00:07:21 I'm glad you were here to interview me before the Molly Johnson episode because I think Molly came over. I don't know if if you you probably haven't heard the molly johnson not yet well you might want to make some time for this one it's different than any other episode i've ever done and i'm sure if you'd come over after that that's all i would have been able to talk about like just wanted i just want to talk about the molly johnson episode but you came pre molly so uh you chatted me up I offered to record it but you had like an old school notepad and pen and you took notes and you went off and then like I don't know a couple
Starting point is 00:07:51 of weeks later you published this piece um does it have a has like a catchy title right doesn't it oh my goodness yeah it's one of those that you think about um you know what's the best tweet slash headline and that's how you make, what's the best tweet slash headline. And that's how you make your headline. Is that called clickbait? Is that what that is? It's okay if it is. Nope.
Starting point is 00:08:11 That's not called clickbait. That's called getting people to read the story about Mike because it's really good. And that's the same thing as when you're generating an email, a mass email. You want to have a subject line that gets it uh opened because like it's the most similar philosophy well that's how that's how people read now right we've been trained to read in characters and you know in these short bits and we want to be able to learn everything about it to it's almost like you want the payoff before you go through the process to get the payoff and that will make people read a story and the the title, I think you said, Hot Sexy Guy Interviews Toronto Famous or something.
Starting point is 00:08:48 I'm trying to remember now. It was like Canada's Hottest. Oh, yeah. Right? See, if Strombo says he's Canada's boyfriend, he gave himself that nickname. Did you know that? That's not like people start...
Starting point is 00:08:59 Yeah, I asked him on the show. It's not like we all just started calling him Canada's boyfriend. He said, okay, I guess I'm Canada's boyfriend. He gave himself that nickname. The funny thing is the night that I met George Strombolopoulos, it was at the Playboy Club in Vegas. Get out of here.
Starting point is 00:09:13 He was Las Vegas' boyfriend that night. Interesting. I know he likes to spend a lot of his time in the US of A. He likes to ride a motorcycle there, I think, is what he does. He's kind of a cool cat. But yeah, this article for TorontoStories.com, I did get a lot of, like a lot of people showed a lot of interest in this. People were excited to finally hear about you because you're always
Starting point is 00:09:36 talking to your guests about your guests. And, you know, it's your story that's interesting, how you get to this position where you're able to get all of these icons in Canadian media and entertainment to come into your basement and share their soul. You get Anne Romer to come here and talk about all of her retirements. She was amazing. Anne Romer was amazing. And she had all these tips for taking selfies of yourself, like angle tips and all that stuff. I'm not a selfie person. I need those tips. If you had gone back like six, seven years ago, you said to me, Mike, one day you're
Starting point is 00:10:14 going to be taking like several selfies a week. I honestly would have told you like, what the hell are you talking about? Like, I don't do selfies. I do a lot of selfies because every time a guest comes, I'm doing a selfie and it seems to be the thing I do now. You made me look good in the selfie. Thank you very much. That's really reason number one why I came back just so I could have another good picture.
Starting point is 00:10:33 I don't edit these photos. You just are a good looking person. Thank you very much. Time that you accept this. Thank you very much. Accept this reality. Were you wearing, because you have cool sunglasses. Were you wearing those mirror sunglasses or no?
Starting point is 00:10:44 I don't. I believe I took them off in the picture to show respect. They freak people out sometimes. Like I really have extra sensitive eyes. Because you like to see eyeballs. Well, yeah, I've got super sensitive eyes and I've come to learn that people would rather me take off my sunglasses because the opaque mirrors freak them out
Starting point is 00:11:02 and then my eyes are exposed to light and they tear and then people wonder why I'm crying. And then we get into a whole other discussion. I'm hoping that when we kick out the jams today. That you do a little crying. I will say this. I try to make eye contact with people I talk to. Although I'm not making eye contact with you right now.
Starting point is 00:11:20 I'm busy looking at Maestro Fresh West's eyes right here. But I do have a difficulty with the sunglasses in that I don't know where to look. I need to see the pupils. Yes. So I wish when people, I mean, I understand you're protecting your eyes. It's good for you. But if you don't have a serious issue
Starting point is 00:11:38 like you do, take off the sunglasses for the intimate little chat we're having just so I know where to put my eye. With Maestro Fresh West because now I'm just looking at him too. And Farley Flex is here too. I don't want to miss him too. But he's going to come back and kick out the jams
Starting point is 00:11:52 and you're going to kick out the jams today. I'm so excited about this. I really am. And yeah, your jams are... Well, they're your jams and they're great and I can't wait to hear that. But I want to find out, you alluded to it earlier,
Starting point is 00:12:04 like somebody complained to your boss at a radio station like so in addition to this tremendous writing you're doing at this torontostories.com because i mean i'm just guessing that the expose on toronto mic this went viral right this was a massive massive it was actually i would say that it was toronto viral. Almost. Maybe it was New Toronto viral. New Toronto viral. New Toronto. Very good. Maybe a little Mimico in there.
Starting point is 00:12:31 We'll see. Please tell me about your, like, when, where are you on the radio? Tell me about your radio life. Do you want to hear how I got my first start? No, I have no interest. Of course. Of course. Of course. I was about to walk up that,
Starting point is 00:12:48 walk up those stairs and use that railing. Well, so here's the thing. When I wanted to start in radio, I had absolutely zero experience in radio. I was living in Montreal and I heard Danger Boy on the air. I know. He's been on the show. Danger Boy. Danger Boy's been on the show. Matthew?
Starting point is 00:13:10 No. Danger Boy. Is there a different Danger Boy? There might be. There's only one Danger Girl. Is Jason Barr's name when he was on the Humble and Fred show before Dean came over? This is Matthew Wood. Matthew Wood was Danger Boy back then. No, that's okay.
Starting point is 00:13:25 Two Danger Boys. But one Danger's okay. Two Danger Boys. Two Danger Boys, but one Danger Girl because I'm Danger Girl. Get out of here. So I'm in here. So I go to the station and I'm like, hey, guys, I want to be Danger Girl. I have no experience in radio, but I want to be Danger Girl. And they were really nice. I mean, I even sat down with Steve Anthony,
Starting point is 00:13:46 and he was on The Morning Show back then. The Boy in the Box? The Boy in the Box. Oh, I keep talking. I'm going to chew that up. And I've got to share my Corey Hart story with you too now that you brought that up. Because his friend told me that he likes the show and wants to come on. That's no joke.
Starting point is 00:14:00 Corey freaking Hart. Corey Hart? Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Yes yes i've got a cory heart story too but so i go in zero experience hi i'd like to be danger girl and you know what they were very accommodating to me and you know they listened to me they sat and had a conversation with me and it seemed as though they were almost willing to have me play like a second fiddle to Danger Boy. There we go. There we go. Okay, please. I'll bring it down.
Starting point is 00:14:29 This is Steve Anthony's jam. And so I was, I don't know what I was thinking. Obviously, I thought I was too good to play second fiddle seeing that I had zero experience in radio. So I turned that down kindly. And I went around to all of these stations across Canada and I kept pitching this idea of Danger Girl and then finally I go back to Winnipeg I was in Montreal at the time and I go back to Winnipeg to go back to school to take journalism broadcasting and I had pitched the idea of Danger Girl to Howard Kruger. Back then it was Q94FM.
Starting point is 00:15:13 Is this Freddy's father or brother, Freddy Kruger's son maybe? Yes, probably, probably. Just the nicer, much, much nicer. And Howard, you know, I guess he didn't really listen to me. I didn't think that he really cared. But then six months later, I hear back from him. And they're going to launch a station, 99.9 Bob FM. It was the first Bob type station in Canada.
Starting point is 00:15:37 We've yet to get one here. Like, where's our closest Bob? We don't have a Bob in Toronto. There's like a Jack FM. We had a Jack and then it became 92.5, Kiss 92.5. But we't have a Bob. There's like a Jack FM. We had a Jack and then it became 92.5 Kiss 92.5. But we never got a Bob here. Maybe just needed a danger girl to help launch
Starting point is 00:15:52 it. So they call me in. I sit down and Howard says to me, are you afraid of anything? And I say no. But in my head I'm thinking I'm afraid of everything. And in my head, I'm thinking, I'm afraid of everything.
Starting point is 00:16:08 And then he says, okay, so this is what we're going to do. Here's your audition to be Danger Girl. We're going to launch the station. We're going to raise money for sick kids, and we're going to put you in 38,000 liters of water, a tank of water for 48 hours. You're going to broadcast live every 30 minutes
Starting point is 00:16:24 doing cut-ins. How do you feel about that? Did you say, I would like to talk to my doctor first? This sounds very dangerous. I said, for sure. And the thing is, I'm deathly afraid of water. Is that right? My wife's afraid of water. Well, maybe she needs to spend 48 hours in a tank of it
Starting point is 00:16:42 on a flatbed truck in a parking lot at Winnipeg's biggest mall where everybody watches her. And I did it. And my first time going on air, full face mask, going underwater. And I landed the job.
Starting point is 00:16:56 But first of all, congratulations. You didn't have to sleep underwater, right? I had to stay underwater for 48 hours. And I'm trying to envision this I had to stay underwater for 48 hours. I'm trying to envision this. You can't sleep underwater, right?
Starting point is 00:17:13 No. And I couldn't go to the washroom either. So by the time we were done, there were probably about 38,004 liters of water. And here's the worst part. I feel really bad. And I can't believe I'm even sharing this on air. Everyone shares everything here. Oh, I'm going to share this. It's terrible
Starting point is 00:17:31 and I'm really sorry to all of the people who paid extra money to donate to Sick Kids so that they can come inside the water with me and spend 20 minutes in the water with me. But yes, people actually ended up coming in. They paid extra money through their donations and I wouldn't tell them.
Starting point is 00:17:49 I mean, there's chlorine in the water. They were fine. What is it? Michael Phelps or something who said like, you need always the whizzes in this pool. Well, he's training 23 hours a day. When does he have time to go to the washroom? Yeah, I mean, I don't even judge. I don't judge. That's for sure. But but good for you that was a good cause and that was your like
Starting point is 00:18:07 initiation that was my initiation into radio and this is winnipeg that was winnipeg and um then i was finishing out uh journalism school and i really didn't want to stay in school much longer i enjoyed it it was good i learned a lot But if you would get a job in the industry, you'd get credit towards finishing. So I did an internship at CBC and I asked them to hire me. And they said, we do not hire interns, so you won't be hired. And then I broke a story about police brutality and they hired me. They did. So they, okay, good. I mean, this is great. Now, this is Winnipeg still? That's Winnipeg, but I did CBC National and I did CBC Manitoba while I was there, radio
Starting point is 00:18:53 and TV. So you were on National CBC Radio? National CBC Television for a show that they had called Country Canada and the morning show in Winnipeg. I was a producer for the morning show and I was a news reporter. And I guess that's their version of Metro Morning, basically. That is the Winnipeg version of Metro Morning. Correct. And that's great.
Starting point is 00:19:19 That's a highly produced show, if it's anything like Metro Morning. They're not winging it over there. Because afterwards, when I end up becoming a radio talk show host, I was also my own content producer. So it's really good. I had that experience considering that when I accepted the job
Starting point is 00:19:37 to host a show, I didn't realize that I was also accepting the position of content producer. So thankfully, I had at least that part of the experience under my belt. Okay, but this is not Winnipeg. You are in Toronto here. And I know you're living here because you're writing for Toronto Stories. And you came here from here.
Starting point is 00:19:57 And although you did phone me earlier, and I saw the phone call come in. From a 204? A 204. And on my phone, it said, Man, Winnipeg. I said, And on my phone, it said Manitoba. It definitely said Manitoba. And I thought, Dahlia, are you in Manitoba?
Starting point is 00:20:12 And you explained that with the magic of cell phones, you no longer have to be in the city. No, and you get to keep an extremely cheap cell phone plan because cell phone plans are double the price in Ontario. What do you pay for your cell phone plan? I need to know. Everything all in right now, $60 a month. Yeah, I mean, I'm only at $80 for what it's worth.
Starting point is 00:20:31 Like $60 is better than $80, but I was thinking you were going down to $40. I got really excited. Oh, no. But that's a great rate. I'm a little bit jealous of you. Do you have a 416 too? Yeah, I have a 416. I had a 416 before I left to go to Winnipeg because I was living in Toronto before Winnipeg.
Starting point is 00:20:45 I was a nationally syndicated writer here. I was living in Toronto and I had the most beautiful 416 phone number. It's gone. 416-6600717. I could share that because you won't get me now. So you can bother somebody else. Why don't that person tell them to give the number back? Yeah, if you have 416-6600-717, I'd love to trade you.
Starting point is 00:21:06 I've got a beautiful 204. It's got a triple eight in it. It's gorgeous. It's almost like the Seinfeld episode where you need the 212, right? They split the New York area code. It's very important to me. I don't think that people understand. Even though, I mean, my daughter's got a number.
Starting point is 00:21:19 It's, I think it's 647, but I couldn't tell you is my point because I just press a button on the phone and then it goes out. Yeah, that's why I didn't even know if you were 416, even though I phoned you just a few minutes before I was here. Right, because you just pressed a button. I just pressed a button. Yeah. That's it.
Starting point is 00:21:34 Wow. I mean, I'm glad I got the 416. I'm going to hold on to it now that I know it's got some cachet to it. Don't let it go. 416, it's like a skinny fit phone number. I have a thing with numbers. I assign personalities and qualities, like human-like qualities to them. It's like a skinny fit phone number. I have a thing with numbers. I assign personalities and qualities, like human-like qualities to them.
Starting point is 00:21:51 But is this for real or just for fun? This is for real. No, this is something that I've had since I was little. I do it with letters too. And it was only a few years back when I had a guest on my show who has something called synesthesia that I realized, oh, I have synesthesia. Some people assign personalities and visuals to colors. Some people do it with numbers and letters. I do it with numbers and letters.
Starting point is 00:22:12 Yeah, we call those crazy people. Well, I've always been called a crazy person even before I thought about synesthesia. So let's say the word synesthesia. Synesthesia. I'll never be able to say that. I struggle with brewery. I struggle with architecture. I would never ever in a million years and i apparently i struggle with the uh word okay
Starting point is 00:22:30 w-o-m-e-n this is a word we learn in like w-o-m-e-n women yes okay i had to spell it because i know we learned this in you've got you've got a beautiful lady you don't struggle with them she's great that's right i struggled to say this word i uh a couple episodes ago my buddy elvis uh was busting my chops because i'll say it the way i say it without thinking about woman that's how i say the word m-e-n at the end women right but he says it's it's women yes but i say woman which is a-n but i say woman for the plural i don't know i don't want to spend too much time on it. That's incorrect, but you have a 416,
Starting point is 00:23:07 so it's like I have to forgive you automatically because your status is higher than mine. Thank you. That's what I'm hoping for. But you're the one who assigns personality attributes to numbers. Yeah, shout out to number six, the best number there is. Okay, this is fascinating and um you you know no doctor's ever diagnosed you with uh craziness or anything uh and i said it's a joke of course
Starting point is 00:23:32 this is something okay i mean it sounds like you it's important what number you get like you need you can't just take a random number you gotta like it has to meet some standard with you. Yeah, nine is a bully. I don't want anything to do with him. Interesting. You said interesting, but what I really heard was crazy. I don't want to dwell on too much. Crazy is a bad word now. I'm just thinking maybe. There's lots of bad words now.
Starting point is 00:24:01 You really have to be careful when you're on air because people will alert you to them, like your name. It could be bad. You could be pronouncing it incorrectly. Is fun a bad word? Like, is fun a bad thing? Molly Johnson told me fun had become something negative and I've never heard fun used in a negative context. How is fun negative?
Starting point is 00:24:18 I don't know. I guess I would have, in any other day, I would have followed up with that exact question, but I wasn't in the position to have that discussion with her. Interesting. But yeah, she said fun has become a bad thing.
Starting point is 00:24:28 Well, let's turn that around right now. Let's have fun. Let's have fun. We're going to have a heck of a lot of fun when we kick off the jams now but I have more questions about your radio career. So you did all this cool you have this CBC thing going on. You had the Bob thing going on. CJOB in
Starting point is 00:24:43 Winnipeg. I took over Charles Adler's... Charles Adler? Yeah. On the Chorus Network, I believe. Yes, Chorus. I had the afternoon show on 680 CJOB. That would be
Starting point is 00:24:59 the Winnipeg 640, basically. Is it now a global news radio? Have they got GNR? They've gone global on us. Well, yeah, no surprise there. Now, could you tell me who's going to get the new Edge Morning Show? I just wondered how dialed in the radio. Yeah, like I know that's a joke.
Starting point is 00:25:16 I just noticed that we're now post Labor Day. And typically that's when morning shows are like set in radio revamped there's like a couple of programs but particularly the edge morning show it's still uh unfilled it's unfilled but i know that the the new pd there is tammy and she was actually in winnipeg um with uh power and fresh while i was with cjob she had just come over the new morning show maybe for edge is that true maybe i'm the new morning show maybe we're the new morning show maybe for Edge. Is that true? Maybe I'm the new morning show. Maybe we're the new morning show. Oh, crap. They haven't even
Starting point is 00:25:49 asked me about compensation yet. I know Tammy is very innovative and she's very fresh-minded, so I would expect something maybe out of the ordinary this time. She's also doing double duty because she's looking after Q107 as well
Starting point is 00:26:05 yeah she had two stations in winnipeg so she was well primed for this i really think um the because when she was brought into winnipeg she was brought in amidst big changes so i feel like she's the big change type of person so we're expecting something out of the box here to use that expression. I don't know what it is. I would share if I knew. I have some guesses, but they're just speculative guesses. I have no idea. I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty confident that it's going to be different. Now, do you know anything more than that that you can't say? Or is this just knowing her from the past? Just knowing her from the past past i can make it sound as though i wanted an exclusive so that we can give you some clickbait no please i just want i want to
Starting point is 00:26:50 break these radio stories it's important to me i'm gonna break a radio story a week that's what i always say so uh what are you currently looking for CJAD 800 in Montreal and, you know, some other things are going on. I'm working hard at torontostories.com. So I just have a lot going on right now. So we're going to see what happens. Well, you wrote that fantastic piece about Toronto Mike. I think that put me over the top top i'm applying for a pulitzer i was gonna i was gonna say uh you may win a pulitzer for that it's possible pretty good stuff and uh people
Starting point is 00:27:35 magazine may call you to be part of their top 100 this year oh my god i'm looking i'm not gonna answer that call my 416 phone number. Now, you mentioned Montreal. Yes, my hometown. Okay, because it's also Brian Gerstein's hometown. And who's Brian, you're wondering? Who is Brian? Well, Brian right now, he's watching tennis at the U.S. Open. That's where he is actually right as we speak.
Starting point is 00:27:57 He's in New York. But Brian is also a real estate sales representative with PSR Brokerage. And he wrote, he recorded a special message for you. Are you ready for Brian's special message? I don't think it's about Montreal, but now that I realize now that you're from Montreal, it should have been about Montreal. He's a huge Expos fan, even though I know there's no Expos.
Starting point is 00:28:19 That's okay. He's a massive Montreal guy. But let's hear his question for you. Propertyinthe6.com Hi, Dahlia. Brian Gerstein here, sales representative with PSR Brokerage and proud sponsor of Toronto Might. I can be reached by call or text at 416-873-0292 for all of your real estate needs.
Starting point is 00:28:45 The fall market is almost upon us, and now is the time to reach out to me so I can properly prepare your home for sale. Dahlia, I couldn't help but notice on your LinkedIn page that in a former life, you were an emcee, event host, and most interestingly, a ping pong pro for Spin Toronto on King Street right near my office at PSR. How good were you and how much of your income was strictly derived from playing professional ping pong? Is the CRA listening? No.
Starting point is 00:29:13 Okay. Wow. Wow. That's crazy. Well, Brian, first of all, thanks for bragging about the 416. Just way to just... He is the propertyinthesix.com man. He for bragging about the 416. Just way to just... He is the property in the 6.com, man. He's got to have the 416.
Starting point is 00:29:29 Way to take that home there. So the ping pong thing. This is how that happened. So, like I said, I was a nationally syndicated writer. What does that mean? Where is this syndication happening? Sun Media, like 200 newspapers across Canada. I've heard of that.
Starting point is 00:29:46 I was the first, I guess you could say, like social media columnist. So my column was hashtag E said, she said. Clever. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Did you come up with that or did they write that? I came up with it unless you don't like it, then they chose it.
Starting point is 00:30:02 But you were in bed with the Sun Media people before they completely became like right-wing propaganda machines. Nothing I did had anything to do with political stuff. What I do is I write about the human condition, really, but I wrap that up. I wrap up poignancy and humor so people don't really know I'm doing that. It's kind of like putting vegetables in your kid's chocolate cake.
Starting point is 00:30:26 So that's kind of what happened there. And Sportsnet magazine launched and they approached me because they knew a bit about my past, I suppose. I don't remember how that happened. At one time, I was the number one ranked junior girl in table tennis in Canada and the number one most ridiculed girl in high school. Thank you very much. That's kind of amazing if I'm hearing this correctly. No, that's obvious. To be so highly ranked in anything, anything. I worked really hard. But this is table tennis. I worked really hard and, you know, it afforded me some great
Starting point is 00:31:02 opportunities because I grew up in a very poor family, like poor to the point where I would hide food under my bed because I didn't know if my parents would have food for us, even though they always did. They always did. But, you know, I was insecure. So I would hide food under my bed. And because I was in table tennis at 10 years old and I was performing so well, I was training at the Olympic Center. I got to travel the world. The government paid me to play. I was paid by Petro Canada and Shell. And here I am traveling the world at 10 years old, 11, 12, you know, right up through my teens. And my parents barely had any money. So I was afforded a really great life because of table tennis crazy and when I wrote
Starting point is 00:31:47 this story for sportsnet they'd wanted to do a photo shoot and it was just when Susan Sarandon's club spin was launching everything that launches in my life was launching on king and when we did the photo shoot there they asked me if I would come in one night to host a party and then it turned out that because I always had to wear these ugly outfits when I played table tennis as a kid. But I thought, OK, I'm going to wear a tutu and I'm going to wear really cool shoes and I'm going to play in that. And then it just turned into me hosting these parties there with celebrities and fun. And yeah, it was completely unexpected and so much fun. Now, Brian used the term that is on your LinkedIn profile, which is ping pong.
Starting point is 00:32:31 Yes. It's table tennis, right? Well, ping pong belongs to Parker Brothers. Table tennis started in England and they were using champagne corks and cigar boxes to play. And then when Parker Brothers decided to make the I guess you could say equipment for it they decided to name it ping pong and the way that people generally look at it is they call it ping pong but if you're not competitive I'll call it ping pong if you're competitive table tennis which sounds really serious and not dorky at all. That's what it is in the Olympics.
Starting point is 00:33:05 I mean, that's... So I know it as table tennis because I'm a big Olympics fan. One of the first sports to sell out at the Olympics, table tennis. That is remarkable to hear that. It's in an arena sport in Europe. People wanted my autograph there and kids ridiculed me here all of the time. Do you still play? I mean, I guess I'm surprised that you were that good
Starting point is 00:33:25 considering you're five feet tall. Quick. Is that it? Speed? Well, if you look at the people, like China, which is a dominant force,
Starting point is 00:33:33 I'm, I'm a tall person in China. But yeah, you know, you have to run back like 20 feet from the table, side to side. So you've got to be
Starting point is 00:33:43 really, really quick. Maybe the, maybe that's working for you, being lower maybe. They pick things up. A lower center of gravity. It's funny because when I would play at spin, I would wear shoes sometimes because the first match that they had me play there
Starting point is 00:33:56 was against Su Yun Lee. And she's a model. She's been on Entourage and all of these shows. And she's actually a great ping pong player. And they had me play against her and they wanted it to be the battle of these shows. And she's actually a great ping pong player. And they had me play against her and they wanted it to be the battle of the heels. So we were both wearing, like I was wearing like foreign shoes.
Starting point is 00:34:11 She was wearing like foreign shoes. And all of a sudden when my center of gravity was off, the whole game changed. Interesting, interesting. There you go. So Brian, great question. Did I answer your question, Brian? Yeah, that was incredible.
Starting point is 00:34:24 And of course he has a 416 number. It's 416-873-0292. Give Brian a call. I saw Milos lost again. I know he's speaking, not table tennis. This is the other tennis, the non-table tennis. The other tennis. But he's still enjoying the matches at the US Open.
Starting point is 00:34:42 So good for you, Brian. Now, Dolly, I'm sorry that I didn't prepare the six-pack for you, but I will. Before you leave, I'll put it together. So just you have to take my word for it. There is beer behind you, and you're getting a six-pack of Great Lakes beer. Six is my favorite number.
Starting point is 00:34:58 They wanted me to give you five, and I said, guys, guys. Has five got good personality? You know, he's okay. Is five got good personality? He's okay. He's not a bad guy. Are all numbers men? No. What's a six? Six is a boy. Can you give me a number that's a female? Four. Four is a female?
Starting point is 00:35:17 Four and five are a couple. You're being serious with me right now. I'm being very serious when I say it out loud. I'm a little concerned for my safety here. You're not, you're being serious with me right now. I'm being very serious when I say it out loud. I'm a little concerned for my safety here. You're not, okay, just, I need to look at the one side. Four and five are a couple. Three feels kind of like the third wheel, ironically.
Starting point is 00:35:34 Well, what is it? Why did five be your seven? No, six be your seven because seven, eight, nine. Right, that's my dad. Oh, I don't like seven. I don't like seven. Really? Not a nice guy.
Starting point is 00:35:44 Seven's typically a good luck number right so good luck to seven if he wants me to like him oh man it must be tough for you like when you're visiting let's we won't say the exact address but you're gonna go to my place and it's number whatever and you're like oh those numbers are like asshole numbers like well yeah i mean like i look at numbers and i'm like, oh, but sometimes I can justify why it's OK. And the combination of numbers you have, it made it OK. OK, good. When we kick up the jams, will there be more anything have to do with numbers in these jams? Well, there are 10 of them. Actually, I gave you I gave you like 12.
Starting point is 00:36:20 Yes, you gave me 12 and I only took 10 of them. So I hope you're okay with the 10 I took. I like 10's a great number. He's really, he's wise. Super nice. So most numbers are male. It seems so. It seems so. So sexist, these numbers.
Starting point is 00:36:35 My goodness. So the Great Lakes beer is yours. Thank you. I want to say hi to Great Lakes and tell everybody listening that we're all going to get together on September 12th. That's only a week. That's coming up on September 12th. That's only a week when that's coming up. September 12th. Put in your calendar. From 6pm to 9pm, we're all
Starting point is 00:36:51 collecting at Great Lakes Brewery on the patio for the Toronto Mic Listener Experience. We had one in July and it went very well and we're going to do it again. We have live music from the Royal Pains. Shout out to Al from the Royal Pains. I want to get his website right because I butchered it once.
Starting point is 00:37:10 It's theroyalpainsband.com. If you want to book the Royal Pains for your event, come see them September 12th, and then you'll see that you want to book them for your, I don't know, holiday party or whatever you got going on. So the Royal Pains band is performing live but also Splash and Boots are performing live. David Schultz and Gear Joyce are doing
Starting point is 00:37:30 stand-up. A whole bunch of former Toronto Mic'd guests are going to be there. Hebsey, Keegan Matheson, Mike Wilner, a whole bunch. Spun Loose Skeezes is coming back. Retro Ontario I think maybe Mark from 1236. Pretty sure we're going to make that happen. But man, Elvis is going to be there.
Starting point is 00:37:46 Will Dahlia be there? If Elvis is there. Yes, if Elvis is there, Dahlia will be there. So you are, of course, invited. Everybody, including you, Dahlia, gets your first beer is on the house, which I think is amazing. There's no cover or anything. You show up, get a free beer.
Starting point is 00:38:01 Heck, you know what? If you showed up, which costs you nothing because there's no cover, and you just took the complimentary beer, a 12-ounce glass of tasty, get a free beer. Heck, you know what? If you showed up, which costs you nothing because there's no cover, and you just took the complimentary beer, a 12-ounce glass of tasty fresh Great Lakes beer, you could down that, say hi to me, and then leave. Who would stop you? There's no one stopping you. It's not like you have to order.
Starting point is 00:38:15 Who would do that? Only people with a 647 would do something like that. Come on. You obviously weren't at the first Toronto Mike List. I think a couple of people did that. But please, please stick around because they have a great food truck and they have $5 pints and it's going to be fun
Starting point is 00:38:30 and I can't wait to meet everybody there. So make sure on September 12th from 6 to 9 you guys are all at Great Lakes Brewery. And Elvis is going to be there. Elvis will be in the building. Yes, absolutely. Elvis is going to be there. The Fixer.
Starting point is 00:38:45 Woohoo! This is not one of your jams, but it should have been. This is Pearl Jam be there. The Fixer. Woo-hoo! This is not one of your jams, but it should have been. This is Pearl Jam, but this is for Census. Census Design and Build provide architectural design, interior design, and turnkey construction services across the GTA.
Starting point is 00:39:03 Mr. Vetter is speaking. Mr. Vetter is speaking. To learn more about the possibilities for your home call them at 416-931-1422 tell them Mike sent you or visit their website at censusdesignbuild.ca today to schedule
Starting point is 00:39:22 your zoning and cost project feasibility study. I'm going to spoiler alert. There's no Pearl Jam on your list. No Pearl Jam on my list. And it wasn't even close, was it? No. No judgments.
Starting point is 00:39:40 Your jams are your jams. I always say that. Your jams are your jams. Well, Pearl Jam, it has the word jam in it already. That's right. I didn't want to be so literal. That's why I expect to see more Pearl Jam on jam lists for sure. You should call it the Pearl Jam list.
Starting point is 00:39:55 There's no Pink Floyd on your list either. There's no Pink Floyd on my list, but you've got it covered. You've got all this covered. Don't tell them that I'm doing this. I don't know if i have their permission but i do use this for paytm canada because uh the last episode featured nakia i mentioned her uh nakia's from paytm canada they did they refreshed the whole app the site it's all better than ever i almost said it's better than ezra but that's a band a different band it's not also no better than Ezra. I like Good.
Starting point is 00:40:25 That's a good song. It should be because it's called Good. You're so good. Baby, you're so good. Can I tell you a story? I'm going to bring it down. I've never told a story before, but it's true. I swear.
Starting point is 00:40:35 So when that song was big, I was at university when that song was big. Good by Better Than Ezra. And I'm going to do this. It's not going to do it. I'm going to do it anyway. Well, maybe I might just write you a letter. Or maybe I'll see you on the 4th of July. And he goes, I'm not quite sure.
Starting point is 00:40:50 I'm not quite something, like strong or whatever. And I'm not quite better than Ezra Pound. Okay? This is how I always heard it. Not better than Ezra Pound. I was studying English at U of T. And we were reading a lot of Ezra Pound. Okay? So in my mind, were reading a lot of Ezra Pound, okay?
Starting point is 00:41:05 So in my mind, they're called Better Than Ezra, and I heard that, Better Than Ezra Pound. It helps you study. Yeah, but in my mind, I had this whole fiction about that's why they're called Better Than Ezra. They're named after Ezra Pound. Maybe the guy in the band was an English major or something, and that's why they worked Ezra Pound into the song Good, which was a massive hit on 102.1 and I'm sure
Starting point is 00:41:28 you're equivalent in Winnipeg or Montreal or wherever you were. I don't even know where I was. I've lived everywhere. So that song Good by Better Than Ezra still when I hear it, I sing my version. I could tell you why they're called Better Than Ezra if you don't know. I don't know if I'm making this up, but this is
Starting point is 00:41:44 what I recall. That they were in a band, a guy named Ezra was in their band, he said, you guys are going nowhere, I'm leaving the band, and when he left, they called themselves Better Than Ezra because they were better without him. So it has nothing to do with Ezra Pound. Maybe it was Ezra Pound who was originally in their band.
Starting point is 00:42:00 That's great. Hundreds of years ago. Better Than Ezra. There you go. There you go, it all comes full circle here. Why are we talking about Paytm? Just to tell you that when you do try Paytm's app, use the promo code TRONOMIKE when you make your first bill payment because you get $10 in Paytm cash, and you can use that towards another bill payment.
Starting point is 00:42:18 So this is $10 just sitting there. So pick it up. It's easy. Just download the app, set it up. It's super easy. There's no cost, no surcharge, no fee. And then you just use the promo code Toronto Mike when you make your first
Starting point is 00:42:29 bill payment. Dahlia? Mike? Are you ready to kick out the jam? Oh yes. This is so fun. Oh. Sorry mom and dad. Y'all gonna make me lose my mind. Up in here. Up in here. Y'all gonna make me go all out. Up in here.
Starting point is 00:42:47 Up in here. Y'all gonna make me act a fool. You dancing everybody. Up in here. I always dance on air. Do it. Y'all gonna make me lose my cool. Up in here.
Starting point is 00:42:55 Up in here. If I gots to bring it to you cowards then it's gonna be quick. He's dancing everybody. I always dance on air. Do it. So you're jammed. So feel free. Feel free to say anything you like at any time. And I'll fade down when you're talking. Okay. So this song is my running song.
Starting point is 00:43:36 I have to run. This is my life. I hate running, but I hate not running more. Okay. And this is the song that helps me run. And this is the song that is least likely for people to think would be on a Dahlia Kurtz
Starting point is 00:43:49 top 10 jam. How far will you run when you get out there for a run? I run for about an hour. I do 10K usually. 10K.
Starting point is 00:44:00 Okay. That's good. I typically do 10K. I used to run but now my leg didn't like it, and I now only bike. I don't run anymore. Biking hurts my knees more than running, and typically people say the other way around. Cycling is low impact, so it's good for the joints as opposed to running, which is bad for the joints.
Starting point is 00:44:19 But I'm apparently not a normal human. No, we established that with the numbers thing. There you go. So whatever it is, just think the, we established that with the numbers thing. There you go. So whatever it is, just think the opposite, and that will apply to me. We rented a cottage once near Muskoka, and there were separate rooms, but the walls didn't go to the ceiling. They just went up so high, and then it was all open at the top, if you can imagine that. And my son, I remember my son, I don't know what he was at the time, like 13 or 12 or something, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:44:46 But it was really quiet very late at night. And out of nowhere, he, at the top of his lungs, did this part. Y'all gonna make me lose my mind up in here. It was the funniest thing ever.
Starting point is 00:44:57 He's got good taste. He's just, he's a quiet, reserved guy. Yes, I remember. I met him last time when we were together. He was so out of character and he did that.
Starting point is 00:45:04 Like, that's something I would do. I would do that. But James would not do that. But, I remember. I met him last time when we were together. He was so out of character and he did that. That's something I would do. I would do that. James would not do that but he did that. So he's really your son. It's proof. You don't need to go on Maury anymore. Inconclusive. Yeah, there's something about this song.
Starting point is 00:45:20 It just really gets me moving as soon as it goes on and I never get sick of it. I like how different this jam is from your second jam, which we'll get to in a minute. They're so different. It's my life story. That's me. Do you find Ja Rule is making a comeback and DMX is not?
Starting point is 00:45:39 And that they should both make a comeback because they have similar singing, rapping styles? As long as they're not in jail, I think either of them have a good chance. that they should both make a comeback because they have similar singing and rapping styles. As long as they're not in jail, I think either of them have a good chance. I think everything can make a comeback. Britney Spears has proven that already. There's a jam by this gentleman, DMX, that I can't say it because I'm a white guy. It's my N-word, okay?
Starting point is 00:46:04 That's all I can tell you. Catchy as all heck. Watch your mouth. Heck, I know. Dangerous, dangerous because when you're driving and it's on, you want to rap along with it, but you can't do that if you're me.
Starting point is 00:46:18 Or me, apparently, because you just shook your finger at me. No, I'm doing that to myself. I have no idea if you can do it. I have no idea. It's funny because, well, I've got dimples. I could get away with almost anything. You have an afro.
Starting point is 00:46:33 I have an afro. I'm little. I have dimples. I could get away with a lot. But at the same time, let me just say, while I could get away, because I'm like a cute little girl type of thing, sometimes you also have to work harder to prove yourself because people won't take you seriously interesting you know when you
Starting point is 00:46:50 talk about numbers having personalities i can't imagine why people wouldn't take me serious you find it difficult to do your taxes because there's all those numbers and some of them are not nice i don't speak math i speak a few languages actually actually. Math, numbers, not one of them. What languages do you speak? I speak Hebrew, French, German, Yiddish, some Italian, some Spanish. Those don't count as much, but I have to say them anyways because it sounds impressive. They're beautiful languages. They sound like songs when you hear people talking in Italian. And I speak English, just so you know.
Starting point is 00:47:22 I barely speak English. But my son who rapped at DMX, he does French as well. But I was interested that you said you speak Hebrew. Yes, sir. And you speak Yiddish. But is Yiddish a language? I thought that was like there were expressions we use in English, right? There are some Yiddish expressions that we use.
Starting point is 00:47:38 But I'm thinking about like only in Yiddish right now. It's funny. I can't think of it. And like, I guess you'll say oy vey. But like... Oh, oy vey is a big one. It's a Yiddish right now. It's funny. I can't think of it. And like, I guess you'll say oy vey, but like, oh, oy vey is a big one. Yeah. It's a Yiddish expression.
Starting point is 00:47:48 And it's like, you know, go in the lake and, um, go jump in the lake. Go. Am I allowed to swear on your show? Well,
Starting point is 00:47:57 DMX is for. Not if my parents are listening. I feel like. Well, that's your call. But DMX, I think swore a few times. Go number two in the lake.
Starting point is 00:48:04 And, um, you can say number two in the lake. You can say all crap in the lake. Your parents are okay with that, right? And that's something you could say to your parents in Yiddish. And it's like almost okay to do that. But if you were to say that in English, that's a horrible way to talk to somebody. But Yiddish has this sort of affectionate, fun way of being mean.
Starting point is 00:48:22 There's a lot of Yiddish words that make their way into English. Are you allowed to use Yiddish words if you are a Gentile? I would encourage you to do it. If I'm hot, let's say I'm sweating, I might butcher this, but let me try. I'm schvitzing over here.
Starting point is 00:48:37 I'm schvitzing. Yiddish is actually more similar to German than it is to Hebrew. So it was very easy for me to learn German. But the thing is, when I speak German, I sound Jewish. And when I speak Yiddish, I sound German. Apparently, that's what both camps seem to say. But yeah, my parents spoke Yiddish. So there would be a language that we didn't understand at home. And when you speak a language enough,
Starting point is 00:49:03 your kids are gonna understand it hello baby yeah this is the big papa speaker oh my goodness oh you sweet man do i want Sweet fire. Do I want? Will I want? This is from the same girl who chose Party Up. Oh, baby, you know what I like. Chantilly lace and a pretty face and a golden tail. My dad, doing this list, you made me realize, and it's at a time when my parents have been visiting me as well.
Starting point is 00:49:44 They're staying with me in Toronto. Where do they normally live, Montreal? They live in Winnipeg now. But from Montreal. My father's from Montreal. He grew up there. But a lot of my dad's songs were very influential on me. And this is a song, it's almost like he used to sing it to me and with me and it just became
Starting point is 00:50:07 a big part of my childhood I would dance to it all of the time I loved to dance around the house constantly dancing and I remember four years old um always listening to this on 8-track because we didn't have money we had 8-tracks 8-tracks right until I was like 16, we were still listening to 8-track. And my mom bought me the cutest pair of underwear, and it was pink and it had lace on it. I'm just four, right? It's like a little thing. But to me, they were my Chantilly lace panties. And so I would dance around in the house in these Chantilly lace panties,
Starting point is 00:50:40 and then there came a point when the newspaper boy was coming over, and I would just be dancing in my panties. And one day, my parents wouldn't let me dance in my panties and then like there came a point when the newspaper boy was coming over and i would just be dancing in my panties and like one day my parents wouldn't let me dance in my panties anymore and i didn't understand why now i do i also uh as a very young person i loved this song because it was on a golden oldies cassette i had and i first said you guys were so rich. I know. I feel rich now. It was cassette. And I now think like, maybe my first favorite genre was golden oldies, like 50s music.
Starting point is 00:51:13 I even liked 20s music. I was going to put The Entertainer on here from Scott Joplin. Like, I, my dad was highly influential in my music taste, which is why he's so disappointed in DMX.
Starting point is 00:51:26 Well, without a doubt, that is Big Bopper's biggest hit. Without a doubt. And, of course, he died the day the music died. So he died with the music the same day. Very sad. And, by the way, like Buddy Holly, you bring that up. I could have put a million different Buddy Holly songs in there who I liked better than Elvis.
Starting point is 00:51:43 Not your Elvis, but the Elvis. Yes, the Elvis. But my Elvis. Yes, the Elvis. But my Elvis is named after the Elvis. That's okay. That's his Elvis, not my Elvis. Yeah, Buddy Holly is, considering how young he was when he passed, 23 or something, prolific.
Starting point is 00:51:56 Like so many great pop songs. A lot, you know, a lot of, and it was very difficult putting this list together too because I wanted Roy Orbison on there. I wanted all these people that I don't feel as though they haven't had movies. Buddy Holly had his movies, but they haven't had enough recognition. And I feel as though, you know, Roy Orbison, the Beatles say that he is one of their biggest influences ever. And I don't understand why these people aren't bigger, especially because my dad liked them.
Starting point is 00:52:24 Come on, my dad liked them come on my dad liked these people you need to like them too Roy was part of the million dollar quartet right he was one of those guys with who's the million dollar quartet Elvis for sure Carl Perkins I want to put in there Jerry Lee Lewis loved Jerry Lee Lewis
Starting point is 00:52:39 and I think the other guy was Roy Orpz no it was Johnny Cash I'm not sure but you bring up Jerry Lee Lewis. I pick him over Elvis any day. Again, not your Elvis, but the Elvis. We agree that Elvis is overrated. We agree. I think that I said that without saying it.
Starting point is 00:52:55 Nothing against him, but I just feel as though there are other people that deserve recognition. Why isn't Great Balls of Fire on your list here? I could have put Great Balls. There's so many songs I could have put on there, but I was trying to pick songs that are also associated with memories. Well, let's kick out your third jam. What is my third? I feel like this song was written for me.
Starting point is 00:53:35 I need to listen to this sometimes. I feel like we all do. Hey now, little speedy head. The read-on, the speed meter says you have to go to task in the city. Where people drown and people serve. Find the River, R.E.M. One of those songs that I just need to listen to when I feel as though I need the inspiration, I need the push. You know, there's been a lot of uphill battles in my life.
Starting point is 00:54:10 We all have these uphill battles. We just don't talk about them very often because it's nice for people to think that, you know, your life is so easy and you do everything effortlessly. But we all have to work really, really hard, right? effortlessly but we all have to work really really hard right and it's just been there's been a lot of struggles you know right from the time that I was very little and this song you know even now it really makes a big difference if I'm having a really bad day and I feel as though the tasks at hand and the ambitions are too big. It helps me realize that I'll get there. Music is powerful.
Starting point is 00:54:49 Absolutely. That's why we do this. That's why we kick out the jams. Because you kicking out your 10 favorite songs and why tells me more about you than any long G5 interview. Just looking at this list and putting it together was therapeutic. It was telling me more about me. And it was funny because, like I said, my parents happened to be visiting at this time so they were right there as I was picking out some of these songs and just the way the process that went about it and how
Starting point is 00:55:14 seriously I took it I think that you know showed me a lot of my personality that I don't necessarily recognize and it helped me understand me a little bit more even though I'm quite convoluted and nobody understands, not even me It's beautiful, you didn't have this album on A-track though, right? No, this was no, no, no, this was
Starting point is 00:55:37 cassette, this is when we moved up to cassette when everybody was probably way past CDs at this point I used a Walkman a cassette Walkman until just a few years ago. Oh, really? And I was at the airport going through security one day because I like that hiss on the analog tapes, right? Yeah. And it's comforting.
Starting point is 00:55:57 And I was at airport security and I guess there was one of the security people there. You know, we hire the very best 19-year-olds to protect the country. And she didn't know what it was. Fascinating. She didn't know what my yellow Sony Walkman was. I was biking the other day and I saw a guy with a Walkman
Starting point is 00:56:17 hanging a thing around his neck. Clearly it was a cassette, Sony Walkman around his neck. And I almost stopped to chat with him about it and take a photo. Like I almost stopped because I haven't seen one in the wild in a long time. But it sounds like you're only a few years removed. I moved out a long time ago from cassettes.
Starting point is 00:56:34 You're a 416, of course. I swore by my Walkman, though, until it became obsolete in my universe. I loved it. I still kept a bunch of cassettes. I love cassettes. This was a good cassette. It was one of the first that I paid for. So that's a big deal.
Starting point is 00:56:54 Michael Stipe. Amazing guy. This is Michael Stipe. And in the office when Michael Scott was upset, he went in the car and played at the top of volume. He played Everybody Hurts at full volume inside the car. So there's your Michael Stipe to Michael Scott. Perfect.
Starting point is 00:57:12 Good radio segue. Again, my dad. Oh, my God. My dad is all over this list. Could have been the whiskey. Might have been the gin. Could have been the three or four six-packs. I don't know, but look at the mess I'm in.
Starting point is 00:57:30 My head's like a football. I think this song is just full of joy. That's all this song is. Irish Rovers. And we had a lot of tough times, right? It was very hard. My dad went through a lot of stuff. He fought a lot of tough times, right? It was very hard. My dad went through a lot of stuff.
Starting point is 00:57:49 He fought a lot of fights for other people. He made a lot of sacrifices. It took a toll on him. It took a toll on our family. But when my dad would play this song, he was joyous. He was smiling. He was laughing. And these are moments that gave my childhood such
Starting point is 00:58:06 respites and boosts that, you know, I can't help but to be happy and have great memories even of bad days when I hear this song. Do you wish to elaborate at all on these battles? You don't have to, but if we keep referencing battles. you don't have to but you keep referencing uh battles um no i can like so my dad um way way back when and it's funny because when i finished my show at cjob my dad was my final guest on my show and he thought that he was just coming on my show to talk about, you know, this is my final show. And I invited him on because he had always refused to do media about a very big Canadian story that happened. And it goes back to many years ago in Quebec, when my dad applied for a job at the Montreal Stock Exchange.
Starting point is 00:59:02 And the final question they asked him after they said, yeah, we want you here, is they asked, are you Jewish? And he gave the correct answer, but it was the wrong answer because he said yes. And they said, so we can't hire you. And my dad decided to take him to court. So this was Rene Lavec, John Lafferty. These are people who led the separatist movement in Quebec. And it turned out that my dad went to court, a couple other people as well, in a suit against these people. Brian Mulroney represented them. So this was before Brian Mulroney was Prime Minister of Canada, and he represented René Lévesque and company. After almost a decade-long court battle, death threats, very public, everything that my
Starting point is 00:59:49 dad had to go through. He was blacklisted in Montreal for employment. The judge gives his verdict and the judge's verdict was in favor of the defense, but only because there wasn't a law at the time that would prohibit them from discriminating against race, color, creed, all these sorts of things. But because of this court case in Quebec's charter, they created a new clause that would disallow anybody from hiring firing based on race color creed and then the canadian charter of rights adopted this as well so it's because of my dad wow that you can't hire fire based on race color creed all these sorts of things but he was very ashamed um not ashamed but afraid i guess you can, to talk about this after because it had, this was, you know, before I was born, but this had impacted his life, his children's life, his family life, his career. And he didn't want people to know we were Jewish. He didn't want to talk about the case
Starting point is 01:00:57 because it's come up, you know, many times since with other such cases. And he's always refused to do media. He's kept, I guess, being Jewish secret or just not been very open about it. And I've always been the opposite. I've been very open about what I am, because I if you don't want to like me, I want I want to know. That's all there is to it. I want to know. And so for the final for the final show I did did in winnipeg i had my dad on as a guest we videotaped it and he finally was able to share his story in media it's surreal hearing this story over top the irish rovers so you see why heavy story it's a story everything in my life is very much like that and the heavier the story uh I had to experience, because we went through heavy stuff, just like a lot of people do. But the way our family worked is the heavier the story, the more the comedy that we put into
Starting point is 01:01:55 things, the more joy that we looked for. And these were very great tools that my parents gave me, because this helped deal with challenges and adversity and all of those things so much better. And it just made me more resilient and determined to push forward all the time. Well, I'm glad I asked for some more specifics because I have a feeling you were going to bury the lead on this one because that's quite the story. I'm very proud of my father for that. And you know, it's funny because my mother's the one who gives me all of my advice and my mother is my best friend. My mother's the one that I always turn to but in putting together this list
Starting point is 01:02:28 like all of the influential songs were from my father. Well let's hear another. This is your fifth jam. Let's see. Oh, this guy. Yeah. The guy behind the song changed my life.
Starting point is 01:02:56 Changed it like... An after. Math cook. Math cook. He's no longer us. I know I'm sleeping Cause this dream is too amazing She got me going Don't I'm with her I used to be One turn and I learned What it means to see To be the blade At his funeral
Starting point is 01:03:38 So he's the one who introduced me to this song I used to interview Hockey players, NHL players, anything with hockey, I was there. And I met Matt because he was on the Canadian sledge hockey team and we were interviewing him one day and he shared his story just, you know, off camera. We were just talking and he shared his story with me and it was very much like Terry Fox. He got osteosarcoma, diagnosed at the same age, had to get an amputation, same place as Terry.
Starting point is 01:04:15 Everything that he went through was very much like Terry. And I said to him, Matt, I need to write your story. He's like, can I write your story at some point? We need to do this. And I said, absolutely, sure, I'd love to. So a little bit of time went by, and I was in a horrible car accident. I was just driving through a green light one day on Richmond near Peter. It was a Sunday morning. I was driving through a green light and a woman was going through a red in her SUV while I was in my compact car and she hit me. Wow. And I saw that big bright white light that everybody talks about. It was the airbag.
Starting point is 01:04:59 But I also, you know, my life changed. I was on a different path. Like she literally pushed me off of one path and figuratively onto another. But I was recovering and I was a little bit depressed. And it was very difficult for me. And then just a couple weeks after this happened, I found out that Matt had now become diagnosed terminally with cancer. It had come back. And I had to get his story out before he died.
Starting point is 01:05:32 And in this midst, you know, with my broken bones and my broken head because mentally this accident tore me apart, I realized, you know, this is what I have to do. This was my mission. And so I contacted Matt and, you know, we arranged for me to do the story. He gave me all of this time while he's dying. He gives me all of this time over Christmas when he needs to spend time with family to do the story with me. He can barely speak because he can barely breathe anymore because the cancer came back in his lungs. And it was a magnificent story, but I did not know how to share it.
Starting point is 01:06:17 And I finally, you know, one day it all came to me because I wanted to do Matt justice. He wanted to leave a legacy like Terry Fox. That was his dream. And so I thought, OK, if I can get this in front of people's eyes, maybe I can help them. And I wrote the story. I, uh, first place I turned to Toronto star. I asked them if they want it. Cause this is right before the Paralympics. Matt was supposed to go to the Paralympics represent Canada and sledge hockey. As it turns out, he could no longer go because he's going to die in a few months. And Toronto Star took the article. And once Toronto Star took the article, it wasn't enough for me. I had to help Matt more. What can I do to help Matt more? Because something about him really,
Starting point is 01:06:59 really touched me. He was the most positive person. And he just, he changed the way I looked at things. And after Toronto Star took it, I contacted Fred Fox, Terry's brother. And Fred was very receptive to this. He got in touch with Matt. And that was a dream for Matt. And then it just so happened on Hockey Night in Canada, Don Cherry and Ron McLean picked this up
Starting point is 01:07:25 and they started talking about it. So Matt's article and Matt's story ended up going viral and he died shortly after that. And I always felt as though I could have done more for him. And you shared the story. without you sharing that story there there is no you know fred fox connection there is no hockey night in canada i know and i feel you were the catalyst there it makes me feel like his parents have been um very kind to me and his family his brother his sister they've all been very kind to me and very um supportive because I've told them how I feel
Starting point is 01:08:06 about this I almost feel so wow like it's because of Matt that my career got propelled forward and you know I I moved on to getting my column after that I moved on to getting a radio show after that I like everything went up and I you know I feel so bad because he had to die for me to give birth to this career. And, you know, his parents don't see it that way. And he was dying anyways. And what you did was you brought to light something important, like something you brought some good out of a tragic, horrific thing. And it's like, that's, you made lemonade, if you will. You did. Thank you. He's, you know, You made lemonade, if you will. You did something important.
Starting point is 01:08:47 You know, he's like those tough moments, you know, if there's a person who can be my find the river from REM, Matt Cook. And Matt Cook Foundation, that's a foundation in his name right now, by the way, helps teens with cancer get through it. Matt Cook is my find the river. Beautiful. And I'm going to, can I piggyback on such a emotional, great story just to say that I'm running for in the Terry Fox run on September 16th. And if you go to torontomic.com right now, there's a link at the top that says Terry Fox run. And I'm like, I'm, I'm literally, I think as we speak, I'm like, my goal was a1,000. And I'm like 50 bucks away from the goal.
Starting point is 01:09:25 So if all goes well, because I got another, you know, got a couple weeks to go here. I might increase my goal is what I'm probably going to end up doing. But so if anybody, you know, remember, you get a tax receipt in real time and PDF. Terry Fox Foundation is a great cause. But if you pledge, if you sponsor my run, please do, and I would appreciate it. You should get Fred Fox on your show. I'll give you his contact information. Are you kidding me?
Starting point is 01:09:50 I'm a big member. I'm an age where that marathon of hope hit me at the right time. This was a big deal to me when I was just in forever. And I have my whole family. That's one thing. It's like when the Terry Fox run is happening, I do it at Hyde Park. And all of my kids run with me.
Starting point is 01:10:08 And this is a big, big deal for me. So, yeah. You know, history was made on my show. Fred and his brother and sister, they all appeared together for the first time ever on my radio show. It's real talk. I love it.
Starting point is 01:10:21 They're really great people, too. And Fred still cries whenever he talks about Terry so connected to him well I'd be an honour to have Fred on that's for sure we'll set you up okay that's amazing
Starting point is 01:10:31 let's kick out another jam who doesn't love cake both types I want a girl with the mind like a diamond i want a girl who knows what's best i want a girl with shoes that cut and uh eyes that burn like cigarettes i feel like i'm starting my show now. This is my show. So they told me when I started at 680CJoby that I can choose my opening song. And I chose this. And it's kind of funny because the first time I ever heard short skirt, long jacket, I was wearing a short skirt and a long jacket.
Starting point is 01:11:20 And I just want to say I played this song for my parents the other day. I'm like, you guys recognize this? And both of them were like, no. Thanks for listening to the show, mom and dad. But my mom said, but it sounds like you. Short skirts and long jackets. Great. Do you get a Pavlov dog reaction, though?
Starting point is 01:11:43 Like when you hear this, you're ready to kind of intro your show and do your thing? I feel like it. I've even been doing this sort of like I would always like I dance. Like I always dance. You see like even when I'm sitting here, music really gets me going. And I feel like it's a good way to open the show. Dahlia, this show that you had on the radio. You don't need a terrestrial radio station to broadcast anymore.
Starting point is 01:12:05 What? Do you know that? Do tell. Would it shock you to learn that we're not going to be heard on a terrestrial radio station here? What? I'm leaving. You could bring this show back and have these important conversations and you could use
Starting point is 01:12:19 this as your theme song. You could be podcasting. FYI. FYI. I didn't think podcast. I'm going to Google this podcasting fyi fyi i didn't think podcast i'm going to google this podcasting thing let's see problem is my parents probably still don't listen well release it on eight track maybe they'll listen yeah my cake story i like cake a lot uh but i was at an edge fest one year this is going way back, maybe 2000 or something.
Starting point is 01:12:45 And the headliner, don't laugh, the headliner was Nickelback. Somebody had to buy millions of their albums. That was me. I bought millions of their albums. But Cake was on, I believe Cake was on,
Starting point is 01:12:59 maybe they were the band on before Nickelback. They opened for Nickelback? Well, remember, it's Edge Fest, so there's like 10 bands or something. It was like a festival. And there's two stages, but on the main stage, just before Nickelback? Well, remember, it's Edgefest, so there's like 10 bands or something. It's like a festival. And there's two stages, but on the main stage, just before Nickelback was Cake. And Cake's being Cake, but the crowd is a Nickelback crowd
Starting point is 01:13:13 looking for Nickelback. And as I recall, and I had a good view of this, I was in the middle of this crowd, they started throwing bottles, like plastic water bottles at Cake. And Cake threatened to leave the stage if they didn't bottles, like plastic water bottles, at Cake. What? And Cake threatened to leave the stage if they didn't stop,
Starting point is 01:13:29 and then they just did it more. And Cake, like, abandoned the set after, like, three songs or something. What? Did they at least get to Short Spirit Long Jacket? I don't even remember. Oh, my goodness. And I don't know if the crowd thought, like, getting rid of Cake would bring Nickel back on sooner,
Starting point is 01:13:44 because that's not how it worked. You know what I think? I think that everybody in that crowd thought like getting rid of cake would bring nickel back on sooner because that's not how it works. You know what I think? I think that everybody in that crowd had a 647. That's what I think. They were 905ers and 647 area code people. Probably. It was in Barry.
Starting point is 01:13:56 I don't know. That's a 705. Oh, 705. By the way, how are you with your episode number? Like 373? Is that okay? I think my... I'll be honest.
Starting point is 01:14:08 I only want honesty on this program. Can we do something? Can I ask a favor? Can I ask a favor? Change the number? Now, I know that you can't really go up and you can't really go down because this is unfair to the person before or the person after me, but can we do this to just sort of zhuzh it up a bit?
Starting point is 01:14:25 I'm open to anything. Why? Can we go 373.6? Episode 373.6. Strombo was episode 103, and he asked if he could be episode 102.1. See, that's cheesy. That's the difference. That's the difference.
Starting point is 01:14:43 Just if we could do 373.6. How does that sound? Well, after. We'll talk after. I'm open, but we'll see. We'll talk. This jam, great inspirational choice up next. And it's a nice long jam, so we get to hear lots of your story.
Starting point is 01:14:57 Okay, let's see. Is this the one with the quiet opening? I only take the versions on the albums. I don't do radio edits, unless it's specifically requested. Oh, here we go. No, no, no. That's where it is. I'm not a love song person.
Starting point is 01:15:22 There are like three love songs. Four love songs that I love. This is one of them. Because you know I sent you... So I wanted to put somebody from Depeche Mode on here because somebody has a song that talks about... It verbalizes what I'm looking for when I think of a great person, romantic or not, just a person in your life. But then the songs that really affect me, Unchained Melody is something beautiful,
Starting point is 01:16:04 Righteous Brothers, It's an incredible song. I didn't put that on my list. I couldn't be that selfish by adding all of these songs for you to choose from. But I gave you either this or Don't Worry Baby from the Beach Boys. And you ended up ultimately without me saying anything. You chose this, which is perfect because as the researcher that I am, because I research every little thing, I enjoy research. Funny, I hated school, but boy, oh boy, do I love learning. And when I researched this song just the other day,
Starting point is 01:16:38 I discovered that one of the collaborators on All I Want Is You was Van Dyke Parks, who collaborated with the Beach Boys. And on the B side of All I Want is You from U2, they did a cover of Unchained Melody. Wow! So this was the perfect ultimate song for me to choose because it encompasses all of mine after I justify it like that.
Starting point is 01:16:58 I would say this may be, might be my favorite U2 song. And there's a lot of great U2 songs. There's something special about this song. It's very special. And the video was great too, right? The little person.
Starting point is 01:17:11 I always wish that it were a movie. Yes, I just watched the video the other day. There's a big debate online. What? If you haven't seen the video. Who actually dies at the end of this video? There's a very big debate going on. It's been going on for years.
Starting point is 01:17:28 People keep bumping it up on Reddit. You know, I haven't seen it in, I would guess I haven't seen that video in 15 years. Oh, you're going to watch it tonight now because now you've got to figure it out. I do remember a death. I kind of remember a grave or dirt or something. I have to revisit.
Starting point is 01:17:43 And I remember when Game of Thrones first hit, I remember thinking it is, yeah, I abandoned ship because I was bored by it. I think I'm the only person on the planet
Starting point is 01:17:52 who didn't love Game of Thrones. You're talking to the only person on the planet who's never seen Star Wars, so. Oh, that's interesting.
Starting point is 01:17:59 I've seen Star Wars but I've never seen Game of Thrones either. Well, far more people have not seen Game of Thrones than have not seen Star Wars, I would reckon. seen Game of Thrones either. Well, far more people have not seen Game of Thrones than have not seen Star Wars, I would reckon. But what was I saying?
Starting point is 01:18:08 Oh, yeah, when Peter Dinklage stars, he's a little person who stars in Game of Thrones. He's very good. But I had a moment of like, is he the guy from the All I Need Is You video? Like, All I Want Is You video? Because in my head, and I hadn't seen the video in a long time,
Starting point is 01:18:23 they look similar. They're not the same person, I'm here to tell you. Bono just lost his voice, I was reading, in Berlin. But I guess he had to stop a concert in Berlin because his voice gave out.
Starting point is 01:18:36 Well, the way he sings, I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, the amount of years that man has been singing for and the way he sings, how he can still speak is incredible. It's amazing. Like his voice, it's one of those also that it's, I can't imagine a really great cover
Starting point is 01:18:56 of this. There are some songs you can cover. I don't know. If you think that you can cover this song and beat Bono, I would love to hear it. I don't know if it gets more spectacular. Can any U2 song be covered? Because it's such a distinctive sound, like the edge guitar work and everything.
Starting point is 01:19:13 I can't even think of one. Can you think of one? Maybe one or something. With or Without You, my younger brother's a musician. He does that. I might be a little bit biased but he does that pretty well that's another of my favorite u2 songs with or without you i like to see josh
Starting point is 01:19:32 are we from the same family or something because everybody likes the earlier stuff right like war and boy and all that stuff and they like that or whatever but i i'm of an age where uh the big album for me was the joshua tree was the big album and then I went out and because I loved the Joshua Tree I was right away I had to get Rattle and Hum and then Rattle and Hum became my favorite U2 album. True story. And then everything after that
Starting point is 01:19:56 I was kind of under, Octung Baby was fine but then I kind of jumped off the U2 ship and I was kind of underwhelmed by everything. You know what's so interesting? I like how you bring people onto your show and by sharing their stories about music, it brings out, and it's super cool, it brings out your stories too. Music helps in storytelling. So here's just like a tip to anybody who's going on a date because people are always afraid, you know, they don't know what to talk about. They don't know how to talk about music and it will happen. It's so funny, you know, just talking about people don't know what to talk about they don't know how to talk about talk about music and it will happen it's so funny you know just talking about people don't know what to
Starting point is 01:20:27 talk about people whenever they come on my show they say i don't know if i have an interesting story i don't know if i have anything to talk about everybody has a story there's nobody who doesn't have a story everybody has a story just you know maybe listen to a song and it will help reawaken that but it's so funny like people would always ask they always say you know i maybe listen to a song and it will help reawaken that. But it's so funny, like people would always ask, they always say, you know, can I have a list of questions? Like when you go out for coffee with a friend, do you ask them to give you a list of questions before you sit down for your coffee?
Starting point is 01:20:54 I would refuse, I would refuse. Yeah, you just talk. Just people, you know, they'll say to me that I have like, people will tell me I've got really interesting stories or this and that. I don't think it's that I have really interesting stories. I just choose to share my stories and a lot of people don't.
Starting point is 01:21:09 That's right. That's right. I sometimes get that I'll ask somebody on I want to talk to because I think they're interesting and they'll be like, oh, I'm pretty boring.
Starting point is 01:21:17 I don't know. If you want, I'll come on, but I don't think I'm going to say it. Meanwhile, it's like, are you, like get with the false modesty or whatever. Like, are you kidding me?
Starting point is 01:21:24 Everybody has a story. Everybody's got you kidding me? Everybody has a story. Everybody's got a cool story. Everybody has their shit. Yeah, I said shit. Sorry, mom and dad. But everybody's got a story.
Starting point is 01:21:32 Your parents would be offended by the S word. But they would just say that this is not the forum in which to use it. That it's good at because sometimes I used to,
Starting point is 01:21:42 I used to always for Kick Out of the Jams, I started with a different version of my theme to always for Kick Out of the Jams I started with a different version of my theme song that opened with Kick Out of the Jams Mother Effers and that's how
Starting point is 01:21:51 I used to open and it wasn't Mother Effers it was the MC5 Full Real Deal but I don't do that anymore although I think I'm going
Starting point is 01:21:58 to bring it back but your parents You should do it for this episode. You should do it for episode 373.6. We're live. We're live to tape here, Dahlia.
Starting point is 01:22:05 I've already recorded that opening. Only once did I not record the opening live, and never again will that happen. Are you ready to kick out another jam? Let's do it. Nobody knows what this is yet. What would I give to live where you are? What would I pay to stay here beside you?
Starting point is 01:22:51 What would I do to see you smiling at me? Little mermaid. Where would we walk? Where would we run? If we could stay all day in the sun, just you and me, and I could be part of your world So this song, it's funny because in the movie Little Mermaid, Ariel loses her voice. It's the Disney movie, Ariel Loses Her Voice. And this song gave me my voice. It taught me how to sing because I would sing in the shower this is my shower song um to
Starting point is 01:23:28 this day i sing this song in the shower um i ended up you know i got i got paid to sing i did musical theater i did the touring production of big comfy couch written by erica m by the way first of all where'd i go? For Alison Court, somebody's supposed, is it Stu Stone who's supposed to put Alison Court on this show? Alison Court is the
Starting point is 01:23:50 Big Comfy Couch chick, right? I think so. Lunette? Lunette, yeah, yeah, yeah. On the TV show. I only know her from TV. I didn't know her
Starting point is 01:23:57 from the musical theater. I did the stage production. How is Erica M involved again? She wrote the stage production of Big Comfy Couch. Are you friends with Erica? No, I don't. We're not friends.
Starting point is 01:24:09 I know where she lives, though. I'm going to knock on her door and tell her she has to come on. She said she didn't want to talk about much music, so I uninvited her. We agreed for her not to come on because I couldn't have her on without talking about much music. I thought I had a bad version, but I took this from the original soundtrack recording
Starting point is 01:24:28 of the little mermaid. No, it's, it's, um. But you did musical theater. You did, uh, that's amazing. So you sang for a living. You're a ping pong expert and a singer. Well, you know, I never said I was a good singer, um that song is probably it's funny because when I played that for my mom the other day she thought it was me singing and I thought wow that's a
Starting point is 01:24:52 fabulous compliment but that I I always wanted singing lessons and uh you know my parents couldn't afford it so a lot of the lessons and it's funny this now goes back to George Strombolopoulos so I'll rewind a bit so I sang this song this song sort of taught me how to find my voice I always sang in the shower I learned how to sing through this and copying Ariel in Little Mermaid and I have always learned how to do things better on my own and one of them happened that night at the Playboy Club. George Strombolopoulos was there. And I remember I was more focused on these girls than I was on my conversation with him
Starting point is 01:25:38 because they were booty popping. And they were the best booty poppers I had ever seen in my life. What are we doing here? Is this a drug or a dance move? Booty popping, the twerking. Oh yeah, I know twerking. Twerking, twerking.
Starting point is 01:25:50 Miley Cyrus and all that twerking. Oh yes, this is like, yeah. This is before Miley could twerk. And so I was- Booty popping, yes. I can envision a booty popper. I thought that I was watching like a DMX video. It was sensational.
Starting point is 01:26:05 And I followed one of these girls to the washroom. Excuse me, George. I need to go to the washroom. I followed one of these girls to the washroom and I asked her, excuse me, can you please tell me the secret? How do you dance like that? And she said, this is all you have to know. Go home. Practice every single day for a year. I did that in my bedroom mirror every day for a year. And then it just happens. You can just do it. You get really good. I took her advice. I brushed my teeth, booty popped.
Starting point is 01:26:41 I was getting changed in front of the mirror booty popping and then all of a sudden about one year later i was like i gotta go back to the playboy club in vegas i could do this now and you booty popped in vegas no i haven't been back but i need to go back still because now i can do it now i mean i don't think i'll ever be i know we're a podcast but after this i gotta see it's so uncomfortable I hate telling people that I could do it because then
Starting point is 01:27:07 they ask you to do it and that's even worse when people ask you to do it I'm not supposed to do those things I'm not supposed to swear I'm not supposed to like party up by DMX sure
Starting point is 01:27:19 you are because you're you're you yes of course you can booty pop very normal things I'd say. That's what you expect from a talk show host, right? Are you ready for another jam? Yes, please. Get me out of this mess.
Starting point is 01:27:36 Oh, my God. Am I ever a person full of contradictions. So this is Nat King. But this song, many people don't realize it's written by St. Charles Chapel. And since I was a little girl, I've had this fascination, like I said,
Starting point is 01:28:09 with the 20s and, you know, days of yore. And I was always fascinated by Charlie Chaplin. I thought he was a genius. And I recognized this when I was very, very young. I was about to say very little and then you'd be like, you still are. I wouldn't say that. I'm still young, too. But I loved Charlie Chaplin so much, so I learned about his life. You know, so incredible. And there's a few things about this.
Starting point is 01:28:37 One, you know, I've always been able to do lots of different things, and I find that people don't take you as seriously when you of different things. And I find that people don't take you as seriously when you do different things. Because if you're a restaurant, if you're a Thai restaurant, it's kind of weird if you put Italian on your menu, right? But that's what Charlie Chaplin was. He was like a buffet of all these different abilities. He was a buffet of abilities.
Starting point is 01:29:08 And people didn't recognize all of those amazing things he had but he made it work and I try to negotiate that I've got different skills and abilities and it's almost like one will overshadow another and then that one isn't taken seriously and that one isn't taken seriously and it almost makes you want to give up sometimes, right? Because you're like, what's the point? What's the point? But he kept going and he persevered and work was life to him because it was so enjoyable. And that's what I aim for it to be with me,
Starting point is 01:29:37 for meaningful. And the other side of this is that I used to be a Charlie Chaplin impersonator. Get out of here. I was. Ping pong and Charlie Chaplin impersonator. Get out of here. I was. Ping pong and Charlie Chaplin impersonation. My menu's all over the place. Yeah, it's a lot of diversity at play there.
Starting point is 01:29:55 This song was, he composed it for Modern Times. Yes. That's the movie. And I don't think, from my Googling yesterday, it seems like it was instrumental for decades maybe before there was words to this song. Yes. Well, he worked with the people who did write the lyrics for it.
Starting point is 01:30:13 Nat King Cole was not one of the people behind the lyrics, but I feel as though there are different versions. Judy Garland sang it. Dean Martin sang it. Something about Nat King Cole, the way he delivers it, resonates most. And also just the words itself, I feel like they mean exactly what the
Starting point is 01:30:31 music, it just vocalized and verbalized the music that Charlie wrote for it. That's my favorite version too, is this Nat King Cole version. And thank you for asking which version, because I never specified and then you were thoughtful enough to ask.
Starting point is 01:30:48 Always. I got to get this right. Your jams are very important. I can't get the wrong version of a jam. And I can't wait to play this jam because I'm quite familiar with it and it's fantastic and it's your final jam. Yeah. Are you ready yes it just makes you like you're bouncing right if you could booty pop you do booty popping right now i have to see it in action maybe i can't
Starting point is 01:31:19 so i'm gonna need somebody's this is. So. I'm gonna need somebody's help. This is a song that came out maybe three years ago. I'm gonna need someone to hold me down. Yeah, okay, we'll go with that. I don't know. I only was introduced to it like about a year ago. Nate Radcliffe and the Night Sweats, S.O.B. And I always find it so funny that radio had a different version where they did Son of a Gun.
Starting point is 01:31:43 Come on, just say son of a bitch already my parents won't get mad at you for that because this song is the only current day modern song that my dad and i could really my dad loves the song it's funny because when i was giving him the list of the songs that i had coming up and I hadn't hit the song yet and he says to me what about that SOB song is it on the list I'm like yes that's coming that's coming it's a cool jam like it's got that old flavor kind of that old preacher kind of cool uh rock type of thing yeah it's great it's catchy and you know for me the the big thing that drove this home, and it also drove home the big theme on my list,
Starting point is 01:32:29 is just my dad, right? It's that connection. And it's just interesting for me to see how so much of this list that you asked me to compile, it was such an exercise to realize what a huge influence my father has been on my life even though if you were to ask him he'd probably say my mom and if you were to ask my mom well i'm gonna ask you we yeah what about will your mom be uh disappointed there's no mom inspired songs on this list her songs were way too much i just couldn't handle it i just couldn't she wanted a john denver song
Starting point is 01:33:05 she wanted she loves we already have an artist who died in a plane crash we can't have yeah we can't do that we can't do that again but look my my mom is um my mom is my everything she's my best friend she's but i don't think that my father has always felt that same recognition because he's not the one that I would spend all of my time with, but he's in my head more so than anybody, I would imagine, and I would imagine more so than ever after compiling this list. Everything's got to happen. everything's fantastic there's so many songs that put Zonda
Starting point is 01:33:53 on this list because she was a huge influence wait who sorry? Cyndi Lauper huge influence I always thought had she wanted the business part of the business,
Starting point is 01:34:08 she would have been bigger than Madonna. Well, she has a much better voice than Madonna. And she's just cool. Madonna's an incredible business person. Cyndi Lauper is the artist, and I feel as though, you know, I feel this sort of likeness to Cyndi in that my inability to do business
Starting point is 01:34:28 is what gets in the way of pushing my art forward i'm not a good business person and so i wish i had more madonna in me but i appreciate uh you know people like cindy and I appreciate artists so very much. Speaking of Roy, you like Roy Orbison. Love Roy Orbison. She does Joe Volnite, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah, Sydney's, I would say she's underrated. That's what I would say about Sydney Lauper. I remember when I was a little girl, I
Starting point is 01:35:00 dressed up as her for Halloween one time and I was on transit because, you you know at 10 years old eight years old seven six I took the bus alone for the first time when I was six but yeah I was an independent little pup but um Cindy Lauper I dressed up as her for Halloween and this is like past the Cindy Lauper days right like I'm always beyond uh she's so unusual which is her big yeah I'm like i'm always i'm i'm always like 20 years behind even though technologically speaking in so many ways i'm
Starting point is 01:35:29 ahead by 20 years but i'm like 20 years behind in a lot of ways and i was dressed up like cindy lauper and i was so proud of myself i did my own makeup i did my hair i had on different color socks the whole deal and uh a girl on the bus asked me if I was a hooker. I didn't even know what a hooker was. I was going to a Halloween party at the library. Oh, but Goonies video. Do you remember the Goonies are good enough for me? I know the video, but I never saw the Goonies. Yeah, okay.
Starting point is 01:35:59 So the video, though, had like WWF wrestlers in it. And I know in the video for, of course, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, which, by the way, is a cover song. People think that's a Sidney Lauper song. That's a cover. But Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Captain Lou Albano plays the father in that video. I remember there was a big WWF guy. That's why there's an Andre the Giant mug there.
Starting point is 01:36:18 Andre the Giant! Yeah, but there was so much Sidney Lauper, WWF overlap. I had Brutus the Barber Beefcake on my show. That was funny. He tried to cut my hair. Yeah, Brutus the Barber Beefcake. Him and Rowdy Roddy Piper, my favorite wrestler, had a big feud. I had a crush on Ricky the Dragon Steamboat.
Starting point is 01:36:39 Of course. Did he murder somebody? Don't ruin his reputation for me right now. I have childhood dreams. We'll Google that one later. His big move was off the top shelf. No, yeah, that was Superfly Snuka. Who was Ricky the Dragon?
Starting point is 01:36:54 I'm trying to remember his signature move, but that takes me way back, man. Back when WrestleMania I, II, and III, those three seemed like they were the biggest things in the world back then. I remember Macho Man Randy Savage. Oh, yeah. 1, 2, and 3. Those three, they seemed like they were the biggest things in the world back then. Cindy was right there. Macho Man Randy Savage. Macho Man Randy Savage. That's my...
Starting point is 01:37:12 Intercontinental heavyweight champion. Heavyweight champion. They invented a new belt. I never understood the difference between Intercontinental and world. They invented it, I guess, because they wanted Hulk to be the champion of the belt, and they wanted to have some more title fights. But they didn't want to take the...
Starting point is 01:37:27 So I think they just invented this intercontinental heavyweight. It was just a second tier. I'm the intercontinental radio broadcasting champion of the world. How about that? And you were a great jam kicker. And I'm really glad you came to share those stories with you. Thank you so much for giving me this therapy session. glad you came to share those stories with you. Thank you so much for giving me
Starting point is 01:37:43 this therapy session. And that brings us to the end of our 373rd show. Point six. Point six. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at Toronto Mike. Dahlia, what's your Twitter handle? At Dahlia Kurtz. D-A-H-L-I-A-K-U-R-T-Z.
Starting point is 01:38:01 And our friends at Great Lakes Brewery are at Great Lakes Beer. Propertyinthe6.com is at Raptors Devotee. And PayTM is at PayTM Canada. And the Royal Pains are at Royal Pains Band. See you all next week. I wonder who, yeah, I wonder who, maybe the one who doesn't realize there's a thousand shades of gray. Cause I know that's true, yes I do, I know it's true, yeah, I know it's true.

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