The Mediocre Show

This article first appeared in The W Weekly in Lexington, Kentucky in 2005.

Philadelphia’s Mediocre Show is something of a podcast success story. Self-described “assholes with tattoos, microphones, and nothing to lose,” Eric Tomorrow and Taylor R. may soon become the first podcasters to go from the home studio to satellite radi o. Since beginning the podcast in the Fall of 2005 they have garnered a review in the February 2006 issue of Maxim magazine, a pilot for Sirius Satellite radio, and countless loyal listeners.

They began the show from the country, with Eric in Philadelphia and Taylor in Portland, Oregon. With the possibility of a full-time slot on Sirius, Taylor recently moved to Philly to be closer to Mediocre Show’s home base. Eric and Taylor suggest that their show has a similar aesthetic of hanging out with “two of your drunk friends.” Listeners can expect ubiquitous drops of the f-bomb, stories about Canadian hookers, and music from rising hard-core punk bands. There are also recurring bits such as the “Top 5” and “I Love You – I Hate You,” a unique spin on the “I Saw You” feature in newspaper classified sections.

Even though “it’s all about the content,” it also doesn’t hurt to have top-notch recording equipment and a degree in audio engineering. Graduating from Full Sail recording school, Eric painstakingly records and edits the shows to perfection. As simple as it sounds, one of the main things that sets The Mediocre Show apart from other podcasts are its “station-IDs.” Taking a note from conventional radio stations, they frequently drop 10 second intermissions throughout the show, breaking up the conversation and drastically increasing the show’s listen ability.

Keeping their show “very grassroots,” Eric and Taylor realize the importance of their fans and pride themselves on connecting with them through email, forums, Myspace, and a listener comment line. They also continually brainstorm new ideas for listener interaction such as their recent “Summer of Awesome” compilation CDs. Here, listeners can email Mp3s of their favorite summer-themed songs to the hosts, which will then be made available as free downloads to everyone in a three-part series, one for each month of the summer.

Mediocre Show releases two to three new episodes every week, with a little over 40 back episodes available through iTunes and their website, www.mediocreshow.com. Although they are aiming for a permanent spot on satellite radio, the duo makes it clear that they will still stay true to their roots and continue releasing Mediocre Show podcasts should a satellite radio show develop.

You can find The Mediocre Show in the iTunes music store. They also have a listener comment line at (206) 666-5900.