Fans of radio’s Morning Sedition can meet co-hosts Marc Maron and Mark Riley this Friday, Oct. 7 as they air their morning news show from 6 to 9 a.m. at legendary Maxwell’s in Hoboken.
Jersey rocker Ted Leo will be the musical guest.
The daily news show, which airs on liberal talk radio network “Air America,” gives listeners an in-depth view of the news along with detailed commentary, including stories that aren’t covered by mainstream media. Past guests include: Bill Clinton, Pat Buchanan, Tim Robbins, Michael Stipe, Will Ferrell, Rev. Al Sharpton, and more.
Todd Abramson and Dave Post, owners of Maxwell’s since 1998, have already received calls from local businesses willing to supply coffee and rolls.
“We expect a decent turnout,” said Post. “People already know about [the live broadcast].”
“I think that now more than ever, people need to be politically aware and active,” said Abramson. “Especially given everything that is going on in the country and the world.”
The interview
Mark Riley and senior producer Dan Pashman answered a few questions via e-mail, and co-host Marc Maron was available by phone. The pauses noted in Marc Maron’s interview are meant to draw attention to Maron’s excellent comedic timing.
HC: Why Hoboken? Do you have feelings about the city?
Riley: Hoboken is historic in a lot of ways. Maxwell’s is probably the most legendary rock venue in Jersey besides the Stone Pony. Hoboken represents a special part of Jersey. It’s urban, but a small town geographically. It’s no accident it was the first place people moved when rents got too high in the city.
Maron: We have a lot of Jersey listeners. We have gotten a lot of requests to do a show in Jersey.
Pashman: We wanted to reach out to New Jersey, we know we have a lot of listeners there. When we do our live broadcasts in New York, a lot of people come in, and they’ve been asking us to come to Jersey, so we wanted to show them that we appreciate their support.
HC: Is any attention going to be given to Maxwell’s? Is that the reason you are doing the show there? Will you have a special musical guest for that show?
Pashman: Maxwell’s is one of the top music venues in New Jersey, and it’s an established part of the Hoboken community. Everyone in Hoboken knows Maxwell’s. We like to support local businesses that are active in their communities when we do live shows, so Maxwell’s was an obvious choice.
Editor’s note: It was revealed Monday that Ted Leo, New Jersey resident and rock musician, is confirmed as the musical guest.
HC: Do you think this will become a regular episode – going to Hoboken?
Pashman: If we have as many people there as we hope and expect, I’d think there will be demand for us to return.
HC: How different are the hosts?
Riley: We’re both named Mark, so we’re not that different, but [Maron] spells his with a “c.” We come from different backgrounds, and I’m a little older. But there are some striking similarities, certain sensibilities with regard to music and culture. On its face we may seem different, but I don’t know if that withstands close scrutiny.
Maron: He’s older. He’s black. There are two differences. (pause) He’s old school. He’s always working the angles. He’s got a really, really good memory, where he can work it because he remembers. I don’t work the angles. I’m a lot more reactionary, fly by the seat of pants.
HC: Do you consider yourself to be a liberal? I’m curious because New Jersey is a very conservative or at least Republican state.
Riley: No, absolutely not. Because it’s the most overused word in the English language. I’m a progressive. I like progress. I think progressive puts it in a completely different frame, in terms of what I want to see accomplished. As a progressive, I want to see progress.
Maron: Definitely. But sometimes I find liberals irritating. (pause) Politics are so entrenched in the economy. I think there is a general sense of disengagement. There are people out there that really care, but are unable to do anything. The only hope we have is the extremists out there. There were 200,000 people involved in the anti-war protest. People are starting to wake up a little bit. I was always reactionary.
Editor’s note: Maron is referring to the anti-war protest against the war in Iraq held in DC several weeks ago.
HC: Talk about the live shows.
Riley: Live radio is a special challenge. You need more adrenaline; you have to be more attuned to your surroundings. You have to be aware that you’re playing to your live audience and your audience listening on the radio at the same time. And if you do a good job, you take special pride in it, because it’s more difficult to do. I’d say we’ve gotten pretty good at it.
Maron: I love doing live shows. Part of my being is to be in front of a live audience, because in the studio, I’m just playing to Mark. I like it. You can hear the laughter. You can feel the energy. You don’t hear laughter in the studio really.
Pashman: We’ve been doing live shows around the New York area for a few months now, and the crowds keep growing. There are usually people camped outside before we open the doors at 6 a.m. The crowd builds steadily from there. Brendan McDonald [the show’s other senior producer] and I could probably stay up all night and produce the live shows because they are such an adrenaline rush and they go by so quickly. In Chelsea we got a standing ovation. It’s definitely the closest thing to a party on the radio.
About the show…
The co-hosts of Morning Sedition are assisted by newsreaders Rachel Maddow and Wayne Gilman. Maddow also has her own show, The Rachel Maddow Show, which airs 5 to 6 a.m. on Air America.
Mark Riley is a veteran talk show host who had exclusive interviews with President Bill Clinton, President Nelson Mandela, Governor Christine Whitman, Spike Lee, Bill Cosby, Muhammed Ali, and others. In addition to the radio show, he has appeared on CNN (Reporter’s Roundtable), Fox News Channel, The Charles Grodin Show, BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley, and appears on New York News 1.
Marc Maron, comedian, is the author of the book and one-man show, Jerusalem Syndrome. In addition to the live radio show, he appears in comedy clubs around Manhattan. This Friday and Saturday night he will perform at The Improv, 318 West 53rd St., at 8 and 10:30 p.m.
Morning Sedition can be heard on Air America Radio 1190 AM or seen live from Hoboken at Maxwell’s, 1039 Washington St., on Friday, Oct. 7 from 6 to 9 a.m. For more information on the show visit: www.airamericaradio.com.