Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Toronto Mike'd #1000

Episode Date: February 17, 2022

In this 1000th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike plays audio submissions from FOTMs and reacts. This episode is exactly 5:40:37. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Canna Cabana, StickerYou, Ridley Funeral Home and Patrons like you.

Welcome to another edition of A Crazy Little Thing Called History. Today we look at the date September the 4th. On September 4th, 1833, 10-year-old Barney Flaherty was hired as the first newsboy for the New York Sun. Extry, extry, read all about it. Newsboy for the New York Sun. X-tree, X-tree, read all about it. In 1911, French aviator Roland Garros set the world altitude record of nearly 14,000 feet. Tennis anyone?

In 1981, Beyoncé Knowles was born. And on September 4th, 2012, this happened. So this is the first one, Rosie, and I'll do a more formal introduction in a bit, but I just wanted to have a very brief discussion about what the heck this podcast is. Podcast? Yeah, it's a podcast. That's right, Rosie, a podcast. A young upstart, Toronto Mike, introduced his first podcast, Toronto Miked.

Clever. Congratulations, Mike, on number 1,000. We can't wait to hear the next 1,000 podcasts because you're just swell. Welcome to episode 1000 of Toronto Mic'd. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. A fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer.

Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. StickerU.com. Create custom stickers, labels, tattoos, and decals for your home and your business. Palma Pasta. Enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. Ridley Funeral Home. Pillars of the community since 1921.

And Canna Cabana. The lowest prices on cannabis. Guaranteed. Over 100 stores across the country. Learn more at canacabana.com. Let's see, it's February 2022.

The first episode of Toronto Mic'd was recorded in August 2012. Some quick calculations tell me that it took a bit less than 10 years, I'd say 9.5 years, to reach 1,000 episodes. This episode's going to be a little different because I'm going to play audio submissions from FOTMs, and I'll try to share the Toronto Mike story

as we listen to these familiar voices. Thanks to FOTM Jeff Lumby for the opening clip. Take a naturally curious cat, introduce him to WKRP when he's a young boy, have him fall in love with radio, and then, when technology catches up, give him a blog where he can post daily and be one of the few people to actually cover radio.

I started torontomic.com, the blog, back in 1999. In fact, there's an FOTM who takes credit for the blog, which, of course, eventually evolved into a podcast. But more on that later, after we hear from Mark Carey. My name is Mark Carey, and I helped Toronto Mike get started in the world of web blogging and podcasting. It started more than 20 years ago when I came across a free domain name service, and knowing Mike was into anything

with a price ticket of zero, I sent him a message, and he registered mikeboone.com. And that was, as they say, history. From there, he got into blogging, and unlike me, I've never been able to be very consistent in blogging. Mike was the opposite. He would post every week, every year, and I think he's probably got 20,000 blog posts now.

I don't know what the number is, and now, amazingly, 1,000 podcast episodes, which I think is just unbelievable. It's awesome. Congrats, Mike. Mark Carey does deserve a lot of credit here. We were working together in 99. We hit it off right away.

We're the same age. We had the similar, very similar musical tastes. And he did start me off with the blog. And being a prolific blogger suddenly jump into the podcast realm almost 10 years ago? Well, we can blame Humble and Fred for that. Hey, by the way, did you want to do a moment here? Maybe we should do that. Yes. Why are we being silent? Let's do a moment of silence.

The storm yesterday. Is that when it was? That's funny. Yes. We'd like to stop now for a moment of silence for this show. No, I wanted to take a second and talk a little bit about our friend Toronto Mike, who is about to record his 1000th episode of Toronto Mike, the podcast. And if you don't already know, it's one of the most popular podcasts, long running.

He's been doing it almost as long as we have. And often he so nicely says that we inspired him to do it. But I'll just say flatly that we wouldn't be recording whatever number of episodes this is if it wasn't for toronto mike a toronto mike that's true and you know what's impressive about toronto mike and his run as a podcaster you know you and i had the benefit of starting with a brand you know that gives that gives you a hand up, a step up. It really does. Mike really started from nothing.

He created his brand through his website, but really through his podcast. He didn't have the advantage we did out of the gate. And look what he's built. Look what he's accomplished. A job well done. Yeah, it's very impressive. And maybe we don't do it enough, but I can tell you, but he's accomplished a job well done. Yeah, it's very impressive. And then I say we always, and maybe we don't do it enough,

but I can tell you, Freddie and I, a lot of people helped us to get to 10 years and now into our 11th year. Really, a lot of people gave us a step up. We talked about Julie Adam last week and Gary Slade and others. But really, we wouldn't be doing this if Mike hadn't introduced the concept to us. And this was years before we started doing it. In 2006, at Dan's Place was our first ever, you know, internet radio broadcast at the time, a podcast.

But Mike was really solely responsible for us getting our heads around this. But Mike was really solely responsible for us getting our heads around this. And you've said this many times. Technically, as well as content curation, but technically he's been invaluable. Well, in 10 plus years, it doesn't matter. I really, we really never stumped him. Within moments, you give the guy a call and whatever the problem is, it's been fixed. Again, to him, it's elementary. To to us it seems insurmountable at moments but he's always been there for us on all those levels he really has he's a good he's so a thousand episodes that

means interviewed a thousand people pardon me pretty much yeah well or more or more uh because some of his episodes you know feature more than one person but let me just wrap by saying on behalf of the management and staff of the humble and fred show of which he's won uh we just want to wish uh toronto mike and toronto miked the podcast our heartiest congratulations dan might you say something uh to dan to what's his name to mike to dan mike's name yeah to the guy we're talking about that guy yeah mike has been great you are right whenever you call him he's got the answers or at least we'll look for you know work with you on the answers and uh yeah he's been like like, I met Mike before you guys, actually, because he was just in the neighborhood that I was hanging out in.

And he's always had that passion. And that's definitely how he's gotten to a thousand episodes, because he's really into it. He loves it. Stop. Edit. Now, a three-hour episode, does that count as one or two or three? Mike. It might surprise my friend Fred

Patterson to learn that the average length of a Humble and Fred podcast episode is two hours. So the man is not practicing what he preaches. And wait till he finds out about this Rogan guy. I've told this story a hundred times and I'll try to tell it really quickly, but in 2005, Freddie P from Humble and Fred gets fired from Mix 99.9. In 2006, Humble Howard Glassman gets fired from Mix 99.9. I had become friendly with Humble shortly thereafter and he introduced me to Fred. In December 2006, the guys wanted to broadcast together and no radio station would hire them. And I helped them podcast for the first time.

We got together at Dan Duran's house in West Toronto and we recorded some audio and then I made it a podcast. This was the very first time I technically produced a podcast, December 2006. It was the very first time I technically produced a podcast, December 2006. It was Humble and Fred. Fast forward to 2011. Humble and Fred decided they're going to record daily and make a living out of it.

As they'd say at the time, an adult wage. And as I speak to you now, I'm their producer. I produce Humble and Fred, their podcast. But watching them do their thing a little over 10 years ago absolutely inspired Toronto Mic'd because I would see somebody would come over, I don't know, like a Tyler Stewart from Barenaked Ladies, and I'd think to myself,

oh, I have questions for Tyler. What if I invited Tyler Stewart to my house and asked him questions? The rest is history, 1,000 episodes later, but I owe Humble and Fred a debt of gratitude because not only did they inspire this podcast, but for the first 19 episodes, they lent me their studio. That's right. The first 19 episodes of Toronto Mic'd were recorded in the Humble and Fred studio. That brings me to Rosie. When I had the idea for Toronto Mic'd, the name came to me instantly, Toronto Mic'd. Monica, my wife, helped me with a logo. But at the beginning, I needed a co-host. I just wanted somebody I could shoot

the breeze with. It wasn't what it became at this point. And my first thought was my dear friend, Rosie. Mike, my dear friend, Mike. 10 years ago, you told me about a podcast you wanted to start and asked if I'd join you. I said, for sure, because we always made each other laugh in school and I like to laugh, so why not? We had so much fun and I'm so proud of how much you've grown this and the very cool community it's brought together. I wish you thousands more episodes. I know you have it in you. You may not be everyone's cup of tea, but you are definitely a bottomless one.

Love to you and everyone who supports you, especially the OG crew, Rick C, Cheryl, Roshan, Liz, Anthony, and of course, dear Andrew, who taught you how to make all these words coming out of our faces actually sound good. Stay on that mic forever, my friend. Bye for now. Thanks, Rosie. Rosie was my co-host for the first few dozen episodes of Toronto Mic'd. Rosie was my co-host for the first few dozen episodes of Toronto Mic'd. We miss her on the show, but she helped me get rolling 9.5 years ago,

and I'll never forget that. So I had a co-host to start, but I also wanted an original theme song. My good friend Mike Kick had a buddy who produced and rapped as Ill Vibe. So Mike Kick introduced me to Ill Vibe. Ill Vibe and I hit it off, and Illy was kind enough to record the original theme song for Toronto Mic'd, which I've played, I guess, a thousand times now. I told Ill Vibe I wanted the As It Happens theme song, but cooler, with a little more hip-hop flavor.

Here's Illy. Hey Mike, it's Anthony, a.k.a. Ill Vibe. I just wanted to say congratulations on a thousand episodes. I really appreciate you bringing me into the ecosystem of Toronto Mike by letting me contribute that weird little jingle so many years ago. It's crazy how much has changed in my music career and in your podcast and to still hear the Toronto Mike from so many years ago.

It means a lot to me. I love tuning in and hearing it. So thanks so much for including me and then having me down onto the episode a couple of times to get to see it and experience it for myself. I can't wait to come back again. Here's to a thousand more Toronto Mikes. So I mentioned the first 19 episodes

were recorded in the Humble and Fred studio. But by that point, I realized I needed to control my destiny here. I wanted to build a home studio and learn all the parts, all the pieces that matter. And Rosie recommended I talk to an audio guru. And that audio guru's name is Andrew Stokely. Hi, everyone. This is Andrew, otherwise known as the audio guru for Toronto Mike. Mike I can't believe that you're at episode 1000. I mean it was what 10 years ago when we finally first met with Rosie in those studios

just up the street from my old house and to where you've started and where you've come to has been fantastic and it's been a great pleasure watching you succeed in expanding your audio empire, if you will. It tickles my heart. Anyway, I remember saying to you when you first approached me many years ago about starting your own facility, your own studio, what you would want to do. And I said, listen, you're either going to make it sound great, or you're going to make it sound cheap. And if you want to make it sound cheap, then go find someone else. And I'm glad you took my advice, because I think you do still have one of the best sounding podcasts out there. And I think you can only go further.

Congratulations. I know you've built up this little FOTM group, assembly, you name it. And I'm really happy for you. Of course, you always know where to find me if you have any audio advice. So congratulations on episode 1,000. I am super proud of you. And let the record show, the microphone I'm speaking into right now

is the microphone Andrew Stokely recommended to me nine, yeah, I guess it was about nine years ago when I built this studio. So thank you, Andrew. Couldn't have done it without you. You're a valued FOTM. And thanks for mentioning FOTMs. FOTM stands for Friends of Toronto Mic'd. And I really have tried to cultivate and nurture a community. We meet for TMLX events, Toronto Mic Listener Experiences. There's been eight of them thus far. The pandemic has kind of slowed our roll. But we did have a fantastic TMLX on the patio of Great Lakes Beer in August 2021.

That was also the finale of Pandemic Fridays. But more on that later. And I thought we'd take a moment and just hear from some FOTMs. Now again, there's two different varieties of FOTMs. There are those who have been a guest on Toronto Mic'd, and there are those who are listeners and members of the community. So let's start by hearing from some former guests of Toronto Mic'd. Hello there, Toronto Mic'd. It's Steve Paikin from TVO's The Agenda, and I just wanted to add my voice to the many who want to congratulate you on a thousand shows. That is really quite incredible. I remember well the fact that it took a long time for you to get me into your studio, mostly because you live about 45 minutes away from where I live and work. And as a result, I needed to find a good three or four hour chunk of time to get to you, to do our program, and then to get back to where I am.

And I just had a lot of trouble finding that. I think it took a year for us to finally set up our first interview, but I'm so glad that we did. I remember that during the course of that interview, you played the Tiger Cat fight song, Oski-wee-wee and Oski-wa-wa and on to victory. And that showed me that the guy does his homework and he knows his stuff. You invited me back to talk to Ron Davis. We did a show together, the three of us, which was great fun. And you also had me back to kick out the jams, which, oh my goodness, that was difficult. 10 songs, 10 songs out of the hundreds or who knows even thousands that I love. That was hard to do, but we did it. And I look forward to, you've

already said you want to do this. I look forward to you having me back with Bruce Dobigan as we compare our favorite Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett songs that would be fun too Mike you've done many memorable shows none more so I think than the one you did with Aaron Davis which demonstrated not only your ability to ask the right questions but your ability to do

so in an incredibly empathetic way that's an interview that will stay with me for a very, very long time. It was very well done, and you've done many that have been just excellent. So I take my hat off to you. I congratulate you on 1,000 shows, and I wish you 1,000 more. Be well, my friend. It was worth the wait, Steve.

You've become a valued FOTM. And I love it when I record an episode, I drop it, and a few hours later, I've got feedback from the great Steve Paikin. How about that? Now, Steve mentioned the return of Aaron Davis to Toronto Mic'd. Aaron has been over a couple of times. And the first visit was amazing. But the second visit, I will absolutely never forget. Here's Erin. Hey, Mike, it's nice to talk with you. And congratulations on your 1000th podcast.

I'm very proud to have been a guest a couple of times. But what I love most about your podcast is not only what we hear as fans and listeners to Toronto Mike, but the growth that we've seen over the thousand episodes in you. And I don't want it to sound condescending or like a pat on the head on that fabulous hair, your COVID hair especially. I wouldn't want to touch it and ruin it. But just the fact that you started out almost from a fan's perspective and you were hungry, you were interested, you were eager, and you learned. And your interviews have just gotten so much fuller and more fascinating. And you go places that other people who didn't pay close attention might not go. So congratulations on your blossoming and your growth and your incredible future. I admire your tenacity.

I've got all the respect in the world for you. And hey, thanks again for that ride from the airport. You were my own special Uber that day, and I think I might have been one of the last passengers in that car. So pour one out for whatever that car was, and on we go, wherever the road takes you, Mike. Congratulations. Thanks, Erin. That car was a 1999 Mazda Protege that I drove for 21 years.

When I picked you up at the airport, it was January 2020. So we're just a little pre COVID-19. And it's essentially COVID that killed my Mazda. It would still be running great today, but I couldn't stand seeing it rust away in my driveway because I simply didn't need it when COVID came. And I donated it to the kidney people and they picked it up and I got a $300 tax receipt. And thank you for mentioning my growth and blossoming, as you put it, because I should point out, I have zero broadcasting experience, I have zero broadcasting experience, never worked in radio, never even appeared on the radio. And nine and a half years ago, when I decided to start Toronto Mic'd, I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't know if I could string a sentence together or put a coherent thought towards the microphone. But I thought, let's try this. Let's leave my comfort zone.

Let's see where this goes. And it really did take a number of episodes before I got comfortable. And it took hundreds of episodes until I was any good at it. And I'm still improving, but I will say it's night and day when I compare an early episode to a recent episode in terms of my comfort behind the microphone. in terms of my comfort behind the microphone. Mike, I think the first thing I think of about when I went on your podcast was you knew more about me in some ways than I think I knew about myself. Your research was extensive. Your line of questioning was great.

I remember we had some good laughs, and you brought up a lot of great memories for me. It was fun going over some stories from way, way, way back in the 1980s and the 1990s as we talked about Toronto sports media. So it's great to see that you're closing in on a thousand episodes. It really speaks to how much effort you put into it and how good a product you put out each and every time you do the podcast. Continued success. If ever there was a voice that required no introduction, it's that one. That, of course, is Dan Schulman. And I think it's appropriate that I put Dan on

this episode early because the aforementioned audio guru, Andrew Stokely, has mixed that voice hundreds and hundreds of times. And if I had pipes like Dan Shulman, I would never shut up. So maybe it's a good thing I don't. I just want to congratulate Tarama Mike for a thousand podcasts for all of us. I had the great pleasure of being on with Mike talking Blue Jays baseball. He is such a good interviewer, a wonderful listener, and it brought to mind so many great memories for me because of him. a wonderful listener, and it brought to mind so many great memories for me because of him. His work is outstanding, and couldn't you imagine a thousand podcasts? Mike, congratulations.

And when you go by Toronto Mike, you are helping all of Toronto with everything you do. God bless you, and prayers for you and your family. Man, I love that guy. Thanks, Jerry. That voice. Man, is it baseball season yet? You know, having Dan Schulman and Jerry Howarth on back-to-back really has me excited about Blue Jays baseball in 2022. Hey, it's James Duthie from TSN.

I've been on a lot of podcasts, and that's not a brag. That's just because I shamefully and relentlessly promote my book or TSN things on whatever podcast will have me. But there's only one that I made the effort to actually leave my house and drive to, and that was Mike. I live in Aurora, which is basically for people in Toronto Sudbury, and yet made the trek all the way down to the big city to hang out in Mike's basement. And it was a wonderful time. He even offered me a beer. And that's when it took a turn because that drink was drugged.

And I spent the next 17 months in a cage in Mike's basement. But besides that, it was a wonderful experience, as were all my appearances on Toronto Mic'd. Happy 1000, buddy. Thanks for letting me go. James Duthie, who makes a great point. Pre-COVID. Remember before COVID? I insisted all my guests visit me in my basement. Like this was mandatory. It wasn't until COVID hit and I realized, oh, I can't have guests in the basement like I used to, that I moved some episodes to, you know, Zoom and eventually my backyard. But Zoom. James Duthie had to drive. Think about this. Had to drive from Aurora to Southern Etobicoke just to chat with me for 90 minutes, just to answer my many, many questions

about the rubber boots guy or, you know, you name it. But thank you, James, for making the drive. Looking back, I almost feel guilty, but you did leave, as you mentioned, with Great Lakes beer. So it sounds like a fair trade to me. Toronto Mike, it's always a pleasure, either behind the mic or in front of the speakers. 1,000 episodes, Toronto Mike. God, I remember when we were just at 989. Speaking of long commutes to visit me,

Tom Wilson would drive from Hamilton to my home studio in Southern Etobicoke. He did it twice. In fact, he did it awfully recently. And both times, Tom Wilson has visited. It's been one of my favorite Toronto-miked episodes of all time. What a voice, what a life, and what stories. So where James Duthie would come for the beer, Tom Wilson comes for the lasagna. I know his brother-in-law is a big FOTM and loves the show, so hello to Andrew. But I don't know if it's him, or if it's his wife, or I think it's maybe somebody in the family who is addicted to

Palma pasta lasagna. So I suspect Tom Wilson will be here on the reg, as they say. Check, check. Is this thing on? Hello? Hi, I'm B'm biff naked and i just wanted to say congratulations to my friend and neighbor toronto mike mike you remain the coolest person we have met since we came to beautiful toronto ontario and living in south Etobicoke, Mimico to be exact, is only fantastic, only fantastic because you're here. We love your show. It's a privilege to have ever been a guest. We look forward to our annual episode coming this summer, hopefully.

And I just wanted to say that we love you and adore you and just admire you so much. Fantastic show. We're huge fans. just wanted to say that we we love you and adore you and just admire you so much fantastic show we're huge fans and now a word from the elusive rocker guitarist luthier and uh and my partner snake allen right here congratulations mike congratulations on all the episodes keep them coming rock on there you have it Mike you rule buddy you know putting this episode together is actually a rather emotional experience for me because yeah a thousand episodes that's a lot of episodes but the friends and I mean friends

the friends I've met along the way, be it, you know, the FOTMs and the not-so-secret Twitter DM group, shout out to all of you. Many of those people will show up at TMLX events, as I mentioned. We've had eight. But the people that you just admire and invite over for a conversation,

and then there they are at your front door, like Biff naked. What a sweetheart. And Snake. What a, you know, another sweetheart. Man, I don't actually live in Mimico. I live in New Toronto. Shout out to Ridley Funeral Home.

But the fact that, you know, Biff considers me a good neighbor, that's some mind-blowing stuff. So thank you, Biff. I can good neighbor. That's some mind-blowing stuff. So thank you, Biff. I can't wait for your next appearance. You're one of my favorite guests and, dare I say, a good friend. Hello, Toronto Michael. It's your pal, Stewstone.

And I am an FOTM, you are an FOSS, and you are reaching a milestone. 1,000 times you have hit record and you have sent it out into the universe. You have done 1,000 episodes of your podcast. That is unbelievable. That shows a lot. It shows a lot of consistency. It shows a lot. It shows a lot of consistency. It shows a lot of hard work.

It shows a lot of determination. And it shows a lot of crazy. I mean, you're crazy, man. A thousand episodes. I'm proud to say that I've probably been on at least 10% of all of those episodes. So at least those were good. But you're a great man and uh we love what you do all of us who uh are part of your world we all love what you do so keep it up cheers to another

thousand and uh keep on keeping on man love you muzzle tough mike boone it's cam gordon your co-host on the new brand, Toast, formerly our former brand, Pandemic Fridays, and also a frequent guest on the Toronto Mic podcast over the years. Yeah, I'm not going to try to get too, too side-spurling on this, but as a longtime listener, it was a genuine thrill to be on the podcast for the first time. I know recently we were looking back at the first time I ever emailed you in my role as a PR flack back in my agency days dating back to 2007, trying to get you to come to a phone launch event at Berks for LG Electronics. You ignored my email, ignored my emails for years, yada yada yada here we are co-hosting uh a show in 2021 and a big part of the the 1000 episodes you've logged um really quickly

favorite episodes um geez there's so many that the strombo episode was awesome you got strombo to break down and get all emotional that was memorable um ann murkowski that comes to mind i really appreciated her candor of just what it's like um being a woman in canadian media and everything good bad and otherwise it goes with that also i do appreciate you you called her on a subsequent episode her uh mysterious, COVID, the what and the whom. We're still looking for a bit more detail on that, but maybe for a third visit. Bob Elliott and Dave Perkins, just the old Blue Jays stories was fantastic. All new material, hearing those guys just talk about the glory days of the Jays was awesome.

And then maybe last but not least, any single 1236 or Retro Ontario episode. I listen to if not the same day, but the next day, those are just amongst my favorites. So congrats again, my friend. It's been a lot of fun and look forward to being part of episodes 1000 through 2000. And listen to Toast, everyone. Part of the Toronto Mike universe. Okay, thanks. I wanted to air Stu Stone and Cam Gordon's clips back to back because they're sort of like,

you know, Ernie and Bert, you can't think of one without the other. I mentioned, uh, after the Biff naked and snake clip that many guests have become friends. And that's never more true than when I speak of Stu Stone and Cam Gordon, when the pandemic struck, we pledged to do an episode every single week until the pandemic ended.

We didn't quite do that because 76 weeks in, we realized this thing isn't going anywhere. And as you know, I was exhausted. But that means 76 weeks in a row. I have a few weeks off for each guy as I found replacements and people like Brother Bill or Sammy Cohn. But we had 76 weeks in a row together and that bonds people. I consider them dear friends.

I'm so glad we have toast now. And Stu mentioned 10% of the episodes. I did do a little math in a conversation I'll air later in this episode I had with Dave Charles. But 76 Pandemic Fridays, now a couple of toast episodes, a few others sprinkled in. So what is that?

That's like maybe 80 episodes out of 1,000. It's not far from 10%. That's 8%. So much love to my good friends, Stu Stone and Cam Gordon. Hey there, it's Garvey Bailey. And I gotta tell you that when you get that email from Toronto Mike asking you to be on the show, it kind of feels like you've made it. It feels like you've been invited to be part of an exclusive club of just cool kids. So thank you for inviting me. I've been on the show twice. And both times I've been super excited. Bruce Hornsby and Mishi Mi and Rush to talking about really important social issues. The fact that you provided that space in the summer of 2020 after, you know, the racial reckoning that was happening in this city and beyond, and you had myself and Donovan Bennett on,

that to me means that you not only have your finger on the pulse of the city, you've got something deeper going on. So thank you for creating the platform. Thank you for being here for a thousand episodes. And here's to a thousand more. Thanks, buddy. Thank you, Garvia. It's worth noting, Garvia's first appearance got me a cease and desist from a man whose name I will not mention. And that's actually what

caused me to get a lawyer. So there's now a Toronto Mic'd lawyer. And it's actually not Lauren Honickman, as many suspect. Lauren's a valued client and friend. But it's Ron Davis, and we'll hear from Ron later in this episode 1000. But I loved my visit with Garvia when she came by for her deep dive, as we say. And then she did join me for what I deem to be a very important episode

of Toronto Mic'd. I believe it's titled Being Black in Toronto with Donovan Bennett, who's also a great FOTM and has been on a couple of times. What's interesting to me is the fact that twice, and I hope Gervia is, you know, smiling as I say this, but twice, Gervia was booked as the secret special guest on an episode of Pandemic Fridays. as the secret special guest on an episode of Pandemic Fridays. And twice, she forgot to zoom in. So, Garvey, you could have been on, you know, more than the twice. And hopefully one day you're back for your third appearance. Well, congratulations to Toronto Mike on successfully finishing his parole without incident.

Three years is an awful long time for a guy like Mike. During that time, he was able to inform, cajole, and entertain fans of media. I remember when Mike asked me to be on his podcast, I was actually excited. It was like a badge of honor of sorts, like I'd made the grade or something. Brian Linehan, for you old folks, back in the early days of City TV, he actually scared people because he would somehow have found out the most minute details of an interviewee's life or story or something, and they were caught off guard by him having found that out.

Mike aspires to that kind of research on people he interviews. I really enjoyed every episode of Toronto Mike that I was on. I'm a better person for having that, Mike. That's a bit of a gross exaggeration. Good luck to the next 1,000 episodes, dude. Thank you to the boy in the box, Steve Anthony.

His initial visit, he's been over a couple of times because he kicked out the jams. And he actually also zoomed in for the 30th anniversary of Breakfast Television. And that was a special episode we might hear from somebody who was in the studio for that uh for that fine episode but steve anthony his first visit he had a coffee with five sweetener packets dumped inside of it and And I told him that sounded disgusting. And he told me to take a sip. I took a sip and confirmed it is disgusting. Way too sweet.

But, you know, it's better than the other white powder that we could be consuming. I think I've said enough. But thank you, Steve Anthony. Always a pleasure. You're a great FOTM. Hey, Mike and Romer here from 105.9 The Region FM, one of the greatest stations on the planet.

I want to say this to you, Magic Mike, Toronto Mike. I call you Magic Mike. So years ago, I got the feeling that you were hounding me, chasing me down. I was on your radar, but not in a good way. You were wondering publicly what had happened in my career. Why had I left? Why had I gone back? Why had I retired again? Why did I go back? And I wasn't really all that comfortable with that. I wasn't sure that I liked you at that point. You showed great courage and respect to me. And you invited me on your show

in 2018, I believe it was. And you wanted me to be able to tell my side of the story, to set the record straight, really, really appreciated that rather than speculation, there was the truth. And the truth was, and still is, I've never been fired from a job ever in my life. Every time I went back to CP24, it was because the powers that be asked me to come back. They needed my help. They wanted me back. And so I said yes, and I was so happy to do that. And I was even happier to have started a friendship with you, Magic Mike. You're a great guy. You really are. I know that you try to be edgy and you try to do a little shock jock stuff, but you were terrific and you did your

homework. We had a wonderful discussion. You allowed me to be honest up front and very personal, which I'm not usually asked to do and I'm a little uncomfortable doing, but you made it so easy and so pleasant. And we are friends to this day. I just think you're wonderful and I have the greatest respect for you. Congratulations on your 1,000th episode. Another 1,000 at least to go. You're the best, Magic Mike. Toronto Mike. Lots of love. Anne Romer.

Thanks, Anne. You've hit on something I find interesting. Now, earlier we heard Steve Anthony, your counterpart on Breakfast Television there over 30 years ago. We heard him, you know, refer to me as a Brian Linehan-esque. And I do my homework and I do a lot of research. But sometimes I wonder, does this unbridled passion and enthusiasm, is anybody misinterpreting this?

Like, is it freaking anybody out or creeping somebody out, maybe? And it sounds like in your very honest recording there that you weren't sure what to think of me at first. of the multiple retirements of Ann Romer in that I enjoyed discussing them, but never once in print or on the podcast did I ever suggest that the great Ann Romer was fired. I never used the F word, so to speak. I referred to them as retirements. And I found it interesting that you would have a big retirement with a cake and keg gift cards, and then you would resurface a few months later because of course,

CP24 needed you and they still need you. And you're much loved. And I would say you're missed, but of course you are on a radio station, the region 105.9. So people can hear you there, but thanks so much for the submission. You've become a dear friend.

I love it when you call me Magic Mike. And if you ever thought I was suggesting that you were fired, I'm very sorry, because I never thought that. So there's no way I would have expressed such terrible sentiments. Mike, it's Tyler Campbell, the VP of sales. Congratulations on 1000 episodes of Toronto Mike. Some have called you the Marc Mar VP of Sales. Congratulations on 1,000 episodes of Toronto Might. Some have called you the Marc Maron of Canada. Not me, but some have. I've done the math, and if you keep doing shows at the rate you've been doing them, you will pass his episode count sometime early in 2025. He had a three-year head start, but you are a prolific podcaster. I just want to say that the community that's built up around you and the show is a testament to who you are. And I'm lucky enough to be part of that community and also to call you a friend.

Congrats, Mike. And here's to the future of TMDS and Toronto Mic'd. VP of Sales, Tyler. Couldn't have done this without you, man. You're one of those guys who I met through the podcast. You were a listener. You reached out. We started talking.

Now you're a dear friend. We're so close that a couple of weeks ago, I was hanging in your basement after meeting your parents. Now that's next level closeness. You know, I've never met Cam Gordon's parents, but VP of Sales, you're a good man. And I want to let everybody know that the Mikeumentaries, and there's been several now, be it on the Pen Flip, or the Team 1050, or Harold Ballard, or the most recent one on searching for

Rumble. These Mikeumentaries are only possible because of tremendous assistance from the great VP of sales. So thanks for your help. Thanks for your support. And thanks for being a friend. It's Brad Fay of Sportsnet. Boy, 1,000 episodes. Toronto Mike, what a legendary thing you've carved out here from your own basement to the airways. And it's a must listen andisten and must-appear on.

And I'm lucky that I've got to do both. I'll say it combines my two favorite things, music and sports, for the most part, at the root of it. But then you learn so much about people and about their choices and their path towards their career and the music that they like. I'll say that kicking out the jams was probably the most mainstream pop rock of them all when I listened, but I'm proud of my choices. That's what moves me, my music. Congratulations. I'll continue to listen and look forward to being on again.

As I say, I think it's a fantastic story in the world of podcasts and the like that you have built it to where it's at now. All the best. I believe it's FOTM Damien Cox who said to me during one of his appearances, you should talk to Brad Fay. And I'm like, oh, the Raptors sports net guy. I'd love to have him over and kick out the jams

because I knew you were a big Springsteen fan, big music fan. And then right away afterwards, I'm like, why did I have the great Brad Faye kick out the jams during his first appearance? Because typically your first appearance is the deep dive, A to Z, and your next appearance is the jam kicking. So I feel like with you, Brad, we need to do the exact opposite. So we've done the jam kicking. We need to kind of do a deeper dive on your next visit. But regardless, this is an opportunity for me to thank Damien Cox for the Connect. Because that's how it works on Toronto Mic.

Quite often I'll have somebody on. They'll say, oh, you should have this person on. And then I'll do that. I believe it was Dave Schultz who told me I should have Gear person on and then I'll do that. I believe it was Dave Schultz who told me I should have gear Joyce on and my life has never been the same. Yeah, Mike told me that I was the most obscure guest in the history of his podcast. In fact, he made me produce ID at the door. In fact, he made me produce ID at the door. Despite my appearance on the show, Mike became a beloved friend. And it has endured despite his encouragement of David Schultz's stand-up.

His show is appointment listening for me. Too frequently, it's like a dentist appointment. I will say I owe TM major thanks because of his show in small part. I landed a storytelling gig with Audible, something that we're recording this spring. So Mike, my price has gone up. It's two lasagnas now. Happy 1,000th show, Mike. I'm sure the second thousand, it's bound to get interesting. There was at least one TMLX event on the patio of Great Lakes Beer that I had Gare Joyce perform stand-up.

And opening for Gare Joyce that day was Dave Schultz. So again, I don't know whether to thank David Schultz or to curse him, but David Schultz introduced me to Gare Joyce, and the rest is history. Hi, Mike. David Ryder from the Toronto Star here. Proud FOTM and faithful listener. Congrats on 1,000 episodes.

Here's the thing. Through your fascination with this city and your hard work, you've become part of the fabric of Toronto. So I think guest 1001 should be Mike interviewing Mike. It'll be like that Spider-Man meme. Anyway, I loved visiting New Toronto just before the COVID wall came down, talking about Etobicoke, journalism, bands, and the local media scene. You even spooked me, as you'll recall, by playing my favorite band, Joy Division.

as you'll recall, by playing my favorite band, Joy Division. So all the admiration and love in the world from me and our friend Chris Brown, he paints houses, on the next 1,000 episodes. Keep ripping it up. Take care. Thank you, FOTM. David Ryder. And as David mentioned, he was my guest on March 13th. It was a Friday and this is back in 2020. And he was the guest, you know, that you had over that Friday before I picked the kids

up at school and then we shut it all down for a while. So I'll never forget David Ryder's visit because it was just before everything changed so radically. And you mentioned, I'm glad you mentioned Chris Brown. Chris Brown, I believe your brother-in-law, is the man who painted the TMDS studio. So much love to Chris Brown. Much love to you, David Ryder. And thanks for suggesting that I'm even a small stitch in the fabric of this city because

I'm honored that you even uttered those words. Hey, it's Mocha from the Raz and Mocha Show airing on KISS radio stations right across the country. And Toronto Mike, congrats on episode 1,000. What an incredible achievement. Now listen, there are an endless amount of podcasts out there. And with the choices that people have, it's really nice that your fans have

been so loyal and want to be on this journey with you listening learning and just being entertained uh thank you for having me on your show i understand it was the most downloaded most listened to and the most shared episode um i don't have any facts to back that up but still congratulations on episode 1000 thank you mocha frap but next time maybe just like a titch more energy when you record a clip for toronto mic if you don't mind uh mocha was on so long ago i consider those the early days and i know it's an early episode when there's no photo of me with the guest i don't know when i finally caught on i should start taking a photo

of every single guest who visits but it was probably like I don't know episode 120 or 130 or something. Mocha and his colleague Roz Weston visited separately before I took photos and well now there's no photographic evidence that Mocha was in my basement. But we have the audio recording for all of eternity. Thanks so much, buddy. Hi, Mike. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun here. I can't believe you're at 1,000 shows. I don't know where the time has gone.

But congratulations on that and congratulations for the milestone. And it's a pretty amazing thing to have. And you have a pretty amazing thing going on, which is which is I found really nice over the years. One of the things I've really enjoyed about doing Toronto Mike and being at your home and being in the studio in the basement is there's a certain comfort to being there. It's not the lasagna and it's not the beer and it's not the free stuff. It's just getting a chance to talk and in some ways to listen and to hear stories about whomever has been on the show. Because I enjoy listening to it as much as I've enjoyed being on it.

And one of the things, I just find it's comfortable. It's comfortable to be able to tell your story however way you want to and to have people listen and to have people appreciate it. And you have a way about yourself that makes everybody feel comfortable, which is why people keep coming back and coming back and coming back. So congratulations on the thousandth show. I'll be back for another one in the future if I'm invited. And I always urge my friends to do the same. So again, congrats. Keep it going.

And I'll be out there listening. Thank you, Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. I once got a very nice note from Steve telling me how much he loved the episode with Dave Perkins and Bob Elliott. And that's an example of something I did because I went for a bike ride and I thought to myself, I really loved it when Dave Perkins came over and told me old Jay's stories. I loved it very much. And then I thought to myself, oh, when Bob Elliott visited, I also loved him telling me old Blue Jay's stories. And then I thought to myself, what if they...

This is quite the moment. I'm riding along. I go, wait a minute. What if they came on together and just i'm riding along i go wait a minute what if they came on together and just told me old blue jay stories and then i basically get home from my ride and i wrote an email to bob elliott and i said bob would you come on with dave perkins and then he said i do that no he said michael i do that and then i wrote Dave and I said, Dave, would you come on with Bob Elliott? And he goes, I'd do that.

I imitate Bob Elliott and Dave Perkins exactly the same. Anyway, it happened and it's one of my all-time favorite episodes of Toronto Mike. But I also love it when Steve Simmons visits. I realize Steve is a rather polarizing figure. Every time I promote that Steve is coming over, I'm inundated with hot dog jokes. It's like Simmons is coming back to Toronto Mike and then 100 hot dog jokes just fly at me. So I can't imagine what it's actually like to be Steve Simmons. It must be like that all the time. He's a polarizing guy, but I never miss a Sunday Notes.

I love his perspective on things. He's one of the reporters. I was honored to be able to broadcast the reporters' reunion at the Paradise Theatre when Brendan Shanahan was their special guest. I think Simmons is great. I've even had his son on, and I enjoyed chatting up Jeff Simmons as well. So thank you, Steve Simmons. Hot dog jokes be damned.

You're always welcome on Toronto Mic'd. I've been introduced a lot of times, and I think one of the best was an expo coach one time after a game. He introduced me to Ron Paranoski, and he said, Paranoski said, well, what's this guy do? And the coach said, well, he's a writer, but I guess I would say he has a unique ability to get you to tell stuff that you don't want to tell.

So if I think if I was at some place in Montreal or Toronto or wherever, or Etobicoke, and I introduce Toronto Mike to somebody, that would be my introduction. I would say he has a unique ability to draw answers out of you that you really didn't plan on revealing when you went into the interview once you ducked your head onto the first time,

once I ducked my head onto the ceiling of the roof. So congratulations on your first 1,000, Michael. I know the first 1,000 are the easiest. So well done. Thank you, Robert. Honestly, what a privilege it is that I can have Bob Elliott on the show multiple times. And he not only visits with two Diet Cokes in hand,

and neither is for me, by the way, but he enjoys the experience and will do it again and again. In fact, when I was chatting with Bob the other day on the phone, he said I could call him anytime and ask him anything. So I'm going to do that, Bob. You might have to block my number. oh, I'm going to do that, Bob. You might have to block my number. And Bob mentioned the ceiling. So since I moved into the basement, what happened was I had a studio on the second floor of this house.

And then my wife, Monica, told me she was expecting a child. This boy would be Jarvis. And I was told to vacate the room. It was going to become Jarvis's room. So I did what I was told and I looked around this modest home in southern Etobicoke and I said, where will the TMDS studio live? And I realized that the bulk of the basement was occupied by my son, who's now 20. The three rooms and the tops tops i have one with my wife and then there's one

that belongs to my teenage daughter and then the two little ones now there's also a morgan who came after jarvis they share a room and quite literally i found this like i want to call it a nook and or a cranny but it's uh where there's a dip the ceiling, like the ceiling dips for ventilation, ducts, et cetera. And if you're five foot eight, you got to be careful because you'll smash your head on this thing. And that's where I've set up shop and it's been going well.

So, you know, people like Leo Roudens are used to ducking. So they continue to duck. And then people who are like, I don't know, five, eight,

five, nine, who have never ducked in their life, find themselves hitting their head. So thank you to StickerU who realized that this might be fixed with a sticker. And they created a check your head sticker. Shout out to the Beastie Boys. And since I applied that, there's been far fewer injuries.

And, you know, Damien Cox's blood will one day come off the ceiling here. But thank you, StickerU, for the sticker. And thank you, Bob Elliott, for that amazing clip. Hey, Mike, it's your buddy from the West Coast, Neil, brother Bill Morrison. Hello.

In case you forgot, I co-host a show on the Toronto Mike Podcast Network called PPMM, The Progressive Past of Modern of modern melodies along with yourself and sir cameron gordon relation to kim gordon apparently and not nina gordon of baruch assault uh sending you this voicemail congratulating you on your 1000th episode of toronto mic incredible whether it's someone from television like the Mighty Rod Black or radio, Crystal, your whack job, or music, Gino, to print media, Ben Rayner rules,

to any number of your guests from clowns to astronauts to my personal favorite when you broadcast it from the Party for Marty or anytime 1236 makes his monthly appearance, just want to say thanks for all of your hard work and entertainment and looking forward to another 10,000 episodes, Mike. Now, if I may, Mike, it's Southern, not Southern. Southern, not Southern. What do you want to be, a broadcaster or something? Love you, bud. All the best from the West. Brother, you know what you mean to me, bud.

You do co-host PPMM with Cam Gordon and I, and I can't wait to keep kicking out those deep dives into Canadian music. That new wave episode we did with Rob Pruce from The Spoons was epic. Loved it. You've always been

there, man. Whenever Stu or Cam needed a week off during the Pandemic Friday run, I knew that Brother Bill would fill in from White Rock, British Columbia. And you're incredible, man. I used to listen to you. I don't want to sound like I'm a lot younger than you.

I'm probably only a couple of years younger than you. But I loved listening to Brother Bill on 102.1 The Edge, and it just blows my mind that I pretty much work with you now. I know I don't compensate you with actual money, but one day when I do meet you, I will hook you up with some Canna Cabana swag. There's my pledge to you. So shout out to Canna Cabana and cannacabana.com. There's a hundred locations across this country, but I'm going to hook you up, brother. Thanks for that recording.

And I can't wait to, you know, maybe like one day actually meet you. That would be cool. Hey there, it's TSN Hockey Insider, Bob McKenzie. Well, semi-retired Hockey Insider, Bob McKenzie. I don't know. I'm gonna have to come up with some new handles. Well, you can still call me Uncle Bob the Bobfather. Even Bobby Margarita. Anyways, congrats to Toronto Mike on hitting the 1,000 mark for his podcast. Absolutely amazing longevity.

I was on way back on episode 227. That was in March of 2017. And I was fortunate enough and honored to be on episode number 750 back in November of 2020. I'm a little disappointed that the entire episode 1000 wasn't devoted to me since I was kind of hitting round numbers last time at 750. But if the pattern holds, I guess I'm due at about 1250 the episode. That would be early 2024. Although Mike, if you want to have Bobby Margarita on in April, when Bobby Margarita is actually in the LCBO, I'd be more than happy to stop by. But in seriousness, congrats, Mike. It's been an absolute great run. And it's great I found out what your last name is, because I just always knew you as Toronto Mike. And now I know you're Mike Boone. So all the best, pal. Here's to another thousand.

Take care. Bobby Margarita, I totally welcome your return visit in April. Consider it done, my friend. I told this story a few times, but I'll very quickly tell you that the day you made your first appearance, I had a nanny upstairs because, long story short, you get like, at this time anyways, my wife had a year maternity leave, but the daycare in the neighborhood here didn't start until you were 18 months. So there's like a six-month period where there's no one to watch the kids. This is apparently illegal. So we hired a nanny for six months to watch my two little ones during the six month period before the daycare would open. So I had a nanny and she wasn't home when you arrived and

we did our episode in the basement. And then she came home with the kids and I think she was in the kitchen and she had no idea what I did. You know, she, she didn't realize like people like you might actually be in that basement. So she's, she hears footsteps coming up the stairs and she, she looks over at the door and the door opens and Bob McKenzie comes out of the basement. Now I should preface this by saying that, uh that our nanny was a diehard hockey fan. She's a Bruins fan, so I won't hold that against her. But she loves the Bruins, but she loves hockey. And she, of course, recognizes you right away. And there's that moment where she's like,

did Bob McKenzie just come out of the basement? And it's sort of surreal when you think about it. And you were kind enough to take a picture with her, which she values. And of course, my picture with you, you know, is hung above my bedroom, my bed in my bedroom. So I cherish it deeply. But thank you, Bobby Margarita. Can't wait to get you back. And thanks for recording that for this episode 1000. Now, you know, Bobby Margarita is a big deal, Bobby Mac, but there are a number of big deals coming up in this episode. And I look at the clock and I see I'm an hour deep and I do want to celebrate some non-names. So yeah, you can be listening all you want to like a James Duthie or a Brother Bill or a Mocha Frap or an Aaron Davis, you know, or a Steve Paikin. These are famous people.

Not as famous as James B, but we'll get to that in a moment. Let's celebrate some listeners of the program. So I love listeners of Toronto Mic'd and it means something to me that I would treat somebody who doesn't consider themselves a name, I would treat them the same as I would treat a Ron McLean or a Strombo. I don't have this hierarchy in my mind. I don't book guests because they're big names. I book guests because I'm interested in a conversation with them. So thank you to all the listeners of Toronto Mic'd, your valuable FOTMs, and everyone who

took the time to send in a clip for this episode. Thank you so much. Let's listen to a few. Hey, Mike, it's chris drew here fellow cyclist and toronto mic listener congrats on 1000 episodes it's been great to listen over the last number of years it's been fun to meet you and all fellow listeners at toronto mike live events and best wishes for another 1000 episodes keep bringing on those awesome guests. Hi Mike, just wanted to say I really enjoy the podcast. I really specifically enjoy the episodes with former and current broadcasters.

The Peter Sherman episode was great. The second one where you asked him about what went down at 640. And keep up the great work. Hi Toronto Mike, this is Steve Cole from Elmvale, Ontario. Congratulations on a thousand episodes. That's quite an accomplishment for what we were led to believe was a weekly podcast. I think I've listened to 998 of them. I'm afraid of the infamous Molly Johnson episode, but I will face my fears. I'm afraid of the infamous Molly Johnson episode, but I will face my fears.

As someone who as a kid spent endless nights trying to tune into CKLW Detroit or WOWO Fort Wayne, Indiana, and my days spent listening to CFTR, CHUM AM, CHUM FM, CKFM, CKFH before it was CJCL, etc., all those stations. I love your episodes featuring radio personalities Mike Richards especially Aaron Davis Rick Ringer I love them all add in the sports media episodes Rod Black Leo Routens Ashley Docking Bob Elliott and Dave Perkins I love their stories Brunt Stephen Brunt kicking out the jams enough said congratulations I look forward to the next thousand episodes. I think you're going to land McCowan, Blair, even Stone Cold John Shannon, and many, many more. Congratulations once again.

Propertyinthe6.com Brian Gerstein, a.k.a. Raptors devotee here. Mike's sensational run of 1,000 podcasts and counting is mind-blowing. It was a sports media podcast that drew me in. But Mike is such a well-rounded individual, unlike me, that he is equally well-versed on pop culture, music, the news beat, all enjoyable listens for me too. versed on pop culture, music, the news beat, all enjoyable listens for me too. For two and a half years and almost 300 podcasts from 2017 to 2019, not only did Mike welcome me to sponsor his

podcasts, but also be a part of them via a question I posed to his guests. Mike deserves all the credit in the world. What started out as a passion project has evolved into a well-run business where Mike has produced many other successful podcasts in addition to his own, including my personal favorite, Hebzeon Sports. Cheers to a thousand podcasts, Mike. Most important of all, I value our friendship. P.S. Thank you for allowing me to vent right after the Raptors parade. It was the best therapy I could have had. Hi, and fellow FOTMs, Kevin M here. When I think of Toronto Mike, one word comes to mind, innovator. Want to get the best out of your guest? Innovate by inviting them back after their deep dive episode of Real Talk and kick out the jams.

Worldwide pandemic? Innovate by soldiering on through Zoom, then open up a backyard studio and invent an entirely new sub-series with Pandemic Fridays. Looking forward to episodes of Toast soon. No documentaries on the pen flip? Innovate and make it yourself in an entertaining way with interviews from key witnesses who were there. Micah Hardy, congrats to you on 1,000 episodes of your podcast. You've been a wonderful companion in all my dog walks. And here's to another 1,000 more episodes.

Peace and love, my friend. Hello, Mike and fellow FLTMs. Midtown Gord here. Congratulations, Mike, on 1,000 episodes. I recall the first time I had heard you, I had seen the name Toronto Mike somewhere around the internet, and I was on a bike ride, on a bike path, and I had one ear in listening to Spotify and flipping around stuff

and I found a Toronto Mike episode it was actually episode 500 on August 19th 2019 so here we are not long later and you're already at 1000 my favorite episode November 30th 2020 episode number 761 with the great Lee Aaron or as you refer to her as a legendary Lee Aaron. I helped connect you two together, I think, and for her to say on that episode that I made her laugh almost every day with my social media posts, that was very special. Cheers, Mike, and congratulations, and here's to another thousand. Hey Toronto Mike, it's Mike Hannafin, former sportscaster and reporter at CFNY and CFRB in the 1980s and 1990s.

Congratulations on 1,000 episodes. That's awesome. I have to admit I'm late to the Toronto Mike party since I moved to Vancouver in 2005, but I got hooked through watching Humble and Fred's podcast, my old boss Fred Patterson. So I'm catching up. Only a few hundred to go. And especially enjoying hearing interviews. With many of the media people I worked with. And around back in the day. Especially the sports media.

So fortunate to be in Toronto sports media. In that era when the Argos were winning. The Jays won. And the Leafs were horrible. But then almost made the final. So there you go. Some of my favorite episodes so far, the Geats Romo episode,

that guy cracked me up on the air so bad. One time I had to apologize later in the day. The Dave Hodge pen flip, Mike commentary, the Michael Landsberg, Steve Paken reunion, and the various exit interviews. And we've all been there. 1 uh 1000 of anything is quite a feat

and congratulations and best wishes on your next 1000 episodes and hope to be on one someday hi it's jj i hope this isn't too late i just want to congratulate toronto mike Toronto Mike. My congrats on your episode number 1000. I first got into the whole Toronto Mike thing through the website. And I'm just a person who loves blogs and loves to comment and interact. And so that was how I kind of got into it. And then I did attend some of the meet and greets. attend some of the meet and greets and um you know i do listen from time to time i'm not as active but i'm glad to see the growth and see the way it's expanded and um i know a lot of people get a real sense of community from from the episodes and the and the commenting and the interaction. And I think that's awesome. So congrats, and here's to as many more as we can get in. Hey, Mike.

Darren Shanahan speaking, better known as Quebec Irish Boy. I just wanted to take a second to congratulate you for your 1,000th episode. That is quite a big thing for a guy who started from scratch out of his basement so keep up the good work love listening to your show you're a great interviewer um i think what's amazing is that you've built this whole fotm community from people who are on your show but also the also your listeners who you call fotms too like you know so you've been able to create this kind of fandom which i think is outstanding so honestly i think it's i think your your show is awesome you're awesome and i hope you you're gonna do another couple of thousand more podcasts and just by the way i know my my bits may be a little bit long so i understand if

you have to edit me out because i'm sure you have Mike Stafford and Molly Johnson and Peter Sherman, who will be saying all kinds of great things about you too. So Mike, félicitations. Je te souhaite une belle continuité. Merci. Take care, Mike. Hi, Mike. It's Mike Rogoski. Congratulations on your 1,000th episode. I've been listening, I guess, since about the 200s.

I love the fact you always have a wide variety of guests. Some of them allow me to, you know, feel a little nostalgic, and others I like to hear about what new happenings are going on with those personalities. I also like the fact that you've now had four curling-related guests on your episodes with Diego Fuentes, Bob Weeks, Don Landry, Vic Redder. You now have enough for a curling team I also really love the TMLX events, they've been a blast I like getting together with like-minded Toronto Mike listeners

and it's also been fun to talk with the different guests every guest I've ever talked to there's been more than happy to sit down and chat with you a little bit and you've done all of this and still been able to produce the Esri Canada Geographical Thinking podcast and that's been pretty great for you to be able to produce the Esri Canada Geographical Thinking Podcast, and that's been pretty great for you to be able to do that too.

So congratulations again on your 1,000th episode. Looking forward to listening to many more. Hey, Mike. This is FOTM Liam Savage. 1,000 episodes, that's a huge accomplishment in general, but especially in the podcast market. And the fact that you have a little something for everyone on your schedule is a true testament to your diversity as a host. I'm a big fan of the chum and much music personalities. So hearing your chats with Bill Welichka, Ann Roszkowski, Ann Romer, Gordon Martineau, Erica M., just to name a few. We're great to get to know them better and reminisce.

Through your podcast, I've gotten to know you and many of our TMs through online conversation, and hopefully in person for a few beers at the next TMLX event. Congratulations, Mike, on 1,000 episodes. And here's to the march to 2,000. Hi, Mike. YYZ Gord here. I want to offer you my sincere congratulations on 1,000 episodes of Toronto Mic'd. Although I wasn't there at the beginning, I did jump in in 2013, around episode 30,

when I first started working full-time in Houston. Your show was a great way to keep my Toronto roots deep, all the way from Texas. And ultimately, when I returned to Toronto at the start of the pandemic, you and the other FOTM helped keep me sane. Created thousands of hours of entertainment, particularly the time devoted to 1987, the best year in music, and created a true community. Thank you for all that you do, and I look forward to seeing how far you will go in the next 1,000 episodes. I know it will be amazing. Hi Mike, Trevor here. To steal from Humble and Fred, I may not be a Hun-DP, but I'm pretty darn close. You're my favorite long-form interviewer for the real talk and your

ability to get some fun background info from each of your guests. For someone who has no radio broadcast formal training, you sure have excelled. And more importantly, you've improved with each and every episode. My favorite episode has to be number 345 with Stephen Brunt and his

Kick Out the Jams. Most specifically, the Hey Rosetta epitaph story via your bonus jam. Every time I listen to it, I get chills. I must say also, I have a soft spot for listening to Ralph Ben-Murgy and his ability to say things that force me to stop and think about whatever it is that he said for a while. Thank you for all of your hard work that you've done in getting to episode 1000. I certainly look forward to hearing many more. Cheers. Hey, Mike, it's your buddy Brian Dunn. Congratulations on episode 1000. You know, the very first episode I listened to was the Tyler Stewart interview, which I think is in the Toronto Mike Hall of Fame. It's one of the best interviews ever. I was on the train from Seoul to Daejeon, where we're living. And man, I've listened to literally hundreds of millions of BNL interviews,

and I've never heard that much real talk. It was great. Tyler was like the perfect guest. And hey, I didn't even know they wrote one week. Also, hearing my friends over there like Jason Agnew and John and Wei really helped me with my homesickness. Then later on, when I was back in Canada, you had my dearest friend Nicholas Pickless on there. Plus, I loved listening to all the other Toronto media personalities, especially all the old City TV people. I was a big City TV fan as a kid. Man, but so much drama. I was so happy to attend a TMLX event at Palma Pasta and meet some FOTMs, and I've grown even closer to those FOTMs ever since. I can't wait for the next event. Hopefully I'm in the country.

We can make it work, man. Man, Mike, congratulations on episode 1,000. Here's to 5,969 more. Hey, Toronto Mike. This is FOTM Rush Mike, and I want to congratulate you on episode 1,000 of your podcast. Proud to say I'm a day-wonner, but have to be honest, I had already been an avid, long-time follower of your blog since probably 2005, and really wasn't sure what to expect when you announced this podcast thing back in 2012. Pleasantly surprised would be the understatement. So thank you, Mike, for bringing us the real talk, and bringing on those guests that are out of fucks to give for the past 10 years.

Congratulations again, Mike, and I look forward to many more podcasts, and seeing you and the other FOTMs at TMLX9. Take care. but nevertheless, muzzle-tough. I've grown up in southern Ontario. I've lived in southern Ontario most of my life. I guess you could say I'm a child of the late 80s and 90s, and I've consumed a lot of pop culture, whether it's local or national or international,

whether it's music or film or TV or sports. So believe me when I tell you, your podcast hits all the right notes. Spotify said that in 2021, I spent about 15,000 hours listening to your show. And I want you to know that every single one of those 15,000 hours was all killer and no filler. To paraphrase the late Gord Downie, you ain't no movie star, Toronto Mike, but you can get behind anything. Hey, Toronto Mike, it's back here. Huge congratulations on reaching your 1000 episode milestone. The only 1000 things I've accomplished is levels in Candy Crush. accomplished is levels in Candy Crush. Reaching 1000 episodes of a podcast is a huge accomplishment in and of itself. But what I think you should really be proud of is the community of FOTMs

you've created over the years. I'm lucky enough to be part of that community. It's a group of eccentric different supportive and fun individuals who have really banded together and been there for each other especially during the last two years of the pandemic so that is amazing thank you for all that you've done and for introducing me to this wonderfully wild group of people. Congrats. Hey, Mike. Elevator Man here, a.k.a. Rick A. Congratulations on 1,000 episodes. That is quite a remarkable accomplishment. Here's looking forward to many more episodes

and, of course, a lot more black cars. And that is the end of my message. Wow, I'm going to need a moment. Hearing those voices, so many of which are just as familiar to me as any friend's voice. And I don't think I knew any, I think the exception here is

that I went to high school with Beck. But if we put Beck aside, every voice I heard there is a voice I heard because of Toronto Mic'd. I want to say hello to Chris Drew, who I met at a TMLX. Brian Gerstein, who had a jingle composed by Ill Vibe. So we have something in common, Brian. We both have theme songs produced by ill vibe canada kev thanks so much midtown gourd who got his nickname from fotm gourd stelic mike hannifin who worked with freddie p back in the day nice to hear from you, Mike. JJ, long time FOTM, even before there was a podcast.

Quebec Irish boy, I can't believe you made the drive from Quebec for TMLX8. And shout out to your buddy, David Drolet, double D. It was amazing to meet you guys. Mike Gregotsky, shout out to Esri in the Geography Corner. It's been an absolute pleasure producing the Esri geography podcast here at TMDS. Liam Savage, thanks so much. YYZ Gord. Note Gord that I no longer say YYZ Gord because you told me it's YYZ and that's the way it is.

Trevor, not familiar with you or Steve or Ali. It's wonderful to hear new names in the mix. That's just awesome. Brian Dunn. We're going to hear from Tyler Stewart shortly. And it's quite something. So buckle up. The Tyler clip is going to blow your mind.

Rush Mike, one of three people to attend all three TMLX events. I'm not counting myself, of course. And you're in good company with Michael Lang and a gentleman whose voice we're going to hear in a moment. Thank you, Eric. Thank you, Rick A. Love your website, buddy. You are the retro Ontario before there was retro Ontario. Boy, and again, thank you, Beck, for the wonderful recording. This podcast has reunited us, and it feels so good. Thank you to all the FOTMs. There will be more listeners later in the program,

but there's one listener I want to shout out right now before we get to some of those, you know, big names you've come here to hear. But let's first hear from FOTM Al Grego. Hey Mike, Al Grego here. I wanted to congratulate you on a thousand episodes. That's quite an accomplishment. You should be very proud of yourself. I know all of us FOTMs are proud of you. What you've built here is impressive. Not only is it a successful, independent, unaffiliated podcast,

but also you've succeeded in making podcasts in your business. You're actually paying your bills with podcasting. Very few people can say that. And that's not even to mention the incredible community of FOTMs you've built here. Obviously, you've been a great help and source of inspiration for me and my podcasting aspirations. So I'd like to say thank you for that as well. And as far as my favorite episode or moment goes, there are too many to mention. And luckily for me, you can revisit them all on the best of episodes, 477, 540, and 755. And I suppose I should probably get going on volume four now.

Let's do know that Toast won't be eligible. He should love to hear that. Anyway, Mike, congratulations once again. Here's to a thousand more episodes. As Al mentioned, he puts together the Best Ofs. So thank you, Al, for that. I know that's a lot of effort and work. But also I should point out, Al Grego is the lead singer for the Royal Pains and the Royal Pains

played live. I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, Al, the very first three TMLX events, all three were on the patio of Great Lakes Brewery and Al and his band played live for all three of them. So what an important FOTM, and thank you for being a member of this community. And the fact that you yourself are now a successful podcaster and host of the Prado Stand,

if I inspired that even a little bit, my work here is done. Toronto Miked. That's M-I-K-E apost apostrophe d you see what you did there i did hey mike it's your dear friend john gallagher long time buddy long time collaborator been your house a dozen times a thousand shows a thousand shows who was your first guest moses and i don't mean znymer He's a tough one to get.

Apparently, I have the distinction of having the longest running Toronto Mike episode next to Howard Berger. Howard Berger. As a sportscaster, Howard, you know what I respect you, but as a sportscaster, you're one heck of a mortician. Now, you're funny, you're fair Again, you're a great slice of Canadiana I love you, I love the show You're thorough You bring up clips from guests Who apparently have thrown some shade on my 18-year-old boy's ass Like someone named Jeff Woods

Was complaining about something When he was a DJ on Q on the weekends? Come on! I never heard of the guy. But look at the guests you've had on. Everybody! Still no Derringer, though. I didn't know about that.

My friend, a thousand shows, that's a lot. Here's to a thousand shows more. And have me on in a couple of years when that happens. You're a good man in the bush. Toronto Mike, congratulations. Dropping the mic. Crunch. He's alive.

He's alive. That's John Gallagher. We lost John. Not that he died. Shout out to Ridley Funeral Home. As you know, all guests of Toronto Mic'd are still alive. That's something I like to remind people of. Everyone's alive.

That is a fact as we hit episode 1,000. But John Gallagher left the city of Toronto for the Maritimes. So I haven't seen him in a while. And I haven't heard from him in a while. And it's just delightful to hear his voice. So John, thanks for doing that. But when I think of John Gallagher, I think of someone else. So first of all, congratulations to Mike Boone, Toronto Mike, for all the double entendre that that entails, for his 1,000th podcast. Mike is pretty well the Brian Linehan of Ontario-based podcasts.

His research and knowledge about the subjects he interviews is monumental, and he gets them chatting about everything and anything. Hey, Mike, you should steal that catchphrase. Now, as for me, Mike Boone did hundreds of podcasts without the slightest thought of inviting me, even though I was a major influential player in the Toronto broadcast universe. He was interested in me only after I suffered the humiliating and emotionally crushing experience

of being fired from 680 News. So do be afraid. Toronto Mike exploits the trauma and flaws of all of his guests. Warning! If you even vaguely refer to drug use, auto theft, criminal charges, or being fast asleep when it's your turn to do a sportscast, he will bring it up constantly in all subsequent episodes. Toronto Mike, the definitive podcaster. If you've never been in an episode, it's probably because you're just not important enough. Fun fact, there used to be a podcast called Gallagher and Gross Save the World,

and it was an early production from TMDS. That's Toronto Mike Digital Services. That's my little digital services business. And Gallagher and Gross saved the world was wonderful. Too beautiful for this world. Unfortunately, with John in the Maritimes, it looks like that series is done. But we have, I don't know, 30-something episodes in the can, and they're amazing. Peter, you become a dear friend. You are absolutely the person I talk to most often on the phone. And that includes my 20-year-old who lives in Waterloo. You have another great

podcast, a TMDS production called Down the Stretch. And I wish you continued success. Great friend of the program. Great friend of mine. You'll be on a hundred times over the next couple of years. I can guarantee it. You also introduced me to someone else. I got a call from Peter Gross one morning concerning this Toronto Mike guy. Says he knows him and he's got a podcast, and he wants me to go on with him.

And I'm thinking, really? And I asked him when, and Pete says, the SAP, perfect, which sort of begs the question of who canceled. I got there in New Toronto, met Mike, nice guy. We went down into his basement. I had a little studio down there. Nice. I wanted to know what I wanted to talk about.

Nuclear physics came to mind, but I said, how about some hockey and stuff? We chatted for about an hour. It was fun. Then the best part. I get this great big lasagna from Palma Pasta. It was enough to feed my whole neighborhood. Delicious. I went to the Hershey Center that weekend. Some guy recognized me, said he heard me on Toronto Mike. I knew right there I'd

finally arrived. Thanks, Mike. Congrats on the 1,000. Howie. That's Jim McKinney. What a privilege and an honor it was to meet Jim McKinney. And Jim McKinney only came over because his buddy Peter Gross said he should do Toronto Mike. So I owe you another lasagna, Peter and Jim, when you come back, there'll be another one for you. Now I teased this one earlier when I was,

uh, addressing Brian Dunn, sorry, F O T M Brian Dunn. I received, uh received many clips. As you can hear, we're at the hour, what is this, hour 30 minute mark, and I'd call this halftime.

But I received a submission from FOTM Tyler Stewart. Tyler is the drummer for Bare Naked Ladies. And as I've heard through a few different channels, he listens to the program and enjoys it. And here's Tyler. Hey, folks. This is Tyler Stewart from Bare Naked Ladies. I am here to heap a crap ton of praise on my man, Toronto Mike.

Toronto Mike, Mike, Mike of Toronto, congratulations man. A thousand episodes, one thousand plus hours of you asking great questions, eliciting real talk from your guests, real talk from your guests and entertaining us all with great personalities and wonderful stories about Toronto, about people in Canada, media figures, sports figures, musicians like myself, all so good. Listen, man, you know you are a good interviewer when you get my bandmate Kevin Hearn to open up he did an extra part for you you had to do an extended segment with Kevin because you got him talking I've been in a band with the guy for 25 years and I don't think I ever got as much information out of Kevin Hearn than you did Mike

so congratulations on that and when I was on your show you unearthed the hilarious clip of Super Dave Osborne talking about me back when I was his driver we talked about that we talked about the band everything you're really good at your job you're really interested in people and the things that make them tick and you're interested in canada and toronto very proud of you very very happy that you have a forum for your inquiring mind congratulations toronto mike on 1000 episodes tyler stewart fromaked Ladies, and I'm out. I don't know what to say. That was absolutely pitch

perfect. Thank you, Tyler. I cannot wait for your return to the TMDS studio. Tyler Stewart one day will be in the FOTM Hall of Fame, but right now there's only one individual that's been inducted.

Let's hear from that very special FOTM. Hey, what's up, Mike? It's your buddy, Ed, better known maybe to your listeners as Mr. Retro Ontario. Just want to congratulate you on a thousand podcasts uh that's crazy man I don't even think there's a thousand episodes of Beachcombers so I consider you an absolutely invaluable resource uh I love coming on your show I love listening to your show here's to the next thousand buddy Ed and I are cut from the same cloth. I just wish I was, you know, 10% as talented as he is with the editing suite. Ed not only is a great FOTM and somebody I'd call a personal friend, I'm actually going to visit him this summer, the whole family's going to visit him. He's left the city as well.

But he also will put in a word with others he thinks would be a great fit on Toronto Mike. So one such person who visited because Ed said, you've got to get Muffy Mouse on the program is Nina Keough.

Hey Toronto Mike, this is your episode 360 guest saying congratulations on making 1000 episodes. That is absolutely incredible. I so enjoyed talking to you. And I was really feeling quite flattered that you asked me to come on the show because I guess you knew me as Muffy Mouse and other characters from Friendly Giant and Mr. Dress Up and Polka Dot Door, today's special. And it was just a super experience and I also left with a few goodies, which I loved. So again, congratulations. You've had wonderful guests on and all the best to you.

I mentioned that no guest of Toronto Mic'd has ever passed away, and that's absolutely true. But we have lost some, you know, peripheral key members. I'm thinking of the late, great Dave Bookman, who we lost. And one of my favorite, if not my favorite, Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher of all time left us far too soon. That's

Roy Halladay. Hanging in my son's bedroom, which is around the corner from the TMDS studio, TMDS studio is a Blue Jay, it's a logo on a piece of cardboard. And there's an autograph there that belongs to Roy Halladay. And I often look at it and think of Roy. And the reason I have Roy Halladay's autograph on the wall of my son's bedroom around the corner from the TMDS studio is because this gentleman gifted it to me because he knew I was a big Blue Jays fan. Hey, Toronto Mike, it's Derek Welsman, aka Blind Derek. And I just want to say congratulations on your 1000th episode. Oh my goodness.

1000 episodes, 10 years. It's amazing that you've come as far as you have, and you've pretty much interviewed every Canadian celebrity. I don't know how many more there are left. Maybe you'll just have to create some. Anyway, it was a pleasure for me to be a part of one of your shows, and I was actually very proud that I found your place by myself too, which was a big deal for me.

Anyway, all the best, and here's to 1,000 more, and we'll talk to you soon. Take care, Mike, and again, congratulations. Toronto, stay tuned right here with Toronto Mike, and it goes a little something like this. Hit it! Hey, what's up? This is Chuck D. You are listening to Toronto Mike right here, right now in the place to be. Hi, I'm George Bell. You listen to Toronto Mike. That's a great tribute so far. Three, two, one. Mike Boone. Ohone oh yeah the guy from toronto miked in toronto harry boone's daughter that's correct it's his 1000th episode that's right and we're gonna wish him a happy birthday

have an akila have an akila i'd love one okay go ahead say something nice uh congrats if you have to okay uh congratulations mike jesse and i were really thrilled to be on your podcast and so this is episode number 1000 and uh that's great mike we're excited beyond words actually yeah i worked with your father years ago harry boone harry boone harry boone it's also something that don't go there't go there. Just let the guy have his little tribute to his episode number 1,000. You don't want any Harry Boone jokes? No. Well, try one.

No. No. Okay. Well, congratulations, Mike. Dickhead. Nice going, Mike. Should we try another one? No.

Let's do another one. Okay. Well, hang on. Start again. No, no, we're not starting again. This is good quality programming. Oh, you think so? Okay.

I want the listeners to see what goes on into what we call show prep. Oh, okay. We're preparing to wish Uncle Mike a happy birthday. Right. And happy 1,000. Toronto Mike. Toronto Mike. Okay.

Mike. All right. This has been a good rehearsal so far. Okay. And coming down in three, two,000. Toronto Mike. Toronto Mike. Okay. Mike. All right. This has been a good rehearsal so far. Okay. And coming down in three, two, one. Hi, how are you? Hi, how are you? Hi.

How are you? Mike Boone, Harry Boone's illegitimate daughter, is celebrating Toronto Mike today. Gene, tell us a little more. It's episode number 1,000. And we were on there years ago, and he wanted us to... I guess he's just getting everybody to send him a message so his ego feels good.

No, why not? Everybody who's anybody that can fog a mirror that's still alive, unlike Charlie Brown, is wishing him a happy 1,000th podcast episode. That's right. And you and I are just nearing... We're just babies compared to him. We're getting close to...

A hundred. A hundred. He's 10 times ahead of us. Well, he's been doing it forever. Oh, there's that. There's that. I'll give you this. I'll give you this.

Mike, congratulations, bro. Well done. Yeah, absolutely. Shut your fucking trap, Gene. Shut your fucking trap, Mike. Jesse and Gene, don't ever change, guys. When I actually reunited you on toronto mic it was a big deal to me because uh it felt like it had been forever since i heard you guys on the air

together it turns out there was like a very brief like 10 10 experience i don't know a week or two that you guys appeared on there but other than that it had been what since the 90s so amazing to have you guys on Toronto Mike together I loved it Gene you become a buddy I see you every Friday morning checking in on Hebsey on sports and you even made an appearance at TMLX 5 at Palmer's Kitchen amazing thanks so much I just hope Jerry Howarth didn't hear those naughty words. Let's hope he's tuned out by now. Oh, hi there, Mike and your audience. It's Finkelstein here.

Well, I loved being on your show. It was a lot of fun. A few friends of mine who are really into sports as well as music said I should really be on the show. And, well, we set it up, and I am so glad we did. I got a terrific response to it, and I had a great day. And your hospitality was wonderful and you know call me sometime and we'll do it again maybe we'll talk about the new film I'm working on

when the time is right speak to you later, bye loved my chat with Bernie can't wait to have him on again and as he knows i'm still waiting for bruce colburn to make his toronto mic debut it's going to happen because this guy has been over twice hey it's andy kim um here's question. Who does a thousand podcasts? I have no idea. You obviously have no life.

Toronto Mike. I've heard of Jersey Mike, but I hadn't heard of Toronto Mike until I get a phone call. And in the smallest of letters, it says free lasagna so i decide i'll come for the lasagna yeah well i came and i found that mike was one of the rare ones knew everything that we needed to talk about. It wasn't just a podcast of ego. Mike, you're really interested in how we all feel, and you're really interested in music

and the health of the music industry. And for that, I thank you. By the way, lasagna was perfect. So my name is Andy Kim, wishing you a thousand more. Ciao. Sugar, sugar, baby. I remember the first time Andy Kim came over and he had that sense of like, okay, where am I now? This is some guy's basement. What's going on? What do you mean 90 minutes? And then the return visit, he was totally like in the vibe.

We had a coffee together in my kitchen before we went down to record. We were talking about our families and it was just like a really heartwarming conversation I had with Andy Kim. Like he totally evolved. I would say that Andy Kim has learned to adapt and evolve and roll with it. And that's what makes him a Canadian music legend. And now a very rare appearance by somebody who's been referenced dozens and dozens of times, but I don't believe has ever been heard on Toronto Mic'd. Hey, Mike, it's MF.

Congrats on 1,000 episodes. You've built such an awesome podcast. You get interesting guests. You ask good questions. I love the real talk, as you would say, and it's fun to listen to. The Pandemic Fridays are, of course, my favorites, but I'm biased because of Cam Gordon's participation in them.

I have learned a lot of fun facts about music though, because of those episodes. So thanks for that. Keep up the good work, Mike, and I hope to see you soon in person and we can share a cold GLB and cheers to all your success. Fun fact, MF and I have met multiple times for sneaky public park Great Lakes beers. I will point out that Cam was there too before you get the wrong idea. But we did that at least twice, and I'm sure we'll do it again. MF, thanks so much for finally making your Toronto Mike debut. Hi, I'm Dani Elwell. One of the things that I remember most about going to visit you, Mike,

is that just before you put your mic on to begin our chat, you quietly screamed rock and roll into the air, and I appreciated the enthusiasm. I appreciate a lot of things about you, Mike. How passionate you are, how smart, how genuinely interested. Your love of music, definitely your love for radio. How you didn't back down when a bully approached and snarled at you. I like that during a somewhat difficult time for myself and some of my friends and colleagues, I think you genuinely felt bad for us. I like that you do your research. I appreciate that somehow you have managed to carve a unique, successful, and creative space for yourself in an at times rather noisy,

noisy world. I appreciate you. Congrats on hitting this milestone and thank you for thinking of me to be somewhat involved. You make radio better by giving it context. And for that, I'm grateful. All the best. Rock and roll. Danny, thanks so much. What a thoughtful message. And I love that you produced it. This felt like the alternative bedtime hour.

You mentioned the bully. So I just want to touch on that for a moment because I did a series of episodes with people who had been treated very poorly at Jazz FM. And this resulted in a cease and desist. I received from the gentleman in question and I ended up having to get a lawyer and it was a whole thing. But I am proud of myself that I didn't back down.

I shone a light on it all, and I published the letter, and I explained it all, and I refused to edit those episodes, and they live forever in the Toronto Mic'd archive. Thank you, Danny, for your support. It's been fantastic getting to know you. Hi there. It's Ron Davis here, period. I was born in Toronto and have lived here all my 64 years. I love this city. I'm a proud ambassador of it whenever I travel and in all my performances I talk about it.

But somehow, despite all my years here, I had never heard a Toronto Mike or his podcast until about three or four years ago. And it was an odd event because it was in an online dispute that someone was having with Toronto Mike period. And I thought Toronto Mike was being badly dealt with and unfairly dealt with. thought Toronto Mike was being badly dealt with and unfairly dealt with. So I offered my help and got to know Toronto Mike and then became an official FOTM period. And now at episode 1000 of his podcast, I can say that Toronto Mike and the podcast is one of the many things I love about this city. The people, the places, for all our peccadillos, are overwhelmed by the wonders and the grace that we find throughout this city. And Toronto Mike is a part of it, period.

So on episode 1000, Mike, this is me wishing you all the best. Keep on keeping on, and I'll start preparing something less rambly for episode 2000. I mentioned after Danny Elwell's contribution that I had to get a lawyer because of the aforementioned bully. Well, who did I get? What lawyer would understand everything going on here and give me the support I require? Well, you might think it's Lorne Honickman, but this wasn't his specialty. This was a job for Ron Davis. Davis was a job for Ron Davis. So thank you, Ron, not just for the legal advice, but the amazing conversations. I will tell the listenership that Ron is higher energy on Toronto Mic'd. It's funny listening to that clip.

That's not my lawyer. Who is that guy? Well, you know, he turns it up to 11 when he comes on the program. That appearance with Steve Paikin was epic. Ron, thanks for everything, man. Hey, yo, what's up? This is Big Kish, and I'd just like to send a congratulations shout-out to my man Mike on 1,000 episodes of your podcast.

1,000 episodes. Man, that is amazing. And thank you so much for letting me be a part of that 1,000 episodes. Man, that is amazing. And thank you so much for letting me be a part of that 1,000 episodes. I am honored and grateful to have been a part of that legacy. I had an amazing time talking about all the stuff that happened when I was coming up and I was making records to what I'm doing now in voiceover. And I had a wonderful, wonderful time. Here's to the next 1,000 episodes, my friend. Blessings to you. It's funny, but when the pandemic struck and I learned I had to pivot, I couldn't have guests

in my basement studio for a while. My very first thought was, now I can get Kish on Toronto Mic'd. I knew he was in California and we could do it via Zoom. During that awesome conversation with Kish, he started talking about Danio. And then I started thinking, I need to talk to Danio. What up? This is your bro Danio. And I'm sending a big shout out to my man Toronto Mike for 1000 episodes of your show, man. It's amazing to have a podcast going that long. And it's amazing to see what you've been doing, and you've been putting it on for Toronto forever. Giving Toronto a mic to highlight and expose all of the amazing talent that we have here and the incredible things that's going on in the city. Keep going for another thousand, man, and thanks so much for having me

on the show. It's an honor to be part of one of those thousand shows and hopefully I'll be back on man, but I appreciate all that you do and wish you the best as you continue in this journey, bro. We recently revisited Dear Hip Hop on the second appearance by Johnny Dovercourt. And I was chatting with Daniel and I let him know,

Hey, we were talking about you and Daniel seemed legitimately pleased and interested. I know he went back and listened, and he thanked me. So much love to Daniel. A fantastic FOTM. All right. Bill Brio here offering congratulations to Toronto Mike Boone for 1,000 podcasts. Mike, I'm pretty sure that this is because you were a student,

an alumni of Michael Power High School in Etobicoke, where the Bazillion Fathers taught you goodness, discipline, and the knowledge of how to do 1,000 podcasts. It would take that kind of discipline, I think. So pretty much just speaks to me of our Markle Power roots together, mine 20 years before yours, but nonetheless, alumni's accolade to Chi, and thanks for the times you've had me on. I've really enjoyed them, lots of fun.

I think I've been on three times. I think the most fun was kicking out the TV theme song jams. Got to do that again. That was fun. I like that spin on that, but it's a fun podcast to listen to and even more fun to be invited to be a guest. So Mike, congratulations. You've already done four new podcasts in the time it's taken me to record this salute to you. So hats off to you, brother, and congratulations. Fellow power grad Bill Brio, what a pleasure it's been getting to know you better. Whether we're kicking out those TV theme songs, which I absolutely love and we absolutely have to do a sequel to,

or basically just chewing the fat. Maybe I'm putting you on Humble and Fred, or maybe we're talking about Joe from T.O.'s goaltending skills, or, as was once recorded, we're diving deep into the history of the Cloverdale Mall. It's all good, Bill Brio, because you're a good man, and thanks for this. almost 300 forgettable episodes since my amazing episode. Initially, I felt bad and I thought, should I bring something? Should I bring a gift? Because it's a kind of like a birthday type of

situation or an anniversary type situation. And then I remembered how much I got paid to be on the podcast. So accept my well wishes, Toronto Mike, keep on doing what you're doing. And a thousand episodes of a podcast is a lot. And I don't know who has that kind of time. Well done. Fun fact, Brittle Star is a funny dude and a welcome member to the community. Although I was gifted a Peace Love Canada t-shirt. Moose Grumpy gave me one

and I thought she bought it for me because I always say peace and love. Shout out to Ringo Starr. And I'm she bought it for me because I always say peace and love. Shout out to Ringo Starr. And I'm a proud Canadian. But it turns out you jumped on that one first. So kudos to you, my friend. Kudos to you. I'm Pete Fowler, also known as Radio Cop Guy.

Congratulations, Mike. Almost 10 years. 1,000 episodes of Toronto Mike. Thousands of kilometers ridden on your widow bike. 12 kids. Congratulations, Mike. Almost 10 years. 1,000 episodes of Toronto Mike. Thousands of kilometers ridden on your widow bike. 12 kids. You produce Humble and Fred, so like, that's 14 kids. Honored to call you my friend.

Cheers, Mike. Congrats. Here's to another 1,000 episodes. Pete Fowler is the man responsible for one-third of my wardrobe. I proudly rock the Lost Indie City shirts that Pete has made for his awesome program. Thanks, Pete. One of the best things to come out of this experiment, if you will, the Toronto Mic'd 1000 episodes

is my friendship with you. I got to spend time in your backyard. We got some live music there. This was only in, what was that? October 2021. What a delight. You're a gentleman. Even as we speak, you're putting me in contact with Chris Brown.

I'll let people guess which Chris Brown. And we're going to make that episode happen in March 2022. But Pete, you're a good man. Or should I call you Feet Powder, as the great brother Bill once did. Hey there, this is Blair Packham. Now, I was a guest of Mike's once on Toronto Mic'd, and I loved it. Everything was great. The palma pasta after the lasagna was fantastic.

But Mike seemed really intensely focused on this 10-year period of my life when I was in a band called The Jitters. And that was cool, but I've done so many other things. Like I was at U of T Radio with Steve Paikin, for instance, when I was still in my teens. I co-wrote the words to Beyblade. If you have kids, you know what that means. I've run this songwriting workshop called Song Studio for 18 years. And we've had guests like Lyle Lovett and Steve Earle and other famous people like that. And I was at Q107 for a year doing Sunday nights. Mike didn't want to know about any of that stuff. So I'm hoping he'll ask me back. Congratulations on your 1,000th episode.

I think it's fantastic. And I really enjoy listening to the podcast. I've been a fool, played it dumb. Should have played it smart. Used my head, but not my heart. Must have been crazy, played it hot. I should have played it cool. Now I'm just the last of the red Hot boos. So Mike, Millennial Mike, 1,000 Mike, the man who's made it to a great and noble 1,000 podcasts. I think the first time Mike got in touch with me, I just thought, who is this and what does he want? And so I found out that he wanted me to be on his podcast. And I thought, I don't know you. I don't know. I'm not know. So I let it go. And he didn't, you see, because that's why he's at a thousand now,

because he has the tenacity of a tiger. The man rides his bicycle around all of Toronto. That should tell you something about him. And now he's here. And by the way, I finally did give in. I think it took about a year. And I went and it was oddly enjoyable. So I enjoyed it and it was fun. And I wanted to do it again. And eventually we started working together. So what can I tell you except congratulations, Mike. You deserve, I don't know, pizza, lasagna, beer. You deserve stuff. Way to go. Forever my rabbi, Ralph Ben-Murgy. Again, if Toronto Mike had no other purpose, it would be more than worthwhile because you and I became friends it's been an absolute pleasure producing your podcast not that kind of rabbi

which is excellent because you're excellent so thanks for your support and keep on keeping on my rabbi this is Sujith Varughese I was 834, and here Toronto Mike is at episode 1000, so congratulations Toronto Mike. You know, I just wanted to say that when you work in TV or music or whatever in Toronto, it's sort of like working in witness protection. Toronto. It's sort of like working in witness protection. You know, nobody really cares. But I was just so overwhelmed that you reached out to me and wanted to talk to me about what I do and put it on your show. And it's just great. So thank you for that. And listen, I hope I'm around for episode 2000. So keep doing what you're doing. Shugith, you had me at Fraggle Rock. Loved every little part of that show.

Loved it all so much. You were a key, spoke in that wheel, and it was an absolute pleasure chatting with you about it on Toronto Mic'd. And oh yeah, that Kim's Convenience thing. That was pretty good too. Hey, I love being on the Toronto Mic'd. And oh yeah, that Kim's Convenience thing. That was pretty good too. Hey, I love being on the Toronto Mic'd podcast because Mike gives you a chance to really stretch out with the stories. A lot of podcasts, they're trying to get their points in too, which I understand. But Mike is such an honest fan of music that when he gets the opportunity to go

deep with somebody, he shares that passion and he lets you really get into the nuts and bolts of it. And I really appreciate that because, you know, I'm a fan of music. I'm a fan of comedy and storytelling, you know, and I like the chance to share what I've seen with others. And Mike's show celebrates that. So congratulations on the thousand episodes of Toronto Mike'd podcast. Can't wait to come back on soon and spin some tunes. Peace. You know my motto, why talk about Trump crap in his pants when you can talk about the tragically hip? Noel, can't wait to kick out the jams with you. That's going to be something special,

and that's coming soon. Hey, Mike, it's Jeff Samet of Sirius XM here. Congratulations on episode 1000 of Toronto Mike. And thank you for the opportunity to appear on the podcast. Boy, such a, a wonderful and rare opportunity to have an extensive conversation about my career and talk about my experiences. And yes,

the podcast is generally fun and entertaining to listen to but i think of the young broadcasters that are trying to make their mark in the industry and hearing our stories just might give them a leg up somehow so you are certainly doing them a great service as well thank you mike and here's to another thousand episodes junction jeff dude the pleasure was all mine i hope i didn't linger too long on Vito from Woodbridge. I have a tendency to do that, but dude, it was all great and continued success to you, my friend. This is Alan Cross, and I'd like to thank you for allowing me to get something off my chest. Radio, and I'm talking about terrestrial radio here, is still extremely powerful, popular, and profitable.

About 90% of the population listen to radio every week. So riddle me this, why aren't more other media outlets covering what happens in radio like they do with movies and television and Netflix and all the other streaming services. Radio has been this bastard child where even though it's ubiquitous and everybody listens and everybody participates, yet none of the other media want to talk about what's happening in this sphere, which is why I'm grateful for Toronto Mike. I may not always agree with the

stuff that he talks about and the stuff that he says, but at least he's covering what's going on in the world of radio. Thank you for that. I really appreciate it. I learned stuff and people who deserve to be heard are heard. So nice job with a thousand episodes. Here's to a thousand more. Now, well, before I had a popular podcast, when I was a lowly blogger, I would write Alan Cross emails and ask him the same kind of questions I've basically been asking him on Toronto Mike the past nine and a half years.

And Alan would always get back to me fairly promptly with a thoughtful answer. He's very accessible. He's very kind to us content creators and really a solid member of the community. I just want to let people know, Alan Cross is awesome. Hello, Jack Armstrong here.

Hey, just want to reach out and say congratulations to my main man, Mike. Toronto Mike. How about it? A thousandth episode. What a run. What a classic. And Mike, you've done a fabulous job bringing the essence, the beauty, the passion of Toronto sports to all of us. Mike, congratulations. Toronto Mike, a thousand podcasts. Wow. What a run. And by the way,

the best is yet to come. Congratulations. You gotta love Jack almost as much as Jack loves his Great Lakes beer. He loves the IPAs. Thanks for doing that, Jack. When I met you, it's a rare occurrence where I didn't do it in

the TMDS studio. I actually set up shop in the lobby of a hotel in downtown Toronto. And Jack and I recorded that the table as the public kind of looked on and thought, what's going on here? Is that Jack Armstrong? And who is that handsome devil with him? Amazing. Thanks, Jack. Hi, it's Jeff Hutchison, former host of Canada AM, Bowling for Dollars and Kitchener and Blue Jays Banter, among other things. And I just want to say two things. One, congratulations to Toronto Mike on 1,000 podcasts.

It's absolutely extraordinary. And two, thank you so much for having me on. What a pleasure that was. One of the great things I found was that you just have time to expand and amplify on things. And in my case, I mean, I was talking about things that I hadn't talked about in years, or in the case of the end of Canada AM, got a chance to really give a thorough explanation of how I viewed the demise of that program. But I was also glad to be part of the who's who list of guests that Mike has rounded up for Toronto Mike over the past years. I mean, literally anyone who has any kind of input in the arts, radio, television, music, movies,

Canadiana, you name it, and they have been attracted to, and come on, Toronto Mike's podcast because simply he's easy to talk to, he's affable, and you know what? He addresses an issue, he doesn't undress it and there's a big difference in that kind of thing and it puts people right at ease i was pretty surprised that mike was a fan of blue jays bander which was a television show we did on the blue jays

out of what is now ctv kitchener uh from the mid 80s to the mid 90s. And it just kind of spoke to me that man, you just never know who's watching. And before I go, I just have to share the story about you just never know, in this case, who's listening. My brother moved to Mexico several years ago and lives near the city of Meridia. And after I was on Toronto Mike, I got a text from him which basically said, Hey, bro, heard you on Toronto Mike this morning. I've been listening for the last five years. And if that didn't make my stint on Toronto Mike come full circle, I don't know what else could. Anyway, congratulations on a thousand episodes, Mike. And here's to hoping for another thousand more. Keep up the good work, my friend.

that's just like too much like that's just the mind blow right there hutch i'm a good friend of dana levinson and when she told me you were one of the good guys i instantly wanted to get you on toronto mic'd and i'm glad i did it was fantastic it's been an absolute pleasure getting to know you and thank you for putting in the good word with dan matheson who came over shortly thereafter you know that helps when a FOTM tells a another FOTM they should do the show it it means a great deal so thank you for all of that hi Toronto Mike it's Peter Sherman and I am indeed a friend of Toronto Mike even though the first time I came on it turned into an extra episode of Hebsey on Sports. And the second time you had me on, you grilled me like a biased trial lawyer. All that aside, I think you perform a service. You convince radio and TV folks that there are people out there who are actually interested in

them. And that is a true service because for the most part, it just ain't so. I understand you're celebrating your 1000th show i wish you well in getting to episode 2000 and maybe in the process finding a way of putting food on your table besides the great lakes beer and palma pasta lasagna though they're both pretty good thanks for having me on your podcast and good luck in the future peter we may not always agree on all the issues and share the same sensibilities. But I absolutely love having the conversation and I'm not afraid to have the conversation. And my door is always open to you so long as you continue to show great

restraint and not leap across, leap across the table and, you know, take me out. So thank you, Peter. Again, absolutely jealous of those pipes.

Tell me where you can pick some up and money's no object. I need them. Hi, this is Rob Cowan seizing upon the opportunity to extend greetings and felicitations on the occasion of the 1000th episode of Toronto Mic'd. A thousand shows. That is a singular achievement. Doing anything a thousand times is a singular achievement. So when Mike reached out to some of his former guests, referring to us as F-O-T-M, I had no idea what he was talking about. But I've determined that it must mean fabulous on Toronto mic'd.

So I'm happy to extend this greeting. I appeared on episode 859, so I was a little late to the party. But I can tell you this, in 50 years in broadcasting, this was the first and only time I was paid in lasagna. It was pretty good too, I got four or five meals out of it. You might want to consider recruiting a bank though as a sponsor for the podcast in the future. Onward and upward, Mike. Congratulations. You've done good. That of course is the voice of Rob Cowan, who's the first person to say the fan 1430 on the radio. Rob does a number of great voices, but he does one voice particularly well.

So I asked him if maybe that individual who's no longer with us could shout me out for episode 1000. Hello, Canada and talk show fans in the United States and Newfoundland. This is the voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs extending greetings on the occasion of a thousand episodes of Toronto Mic'd. His parents named him after a city, but it seems to have worked out. No question about that. Foster Hewitt, ladies and gentlemen. What a pleasure. From beyond the grave,

shout out to Ridley Funeral Home. Rob's dad is Bernard Cowan, a very famous, important individual around these parts who's sadly no longer with us. But I had Rob's brother, Elliot, over to dive deep into the career of their father, Bernard Cowan.

Hi, Mike. Episode 233 here. Elliot Cowan. Congratulations on 1,000 and continued success with the network. How about part two? Lots more stories to tell. Congratulations. tell. Congratulations. Now since John Derringer and Elliot Lefkoe have both politely declined their invitations to appear on Toronto Mic'd, that makes the

Cowan brothers, Rob and Elliot a rare sibling FOTM duo. Thanks Elliot, it was great having you over and of course we'll do it again. By the way if you've yet to listen to Elliot Cowan's appearance on Toronto Mic'd, where we dove deep into the career of Bernard Cowan, I urge you to correct that

oversight. Bernard Cowan, what a career, what a legacy. It'll blow your mind. Hey, Mike, Tish Eyston here. Congratulations, 1,000 episodes. That is so fabulous. It was wonderful being a part of the Toronto Mic'd family. I was episode 967. And I really thank you for the opportunity to be able to explain, you know, what happened and what I'm doing. I've had a lot of emails from listeners who went looking for Googling, where is Tish Eyston? What happened to Tish Eyston? Anyway, they found your podcast and they listened to the whole thing. And so it was wonderful to have that opportunity to kind of explain where I am. So thank you for that. Thank you for the warm, safe environment that you provide. And anybody who's listened to your podcast, that's one of the things that I pick up on when I listened before I became a guest and felt it exactly as I sat there with you. You provide this

warm, comfortable, safe environment for your guests. And I felt it. And when you listen, you can hear it. And I would almost venture to say that because you are the way you are is why you are celebrating your 1000th podcast. Because you know, you get back what you give out. Congratulations again, Mike. All the best in 2022. Keep bringing on those stories. We love them. Rock on.

Thank you, Tish. And what a voice. What a voice. Now, Tish is not the only former CHF-ier who became an FOTM in the last few months. Here is another one. Hey, Mike, it's Gord Rennie here, FOTM from episode number 982. Just wanted to drop a line and say congratulations on episode number 1,000. That's crazy.

And I'm glad your passion for radio and TV and all those mediums and how you like to pull the curtain back and see what's behind it and hear other people's stories and your genuine interest made my experience so much fun. I love talking about radio and how it all works and how people's lives intersect and how I got to A to B to the present day. It was so much fun. It was my first experience on any type of podcast and I had a great time. So I wanted to wish you all the best, and here's to another thousand more episodes of Toronto Mic'd. And that was Gord Rennie,

who now works with a couple of FOTMs at 640. He works with Greg Brady and Kelly Cotrera. Hey, this is Gord Depp with the Spoons, and we'd like to congratulate you on your thousandth episode of Toronto Mic'd. That's pretty incredible. Thousands of anything is pretty incredible. You've been around since 2012, I think, and we've been on a few times. It's always great fun. Get really in-depth, talk about everything that's been going on through thick and thin, especially these last couple of years. New albums, adventures, how we survive. But you know, what always seems to come back down to one little thing,

which just haunts me, whether it's Spoons or The Spoons. And I tell you, until we get that sorted out, you're just going to have to have us back again and again. So congratulations on your thousands. Thank you for having us, and until the next time. Straight up, that is haunting me. Spoons versus the spoons. I just want to get it right. Gord, Sandy, you'll be back

because we have to figure this out. And by the way, if you're curious, listening at home, why was Gord Depp after Gord Renny? It's because I felt the Gords belonged together sort of the way the Garys belong together. Hi, this is Gary Topp. Ten years and a thousand episodes. Quite an amazing feat. Toronto Mike, may you never come out of the basements. Congratulations on this monumental occasion.

Congratulations on this monumental occasion. Hey Toronto Mike, Gary Cormier here from the Garys. Just a quick call to congratulate you on your thousandth podcast. And to thank you for helping make this city aware of all the great creative people who live and work here. And make this place worth living in. Keep on keeping on. Thank you, Gary Topp, and thank you, Gary Cormier. The Garys, everybody.

In a recent episode with John Borah, I suggested that this country honor the Garys appropriately. The Order of Canada for the Garys. Hi, Mike. It's John Borah here. I just want to congratulate you on 1,000 episodes and 10 good years of the Toronto Mic'd podcast.

Way to go. That's quite an accomplishment, quite a milestone. You should be very proud of yourself. Hope you're having a good day today. I had a really wonderful time being on your show not too long ago. I thought we got into some really nice stuff, not just talking about me and my career, but just Toronto in general, Toronto history in general. I think it's very important to keep these stories alive and to get them from

the people who are there. You're doing a great thing, not just for the artists, but for the city in general. So yeah, just wanted to wish you well. I hope you're having a great thing not just for the artists but for the city in general so uh yeah just wanted to wish you well i hope you're having a wonderful day and uh look forward to seeing you again sometime soon ciao john when i saw you had your guitar with you when you showed up in my basement recently i got so damn excited nothing is better than a live performance in this TMDS studio. I'm thinking of Gino Vanelli, Lowest of the Low, Sky Wallace. Who else played? Fred Penner was playing for a little bit.

John Bora, you played. Shout out to Mike Boguski from Blue Rodeo who played in the Backyard Studio. Thanks, John. That was an awesome chat. Hey, Toronto Mike. It it's your friend Eric Grossman I just want to congratulate you on 1000 episodes that is an unbelievable accomplishment

my friend I want to say thank you for having me two times I got to go to the basement I got to experience that whole thing and I got to go to the backyard when we had a nice little chat for about an hour or so. Again, thanks so much for making me a part of a little, little piece of part of your show. Again, congratulations. And, you know, I hope you get a thousand more. My favorite episode, I have to say, was the Bob Elliott and Dave Perkins when you had them both together. It just brought me back to when I got to be around them both in person and felt like I was right there again. So, again, congratulations, Mike.

You're the man. Keep it going. And, yeah, keep on wearing that Toronto Wolfpack shirt. Good job, my friend. We'll talk soon. shirt. Good job, my friend. We'll talk soon. Eric, thanks so much, and especially for delivering the real talk about misogyny and what else you witnessed with the Blue Jays there. That second appearance in the backyard took a lot of courage, and I want you to know I appreciate it. Well, congratulations, Mike, on 1,000 episodes. When I look back, a few things jump out. First of all, the impressive guest list.

The movers and the shakers make time for Toronto Mike. One of the things I really like about the pod is that Mike is not afraid to ask the tough questions when needed. It doesn't matter who's in the chair. Toronto Mike has a way of getting answers on subjects his listenership is wondering about. I'm partial to the sports media pods myself, and out of the many enjoyable episodes over the years, number one for me, without a doubt, was the Dave Perkins-Bob Elliott double bill. A couple of beauties there, Mike.

So congrats on the first thousand, and looking forward to the next thousand. Cheers. If you don't recognize that voice, it belongs to the Canadian press's own Gregory Strong. Gregory, because you're such a fantastic journalist and writer, that feedback means a great deal. Thank you so much. Hey, Toronto Mike.

It's Perry Lefkoe. I want to congratulate you on reaching your 1,000th show. That's quite a milestone. I can only hope that myself and Jim Taddy reach such a milestone on our show, the Yes Guy Show, Saturdays from 12 to 1 on TSN 1050 Toronto. Mike, you have really set the standard for podcasts.

I was amazed when you asked me to be on your show. I was even more amazed by the questions that you ask. I don't know who does your research, but you do it quite well. And what can I say, Mike? Who knows? Maybe one of these days, Jim and I will put you on our show.

Hmm. Let me think about that. Thanks, Perry. Quick Perry Lefkoe story here. Met him at TMLX5 at Palmer's Kitchen and he gave me a copy of his book to hold so I could pose for a photo. He snaps the photo, and then he takes back his book.

Who does that? You gotta let me keep the book. Peace and love to you, Perry Lefkoe. Don't ever change. Hey, Mike. Congratulations on 1,000 podcasts. It's a remarkable achievement, made all the more so because of what you've had to endure in a pandemic no less. First of all, to put up with all the screaming and whining and toilet training and well that's just from me. I don't know how you do it and put together such a great podcast, several every week, with guests who open up to you the way Tony Soprano opened up to Dr. Melfi, the way parents want their children to confide everything to them, the way Brian Soprano opened up to Dr. Melfi, the way parents want their children to confide

everything to them, the way Brian Linehan, the iconic celebrity interviewer, got his guests to go, how did you know that about me? Where did you get that? The way you managed to extract those little nuggets from some of your guests is beyond me, and I've done a lot of interviews too. Even when we're doing my podcast, I feel you're probing questions and sharp observations at the ready. You take on the craft of interviewing with intense conviction, and the proof is in the podcast. I've listened to more episodes of the Toronto Mike podcast than I have of Mark Maron's WTF, and that's a lot. Hundreds. I've enjoyed each and every one of them. Now all you need is another thousand or so

and we can start comparing you with Cal Ripken and think about putting your face on the Mount Rushmore of podcasters. But for now, Mike, congratulations on this milestone and I can't wait for the next thousand. All the best, buddy. This might be episode 1000 of Toronto Mic'd, but there's also over 270 episodes of Hebsey on Sports. It's been my honour to be Mark Hebsey's co-host for that program every Friday morning at 9am on Hebsey's YouTube channel, or you can subscribe to the podcast. Mark, you mean the world to me. What a dear friend. What a pleasure it's been working with you and getting to know you. And I just want to say to you, thanks. Hey, Toronto Mike. This is Rob Pruce, the new wave spoons dude. So congratulations on a thousand shows. I can't wait to meet you in real life. And I've done your show a few times now now and it was a complete honor and a thrill

and I love listening to your show um I've only discovered you in the last couple years really so I have like thousand almost a thousand shows to catch up on like like hundreds of shows to catch up on anyways um but because I've lived in New York for 20 years and um it's fun to catch up and dig into your spins on our town um and it makes me feel very nostalgic sometimes because you you're younger than me but you grew up like liking the same stuff i like because i think we as canadians and southern ontarians we like a lot of that like it makes us brings us together from our community. And I love that about your show. And I really appreciate you doing it. And happy anniversary.

1,000 is unbelievable. Dude, see you soon. Rob's Toronto Mike debut was epic. But when he was our esteemed subject matter expert for the PPMM, that's Progressive Past and Modern Melodies, Deep Dive into New Wave. That was off the charts. I thought about that episode for days and days afterwards. I was in the room and it was recorded, and I still listened back multiple times.

Loved it. Rob gets it. He's one of us. Welcome to the family. One of the things I really enjoyed about being on the show was it gave me a chance to really look at where I've come from and share my memories of Toronto with everyone. But also, people started getting in touch with me after they heard it, because they recognized a lot of the same experiences. And I think that's one of the great things about radio and podcasting in general. And so I was really excited to be a lot of the same experiences and i think that's one of the great things about radio and podcasting in general and so i was really excited to be a part of this show and it made me feel like even though i don't live in toronto anymore i'm still a part of toronto so that's

great thanks mike speaking of guests who get it paul myers is a guest who gets it what a tremendous debut shout out to the gravel berries and we're working on a tremendous debut. Shout out to the Gravelberries. And we're working on a deep dive into The Kids in the Hall because there's no better subject matter expert on the planet than Paul Myers. I can't wait. A thousand episodes?

That's pretty impressive. That's ten times more episodes than Larry David has made of Curb Your Enthusiasm. So I'm hoping you're making 10 times the money. Congratulations, Mike. For shits and giggles, I was going to put Scott Moore's clip right after Hebsey's, but I got to deal with Hebsey every Friday morning, so I decided not to do that.

But I do want to thank Scott Moore, not only for coming over for essentially his exit interview when he left Rogers, but for the sports media discussion about diversity. That was really important. And we had Shirali Najak there and we had Sofia Zhirkovich and I had clips from Kayla Gray and Bubba O'Neill. And I felt we, you know, started a conversation that needed to happen. And I want to thank you, Scott, for helping make that possible. Hello, Toronto Mike. It's Stephen LeDrew here

to offer my congratulations on your thousandth episode. You started off as an underground movement, literally underground in your basement. And here you are, a Toronto institution. You're talking about all the events that go on in Toronto, all the media that goes on in Toronto. I enjoyed thoroughly my visit with you, as did many of your listeners,

who I heard back from, and I know that my former seatmate on an unnamed TV station in Toronto, Ann Romer, also was on your show, and she told me she thought it was terrific, and everybody listening thinks it's terrific. So, once again, you're not mainstream, but you are solid stream in toronto and again congratulations steven ladrew the man can rock a bow tie what a pleasure it was when you visited it was a great conversation thanks for doing that and thank you so much for taking the time to contribute to this episode 1000 i want to thank everybody who submitted a clip.

It means the world to me. Toronto Mike and 1,000 shows. Very impressive. It's your pal Craig Venn, and I just wanted to send a quick note to say congratulations and admit I was wrong. You got this podcast going back in August of 2012. You thought, I want to interview my favorite radio and television people

that I grew up listening to and watching in Toronto. I must admit at the time I did think, well, how many radio television people could there be for him to interview? And really, outside of Toronto, Mike, who the hell would care? But you tapped into something that I hadn't thought of, that radio people, television people probably as well, love nothing more than to talk about themselves. We're the most narcissistic people on the planet, and we love to read our resume. And so you figured that out, and you've had now 1,000 episodes.

That's very impressive. And I continue to go back and listen to mine constantly because I'm as narcissistic as anybody. Congratulations once again, Toronto Mike, to a thousand shows. Hopefully there's thousands more. Cheers, my friend. Not only do I want to thank Craig Ben for the initial deep dive when he visited the TMDS studio and sat down for the A to Z of his life and times, but the amazing contribution

of Craig at the Party for Marty. So again, I set up the podcast studio in the lobby of the Opera House. And people who are there to remember Martin Streak would jump on the mic and share a memory or two. And Craig, that refreshing honesty from you. That was real talk. And I just want to thank you for the bonus then content. Loved it. Hey, Toronto Mike. James B. here. Loved it. Hey, Toronto Mike.

James B. here. Cheers, buddy. I heard it's 100 shows you've done already. That's older than Betty White. Too soon? Oh, wait. No, it's not 100. It's 1,000 shows.

My God, who are you, Regis Philbin? I don't know what that means either. Anyway, congratulations on 1 million shows. What's a few zeros between friends? Nothing. I also want to zeros between friends? Nothing. I also want to toast some of your guests. You've had so many guests. Fardy Flex, Andy Mays, Sandy Horn, Tara Sloan, Fred Penner, Sheepdogs, Melly Fresh, Ed the Sock,

Mishimi, David Deeney, Kim Clark, Chapness, Deeney Petty, Jim Carrey, George Topolopoulos. Cheers, buddy. Oh, you should be called New Toronto. New Toronto, Mike, because you live in Mimico. Cheers. The very famous James B. And he's recalling a great bit from the early days of Toronto Mike when the guest would say,

here I am in Mimico and I would get angry, I would get furious because I do not live in Mimico. I live in New toronto damn it so i get this uh email from a guy i never heard of a few years ago asking me to be on his podcast and uh for some strange reason i decided i'd do it and uh i arrive and uh nice young man takes me down to his basement. And I'm thinking, what the heck is this? And holy moly, damn good show, phenomenal research, good questions. And he solved the mystery of who that cowboy guy was on the City TV dance party from years ago.

Hint, his son is Dalton Pompey. If you don't recognize that voice, that's Chris Zelkovich, a man I read all the time in the Toronto Star because I was starving for coverage of the media. I loved it when the media covered the media, and Chris did that so well. Chris, it was a great pleasure having you over,

and yes, the Summertime Summertime Kay Pompey story, just amazing. He was the cowboy on Electric Circus. Of course, his sons are Tristan and Dalton Pompey. And that's one of the great mind blows to come out of the 1,000 episodes of Toronto Mic'd. Hi there. This is Marty York. I want to congratulate Toronto Mic'd for his podcast, which started in August 2012,

and I was fortunate enough to be one of his guests. And he's celebrating his 1,000th episode, and that is certainly a milestone to be proud of. Mike, thank you very much for my memorable appearance on your show. It certainly is very well listened to, and you are probably more popular than you realize, and certainly more popular than you realize. And certainly more popular than I realized. But I wish you the best of luck in your next 10,000 podcasts. And I guess that's it from Marty York.

Take care. See you next time. After the Steve Simmons clip earlier, I remarked that he was one of the more polarizing guests of Toronto Mic'd. Well, nobody beats Marty York in that regard. Man, what a polarizing guest. But I will say, for the record, a delightful visit from Marty York and a great conversation. So thank you, Marty, for doing that.

And thank you so much for submitting the clip. I'm Brian Bradley. I'm a Toronto Star journalist and author of Outrageous Misfits, a biography about Craig Russell. Here to sing the praises about Toronto Mike and his podcast. We do okay in Toronto to document historical events. But where's the heart and soul? It's pretty hard to find that at the reference library.

Our movies, our music, our TV, our sports, these things matter. The people who are part of them matter. But how do we explore them and frame them? It's nice to find that on Toronto Mike's podcast. He's our urban historian helping us capture who we are. From tales of Harold Ballard's antics to drag and ignorance on Yonge Street to making space for VJs to look back at their front seats to music

and TV history, Toronto Mic has done a real service to people who love this crazy city. Congrats on your thousandth episode. Brian, I don't know what to say. I'm choked up. That was absolutely beautiful. And I loved your visit. It was a backyard session, which came out of the pandemic, but we'll stick around forever because if it's a nice day, I'm recording in the backyard. It's beautiful. And you'll be back, my friend. What a great contribution to the podcast, and you've become a wonderful FOTM. What a message. Urban message urban historian i'm gonna use that hi this is ed keenan in washington dc uh formerly of the junction in toronto and uh sometimes frequent guest on the toronto mike podcast uh i hear mike has been doing this now for 1 000 episodes And the only surprise really is that it's only been 1,000 because it seems like

he's talked to virtually everyone in the city at multiple times and then had them on to kick out the jams and play their favorite music. It's just, it's in all seriousness, a real achievement. He came to my attention as the guy who had this niche of sort of talking to Toronto sports media personalities, and then his niche broadened to talking to all kinds of Toronto media personalities. And he's become sort of, you know, one of the most vital podcasts in the city, where you learn not just about the people you see on TV and hear in the radio and read about in the newspapers and hear from them in ways that you otherwise wouldn't, but you learn a lot about the city. In my multiple visits to Mike's basement studio,

I have to say it was one of the best places to catch up on gossip about what was happening in George Bell minor hockey. Congratulations, Mike. The real victor here is all your listeners. Ed, I loved every single one of our chats. We just click, and I think you're just a very interesting, well-spoken guy. But nothing beats your jam kicking.

I loved your taste in music. I loved what you had to say about the jams. So I urge all FOTMs who might have skipped that or missed it, go back and listen to Ed Keenan kicking out the jams. He introduced me to some shows and the next thing I'll do is correct myself and address you properly as Toronto Mike. I hope you realize how well you reflect life in this city by letting your listeners and subscribers hear from so many people who contribute to it. to it. There can't be many who have spoken, written, or sung about Toronto and who have stories to tell about it who are not friends of Toronto Mike, and they're all interesting in their own right, more so to your audience after they have spoken with you about themselves. You know every inch of this city from the seat of a bike. you help others know it the easy way by listening to you and your guests.

I'm not sure why I was one in the beginning, but I quickly became the guy who listed 100 favorite songs by 100 different artists every year. And you were the guy who let me talk about them and play some of them, and we became two friends of music and friends with each other. I thank you for letting me play DJ and sing along with Frank Turner and Skinny Lister, Brandy Carlisle, and The War on Drugs, and so many others. I thank you for letting me celebrate the greatness of Canadian artists, Blue Rodeo, Arkells, Joel Plaskett, Justin Rutledge, and most recently Alison Russell and her three Grammy nominations. I guess we both knew we were legit music fans

when we discovered that our favorite Pearl Jam recording was a not even flow or better man, but Crazy Mary, which is hidden on an album to benefit Victoria Williams after she was first diagnosed with MS. That might be the moment I remember best. For you, there are at least a thousand like that, and that's something to be proud of. Way to go, Mike. Toronto Mike. To be proud of. Way to go Mike. Toronto Mike. Several times in this.

1000th episode of Toronto Mike. I've commented on. Something that came out of this experience. That I'm grateful for. There are so many items. On that list. But I'm not sure anything beats the fact. That I'm now friends with Dave Hodge. Who will visit me once a year. play and discuss his favorite songs of that year.

Is there anything better than that? Hodge100.com. Check it out. Oh, and before I forget, Dave, thanks so much for putting in a good word with Brian Williams. Brian tells me that when I invited him over, he saw that his friend Dave Hodge had been in the basement, for putting in a good word with Brian Williams. Brian tells me that when I invited him over, he saw that his friend Dave Hodge had been in the basement and he called you up to ask you about the experience.

And according to Brian Williams, you said, do it and thank me later. And I'm going to thank you right now. All right, so 1,000 episodes coming up. How many media folks have you miked or mugged over the 1,000 episodes? You know, I was working this out. So it's 1,000 episodes, and then I thought, okay, well, Mark Weisblatt's been over 45 times. And then I thought, we did Pandemic Fridays with Stu and Cam.

We did 76 of those. And then I said, well, how many people have returned? Like, Hebsey's been on a bunch of times, you know, Greg Brady and so forth. Damien Cox has been over five times. So I think it's probably about 500 unique people.

Like, I haven't done the full count, but I'm guessing it was about 500 unique individuals have been on Toronto Mike. Toronto Mike, a place for good home cook media gossip. Mm-mm, tasty. Something really bad like that, you know? You started out in the basement, now look where you are.

Yeah, now I'm top of the world, Ma. Yeah, you've done really well. I mean, would you consider yourself to be in the sonic uh vice squad of media interviews i mean because you get really inside you go deep i notice you go deep and you look for all that you've got i mean everybody ends up either pissing their pants or revealing everything they've got including their bank accounts right well you know i i like to lull people into a full sense of security. I know. I mean, I attempted to swing it on you. I wanted to reverse it and do the I gotcha, and you wouldn't

go for it because you have the controls, right? If I had the controls, you'd be my victim, right? Well, as you know, Dave, he or she who has the editing power controls, it's like the hand that rocks the cradle. The hand that edits the file. I am master of my domain. I thought when I was doing the interview with you that if I don't tell the truth or give you some good stories,

I'm never going to get out alive. Now, my favorite interview, you asked me to recall. I mean, I've got many. I love Chris Clark Chapman. I love Richard Browse. I love Peter Mansbridge. Humble and Fred are friends of mine, so I love them at all. I thought, you know, if you could ever shut up Heather Vanbrick, you know, she was great.

And the other thing is, I see you had Dana Levinson, right? Now, what I've always wanted to say to Dana face-to-face was, Dana, have a sandwich. Because she's very skinny. But she'd probably hit me with her bag, right? Now, what I've always wanted to say to Dana face-to-face was, Dana, have a sandwich! Because she's very skinny. But she'd probably hit me with her bag, right? And then he had Roger Ashby for 18.5 minutes. And then he had the sports guys. All the bookies

came in. You know, there's Brian Williams, Peter Gross, the ultimate horse fan. And then he had Rod Black. And he had Hepsey. I mean, you know, so he had kind of, you know, a ultimate horse fan. Then he had Rod Black. And he had Hepsey. I mean, you know, so he had kind of, you know, a whole section there. And then Ed the Sock. Half Sock, quarter sass, quarter scandal, right? If he was the Swiss Chalet Dinner, what would he be?

I mean, you know, he'd be a tasty quarter meal with extra sauce, right? Chicken and stuffing and pie. Oh, my. Oh, my God. I mean, this shit just falls out. What can I do, you know? Now, talking about sauce, I mean, you get more out of people, really, and that's a compliment to you with the interviews that I heard anyway.

People just start talking. Next thing you know, they're getting into really deep stuff. I mean, most people don't even get that from their bosses. They don't have that kind of relationship. And I think the charm of you, Mike Boone, is that you were able to make them relax enough so they don't feel they're going to get gazamped, you know, or gazumped. And I think that's a real skill, you know.

So I think, you know, people have, you know, have that trust right away and kind of easygoing and then, bam, there's the big question. So, you know, i think that's good i think that's why you you know last i mean getting up to a thousand episodes is uh is is quite a feat you know so that's huge so congratulations dave i appreciate it because you you know you uh you were there as brother bill might say about someone else you were there and uh that means a lot to me man because you're like a you know a local radio legend and if i could even if i could even introduce you know let's say a thousand people to the great dave charles and they're like i didn't

know about this guy but what an amazing legacy like i feel like that's that's really my my whole role here is to share stories like yours because you might not have the same name recognition of a Roger Ashby, but you're just as important, if not more so. So I'm just wanting to share that. How do you get people to confess for pasta, you know, a Bluetooth speaker, stickers, and craft beer? I mean, you don't get any money. You get all this shit to take home

it's amazing you know well in the early days i didn't even have that in the early days right it was just i think it's great i mean you know you parlayed all those brands in there that's good you know and you know for media geeks like me uh we don't get to tell our story uh like that and not not in the long form that you give us you know usually you get a soundbite here and there yeah i remember you when you were in belleville or wherever but you know this is really an exceptional part of what you do i mean i i listened to that interview all one hour and 22 minutes i sent it around to some friends and i said you know you always want to know about what i did where i come from here it is you know so don't ask me again it's all in there i always wonder you know dave none no guest of Toronto Mic'd has ever passed away.

That's just a... Yeah, I do. The fountain of you. Yeah, I think pretty much so. Yeah, it's true. It's yet to happen. But I always wonder, like, one day that's inevitable, right?

Because they can't all live forever. Like, one day. I have guests who are in their 90s now. Like, when that does happen, I was wondering, that initial deep dive, the A to Z, as I call it, when you make your first appearance,

it also, shout out to Ridley Funeral Home, it also nicely serves as a obituary. Well, I got a better one for you. I think if you took the show to New Jersey, your slogan would be, you know, Toronto Mike, just do it, you know, in a mobster voice. Yeah. Shout out to Jimmy Hoffa.

Just do it, man. Just do it. You know, take the gun, leave Toronto Mike alone. That's right. Instead of take the cannoli, they the uh lasagna from palma i mean absolutely great work i mean when i look at the uh the variety of guests you got on the show it's quite amazing i mean you know people who were like richard krauss you know uh great to listen to because he's well you know he knows his stuff and and anybody you've had on you know is is

usually an expert of what they do and they love what they do. And that's what you bring out. You bring out the fact that they love what they do. They love to talk about it. And just in case you forgot about what I do, here it is. In big bold letters. So I love that. I think that's the magic of what you do. Shucks, man.

I got to say, this episode 1,000, the reason it's this, which is just people like yourself FOTMs chiming in is because I kept getting asked who my guest was for episode 1000 like I was getting these questions like who do you got lined up for 1000 so a I didn't have anybody lined up because I can't plan that far ahead there's too much going on and then be whoever I pick like unless I have like I don't know Michelle Obama or something, people are going to be like, oh, that's your guest for 1,000? So I thought, I got to take the guest out of this and open it up to everybody.

And then as they're coming in, like here we are chatting. I just got a note a moment ago from Jerry Haworth, and I'm listening to it, and I'm thinking, this is the best idea I ever had because I basically get praise. It's like I went out and said, please praise praise me and then I get to hear all this praise like what a wonderful idea this is well you know what absolutely I mean you've earned that and in spades I want to say and I'm glad we're doing because you know we're looking for little grabs out of here and vox pops for the promo I mean that your show is a promo It's a promo for people who love their

work and love their business. And you know something, the art of communication where you engage, you know, where you involve people and you entice people to listen. I mean, that's the beauty of what you do is, is you're listening. You don't get to see the guests. You get to hear the guests and you know, that, that really to be a good storyteller and to be able to tell your story. I mean, if you can't tell your own story, who's going to tell it? The bottom line is, and you're able to just pose the question and then, you know, bang, there you go. And then that's the entree to setting up some fun.

And I think people are curious. I think people like to know about those people they might hear on the airwaves or know what's behind the scenes. And, and every, you know what, everybody that you meet has a story in some manner or form. They have a story about their life and something that I remember when it was, you know, I went to crystal beach for the first time and wrote that big rollercoaster. That was the most exciting thing I ever did. You know,

it could be something like that or, or it could be, you know, a bit part of the movie or, you know, whatever, but everybody has got some moment in their life they would like to tell you about because they're very proud of that. There's a lot of shit that goes down in our lives you don't want to hear about because, you know, we're in that day and age where it's amplified on every kind of media platform. But I think what you do is you're able to get those people out there who are doing it for real and in the various genres and you're putting it on in a form they can digest and I think that that's the beauty it's not long form it's like it's really concise and condensed and I think that's the beauty of Toronto Mike is that you know you get a chance to have a bit of fun have a bit of laughs and say geez I really did that what really

stunned me is when I sat on a Sunday morning with a coffee and listened back to the entire show that you did with me, I said, holy shit, you know, I can't believe I did all that or that I was involved in that. And it was quite extraordinary. And the same, I got friends who gave me feedback on the show and they said, whoa, we didn't know that about you, you know, and they were very impressed and happy for me that I've had such an inclusive, amazing career, you know, and I'm thankful for that. And that's because of you. Dave, I'm speechless. Like, I don't even know what to say, except, uh, thank you. That, that was beautiful. That's your promo, man. I mean, the thing is, is that, uh, you don't have to be reading a script to do a promo. I mean, if you actually like what you do and you love what you do and you're good at

what talk about, that's the magic. You know, the thing is, is how you, how you create that chemistry. And I think that, you know, like I was very shy about coming on the show. I figured, okay, this guy's going to nail me. There's going to be some secret question. But you know, I said, no, it's not. I mean, once we started, I figured, okay, this is just going to be fun. We are just going to have fun. I'm going to tell people about this little guy that grew up in the Maritimes in Ancaster and how it all unfolded. You know, I mean, you just don't know how breaks come your way. You know, you keep at it. There's days when you

absolutely suck at what you do. And so the days where you just can't face the way to work because, you know, you just don't feel good about yourself. Everybody has those doubts. And I think that, you know, when you're in this business long enough, you learn to eventually get confidence, put that aside, and you end up doing what we do. And, you know, I'm at the stage of my career now where, you know, I'm a senior, but I feel like a junior. And I feel like as long as I got energy and jam and things to say, I'm never going to get old and I'm never going to die and I'm never going to retire. That's my attitude. Love it. Love that attitude. One thing

I want to pick up that you put down there, which is that he's going to get me thing, because I've heard from others in your industry that they don't want to come on because they think I'm going to get them. And I always wonder where that comes from. Cause I have, you know, a thousand of these you can listen to. And where is the example where I did a gotcha? There's a, there's no gotcha moment in a thousand episodes. Here's the thing, Mike is people are lazy.

You know, I actually went back and did my homework for today's little segment here. I went back and I did about an hour's digging into your stuff, you know? And so I got tons of stuff that I've heard and, and I marked out on a prep sheet, you know, I didn't need any of stuff that I've heard and I marked down on a prep sheet, you know, I didn't need any of it. I didn't need any of it because this is top of mind. This is me to you. And I think if anybody wants to say that Toronto Mike's going to get them, forget it.

He's not. Toronto Mike's already got you. If you're honored enough to be on the show, do the show, tell your story and be happy for it. If you don't recognize that voice, that belongs to local radio legend, Dave Charles. The man was there at the beginning of Q107. What a great conversation I had with Dave. And that audio you heard was essentially a Zoom I had recently with Dave Charles. I thought I was going to record his message. It turned out he wanted to chat and I figured, hey, bonus content. This episode's already really long. Let's make it a little longer. Thanks, Dave. Hi, it's Norm Rumak and Storm Norm Rumak and congratulations, Mike, on the big anniversary. I've enjoyed being on your show two times, and I'm recording this outside near Starbucks,

so you hear some ambient sound. It's just, you know, Spadina Avenue with whatever, cars and trucks going by. So anyway, yeah, I guess, I mean, I had a lot of good memories of the two episodes I did with you. But I guess the one that stands out is pretty funny. I thought for some reason, this was the second show, that you were a lawyer. I don't know why I thought that. And I remember you corrected me. and I remember you corrected me.

And then at the end of the show, I think you reminded me, yeah, I'm not a lawyer. And actually, my oldest brother, Marty, is a lawyer. So I know that sometimes, you know, people sometimes think negatively of lawyers. But anyway, I know that if there's a third episode with Storm and Arm Room Act, I might just mention the lawyer conversation. Just, you know, so I get a reaction from you. Because as you know, I'm good at getting reactions, or I was good at getting reactions from people on radio. So if I'm so fortunate to come back for episode three, I might sneak that in there.

I'll ask you, Mike, since we last spoke, have you gone to law school or thought of getting a law degree? Anyway, that was a lot of fun. The entire, both interviews were a lot of fun and uh it was a good time so and i think you told me you got good reaction to both i hope so and so yeah that's fond memories for me and beyond that you're a nice guy mike you're a nice guy to talk to you're an easy guy to talk to so you've got a good reputation you've interviewed a lot of top folks in and around the city and outside of the city. So congratulations. And wishing you many, many more episodes and interviews for many more years to come.

All the best, my friend. And look forward to joining you sometime down the road whenever you like. Okay? Bye for now. I am not a lawyer, but on occasion I can be a hammerhead. Hammerhead alert. Hammerhead alert. Hammerhead alert. Hiya, Mike. You're a great interviewer. You made this old broad feel very, very special.

And it was really fun talking to you because you remembered a lot of jobs that I've completely forgotten about. So just wanted to say happy anniversary. Would do it again anytime, So just wanted to say happy anniversary. Would do it again any time, but you might want to catch me soon because I'm 75 years old. Love you, Mike. Bye. Shout out to Ridley Funeral Home. That, of course, was Jane Eastwood. And I recently revisited Going Down the Road. And Jane's a national treasure.

Actually, when Terry David Mulligan was on the program, Jane came up because, well, she should come up every episode. Jane, I absolutely loved it. My buddy Mark Hebger connected me to you. And I owe him another lasagna from Palma Pasta because you were fantastic. And I will take you up on that offer and have you on again. And don't worry about being 75. No guest of Toronto Mike has ever died. Not a single one.

Listen, the whole thing about Toronto Mike is a, that he was out in front. He was like the, the starter of much music right at the very beginning before any of those guys came along. That's the same sort of thing. If you could do a thousand shows in this business

on the internet web machine, you have done something. You are a groundbreaker. You are a trendsetter and you are to be celebrated it's fantastic you anybody can start one of these things but to actually live through a thousand and carry on is phenomenal congratulations terry david mulligan everybody or tdm as i call him here at TMDS as we plan another TMLX for the FOTMs. This is Michelle Mackey from City News and City News 680. Mike, wow, 1,000 episodes.

I am sending you the biggest congratulations from me. I just can't believe it. 1,000 episodes. That is unheard of when it comes to podcasts. So, wow, your dedication, your passion, your hard work, it's all paying off. If I had to pick a favorite episode, is it weird if I choose my own episode? Only because I had so much fun with you recording in your backyard last summer. Let's do it again sometime. And I know you wanted me to use my reporter voice for something. So here it is.

Congratulations, Toronto Mike on 1000 episodes. How was that? Michelle, that was fantastic. Love the reporter voice. Wow. I think it was Siobhan Morris when she first came over. I remarked that I found the reporter voice to be awfully phony baloney. And I often wondered, like, how do reporters sound when they're just chatting with their their buds or their family? Well, I think that's a that clip is a pretty good example of how you can turn it on and turn it off. of how you can turn it on and turn it off. And yes, you shall return. Loved our chat in the backyard that sunny, sunny day. Congratulations, Mike, on episode 1,000.

Quite an achievement, brother. As we record this, we're watching the Leafs in thick with the Devils, middle of the second period. So try to get a little better here, Lise. Let's go. Totally had a blast, man, recording two episodes with you. And can't wait to do some more. Yeah, it was awesome. Highlights for me were playing DJ when you got us to choose tracks that made an impact on us.

Yeah, it was fun. And yeah, I love doing the tracks, choosing their covers to go along with it. That was so cool. For me, love sharing all the touring stories and all the road stories. You have to check out our episodes talking about that. And just winging it in general, just trying to keep a straight face with all the laughs.

It was a lot of fun. Mike, here's to another thousand episodes. I can't wait to jump on the mic once again to chat and we'll bring some stuff. Like, Steve, what are we going to be talking about well um probably be talking i'm sure more about music uh we actually are in the middle of making a record again uh our new band on everybody can check it out at on music.ca so i'd love to talk about that we've been recording at phase one uh with our buddy darius that's going pretty good uh or if you want we can probably chat about i don't know maybe pizza who makes the best pizza in town honestly mike we'd really

love to come back and get some more of that lasagna from palma pasta absolutely uh mike uh seriously though uh more power to you and thank you man for being such a champion of all things toronto toronto right on mike go leaves go if you don't recognize those voices that steve and lucy from acid test and i remarked earlier when i was talking about pete fowler that i have a few lost indie city t-shirts that i still rock all these years later and that's true as well for my acid test t shirt. So Steve and Lucy just know, I'm still wearing that tea with absolute pride. Love you guys. Hi, Mike, it's Rob Del Mundo, freelance hockey author, Leafs writer for the Fishbowl Report. hockey author, Leafs writer for the Fishbowl Report. Just want to say congratulations on episode number 1,000. Thoroughly enjoying your podcast and not just because you had me on as a

guest for episode 911. A little bit of self-promotion there, but no, seriously, in all seriousness, I just love the diversity of your podcasts. Obviously, I have a bias towards my fellow sports media colleagues like Christine Simpson, Kevin McGrann, Steve Buffery, all great people. But also in terms of talking to some of the Toronto media personalities that we haven't heard from in a while, like maybe someone like Liza Fromer or even even the musicians especially Universal Honey Johnny and Leslie were just so great on your episodes and and of course I love the the daily sports talk with our friend Hebsey Mark Hebsey just everything about your podcast everything about Toronto that makes it such a great place so congratulations on episode number 1,000

and looking forward to the next 1,000. Cheers, Mike. Loved kicking out the jams with you, Rob. Shout out to Hebsey who, well, I don't know if he introduced us, but I bumped into you for the first time at Hebsey's book launch. So that's how we met. You're a great FOTM. I see you at the events, which is awesome.

And speaking of the events, did I hear you say Kevin McGran? I don't think you've made it in this town as a media personality unless you've been on Toronto Mic. I don't know how else I can say it. My sister has known me my entire life, and she still listened to the podcast of me talking about covering the Leafs with Toronto Mike. I don't get

it. I really don't get it. But Toronto Mike, if you're on Toronto Mike, you've made it. But Toronto Mike, if you're on Toronto Mike, you've made it. Fun fact, when David Schultz was doing his stand-up at TMLX3, I think, it was on the patio of Great Lakes Brewery. He was opening, quote-unquote, for Gear Joyce. The videographer taking footage of David Schultz's stand-up was none other than Kevin McGran from the Toronto Star. Congratulations, Toronto Mike.

It's Al Joines. 1,000th podcast. Say that 10 times. Where does the time go? I think I was number 333 or something like that when I got let go from Chorus at Q107 in 2018. Man, does time fly with COVID and all that. I hope you're keeping well.

I know you are because I've been seeing and hearing that everything's wonderful in your life. And that's wonderful too. And I got to say, it's wonderful here as well. I got to tell you, my wife Barb joins, but she went as Barb Brandt on the air years ago. She was part of Brampton Radio, Oshawa Radio. We were out in Calgary together on the air. And of course, I've been married to her for 39 years. But she is a big fan of your podcast, Toronto Mike. And with Hep C. I was talking to Mark, you know, through Facebook a couple of weeks ago, because Mark and I worked together at Q107 640, I think, and it was

Western Broadcasting then. I don't think it was Chorus. And we had some wonderful conversations in the smoking room. And I think neither of us smoke cigarettes anymore. I don't smoke cigarettes anymore. But she, Barb, is a big fan of you and Hebsey and your broadcast in general. She's always listened to you. I guess after she listened to you and I on the podcast when we were chatting about my departure from the Mighty Q, that I had to tell you that she's a big fan of yours.

So congratulations from Barb and I on the 1,000th podcast, Toronto Mike, and I can't wait to kick out the jams with you when it gets a little warmer. I have to go because my dog is stuck to the fire hydrant. I gotta help her.

Cheers, man. Shout out to Barb. Barb, thanks for listening. Al joins. Great to hear your voice again. Looking back, that was one of the first exit interviews. I've become known in some circles for my exit interviews. If somebody is

canned by a mainstream media outlet, they have a safe space to share their story here on Toronto Mic'd. And Al joins when he was let go at Q107. I asked him to come in and tell me what the hell happened and and he did. And the exit interviews were born. Hey Mike, first and foremost congratulations on episode 1000 of Toronto Mic'd. That's an incredible achievement over a 10-year span, and I was honored to be on the roll call back in June. No doubt I provided you with

the most embarrassing episode of the 1000. First, my internet died in the middle of the episode, leaving you to tap dance for about 10 or 15 minutes, and then I had to switch my mic input, going from levels that were too low to ones that were over modulated. You must have been pulling your hair out. Seriously, it was an honor to be asked to join the roster. We had some laughs talking about covering Toronto sports back in the day and reminiscing about life as a wire service reporter. So thanks again, Mike. All the best. Stay safe. And here's to the next 1000. Chris Mayberry, you know what's boring? An interview that goes smoothly. According to plan. Yawn. Give me an internet interruption. Give me a mic that conks out. Give me something interesting. Make me feel alive.

interesting. Make me feel alive. Toronto Mike, happy 1000th episode. It's Mark Wigmore here, host of The Oasis, The Afternoon Drive at the New Classical FM. It was exceptional to be on your program as I transitioned between Jazz FM 91 and the New Classical FM landscape. It was very meaningful for me to be able to be on the program and reflect a little bit about my career. And have you be interested and have followed along was just absolutely fantastic. It was nice to be on the other side of the microphone for a change. And I'll just say that checking into your program month to month,

I see and hear friends on the show. I learn about the media landscape within Toronto, find out what's going on. It's just been a fantastic resource. And as a guy who hosted two or three seasons of my own podcast, I, it was hard to just put together 20 or 30 episodes. So I can't imagine a thousand.

And so I say a big congratulations thanks for what you do thank you mark wigmore and with that this episode of toronto miked number 1000 hits the record books as the longest episode of toronto miked. And we're just getting started. Hey, Mike. Ron Hawkins here from my little studio to yours. Oh, look. There's my mixing desk. There's the Beatles mixing desk.

Anyway, congratulations. A thousand episodes. That's more episodes than mash. I can't believe it. It's been great to be on your show. I've been blessed to be on the show many, many times, as you know. I hope to be on the show again many, many, many times

before we both kick the bucket. So once again, congratulations. That's an incredible feat. You're a hell of a guy, and it's a great show. Here's to many more years. Cheers. And that man wrote the closing theme song to Toronto Mike. He didn't know it at the time but he did it's true

Rosie and Grey has closed every single episode of Toronto and Mic'd starting with episode one and that of course is from Lowest of the Low and appears on their unbelievably great album Shakespeare My Butt thank you Ron for being a tremendous guest, tremendous FOTM, and to be quite honest, an absolute inspiration to me. You're one of my, you know, punk rock idols.

And when you performed at TMLX3 on the patio of Great Lakes Brewery on my birthday, it was something else. You were there and there was another fellow with you. What was his name again? Hi, Mike. It's Lawrence from the band Lowest to the Low.

Longtime listener, first time message sender. I just wanted to take a moment and congratulate you on the milestone of your 1000th podcast episode. That's an extraordinary achievement. It's also a lot of talking, Mike. But I fully believe that all the talking that you've done and all the people that you've done the talking with have created an incredible resource, a deep dive oral history of the past few decades of the city as filtered through the stories of all the media luminaries and artists that you've managed to entice into a small basement in New Toronto.

Congratulations to you. I also think it's wonderful that you have such great support from your sponsors who managed to recognize local talent and wanted to support it. I think that's a wonderful thing. I also really like the community

that you've built up around the show and how you take it outside and you have events and the listeners can all come and hang out with you. I think that's a great thing too. It's really wonderful what you've put together. You've got your own little cool pirate radio station out there in the West End. You've got some great collaborators and I think

I can say without hyperbole that we are all living through the Toronto Mike era in the history of the city of Toronto and it's a really good thing. It's a great time to be alive. So thanks for doing what you do, Mike. I hope you've got thousands of more episodes in you and thank you very much for all the support you've shown us over the years. We really appreciate it. I'm glad you like our

band's music. Alright, thanks, Mike. Stop where you've been because everything is kind of rosy and green. Yeah, the wind is cold but the smell of snow wants me to sing

Stop the music! Stop the rock and roll! Don't even think of shutting that down. If you thought this episode was over just because you heard Rosie and Gray think again. Now, Lawrence, you know what I think of you.

I think the world of you. You're a great FOTM and you introduced me to Ron Hawkins and you guys are just such great supporters of the program. You guys did not lawyer up and send me a cease and desist when you heard I was using Rosie and Gray as my closing theme. You're just good people making great music. And I mean, I just love supporting you. But when you bake in Rosie and Gray into your recording, because I did not play Rosie and Gray there. That was Lawrence Nichols playing Rosie and Gray. You must know at this point, there's a Pavlov's dog reaction when a Toronto Mike listener, an FOTM, hears Rosie and Gray. They think it's time to shut her down.

The episode's over, but we have so much more to go, some huge names, and at the end of this episode, a big surprise. Toronto Mike, it's Joe Tilly here in beautiful Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. I just wanted to say congratulations on 1,000 shows. I'm still in double digits. I got a lot of catching up to do. Anyway, my friend, it's been a pleasure being on your show. I love watching your show.

It's an honor. You're a tremendous interviewer. You do a great job, and there's no doubt in my mind that you'll have 1,000 more. Anyway, continued success, and once again, congratulations. Coming up. Joe Tilley, thanks, buddy. Enjoy the sunshine. You deserve it.

Toronto Mike, episode number 1,000. Wow. That's pretty amazing, dude. Pretty amazing and quite the accomplishment. I was thinking, could your basement, the basement where hundreds and hundreds of episodes have been recorded with some of Canada's most fascinating people, be deemed a basement of Toronto significance? One could make the argument for sure. you and the realtor get creative with the listing with things like the stories these basement walls could tell or the who's who of toronto sports and media industries spilled the beans in this corner or this person hit their noggin on this ball cad leading to the basement or there was a lot of great lakes beer consumed on this site in all seriousness mike congratulations and thank you

for letting us a small independent craft brewery and your neighbor be part of the ride it's crazy to think that uh us here at great lakes got involved in your show way back in january 2016 and just let that sink in that's a long time partnership and we're really proud of that episode 153 with stew jeffries to be exact. Lots of good times over the years. TMLXs at Great Lakes, recording podcasts with you in that Toronto-famous basement of yours, helping promote South Etobicoke get-togethers and more. You're a friend of GLB's, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration.

On behalf of Great Lakes Brewery, congratulations once again. Cheers. Troy, Great Lakes. You know what they say, you never forget your first. And I'll never forget the very first sponsor of Toronto Mic'd, Great Lakes

Brewery. I'm really proud of this partnership. The collaboration has been amazing. So many great TMLX events on the patio of Great Lakes Brewery. I just have two words for you, the Bullet family, Lackey, and everybody at GLB. Thank you. Hi, Mike. How you doing?

It's Evelyn Makko. And I just wanted to send along some congratulations on your 1,000th time of doing a podcast, that is. Yeah, I'm not particularly the funny one. But I will say you are exceptional. You are very thorough. I had a great time chatting with you. very thorough. I had a great time chatting with you. I think our session went on almost a couple of hours, and I'm sure if there was some gin and tonic involved, it may have gone a little longer. Anyway, I really enjoy your work, and you put a lot of heart and soul and research into it. And that's what makes it really, really interesting that you can just touch on a little nugget and get your guests talking.

And that's really important. And I appreciated it. And I also appreciated my Great Lakes Brewery glasses, which I still have. Keep up the good work. Good luck to you, and hope to see you soon. Okay, Mike, carry on. Wacko

macko, and now I've got Ian Thomas in my head. Evelyn, I love hearing your voice, because it takes me back to the CFTR, all hits radio, 680 CFTR days when I really first fell in love with radio.

I mean, you can blame WKRP for that, but you can also blame CFTR and you were a big part of that. And thank you for visiting my home studio and letting me talk your ear off for a couple of hours. Hey, Mike, Richard Krause here, your guest on Toronto Mic'd episodes 323, 916, and 971. That's one more time than Farley Flex, two more shows than Chuck D, and three more than Mick Jagger. Ah, yeah.

Congratulations on a thousand shows. That's a lot of talking and that's a lot of guests. A thousand shows. Let's say that's a thousand hours of podcasts that adds up to 41 days and 16 hours. That translates to 4,116, which in numerology is the number that radiates elation and 16, which in numerology is the number that radiates elation and amiable vibrations, which makes sense since you're a nice guy who talks and drinks Great Lakes beer for a living. Cheers, Mike. And here's to a thousand more shows.

Richard Krause did the math and now I'm exhausted. I mean, this episode, I'll be quite honest, here's some real talk for you. but I'll be quite honest. Here's some real talk for you. This idea for episode 1,000, I think was a great idea, but my major concern is how many people stuck around to hear Richard Krauss. And again, some big names coming up,

some fascinating nuggets coming up, but who's still listening? As Stu Stone would say, type one in the live.torontomic.com chat if you're still listening. Oh, good. There's some of you still out there. Hey, Mike, Paul Romanek here. Wow, I cannot believe you've been churning podcasts out since 2012. I just started in 2020, so that's how impressive that looks to me. I was living in

London when you started, and I'd often check in to see what was up back in Toronto, and you were one of the first guys to get in touch with me when it was announced that I was moving back to Canada from London to call games for Hockey Night in Canada, and you were also one of the first people I did a long interview with once I got back to Canada and you've also over the years been very complimentary of my work and I do appreciate that. I continue to be impressed by the quality of guests that you get. Feel free to send a few my way, will you? And the quality also of the beer and the lasagna I received after a Toronto Mic'd Backyard podcast visit one time was superb. So continued beer, continued lasagna, and most of all, continued success to you.

Congratulations. Romy, I saw you had Jim Cuddy on your program, your Fine Beatles podcast, and I'll tell you, Jim Cuddy has yet to appear on Toronto Mic'd. So I'm the one who's jealous of your guests. It is over. Not this episode. There's lots to go. Hardy, congratulations, Toronto Mic'd, on your 1,000th episode. This is Ellen Roseman, a Toronto Star former journalist.

And I was number 507 in your episodes, and then I returned and I became number 781. It was a great experience coming over to your house the first time, going into your basement, picking up all these products from your sponsors, and seeing all your kids' clothes all over the place and then going outside your house to take a picture under this lovely tree where you had a habit of using these photos to publicize the episodes. My first episode with you was almost two hours. I couldn't believe it and you put it on the air right away. That's quite a feat. I do a podcast myself on money and we definitely do some edits but I can see where fans really

love to get the immediate results and they can listen to it over a lunchtime. So my second time I came was in January 2021 and I was talking about COVID-19 and how it affected people's abilities to discern what was true and what was false when they were getting pitched for various kinds of COVID-related products and cures and solutions. Misinformation abounds, as you know, and yours is just a great place to get a message across. So I'm so glad that you are continuing to do the podcast and you are doing other people's podcasts too. Best of luck in the future. And I'm sure your fans will be around when you hit number

2000. Best of luck, Mike. Bye. Thank you, Ellen Roseman. That editing point is interesting because I talked to many podcasters and the vast majority of them record an episode. Then there's this time period where I guess there's editing and other magic happening and then the episode is dropping I don't know in three days or three weeks or three months meanwhile as I tell most of my guests after we take the photo I tell them this episode will be in the feed before you get home. And that is always true with the obvious exception being this episode 1000, which is also in the Toronto Mic'd record

books as being the most edited episode of Toronto Mic'd ever. 1000 shows! Congratulations Toronto Mic'd. It's Oxley Workman here. And you know that I love you. And you know that I like small things, small media, small community-oriented stuff. And you're a real

genius at it. And you're doing good work. And it makes me excited. And the thing you've created is a real good thing and something that you should be really, really proud of. So here's to a thousand more and a thousand after that. But hey, let's celebrate the last thousand for F's sakes. Well done. The Hawk, Hawksley Workman, has become a dear friend. I mean, we'll have phone conversations that are not recorded. That's how you know it's a friend. But I got to say, Hawk, you've got like a state-of-the-art

studio there in Peterborough and I've heard that mic. It sounds amazing. So what the hell did you use for this recording? That was awful. Congratulations. Toronto miked, and Toronto miked himself for 1,000

episodes. It's Bob Ouellette here, aka Bingo Bob. And I want to personally thank Mike for lending me a lot of equipment and doing a lot of work for me for my own podcast. And man, good for you. 1,000 episodes is amazing. I'm in the 60s of my episodes and I'm having a hard time finding people to come on. So good for you, bud. And congratulations. I remember finding people to come on. So good for you, bud, and congratulations. I remember coming to your place when you still had the studio up in your spare bedroom, I guess it was.

It was a kitchen table of some sort, somewhere in the 60th episode, I guess, I came on, and we talked a lot about our shared interests as being the East versus West versions of each other, and talked about people who we knew from the radio. And it's always a pleasure speaking to you and talking music and media and listening to you talk to your heroes. I'm always so impressed. I always think how fortunate you must feel because I feel fortunate for you.

I feel happy for you when you have guys from the lowest to low on or any of the bands that you loved and you get to speak to them. So good for you, bud, and congratulations. And here's to 1,000 more. Speaking of podcasts, guests that are really more friends than guests, Bob fits that bill nicely. I mean, bingo, Bob.

Bob Willett. We went to an Argos game recently, and I had a blast. I always have bingo, Bob, Bob will let, we went to a Argos game recently and I had a great, I had a blast. I always have a blast with you. I first met Bob during the aforementioned when I say aforementioned, I mean, you know, three hours ago when I mentioned the first ever recording of the humble and Fred podcast at Dan Duran's house in December, 2006, Humble and Fred podcast at Dan Duran's house in December 2006.

That's the day I met Bob Ouellette and my life changed forever. Congratulations, Mike, on your 1000th episode of your podcast. I still remember the day after we were connected through a mutual friend and I was going to come onto the podcast with you. I was driving over to your place. It was a rainy afternoon in Toronto. The Blue Jays had the day off. And I was thinking, how is he going to keep us dry on that back porch that he referred to? But sure enough, you had the tarp sucked up above us

and the bungee cords were all connected. We were in pretty good shape until the one-touch sprung a leak. But it didn't faze you a bit. And you just continued on with our conversation, got the podcast done. And I think it's that dedication and perseverance that has kept you going so long. Congratulations again on your 1,000th episode. And thanks for having me join this with you today.

Gentlemen, Joe Siddle, everybody. Joe, I loved our episode on the porch. And I've had worse rain than that. I mean, there's been guests uh the next voice we hear will be from a guest who literally talked to me during a torrential downpour i actually feel quite guilty about it and i owe him one but uh so we got off lucky Joe but thanks for the visit and it was nice to see you again recently on Hebsey on sports hi Mike Cameron Carpenter here thank you so much for having me as a guest on Toronto Mike here's to your thousandth episode looking forward to the next thousand continued success my friend thanks I think Cam is still damp from his visit. I don't think he's dried off yet.

Cameron, I'm so sorry, buddy. You're going to come on again. And this time, you're going to be as dry as a bone. I promise. Ronto Mike, congratulations on your 1000th show. Wow, that really does show how old you are. I'm just joking. This is Brock from Sunshine and Broccoli. I just want to wish you the best because of this huge milestone. Sunshine and I had such a great time when we were on your podcast. We talked and joked around about everything from 90s hip-hop to songwriting, and you were just such a wonderful, wonderful host. You put us at such ease. I can't wait to hear what more you have in store for the new year. I just want to wish you big congratulations from Sunshine and Broccoli and all the best to Toronto Mike in the future.

See you soon. Much love to Sunshine and Broccoli. I've got a hoodie, a sweatshirt from Sunshine and Broccoli. It reads, it's cool to be kind. And yeah, I love that sentiment, but I love that sweatshirt. It is so damn comfy. I think I'd wear it every day if I could. Now, if you're wondering why we didn't hear from Lisa Sunshine in that clip, congrats, Lisa. Lisa was busy giving birth. Her priorities are a little messed up, but I understand. By the way, the Brock mind blow came after the episode when I learned who Brock's dad was. Episode 1000. Well, Mike, you've accomplished a lot. I remember when we got to episode 700 on Just Like Mom, which I had the pleasure of talking about the history of it with you this year on show 585.

But you just keep rolling along. And I appreciated being able to talk about Just Like Mom and about Fergie Oliver and Paul Henderson and Clint Eastwood. And I look forward to being on again to talk about more showbiz stories particularly from my time spent with Oscar director Michael Anderson who made films like Logan's Run and Orchid the Killer Whale and also to talk about the Star Wars documentary Galaxy Built on Hope which I just finished co-producing. So, Micah, look forward to speaking again, and one thing I'll tease you with on the next time I'm on, I will tell you

who was the person who was the actual individual who had the license to kill, the 007 license to kill that Ian Fleming based his character on. He was a very prominent individual, and I will spill the beans next time we talk. And in the meantime, let me say a big shout out to Tim Herron, my dear friend from Thornhill, who brought us together and connected to us. And to my son Brock, a.k.a. Broccoli from Sunshine and Broccoli, who's now working on his fifth album, which will be another Juno-nominated album, probably a Juno Award winner. Anyway, congratulations, number 1,000, Mike, and look forward to speaking to you soon. But, Mike, you're a big number in Toronto.

You know, like you really are. Tell me more. And say it slower. No, no, that's why I say it's so cool to be here because you are are the men now you you rule the way airwaves right well if stew stone is reporting the news uh that sunshine and broccoli album will definitely be a juno winner much loved fotm tim tim and and Paul Burford were on the deck a couple of summers ago, and we dove deep into Just Like Mom and Fergie Oliver, and it was great fun.

And here's a little tip. He did some teasing there. Sounds like Paul's going to spill some tea. But he put me in touch with a Mimico resident named Roger Christian. Go ahead and Google Roger Christian. It'll blow your mind when you find out who this chap is. And I've been chatting with Roger, and this coming summer,

Roger Christian has threatened to enter my backyard for a deep dive. So buckle up, FOTMs. I want to thank Toronto Mike for getting around to Montreal Mike for an interview, and that was fun not too long ago. But I really want to thank Toronto Mike for being part of the Reporters with Dave Hodge live show at the Paradise Theatre in Toronto.

It was closure for us and a very important event and I'm glad Toronto Mike was able to get our ramblings together and put it out in podcast form. So congratulations on a thousand and thank you. Thank you, Michael. Michael Farber is one of those guys you just can't imagine him as a Mike. So put him with Michael Landsberg in the Michael category. Michael Farber, as he mentioned, was a member of the reporters. He was there with Dave Hodge, Bruce Arthur, and Steve Simmons. And every one of those

people had been on Toronto Mike, but Michael lived in Montreal. So basically this terrible pandemic that caused me to pivot and start doing Zooms enabled me to finally get Michael Farber on the program. And it was fantastic. So dig up the Michael Farber episode of Toronto Mic'd and go back and listen to that reunion of sorts, the closure that Michael referenced for the reporters that happened live at the Paradise Theatre. That's in the Toronto White Feet as well. And their special guest that night happened to be a gentleman who went to my high school. And of the five of them, the only guy I haven't been able to get on the program, although I've tried, MLSE's pr department doesn't like approving these appearances outside the uh bell media roger

media empires but uh much love regardless to brendan shanahan hey it's nicholas pickless just sharing a few thoughts on toronto mike the podcast i appeared as a guest on the show and didn't know much about mike before that i'd heard the podcast a little bit, but didn't dive into it. And it was a friend who recommended, Hey man, you should talk to this guy. He's really nice. And my friend was right. He is really nice. The interview was, um, I can't think of a better word than delightful, which doesn't sound very showbiz, but it really was, uh, easy to talk to, um, kind of knew who he was talking to me, and didn't over-ask the questions, just did what all good podcasts do, which is tell a good story, share some good stories, and get to maybe peek behind the scenes of the Toronto media biz, whether it's radio,

TV, or whatever. Mike does a great job. Since then, I listen to the show because now I feel like Mike is my friend, right? As we all do when we listen to podcasts. And the interviews are great. Everything from, I don't know, the sports side of life to the presenters. I come from a generation of J.D. Roberts, not John Roberts, to put it into perspective. So I love those deep dives back into the history of Toronto media. And it's been a fun listen the music side of it dude the spoons you're kidding me those are the gets that I love to hear

on a podcast that that talks to me a guy who lived in Toronto for a good chunk of his life so Toronto Mike thumbs up keep talking brother Nicholas Nicholas Piccolis might as well be known as Mr. Buffalo. But if you take away the Buffalo part of his career, and that's enormous, right? But you subtract that. Nicholas Piccolis is a guy I'd want to talk to regardless. In fact, I'm sure we didn't do very much chatter about his Buffalo radio days.

I want to talk about video and arcade top 10 and CFNY. And there's so much Nicholas Piccolis. I want to take in the Barenaked Ladies aspect. That's just before he became Mr. Buffalo. But Nicholas Piccolis, loved our chat. You're a great FOTM. And remember what the F stands for in FOTM. Because that's the whole point of it all, right? Hey, Mike. Sammy Cohn here. FOTM. And remember what the F stands for in FOTM. Because that's the whole point of it all, right?

Hey, Mike. Sammy Cohn here, FOTM. Realtor here in Toronto. Member of the band The Watchmen. And guest on numerous occasions. As you well know, Mike, I'm a huge fan of the show and the work that you do. I always marvel at how in depth your conversations are uh i get uh pretty excited when i see somebody i know uh or want to

hear about in my podcast list and uh you're my companion when i walk my dog or when i'm in a traffic jam it's the perfect thing uh because i spend half my life in my car uh but in any event i want to just wish you a mazel tov and congratulations on your 1,000 episodes. That's great. Look forward to the next 1,000. I look forward to getting back on the show and kicking out some jams, talking about a little music.

And all the best, Mike. Okay, wish you well. And here's to another 1,000 episodes. Bye for now. Sammy, it's only fair that I'm in your headphones while you walk, because if you only knew how many hours your drumming was in my headphones

on my Walkman when I was listening to The Watchmen, a band I still love, as you know. And I'm honored that 75% of The Watchmen have appeared on Toronto Mic'd. And one day I'll get that to 100. But you, of course, it all started with you. I believe Cam Gordon introduced us.

You were co-hosting a podcast with Cam. And we got to meet that way. And then I'm like, I'm friends with Sammy Cone now. And that's pretty fucking awesome. Hey, Mike, that's pretty fucking awesome. Hey Mike, it's David Alter, guest number 133. When you were counting guests that way,

you've since changed the show into many different aspects, but I'm a huge fan of what you managed to pull off over the Toronto Mike podcast. Just getting to know people in our industry and learning their paths, what they like to do, knowing more about them, the person, the struggles, the triumphs that happen with our industry. I'm a huge fan of what you managed to build up. You found a niche and you really ran with it. So kudos to you. I've enjoyed being a guest, especially during the pandemic when you had me on to ridicule my taste in music, including U2's discotheque, which I will defend until the day that I die. But I'm happy to be ridiculed again. I can't wait to see you soon. Congrats

and keep going. I doubt there's anybody still listening to this episode000 who didn't tune in to Pandemic Fridays. But just in case there is, we learned during an FOTM, KOTJ episode that David Alter's favorite song of all time is Discotheque by U2. I think if you grabbed like 100 random people and said name your 20 favorite U2 songs, very few would have Discotheque in their top 20 U2 songs. Now, music's subjective, of course, your jams are your jams, but we like to bust chops on pandemic

Fridays, and David Alter was a tremendous sport, because I pretty much just did that terrible thing I hate when people say, your favorite band sucks, And I did the whole, your favorite song sucks. And that's impossible to be true. But in this instance, it kind of is. Oh, and by the way, David, you mentioned that I used to, you know, number episodes and you were 133. I've always numbered episodes. That's how I know I'm at episode 1,000. Early on, like I'd say within the first hundred, my brother Steve, who I believe has listened to every single one, so shout out to Steve. I know he's listening right now.

I think Steve told me, and he'll correct me if I'm wrong, but something to the effect of like, numbering Eps is amateur hour and I need to stop doing that. And I was adamant that, no, it makes my life easier to number. And that's sort of how I track different appearances. And I'll be like, oh, you need to check out, you know, 714. Or did you hear what was said on 825? Like, I need some unique identifier for every episode,

especially considering, you know, how do I reference which Hebsey episode he said this? No, I go by numbers. So I'm glad I numbered episodes and I plan to always number episodes. Hello, Toronto Mike listeners. I'm Tim Langton. You might know me from my work around the ballpark. Congratulations to Toronto Mike on reaching episode 1,000.

Wow. That's a lot of stories, confessions, laughs, music, and interesting information too. It's the little podcast that grew and grew and then became TMDS, which actually is quite an enterprise on its own, and you should be congratulated for that. Now, I had the pleasure of being on the Toronto Mike podcast back in March of 2018, episode 313. Oh, so long ago. Honestly, I was nervous, forgot pretty much all of the stories I wanted to tell, but I had fun. You are an excellent host, and I am looking forward to being on the show sometime in the future and bringing along my playlist. Episode 1000, Congratulations, Toronto Mike Podcast. Tim Langton is at a very exclusive

club because I believe there's only been three public address announcers in Blue Jays history. Remember, the Blue Jays start playing in April 77. That first year, the public address announcer was some guy named Bob McCowan. No idea what happened to him. Regardless, he would probably not be interested in participating in what we're doing here at TMDS with Toronto Mic. But

Bob did it one year. Then, of course, Marie Eldon. That was the voice of my youth. Number one, Tony Fernandez. Oh, my goodness. Jesse Barandez. Oh, my goodness. Jesse Barfield. Oh, my goodness. Marie Eldon, if you're out there, I would love to get you on Toronto Mike.

But then there was Tim, Tim Langton. And hearing his voice has me itching to go to the Dome and watch some Blue Jays. And Tim, we're absolutely going to kick out the jams. Hey, this is Manfred Sittman from the band Elephants and Stars, FOTM, and resident guest from episode 737. I just wanted to say congrats to Toronto Mike on 1,000 episodes. I love the long-form interviews. I love the research that goes into it.

And I just love the cultural space that it occupies. It's everything from seminal bands like The Lowest of Low to Ed the Sock to media figures. I mean, who knew how interested I was in Ann Roszkowski. So congrats on a thousand episodes. And hopefully I'll see you around episode 1474. Thanks again. Congrats. So I mentioned I still like to rock the Lost Indie City t-shirts and then I also like to rock the Acid Test t-shirt.

But man, do I love my Elephants and Stars t-shirt. love my elephants and stars t-shirt man fred i'm just going to reveal to the fotms uh spill a little tea here that you were hesitant to submit your clip because you figured i'd have some quote unquote heavy hitters participating and i'm like dude you listen to toronto mike you know that has nothing to do with anything i'm as interested in talking to the guy from Elephants and Stars as I am Brian from Helix or, well, I was going to say, or Chuck D from Public Enemy, but that's not true because nothing beat Chuck D. But dude, loved our chat. We'll do it again. You've become a very, I'll borrow a phrase from earlier. Someone used Michael Farr. No, who was it?

Nicholas Pickless. Nicholas Pickless. He said, I was delightful. And my friend, you're also delightful. Hi, Toronto Mike. This is another Mike from Toronto, Mike Wise. Congratulations on episode number 1,000. Seems like a long time ago I joined you for episode 164.

That's back when I was the anchor of the 11 o'clock newscast on CBC television. I think I brought the Tim Hortons and I left with some Great Lakes beer. That was a pretty good trade on my part. Times have changed since I appeared on your show. I left CBC a few years ago and now I am a journalism professor at Humber College. You have been kind enough to speak there several times over the years about podcasting, letting our students know what's possible with the medium. I use you as an example of what they can do with podcasting and, of course, about the entrepreneurial spirit of setting up one's own business. So keep up the great work. Thanks for keeping up the good name of all of us named Mike, and congrats once again on episode 1000.

Great to hear from another Mike. Mike Wise loved our chat and yeah you mentioned the the fact I do speak at colleges. It's quite a regular occurrence. I speak at Durham College, Humber College, Conestoga College, sometimes in person. Lately, it's been via Zoom. Thank you, pandemic. But always enjoy it. And shout out to all the teachers who think about podcasting and reach out and say, Hey, Mike, would you talk to our class about podcasting? So thank you.

Hey, Mike, Johnny Dovercourt here. Congrats on episode 1000. Toronto Mike 1K, that is crazy. What a milestone. I've been doing Wavelength now for 22 years, which also seems crazy. And we're only at show 824. Hope you have something big planned for your 10th anniversary later this year, maybe some kind of in-person shindig. That's not too much to ask for from the universe.

Anyways, thanks for having me on the show. It's been great to hang out and talk music and get to know you. I think what you're doing is amazing for the city. There's so many great and talented people here that don't get a chance to tell their stories. So I know many of us appreciate the time and work that you put in. And I, for one, I'm always looking forward to the next installment of progressing past of modern melodies, keep up the awesomeness and hope we get to do the next one face to face

Johnny out. Right back at you, Johnny. Thank you for doing what you do. You're shining a light on Toronto's music history and there's really not a lot of people doing that these days and you're great at it

which is why I've had you on Toronto Mic a couple of times to talk about it and there will be a third time. So you mentioned the 10th anniversary of Toronto Mic so this is the big episode 1000. I'm not doing this again. I loved this thoroughly you know, the 10th anniversary of Toronto Might. So this is the big episode 1,000. I'm not doing this again. I loved this thoroughly,

but it's one of those, like, it became larger than I anticipated, and it was bigger than I thought it would be, and this is both wonderful and something that suggests to me that do it once and you're done. Love this. I love everybody who submitted. We're going to hear from some more wonderful FOTMs in just a moment.

But thank you to everybody who took the time to submit some audio. I'm so touched. And your words are so overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. And it's literally got me like I'm ready to bust through this door like the Kool-Aid man and get rocking on the next 1000. There's so many stories to tell. I just wish I had more time. Time, time. There's never enough time. Shout out to Jessica Spano. And if you get that reference, that explains why you're listening to this podcast. So, Johnny mentioned the 10th anniversary.

Here is the plan as I speak to you now. In February 2022, everything's subject to change. But we had TMLX 8 in August on the patio of Great Lakes Brewery. The plan is for a spring TMLX 8 in August on the patio of Great Lakes Brewery. The plan is for a spring TMLX 9, which will be a lower key affair. We've had a couple that were lower key, literally in public parks. So there will be a springtime in Vienna. No, not in Vienna.

No, no, probably in Toronto. But there will be a TMLX 9 in the spring of 2022. Then there will be a TMLX 10. See, 10, get it? It literally will be TMLX 10 or TMLX X if you want to get fancy with that logo. And that will coincide with the 10th anniversary of this podcast, which of course is August 2022. So we're going to do something big for the 10th in person, if we're allowed.

And if I'm king for a day, we're doing this at Great Lakes Brewery. Stay tuned for more info. These plans are subject to change. Hi this is megan edwards and i want to say congratulations on 1000 episodes that's pretty badass something really to be proud of and uh i only met you recently we did our interview only a few weeks ago and i have to say my experience with you was awesome. You really did your research. You really knew what you were talking about going in and you asked great questions

and really allowed me as the person being interviewed to be vulnerable and to speak to my truth and it was just awesome. I think you're a great podcast host and I see many things to come in the next few years for your 2000th episode. And hopefully I can be on another episode in the meantime. Congrats, Mike. literally slay dragons on this program. And if you get that reference, you are paying attention.

Megan came into my life relatively recently thanks to FOTM Steve Leggett, who said you should watch her TikTok videos and talk to her. She's ready to deliver real talk. And in that situation, I don't even have a side in it except I believe in letting the talent express themselves and giving them a forum in it, except I believe in letting the talent express

themselves and giving them a forum to speak. And I literally just, I wanted a conversation with Megan about why she quit radio. I've never worked in radio. I'm not anti-radio. As I've said many times during this 1000th episode, I love radio. I, as Alan Cross said, he doesn't always agree with what he hears, and he might have been specifically referring to the Megan Edwards episode of Toronto Mic'd. But he's glad that the conversations are happening and that, you know, somebody's talking about radio. Listen to any 1236 appearance, and there's going to be some radio talk in the first hour. And there's going to be some radio talk in the first hour. By the way, this episode makes the 1236 episode sound like short but sweet clips.

But that's another story. It only happens once every nine and a half years or so. So thank you, Megan, for sharing your story. Thank you for the dozens of radio people past and present who sent me private DMs and emails after they listened to Megan Edwards on Toronto Mic'd. Some people were like in agreement with Megan, some thought otherwise, but I'm just glad people listened and that we could converse about it. Let's have the conversation. So I've been hearing from my friends about this show with somebody called Toronto Mike and how everyone I knew was going on.

And I looked into it and I thought, well, any show that's sponsored by a beer company and a funeral home, I was right up my alley. Then I thought maybe it was the Mike Boone that I'd known in Montreal at the Gazette, the Montreal Gazette. No, this different guy. So definitely I had to meet him. And when Mike invited me, the lost son of the East to come in, I was happy to drop by his broadcast cave for a chat. Mostly I was interested in how the questions might go because, well, let's be honest, most of the people

who know my work have been going WTF, like what happened since he went West? And I guess that topic did come up, but you know, not in the way I expected. So I guess I must have said the right things because he invited me back and I was happy to come do my top 10 music selections, even though it meant about 20 hours to cut down the list. And now I've somehow been talked into doing a Frank versus Tony showdown with Steve Paikin. God knows what that'll sound like. Anyhow, I'm glad to be part of the rotating cast of broadcasters, musicians, and writers

who inhabit Mike's cave for his 10,000 broadcasts. Oh, it's not 10,000. They told me it was 10,000. No, only 1,000. Well well we know we get to 10,000 congrats my friends and many more recently in the not so secret FOTM

DM group there was a discussion as to who were the most problematic FOTMs and some names that were tossed about were Lou Skeez, Peter Sherman, Mike Stafford, Alex Pearson, Michelle Sterino, absolutely. And Bruce Dobigan. Bruce has some radically different thoughts on things from myself. But here's the truth. I mean, you can say I'm a cycling pinko.

By the way, Don Cherry almost appeared on Toronto Mike via telephone. It almost happened. I was talking to his son about it. It didn't quite work out, but Don would consider me a left-wing pinko, but I absolutely enjoy conversing with people like Bruce Dobigan, who have alternate takes on different things. And I consider Bruce a friend now. He recently even appeared on Hebzeon Sports. And again, he's coming to... He's taking on Paken in the battle of Tony versus Frank.

Again, I just want to have the conversation. Thanks, Bruce. Hey, this is Roddy Comer. I've been on the Toronto Mic'd podcast, I think, three have the conversation. Thanks, Bruce. Hey, this is Roddy Comer. I've been on the Toronto Mic'd podcast, I think, three or four times. At least twice with the living legend, Jay Brody, to talk about our Dumb Show podcast and work on the Howard Stern Show. And I've also been on with Jamie Goodfriend to talk about my band Century Surfers and other musical adventures.

I've always loved going on because Mike has two key elements that make him a great host. to talk about my band Century Surfers and other musical adventures. I've always loved going on because Mike has two key elements that make him a great host. He's well prepared and he's curious. He has other elements too, of course, including wonderful hair. But he always asks great questions and can really talk about just about any topic. The free pasta and beer is also a selling point, but I'm mainly there for Mike. I'd say it's about $75, $25. And to jump in with him and see where the conversation goes is always a great time. Mike, I appreciate how supportive you've been of my projects and also of the Canadian music and media scene in general. 1,000 shows is a great accomplishment. I don't think

I've done anything of importance 1,000 times in my life accomplishment. I don't think I've done anything of importance 1,000 times in my life, so you should be proud of it. Here's to 9,000 more, and I hope to be on the 10,000th show in 25 years or so. All the best. Thank you, Roddy. Roddy, as he mentioned, Roddy is a part of two FOTM duos.'s Roddy Colmer and Jay Brody who came on to talk about why they left the Todd Shapiro show but these guys submit song parodies to the Howard Stern show and it makes it to air like that's incredible soak that in but Rod Roddy's also part of a duo. They call themselves the Century Surfers. The other half is FOTM Jamie

Goodfriend from CP24. And Mazel Tov to Jamie, who just announced his fiancée, is expecting. And that's exciting FOTM news. Hello, Mike. Congratulations on a thousand episodes.

It was great being on your show as well as all of your help with my show, Green Economy Heroes. But I loved sitting in the garden and talking with you about my journey and how I've ended up fighting for environmental protection over this long lifetime. You asked wonderful questions. It was great working with you. And it's been such a pleasure getting to know you. Thank you. Dr. Diane Sachs, as FOTMs know, is not just the last environmental commissioner in Ontario,

but she's the daughter of Morty Shulman. I think that's amazing. Morty Shulman from the Shulman Files is the late great father of Dr. Diane Sachs. It has been an absolute pleasure producing Diane's excellent podcast, Green Economy Heroes. And I wish Diane much luck

as she's running in the next provincial election. Hey there, Tim Thompson here. Wanted to say a big congratulations to Toronto Mike. Thousand episodes. That's a real testament to commitment and a steady stream of flowing dialogue. And speaking of steady streams, my enduring memory is from my last visit there.

Done in COVID times, we're outside in your backyard in the middle of my second last jam, Permanent Revolution by Lowest of the Low. You quickly jumped up, left your seat, and ran to the far end of your yard where you old-schooled it and, well, emptied out the Great Lakes beer you'd been enjoying,

but made it back in time just before the song ended. Total pro. Here's to a thousand more. Stream on. That's the behind-the-scenes gold people expect from Toronto Mike. Tim Thompson, by the way, unsung hero in this country.

Those montages we love. The ones that used to be great on Hockey Night in Canada when Tim was doing those. But now the ones we see on the Olympics, etc. Tim's amazing at it. He chooses the right music always. His taste in music is just tremendous. Love kicking out the jams with him.

I think we've kicked out the jams a couple of times, and I want to do it a third time. But what a great guy. I would bump into him at, you know, lowest of the low listening parties, and I know he was a guy who might be seen at Strombo's house and friendly with the tragically hip. Wow. Tim Thompson, when I grow up, I'd like to be you. Mr. Boone, Gilles LeBlanc here. Sincerest congratulations on 1,000 episodes. Not even

The Simpsons have unlocked that prestigious achievement yet. Does Howard Stern still call himself the king of all media? Because on behalf of the Friends of Toronto Mike, aka the community you've cultured, I hereby declare you to be the Prince of Podcasting. You have created the safest of spaces, whether it's in your low ceiling basement, your backyard, or even over Zoom, for personalities of varied backgrounds to tell their stories honestly. Not to name names, but I know you've even made breakfast for some to allow them to open up further. Screw Joe Rogan and his COVID misinformation. You've always been honest with

your audience, and it's this sincerity while gently pushing your guests to be just as authentic that has made you a household name, at least as far as the Toronto Podcastverse is concerned. Congrats again, Mike. Looking forward to doing a Jack White deep dive on your show. The rock enthusiast, Jele Blanc, who I'd have on the program just so I can say, Jele Blanc is the closest I get to being bilingual. Thanks for the kind note

and for being such an engaging member of the FOTM community, buddy. And whenever I see that there's a Gilles LeBlanc article in the Toronto Star, I tip my hat to you, sir, because that's fucking awesome. Hi, Mike. Lance Hormey, the Toronto Sun. Congratulations on your 1,000th show. I guess that makes you the Keith Yandel of podcasts. I had a wonderful time coming on your show.

I really appreciated that you set up a Ramones intro for me and that you take special care of all your guests to add something special. We certainly enjoyed talking Leafs and other topics, and here's hoping that you have 1,000 more in you. Again, congratulations. At this point, I've had most of the Toronto Sun sports guys on the program, and to a T, they're all pretty damn awesome and fun to talk to. So shout out to the Sun sports team.

I just want to wish a hearty muzzle to Toronto Mike on a thousand episodes. It's a phenomenal achievement. Having just gotten into the podcast realm myself. I'm not even at number 50 yet, so a long, long way to go and I'm sure that I will never catch up to him. It's just, it's such a wonderful listen. Mike and I are of similar vintage, both grew up in Toronto and the people he brings on, the memories he brings back of what Toronto was when we were growing up. It's just sensational. And the fact that he's branched out into so many different things, I'm thrilled to have been one of his inspirations for kicking out the jams.

That's a lot of fun. But really, Mike consistently gives such a great window into our city, and especially for the old guys like me. So congratulations again. And here's to the next thousand. Mike Wilner is game for anything. I mean, I know this spring, like I know there's a labor issue in MLB right now

and the players are locked out, but when there is a return to baseball this spring, hopefully it's in the spring, I know that Mike Wilner will be a guest on Toronto Mic'd, and we can set the table and talk Blue Jays, and I love it. He's a great FOTM, been over several times, even appearing at a couple of TMLX events, including TMLX 5, which was at Palma's Kitchen.

And I remember the moment when Mike Wilner was across the table from Peter Gross, and we were sharing the story. Peter is the reason Mike Wilner is in mainstream media. Like, I'm sure Mike would have got there anyway, but Peter Gross at 680 opened the door for Mike and Mike never looked back. And it's great to see Mike at the Toronto Star

covering the sport he loves. And he's absolutely right about the Kick Out the Jams inspiration. I was on a bike ride and I was thinking about a tweet I had just read from Mike Wilner, something to the effect of, I really love Pearl Jam's 10 or something like that. And I'm on this bike ride, I'm thinking, I really like Pearl Jam's 10. I wonder what other music Mike Wilner loves.

And then by the time I got home, I had built this idea in my head that guests would return to kick out the jams. And there's been over 100 jam kickings since then, including one of the very first ones, which was by Mike Wilner. Well, Mike, congratulations on your amazing milestone, my friend. My God, that's a lot of Palma Pasta and Great Lakes beer. How's that for a plug? You got my number. Listen, I can say that after several very enjoyable visits to your studio,

I always leave feeling up and really positive. It's almost like seeing a shrink, but with music in the background. Again, thanks for having me on. Anytime, I'm available. And again, congratulations on an amazing milestone. That, of course, is great FOTM, Ted Wallachian. Ted, thanks so much. I love telling the story of how you knew

Palma Pasta made great Italian food because they get the sauce right. That's the toughest part. The rest is easy. You gotta get the sauce right and Palma Pasta gets the sauce right. I laughed when you said it was like therapy because I've heard that from several FOTMs

when they leave the basement studio. Most recently, I heard it from Bill Wilichka. He just made his debut. And he said it felt like therapy, but in a good way. And I think that's awesome if there's some therapeutic benefit for guests when they drop by for the A to Z deep dive. Just another service provided here at TMDS. But to sit down with yourself and Milan and chat a bit about our own journey and working independently now for the past four years was a real treat to speak with you and all of your audience. We are FOTMs for life. Hope that we get to do it again in the future.

I myself am a big fan and listener of your podcast. I have specifically very much enjoyed the ongoing coverage of the late, great Martin Streak. So here's to a thousand episodes more, Mike. And I hope that we can meet once again in your basement and walk away with some Palmas pasta. I tip my can of octopus once to fight IPA from Great Lakes Brewery in memory of Martin Streak. in memory of Martin Streak. Now, John, I'm not even sure I'm allowed to talk to you unless Milan is by my side. I have to bring in the ringer

when it's time for the heavy-duty wrestling chatter. But I love your story, and I love what you and Wei Ting are doing, and I'm rooting for you. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Own your shit. Oh, yeah! you. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Own your shit. Oh yeah. Hey, this is Mike Richards from Raw Mike Richards on this historic occasion, Toronto Mike's 1000th episode, which is, it's magical. I'm glad that I'm going to be a part of this pageantry, sort of like when Chuck and Di got married,

you know, like Lady Diane and Charles, except this is way shittier. However, that being said, I want to thank Toronto Mike, because I think that there was a time where there was a certain level of respect and dignity for those of us in the media, especially in radio, and that has all but disappeared. It is very rare that we get spoken about in a positive manner, and it's even rare that we get spoken about at all. In meeting Mike, the one thing that comes across is he's a genuine person, and he genuinely wants to know what the

story is. So he allows us, and for those of us that are storytellers, to tell our side and not just promote what we're doing, but to really get inside of our heads and give us a forum to tell us what is good and what is bad. And sadly, in the radio world, it's mostly bad. You know, if it was an industry that was run with the same level of forward thinking as many others, we would be very happy people. But unfortunately, it is the opposite, as they continue to go backwards, less and less radio, less and less jobs, and less and less people of integrity. So to come on and constantly tell you how bad it is, I have to tell you, sometimes I feel a little guilty because it doesn't paint a very good picture. But that's the honesty and I think the expectation of being on Toronto Mike is just tell the goddamn truth.

If you work for scumbags and pieces of shit, go ahead and say it. At least you have a forum for it. You don't have to get twisted up in a Twitter battle or Instagram or social media fight. You can simply come on, tell the truth, and Mike allows you to do that. So the fact that he's reached 1,000 is not only a huge tribute to his, I guess, fortitude to get there, but obviously people want to hear these stories. And the fact that he allows us and other radio people and people in the media, actors and singers, just goes to show you that people still want to hear the truth and people still want to hear storytelling.

And this happens all on Toronto Mike. So for that, I appreciate you, brother. We all do. And thank you very much. Truth be told, when I first booked Mike Richards, I thought it was the hockey player. I'm like, who's this guy, this old Irish guy who just showed up? Just kidding, of course. I always have time for Mike Richards, and I absolutely love the man's take on the current state of radio, where it should be going, where it's actually going. I love his perspective, his stories.

He's just an open book who shoots from the hip, be it about his health struggles, his cancer, his surgery to repair the thing that fixed the cancer. And my goodness, what a saga. He's a survivor. I will always have time for Mike Richards on Toronto Mike. Hi there Peter Vansbridge here so I'm sitting there going through my email one day and this thing pops up and it's a request from the Toronto Mike podcast I'm going the Toronto Mike podcast

you mean there's another podcast other than mine? Actually, I'd heard all about this podcast. And I'd heard about Toronto Mike and people said, he's great. You got a chance to go on his show, do it. So I did it and it was great. It was really enjoyable. Had a lot of fun. So I did it, and it was great.

It was really enjoyable. I had a lot of fun. And not only that, I started hearing from people all across the country and some of the states who listened to the Toronto Mic Podcast. It's very popular. So I got to do it more often. I'm waiting for that second invite. It hasn't come yet. Maybe it'll come in the second thousand.

Meanwhile, buddy, congrats on the 1,000. That's terrific. Take care. I can't get over how similar Peter's voice is to that character in Zootopia. What is that character? Peter Moosebridge. It's uncanny, really.

Peter, of course you'll return to Toronto Mic'd. We only recently added you to the FOTM community. It was a long time coming, but you're not as easy to book as you think you are. I had to wait for you to put out a book, okay? But I got you, and it was fantastic, and we'll do it again. But what I really need before your next appearance is I need Cynthia Dale to come on Toronto Mic'd. Not only did we go to the same high school, but Cynthia Dale played Stew Stone's mother in the 1985 movie Heavenly Bodies.

Stew Stone, of course, my co-host on Toast, but Peter, you already know that. So I need to do a 2.5 hour deep dive into the history of Heavenly Bodies. I need to break it down. I have so many questions. So we'll do that. Then, the return of Peter Mansbridge to Toronto Mic'd. Hi there, folks. It's Anthony Petrucci from Palma Pasta. Just wanted to pass on my best wishes

and congratulate Toronto Mic on reaching 1,000 episodes. A truly remarkable accomplishment. Toronto Mike and I go way back, even before he began his podcast when he was doing a blog, and I was a contributor on that blog. Mike has always been a supporter of Palma Pasta, as well as his FLTMers. Mike, I can't wait to host another TMLX at Christmas time. Hopefully we'll be doing it

again this Christmas 2022. Again, Mike, congratulations. All the best. I love you. Tiamo. Tiamo, Anthony, and the entire Petrucci family. Your support means the world to me. Petrucci family, your support means the world to me. TMLX 11, December 2022. Book it. Anthony referenced the early days of the blog when he was a commenter. And I still remember the day my buddy Elvis and I saw a comment from this Il Duce character, and we were trying to figure out who he was.

Well, shortly thereafter, I'm in Palma Pasta because straight up legit, before I knew Anthony, I was a fan because the food is delicious. And this Il Duce character, a.k.a. Anthony, recognized me and came up to me. And I wasn't sure if he was going to hug me or kill me, but he ended up hugging me. And the rest is history. Thanks again, Anthony, and much love to the Palma Pasta family. Now, speaking of Elvis. Hi, Mike. Elvis here.

I'm surprised your podcast made it to 100 episodes. My contribution to the first dozen or so was clearly the spark to light the fire. Seriously, my friend, it's been a ton of fun laughing, crying, drinking, and spending time with you and your family over these past few years. We've known each other for a long time on and off the air with some fun memories on both sides of the microphone. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your show, your listeners for including me in the Toronto Mic'd universe. And I wish you a thousand more episodes of peace and love. Peace and love. Peace and love. Hey Elvis, it's a thousand episodes,

not a hundred episodes, you silly goose. So about four hours ago, four hours ago when I was telling the story of Toronto Mic'd and I talked about my first co-host, Rosie. I did not mention that about, I don't know, 30 episodes in, she got a job and had to leave Toronto Mic'd. Can you believe she left Toronto Mic'd? So I had to replace Rosie because I hadn't yet figured out what Toronto Mic'd was. It turns out Toronto Mic'd does not need a co-host. But at the time, I didn't know this.

So I asked my friend Elvis. And Elvis stepped in and became my co-host for, yeah, a dozen episodes or so. At least he helped me find my way. And it was great fun. In fact, Elvis and I started a spinoff podcast called Your Blog Sucks. And 10 of those episodes are actually hiding in the Toronto Mike feed. So you can listen to those right now if you want, which actually means this is episode 1010. So forget I said that.

But your blog sucks was this great idea I had and it was really well executed by Elvis and I but nobody was really paying attention and we gave up. Elvis, love you, man. You're always there for me. It wouldn't be Festivus without your visit. I'm hoping we can do that until the day we die.

Shout out to Ridley Funeral Home. Hey, it's Scott MacArthur. You may know me better as Scotty Mac. Toronto mic'd. Congratulations on 1,000 episodes. I think I was number 499. I remember when you were hyping 500. This is a hell of a milestone. Congrats. Scotty Mac, great to hear your voice again, man. We miss you. I can't wait for your return visit. for your return visit. Hello, listeners.

This is Jay Ferguson from the band Sloan, and I'm here to wish Mike a happy 1,000th episode of Toronto Mike. Now, I remember the first time I was invited to be on the show. I was very flattered, and I didn't know where this came from. But anyhow, it might have been suggested by Uber guest Mark Weisblatt.

If it was Mark, thank you very much because it gave me the opportunity to come and hang out and get to know Mike. And we had a wonderful hangout in his backyard because it was at the height of COVID, so we couldn't be inside in a studio or anything. And he had a nice setup on his back porch. And we had a good chat about music and our band Sloan

and also about the East Coast, amongst other topics. Now, I got to be invited back another time, and that was sort of as a mystery guest. The main guests were Ben Rayner and Cam Gordon, and it was a music episode. And I was invited on, so they couldn't see me, but they could hear my voice, and I think they had to guess who I am.

Sort of like a CBC's front-page challenge TV show, but I don't know exactly if I was front page worthy. I was more, you know, column on page 12 behind Family Circus worthy. But anyhow, Ben and Cam did guess who I was. Thankfully, I would have been even more embarrassed. And anyhow, that was a nice, fun discussion as well. So hopefully I'll be asked to come on one more time.

Anyhow, Mike, happy 1,000th episode. Oh, and while I'm here, I'm going to say, Mike, happy 1,000,000th episode, just so you have that in the can as well. All right, have a great episode, and congratulations, Mike. I can hear Brother Bill's voice in my head. Ladies and gentlemen, Sloan! Jay, thanks so much for that.

When you mentioned Family Circus, I had this, like, I don't know, PTSD-style flashback of that Not Me guy. It was always Not Me, remember? This was every other Saturday in the Toronto Star when I read Family Circus. It was just this not me guy. Because the dad would be like,

who spilt this milk on the couch? And then the kids would say, not me. And there was this mischievous character named Not Me who was responsible for all this mischief. All right, I'm better now. It was either that or it was that, like, the day in the life of Billy or whatever, and they would show, like, the dotted lines

of what Billy had done on his adventurous walk and all the chaos that ensued. That was family circus. Oh, man. No wonder I preferred For Better or For Worse, because that was actually good. I prefer good. And that's why I love Sloan.

There will absolutely be a third appearance for the mighty Jay Ferguson. There are three things that I think of when I think of Toronto Mike. One is the question I asked when I first got an email with, are you an FOTM? I was like, what is a Fatma? I've never heard of FOTM. And he was like, it's a friend of Toronto Mic'd. And I was like, oh, right. And then the second embarrassing question I asked was the first time I was on the show when I arrived at his house and he led me through his house and then down into this basement on this narrow stairwell where we both had to duck and I asked will I ever see my family

again I didn't actually ask that one out loud but that's what I was thinking and fortunately it was a very pleasant experience as were my other appearances on the show. And the last thing I think about with Toronto Mic'd is, I, in the early parts of the pandemic, I completed 23 episodes of the online Adam Groquist show and then retired it. That was like after 23 weeks. And I was really proud of myself. And this message is for episode 1,000 of Toronto Mic'd.

I salute you. You are a true Canadian legend. Cash Cab's Adam Groh, everybody. Adam, thanks so much for that. It's been great getting to know you. You're a great FOTM, even though you didn't know what that meant. I knew of you, not just from Cash Cab, of course, but you

were a fellow dad in the High Park baseball circuit there and you would emcee the banquet. So I'd take my oldest to the banquet. You'd be the master of ceremonies, the host. And I think to myself, one day I'm going to start a podcast just to get that guy into my basement. Mission accomplished. So it is no secret that I think Mike Boone is one of the best humans out there. I say it over and over and over again. He is the best human out there. I say it over and over and over again. He is the best human out there. If you have met Mike, if you have been interviewed by Mike, if you have had a conversation with Mike,

you know what I'm talking about. A huge congratulations to you, Mike Boone, on your 1000th episode. I'm so honored to be a part of your team. I'm so grateful to have you on mine. And I look forward to 10,000 more episodes. Enjoy the ride because it is awesome. Medina! That of course is Dana Levinson, host of On the DL. And to think I only met Dana because I invited her over for an exit interview. 19 years, suddenly she's no longer on the air. I needed to know what happened. And I got her story.

We hit it off. The rest is history. Now we're bosom buddies. And I'll be in my living room watching the NFL playoffs. And every 25 minutes or so, Dana will be on my TV screen. I can't shake this woman. She's just always there. And I'm always happy when I see her. There's always a big smile on my face when Dana takes over the TV for 30 seconds. I'm proud of you, Dana. You're kicking ass. And there's never been a happier producer than I. Thanks so much. What?

Am I reading this correctly? A thousand episodes? Toronto Mike, congratulations, my friend. Of course, it's Melissa DeMarco here, out there, here to celebrate how much you've given to this industry. You've interviewed the best of the best. You've interviewed athletes and entertainers, so many great people in support of this industry. Oh, an episode I am particularly fond of,ved episode 127. Now, that was great. I mean, not just because that was when I was on your show, but it just showed how great of an

interview you are, and I'm so proud to have been part of the beginning of all this, and here you are at a thousand episodes and counting, my friend. So, congratulations, because I rarely do interviews when I put myself in the hot seat. I'm usually like you doing interviews. So it was a thrill and an honor to be interviewed by you and I hope to be back on your show. Until then my friend, I am cheersing to all your great success. I did it again at the end. I did a visual thing. This is a podcast DeMarco. No visuals.

All right. Sorry. It was good up until there. Melissa DeMarco. I love that that's a video. So there are a few FOTMs who wanted to record videos. And I ended up just taking the audio and sticking it in this episode. But you can see the Melissa DeMarco video on the Toronto Mike YouTube channel. That's right. There's a

Toronto Mike YouTube channel. The following FOTMs submitted video. Joe Tilly, James B, Joe Tilley, James B., Jerry Howarth, Bernie Finkelstein, Jack Armstrong, Hawksley Workman, and now, Melissa DeMarco. Thanks, Melissa.

This is Peter Howell, movie critic for the Toronto Star. Congratulations, Mike, for the thousandth episode of your great podcast in which you always ask the right questions to help Torontonians better understand each other. I'm going to leave you with one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies, The Big Lebowski. The stranger sums up the situation. Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, well, the bear eats you.

That rug really tied the room together. Peter Howell, loved your appearance. In fact, you left me with your 10 movie recommendations for the year. It was this really well-produced pamphlet or

fact sheet. I don't know what you call it, but a piece of paper. It had these 10 movies you were recommending. I remember Parasite was one of them. There were other movies on it that weren't going to get Oscar nominations and were kind of under the radar, one of which was The Last Black Man in San Francisco. I want you to know, I made a point of watching every single one of those 10 movies you recommended, and I loved each and every one of them. So thank you for that. Hey, Mike, it's Mike Ross here, public address announcer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Had a great time when I was on your show and have had a wicked time listening to so many of your podcasts. But I think the one that sticks out to me the most was listening to Peter Mansbridge. Peter Mansbridge was like the voice of news for me growing up.

He was the most trusted newscaster that I've ever watched, listened to. I miss him tremendously on my national newscast. And it was just great to sort of catch up a little bit and hear a little bit more from Peter Mansbridge on Toronto Mike's podcast. So thanks for that. Congratulations on 1000 episodes. And here's to the next thousand. Thanks, Rossi. So if you're keeping track at home, as we approach the four and a half hour mark, we've heard from both the Toronto Blue Jays PA announcer and now the Toronto Maple Leafs PA announcer. And Mike Ross, that gig, man, like in my lifetime, there's been three people to have that job.

Of course, there was Paul Morris, not Pauly Morris from the White House of Rock in St. Catharines, although he's an FOTM. But Paul Morris, of course. Then there was FOTM Andy Frost. And now you.

Awesome, buddy. I root for all FOTMs, and it's been a pleasure getting to know you. Shout out to Cooksey. This is a shout out to Toronto Mike. It's Brad Jones here from Ridley Funeral Home. We're a proud sponsor and neighbor. I want to just say thanks, Mike, for ever since I've been listening,

you've been a bright light, a bright star. And these last few years have been difficult for most of us. But your show has helped in a lot of ways. Thanks, buddy, and keep up the great work. I love that Brad opened with shout out to Toronto Mike, because of course, shout out to Ridley Funeral Home has become a bit of a catchphrase on this program. Great people, Brad. It's been a pleasure working with you. And I want to let the FOTMs know there's a brand new podcast called Life's Undertaking hosted by you, Brad Jones.

And people can find Life's Undertaking wherever they get their podcasts, wherever you got this podcast. And you can hear directly from Brad on a regular basis. Thanks for the support, Brad. At the beginning, I wasn't sure how you incorporate a funeral home into a podcast like this, but it's actually been surprisingly fun and enlightening. And again, shout out to Ridley Funeral Home. Hey, Mike, it's Dr. Brian Goldman here. I wanted to extend personal and warm congratulations on Toronto Mike's 1,000th episode.

That is an amazing accomplishment. And you know what? It feels as if all 1,000 episodes occurred during the pandemic. That's how long the pandemic has been. Anyway, enough joking around about the pandemic, which we hope will come to an end soon. I loved being on your show because it made me feel like I was a broadcaster along with all the other wonderful broadcasters who've been on your show. Two things that I love about Toronto Mic'd. The first one is that it is unabashedly Toronto.

And so I love to hear Toronto personalities on the show, past, present, and they include people like Ralph Ben-Murgy and Ann Roszkowski, who some people have forgotten, have been major lights in broadcasting in Toronto. But you don't forget. And the other kind of personality that you don't forget is somebody who suddenly disappears from the airwaves. And that's what happened to Ashley Docking. One day she was on Fan 590 and then the next day she wasn't. And I knew that she was going to show up on Toronto Mic to say what happened and how she was going to rebound and what she was going to do in the next phase of her life. And sure enough, there she was in episode 418. That was a long time ago. Anyway, I wanted to wish you hearty congratulations,

and I can't wait for the next 1,000 episodes of Toronto Mic'd. Dr. Brian Goldman, thanks, man. You're half doctor, half broadcaster. Quite the combination. I can't think of anybody in our media landscape who combines those two skills as effectively as you do. Now, who am I to correct the great Brian Goldman? But I just feel the need to point out that Ashley Dawkins' deep dive on Toronto Mike was before she was fired from the Fan 590, not after. I did reach out after and invited her back, but it never happened. Hey, my name is Sky Wallace.

I'm proud to be a friend of Toronto Mike, and I'm here to say happy thousandth episode. That is such a feat. And it's a feat of not just making a thousand episodes, but a thousand episodes of making people feel at home and at ease, making people feel part of a community and amazing interviewing and storytelling. I had the pleasure of being on an episode of Toronto Mike and we got weird. We got goofy. We got serious. All of the feels.

This is a big one. And I'm so stoked for you. Lots of love. Toronto Mike. If you haven't seen Sky Wallace in concert, rectify that as soon as possible. She's fantastic. I saw her open for Lowest of the Low just before the pandemic at Lee's Palace.

And the reason Sky Wallace came over for that wonderfully weird conversation, by the way, Sky performed live in the TMDS studio, and I absolutely love it when performers perform live. Lois DeLow have done that. John Bora recently did that. I had Mike Boguski on the deck doing Diamond Mind.

Diamond Mine? Diamond Mind is something else. All this is to say, Sky Wallace is fantastic, and thank you to Lowest of the Low for connecting me. They said, Mike, you would love this woman's music, and Lawrence, as usual, was absolutely correct. Love the music. Love the person. correct. Love the music. Love the person. Go, Sky, go. I'm Larry Fedorik, the host of the award-winning podcast, I Was Eight, and my current weekly series, Later, That Same Life. But enough about me. Well, hold on. A little bit more about me. Between my two podcasts, which I feel like I've been at for a long time,

I've done just over 100 episodes. Toronto Mike is at 1,000. 1,000. At it since 2012. 2012? I think I was still on CompuServe and MySpace. Remarkable insight back then and tremendous dedication in creating quality content week in and week out. I even wrote a special song for the occasion.

Toronto Mike, the Mike we like. He has a Mike and rides a bike. He likes to hike and talk on Mike. Toronto Mike, the Mike we like. I've recently pulled all my music from Spotify. Well, they pulled it. I mean, you know, whatever. It's not split hairs. Mike starts with an M. In Roman numerals, that stands for 1,000. Congratulations.

I'm looking forward to your next millennia of shows. Forward to your next millennia of shows. Larry Fedorek is a great example of somebody who starts as a guest I want to speak to, primarily because he was on all his radios, 680 CFTR, and then kind of morphs from guest to friend. I definitely consider Larry Fedorek a friend. He's a good guy. Love talking to him. And then becomes a client because although Larry does his own editing, he packages up his episodes of his podcast independently. At some point, it gets handed to the good people here at TMDS, To the good people here at TMDS.

Me, myself, and I. So I like to tell people. There's a TMDS podcast that won a prestigious award. I had very little to do with it. But I just like to say that. It makes me seem bigger and better. Of course, the award was won by Larry Fedorek for I Was 8. A charming AF podcast series that I loved listening to, but I also love his newest podcast, Later That Same Life.

Tremendous content from a natural-born storyteller. Larry, thanks so much. This is Michael Grange from Sportsnet congratulating Toronto Mike on his 1,000th episode. Just an amazing achievement. Loved my time on the show, the Primo Pasta, the Great Lakes beer, and just a remarkable achievement that so many strangers can be lured to one man's basement. Good luck, and here's to 1,000 more. From Three Point Grange.

Thanks, Michael. I appreciate it. Loved your visit. We got to kick out the jams at some point. Hey, Mike. This is Tara Sloan here, one of your former guests. And I just wanted to wish you a huge congratulations on 1,000 episodes. I remember that day in Etobicoke and you came outside to greet me

outside of your house and I was just so blown away by your accommodation, your kindness, your professionalism, your diligence. And I just think you're just the best at what you do. You've literally spoken to everybody there is to talk to and I'm sure you have a thousand more in you. So anyway, keep it going forever and ever. And I feel so lucky to have been on your show and hey, have me back again, would you? What a lovely message. Tara, what a great guest. I loved you as a guest because not only are you a wonderful person and a sweetheart, but you

combine those two passions of mine, 90s alt-rock and sports media. Perfect package. You'll definitely be back. I would love to kick out the jams with you. Let's do it.

Hello, this is Andrew Witkin, founder of StickerU and a passionate sponsor of Friends of Toronto Mic'd. Over the years, we've been able to kick out the jams with Mike, enlighten people on the history of Toronto's music scene, while also listening actively to his podcasts. Every episode delves into the spirit of a subject that connects with Toronto, and often music, topics that I think people are passionate about. And although he's a little more auditory and we're a little more visual, kind of like country versus rock and roll, we align with our philosophy. We believe when something matters to people, they want to express themselves. For us, it just could be through swag stickers, packaging labels, or decal signage.

So from all of our 100 plus Sticker Yoohoo people who make custom products every day in Toronto, we salute Mike on this massively accomplished milestone. He has made us all reflect on what it means to have lived in this great city. And his 1,000 engaging podcasts have unlocked tunes that immerse us all. engaging podcasts have unlocked tunes that immerse us all. Much love to StickerU.com for embracing the arts and fueling the real talk here on Toronto Mic'd. For years now, I can't imagine the back wall of my studio without the StickerU decal. Made wonderfully by StickerU.com, of course. But most importantly,

when I think of Andrew Witkin, I think of the number of concussions that have been prevented thanks to the Check Your Head sticker that's here in the Toronto Mike studio. Where are the ceiling dips? So prior to that sticker's placement, many AFOTM hit their head on the ceiling here. And now it almost never happens

because the check your head sticker warns guests. Thanks, Andrew, so much. Love the partnership with StickerU.com. And give your dad a hug for me. Your dad, Barry Witkin, is also an FOTM, and he's a key part of Toronto's musical history himself. He helped found, well, he helped found, he's one of the founders of the Purple Onion in Yorkville.

Shout out to Buffy St. Marie. Hey, Mike, and all FOTMs out there, it's Mike Epple here from the home office in Whitby. Congratulations on episode 1000 of Toronto Mic'd. What an achievement. Look, it's a testament though about how you've grown from the original blog to being at the forefront of podcast audio and video production and I think it's because you do your research and you listen. You make your guests feel comfortable and welcome. You're not afraid to show emotion and you let people tell their story. And when you scan the names of who's been on your show, is there anyone else in the country who can boast that kind of a lineup? It's a testament to the fact that you're the real go-to person for what's going on in the city's media landscape the must listen exit

interviews or talking to musicians or doing features on moments in canadian broadcast history like the dave hodge pen flip or the demise of the team 10 50 and of course my personal favorite the monthly appearances by mark weisblatt of at 12 36 and listen kudos to you for using the Toronto Mike podcast as a springboard to all of the other audio projects and people that you work with. And I think it's a testament, too, about your longtime sponsors. They've been with you for so many years now, and that shows what kind of a great person you are and the success of the business that you've built. So again, Mike, congratulations.

Massive milestone here, my friend. It's Mike signing off to Millennium Mike. And cheers and all the best going forward. Let's not bury the lead here, Mike. Thank you for making Bojana's day. She's still swooning having met the great Mike Epple, whose face she sees on breakfast television in the morning. You're a great FOTM. We have a mutual friend in Peter Gross,

and Peter told me long before I met you that you were one of the good ones. Most FOTMs are pretty damn sweet, but you're one of the sweetest, and Bojana agrees with that thoroughly. One of the great things about Toronto Mike that I learned about and saw way before I ever was on, because when you look at the list of the people that are in radio or were in radio, are in television, were in television, same with print and of course,

the world of sports, all the who's who. I I mean I got on as one of the who's who's that but not the who's who but but there are so many there and what you realized as you listened to it and and saw what Mike was doing is that he was like capturing the soundtrack of people who had so much to say through the years, people who were identified with all different parts of not only media, but different eras in media, which was so important. And of course, when I looked at so many of my colleagues from the time that I was at City TV that Mike had on, from Deanie Petty and Gordon Martineau and Jim McKinney, Peter Gross, Gallagher, everybody, everybody I worked with.

And to be able to talk about those days and then, and then listening to Mike interview people who are, who are there now. And that's, that's why I think it's, it's been such an important show. And also to Mike's credit, he's doing this for, what, 10 years now or so. And when you listen to some of the earlier stuff, and you listen to now, you know, to his credit, he's one of the best interviewers out there right now, interviewing the interviewers. And I think that that's been really a great exercise. But again, if you want to know what's happening and if you have that interest

in all of those different areas, he's the place to go. And congratulations, Mike, you know, a thousand episodes. That's not too many people start a show and say, yeah, I can't wait to start editing and start talking to people about my thousand episodes. So keep it up and we'll keep listening to the, to the soundtrack of Toronto as it comes through Toronto, Mike. The F in FOTM stands for friend. And so many FOTMs are true bonafide friends.

Lorne Honickman is no exception. I mean, just the other day, we were catching up on Zoom and Lorne was chatting up my seven-year-old who's playing house league hockey. And Lorne was telling my seven-year-old about how he's been playing since he was six years old. He still plays Lorne. Anyway, it's stuff like that. You know, that's, uh, it's one thing to come on in and tell me all about city TV and working with for Moses and with the greats, but, uh, to become a friend, that's something special. So much love

to Lorne Honickman. It was a pleasure working with you last year, and it sounds like we're going to be working again together soon. You're a good man. Bring back the mustache. Hey, Mike. It's Greg Brady from 640 Toronto and Toronto Today. Just want to congratulate you on getting to 1,000 episodes. I think I've been part of three episodes.

So there are 997 I would recommend that other people listen to. It's been amazing to see your longevity. I appreciate the forum and the format that allows for conversation, that allows for probing questions, and for people not just in our our industry radio tv print uh the blogosphere you've got uh music legends that we both agree and disagree on but it's been a remarkable uh success and you've built something and uh and i can't say enough about that and uh there's no doubt that there's guests that uh have entranced me more than others but that's the whole point that's the whole point of conversation and something that's long form where

i think audiences tv radio otherwise really get to know a person a little bit more and uh and i appreciate you and good luck hitting 2000 um sometime in the next few years. Thank you, Greg Brady. A quick correction for you, my friend. You've been over four times. There's four episodes of Toronto Mike featuring Greg Brady. Most recently, last summer in my backyard, when you opened up about the toxic work environment at the fan 590 uh very uh courageous to do so and i'm glad you felt comfortable uh with me to to share like that and i can't wait

for your fifth appearance coming soon to toronto mic'd so what do you want me to do for you firstly it's easy it's from the heart you just just start recording and then you say whatever you want. Okay, give me an example. Okay, Kelly Cotrera from episode 100 and whatever. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You don't remember what episode I was? And you're asking me to speak from the heart. Do you? Yeah, 106. Oh, wow. That's a good episode. That's my favorite. Okay, go that's my favorite okay go ahead and you never came back be

me again all right hi this is kelly catrera uh episode whatever uh what an honor being on toronto mike t's uh the best best things in sliced bread uh great head of hair. And one day I threatened to return because I want some lasagna and beer, whatever. Congrats, Mike. Wait. I don't know. I'm just, I'm just pippling. No, but I'm confused here about the lasagna and beer.

Is that something that other people have since consumed on the podcast? Yeah, like you were too early. So you came before I had any sponsors. And you're wondering why I've never come back. See, that was the problem. It was craft services. If you come back, you'll get that. That's not a joke.

It's not a joke. You'll leave with fresh craft beer and a large lasagna. You might be overpromising. You know, you don't want to underdeliver. No, I'm promising. You'll get it. Trust me. Ask Mr. Greg Brady. You'll get it. You trust me. Ask Mr. Greg Brady.

He'll tell you. Yeah. Greg Brady will do anything for lasagna. He's like the Garfield of radio. So the whole reason we're talking right now is you want me to say something really sweet and kind for the thousandth episode. Yeah, right. Right. Can I ask you a question?

Yeah. Why don't you trust me? What do you mean? Well, you've been telling me how to be sweet and kind. Do you not think I'm capable of it? Listen, I heard what you did for Humble and Friends 10th, and it was great. And I'm hoping you'll do something similar for my 1,000th. That is all.

Listen, you know what I'll do? I'll do something completely different and out of the box. I can guarantee that. And I think, I think it'll be amusing. I think you'll be happy to be part of it. And I think it will be, it'll be a standout on the show. If I can be so bold. You're a key part of the FOTM wheel because you're the one who defended me against the great Fearless Fred back, I don't know if you even remember, but Fearless Fred came on the Mill and Fred. I remember. I remember consoling you in the bathroom. I was holding you in the bathroom. I was wiping away, your mascara was going down your cheeks. And I was like, come on, baby, baby,

baby, baby, let mama work it out. Let mama work it out. And then I, yeah, then I went to bat for you. I don't like to see anybody be left out or cry. I wish I was actually there that day. That would have been fun. And I think Fearless was on the, the Fearless one who's very fearful was on the phone, I believe, not in the studio.

He was on the phone. He was on the phone. Mike, you're a nice man. And here's to a thousand years. I mean, a thousand episodes. Ay-yi-yi. Well, there's some behind the scenes for you. I had zero clue

that my private conversation with Kelly Couture, and we do talk periodically on the phone. I had no idea she was recording it. But there you go. So, you, Kelly, for recording me without my consent. Again, I do control what gets published here and it sounds fine. It is what it is. So congrats on your recent success. I hear you all over the Olympic Games here that are coming to us from Beijing. You're doing a lot of voiceover work with the great boundless Tim Thompson,

who we heard from earlier in this monster episode of Toronto Mike. So peace and love to you, Kelly. And again, thanks for going to bat for me with Fearless Fred. Jason Portwondo alongside the living legend Donovan Bailey. By the way, you can check out Running Things with Donovan Bailey on the podcast. Just a shameless little plug. But we are here to talk about Toronto Mike. Toronto Mike.

Speaking of podcasts, this man, he is the king. A thousand shows. How good is that? Well, I mean, we should be upset that he got us here in the thousandth show, Jason. We should have been a number one. What the hell, man? It only took 999, right?

Yeah. But we're here now. Well, we are. Give the number one. What the hell, man? It only took 999, right? Yeah. But we're here now. Give the man his due. Well, listen, congratulations, Toronto Mike, on your 1,000th show. I assume that you'll have Jason and I back for your 2,000th show. Man, he is one of the great guys. So on a serious tip, well-deserved. Couldn't happen to a nicer broadcaster, producer. The guy does it all.

Way to go, Mike. Does it all, man. He's one of those guys. He's in front of the mic as Toronto Mike, and he's also behind the scenes. Believe me. So it's all good. All good. Congratulations, Mike.

Way to go. This time they do get away. Now it's Donovan Bailey trying to pick up runners. Donovan Bailey is putting on a surge. This time they do get away. Now it's Donovan Bailey trying to pick up runners. Donovan Bailey is putting on a surge. Adam Oden in the lead. Here comes Bailey. He's got it.

984, a world record for Donovan Bailey and a gold medal. Donovan Bailey through the heats and into the semi-final indicated that he was ready he had the power down the stretch to overtake other runners he did not get his great start but it was improved over what we saw from him earlier and over the final 50 meters it was out of olden and Frankie Fredericks that he caught at the finish line

and clearly unlike the women's final, Donovan Bailey of Canada is the Olympic champion. And at that time on the scoreboard clock of 984 holes, it is a world record as well as a gold medal. Fun fact, Donovan Bailey has just become the first gold medalist to run the 100 meters in under 10 seconds to ever appear on Toronto Mike. Thanks, Donovan. And thank you, Jason. I'm lucky enough to be visited by Donovan and Jason every week as we record their podcast, and it's fantastic.

Donovan Bailey running things. And yes, without a doubt donovan bailey is getting his own episode of toronto miked coming very very soon hey toronto mike it's andy from canna cabana here congratulations on your 1000th episode buddy we're proud of you we love what you're doing you're a legend you come get a little island time at canna cabana someday soon. Andy Palalas from Canna Cabana. Andy, we really appreciate your support of The Real Talk here on Toronto Mic'd and all FOTMs know for their cannabis needs, Canna Cabana is there. 100 stores across this fine country. And it's always island time at Canna Cabana. Gregory Clogg is here, author of The Many Deaths of Tom Thompson. When I appeared on episode 364, way back in 2018, Toronto Mike promised that being on his podcast would lead to instant fame, that my hair would grow in lush, that I would grow a foot taller, that screaming fans would follow me down the street. He lied. I never grew a foot taller.

Congratulations on episode 1000, Mike, and I look forward to joining you in person and your fans again soon. Stay well, everybody. I gotta say, I loved that episode about Tom Thompson. I mean, how many podcasters in this city are doing deep dives into the many deaths of Tom Thompson? Not enough, if you ask me. And you are the perfect

man, Gregory, to be my special guest as we explored the many deaths of tom thompson these stories need to be told yo mike it's john paul and i appreciate you having me on toronto miked and i just realized the reason you had me on is because i got fired i wish it was because something amazing happened uh but unfortunately it was the opposite. But still a fine episode, if I do say so myself. Here's what I love about the podcast. Number one, the fact that you have churned it out, you have grinded it,

you have continued doing it to a thousand episodes instead of going into the popular podcast fade. Impressive. Congratulations, my man. And two, as a person passionate about radio, I love the behind the scenes stories. When you talk to some of these icons and Canadian legends who maybe don't get the due that they deserve from the broadcasting community, when you bring them in the studio and you have a chat and you give them pizza and lasagna and beer and all the stickers and stuff. They tell you fabulous stories about their lives and their careers,

things we would never know. And as a radio geek, I absolutely love it. So congratulations on a thousand episodes. And more importantly, just as a fan slash friend of Toronto, Mike, I say,

thank you, my man. Well, damn John, that was an awfully kind message. And you're a man who knows radio, so it means a lot coming from you. I'm sorry that we only met because you got fired. Next time, it'll be for happier reasons.

And hopefully, there will be a next time. I'd love to have you back on Toronto Mike. Hi, I'm Eric Alper. You know, there are certain things that make this city great. Right here in Toronto. There's the CN Tower, Budweiser Gardens, the X every year. And of course, no list would be complete without Mike Boone of Toronto Mic'd. Mike, a thousand shows you've done to make music, entertainment, politics, sports well worth watching and reading about. And you do so much for this city and thus for the country to make our lives a little bit more bearable and happier and fulfilled. Congratulations on a thousand shows.

And here's to the next thousand. Be well. People give Eric Alper a hard time because he programs his tweets. He schedules his tweets. I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that. He's a busy man. And if he wants to put out the, you know, name a cover you didn't know was a cover tweet on the same day every year, you know, who am I to judge? I would like to just go on the record and say I'm a big Eric Alper fan. He's been very helpful with the podcast. And if you FOTMs need one giant reason to embrace giant reason to embrace Eric Alper. It's that he's the reason Gino Vanelli paid a visit to the TMDS basement that glorious day.

The Gino Vanelli episode of Toronto Mic'd, which is legendary, only exists because Eric told Gino, you gotta do do Toronto Mike. Thank you, Eric. Toronto Mike, it's Roz Weston from the Roz Mocha Show and Entertainment Tonight Canada. Congratulations on 1,000 episodes. That is a monumental achievement. So congrats on that. But also above everything else,

I think I just want to say thank you for one, having me on. Thank you for having everybody else on, but thank you for being a fan. Thank you for being a fan of radio. Not one single person has walked onto your show that you did not make feel special for doing what we do. And so thank you for that. Thank you for making everybody feel special. Thank you for your insight and your dedication and your just absolute passion to this world, to the community, to everything. And you're awesome. And we all owe you a little bit. So congratulations on 1000, bro. on Toronto Mic'd. I knew within five minutes he was my kind of guy because we bonded over our mutual love for Custom's Fast. And Fast was not exactly the most popular album in the world,

but both Roz and I loved that album. And sadly, in late December 2021, we lost Custom far too young. He's no longer with us, but we'll always have the music. And thank you, Roz, for the memories. And thank you for that awesome message. Hi, everyone. It's Barb DiGiulio here to wish Toronto Mike a very happy 1000th episode. You know, I was really struggling to figure out what I was going to say to Mike. So I reached out to him last week. And I said, Mike, everything I'm recording is sounding super cheesy. And he got back to me and said, just speak from the heart. Well, here is the honest

truth, Mike, you have always been so kind to me in a business that has its ups and downs. And especially in the bad times. It's always been so nice to hear from you. You've always invited me to come on your show. I do really appreciate that. You are so successful because your listeners love you and your guests love you. And I'm here to wish you another thousand episodes. And I certainly hope you'll have me back for one of them. Congratulations, Mike. You deserve it. Coming straight from the heart. Hot damn. It felt good to hear Barb DiGiulio's voice again. Barb,

we miss you. Like I miss that voice being on Toronto radio. You my friend are always welcome to return to the show. I know your many, many fans would love to hear what you're up to and just to hear from you. Thanks for that amazing message straight from the heart. That's the way you do it. Hi, Joel Goldberg here, or Jay Gold, whatever you prefer. Toronto Mike, what can I say? Love the man, love the show. Mike, I'm honored to have been on a few episodes by myself, as well as with the amazing Ziggy.

So I appreciate the passion and drive that you have in creating this amazing podcast. And a podcast that highlights a lot of behind-the-scenes folks in media and entertainment, as well as the media stars. Your knowledge of the TO scene is unequaled, and because of that, I think the sky is the limit for Toronto Might. Congratulations on show number 1,000. Good luck and stay safe. And keep drinking that amazing Great Lakes beer, too. Congrats. That man co-created Electric Circus. Just drink that in. Congrats. So many of those great Maestro Fresh West videos, including the video for Let Your Backbone Slide.

And yes, as all FOTMs know, that is a cameo by FOTM Dwight Drummond in the video. Joel, you're awesome, buddy. I still remember when Great Lakes brewed the Electric Circus beer and put the cowboy on the cover. You know, that's all part of us. Like, that's just me talking to you about Electric Circus and sharing the fun fact that Dalton and Tristan Pompei's dad was the cowboy in Electric Circus. And that cowboy put out a 12-inch single in the early 90s called Summertime, Summertime. Like, my mind is blowing as I repeat these facts.

I've repeated so many times over the 1,000 episodes of Toronto Mic'd. But you're the man, Jay Gold. Keep on keeping on. And thank you for being a friend. This is a special message to toronto mike congrats on 1000 episodes of the toronto mike podcast i remember listening to your podcast before i was in radio still in construction hearing stories from hosts that lost their job thinking to myself hey maybe there's a spot in this industry for me and that's that's ultimately led me to get into radio. And right now, I'm blessed

to be the host of 102.1 The Edge's morning show, The B Team. Mike has always had us on. He's had me on when I was at SiriusXM, and then when I got fired from that job, and then went to Y108, and then when I left that job and came to The Edge, and a bunch of times in between. Mike, what I like about you and what I really appreciate is you support our medium. You support this industry and you have been doing that for so many years. I really believe you are a force of good. And I thank you for everything you've done. Putting radio hosts like me who get fired and are bound to get fired again, giving them a quick platform to say hello or goodbye to their audience. And all jokes aside, you do great work every single day. So

thank you, Toronto Mike. Congratulations. And I'll see you again when I get fired from this gig. Speaking of friends, that's Jay Brody, everybody. As he pointed out, he's the actual morning show host at CFNY 102.1. And my wish for 2022 is that I do not have an exit interview with Jay Brody. I think he's fantastic. Great guy. And I love his story. Think about it. Working construction, like literally carrying bags of piss out of construction sites. Next thing you know, sites. Next thing you know, he's hosting mornings on 102.1 The Edge. What a story. What a guy. What a great FOTM. Toronto Mike, Jeff Merrick here from Sportsnet and the 32 Thoughts podcast. Congratulations on 1000 episodes. I really find it remarkable how you've been able to turn a passion for radio into this enormous podcast that many, if not everybody in the industry listens to.

And you don't have to be someone in the industry to listen to it either, although a lot of people in the industry do, Mike, and you all know that. Listen, I love the podcast. I loved being on the podcast. I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, at one point I held the record for the longest guest appearance on the podcast. I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, at one point, I held the record for the longest guest appearance on the podcast. I think Eric Smith may have beaten me, and I'm sure other people have since. But I got to come back for the crown one of these days. And one of my favorite memories, the conversation was fun. I had a great time talking to you.

I always do, whether it's as part of Humble and Fred or on your own podcast, always cherish our conversations. But one of the things that I thought was really cool is at the end of our conversation, you let me play Dope Fiends and Booze Hounds, one of my favorite real static songs of all time, which reminds me, I do owe you a kick out the jams. And yes, there'll be plenty of real statics involved. My favorite episode, and I still think about it every now and then, and I've listened to it a couple of different times, is the Martin Streak tribute. That was some of the best work that you've ever done putting that thing together. I know it must have been tough, like actually putting it together and then emotionally as well.

Take a bow, Mike. A thousand more to come. I wish you and many more as well. Take a bow, sir. But thousand more to come, I wish you, and many more as well. Take a bow, sir, but your work is still not done. We want more podcasts. Jeff, I'll never forget that visit. That was like in the 70s. Not the 1970s, but the episode count 70s.

So that's what, 900 and something episodes ago. And I remember when I asked you to come on, it was a big deal to me that you visited the basement and hung out with me. I think you did it because you, of course, are tight with Humble and Fred, and they sort of vouched for me by coming on first. So I feel like if Humble and Fred hadn't come on, maybe Jeff Merrick doesn't come on. And if Jeff Merrick doesn't come on, maybe Strombo doesn't come on. And if Strombo doesn doesn't come on, maybe Strombo doesn't come on. And if Strombo doesn't come on and so on and so on and so on.

So your visit was really important to me. And I do remember I was wrapping up cause I thought, you know, this is over. And then you wanted to hear some real statics and we played some real statics and next thing you know, boom, longest episode of Toronto Mike Dever.

And you held the record for quite a long time until Eric Smith snatched it from you. But dude, I would absolutely love kicking out the jams with you. Let's make it happen. Like maybe in the summer when the sun is shining and we can move it to the backyard. Is there anything finer than sitting in the backyard and kicking out some great jams? I can't wait. Hello there. My name is Daniel Graves.

I sing in a band called The Washman. I am here to offer my hearty congratulations to Toronto Mike on his thousandth podcast show. He's been at it for, well, I guess 10 years, at least 10 years, which means he's officially at it for, well, I guess 10 years, at least 10 years, which means he's officially old enough to talk back. Uh, and I'm sure he will be doing so. Um, I talked to, to Mike, uh, a few years ago. And the one thing that, that I thought about, uh, afterwards was, you know, it kind of reminded me of Brian Linehan, but more

specifically, the Martin Short character on SCTV that spoofed the Brian Linehan character. And he, you know, he would ask these questions. And at the end of it, I would say, like, how did you know that? Like, how did you how did you figure that out uh so it was really uh really really fun and and interesting and and I'll be honest he he taught me a lot about my my own career based on the questions that he asked so um I feel very grateful to have been involved in a tiny piece of that experience. And I hope he gets the opportunity to do a thousand more shows. So anyway, again, a hearty congratulations to Toronto Mike. I'm glad to be a part of it. A little glad to be a little part of it. And here's to a thousand more.

Over and out. The Marty Short parody of Brian Linehan was named Brock Linehan. Shout out to Hamilton's own Martin Short. Danny, you've got the voice of an angel. I told you that when you were sitting in the TMDS studio here. I love the Watchmen. I love your voice. I can't wait to kick out the jams with you at some point.

And every time I'm biking by Motel Bar in Parkdale, I'm thinking, I can't wait for like a Leafs-Jets hockey game post-pandemic. We're almost there, buddy. And just drinking a Great Lakes beer that I got at the Motel Bar. That's what I want to do. Leafs versus Jets. I'm at the Motel Bar hanging out with Daniel Graves. Don't call me Danny.

And drinking a Great Lakes beer. Hello there, Mike. hanging out with Daniel Graves, don't call me Danny, and drinking a Great Lakes beer. Hello there, Mike. Don Landry here from Toronto Mic'd, episode 636. Happy milestone to you. You were one of the people hacking away with a machete at the beginning of the rise of the podcast,

kind of marking a trail for everybody else to follow. So maybe we have you to blame for Joe Rogan. I don't know. But what I do know is that your shows are always fascinating. The conversations, honest, informative, very entertaining. And the list of guests you've had over the years is incredibly impressive. It's a testament, I think, to how well you do your thing.

Because everybody wants to be on your show. And that's more about the host than it is about the free beer and pasta, I think. Congratulations, Mike, on episode 1,000. Cheers to you. And here's to 1,000 more. What kind of guy is Don Landry? Well, let's put it this way. When I had Brian Williams coming over, and this was a big deal to me because I've loved Brian Williams hosting the Olympics since 1984. When I fell in love with the Olympic Games, I knew Don Landry did a great Brian Williams hosting the Olympics since 1984. When I fell in love with the Olympic Games, I knew Don Landry did a great Brian Williams and Don Cherry impression. I would hear him doing the grape line duo on the Fan 590 with Gord Stelic. So I reached out to Don and he recorded something

that I played off the top of that episode. So Don Landry, one of the good guys. And Don, one quick correction though, because I've heard it from a few people now. Everybody wants to go on Toronto Mic'd. This is actually not true. I won't name names, but there's a few obviously desired guests that have actually declined my invitation. So not everybody wants to be on Toronto Mic'd. Hey, this is Lisa Bowes in Calgary, Alberta, wishing Toronto Mic'd congratulations on your 1000th episode. Strong work, my friend. Very strong. Lisa and I were just reunited on Hebsey on Sports.

Hi, Lisa. And thanks so much for sending Lisa Tries Hockey for my kids, particularly my youngest little five-year-old Morgan, who I'm hoping does try hockey and joins her brothers in an illustrious house league career. Hey, this is Mo Berg from the Pursuit of Happiness. I just wanted to wish Mike a happy 1000th show, quite an accomplishment, period. I knew that it was a popular show when I had just finished doing the podcast and I went back to Toronto carrying my six-pack of Great Lakes brewery beer and I went into a another bar where I was doing another interview and I ran into a bunch of people from the music business I think it was guys from Chalk Circle and I think it was Andy Mays and some people from the Sky Diggers. And they all took one look at me and said, hey, you just did Mike's show, right? And so clearly, I realized at that point, it was a pretty popular show. Anyway,

best of luck with the next 1000,000, and again, amazing accomplishment. Hearing Mo tell that amazing story actually makes me feel like an adult now. Thanks, Mo. And shout out to FOTM Andy Mays, who I accidentally put in my Google contacts as Furnace Guy, because he visited, I think, around the same day that my furnace died. And I remember texting furnace guy because the furnace wouldn't turn on. And Andy Mays letting me know that he couldn't help me, but he wished me well. So much love to Andy Mays.

And thank you, Moe Berg, from the pursuit of happiness. I don't think anything beats that. Hello, Toronto. Mike. Hey, Mike. Rod Black here. Remember me? Remember me?

Episode 926, episode 927, 933, 935, 948, 969, of course. And now episode 1,000. 1,000 episodes, man. And all those episodes that I was on, I was so happy to be with you. I still haven't met you in person, but I love being on your show. You've got a lot of friends. You've got a lot of followers. You've obviously got a lot of family. But I do notice with all those episodes, I'm still missing my free beer that you were going to send me.

But that's okay. That's good for another day. And I'm not going to do a Charles Barkley impression this time because I have the real Charles Barkley with me. Hang on a second. Charles. Hey, man. Toronto Mac, how you doing, man? Hey, listen, you know, I don't care about what they say. Your show, it sucks. Terrible. don't care about what they say. Your show, it sucks. Terrible. Wonderful. Rod Black, the best in Canada, man. And I just want to say you're a knucklehead, but it's all good, man. Happy 1,000. You're 19,000 episodes away from Will Chamberlain or Leo Routens. All right. Thanks, Charles. Mike, congratulations. May you have a thousand or a million more. And hopefully I'll be filling my fridge someday with more of that great beer.

Happy 1000th, you old guy. Can we talk about FOTM Rod Black for a moment? This guy's unbelievable. Just unreal. What a fantastic FOTM. He did the back-to-back episodes. That was unprecedented. He came on for the entire Pandemic Friday episode, and we were used to people bailing pretty quick after they kicked out the first jam. Then, as we said goodbye. To Pandemic Fridays. On the patio of Great Lakes Brewery. In August 2021.

Rod was there. Connected via Zoom. Because I haven't met the man. And he was there at the very end. Kicking ass. Taking names. Doing a Charles Barkley impression. What an FOTM.

Rod. Thanks so much. I'm so glad we connected virtually. And one day when I meet you in person, you'll get your lasagna, you'll get your stickers, you will definitely get your Great Lakes beer, you'll get your Ridley Funeral Home flashlight, measuring tape, and yes, you'll get some swag from Canna Cabana.

I promise. How important is Rod Black to the FOTM community? Some say he's the unofficial mayor of Toronto, Mike. Mike, all I can say is congratulations on your 1,000th show. What an incredible milestone for your podcast. 1,000 episodes filled with stories and people and places that make up our great city. So thank you for being a champion of our city and for showcasing it on the Toronto Mic'd podcast. Here's to many more episodes.

If Rod Black is the unofficial mayor of Toronto Mic'd, that voice you just heard is the official mayor, John Tory. Thank you, mayor. episode of Toronto Mic'd. But this isn't about Mayor Tory. It's not even about Rod Black. This has always been about the listeners. The FOTMs I'd meet at TMLX

events or correspond with on the daily in the not-so-secret FOTM Twitter DM group. I want to end episode 1,000 of Toronto Mic'd hearing from the listeners. Little did I know that a deadly, headly Google search would lead to hours reading blogs

and interacting with Mike and listening to the podcast and working together and becoming friends. So Mike from Chris in East York, I wish you all the best on your next 1,000 episodes. Mike Moniz here, a.k.a. Hamilton Mike. Congratulations, Mike, on 1,000 episodes of Toronto Mic'd. That's an accomplishment for any podcast. But for you, considering it was a side hustle,

it's now become your main hustle, that's amazing. And here's to another thousand more. Hello, Toronto Mike and FOTMs. Happy 1000, Mike. I happened upon Toronto Mike's podcast

because Retro Ontario had tweeted about Muffy the Mouse appearing on the program. I had visited Retro Ontario's YouTube page many, many, many, many, many times, and I needed to hear more behind-the-scenes action. And now I am glued to a Toronto Mic because of the behind-the-scenes real talk. Hi there, it's Jake the Snake from Calgary, Alberta. I've been listening to Toronto mics since episode 156 with Mike Richards, a guy that I'd known from his days in Hamilton, Ontario on Y95.

Speaking of which, I think I may be partially responsible for adding Hamilton to the Toronto Mike lexicon. I grew up there and have my roots there, a fantastic area that spins out a wild and crazy cast of characters and positive additions to our fantastic Canadian culture. I often say all roads lead from the Hammer. Shortly after listening to some of the back catalog, I knew that Toronto Mike was on to something. Genuine, long-form conversation, creating a bank of content, frequently detailing people and places that were part of my life experience. So I've been donating. I think of it as an investment. Since about 2016, and I encourage you to as well. My favorite Toronto Mike episode is 269. Stephen Brunt, an old buddy of mine, actually went on the podcast at my recommendation. Of course, he returned a few months later to kick out the jams.

My second favorite episode would have to be Brian Vollmer from Helix, a band I've been going to see since 1984. The episode started off a little slow, but Mike's amazing interviewing skills bridged the gap, and by the end, Brian was singing a song acapella. So Mike, sincere congratulations on 1,000 episodes, quite a milestone. So glad to have found you and to help fund your work. Someday we'll meet in real life and drink a few GLBs. Take care.

Hey, Mike and fellow FOTMs, it's Brian Shelley in Barrie. I've been a huge fan of Toronto Mike podcast for several years, but especially during the pandemic, the community that was created through the Pandemic Friday episodes was pretty cool. And at a time when I felt pretty isolated from friends and family, to be a part of this online network of people talking about music was just so awesome. And I looked forward to every episode every week. So to that end, I'm happy for the return of Toast. Thanks to you and Stu and Cam for bringing the heat each week and for giving us something to look forward to during some pretty difficult times. All the best. Thanks, Mike. Here's another thousand.

This is FOTM Steve Leggett. One thousand episodes. Congrats, Mike. Here's another thousand. This is FOTM Steve Leggett. 1,000 episodes. Congrats, Mike. Can you believe it? Growing up, young Mike would be in front of the television or radio, keeping up on all things Toronto, BSing with your friends about music and your favorite shows. Well, look how far you've come. Truly, Mike, you've done something no one would have believed was possible. 1,000 episodes is such an accomplishment. Hosting a show for 1,000 episodes is not possible for most of us. But, Mike, you are authentic and truly a good person. Your honesty and decency comes across on air.

And that is what makes this show. It's all you, Mike. Congrats on 1,000. Let's do this again at a million. Anyone who listened to Episode 1 of Toronto Bike were pretty surprised that you got to Episode 2, let alone 1,000. Let's do this again at a million. Anyone who listened to episode one of Toronto, Mike, were pretty surprised that you got to episode two, let alone 1,000. Congratulations, Mike,

and I hope you have many years of continued success. Hey, Mike, it has been so rewarding as a longtime listener to watch your show grow and evolve. And I'd say like even better than the thousands of hours of entertainment and information you've given to me and tens of thousands of regular listeners. It's been admiring watching you do something you love and succeeding. That's the best part of Toronto Mike for me. Congrats, buddy. I can't wait for episode 2000 and get back in that studio. Seriously, though, congrats.

Hey, Mike, this is Juan, Levi Famke's husband, as you already know. Congratulations on your 1000th episode. Thanks to you, I've learned all the stuff that happened here in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s in the Toronto media landscape, more specifically radio and some TV. So thanks for that. Congratulations again. Hi, Mike. James Hector here. Longtime reader as well as longtime listener.

Congrats on 1,000 episodes of Toronto Mic'd. It's amazing. You're doing such a great job, and I'm really looking forward to the next 1,000. Take care. Hey, Mike. Johnny O here, just wishing you a happy 1,000th episode. Amazing achievement.

You're amazing. Amazing podcast. Everything's amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Keep it going, pal. I've heard almost all of the episodes. I can't believe we're almost at a thousand it's funny but every time i listen to toronto mike it feels like homecoming so many awesome guests and amazing stories mike you just seem to be able

to tease these out seamlessly which is why we can't stop listening congratulations again on a thousand you're cooking with gas mike keep being amazing and here's to a thousand more hey mike which is why we can't stop listening. Congratulations again on 1,000. You're cooking with gas, Mike. Keep being amazing. And here's to 1,000 more. Hey, Mike. Congratulations on 1,000 episodes. It's FOTM Linda.

Just what a great milestone. What a great achievement. Your podcasts have done such a great job to record the history of this city in terms of through some of the media personalities that you've had on. Some of the real talk too. So I always go back to Ann Ruszkowski and just how you know revealing that was in terms of her experiences some of the music as well through kicking kicking out the jams uh just you know heard about some new tunes uh through that and finally just some of the guests that I would have never heard of otherwise so So thank you for turning me to Stu Stone and introducing me to him because he's still one

of my favorite FOTMs. So take care of yourself. Hope for thousands and thousands more and look forward to hearing them. Take care. 1000 episodes ago, there was no podcast. Now, there is a daily weekly podcast that we like to call Toronto Mic'd. The FOTMs rejoiced with their Great Lakes beer, their Palma pasta, and their excessive funerals. But that's all on pause today because today is 1,000 episodes of Toronto Mic'd, and congratulations, Toronto Mic'd. This is fantastic. Keep doing what you're doing, and we'll keep listening to what you're doing.

I think I'm under 30 seconds. Okay, bye. Oh, wait, it's Tim. I mean Ian. I mean Tim. I mean bye. Wow, I don't even know where to begin, but thank you so much to Chris in East York.

It's been a pleasure producing your corporate podcast for the unnamed financial institution that you work for. Thank you so much to Hamilton Mike, who I met at Palmas Kitchen, TMLX5. He and his boy showed up all the way from Hamilton. That meant a great deal much love to Brian K Jake the Snake

speaking of the hammer Jake the Snake always chimes in when there's Hamilton content on Toronto Mic'd I know we're 5 hours deep here but Jake the Snake brought up the Patreon so let me just take a moment to let everyone listening know if you want to help fund Toronto Mic'd and you don't mind giving a couple

of bucks a month, go to patreon.com slash torontomic and become a Toronto Mic'd patron. Barry Bryan, thank you for the love. Pandemic Fridays continue as toast. Love that we have that checkpoint with the community. Steve Leggett, such great support from Steve. He's the reason there was a Megan Edwards episode. Michael Lang, who I will bump into most times. I'm at a 90s Canadian alt-rock band concert. I'll see Michael Lang there.

He's been to every single TMLX event. Only three people can make that claim other than yours truly. Scott Allen, it's been great getting to know you as we work together with Hebsey for Hebsey on Sports. Juan, Juan, thank you for letting me into your pants. That's an absolutely true statement, and I'll just leave it at that. James Edgar, there's a man I know

would have been at every single TMLX event, except I booked one while he was in Collingwood, so I messed up his perfect streak. But James, you know I love your support. Thanks so much. Johnny O, a welcome new member in the FOTM community. Thank you, Johnny O. Andrew Ward, so damn supportive.

I know I did a great job when I get an email from Andrew Ward. It means a lot, man. Your support has been extraordinary. Linda, the original FOSS. You know what I think of you, man. Your support has been extraordinary. Linda, the original FOSS. You know what I think of you, Linda. When I met you at that TMLX event, it was like I was meeting the biggest celebrity on the planet. There's Linda in the flesh. Wow. And Ian Service, a word about Ian. Ian is an important member of TMDS, really. He is a technical supporter, if you will. His great work at live.torontomic.com

has enabled the community of FOTMs to gather for Pandemic Fridays and now Toast and heck, even Mark Weisblot's monthlies now. So thank you, Ian, for all of your work and all of your support and for making sure this uh this audio file is served up fresh daily to FOTMs around the world now there's a few more listeners I've saved to the very end because uh they call themselves the broad squad

sometimes they refer to themselves as BFOTMs, that's Best Friends of Toronto Mic'd. And they're just special. So they deserve to finish us up here on episode 1000 of Toronto Mic'd.

Here's Moose Grumpy, Lieve Fumka, and Stephanie Wilkinson. Hey, Toronto Mike. Congratulations. 1,000 episodes. Your passion project has grown into a media empire with TMDS. What you've created has meant so much to so many.

From a guy working a full-time job and recording podcasts on the side to running your own studio with multiple products under your banner. Wow. Thank you for bringing us all along for the ride. Listening to Toronto Mike has brought me so much. Along with great interviews and interesting topics of your podcast, I've made friendships and connections that mean so much. Back in September 2018, I walked into GLB for TMLX2.

You greeted me with a hug and knew who I was the instant I walked in. I instantly felt like I was in a group of friends. Lieve, Fumke, and Juan took one look at me and invited me to their table. I was an FOTM surrounded by FOTMs. That night was the beginning of many great relationships. Fast forward to the pandemic when socializing online became all we had. FOTMs have become a part of my daily life I cherish. I have my broad squad who are there for each other whenever we need it. Unfortunately, we lost one of us, and Sheila, if you're listening somewhere, I hope you're inviting us for a little coffee and redemption. The music chats, the sports chats, wordlers, pandemic Friday

chats, the pirate stream, it all means so much. So thank you, Mike, and all the FOTMs that make this community an amazing place. Love y'all. Ooze Grumpy. Hi, everyone. It's Leva Fumpka, a.k.a. Toronto Mike's Heavy and disgraced Pandemic Friday Judge. And also the impetus for Mike to get his new producer job at another podcast. I want to congratulate Toronto Mike on making it to his thousandth episode. I remember when I first heard you as a guest on the Humble and Fred show.

I wondered who this guy was and I went to search you out and I never looked back. You're a great interviewer. I enjoy the deep dives and the fun facts that come up in the episodes. Mike, you've created a great community of FOTMs. I made so many new friends through your podcast and the online DM group. When I use the term FOTM, I'm not talking about your many guests. They're great, don't get me wrong, but the group of people from the DM group and the TMLX events. We banded together when a fellow FOTM died. We and one of your sponsors, shout out to Ridley Funeral Home, helped out when another FOTM had his tragic death in his school. You've been able to create a group of people that care for each other and are willing to help each other out. Thanks for the thousand podcasts and here's to another thousand more. Hi Mike, it's Stephanie Wilkinson,

one of the original friends of Toronto Mike. Funny that I call myself one of the first and then find myself as one of the last to submit a clip. But how does one find the right way to express the awe of someone who started without any prior broadcasting knowledge and didn't necessarily know the route, but knew what he wanted the end result to be? Mike, in order to be taken seriously by those you reached out to, you knew you had to have your facts and prove you knew them and that you had done your homework. Essentially, that you had read the liner notes. that you had read the liner notes. Many have compared your deep dive and real talk to the late and great Brian Linehan, who, like you, was able to draw more out of his guests than even they knew or thought they were going to. While you may not have that fancy set or flashy wardrobe to interview in, you have your low-ceiling basement, your backyard, Zoom, and have interviewed some of

Canada's absolute best. And whether I listen to learn or hear a familiar storytelling voice, shout out to Ron McLean, Stephen Brunt, George Strombolopoulos, Rick Mercer, and Peter Mansbridge. I know these first thousand episodes have truly changed and enriched my life in the last 10 years. Congratulations and cheers to the next thousand. Moose, Lieve, Stephanie, thanks so much for that. I don't really know what to say,

except thank you so much for your seemingly endless supply of support and love and constant feedback. I'd say thank you for listening, but at this point, I just want to say thank you for always being there. And lest we forget, there were four members of the broad squad.

Sheila Knisiewicz, as fierce a supporter of this podcast as there ever was, passed away suddenly in March 2021. It's almost been since we lost Sheila. Thanks to everyone who listened to an episode of Toronto Mic'd and supported a sponsor of the program because they helped to fuel the real talk. It means the world to me. Again, I kept Moose Grumpy and Lieve Femke and Stephanie Wilkinson to the very end because they're the broad squad, the BFOTMs. And I love them. I love them. And Miss Sheila.

Whew. Okay. Okay, Mike. Wrap this up. What are those magic words again? And that brings us to the end of our 1,000th show. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at Toronto Mike. Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery, they're at Great Lakes Beer. Palma Pasta is at Palma Pasta.

Sticker U is at Sticker U. Ridley Funeral Home, they're at Ridley FH. And Canna Cabana are at Canna Cabana underscore. See you all next week. Well, I want to take a streetcar downtown next week. Cause my UI check has just come in Ah, where you been? Because everything is kind of rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold but the snow wants me today And your smile is fine and it's just like mine

And it won't go away Cause everything is rosy and green Well you've been under my skin for more than eight years It's been eight years of laughter and eight years of tears And I don't know what the future can hold or do For me and you But I'm a much better man for having known you Oh, you know that's true because

Everything is coming up Rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold But the smell of snow Wants me today And your smile is fine Yeah, the wind is cold But the smell of snow Won't stay today And your smile is fine And it's just like mine And it won't go away

Cause everything is rosy and gray Well, I've been told That there's a sucker born every day But I wonder who Yeah, I wonder who Maybe the one who doesn't realize There's a thousand shades of grey Cause I know that's true, yes I do

I know it's true, yeah I know it's true, yeah I know it's true How about you? I'm picking up trash and then putting down rogues And they're brokering stocks, the class struggle explodes And I'll play this guitar just the best that I can Maybe I'm not and maybe I am I'll play this guitar just the best that I can. Maybe I'm not and maybe I am.

But who gives a damn? Because everything is coming up rosy and gray. Yeah, the wind is cold, but the smell of snow warms me today. And your smile is fine And it's just like mine And it won't go away Cause everything is rosy and gray Well, I've kissed you in France And I've kissed you in Spain

And I've kissed you in places I better not name And I've seen you in places I better not name And I've seen the sun go down on Chaclacour But I like it much better going down on you Yeah, you know that's true Because everything is coming up Rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold

But the smell of snow Warms us today And your smile is fine And it's just like mine And it won't go away Cause everything is rosy now Everything is rosy Yeah, everything is rosy and everything is rosy and gray. Thank you.