It’s 10 p.m. on a Tuesday. Behind the heavy locked door, a sign reads ‘on air.’ And from the speakers of any computer, the sounds of DJ Big Sugar Daddy B and a slew of other radio personalities can be heard.

But at 1 a.m., Big Sugar Daddy, or ‘Shoog,’ along with every other character in the time slot, goes back to being Phil Blechman, a sophomore acting major.

Blechman, who said he’s always had an interest in voice work, started his own WERW-AM 1570 show, ‘Funk Love,’ his freshman year.

‘I always loved the fact that no one can see you and they have to picture what you look like based on how you sound,’ he said.

Blechman’s inspiration came from his roommate, who then also hosted a radio program, called ‘The Pregame Show.’

‘Funk Love,’ is a fun, upbeat, comic radio show where Blechman performs very different and fun characters to jam out to funk music and talk about anything and everything, from current news to relationships to love and sex, Blechman said.

‘The first time I did the show, I was oddly very comfortable. It was a peculiar feeling, but it was a fun way to perform. Anything I wanted to do or say was legal,’ Blechman said.

Blechman places importance on having fun while hosting the show. He finds if he is having fun, everyone listening will enjoy the show even more. As his alter ego, Shoog, Blechman was slightly less articulate but just as passionate about what he does during the show. ‘How do I get on the air? I funk. What do I do during the show? I funk. What happens when I funk? ‘Funk Love,” Blechman said.

Guy from Across the Pond is another alter ego of Blechman’s and is often accompanied by a slew of other characters that guest host the show.

‘Guy from Across the Pond orgasming on the live radio,’ Blechman said, ‘That’s the funniest thing from the show.’
 
Danny Bateman, a sophomore acting major, helps Blechman out whenever the opportunity arises. Playing off his last name, Bateman’s character on the show is named the Grand Master Bates.

‘Phil and I have very different personalities. Where he is very relaxed and goes with the flow, I like some structure and to know what’s going on,’ Bateman said. ‘I think it makes for a good collaboration. When we are on the radio we just enjoy playing off each other.’

Blechman also said he thinks it is hard to keep a strong rhythm when talking to himself in multiple voices. Having a good rhythm, Blechman believes, is an essential part of keeping listeners tuned in.

No matter who is in the studio, what keeps the show strong is the passion and dedication Blechman’s characters provide. During Spring Break, both Blechman and Bateman were still in Syracuse and decided the show must go on. Because it was Spring Break, the Schine Student Center was locked and the two had to spend 30 minutes trying to get in. Eventually a group of people who were taking a night class let the pair into the studio.

Katie LaMark, a freshman musical theater major, is a regular listener of ‘Funk Love.’

‘Phil’s a great guy to talk to. That’s definitely a huge part of why he’s a good radio host. He’s very candid with people.’ LaMark said. ‘The hosts really play the part, too. They all go on with a character kind of an alter ego that’s not only fun to listen to but showcases a kind of over-the-top theatrical style that really fits the music.’

She said her favorite part of the show was that Blechman and his guests have as much fun hosting the show as she does listening to it.

Blechman’s brother, Henry, a Syracuse University alumnus from the Class of 2007, said that Phil has always loved to entertain.

‘Even before he was into theater, I remember him showing off card tricks to my friends,’ Henry said. ‘That personality and talent has developed into real skills in his theater work and other projects.’

Beyond talent, the characteristic Henry finds most impressive about his brother is his work ethic. He said Phil is one of the hardest-working students he knows of at SU. Although the Blechman brothers aren’t able to spend as much time together as they would like, Henry said that when they do catch up they are the best of friends.

‘He’s very passionate about theater and entertainment, and he puts in long hours and seemingly endless energy to accommodate all his projects,’ Henry said.

Kevin Murin, a sophomore communications major at Central Connecticut State University, has known Blechman for about 10 years and considers him to be his best friend.

‘I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like Phil,’ Murin said. ‘He’s always been passionate about the things he loves and dedicated to everything he does.’

Murin said that this dedication ranges from playwriting to staying awake for 19 hours to beat a video game. Although Murin doesn’t like funk music as much as Blechman does, he listens to ‘Funk Love’ weekly to support his friend.
 
Mary Ann Pianka, a freshman acting major, also listens to the show to support Blechman. She admitted she has a secret crush on the Guy from Across the Pond and enjoys when Blechman gives her shout-outs.

Although Blechman joked that the show often gets thousands of listeners, LaMark wishes that more people knew about the show. ‘I think there’s a lot more a student-run station can offer than people give it credit for,’ LaMark said.

For the show, Murin wishes there were a wider range of genres. ‘Three hours of funk is a lot,’ he said. Like Murin, Bateman is a fan of other genres, but he doesn’t mind that ‘Funk Love’ just sticks to one.

‘Although Phil (Blechman) may not actually know this, I didn’t start listening to funk until the radio show,’ Bateman admitted. ‘I am more of a classic rock guy. As soon as I started listening I was sucked in. There is something that is groovy to it, and every song is completely different.’

Blechman said he would one day love to go into a career in radio and take ‘Funk Love’ to the professional level. In the meantime, he conveyed his favorite part of being the DJ of ‘Funk Love’: ‘The Funk. And the Love. And thinking that it makes girls find me more attractive.’

abbienst@syr.edu

 

Published on April 19, 2010 at 12:00 pm