Pitchfork

Photos by Christine Tadler

Last night, Tom Scharpling and his Best Show on New Jersey/New York radio station WFMU, celebrated a milestone. With the help of special guests Ted Leo, Ben Gibbard, and Patton Oswalt, Scharpling raised over $50,000 for this year's WFMU pledge drive.

The mood in the studio was electric from the get-go, as Scharpling and his esteemed guest stars were joined by a small army of volunteers, WFMU staffers, and FOTs. Highlights from the show included Gibbard and Leo performing a duet of Scharpling-proclaimed "worst song ever" "Porcupine Pie", and a special appearance by the Famous Flamer, who happened to sound an awful lot like Patton Oswalt. After victoriously surpassing the $50,000 mark, Scharpling, Oswalt, Gibbard and Leo joined together for a rousing rendition of ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me."

If you missed it, you can listen to this week's Best Show, along with the rest of WFMU's excellent Marathon programming, at http://www.wfmu.org/recentarchives.php.

Those of you who pledged $75 or more during last night's show can look forward to receiving the Best Show on WFMU WE DID IT AGAIN Fun Pack, featuring stickers, buttons, a gorgeous full-color poster by Neil Numberman, and an exclusive Patton Oswalt CD EP titled Frankensteins and Gumdrops.

If you missed the show, it's not too late to pledge; the WFMU Marathon goes on through Sunday! Head on over to https://www.wfmu.org/marathon/pledge.php and show your support for one of the last remaining bastions of truly independent, freeform radio!