Well, here we are, saying goodbye once again. As I recall, The Marc Maron Show hit the air on Tuesday night, February 28, 2006 (or, here on the East Coast, in the wee hours of March 1st). It had to start on a Tuesday because there was a fucking Clippers game that Monday – a problem that would continue to plague the show (along with UCLA basketball, arena football and the WNBA) for many weeks to come.

It wasn’t exactly easy to catch the show, but we all found a way to do it – either by staying up late, paying for AAR premium to show our support for Marc, recording the stream, or waiting for some kind soul to post a torrent. We rejoiced at the news that Danny fucking Goldberg had been given the boot (a golden boot, to be sure – we should all be so lucky), and while I think we all agreed a “live” show (even if few of us could actually listen live) was preferable to a recorded one, when they began taping the show, we eagerly awaited its “imminent” syndication to a radio statio near us (or at least one with a reliable Internet stream that ran the show at a reasonable hour).

Unfortunately, syndication turned out to be about as imminent as the threat Saddam Hussein posed to the United States. Air America apparently finally came to realize what a mistake it had been to kill Morning Sedition but, unfortunately, that realization and whatever attempt they made to rectify the situation turned out to be too little, too late (why they didn’t even try to syndicate the show remains a mystery).

And so, sadly, it’s time once again to say goodbye to our friends. As sad as the end of Morning Sedition was back in December, this feels worse to me, because it seems more permanent. There was hope for a new Maron Show, back then – and in fact it was only ten weeks or so before we had a show on the air (though it seemed much longer, and was hastened, I think, by a phone, e-mail, and snail-mail campaign launched by some irate and impatient Seditionists) – but now, I don’t know.

Marc may indeed be on his way to bigger and better things, and Jim is a talented writer, whose work I’m sure we’ll be hearing (though it may not be him performing it), but right now it doesn’t feel as though we’ll have the luxury of hearing these guys five nights a week. We won’t be able to listen to Marc’s interviews, we won’t laugh at Marc and Jim bickering, and when someone in the news dies, we can only think, “wow, that would’ve made a great Weekly Remembrance.” And those are all things (among many others) I’m really gonna miss.

So, here’s to one last Marc Maron Show. I know it’ll be a great one. Back in February, I stayed up to listen to that first show, and I’ll be doing my damndest to stay up an listen tonight, too. To Marc and Jim, thanks for all of your hard work, and for putting up with all the shit that AAR threw at you, while somehow managing to produce the best goddamn radio show on the air. Don’t forget to drop us a line now and again, and let us know how you’re doing. We’ll leave a light on for ya….

Damn. Somebody choppin’ onions?