And Now, a Little Public Radio Humor
Last Thursday, This American Life LIVE played in movie theaters around the US, Canada, and Australia, beamed live via satellite from a stage performance in New York City. For public radio nerds, this is pure gold: two hours of This American Life performed onstage, and you watch it in a theater crammed with likeminded nerds who actually know what "Car Talk" and "Fresh Air" are.
The show is running again tonight (pre-recorded from Thursday's performance) in some locations. If you're a public radio nerd like me, you don't want to miss this -- it's hilarious, touching, and just a little disorganized around the edges (you get to watch Ira Glass being a little peeved when his iPad doesn't play sound cues quite on time). The show features a bunch of stuff that doesn't work well on the radio -- dance, video, and a standup performance by Tig Notaro that kills. In case you, like me, ask "Why would I want to want a dance performance from This American Life?" all I can say is, it's funny and smart.
If you can't make it (or perhaps to entice you to go see the rest), Mike Birbiglia has posted his contribution to the show. It's a short film involving Terry Gross, and an interview that he really doesn't want to end. Enjoy:
And here's a trailer for the overall show that really doesn't do it justice:
Pro tip: if you go to the screening and you have a smartphone, download this app before you show up. It's fun. Trust me.