This American Life

When I lived in Chicago I went to the This American Life live event and it was, for lack of a better adjective, the coolest live show I have ever been to. Chicago had quite a few amazing shows that were limited to Chicago or only a few cities. I went to Family Guy Live (incredible, although it made me sound like more of a fan of the show than I really am. When I tell people I went they instantly starting quotes lines from their favorite episodes like it is Shakespeare and they are waiting for me to give them the next line….which never happens). I saw Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me live three separate times (insert NPR nerd joke here). I have lived in seven major US cities including LA, where I went to the Playboy mansion for a brunch and a webcast lingere show at a swanky LA bar in my pjs at the end of the catwalk, San Francisco where I saw Robin Williams in a covert, day of performance ,under an assumed name, been to the Filmore and The Warfield, cool blues clubs in Memphis, etc. and nothing, I mean nothing compares to how much I enjoyed This American Life live. The show itself was great, but it was the audience that was another thing that made the night special. It was like finding a thousand people in a city of six million that had the same addiction, albeit a health one, as you. You didn’t have to explain what it is you are listening to, or what NPR is, you can quote episodes the way normal people quote Seinfeld. It felt like a modern day love-in or some other hippie-like explanation of an experience that always ends with “you had to be there to understand it”. That sort of exclusive arrogance that always bothered me about those stories I now instantly relate to.

I live in Atlanta now and spread the gospel that is TAL to all within earshot. I travel 2-3 weeks a month and the podcasts are completely responsible for my sanity on airplanes and giving Phil Collins another chance (my favorite episode where he was so nice to that girl who writes a love song to get over a broken heart). If I ever win the lotto I want to work for TAL for free and of course donate (sans the tote bag gift for doing so) so everyone who wants to get can TAL on their local radio.