The Best Stuff In The World

We are talking to writer, designer, filmmaker, editor and other multi-hyphens I can’t come up with right now Rachel Lichtman!Rachel’s latest project is Programme 4 - a multimedia video project that creates an entire world centered around the fictional tv station Programme 4. Rachel has been touring with a roughly 90 minute Programme 4 compilation featuring ads, music videos, and opening credits to shows that don’t exist. Rachel’s able to bring to bear her design skills and her filmmaking skills on Programme 4 and I can honestly say there’s not really much like it. Rachel does a better job describing Programme 4 in the interview than I’m doing here but it’s really unique and cool and she collaborates with a ton of awesome and talented folks like Aimee Mann, Juliana Hatfield, Ted Leo, Eugene Mirman, and way more than I can list here including former guest of THIS show Josh Kantor. She’s been taking it on the road so if it comes to your town make sure to check it out.Check out Programme 4 here! Programme 4July 16 in New York! Make the scene with With Dave Hill, Josh Gondelman, Ted Leo, Tammy Faye Starlite, Angela DiCarlo, Nath Ann Carrera, Eszter Balint, and Eric Drysdale + Musical Director, David Nagler: https://kydlabs.com/e/EV6b612b7e-4b07-468c-8c61-c1560b02b180?referral_id=g-2f289b97-e394-4114-ab7f-c002e7f82474Per usual, You can email this show at gleamingpod@gmail.com.

This time out I am talking to musician Chris Principe about his time in the band Hooray for Earth and his new solo digital release under his own name - Judge and Jury and Us vs. Them!It was great talking to Chris about the music that inspired him and the music he’s making. You can find the new single on Bandcamp here: https://chrisprincipemusic.bandcamp.com/album/judge-jury-us-vs-themFind out Chris's various goings-on over at his Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/chrisprincipemusic/Per usual, You can email this show at gleamingpod@gmail.com.

I’m excited to talk to musician and playwright Alexia Rowe! Alexia describes herself as an award-winning third-culture kid playwright and singer-songwriter who got her first production professionally produced while still in college.Alexia is currently running a crowdfunding campaign for her House Plays initiative - an attempt to make theater more affordable and accessible by embracing diverse performances, community engagement, and unique venues. Check out the link to her kickstarter in the show notes - in addition to House Plays Alexia is a musician, and wrote the award winning site-specific show This Is Not A Bill. She is up to a ton of cool stuff and it was great to talk to her about all of it.Alexia's House Plays Kickstarter can be found here.You can find out about more of Alexia's projects at her website: Alexia RoweYou can email this show at gleamingpod@gmail.comTheme music by Mister Michael Brousseau

I’m excited to talk to Micah Huang about the upcoming course he’s teaching at Tufts University: Punk Rock: History, Theory, and Practice!The punk rock class was what brought Micah to my attention - I love talking about the punk scene with people and I was curious about how someone builds a syllabus for a course like that (what do you include, what do you leave out?) but in addition to his punk course Micah’s a musician, storyteller and community advocate so we also talk about how he took what learned from the punk scene for events he’s involved with like the LA Hungry Ghost Festival, a community-driven cultural event held in Chinatown. This was a super interesting conversation and I hope you enjoy it.Check out the course here: Punk Rock: History, Theory, and PracticeCheck out the Hungry Ghost festival here: LA Hungry Ghost FestivalSee all the other amazing stuff Micah is up to here: Micah Huang MusicYou can email this show at gleamingpod@gmail.comTheme music by Mister Michael Brousseau

For our 50th episode I'm welcoming back Kellian Adams Pletcher and her husband Brian Pletcher to talk about the new immersive mystery puzzle show they are helping to put on in Boston along with the Secret City Group: The Wedding Party!The Wedding Party is a 2.5-hour mystery dinner experience at The W Hotel in Boston - it runs from May 1 to June 14. Six live actors play the wedding party, and you, the attendee, play an old friend of the bride who gets pulled deeper into the story as the night unfolds. Expect puzzles, hidden messages, dramatic revelations, and a delicious meal while it all plays out.Kellian was on the show last year to talk about her show The Cthulhu Luau and she and Brian have been putting on these sorts of live immersive events for the past ten years in the Boston area, Club Drosselmeyer is probably the most well-known and I was really excited to talk to them about this new show.You can find out about The Wedding Party and get tickets here: The Wedding PartyThe YouTube video of Kellian and Brian's viral first wedding dance can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP8zft_SvSMYou can, as always, contact the show at gleamingpod@gmail.comOur theme song is by Mister Michael Brousseau

Babylon 5 was a science fiction television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski. The show ran in syndication for its first four seasons before moving to TNT for its final season.Babylon 5 was a hugely ambitious show, and sometimes its reach was more than its grasp but I love that it was going for something big. When it worked there was nothing like it on television and I’m so excited to discuss it with returning guest Denise Lhamon, who you may remember from our Charlie Chaplin episode, and with Nathan Laws from the podcast The 42cast. Spoilers for the show abound in this discussion, so proceed with caution. Check out Nathan Laws over at The 42cast, the ultimate answer to fandom, geekiness and everything: https://42cast.com/I was a guest on the podcast Wait, You Haven't Seen..? to discuss the classic Hollywood musical Singin' in the Rain: Singin' in the RainYou can, as always, contact the show at gleamingpod@gmail.comOur theme song is by Mister Michael Brousseau