PopaHALLics

"Streaming & Novels"
Kate and Steve offer their opinions of these pop culture offerings:

Streaming

• "The Pursuit of Love," a period miniseries starring Lily James and Emily Beecham as two cousins seeking love. Written and directed by Emily Mortimer.
• "Solos," a new drama anthology "about what it means to be human." 
• "Schmigadoon!", a comedy that celebrates musicals even while parodying them. Cecily Strong and Keegan Michael Key are trapped in a town where everything's a musical. 
• "Ted Lasso," Season 2. A sports psychologist (Sarah Niles) makes life uncomfortable for gee-whiz soccer coach Ted.
• "Blood Red Sky," a horror thriller in which terrorists taking  over a plane don't realize a vampire's on board.

Novels

• "Mongrels,"  by Stephen Graham Jones. Indigenous take on a werewolf story.
• "The Round House," by Louise Erdrich. An Ojibwe boy seeks justice  for a crime that transforms his family.
• "The Turkish Gambit," by Boris Akunin.  Russian detective extraordinaire Fandorin investigates treachery during the Russian/Ottoman Empire war. 
• "The Girls," by Emma Cline. A young woman becomes involved with a cult.
• "Long Knife," by James Alexander Thom. George Rogers Clark battles the British, makes friends with native Americans, and romances a beauty.

Popahallics #50 Playlist
Sample tunes from "Schmigadoon!",  the surprisingly modern sounds of "The Pursuit of Love," and more. Listen here.

"Podcast Pioneer!"
Chaz Rough got in on the ground floor of podcasting in 2005, and today his "YOGAmazing" podcast has over 20 million downloads globally.  In an interview recorded at the Podcast Movement convention in Nashville, Chaz shares an insider's take on the early days of podcasting. ( For instance: Dannie Gregorie of Louisville was one of the first to use the term "podcasting" to describe the automatic download and synchronization of audio content.)

Where's Podcasting Headed?
Chaz shares his thoughts on podcasting's explosive growth since 2014, and where—with the recent influx of big money for celebrity-helmed shows—this once scrappy medium might be headed. Chaz also has fun stories about his musical career, from playing legendary punk club CBGB's to the Easter Egg roll at the White House. You read that right.

Telling More Stories
There's more! We couldn't fit it in our episode about the 1969 Woodstock music festival, but Stan Worth told us a great story about the drastic measures his roommate was ready to take to avoid being drafted. It's included here.

Steve also reflects on "Summer of Soul," a documentary about the "black Woodstock," 1969's Harlem Cultural Festival, filled with amazing musical performances.  Did Steve have a moment with director and deejay Questlove at Podcast Movement? Sort of.

Click through the links to see what we're talking about.

"Woodstock 1969: I Was There"
Stan Worth of Indianapolis attended the Woodstock music festival in August of 1969—an event that epitomized the 1960s counter-culture at its best. At least 400,000 young people came together at Max Yasgur's dairy farm to celebrate peace, love and great music. During an interview with Steve and Kate, Stan shares his first-person stories of being there: Candid, funny, and yes, inspiring.

The Bands, the Mud, the Drugs
Stan remembers wonderful musical performances, from opener Richie Havens (forced to play three hours because traffic jams kept other groups from getting there) to breakout performances by then-unknown artists like Carlos Santana and Joe Cocker. Despite the huge crowd, he had an unexpected encounter with someone he knew.  And the "trip" he took with  Wavy Gravy's Hog Farm commune ... well.

It Could Have Been a Disaster, But ...
Despite the lack of food and water, and rains that turned the ground into a muddy mess, Stan's memories of the pure joy rising from the Woodstock crowd will make you want to tap into your own inner hippie.

Popahallics #48 Playlist
Get groovy with our playlist with the artists who played at Woodstock, including CSNY (one of their first shows together), Richie Havens, CCR, and many more. Listen here.

"Documenting Meaning" ("Robert, Pt. 2)
In the conclusion of our 2-part interview, "Robert" of 10,000 Films talks about the search for meaning that underlies the documentaries he makes. His subjects have included the search for the baptism site of Jesus, the similarities between Christianity and Islam, and a tree miraculously surviving in a barren desert—perhaps because of its connection to the Prophet Muhammed. (The thumbnail image is of a Zen Buddhist monk from his 2016 documentary "Loouavil Lip," featuring various Kentucky residents, which we discuss.)

"Robert" also explores principles of good documentary filmmaking ... the constant scramble for funding ... and what he truly thinks of Ken Burns.  You'll learn about the famous storytelling rule "Show, don't tell" and much more. Ultimately you come away with a greater respect and appreciation for the dedicated filmmakers who toil in the documentary field.

Popahallics #47 Playlist
Since "Robert" is talking about documentaries, all our music this time is from documentaries on the Civil War, baseball, the Great Depression, blues, etc.  "Robert" speaks of his respect for German filmmaker Werner Herzog, and we even have a spoken-word recording by Werner! A creepy spoken-word bit, but still. Listen to the playlist here.

"Making Movies about Meaning" ("Robert," Pt. 1)
What's pop culture like in Germany? What if your dad was so deeply tied into the 1960s counterculture movement that he knew Timothy Leary? And what the heck does ancient philosopher Aristotle have to do with moviemaking?

You'll learn the intriguing answers to these questions, and much, much more, during Steve's two-part interview with "Robert" of Ten Thousand Films. The company founded in the United Kingdom and the United States specializes in documentaries about the search for meaning at a time of so many crises in the world.

Smart and Opinionated
"Robert" is a cosmopolitan filmmaker with roots in Venezuela, England, and New York City; we're using a pseudonym because he's fiercely protective of his identity and family on social media.  Strap in for an entertaining, erudite conversation, from the merits of pop culture in three countries where he's lived to the inspiration for "Mr. Tambourine Man" to the best movie ever made.  "Robert" will give you a lot to think about!

Popahallics #46 Playlist
Thanks to the subjects "Robert" discusses, this week's playlist has 1960s rock, German folk music, and bands from Cambridge, England, like Pink Floyd, Muse and ... Katrina and the Waves? Who knew! Listen here.

"Make It Pop"
We're back together again (remotely), for a wide-ranging discussion from cringe-worthy moments in favorite movies to Jason Momoa's hair.

Streaming Discomfort
We talk about aspects of the Goldie Hawn/Kurt Russell screwball comedy "Overboard," the Audrey Hepburn/Fred Astaire flick "Funny Face,"  and Bo Burnham's new comedy special that make us uncomfortable. And, befitting the trickster god, "Loki" on Disney+ puzzled Kate before she figured out what was going on.

Books: From Trauma to New York Murders
Bessel van der Kolk's good but intense "The Body Keeps the Score" looks at how the body deals with trauma, while Lawrence Block's excellent stand-alone thriller "Small Town" explores how a murder affects New Yorkers who came in contact with the victim.

Popahallics #45 Playlist
Rock on, dude, with the new wave of classic rock bands—including Rival Sons, Crown Lands, and Dirty Honey—on our latest playlist. And if you want to chill to "vapor wave" or Fred Astaire, we've got them too.

"Talking Art with Etta"
On this installment, Kate goes solo, conducting her very first interview. She talks to her friend, artist Etta "Miss Love Bomb" Martin, about her art, family, how race affects her work, even how to get through artist's block. Despite technical issues that forced a re-recording of the entire interview, this thoughtful, sometimes surprising conversation might have you re-thinking the inspiration behind your own creative endeavors.

You can find out more about Etta's art at her website, Instagram, TikTok, and here .

Popahallics #44 Playlist
With Kate and Etta putting in their picks, enjoy a plethora of great music from black artists, including Black Party, Beyonce, Ben L'Oncle Soul, and Asa. There's even a few from Steve, including Stevie Wonder, Prince, Lauryn Hill and India.Arie. Listen here.

Our "Poppin' Rocks" theme music and "Ducks in a Row" are by Mike Bode 

"Talking Music with Mike"
You might be surprised to learn that the man behind the music on our show only came back to the piano a few years ago after quitting playing for decades. Mike Bode reflects on his musical journey, from learning to play in college to the experience that drove him away to what eventually brought him back to the keys. Today in addition to a dedicated piano player, he's also picked up the accordion!

Over a few late-in-the-evening beers , Mike and Steve have a conversation that ranges from piano "comping" to Weird Al Yankovic to the songs Steve would like played at his memorial service one day. (Morbid much?)  It's a fun show that manages to be informative in its own boozy way.

Popahallics #43 Playlist
Given Mike's jazz leanings, this playlist features great tunes by Miles Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Diana Krall, Irish button accordion star Sharon Shannon, and yes, even Weird Al. Listen to the playlist here.

"Pop-pourri"
Potpourri: A mixture of things, especially a musical or literary medley, according to the dictionary. Pop-pourri: A mixture of diverse pop culture offerings, according to us. In this episode, we're all over the pop culture landscape, ferreting out what's good, and pondering such questions as: How's Mel Gibson still working? And why is Billy Bob Thornton so creepy?

Movies: From "The Heights" to the "Grizzly Maze"
Steve talks about his first post-pandemic trip to a movie theater to watch "In the Heights," a joyous Lin-Manuel Miranda musical that's underperforming at the box office. From a movie version of a hit Broadway show, we move on to "Boss Level," a "Groundhog Day"-like time loop story of a guy who wakes up every morning to have a series of assassins kill him, and "Into the Grizzly Maze," a horror thriller about a giant "Jaws with fur" who's a real bear to deal with.

Thieves, Creepy Old Houses, and Rostam
Kate continues a deep dive into Leigh Bardugo's fantasy novels about the Grishaverse—in this case, "Six of Crows," about a gang of thieves whose plans never go right. She also tells us that the novel "Mexican Gothic" is your basic Gothic set-up (young woman, creepy old house, man with possibly murderous intent) set south of the border. If you need to bring your pulse down after reading that one, chill out with the music of Vampire Weekend alum Rostam.

Popahallics #43 Playlist
Dance your troubles away with the uptempo music of "In the Heights" or be super-cool with Rostam and Vampire Weekend on our latest playlist.

"Talking Art with Stix"
PopaHALLics goes on location for the first time! Steve interviews Alexis "Stix" Brown, the first artist in residence ever at the Carnegie Center for Art & History in New Albany, IN. The title of Stix's residency, "Interluctor," means "a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation."

Art Encourages Conversation
Stix's art in the Sally Newkirk Gallery is very much a conversation with the viewer, from a self-portrait with her actual locks that visitors can touch to "Anxiety Lines" that anyone can do to explore their feelings, meditate, and be creative.  She and Steve talk about art, anxiety, and race in a wide-ranging conversation. Stix's residency at the Carnegie runs through July 30, and you can check out her art at alexisstixbrown.com.

Note: We couldn't drink beer inside the Carnegie, of course, but Stix said she would have gone for a light beer. Lately Steve has been drinking Bell's Light Hearted Ale, a Lo-Cal IPA.