The Spoon

In the first new installment of 2011, the boys hit the ground running with all guns blazing, full of piss and vinegar, and other cliché metaphors as well! After an opening exchange of pleasantries and congratulations on Robbie's commitment to arrive on time despite obstacles both psychological and auto vehicular, talk turns to a recent essay by Patton Oswalt on the current state of so-called geek culture, and the remainder of the hour blazes by like The Flash on an espresso bender. By turns confessional, confrontational, conspiratorial, and ultimately conciliatory (in a cognitive sort of way) the show's conversational cuisinart tries like hell to process tribalism, consumerism, nostalgia, technocracy, identity, and other conundrums into a media-based 21st century gumbo, with observations about the lack of neckwear for chickens and visions of Jabba The Hutt feeding his enemies to Tony Robbins thrown in for spice and color. Does the resulting dish satisfy? Let us know. Music by Neighborhood Bullys and Sorrows

On this, their final broadcast of 2010, the men of The Spoon take stock of the show's journey from inception to "almost a thing," and speculate as to what adventures the future may bring. SAL focuses on the bizarre series of spilled dominoes that is the life of one Phil Spector. Speaking of weirdness, returning guest Joe Oesterle drops by for more tales of the oddities found in Hollywood, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and the boundless reaches of the human mind. Finally, some much-needed Holiday cheer is supplied in the form of a childhood anecdote roundtable, and the debut of an original Christmas song written by Rob & Chris. All this, plus listener feedback, the cupcake craze, Mormon curse words, and a reverie for the flood plain formerly known as Los Angeles. Additional music by Finland Station, Otis Gibson & The Rockhounds, Steve Mauldin, Scott Michael Minchk, Michael Gigante, and Candypants. Thanks so much for your presence and patronage. See you in 2011!

What, exactly, is a legacy? Where does it come from? What is it for? How can it be sodomized, and why should anyone care? Inspired by the anniversary of John Lennon's death, the men of The Spoon whip out their word scalpels and dissect one of the more important aspects of this show's ethos: the right -- nay, the duty -- to be honest and unmerciful, even if it means killing one's gods. (Metaphorically, of course.) Other items of interest: voice acting advice, the art of the 2% joke, Robbie apologizing for crimes both real and imagined, and for those who prefer the older, funnier take on this week's topic du jour, a classic-style SAL wherein Tiger Woods gets a doozy of a ribbing. Mazuma! Music by The Barracudas, Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings, and Stew

The events of this installment unfold like a classically groomed mullet: business in the front, party in the back! In the first half, our fair trio consider changing the name of the show to "The Tip," even as they attempt to circumnavigate the technological, economic, and political iceberg that is the Net Neutrality debate. With that nod toward the show's original mission statement under their collective belt, they set course for an unapologetic excursion into whimsy and geek love. Chris rubs elbows with animation greats, Thom remarks on his pseudo-Floydian adventures, Robbie recalls the horror comics that made him a man (in more ways than one) and all three reveal the films which have the power to reduce them to pitiful, tear-streaked wrecks. Goonies never say die! Music by The Andersons, Manitoba's Wild Kingdom, and Spooky Pie

Don't be fooled. You may think this episode is merely a string of anecdotes about Thanksgiving 2010, or an exploration of satisfying curse-word euphemisms, or even a slice of performance art lampooning the pitfalls of VOIP technology. You could easily be distracted by the mystery of the Poop-tato, or Bret Favre's legacy getting sodomized within an inch of its existence. But these are all smokescreens. Hidden within the swirling conversational chaos is a vibrant through-line, in which our heroes not only outline a foolproof plan for rehabilitating the US economy, but also provide clues to its implementation in the number of comedians referenced during the show. Can you name them all? Take a listen and post your answers to our Facebook page. In the immortal words of Leslie Nielsen: "Good luck. We're all counting on you." Music by Martin Luther Lennon, The Abe Lincoln Story, and Trigger Finger.

Napoleon had a standard battle plan, in two parts: A) Show up, and B) See what happens. In this episode, the men of The Spoon employ the talk radio equivalent of this approach, and the results are...predictably unpredictable. Held together by a loose thread on the joys and concerns of the impending holiday season, Robbie, Chris, and Thom sluice through a truly bounteous selection of topics which it would be folly to even attempt to recount in this forum. We can, however, reveal that this week's Weezer-centric Sodomizing A Legacy contains the best morphologically enigmatic mire poix joke that you're likely to hear for a long, long time to come. Music by Anny Celsi, Too Much Joy, and, lamentably, our fair trio themselves. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

In the first half of this evening's program, Robbie brings to the table his views on the dangers of financial excess, a topic of timeless resonance and near limitless potential for thoughtful discourse...which is promptly dashed upon the rocks of the show's usual nitwittery. In the second half, the Sky Mall catalog is strip-mined for utterly impractical (yet entirely awesome) Christmas gift ideas. Sandwiched in between like a layer of scrumptous, snark-filled nougat, Sodomizing A Legacy keeps on rockin' with a jaunty single-finger salute to Eddie Van Halen. The rest of the proceedings operate much like the conversational equivalent of snakes in a can, with topics blasting out at odd angles and frightening &/or injuring onlookers quite badly. Beware.

The show is derailed almost before it begins, as our intrepid orators set out to correct some commonly held misconceptions about the world and end up accidentally inventing a few of their own. The etymology of "roofies", the relative height of European dictators, the flavor components of (and magazine market for) cheese, men who fancy women who impersonate men, and the surprisingly prolific career of Right Said Fred are just a few of the topics that spill forth in this conversational cornucopia. Also, a brand spankin' new Sodomizing A Legacy, featuring W. Axl Rose, is unleashed upon an unsuspecting public. Music by Finland Station, Your Favorite Trainwreck, and The Rainmakers

In this special double-sized, civics-minded episode: Robbie Rist returns from the road covered in musical glory, southern infatuation, and sweet, sweet BBQ sauce. There ensues a recap of both his touring adventures and how the show fared in his absence, then talk turns from past to future as the upcoming election is dissected on micro, macro, and meta levels. The definition of the word "legacy" is stretched to taffy-like proportions in this week's SAL, featuring the antics of one Carlos Irwin Estevez (ne Charlie Sheen.) In the second hour, artist/writer/bon vivant, Joe Oesterle, drops by for lively tales of the unlikely and bizarre in our fair city, as detailed in his book Weird Hollywood. Also on display are the comedic ruminations of NDR Overlord, Johnny Dam, in addition to music by The Mockers, The Neighborhood Bullys, and The Negro Problem. Get out and vote!

The show goes more askew than usual this week, but our heroes prevail by running directly towards the crazy. Chris and Dave reaffirm their BFF-hood while engaging in serious conversations about silly topics and vice-versa. Amongst the conversational fodder: the sanctioning of movie star meltdowns, the inequity of gender-based advertising, the plausibility of motorcycle-induced orgasms, and the fine, oft-maligned art of the drum solo. Paul the Doctor makes a long-awaited cameo, and the George Lucas-centric Sodomizing A Legacy is recycled once more (because that particular meta-joke never gets old.) Also, gremlins infest the studio gear, most likely due to Thom unwittingly provoking the wrath of Silver Shamrock. Music by The Mockers and The Neighborhood Bullys.