I should be working, but I'd rather write while the experience is fresh in my mind. Avid live show/concert-goers might not understand how I could say this, but I'll say it anyway. I saw
This American Life Live tonight (as a surprise from K) and I think it was one of the best live shows I've seen in my 24 years of existence. The only thing that could've made my experience perfect was if our theater got a shout out, but I understand that it would've taken half the show to do that!
Ira Glass and the producers always manage to bring such mentally and emotionally fulfilling content to our ears. I saw the show in a College Point theater in Queens, NY although it was filmed live from NYU in Manhattan. Supposedly, the NYU show sold out quickly. The satellite waves fed live streams to 400 theaters and performance spaces across the country. In the end, I felt the Queens theater was fitting because I am a loyal Queens girl after all.
The show was (as always) personal, funny, witty, concise, and deep. But seeing Ira Glass host and witnessing the people tell stories made it all the more intimate and REAL. Something about seeing the guests changing expressions made their messages hit the spot more directly and powerfully. When you see someone's own words bring a tear to their own eye, you know it's a story they hope will impact others. The theme tonight was
Return to the Scene of the Crime. This American Life regular contributors such as Dan Savage, Starlee Kine, and Mike Birbiglia came on and told heartfelt stories of life experiences. I don't know if it was good timing, but I found myself so easily relating my present life to the stories they were telling. I could try to summarize all the stories, but I don't think I would do them justice so I will just name some topics for each speaker. Dan Savage talked on religion and death. Starlee Kine spoke about dealing with the effects of being the offspring of bad parents. And Mike Birbiglia comfortably described the experiences that led him to realizing that trying to be "right" isn't always right.
In addition to storytelling, there were many bonuses such as a musical performance and a few charming animations with accompanying music by Andrew Bird. It was interesting to experience the show with no commercials also. We were 'behind the scenes.' The show ran smoothly without edits and they even showed footage of the first show Ira Glass hosted many years ago, at a bar in Chicago. Priceless.
I left the theater with a quiet calm in my heart. And I have to say I'm so grateful for Public Radio programming, especially This American Life. It acts as a reminder to the fact that everyone else has gone through or is going through similar experiences, whether good or bad. So, tune in to the show on the radio or sit back and watch an
encore presentation on May 7th in select theaters! (Sorry if you found this entry too touchy-feely - but hey - that's how it went down.)