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Ep. #274: Hari Kondabolu

Hari Kondabolu is a very funny and incisive stand-up comedian who lives in Brooklyn, New York. He has written for shows like Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, he’s appeared on the many late night talk shows, and he co-hosts the Politically Re-Active podcast with Bell. In 2014, Kill Rock Stars released his highly acclaimed and hilarious stand-up album, Waiting for 2042 and they have just released his excellent, uncompromising follow-up, Mainstream American Comic, which is a wonderful mix of absurd observational stories and socio-political commentary. He’s just about to kick off an extensive American tour in Detroit on July 29 with more dates up the end of September and here, we discuss the many mistakes I made in the intro, peaking personally as the world is falling apart, the RNC and DNC conventions and what they say about the future of America, the Mickey Mouse candidate is a maniac, rewarding the asshole and how people like a heel, the ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase and Virgil and a bunch of questionable WWF comparisons, mocking the mockery and the media, people who mistrust facts and the truth because of how they view the messengers, less coverage and media monsters, Senator Bernie Sanders’ campaign and his recent support of Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama’s acknowledgement of Sanders in his speech at the DNC, Bernie’s heroic effort, Obama’s presidency and legacy, when Obama dumbs down his rhetoric, placating people and Jimmy Carter, Hari’s hilarious mom and talking about his parents, being a brown man in pop culture and living in the word today, no Asians on Saturday Night Live, more immigrants need to be represented in culture, things Aziz Ansari obsesses about, how to start addressing and breaking down our differences, white people don’t like games, Uncle Raj, why Hari hasn’t toured Canada yet and is avoiding Toronto, The Problem with Apu film, co-hosting the Politically Re-Active and Bugle podcasts, starting a series, why Apu is offensive and the weirdly benign yet insidious depictions of Indians, Peter Sellers in The Party, the bit “My Mom (Accent Not Included),” and that was another nice chat with Hari.

Related links: harikondabolu.com killrockstars.com vishkhanna.com

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News Podcast

Ep. #214: Ani DiFranco

Ani DiFranco is an iconic singer, songwriter, musician, poet, activist, and entrepreneur who currently calls New Orleans home. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, DiFranco started her own record label, Righteous Babe, when she was 18 and, one year later, released her self-titled debut record in 1990. That auspicious start has led Righteous Babe to become one of America’s most successful independent labels, while the multi-talented, poetic, and outspoken DiFranco is one of the world’s most acclaimed and inspiring musicians. Her latest album is the eclectic and vibrant Allergic to Water, which Righteous Babe released in 2014, and it brings her out on the road over the next few months, including Canadian stops at the Great Hall in Toronto on Sept. 14, the River Run Centre in Guelph on Sept, 15, the Empire Theatre in Belleville on Sept, 17, and the Algonquin Commons Theatre in Ottawa on September 18. Here, Ani and I discuss New Orleans, the Roots of Music kids’ band playing for the President, thoughts on Barack Obama, life in NOLA post-Katrina, helping children via music schools, George W. Bush appearing in the 9th Ward on the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, supporting politicians and government leaders, the left needs its own Donald Drumpf, the heartening rise of Bernie Sanders, moving to and living in New Orleans, learning to slow down, having and raising children, time and patience and work and rewards, something new in the mixing, early days and spleen rock, the underground folk and roots culture in Canada in the early 90s, moving to Canada, America swinging to the left and staying hopeful, pessimism doesn’t go with parenting, a new song about Obama’s weariness and resolve, the day after Obama was elected President in 2008, Jimmy Carter, slow going on the next record, producing an album of songs by and sung by men in prisons in America, recording some of them over the phone, “Take Down Your Flag” and the Charleston 9, workshopping new songs live, the song “Dithering,” and then we were out of range.

Related links: anidifranco.com therootsofmusic.org vishkhanna.com

ani_difranco

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