Bees – Fuzzy, cute and essential for our survival

Alexander Kjerulf on July 14, 2022

Bees? Yes, bees! They’re cute, they give us honey and without them we wouldn’t have food. And as all of our listeners probably know by now… WE LIKE FOOD!

Learn how bees communicate through dance and pheromones and how they’ve evolved into the perfect pollinators for all of the plants we rely on.

In the Moment Of Meta, we review the 9 enthusiandments we’ve proposed so far:

  1. Don’t yuck someone else’s yum!
  2. Any topic can be fascinating when presented with enthusiasm.
  3. Make sure to share your enthusiasms enthusiastically (you are not too much).
  4. Thou shalt not fake enthusiasm!
  5. You don’t have to participate in something to be enthusiastic about it.
  6. It’s OK to be enthusiastic about something that is flawed.
  7. Be enthusiastic about people. Always tell your friends what you like about them.
  8. You don’t have to be an expert in something to be enthusiastic about it (but researching a thing can deepen your enthusiasm for it).
  9. Seek out adjacent enthusiasms.

Do you have a suggestion for number 10? Tell us all about it in a comment.

Links

Ella Fitzgerald – From Street Child To First Lady Of Jazz

Alexander Kjerulf on May 19, 2022

What a voice. What an incredible musical talent. She came out of total poverty and a life as a Manhattan street child. Ella Ftizgerald – the greatest jazz singer ever?

Hear how she got her greatest hit that time she completely forgot the lyrics to Mack The Knife in Berlin.

BTWs include Chick Webb, racism, Marilyn Monroe and Alex’s new favorite expression for something really quiet.

In the moment of meta Alex talks about letting go of enthusiasms.

Hamilton: Hip-hop history of the American revolution

Alexander Kjerulf on April 1, 2022

How can you not love a hip-hop musical about the American revolution where all the founding fathers are played by people of color???

Katie is not just a fan of Hamilton – she is self-proclaimed Hamiltrash. In this episode she talks about what makes the music so great (obviously!) but also about the huge cultural impact that the show has had.

BTWs include Tom Waits, Encanto and the KGB’s hilariously failed attempt to blackmail the president of Indonesia.

In the moment of meta Alex issues a challenge to Katie and all listeners.

The Jewel Box Revue – Making Drag Mainstream – In 1939!

Alexander Kjerulf on March 14, 2022

This incredible stage show had 25 men performing as women and one woman MC dressed as a man. It started in 1939 and made drag mainstream with high production values and incredibly talented performers.

But most of all: Meet Stormé DeLarverie, MC of the revue and the butch lesbian whose scuffle with police was the spark that ignited the Stonewall riots. The word badass doesn’t even begin to cover her.

BTWs include:

  • Why the “Mr.” in front of the performers’ names was SO important
  • The Stonewall Rebellion
  • How men wearing women’s clothes will surely lead to the downfall of western civilization
  • The dogs’ secret plan to take over the world

In the Moment Of Meta, Alex once again stans Swedish statistician Hans Rosling’s work on compiling data that shows that the world is getting better in many ways and uses Rosling’s work to quiz Katie.

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The Art Of Drag: Blowing up gender in STYLE

Alexander Kjerulf on November 30, 2021

Drag is not just men dressing as women – it’s a playful and enthusiastic art form that messes with our preconceived notions of gender and identity.

Katie – who is about to do drag herself for the first time – shares the history of drag, the most iconic performances and which seasons of RuPaul’s drag race to avoid.

BTWs include best drag names, backronyms and why there is nothing more fake than reality TV.

The moment of meta

In the moment of meta Alex proposes a new enthusiandment: It’s OK to be enthusiastic about something that is flawed.

Links

Swing Guitar: Preserving A Legacy With Enthusiasm (And Spite)

Alexander Kjerulf on October 7, 2021

Swing music is amazing but real swing music that actually sounds like it did in the 30s and 40s is depressingly rare these days. Modern jazz musicians tend to look down on swing jazz and even when they do try to play it, they don’t do it right and it ends up sounding more like modern jazz.

Our guest enthusiast in this episode is Jonathan Stout, a band leader and guitarist specializing in pre bebop jazz guitar. He leads eight different bands, but is best known for Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five and the Jonathan Stout Orchestra, both of which he co-leads with Hilary Alexander. His bands have been heralded as some of the world’s premier swing dance bands.

Jonathan is incredibly enthusiastic about preserving the legacy of swing guitar and honoring the people who created and developed the genre.

Hear about:

  • How Jonathan went from heavy metal electric guitar to jazz music
  • His main idols in swing guitar, especially Charlie Christian who only ended up recording for two years
  • His incredible collection of vintage guitars and what “white whale” guitar he dreams of getting his hands on
  • The time he got the thumbs-up from Norma Miller, one of the original swing dance performers
  • Jonathan’s one simple trick for becoming the best in the world 🙂

Jonathan also plays for us and it’s INCREDIBLE!!!

BTWs include:

  • Racism in jazz
  • The producer who discovered Billy Holiday, Count Basie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and MANY others

In our Moment of Meta we talk about the fourth enthusiandment: Thou shalt not fake enthusiasm!

Links

The Banjo: Loud, Fun And… Sexy?

Alexander Kjerulf on September 15, 2021

People have a TON of misconceptions about the banjo and often dismiss it as the instrument of hillbillies or rednecks. But did you know that it’s an instrument with a huge history and tradition that can be both loud, fun and… sexy?

Our guest enthusiast in this episode is Daniel Rodrigues, a Portuguese jazz musician living in Copenhagen where he plays in several different jazz bands and he is VERY enthusiastic about the banjo.

Daniel takes us on a journey of the banjo, that includes:

  • Why it’s the most fun instrument
  • How to find success and fame as a banjo player
  • The weirdest song he’s ever played on a banjo
  • The best jokes people tell about the banjo

And yes, the movie Deliverance does come up.

BTWs include:

  • A fantastic connection between the banjo and Harpo Marx, the subject from our very first episode.
  • Game of Thrones.

In our Moment of Meta we talk about the most important rule of enthusiasts everywhere: Don’t yuck someone else’s yum!

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Josephine Baker: The Most Interesting Woman In The World

Alexander Kjerulf on September 8, 2021

Singer, dancer, entertainer… but also civil rights activist and spy for France during WWII. Josephine Baker truly is the most interesting woman in the world.

Hear all about her amazing life, including her cheetah that would often escape its leash and (encouraged by the audience) menace the band and how she adopted 12 children of different races to form a “rainbow tribe”.

BTWs include:

  • Celebrity nicknames
  • Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction”
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7

In our Moment Of Meta, Alex talks about one of the “commandments of enthusiasm” (or enthusiandments as he insists on calling them over Katie’s strong objections) namely that any topic can be fascinating when presented with enthusiasm.

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