Little Red Bandwagon

The bowling alley is a place that looms large in the minds of our friendos, so Ann and Christy decide it’s time to grab our custom bowling shoes and hipster mustaches, as we take a trip back in time (and cleanliness) to explore TBTL’s love of the good ol’ American bowling alley. We mourn the changing city landscape that leaves no room for the alleys of our youth, agree with Luke that Lucky Strikes are terrible, and debate whether we need to expand our knowledge of bowling movies. Christy gets the nervous sweats from a classic Burbank Big Dog story, while Ann tries desperately not to sound like a One Percenter as she describes her childhood bowling experiences. Plus, bowling fashion, gutter bumpers, and one of the best listener emails ever.

It’s a Boot the Boys™ episode, so Ann, Meredith and Hillary are gathered at the base of the LRB cheerleading pyramid to plan our latest Mission: Impossible-style caper. But before we put that safety deposit box heist into motion, we need to get into the details of another week of TBTL. Despite some reservations, we whole-heartedly enjoyed our first look at what may potentially be WBUR’s newest smash weekend afternoon program. We have a calm, thoughtful breakdown of the continuing saga of Twitterbeef 2018, ask some follow-up questions concerning the upcoming TBTL: Life is a Highway sure-to-be debacle, and tell the guys to quit crapping all over Common, fer cryin’ out loud. Additionally, we sneak into ATM’s territory for a little advertising critique, cautiously approve of pizza roll grilling, and allow Luke’s misunderstanding of expiration dates to lead us into confessing our own sunscreen shame. Seriously, we’re amazed that Hillary’s nose hasn’t fallen off.

Resident middle-aged mommish person Hillary Garrett Livingston Butler unleashes the unliiiiiiiimited hot takes we’ve all been thinking as she leads Michael Andrew Frizzell and Robert Law(u)rence Pape through a TBTL Week in Review that reminds us that—for better or for worse … this week maybe worse—Luke is still Luke, Andrew is still Andrew, therapy is still a good idea, and Neil Hamburger still isn’t funny. In other news, the Insect Museum is finally on the market, and it’s conveniently close to a dumb ballet recital. We may do an LRB Big Block of Cheese Day, but only if we can find enough Colby-Jack. And, there’s nothing quite as unsettling as the courtship of a rich industrialist and a precocious 11-year-old girl. (Speaking of: If you get caught with the special grown-up crate in the children’s section, just tell ‘em The Bone sent ya.)

A veritable cavalcade of LRB hosts are assembled for our May round-up show, where we dig into your thoughtful commentary, strategize about our potential Grill and Chill franchise opportunity (Hillary will be our Parker Posey), and examine your recent Amazon purchases (Ann has GOT to stop googling things). Also on the agenda, we begin preliminary discussions about a possible plan to plan some summer plans, the triumphant return of Christy’s Corner sparks a discussion of our current viewing habits, and Mike’s Minute ends up fomenting discord among the group. Meredith lets us know that she hears us, she  understands us, and she disagrees with us. Plus, a spirited debate about the proper way to describe the Law & Order noise, and a return to the perpetual emotion machine. Thank you, pervs.

Since we landed just below the cutoff for that big radio contest, Bobby, Ann, Meredith and Hillary change gears and get back to the business of reviewing the latest week of TBTL, despite the aggressively political and sensual overtones coming from the couple at the other end of the communal pod-lobby. Plus, Hillary recommends the movie Tully, Meredith explains why she has been watching Law & Order SVU, Ann ardently avoids conversation about Robinson Canó, and Bobby accidentally sparks a conversation that may put Vitamin D—the hottest vitamin—on Mike’s list of language banned from conversation. (Here’s hoping he never sees Grease 2, or we might run out of words.)

Step into our money booth, take off your pants and break out the tar, because it’s time for another TBTL recap! We’ve got so much to talk about that we didn’t have time to finish slicing our hotdogs, even with our new kitchen harp. Included in this chock-full episode: we’re breaking out the judge’s hammer (gavel, dangit) to make a ruling on a new studio name. We promise not to tell the Red Robin staff it’s your birthday. We have a consensus that taking money you didn’t earn is wrong, unless you find it in a pair of pants at Value Village. We’re in disbelief over Luke’s casual attitude towards passports, as well as his comfort at driving with an expired license. And we’re in firm agreement that David From the Basement is the best thing about any show he’s on. Plus, Ann and Meredith have their first fight, and we prove that Frizzell isn’t the only one on this podcast who can tell a touching story.

It happens to us all: we’ve gotten off the plane and later realize our iPad is still in the seat back pocket. Oh, you haven’t? Well then, we’ve all left our belongings unattended at our departure gate while we go to the Hudson News to buy an outrageously overpriced Bag Of Farts. Not that, either? Uh, okay, we’ve all certainly taken a cab to a sketchy area of East Las Vegas to confront a “medium-terrifying Mexican guy” we suspect has our phone. Seriously, you haven’t done that? Right, because it’s only Luke Burbank who does those kinds of things. Ann and Christy are ready to take Burbs to task over his carelessness with his electronic possessions in locations that range from the airport to the back of cabs to his own bathroom. Along the way we discuss the salaries of flight attendants, Luke’s moral relativism, and whether or not we would ever ask a stranger to watch our luggage. Our big takeaway from this episode? “Don’t steal stuff.” This show contains clips from the following TBTL episodes: 10/21/2013 (Luke

Newly minted co-host Hillary Livingston Butler leads Manchaca Mike and I-35-abutted Bobby on a special All-Texas Edition of LRB, including our TBTL Week in Review, a recap of our liquor -infused days of fun, and the joy of seeing Luke crush his appearance on Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! So pop off your legs, toss out those Bad Pants, and don’t sleep on the smoked turkey, because this one’s more fun than a Forensic Files marathon and a miracle epidural. Good stuff.

The last week of TBTL was an emotional one, and there isn’t really a great way to recap someone’s grief over the loss of a friend. Instead, Mike shares one of his own tough experiences with Ann and Bobby, and we all do some metaphorical (not literal) phone-hugging. That said, don’t worry! It’s not all so serious. We still had plenty of time to pick apart the guys’ irrational anxieties, our own issues with statue permanence (thank you David Copperfield), Emu’s Pink Windmill Kids, Mike’s crack update, Bobby’s Red Scare stare, Ann’s concern for Mr. Rogers, and a delicious veggie wedgie. Now if only we could explain that smell from the attic… Click here to take your seat in the Kia Optima for an audio ride back in time to a July 2017 trip to Lake Chelan, as referenced in today’s show.

Join Bobby, Mike, Ann and Christy for a month-end round-up of the TBTL and LRB topics from April we needed more time to cover, including: The winner of our seven-way candy melee The loser of all candy, ever (no poll necessary) More pet nicknames More oldest emails And more! Plus, Bobby’s coconut aversion, Mike’s cracked house, Ann’s awkward brunch, and a passing reference to the time Christy “googled porn.” It’s a grab bag of delight, without a single yambag in sight.

Hey friends, while we were waiting in line behind God for the microwave at the celestial 7-11, the LRB gang decided to make a few changes. So, we’re trying out a new style of recap this week, but don’t give us a Shorty Award just yet. Instead, listen in on a discussion that ranges from a science fiction technology that we think is more important than time travel to the best way to house your bitcoin mining operation. Meredith would rather have a cavity filled than listen to any more from The Rapsures. Mike gets hot under the collar at Luke’s dismissal of marketing professionals. Ann shares tales from the retail trenches that demonstrate why we need rules and policies in the workplace (or maybe just that people are terrible). Plus, radio charlatans, dark chocolate, new standards for insanity in men, and how many rivets should go in the door panel of a Tesla. We’re 112% CA-CAO!

It’s clip show time, and we’re taking a short break from attempting to deport Andy the fun-loving lemon thrower to talk about some nicknames. Meredith “Short Torso” Van Harn, Christy “Don’t Call Me Chrissy” Wise and Ann “Brontosaurus Rex” Lundholm are here to develop a set of rules for appropriate nicknames, talk about why you should never be friends with an asshole, and bemoan the difficulties of changing your name, as well as share under what circumstances you should get off the plane RIGHT NOW. On the TBTL front, we’ll get the story behind Jen Andrews’ most enduring nickname, learn the Rule of Three Steves, resolve YET AGAIN to keep a safe distance from The Mummy, and squirm at the original instance of Burbanking the Joke. P.S. Don’t forget to send Meredith your pet nicknames!

Neither snow nor cold nor gloom of post-surgery pain will keep Ann, Bobby and Meredith from recapping the latest week of TBTL. Between us we’ve got a Diet Coke bunker, a working fax line (617-354-8513), some Tylenol with Codeine and zero working VCRs, all divided by one. And thankfully, not a single dollop of anything in sight.

It’s been a busy week here in LRB Land, so this is just a quick update from Bobby to let you know we still love you, even after that thing you did. You know which thing. Remember your homework: Go listen to an episode from our extensive back catalogue of shows at littleredbandwagon.com Tell us about the oldest email in your gmail (or non-Google email, I guess) Tune into the recap on Monday p.s. I unplugged the refrigerator in my room to record this because it started making a loud noise right before I started. You’re welcome.

Make sure you’re wearing your Life Alert, because it’s time for a fresh recap of TBTL and we don’t want you to slip in the shower. Luke is pretending he isn’t a frivolous spender, while Andrew definitely, definitely lost on The Price Is Right: Whole Foods Salad Bar Edition. Although it turned out that the Roooosevelt apartment wasn’t on fire, our hot takes certainly are, as Ann and Mike are joined once again by guest host Hillary “H-Bomb” Butler to talk about the finest in kids’ television programming, the challenges of families and relationships in the modern world, and the need for a regular female presence on TBTL. Mike has more questions about space junk than one lady scientist can answer. Hillary creates a new segment called, “Tee It Up, Andrew!”. Ann says we should never question a man’s relationship with his pepperoni. Oh, and Mike tells a story that contains the phrase, “a Pat Benatar video where they dance battle a pimp.”

By popular demand (at least among the hosts) it’s the The LRB Candy Special! Ann, Christy, Mike and Bobby break down the official results of the LRB Candy Survey, and then use ultimate Jen Andrews-style authority to manipulate and overrule as needed to determine unequivocally which sweets can’t be beat in each category. (Stay tuned for a seven-way melee to determine the overall winner in a future episode.) Plus, Bobby tries all of the new Diet Coke flavors in real time, Mike sings some off-season Mariah Carey, Christy (for some inexplicable reason) hates chocolate, and Ann is not putting up with any nonsense because it’s Ann Time now.

It’s Easter at the LRB, and Branson the bunny is celebrating by deploying his turd cannon, while Edith the cat preps for a trip.  As for your hosts, after deciding on the next phase of our careers, we buckle down to discuss who should (or should not) approach celebrities for selfies, the positives of automated customer service, the Seventies sexiness of Michael Landon, and the real reason that men get married. Meredith has some low-capacity thumb drives she needs to part with, Mike made a poor spaghetti sauce-related decision, and Ann has a message for the car-packers of America. Plus, we dive deep into the career of noted ornithologist Steve Canada. Watch out, because this episode has more hot takes than a racist cable news host.

Christy records alone (don’t worry it’s only to setup the clips) in this replay of a classic archive LRB episode.    Listen to find out the answers to these questions: Why is Mrs. Bean Baxtor mad at Mike? Does Andrew want to get revenge on Bobby? Why Andrew and Christy are in a blood feud? What is Andrew’s TBTL origin story? And many more!    Clips in this show are from LRB #12 and TBTL #2595   Take the Candy Survey HERE  

Live from Regular Virginia, Ann joins Bobby and Meredith to brag about some Polish candy she received from a listener—a treat that sounds a lot better to some of us than the lie that is Raisinets. After candy talk (don’t worry, there’s more to come in future episodes) we recap the latest week of TBTL, and dole out life advice including “never test yourself on geography in public,” “Craig, throw out those bricks,” and “keep drinking, Kalena.”

Hillary Livingston “Trixie” “H-Bomb” “hiliv” Butler returns to join Mike “L’il Fat” “Shaggy” “Moose”  Frizzell and Bobby “Buy My Mixer” “no really, please buy my mixer” Pape for a special Friday potpourri edition of LRB. Topics discussed include but are not limited to: An exciting Stumpdate™ A casual Austin meet-up in May (planned in real time on the show, like you do) Bedtime with the Butlers A great offer on a used industrial kitchen mixer Awkward mirror placement, and Why acting like Holden Caulfield is not cool (*cough* Andrew) When you realize you haven’t had enough Hillary, go back and check out her previous LRB appearances; a recap from August 2016, and a Friday episode from June 2015 featuring a classic clip of Preacher Jen.