Little Red Bandwagon

Sidle up to the fresh fruit bar, sip on a gender-specific portion of beer, then get ready to sprint away from those fireworks while you prepare yourself for a phun-philled Phyllis Phlashback edition of the show. After you listen back to Jen's last attempt at throwing a bridal shower way back in July of 2008, Phyllis, Mike, and Meredith regale you with stories of the best and worst parties they've ever attended. So be careful where you point that bottle of Champale and maybe think twice about swallowing that pill so you can help us figure out how to get this weird neighbor guy out of our backyard.

It’s time to stop debating cement vs concrete, poring over Pod Dog’s Instagram feed, and viewing questionable helicopter news crew footage, because  we’ve got this week’s roundup of last week’s TBTL. Christy, Mike and Ann are here to guide you through the ins and outs of another week of Luke’s questionable diet choices, Andrew’s ever-growing persnickety-ness, and the joy that is Phyllis Fletcher appreciating a well-made Bloody Mary. In other news, Mike has bugs, Christy had a bug, and Ann is bugged by the fact that Luke thinks Tchaikovsky is a Baroque composer.

In this long overdue look back, Mike and Bobby run their ironically and suspiciously crushed hands over the iPad from the ol’ LRB satchel, and dial up Bobby’s personal favorite TBTL episode pick. It’s a double shot of troubling realizations from 2012, with Luke literally waking up stranded in Wedgwood with no memory of how he got there, and an update on the demise of insufferable sensationalist Mike Daisey. Simply put, it’s a kind of magic. This Friday episode of Little Red Bandwagon features nearly all of TBTL episode 1040, DaiseyGate Continues!, which aired on Monday, March 19, 2012. For more about Bobby's fandom, go back to LRB Episode 3: Game of Thrones of Cards of House of Lies Of Cats: Trust No One.

Put down the welding goggles, because (stuff’s) about to get real. Mike, Meredith and Bobby (filling in for an ailing Christy) set the AC to 72 and tuck into a Bloody Mary for breakfast, a Bloody Mary for lunch and a sensible Heggie’s Pizza dinner in your latest TBTL Week in Review. Plus, a Mike health update, an Eddie genetic testing pupdate, and a take on Andrew’s fussy eating so hot the kids (and Stu) would call it “fire.”

  Gather ‘round, Everybody, and join Christy and Ann as they take a magical mystery tour into the mind of Japan’s #1 Mixer and TBTL’s beloved sidekick Sean DeTore. We cover a range of DeTore-appropriate subjects, including how to make money through questionable means, when you should visit the doctor or risk permanent damage, what to do to get cast on a reality cooking show, and at what point you’ve probably ruined your relationship with your neighbors. Today’s episode is brought to you by the letters A (for junk apparatus), S (for suppurating wound) and C (for chèvre). Remember, we can’t say we LOVE you, but we can say we LIKE you a lot.

Strap on your FitBit, crack a can of Trader Joe’s wine, and put that cup in your Levi’s—Bobby, Ann and Meredith are rushing animal style to get in their steps while reviewing last week’s TBTL. Daytime Emmy Award Winner Luke got thrown out of a house of worship, feel-good comedy archetype Andrew managed to keep intermediate potty training at arms’ length, someone is wearing a tote bag, and Ann hopes that someone is Kai Ryssdal. Use this episode as a distraction during your Live Show afterglow bath, especially if that’s what it takes to keep you from writing TBTL slash fiction. Reminder: If you haven’t donated to this year’s TBTL-a-Thon yet, stop what you’re doing RIGHT NOW and go to TBTL.net to show your support. Unless you’re currently operating on someone, or flying an airplane. (You know who you are.)

Is your refrigerator running? Don’t ask The Mummy, because he doesn’t have one. Easthamp-Ten Corey Plucker joins Bobby and Ann for a look back at a TBTL Twofer—Andrew’s teenage love for making prank calls, and Luke playing a KIRO interview with purported tiny house movement enthusiast Isaac “The Mummy” Vicknair. Coincidentally, Corey’s favorite TBTL drop sounds a lot like the exact reason you should never, ever, EVER enter The Mummy’s tiny house unannounced. Bonus: Stay tuned after the episode for  Embers, a song by Corey’s band Trails off the EP Never Mind The Mountain, which is available on Bandcamp.

Bobby, Christy and Meredith host their final episode of Little Red Bandwagon from an awkwardly abrasive middle school stairwell before moving over to make room for new lead host Kyle Mooney in your latest TBTL Week in Review. On the scale of relevant references, this week of TBTL was slightly more satisfying than a bag of parsnip chips, and slightly less satisfying a heartily salted slice of pizza. You’ll be moderately chuffed. Oh, and Luke won an Emmy. (Well, a Daytime Emmy.)   This TBTL Week in Review recaps episodes 2130 (rerun of Cereal special), 2131 (parsnip chips, chips debate, salting pizza, sunscreen), 2132 (Emmy, Encyclopedia Brown – see Why it Matters ep. 868, bachelorette parties), 2133 (dishwashers, Kyle Mooney, chuffed, Real World) and 2134 (Mariners comeback, tronc, kid left on mountain in Japan, scooter).

Dim the lights, put on a movie, and prepare for a shoulder rub—Phyllis, Mike and Bobby aren’t sending any mixed messages in your latest TBTL Phletch Phlashback. We listen back to one of Andrew’s most awkward childhood romance stories (that we’ve heard to date, at least) and then share some of our own. It turns out boys are either nervous (Mike), oblivious (Bobby) or the worst (Ryan). Plus, First Takes on camping hotter than a hot dog cooked in a possibly illegal chiminea.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard LRB Airlines Flight 120, with service to Seattle and continuing on to Chicago.  We have a few safety announcements we’d like to make before departure. First, please ensure that any electronic devices for combating moles are turned off, as they cannot be used in flight. Second, ghost apps are not reliable indicators of spectral activity, so don’t believe the four-star ratings. Third, there will be a surprising amount of MN Twins nostalgia on this flight; remember to drink your cheeseburger-topped Bloody Marys and gently guide your opponent off the bag. Finally, no matter how misty-colored your memories are, those Clark and Lewis radio spots probably aren’t as good as you remember. Please enjoy the trip – it’s our pleasure to serve you!

Perfect Colorado Ten and TBTL Science Council diehard James McCracken catches a case of the munchies as he joins Mike and Meredith for a Cooking with Sean classic: Prisine. Grab a sip of Toilet Tanqueray, wash it down with a spot-on cup of coffee from our guest’s pristine brewer, and listen back to what some good ol’ incarcerated ingenuity can do with canned mackerel, Cheez-Its® and a hot plate. (Warning: Trying this in your home radio studio may result in angry drivetime colleagues. Please ventilate accordingly.)

Bobby, Mike and Meredith take a break from their quixotic romp through Edmonds for your latest TBTL Week in Review, chock full of things you probably don’t want to Google. Plus, disconnected plumbing plagues both Mike (literally) and Meredith’s puppy Eddie (figuratively). But at least we’ve sold enough LRB stickers for the crane shot. Bonus: Producer Jeremy got in touch with the ashtray collectors mentioned this week on TBTL, and interviewed them for his and Christy’s podcast, Nerd Out Loud. Check out a clip from their chat at the end of today’s show!

Dear Students, The school year is drawing to a close, and we’re about ready to grab our towels and beach reads, grill up some burgers and dogs (hot dogs, that is) and make the most of these dreamy summer days. However, it’s come to our attention that some of you are a bit rusty on your TBTL knowledge, and we’re going to need you to rectify that before we can pass you on to the next grade. Luckily, Ann and Christy are here to teach a refresher course on the history of some important TBTL terms. So grab a #2 pencil and be sure to show your work, because partial answers will get zero credit.

Bobby, Miss Christy and Miss Ann saddle up with Diamond, Champ, Rocky and I Forget for four-and-a-half pounds of steak and a side of unsellable potato art in your latest TBTL Week in Review. Remember: Keep the armrest down, be careful where you stick that Dyson, and Republicans are people, too. Oh, and either go vegan, or at least check those eggs carefully. Bonus: Listen through to the end for Linh Pham’s supercut of every time the guys used the M-word in Tuesday’s show. (Which M word? Think great cake and terrible everything else.) If you don’t hate him and us by the end of it, check out other gems isolated from TBTL at marsupialgurgle.com.

Join Meredith, Bobby and MichiTen Dawn Hafner for a long overdue road trip from the Windsor Ballet all the way down to an Airbnb well south of Marfa, with eyes out for Bigfoot the whole way. Thankfully, we’ve all got our emergency car kits packed, and we see how they stack up against Jen Flash Andrews’ setup from 2008. So when you injure yourself trying to play Suwannee River on your armpits, we’ll be ready with bandages, Advil, snacks and liquor. Note: We tried to record this episode months ago, but audio problems caused catastrophic failure. While there is no evidence it was Mike’s fault, he wasn’t on this time around and it worked just fine. Just sayin’. (Bobby)

Ann, Meredith, Christy and Bobby brew a fresh pot of hotel room coffee, strap the LRB Bluetooth speaker to a Roomba, and pile into a 1988 Ford Tempo (or was it a Topaz?) to bring you your latest TBTL Week in Review. Get ready for an ear volcano of insight, because we’re burning through hot takes faster than the government burns through batteries. Plus, we didn’t loan our recorder to Fay Canale. As mentioned on this episode: Nerd Out Loud #93: Is That A Face Tattoo Or A Birthmark? Takedown Podcast #66: Tinder is the Night

Mike, Fletch and Bobby roll down their jeans, get in a few miffs, and take a Phyllis Phaves Phlashback to May 2008 for a very special pre-Mother’s Day radio show edition of TBTL featuring Luke, Jen, Sean, and more importantly, their moms. Plus, reflections on our own moms and childhoods. It’s the perfect soundtrack for an adolescent mail heist and subsequent car chase.

Hey, Everybody! It’s time to round up your stolen monkey, activate your squirrel call (but don’t hug your dog) and join Mike, Ann, Meredith and Christy as they review TBTL: The Week That Was. In this episode, a discussion on the finer points of trench digging, why Beyoncé can say anything she damn well pleases, and Meredith makes the ultimate sacrifice. Plus, our advance recon for the upcoming TBTL live show. So hurry up and finish your one-minute workout, because the Bamboo Lady could arrive at any moment.

It’s a Little Red Bandwagon family reunion. Christy is back (!) and fills us in on her wedding and mini-moon. Mike retraces the story of his move and Emily’s health. Meredith’s pupdate and Bobby’s work life seem extremely less significant in this context. Plus, a special Song of Ice and No Spoilers—plugs and praise for shows we’re watching that aren’t Jonesin’ for a Thronesin.

Join Bobby, Ann, Meredith and Mike nestled safely inside the pastrami delivery area but beyond the Dyson Airblade splatter zone for your latest TBTL Week in Review. We may not use more batteries than the federal government, but we guarantee we’ll show you more love than the pair of AAAs at the other end of a certain podcarter’s bearded lip-whispers. Plus, if your foot’s cold, Meredith’s got a bag you can slip it into—just try not to spill her little bottles of Sun Sauce.