Little Red Bandwagon

Mike, Christy, Bobby, Meredith, Ann and Hillary have their right arms over the passenger seat of the Little Red Bandwagon, and are ready to back it into your feed* one last time. Join us for a heartfelt look at TBTL, the show and community that brought us together as podcasters and friends, and at this naturally curious turning point in our own show, including a mailbag overflowing with much-appreciated support for our plan.  Plus, it wouldn’t be us without some personal medium talk, including Meredith’s update on Link’s bladder, Mike’s shower ottoman, Christy’s bus seat, Ann’s coke machine tears, Bobby’s coke museum tears, and a young Hillary channeling Keshia Pulliam. Our appreciation for Sean, Andrew, Jen and Luke is overwhelming both emotionally and conversationally, so apologies in advance for the time and tissues probably required for this one, but we promise it’s worth it. 

It’s October, so naturally we’re giving you a Coven (™) episode! The ladies of LRB are going through some stuff, though - Ann has major Diet Coke anxiety, Meredith might need to stop going on vacation (at least in Ohio), and Hillary is (of course) grappling with her age.  In TBTL land, this week is our last full recap. And The Coven (™) actually enjoyed a lot of it! The live shows were a great time and showed off Luke and Andrew’s fun/funny personalities (with a fantastic Nick and Hodgman appearance). The other episodes, filled with tons of Skyjinks Woo (aka man-babies whining about mild discomfort), had us pretty enraged. Ahh the yin and yang of TBTL! Regardless, we are all very excited about what we have brewing for our next iteration. Thank you for the sweet notes, voice memos, and faxes. We love you all!

It’s getting chilly as we move into fall (unless you live in Texas, I guess), so we’ve built a cotton candy bonfire to warm our hands and hearts while we continue our last few weeks of focusing on TBTL. Your LRB hosts, however, are more interested in dog plans, 20-year-old memories, and the disappointment of Coyote Ugly, among other things. There’s more football talk than usual, given that two of our hosts’ teams are pitted (totally pitted) against one another, and Pinto Ron/Kenny is wasting good condiments left and right. Ann experienced a bizarre non-adventure. Bobby has a problem with certain businessez. Mike is suffering from senioritis. Hillary makes a promise she can’t keep. Plus, the Qatar of celebrities, a level-10 dad joke, never disrespect a book, and the difference between trash talk and trash talk.

Welcome to the final “Final Friday” edition of LRB! Bobby is unapologetically Simpsons-splainin’, Mike is celebrating Ravelry Week, Ann is  letting her inner bitch become her outer bitch, Christy is riding a rolley coaster of office dog emotion, and Hillary is making a compelling case for why everyone (or at least her neighbors) should have one of those Ring doorbells. Also, more listener love about the upcoming show transition, why no one loves bedtime, and there’s  no love lost for Jeff Bezos and his “terms of service” that we maybe (probably) “violated.” Expect a strongly worded email from [email protected] any day now, Jeff. In the words of our forefathers, “Here’s a flashlight, a racing form and a Penthouse Forum. Come back when the street lights are on.”

In the waning days of LRB, Hillary, Ann, Bobby, and Mike are here to discuss all of the past week’s events in the LRB and TBTL worlds. Firstly, the Wagoneers have given us some LOVELY feedback on our transition to a non-TBTL podcast. Thank you so much for the support! We’re extremely excited to bring you something new! But also, please give us some name suggestions (preferably with an affordable URL).  In the business, Hillary reviews a book and movie, Ann and Hillary are both jerks (that’s a family-friendly word for it), Mike made it through his Emily-less time relatively unscathed, and we got some voice memos!!! Thrilling and keep them coming! We did eventually dive into some TBTL topics, including The Far Side (will it still be funny?), phone calls (they’re scary!), James Cameron/Avatar (who wants it?), Aaron Sorkin (good/complicated writer!), and oral health (please floss!).  Finally, here are a few of the MANY unused show titles to pique your interest: “Guess What’s Swollen at Mike’s House” “Who’s the Dude and Who’s the Doofus?” “Where in the World is...Mike Frizzell..On the Run!” “Departed 2” “Good Will Hunting 3D!" “It’s Staffed by Ghouls” “Don’t Touch Me in the Randall’s” “A Poor Carpenter Blames his Spreadsheet” “A Double Team of Odor” “Nailedish!”

Ann and Christy are laughing their way through this final LRB clip show by looking back at some times that people other than us offered up critical feedback for TBTL. But first, we acknowledge that our own responses to judgement from others aren’t always a model of emotional health. We protest the injustice of getting slapped for not following rules we didn’t know existed, or criticized for things we can’t control. We discuss a couple of cases in point, including how Christy’s co-worker accidentally fed her case of impostor syndrome, while Ann once almost had the K-9 unit set on her. Then we dive into clips containing letter-writing grandmas, comparisons of TBTL to athlete’s foot, the creation of a couple of longtime show catchphrases, and a promise from Luke that he will never again make a factual error on the show (hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha). Plus, a Wingdings conspiracy, which cursive capital letters are bs, and the beauty of math. No reply necessary.

Welcome to your slightly hungover, somewhat lonely, and extremely pet-centric episode of LRB! Ann, Hillary, Meredith, and Mike are here to talk you through all of that business/nonsense. We finally get around to recapping a bit of TBTL, including the prevalence of exceedingly specific t-shirts that we all still find hilarious all these years later. We also refuse to quit naming nuts and vow to never ever talk over Marvin Gaye singing!! Most importantly (and sorry to bury the lede), there is some VERY SIGNIFICANT LRB NEWS in the business. Listen and let us know what you think!

It’s LRB’s official Hampton Inn Lobby Rotary Pre-Funk, complete with DIY waffles and soggy ottomans. Bobby shares pictures of hotel elevators, Mike Has Ideas to accommodate traveling snackers, Ann recalls the time she went Hollywood, and Meredith answers the age-old question, “why the face?” We also discuss TBTL.

We’re pretty sure we won’t get memberships in Illusionists Local 4309 after this show, but it’s a sacrifice we’re willing to make. Christy, Mike, and Ann take the opportunity provided by a content-lite week of TBTL to go heavy on our own stories. We’ve got a Boogie Nights anecdote, some medical mishaps (both past and present), and the worst hold music experience ever. TBTL-related topics include but aren’t limited to: what makes the best kindling for a prison riot, Prince’s potential home court advantage, the skin-crawling awfulness of live Q&As, and we seem to keep circling back to breakfast carbs. Plus, a long, detailed conversation regarding the many attractions at the MN State Fair. Sorry, but it had to be done.

Two shows in one! Sort of. First, Bobby, Christy, Ann and Mike are nearly derailed from any substantial talk of TBTL by a corn fest, a pile of dirt, and a familial connection to a(n) (in)famous (minor) celebrity bowler. Thankfully, the LRB Mailbag gets us back on track, and even inspires some spirited (albeit brief) roleplaying. After the music, stay tuned for special bonus content: Audio from the LRB picnic! What this tape lacks in stable audio levels or group sobriety it more than makes up for in Oreos, Blake Lively and group quiz fun. Enjoy!