Ira Glass Rocks Out at UR

Did I tell you about this great gig that I have. I get to see all these wonderful shows at the University of Richmond Modlin Center for free, and all I have to do is get there early and help usher. Tonight, was Ira Glass. The genius behind NPR’s This American Life.
But first, in honor of Ira, and his great story telling ability, I want to tell you a little story.
It all started way back in 2002. I was having trouble making it to church. I just started a new part time job, but I had to work Sundays. Finally, I made it to church, and after the service, I went up to the minister — a man I really loved, the Rev. Tim Kutzmark.
He noticed that I hadn’t been to church recently and asked why. I told him, work ya know, paying the bills had to come first. But I really needed him to know that I LOVED his sermons. I missed them in fact more than anything else. I didn’t need or really want the community of church, I didn’t need the recitations, the prayers, the music. Well that’s not true, I loved the music too, but it always made me cry. Wait, I’m getting off track. I told him, that I missed his services and I wished there was a way that I could come and ponder his big ideas from his sermons, maybe laugh a little. Reflect.

Here’s were you get the funky background music to come up just a little. doop doop doop, de doop doop doop. Well, he says. Can you listen to the radio at work? Cause there is this show on NPR, This American Life, have you ever heard of it? It’s kind of like my sermons. Maybe, just maybe it can stand in for me on Sunday mornings. Come to think of it, it is on actually during the same time as church. And well, it is kinda like church.

Music stops. This mean something very important is coming.

I have to interrupt here to tell you something VERY important. Because you are probably thinking I am crazy. A radio show, by a self professed Atheist, Ira Glass, who often quotes his childhood Rabbi, being like church? Well, the truth is I’m Unitarian, so really, This American Life, is alot like a sermon in a Unitarian church. That is if you are lucky enough have a talented minister, who has studied the art of storytelling.

Ira Glass gave a great performance at U of R last night. In fact, he did so well selling out his evening show, that they added a matinee, which also sold out. He performed a sort of “best of” of This American Life, live on the stage, with a sound deck, pulling up snippets of some of his favorite shows, and of course the signature fade in fade out music.

He was funny, He was sincere. He tried to answer the question we all wanted to know, which is why is his show so compelling — so magical. The performance was good and earned him a standing ovation. And what was supposed to be an hour show and 30 minutes of questions, turned into a 2 hour show.

For me, the highlight was seeing an excerpt of what his new T.V. show on Showtime is like (awesome!) and realizing that I could buy all of last season’s show on DVD at Borders. I hope my husband isn’t reading this because, likely that will be his birthday present. It was really, and truly funny. Featuring an Iraqi who sincerely wants to know from Americans why we wanted to invade Iraq. And, after finding that no one in New York City supported the war and could tell him, he took his quest to Savannah, GA. Set up a Lucy from Snoopy stand that said “Talk to an Iraqi” with a huge red arrow pointing down.

Americans, and Southerners in particular are hilarious. Still, I’m not sure that he found the answer to his question. But, then again, it wasn’t the final cut. It’ll be on Showtime, sometime in May, but since I don’t get cable, I guess I’ll just have to buy it a Borders in a year.