Win tickets to see Ira Glass

January 21, 2009 1:51 pm · By Todd Gill · 29 Comments

Who’s ready for a new contest? You’s ready for a new contest?

How about a couple of tickets to see Ira Glass, host and producer of This American Life at the Walton Arts Center on Saturday January 31st, 2009 at 8pm?

How to Enter:
For those of you who are fans of the show, leave a comment below telling us which episode of This American Life is among your favorites.

If you’re unfamiliar with This American Life, that’s OK. Just give us your best guess as to how you think you’ve managed to co-exist in the same world as a 14-year-old, award-winning program that stretches across 500 public radio stations each week and whose host was named “Best Radio Host in America” by Time Magazine after just five years of the show’s existence.

I’ll go first and say that 1997’s Something for Nothing (particularly Act One: Hands on a Hardbody) is one of my favorites.

This American Life can be heard weekends on KUAF 91.3FM or through the show’s podcast version on iTunes.

A few rules (read ‘em carefully):

You may only enter this specific contest once. If you enter this contest more than once you’ll be automatically disqualified.
This contest is open to anyone anywhere except Fayetteville Flyer writers and their immediate family members.
Contest is open until 11:59pm CST on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
Make sure you leave a valid e-mail address when filling out the comment form since that’s how we’ll contact you if you’ve won.
You’ll have to provide us with your first and last name (if you win) and then be prepared to show a valid photo ID when picking up your tickets.

Thanks to the Walton Arts Center for sponsoring this contest. For more information about this performance and to purchase tickets, visit waltonartscenter.org or call 479-443-5600.

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Comments

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Aaron Pruzaniec
January 21, 2009

I have listened to it before, but I can’t honestly say that I could pick out an episode that is my favorite.

Total Bastard
January 21, 2009

I love IG.

My favorite show was the one he did where he talked about things that make us Cringe, specifically things we think back to saying or doing that make us cringe now.

He played an interview he had done way early in his career, and stopped it a few times to make fun of himself, and admit that it made him cringe to hear himself when he was younger.

His ability to be self-deprecating is one of the reasons I really dig this cat.

That, and his femme, but soothing reading voice ala David Sedaris that I don’t understand, but find strangely hypnotic….

I want these tickets.

DragonLady
January 21, 2009

First thing – DON’T PICK ME! – I don’t live in AR any more.

But I wanted to share my favorite episode, which is the duPont-award winning “Giant Pool of Money.” It is an hour-long explanation of exactly how we got ourselves in the abysmal mortgage/credit/housing/banking/auto/porn crisis. It’s rad.

http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=355

Kristin
January 21, 2009

I love This American Life, I have listened to the show for years.
My favorite Radio episode was one called “The Super”. This is a highly entertaining episode. I would love to see IG in person!

Here is the synopsis:
In 1980’s New York City, rent is rising: it seems out of control, and residents struggle to keep up. So Jack Hitt help organize tenants, and threatens a rent strike. This does not go over so well with his building super, who, as it turns out, is a very dangerous man. This and other stories of the mysterious hold supers have on their buildings, or their buildings have on them.

halfdeserted
January 21, 2009

I’m with DragonLady– “Giant Pool of Money” was a really great explanation of how Wall Street, Main Street, and the housing market all interact and affect each other.

OhDannyBoy
January 21, 2009

I like any of the ones that David Sedaris appears on, but I think Music Lessons is my favorite. It ends with someone singing “Eyes on the Sparrow”. It’s a must-hear.

kasey
January 21, 2009

I really loved the recent episode about the girl selling the baby dollsin act 3 of Matchmakers. Hard to pick a fave, so many good episodes!

jones
January 21, 2009

I have listened to 98% of all This American Life episodes, they really helped me out at my previous job, which was boring as hell.

My favorites from the limited number I have on my ipod, Unconditional Love, Act V, and Testosterone.

If I could remember the name of the episode where the guy goes around painting murals in people’s living rooms in the projects, I would include that one too.

Boggy Creek Creature
January 21, 2009

damn you Kristin! that is the BEST episode. i have it on tape bootlegged from that day. delightful.

what about that one from halloween where the lady got attacked by the raccoon and sedaris got kidnapped in the cemetery. classic.

reed
January 21, 2009

Sedaris wasn’t the one kidnapped in the cemetery, but yeah, that story is something else.

“20 Acts in 60 Minutes” is a good one, lighthearted and poignant as most of the longer stories. “Notes on Camp” is another classic, as is the Peabody-winning episode on Guantanamo, though I can’t remember the name of that one.

Travis
January 21, 2009

So many good episodes. Especially any of them with contributions by Sarah Vowell or David Sedaris. But the favorite that is etched in my mind is 188: Kid Logic (Yes I had to go to the website and find it because I couldn’t remember the episode. Act Four “One Brain Shrinks, Another Brain Grows.” Was such an incredible story. I remember stopping what I was doing while I was listening to it, completely focused. The story of a son growing up with a father who had a terminal illness where he was losing his mental function was so heartbreaking, yet sweet. I remember sobbing for about an hour after the show had ended. Go listen if you might have missed it.

Dgold from Honest Tunes
January 21, 2009

Among my favorite episodes, I will have to name: the NEXT episode of This American Life with Ira Glass.

It’s the one that gets me through the trials and tribulations of the day because I know I will enjoy listening to that radio show the next time it comes on.

It’s cool Ira Glass is coming to Fayetteville, and the Fayetteville Flyer + Walton Arts Center are sponsoring some of your readers’ tickets. Count me in.

jano
January 21, 2009

Favorite for the political Junkie in me: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=151

A good look at politics and the reason John Dewey is right when he says we have a problem with our public.

Viva Ira Glass!

sofresh-n-sogay
January 22, 2009

I too often miss the show, but What I Learned from Television is one I’ve used to justify incessant Seinfold quotes…oh, and mates of state on this one, yeah.

George
January 22, 2009

What a great freaking program. It’s so real….so revealing.

I guess I’m not a superfan because I don’t have all the episode names and acts memorized. A recent show that comes to mind is the one on the economic downturn. According to DragonLady it was called “Giant Pool of Money”. Good stuff.

Show the WAC some love! Go buy tickets to stuff. If you have kids, they have great children’s programs. I take my daughter as often as possible and we always have a blast. Use it or lose it. Pretty please. It’s great that F-squared has partnered with the WAC. It’s like, “Hey, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter.” Keep up the good work fellers.

Deb Moore
January 22, 2009

My favorite TAL is Music Lessons, in which Sarah Vowell tells of her experiences playing the recorder, and David Sedaris (among other things) sings the Oscar Meyer song in the voice of Billie Holiday.

jawikst
January 22, 2009

I like Kid Logic… I like to think like a kid. Duh.

I also like to think the new Chick Fil A on 6th street (aka Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd) has fab chicken at an economically-friendly price.

DTabler
January 22, 2009

I don’t remember the name of the segment, but it is about a guy who’s goal was to travel coast to coast working as a dishwasher in every state. Strictly a dishwasher. Nothing more nothing less. I think the overall theme of the show was bus travel.

Also a Sedaris fan.

I saw Ira Glass last year at LAX. I didn’t speak to him, I just waved.

Alannah
January 22, 2009

The entire episode devoted to how the housing bubble burst was not only easy to understand, but invaluably informative.

meghan
January 23, 2009

The Super was my favorite episode too!

Ashley Ross
January 24, 2009

I loved the bit where Starlee, a producer of the show?, writes a break-up song inspired by heartache/”Against All Odds” and plays it for Phil Collins.

the Steve
January 24, 2009

I like that one too Ashley. That was awesome.

Cathy Stinkypants
January 25, 2009

the halloween episode was great this year….And the Call was Coming From the Basement

Tim
January 25, 2009

reality check

The Dark Noodle
January 25, 2009

I’ve listened to This American Life for years, and while there are any number of memories from the show that rattle around in my head from time to time I suppose the story that has strangely resonated with me recently is I believe from that episode where they tried to do 20 stories in an hour–in it there are two boys who are arguing what the name of their dog should be. One brother wants to name him Pasta and other wants him to be called Batman. After an hour of loud debate their mother finally decrees that the dog’s name will henceforth be Pasta Batman. The brother’s love this idea and jump on their beds shouting “Pasta Batman” again and again. There is something about that story this is oddly reassuring as I succumb to the hopefulness of our current historical moment.

Total Bastard
January 25, 2009

I also liked the one where Starlee talked about how her neurotic mother was afraid to let her children go to DisneyLand, so instead, they vacationed at the Disney Hotel, across the street.