Wits ® – APM Podcasts
97 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 9 years ago - ★★★★★ - 299 ratingsWits was a weekly national public radio broadcast produced and distributed by American Public Media. As of September 2015, the broadcast ended. The stage shows that provided material for the broadcast are on hiatus, as is the podcast version of Wits. It is our intention to take a little time away from Wits and then look for ways to bring it back on stage and in podcast in a different form. On Wits, some of the top names in comedy and music have joined host John Moe for sketch comedy, improv, conversation, songs and genuine beauty in a program praised as "one of the rare public radio comedy shows that's actually funny" (Huffington Post) and "one of the most unique, entertaining and diverse shows on radio" (The Growler). You can listen to all of our archives online and follow host John Moe on Twitter (@johnmoe) for more information on Wits and other projects.
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Episodes
35: Margaret Cho with Josh Ritter
November 06, 2014 17:34 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MBOn this week's episode, host John Moe and comedian Margaret Cho play characters in an unconventional wedding ceremony, we learn some unusual things about penguins, and Josh Ritter performs songs from his latest album and tells us why Macbeth is a good read for people going through divorce.
43: Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Anna Kendrick with Sara Watkins and Dan Wilson
August 22, 2014 16:49 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week's Wits, Zach Galifianakis reveals his secret ambitions, Ed Helms plays one of his original songs, Anna Kendrick becomes Beccany, co-owner of a very different kind of casino, and Sara Watkins and Dan Wilson knock out the crowd with their beautiful harmonies.
42: Patton Oswalt, Paul F. Tompkins, Keegan-Michael Key and Ellie Kemper with Aimee Mann and Ted Leo (Part One)
August 08, 2014 16:48 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBThis week's episode comes to you from our first touring show at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles with a long list of Wits friends. Keegan-Michael Key performs a one-star Amazon review of Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils, actress Ellie Kemper learns Spanish from a Tom Waits cassette, comedian Patton Oswalt becomes a ghost from Pac-Man, and comedian Paul F. Tompkins joins the musical team of Aimee Mann and Ted Leo for some improv songs in our Wits Game Show.
46: Steven Yeun with Motion City Soundtrack
August 01, 2014 16:49 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBOn this week's show, actor Steven Yeun talks about how his character Glenn from the hit show The Walking Dead keeps his spirits up amid a zombie apocalypse. Yeun also lets loose his master improv chops in the Wits Game Show. Plus, rock band Motion City Soundtrack debuts a song written specifically for Glenn and tells us where Motion City is actually located. And, we get to know the gritty life of chain restaurant workers in suburban America.
45: Marc Maron with Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires
July 18, 2014 16:49 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBOn this week's show, podcast icon Marc Maron tells us about a very memorable encounter with Iggy Pop, singer/songwriters Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires make beautiful music together, and we come face to face with Murder Cat! Plus, in our Pop Song Correspondence, we stop the world to melt with Superman.
44: Andy Richter with Neko Case
July 11, 2014 16:49 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week's show, Tom Waits, Abraham Lincoln and Morrissey tell us about their snack foods for kids, Neko Case sings from her latest album and tells us about her love for heavy metal, and TV's Andy Richter is a prom king forever. Plus, we find out what really happens when you play Gotcher Nose with a baby.
41: Maria Bamford with Thao Nguyen
July 04, 2014 16:48 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week's show, comedian Maria Bamford is a pro-wrestler who becomes a substitute English teacher, and a girl scout who may have eaten all the girl scout cookies before delivering them. Plus, singer/songwriter Thao Nguyen rocks songs from her latest album.
40: Jason Ritter with Dessa
June 13, 2014 16:48 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week’s episode, actor Jason Ritter explains his fascination with puns and gives handsome people advice on how to be handsomer, singer/rapper/writer Dessa confesses her love for the elderly and warns against serpents with bad circulation, and we learn about Edgar Allen Poe’s early career misadventures. Plus, the Supreme Court finally weighs in on whether or not you do, in fact, have the right to party.
39: David Cross with Har Mar Superstar
May 30, 2014 16:48 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBOn this week’s episode, comedian, actor, director David Cross talks about Arrested Development’s Tobias Funke and Alvin and the Chipmunks, Har Mar Superstar lays down his sweet soul sounds, and the two compete in the Wits Game Show: The R & B singer vs. the Slam Poet. You decide who’s who. Plus, a Pop Song Correspondence to Lorde and learn math with Tom Waits.
38: Tim Heidecker with Aimee Mann and Ted Leo
May 23, 2014 16:48 - 56 minutes - 52 MBOn this week's show, comedian Tim Heidecker becomes an unconventional aerobics instructor, the Wits Game Show goes delightfully off the rails, and we hear new songs from singer/songwriters Aimee Mann and Ted Leo, who have joined forces in a super-duo called The Both.
36: Jim Gaffigan with Busdriver
May 09, 2014 16:48 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week's episode, comedian, author and actor Jim Gaffigan plays the moon from Goodnight Moon, rap artist Busdriver tells us about the first time he met LL Cool J, and we hear a Pop Song Correspondence from Simon and Garfunkel's put-upon friends Alan and Doug.
52: John Hodgman with Jean Grae
April 25, 2014 21:50 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBOn this week’s show, comedian, actor, and author John Hodgman talks about growing up as an only child and embodying every subgenre of nerd at the same time. Also, rapper, writer, and director Jean Grae tells us what it’s like to punch a superhero, and Britney Spears is finally sued for medical malpractice.
51: Bobcat Goldthwait with Matt Nathanson
April 18, 2014 21:55 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week's episode, comedian and movie director Bobcat Goldthwait talks Bigfoot, singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson explains his love for KISS, and the feud between Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd takes an unexpected turn in Pop Song Correspondences.
50: Margaret Cho and Paul F. Tompkins with Superchunk and Will Sheff
April 12, 2014 21:58 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBThis week's show was recorded in Los Angeles as part of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Festival After Dark. Hear comedian and actor Paul F. Tompkins read one-star reviews from Amazon.com and comedian and actor Margaret Cho talk about how her experience All American Girl has shaped her career. We also have music from punk rockers Superchunk and Will Sheff of Okkervil River. Plus, the game McConaughey or Confucius wherein guests listen to a quote and guess who said it.
49: Kristen Schaal with Typhoon
April 04, 2014 22:00 - 58 minutes - 54 MBOn this week's show, comedian and actor Kristen Schaal is a mom with a powerful fanny pack, and we finally find out the name of America's horse in the desert. Plus, music from the Portland-based band Typhoon and the story of the magic shark who named them.
33: Aisha Tyler with Loudon Wainwright III
April 04, 2014 16:48 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBThis week's show features comedian, actor, author, TV host and podcaster Aisha Tyler and Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Loudon Wainwright III. Plus, an alien slumber party, Tom Waits meditation tapes and a Pop Song Correspondence from Radiohead's therapist.
32: Paul F. Tompkins with Yo La Tengo
January 31, 2014 17:48 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week's episode of Wits, comedian Paul F. Tompkins performs one-star reviews of classic literature from Amazon.com and competes against rock band Yo La Tengo in the Wits Game Show. Plus, a cruise ship where anything goes. Anything.
31: Chris Kluwe with Dave Hill and Sara Watkins
January 24, 2014 17:48 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week's show, NFL punter/author Chris Kluwe and comedian/author Dave Hill join the Cop Squadron, and Sara Watkins sings songs from her latest album, Sun Midnight Sun. Plus, we hear a Pop Song Correspondence from the Rocknrollsburg civil engineering department to Mayor Grace Slick, and we get a peek at Dr. Valverde's Insect Spa ... not a spa for insects, but a spa filled with insects.
29: David Koechner with Metric
January 03, 2014 17:08 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBOn this week's Wits, actor and comedian David Koechner becomes Dutch, who, with his brother Small Eric, try to help the town they live in with their repair businesses. Plus, a Pop Song Correspondence to Lady Gaga from Lord Gaga of Gaga Manor, and Charlie Brown and Snoopy finally have a heart-to-heart. And, Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw of Metric perform a stunning stripped-down set of songs, including a pair of Lou Reed covers.
34: Scott Aukerman and Eugene Mirman with Kathleen Edwards
November 15, 2013 17:48 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week’s Wits, Comedy Bang! Bang!’s Scott Aukerman is Glenn Frey of The Eagles, comedian Eugene Mirman from Bob’s Burgers is an astronaut looking for space babes, and singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards plays music that rocks your soul and breaks your heart.
48: Paul F. Tompkins, Eugene Mirman and Paget Brewster with Nellie McKay and Loudon Wainwright III
October 30, 2013 22:09 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBThis week’s episode comes to you from San Francisco’s Sketchfest comedy festival. Hear comedian Paul F. Tompkins as Ice-T in an episode of Cop Squadron: Spoiler Alert Unit and actor Paget Brewster on Eleanor Roosevelt's exercise cassettes. Plus, comedian Eugene Mirman shows us how wreck a party, Loudon Wainwright III fantasizes about Bill and Hillary Clinton making out to one of his songs, and songstress Nellie McKay performs music that is both timely and timeless.
30: Audience Choice Show
October 18, 2013 16:08 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBYou built this week's show. You told us your favorite sketches, songs and segments from the archives of Wits, and we whomped up this episode, featuring Brandi Carlile and Maria Bamford squaring off in the Wits Game Show, a seriously demented hamster, a Pop Song Correspondence to Carly Rae Jepsen, a scene from the slightly off-kilter world of Don Draper, and songs from Jason Isbell and Aimee Mann. Thank you for loving this show!
5: Dave Foley with Mike Doughty
October 11, 2013 22:38 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBIt's the first show of our fall season with comedian Dave Foley, much beloved for his work on the sketch comedy favorite The Kids in the Hall and his starring role in the long-running NBC comedy series NewsRadio, and musical guest Mike Doughty: Singer. Songwriter. Guitar player. Poet. Author. Playwright. Photographer. Most Improved Camper, West Point Youth Camp, 1982.
27: Colin Hanks with Jason Isbell
September 20, 2013 16:08 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBIn this week's episode of Wits, actor Colin Hanks becomes Doug Bagelson, a man offering his services as a professional friend. Also, Jason Isbell plays songs from his latest album "Southeastern" and performs one of the most stunning covers of "Pancho and Lefty" ever. Plus, a resignation letter from a member of the band Lynryd Skynyrd in this week's Pop Song Correspondences.
26: Rob Delaney with Neko Case and Kelly Hogan
September 13, 2013 16:08 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBOn this week's show, our Pop Song Correspondences features a customer befuddled by the process of buying a Little Red Corvette from a used car salesman named Prince. Plus, comedian Rob Delaney as a customer service representative from Kleiner Appliance who knows the truth about angels lodged inside household appliances, and Neko Case and Kelly Hogan prove they're more than amazing singer/songwriters – they've got strong comedic chops, too.
21: W. Kamau Bell with Brendan Benson
September 06, 2013 16:08 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MBOn this week's episode, W. Kamau Bell talks with host John Moe about comedy and race, songwriter Brendan Benson, of The Raconteurs, does his best Prince impression, and Charlie Brown's world gets rocked from a conversation with Franklin.
7: Julia Sweeney with Martha Wainwright
August 30, 2013 22:38 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBFolks, this show has it all. Listen up, and you will laugh. Hard. You will cry -- unless your heart is a blackened lump of coal, in which case you will at minimum have strong emotional stirrings. Snoopy might die. Or not. Martha Wainwright sings, Julia Sweeney tells stories. So sit back and enjoy this week's episode of Wits.
17: Bobcat Goldthwait with Steven Page and Dave Pirner
August 16, 2013 15:42 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBThis week's show features Bobcat Goldthwait, just named Esquire Magazine's Director of the Year for his movie God Bless America, a movie he discussed with host John Moe. We also hear Bobcat make his pitch to become public radio's morning shock jock, and we hear from an exasperated contractor working on Robert Plant's stairway to heaven. Plus, music from singer/songwriter Steven Page, formerly of the award-winning Barenaked Ladies and Dave Pirner of local mainstay Soul Asylum.
15: Fred Willard with Dan Wilson
August 09, 2013 15:42 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBThis week's show features comedy icon Fred Willard from Best in Show and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy with Grammy-award winning songwriter and producer Dan Wilson, and a Commercial Showdown Throwdown game show with an unforgettable jingle for gravy missiles.
9: Maria Bamford with Brandi Carlile
August 02, 2013 22:38 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBIn this episode of Wits, top touring comedian Maria Bamford transforms into a mermaid obsessed with the Showtime series Homeland, host John Moe becomes a guy at the bottom of the well, dying from Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," and Brandi Carlile blows us all away with the sheer power of her voice and her solid comedic chops.
25: Patton Oswalt with Ben Lee
July 26, 2013 16:08 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBIn this week's show, comedian and actor Patton Oswalt and host John Moe are John Oates and Daryl Hall: Animal Control Officers in our "Maneater" Pop Song Correspondence. Singer-songwriter Ben Lee squares off with Patton in our Wits Game Show, and we've got another Charlie Brown story; in this latest installment, featuring John Moe, Patton Oswalt and actress Ione Skye, Linus quits his blanket cold turkey and has a spiritual epiphany.
24: Michael Ian Black with A.C. Newman
July 19, 2013 16:08 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBThis week, comedian, actor and author Michael Ian Black joins Cop Squadron, indie-pop powerhouse singer/songwriter A.C. Newman writes a very catchy theme song for the canceled show "Mr. Nebulous," and we hear where babies really come from. Really.
23: Tig Notaro with Kathleen Edwards
July 12, 2013 16:08 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week's episode, comedian Tig Notaro goes up against singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards in our Wits game show, Bruce Springsteen warns about what happens when you blow up the Chickenman's house, and we get updates from our favorite publications, like Older Brother Magazine and Tiger Beat for Seniors.
20: Paula Poundstone with Robyn Hitchcock
June 28, 2013 15:42 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBAs a regular panelist on Wait Wait … Don't Tell Me!, comedian Paula Poundstone is perfectly positioned to compete on this week’s Wits Game Show: The Game Show Game Show. Paula explains the rules of fictitious games while one of the godfathers of alternative rock, Robyn Hitchcock, creates the pretend game show’s theme songs. Robyn also plays songs from his latest album, Love from London, and we hear an urgent plea from the big coat in the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis hit, "Thrift Shop."
11: Henry Rollins with Lissie
April 12, 2013 15:42 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBIn this episode of Wits, punk rock icon Henry Rollins tells us why he wants to be in a constant state of agitation, Lissie bewitches us all with her songs, and the two compete in our Wits game show.
12: Patton Oswalt, Neil Gaiman and John Hodgman
March 15, 2013 15:42 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBOn this week's Wits, a look inside the brains of some of our favorite funny authors. We join writers Patton Oswalt, John Hodgman, Neil Gaiman and Julia Sweeney for discussions of grandmothers, Beatles, wine, sex, and Dungeons and Dragons. Plus, music from singer-songwriter-authors (yep, double hyphenates) Josh Ritter and John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats.
19: Andy Richter with Reggie Watts
March 08, 2013 16:42 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBThis week on Wits, we visit with comedian, actor and longtime comedy partner of Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, as well as internationally renowned vocalist/beatboxer/comic Reggie Watts. Check out the next big hit TV show Mummytown, hear letters from the Civil War soldiers long forgotten - the animal regiments, and learn why Elton John gets fired by NASA in our Pop Song Correspondence.
18: Tim Meadows with Rhett Miller
March 01, 2013 16:42 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBThis week, Tim Meadows, one of the longest-running cast members in Saturday Night Live history goes up against singer/songwriter and Old 97's front man Rhett Miller in our Wits game show, Funnier and Poignanter. Who will win? It's a nail-biter. You'll also be able to hear Rhett's powerful hip-swivel on all the rocky-roll songs he plays, and you'll get a letter from Axl Rose's editor in this week's Pop Song Correspondences.
16: Amy Sedaris with They Might Be Giants
February 15, 2013 16:42 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBThis week's show features best-selling author and actor Amy Sedaris along with Grammy award-winning They Might Be Giants. We hear what went on behind the scenes when the founding fathers were writing the Declaration of Independence, we hear from the schoolmaster at the school referenced in Pink Floyd's The Wall, and we get a little insight about what would happen if Winnie the Pooh took an office job.
13: James Adomian with Grant Lee Phillips
January 11, 2013 16:42 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBA special studio version of Wits this time around, an intimate setting, a show NOT available to radio listeners. We visit with comedian James Adomian about his eclectic choice of impressions, particularly former pro wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura. Also, a chat with Grant Lee Phillips, a Wits alumnus, about the new music he's been making.
10: Rhett Miller, Tim Meadows and Jan the Custodian
December 07, 2012 23:38 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBRhett Miller is a singer-songwriter and front man of the Old 97's and a friend of the show. He stops by to talk about how touring with the same batch of guys is way different in your 40s than in your 20s. He also plays a song that's all about a daydream of romance wherein his heart gets crushed. We listen back to Rhett's appearance in the Wits game show from March of 2012. It is both hilarious and bittersweet. And we get a visit from Jan the custodian.
8: Maria Bamford and Hannibal Buress
November 21, 2012 23:38 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBIt's a comedy interview DOUBLE SHOT! First up, Maria Bamford. She's one of the biggest and easily one of the funniest comedians working today. Maria has appeared on The Comedians of Comedy tour, Louie, and in somewhat unsettling Christmas commercials for Target. We climb inside Maria's head in a revealing interview. Hannibal Buress recently starred in the Comedy Central special, Hannibal Buress: Animal Furnace, and is a former writer for SNL and 30 Rock.
6: Theater Ghost and Julia Sweeney
November 09, 2012 23:38 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBOn this week's program, we get a haunting visit from the ghost that haunts the Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul. If you listen closely, you can almost hear him attempt to do standup comedy. Also, a look inside Mitt Romney's tax returns. Yes! In the wake of his electoral defeat, he has released them only to us. What? Why wouldn't he? And a chat with Julia Sweeney about how Wits -- yes, this very program -- led her to reassess her literary career and her daughter's taste for fame.
4: John Roderick and War Horse
October 24, 2012 22:38 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBThis week, host John Moe chats with songwriter John Roderick. He's the lead singer and guitarist in The Long Winters, and the co-host of the podcast Roderick on the Line. Roderick has been tweeting about the connection between nuclear war and '80s movies and music and our apparent nationwide insistence that the town we are in would be the first one hit. We also hear Roderick perform his song Not Moving to Portland with our music director John Munson in a Wits appearance. Plus, an interview wi...
3: John Hodgman, Julia Sweeney and Here Are The News
October 17, 2012 22:38 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBThis week, host John Moe visits with the multi-talented John Hodgman. He's the author of several books of fake knowledge, including the latest, That Is All, which has just been released in audiobook form. We hear Hodgman's thoughts on margarine tub percussion, the hugs one receives while famous, and the model set by George Plimpton. If you don't know who George Plimpton is, go look it up. Please. Also, a Wits classic: Julia Sweeney tells the story of the bumpy road toward explaining sex to he...
2: Rosanne Cash, Mike Doughty and a trip to Mummytown
October 10, 2012 22:38 - 28 minutes - 26 MBHost John Moe welcomes a pair of singer/songwriters/memoirists. Rosanne Cash talks about her love of John Denver, William Shakespeare and Mike Doughty. Doughty returns the love and is enthused over Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and the cavernous cars of the seventies. Plus an update on the lesser Nobel Prizes and a classic from the Wits archive: Andy Richter and Reggie Watts visit, among other places, Mummytown.
1: Paul F. Tompkins
October 04, 2012 22:38 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBOn this, the inaugural Wits podcast, host John Moe visits with comedian and actor Paul F. Tompkins, who provides valuable insight in how to podcast, the liabilities of having 100 podcast hosts speaking at once, and the invigorating powers of Irish music. John also talks with a certain enormously tall bird who was the surprise star of the first presidential debate, and we explore the career of time-traveling history repairman and U.S. President James K. Polk.