Brian Reed at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts
Podcasting was birthed in the 1980s but didn’t gain traction until 2004. Since then, thousands of podcasts have premiered and gained international attention.
From the producers of Serial and This American Life, the podcast S-Town premiered on March 28, 2017, quickly taking over thousands of listeners’ curiosities and attention. Brian Reed, the new podcast’s host and co-creator, will speak at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Feb. 10.
S-Town is about an immensely intriguing man, John, and his small hometown in Alabama. John contacted Reed with dark secrets from this town, and it didn’t take long for Reed to learn dark secrets about the man himself. Perhaps the most gripping part of the story is the relationship between the two men. It’s a tale full of backstories, global concerns and opinions. Reed’s storytelling about John and his hometown are journalistic in information and literary in style.
The show at the Washington Center will feature original recordings, audio outtakes and more details about S-Town. Those who have become engrossed in this story will learn even more from Reed’s research. The audience will no doubt also hear about the creator’s researching and writing styles, as well as podcasting.
Reed worked closely on a number of episodes of This American Life, such as “The Secret Recordings of Carmen Segarra,” “Cops See It Differently” and “What Happened at Dos Erres.” S-Town may be Reed’s most personal podcast and not just because he wrote and narrated it.
Rebecca Nicholson from The Guardian wrote this about S-Town: “It’s about surviving when you don’t fit in, finding connections where you can and the beauty that resides in the most unexpected pockets of a person’s existence. It’s a delicate and splendid obituary and a noble attempt at understanding a life.”
Throughout the harrowing and heartfelt story, Reed’s desire to understand and represent everyone’s story justly is clear and honest. by Jordan Marie McCaw
Brian Reed at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts
512 Washington St. SE, Olympia
Saturday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 pm