A lot of Americans only know Eurovision via Will Farrell’s film, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” which capture some of Eurovision’s over-the-top aspects, but the history of the annual event actually shines light on some of the biggest cultural, social and political developments in post-World War II European history. In this episode, Paul Jordan, aka Dr. Eurovision, joins Ben and special guest cohost/his wife Kelly Kolar for a conversation about Eurovision’s origins, how it’s been shaped by geopolitics, and, of course, who their favorites are in this year’s contest, which airs live on May 17 at 3pm est. Dr. Paul Jordan is an expert and media commentator on the Eurovision song contest and the author of The Modern Fairy Tale: Nation Branding, national identity and the Eurovision Song Contest in Estonia. From 2015 to 2018 he served on Eurovision’s communication team. You can learn more about him at DrEurovision.com. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
--------
57:48
Charisma and American Politics– Live at Cat’s Cradle w/ Molly Worthen, Doug Heye & Rufus Edmisten
With our live show in Washington, DC coming up on May 29, we thought it’d be fun to share one of our previous live recordings from Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC w/ guests Molly Worthen, Doug Heye & Rufus Edmisten! Dr. Molly Worthen (Department of History at UNC-Chapel Hill), Doug Heye (CNN/former RNC Communication Director) & Rufus Edmisten (Deputy Chief Council, Senate Watergate Committee/ former NC Secretary of State & Attorney General) join Bob & Ben for a conversation about charisma in American politics and society. Recorded live at the legendary Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC on January 25, 2020. Join us for our next live recording on May 29, 2025 at The Hamilton Live in Washington, DC. Click here for tickets! Click here to check out upcoming Avett Brothers shows Click here for Ben’s comedy dates This is a rebroadcast of episode #158 which originally aired on January 27, 2020. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
--------
1:05:10
#333 John Cale’s Paris 1919 w/ Mark Doyle
John Cale is probably best known as a founding member of Velvet underground, but the four years he spent alongside Lou Reed represent a small fraction of the influence Cale has had on modern music. In this episode, recorded live at MTSU’s Center for Popular Music, Ben talks to his friend and colleague Mark Doyle about his new book in the 33 1/3 series, which explores John Cale’s 1973 album Paris 1919 and where it (may) fit within the greater context of his career, the evolution of rock music, and world history. Mark Doyle is a Professor of History at Middle Tennessee State University and previously joined us to discuss his book on The Kinks in episode 169. His new book is John Cale’s Paris 1919 and you can get your copy here. A special thanks to Greg Reish & Martin Fisher at the Center for Popular Music for hosting, recording and allowing us to share this conversation. Join us for a live recording of the Road to Now in Washington, DC on May 29 at The Hamilton Live ft. guests Major Garett, Margaret Talev & Doug Heye. The theme is murder & mayhem in the capital city- get your tickets here! This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
--------
53:28
#332 The American Historical Association w/ Sarah Weicksel & Ed Ayers
The American Historical Association was chartered by Congress in 1884 and has played an essential role in helping foster and spread great historical research. AHA incoming Executive Director Sarah Weicksel and pioneering public historian Ed Ayers join us for a discussion of AHA’s history, its current projects and the damage that recent government policy has done to historians’ ability to create and share an honest history of the United States. Learn more by visiting the American Historical Association’s website at historians.org. The report discussed in this episode is “American Lesson Plan: Teaching US History in Secondary Schools.” Dr. Sarah Jones Weicksel is Director of Research and Publications and incoming Executive Director at the AHA and Research Associate at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of History. Dr. Ed Ayers is Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities and President Emeritus at the University of Richmond. His book In the Presence of Mine Enemies: War in the heart of America, 1859-1863 won the Bancroft Prize and Beveridge Award in 2004 and in 2013 he was awarded the National Humanities Medal. Join us for a live recording of the Road to Now in Washington, DC on May 29 at The Hamilton Live ft. guests Major Garett, Margaret Talev & Doug Heye. The theme is murder & mayhem in the capital city- get your tickets here! This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
--------
56:09
#331 The Global Economy Past & Present w/ Jari Eloranta
America’s role in the world is ‘changing’ and as much as things look new, we’ve seen a lot of this before. Economic Historian Jari Eloranta joins us to put NATO military spending, the looming trade war and other recent global developments in historical context. As always, there’s a lot that history can teach us when we pay attention to those who know it best. Dr. Jari Eloranta is a Professor of History at the University of Helsinki where he specializes in Economic History. He has published extensively on the history of military spending and trade. Before moving back to his home country of Finland, Jari was a Professor of History at Appalachian State where he was crucial in inspiring Ben’s fascination with economic history. Come see the Road to Now Live at the Hamilton in Washington, DC on May 29 for a night of stories of murder and mayhem in the capital city w/ guests Margaret Talev, Major Garrett & Doug Heye. You can get tickets at RTNpod.me/liveindc. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
Bob Crawford (The Avett Brothers) & Dr. Ben Sawyer (MTSU History) share conversations with great thinkers from a variety of backgrounds – historians, artists, legal scholars, political figures and more –who help us uncover the many roads that run between past and present.
For more information, visit TheRoadToNow.com
If you'd like to support our work, join us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheRoadToNow
USA