Relevant or Irrelevant
In this weekly show, hosts John Kealey and Jay Swords examine events of history through the discussion of books, journal articles, papers, and presentations, then historians and history buffs ask the question, what is relevant or irrelevant in today’s world.
KALA-FM
Show overview
Relevant or Irrelevant has been publishing since 2020, and across the 6 years since has built a catalogue of 612 episodes, alongside 297 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 220 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence, with the show now in its 20th season.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 14 min and 30 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language History show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 5 days ago, with 35 episodes already out so far this year. Published by KALA-FM.
From the publisher
In this weekly show, hosts John Kealey and Jay Swords examine events of history through the discussion of books, journal articles, papers, and presentations, then historians and history buffs ask the question, what is relevant or irrelevant in today’s world. For more than a decade, this show has aired over-the-air on KALA-FM in the Quad Cities. Now, we're bringing it here to make listening easier than ever!
Latest Episodes
View all 612 episodesTrash Can Annie And Ragged Records
BONUS: Trash Can Annie And Ragged Records
BONUS: The Guinness World Record For "The Largest Collection Of Spoons"
The Guinness World Record For "The Largest Collection Of Spoons"
BONUS: Presidential Abuses Of The Constitution
Presidential Abuses Of The Constitution
BONUS: Born Of Ice And Fire: How Glaciers And Volcanoes (With A Pinch Of Salt) Drove Animal Evolution
Born Of Ice And Fire: How Glaciers And Volcanoes (With A Pinch Of Salt) Drove Animal Evolution
BONUS: The Invention Of Good And Evil: A World History Of Morality
The Invention Of Good And Evil: A World History Of Morality
S20 Ep 654BONUS: Eerie Iowa: The Hawkeye State's Darker Side
bonusBONUS DISCUSSION: Bruce Walters, professor emeritus at Western Illinois University, artist and author, joins the "ROI" panelists to discuss a recent book he co-authored with Michael McCarty: Eerie Iowa: The Hawkeye State's Darker Side.The host for the 654th edition in this series is John Kealey, and the history buffs are Terri Toppler and Rick Sweet.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!
S20 Ep 654Eerie Iowa: The Hawkeye State's Darker Side
Bruce Walters, professor emeritus at Western Illinois University, artist and author, joins the "ROI" panelists to discuss a recent book he co-authored with Michael McCarty: Eerie Iowa: The Hawkeye State's Darker Side.The host for the 654th edition in this series is John Kealey, and the history buffs are Terri Toppler and Rick Sweet.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!
S20 Ep 653BONUS: Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities
bonusBONUS DISCUSSION: The "Relevant Or Irrelevant" team welcomes guests from the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities: including Chris Van Speybroeck, vice president of development; Timothy Smith, vice president of operations; and Chuck Long, chairman of the organization's board.The host for this edition is John Kealey, and the history buffs are Terri Toppler and Brett Monnard.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!
S20 Ep 653Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities
The "Relevant Or Irrelevant" team welcomes guests from the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities: including Chris Van Speybroeck, vice president of development; Timothy Smith, vice president of operations; and Chuck Long, chairman of the organization's board.The host for this edition is John Kealey, and the history buffs are Terri Toppler and Brett Monnard.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!
S20 Ep 652Mary, Mother Of Christ
Dr. Lisa Powell, professor of theology and director of The Justice, Diversity, and Gender Studies Program at St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, joins the "ROI" team to discuss, "Mary, Mother Of Christ."The host for the 652nd edition in this series is John Kealey, and the history buffs are Terri Toppler and Brett Monnard.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!
S20 Ep 651Reggae Music
Zeb Brooks, reggae music enthusiast, joins the "ROI" panelists to discuss this fascinating genre.The host for the 651st edition in this series is John Kealey, and the history buffs are Rick Sweet and Ed Broders.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!
S20 Ep 651BONUS: Reggae Music
bonusBONUS DISCUSSION: Zeb Brooks, reggae music enthusiast, joins the "ROI" panelists to discuss this fascinating genre.The host for the 651st edition in this series is John Kealey, and the history buffs are Rick Sweet and Ed Broders.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!
S20 Ep 650My Wicked Hometown: The Hidden History Of Davenport, Iowa
Dr. Ezra Sidran, author of My Wicked Hometown: The Hidden History Of Davenport, Iowa, joins the "ROI" team to discuss his book.The host for this edition is John Kealey, and the history buffs are Rick Sweet and Ed Broders.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!
S20 Ep 650BONUS: My Wicked Hometown: The Hidden History Of Davenport, Iowa
bonusBONUS DISCUSSION: Dr. Ezra Sidran, author of My Wicked Hometown: The Hidden History Of Davenport, Iowa, joins the "ROI" team to discuss his book.The host for this edition is John Kealey, and the history buffs are Rick Sweet and Ed Broders.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!
S20 Ep 649What Is Time?
Dr. Adrian Bardon, American philosopher and professor of philosophy at Wake Forest University, joins the "Relevant Or Irrelevant" team to discuss, "What Is Time?"The host for the 649th edition in this series is John Kealey, and the history buffs are Terri Toppler and Brett Monnard.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!