The Dinner Party Download

On this week’s show: Actor Paul Dano channels his inner Beach Boy…The always saucy novelist Jackie Collins heats up our etiquette segment with talk of models, lost underwear, and a stolen microwave… Crystal Moselle reflects on her unique new documentary, “The Wolfpack,” an extreme case of pop culture-as-parent… Alexis Taylor of the band Hot Chip […]

Encore Broadcast: Marion Cotillard shines a light … Kenny G goes Brazilian … The challenges and rewards of working with a spouse … How what we feel affects our feelings … A totes fake resto … A picky bit of history … Corin Tucker calls … Kelly Link’s story of an unusual relationship … New […]

On this week’s show: Alison Bechdel — whose graphic memoir “Fun Home” is now a 12-time Tony-nominated musical — tells us how she gets comfy, with her life on stage… “Fight Club” author Chuck Palahniuk schools us in prank-ology, to celebrate his new sequel… The Posts tackle some especially hairy etiquette hang-ups… We tune into […]

This week, it’s a special live(ly) edition of the DPD, recorded at the historic Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. Comedian Michael Ian Black comes bearing terrible casseroles and terribly funny etiquette advice… Rocker Angel Olsen plays the lights out… Acclaimed novelist Marlon James remembers the time when his inner diva took center-stage, then introduces […]

This week: The band Blondie talks mod style and hoarding habits… Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg ponders the vicissitudes of fate – and then yodels… Oscar the Grouch deigns to give us etiquette advice (DON’T thank him for it)… Comedian Maz Jobrani gets his dream gig, with a nightmarish caveat… We digest some Knish Knowledge… British […]

Today we bring you the second installment of “Speakeasy,” an occasional special podcast in which we chat off-the-cuff, and share never-before-heard bits that didn’t make it into our weekly episodes. In this edition, Rico and Brendan talk about Chris Burden — one of America’s most important and respected conceptual artists — who died this Sunday at the […]

Encore Broadcast: Filmmaker Mike Leigh talks about crop circles (yes, those crop circles) … Actor Gina Rodriguez explains how “Breaking Bad” is crazier than a telenovela … What we can learn about dictators from thier food obsessions … A replay of the history of the replay … Joseph Gordon-Levitt on art outside the Hollywood machine […]

This week: Peabody Award-winning comedian Amy Schumer talks on the wild side… NPR correspondent Cokie Roberts celebrates our female forebears, then offers some civil advice … A new documentary is at home with Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain… Improv wizard and general smartypants Greg Proops challenges three brains to a battle… Nashville’s hot chicken lives up to […]

This week: Mark Ronson makes a new Macarena, dissects the many roles of a modern-day music producer… Writer Amelia Gray imagines a world of competitive grieving… Scottish hip-hop artists Young Fathers – winners of the Mercury Prize for Best 2014 British Album – deejay a deep dinner party… The Posts return with gripping advice … […]

This week: Just in time for the last Coachella weekend and Record Store Day, it’s a special ALL-MUSIC EPISODE! We’ve got tunes and tales from Nancy Sinatra, Miguel, Carrie Brownstein, Weird Al Yankovic and Steve Martin. Also, David Crosby chats about crafting his classic California album… Classical maestro Gustavo Dudamel declares his love for all […]

This week: To celebrate our 300th episode, we’re telling the DPD origin story! You’ll hear pieces of our first-ever episode (yes, spooky)… highlights from format-busting conversations with Spike Lee and Elaine Stritch… Advice (and jeers) from our public radio peers… Behind-the-scenes tales that we’ve never shared before… And a chat with two very special guests, […]

This Week: Actor Oscar Isaac (“Ex Machina,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) isn’t bullish on ‘the future’ (but his is bright)… Fran Drescher and her dog laugh in the face of our etiquette questions… The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne turns our party into a Lynch-ian dreamscape… Mary Norris, copy editor at the New Yorker, shares […]

Welcome to the first episode of “Speakeasy,” an occasional special podcast in which we share never-before-heard bits that didn’t make it into our weekly episodes. Think of it like the casual little bistro beside our bustling restaurant. On this inaugural podcast, Aubrey Plaza and Brendan invent a new morning beverage – the breakfast martini; Zachary […]

Actress Aubrey Plaza needs no introduction (because she’s got it memorized)… Singer-songwriter Laura Marling has a soundtrack for evenings warm and chilly… Writer Jon Ronson looks at shaming on social media and sees our modern pillory… The comic duo Scharpling & Wurster take our etiquette segment to the strangest of places, which might be a city […]

This week: Actor Zachary Quinto gets a memento from Tennessee Williams… Soul singer Leon Bridges steps back in time… Comedian Sara Schaefer aces her hygiene homework… Beating food waste, in new ways… The most costly art heist in US history inspires a bitter cocktail (made by a former art guard!)… A soundtrack from post-punk band […]

This week: Ethan Hawke’s intimate portrait of an artist… The ladies of “Broad City” riff on their fave BFFs… Newly-minted *novelist* David Duchovny sees a baby wolf and flees… Troubadour Vetiver serenades our party with the sounds of Brazil… One modern man’s quest to find Atlantis… An artist types his way through the canon… And […]

This week: “Chappie” star Dev Patel on acting alongside robots and Dames… Dave Barry brings a machete to our etiquette segment… Author Tania James sees life (and loss) through the eyes of a child elephant… Singer Lady Lamb makes a playlist for us, and for her best friend Shervin…”The Cat in the Hat” trumps Dick […]

Encore Broadcast: Actor Jason Schwartzman – star of the new film “Listen Up Philip” – pits his ego against Brendan’s… A soundtrack from Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo inspires hand-holding… Iconoclastic artist Barbara Kruger points and doesn’t shoot… And Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D shred etiquette to pieces. Also, humorist Simon Rich ponders barbarism […]

This week: Actor Titus Welliver on shooting a gun, canonically … Corin Tucker doesn’t think her band’s music is too awful … Tracee Ellis Ross shares the gift of laughter and a loopy life coach … Comedian Maz Jobrani helps our listeners confront stereotypes and racism, with jokes … Hollywood costume creator Colleen Atwood reveals […]

Marion Cotillard shines a light … Kenny G goes Brazilian … The challenges and rewards of working with a spouse … How what we feel affects our feelings … A totes fake resto … A picky bit of history … Corin Tucker calls … Kelly Link’s story of an unusual relationship … New tune from […]

Eddie Redmayne reveals his egg-y fears … Issa Rae gives tips for shutting down awkward asks … Why not leaving a tip might be the nicest thing you can do for a waiter … Swedish star Seinabo Sey warms us up … A documentarian tells us why audiences love true-crime stories … We get some […]

Pop-parodist “Weird Al” Yankovic on being weird (and Weird, and “Weird”) … “Boyhood” star Patricia Arquette’s stolen Santa Clauses … How singer Jenny Lewis kicks people out … A trademark-licensing dispute that lead to a big hit … Visiting a magical-realist Virgin Islands with author Tiphanie Yanique … New York Philharmonic conductor Alan Gilbert counts coughs to judge […]

This week: A musical peek into Frank Gehry’s house … Dame Edna delivers ‘glorious’ advice … Miranda July builds a system … The children raised amid resource extraction … Adding butter to coffee to make it ‘Bulletproof’ …Natalie Prass curates a list of sisters and goddesses … A trip to Robinson Crusoe’s island … And […]

This week: The filmmaker who documented Edward Snowden (but didn’t decorate his hotel room) … Comedian Nick Kroll goes in search of the weirdest voices in America … Chef and author Eddie Huang tries to bring authenticity to a network sitcom … Kolache pastries heat up … An opera star shares moments when music made […]

This week: Actor-writer-director Mark Duplass on brotherly love – without eye-contact … A spicy, south-of-the-border drink trend … Filmmaker J.C. Chandor makes art inspired by tragedy … FM radio is invented, and we’re pretty grateful … An ex-Aerosmith roadie/sailor/journalist settles down on an unlikely farm … Aussie rockers Twerps turn up the volume … Latin […]

We are kicking off 2015 by rounding-up some of our (and your!) favorite moments from 2014. Actor Jeffrey Tambor talks parenting — in real life and television … Grilled cheese sandwiches fall from the sky … Anjelica Huston will not be forgotten … A collection of all-star etiquette wisdom from Billy Eichner, Mel Brooks, Betty […]

This Week: Filmmaker Wes Anderson on stoves that witnessed history… Humorist Dave Barry takes aim at your etiquette questions… Real Estate play party DJ… Lit phenom Helen Oyeyemi gazes into the mirror, mirror….And Noah Strycker opens up his bird-brain. Plus: wild camels roaming Texas, the strangest cleanse ever, and Mac DeMarco’s tuneful “Brother.”

We’re issuing you a holiday bonus — in the form of an extra podcast. We know, it’s what you wanted most of all. So we’ve wrapped up the contents of our recent Holiday Frolic live event staged in Los Angeles. You’ll hear an extended version of the B.J. Novak story and conversation from last week’s […]

A special fireside chat with writer-actor B.J. Novak, from our “Holiday Frolic” road show … Also: Canadian author Miriam Toews’ tale of two sisters… We tag along on “The Search for General Tso” … The stars of classic 1970’s “The Dukes of Hazzard” play holiday DJ for us … Actor Joel Edgerton swims right into a punchline […]

This week: Filmmaker Mike Leigh talks about crop circles (yes, those crop circles) … Actor Gina Rodriguez explains how “Breaking Bad” is crazier than a telenovela … What we can learn about dictators from thier food obsessions … A replay of the history of the replay … Joseph Gordon-Levitt on art outside the Hollywood machine […]

This week: How Michael Cera keeps the act alive … Viv Albertine of The Slits on punk rock conformity … Nick Hornby reveals his secret plans for “Wild II” … Essayist Meghan Daum is not impressed by Cronuts … Conor Oberst serves up an eclectic dinner party playlist … Momo dumplings migrate from the Himalayas to Queens […]

To celebrate Thanksgiving (and, even better, leftovers!) it’s our annual All Food Special. Featuring: Perfection on a sushi plate … Hot, spicy, and festive horseradish … Filmmaker Jim Jarmush gets corny … Jimmy Buffet makes an indie rocker cry … Trendy Filipino flavors … Obsessive food Instagramming … A glimpse inside a restaurant kitchen … […]

Roxy Music rocker Bryan Ferry explains capital-A Art … Lynne Rossetto Kasper takes a seat at our Splendid Table … One of the nation’s most-acclaimed poets, Billy Collins, invents some words … Aasif Mandvi of “The Daily Show” channels MJ to unite a crowd … Singer Jessie Ware gets sassy … Beer writer William Bostwick on beers from watered-down […]

Anjelica Huston talks about bad boys and leading ladies … The difficulty of making a film in a warzone … Chef and author Gabrielle Hamilton cooks what she knows … You may not have heard of Glyn Johns, but you’ve probably heard the long list of rock hits he helped create … Emily Spivack unsuccessfully […]

Broadway star Audra McDonald is about to launch a national tour; here’s how not to decorate for her welcome party … Thomas Jefferson (well, scholar and radio host Clay Jenkinson channeling Thomas Jefferson) expounds on patriotic decorum … Get ready, people, for a playlist from indie-supergroup People Get Ready … A scoop of new Spoon … […]

Elle Fanning talks about her extra-curricular activities … Author Gary Shteyngart is only a little failure … Ruben Östlund has made a film that may increase Sweden’s divorce rate … One bubbly coffee entrepreneur explains his innovation … Michelangelo really, really, did not want to paint that ceiling … Patrick Haggerty puts together a playlist for […]

Actor Jason Schwartzman – star of the new film “Listen Up Philip” – pits his ego against Brendan’s… A soundtrack from Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo inspires hand-holding… Iconoclastic artist Barbara Kruger points and doesn’t shoot… And Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D shred etiquette to pieces. Also, humorist Simon Rich ponders barbarism and hamsters, […]

This week: Aussie actor Joel Edgerton (“The Great Gatsby,” “Warrior”) dances into the spotlight with wildly different fall projects, including this week’s “Felony”… Filmmaker Justin Simien (“Dear White People”) explores the many shades of black identity, and talks etiquette with y’all… A be-witching soundtrack from electro-pop songstress Banks…Food falls from the sky! Brendan opens his mouth… The strange backstories of fragrances, […]

A podcast-only bonus! WARNING: These performances from our recent live show are smart, funny, and NOT for family listening. (Cursing, frank conversation about sex, etc. Please listen responsibly.) Great stuff though! Comic Moshe Kasher on his Mom’s nontraditional approach to sex ed… & comedy duo Garfunkel & Oates explain how not to break up.

This week: Filmmaker, writer, and ‘Pope of Trash’ John Waters offers etiquette advice, naturally… Jenny Slate, star of the film “Obvious Child,” says ‘complicated’ and ‘comedy’ can coexist… Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit bring board games and tacos to their dinner cozy party … When we’re hungry, why do we get ‘hangry’? … From […]

Actor Jeffrey Tambor comes to terms with a catch-phrase … Perfume Genius really wants you to care as much about these songs as he does … Quincy Jones shares what he learned from jazz man Clark Terry … What a jar of baby food teaches us about society … Edgar Allan Poe’s creepy demise – […]

Actress Mia Wasikowska (“Alice in Wonderland”) makes “Tracks” across the Outback… British film star Nick Frost (“The Boxtrolls,” “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz”) squares off against etiquette monsters and bachelor party killjoys… Inner-party music from Interpol… “New Yorker” writer John Lahr writes the book on playwright Tennessee Williams… One of history’s strangest bar bets… Susan […]

Actor Bill Hader shows off his drama schooling … Bergdorf’s Betty Halbreich dresses down America, while endorsing wearing hats on your face … Biographer Mark Whitaker reflects on Bill Cosby’s comedy and complicated identity … Alt-country musician MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger crafts a party playlist for introverts … Marlon James’ novel humanizes Bob Marley stalkers, and would-be […]

This week: Actor James McAvoy (of “X Men” and “Filth”) flies the Scottish flag … Writer-director Jon Favreau cooks up a foodie film … Top author of the summer Emma Straub keeps the vacation going forever … Indie pop duo Sylvan Esso score your next brat barbecue … The one time when you want food to stain your […]

This week: Comedy legend Mel Brooks reanimates “Young Frankenstein” then offers priceless etiquette advice (warning: may include death threats, flatulence, gallows humor, and uncontrollable laughter)… Actress Greta Gerwig (“Frances Ha”) tries a love story on for size… AC Newman of indie rock super-group The New Pornographers spins a party soundtrack that’s so cool, it’ll annoy you… […]

Actor Daniel Radcliffe’s favorite language … NOLA rocker Benjamin Booker’s wild party … The era when your granddad’s music was super-rebellious … Emily Post-approved place-settings for palaces (and regular restaurants) … Novelist Edan Lepucki’s arty darkness in the California sun … Hula hooping to outer space … Cronuts, ramen burgers, donnolis, and the future of fusion […]

Elisabeth Moss’ supernatural surprise … Taking on George Takei .. Jon Wurster drums in some etiquette lessons … An apple a day won’t keep Alice Waters away … We dig up the story of Daguerreotypes … Greg Poehler is an American fish in an cold Swedish pond … Otis Gibbs rambles about being a ramblin’ man … […]

This week: Stage and screen star Kevin Spacey channels Richard III (and Bill Clinton)… Food icon Ruth Reichl has us eating her words… Folk-rocker Todd Snider meets Tony Bennett in an unlikely place… English pop duo Elephant come together to DJ a dance party… Pluto gets discovered, gets a name – and then gets demoted […]

This week: Portlandia duo Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen open up about hot-tubs, underwear, and weddings … Music multi-hyphenate Pharrell Williams explains his ‘exotic rainbow’ of ‘Happy’-ness … Danish electro-pop phenom Mø spins us a party playlist… author Cari Lynn tells the tale of a NOLA birthday party of ill-repute… How the grandest experiment in […]

A couple weeks ago, The Dinner Party Download took a trip down south to North Carolina to stage a special live event in conjunction with the Merge 25 music festival. Over three days, dozens of bands from the indie record label Merge’s 25 year history gathered together – and we were delighted to help kick […]