So, Wednesday night, hubby and I traveled into the city to see a live broadcast of Welcome to Night Vale. Welcome to Night Vale is a podcast that airs bi-monthly. It is a faux radio program with news, announcements, advertisements and the weather.
How to describe this show? It's kind of a weird program. It's set in a small desert town somewhere in the Southwest of the US. The announcer of the program is Cecil Baldwin and there are guests that show up as well, so it is not just a one man program.
Night Vale is dark and the people of Night Vale like it that way. There are scientists, a shape in the local park, mysterious lights, a glowing cloud (All Hail!), doors to another dimension, a faceless woman secretly living in your home, a five-headed dragon, strange helicopters over Night Vale, some things mysteriously appear, some things mysteriously disappear. It's basically about every kind of conspiracy theory being true and happening in Night Vale.
I started to listen, but got woefully behind. Still, hubby wanted to go and I just love seeing quirky indie type productions.
In the live broadcast, StrexCorp (the evil enterprise)has hosted a company picnic that is mandatory fun, but the employees can't escape the picnic. There is a rebellion against StrexCorp and the Greater Desert Bluffs Metropolitan area. There is a bright light, strange helicopters, doors to another dimension which some Night Vale residents have passed through, some not-angels named Erica and some giants joining the fight against StrexCorp, an election where the Faceless Woman Secretly Living in Your House is running for mayor against the five-headed dragon.
I was really enjoying the show when a character was introduced as Intern Maureen and I nearly fell out of my chair. Intern Maureen was played by none other than Maureen Johnson, author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes and the Shades of London series!!
It really was the oddest thing. I have seen Maureen Johnson's books on the shelf, but never had any particular interest in picking them up. Then she is the keynote speaker at the Blogger Con breakfast and she was hilarious!!! I resolved right then and there to try out some of her books. Had I not been at Blogger Con, I would have been completely ignorant of who she was. That is synchronicity for you.
By the way, I did pick up 13 Little Blue Envelopes and Name of the Star tonight.
I've never heard of this podcast, but it sounds right up my alley! And how cool that Maureen Johnson showed up the same night you were there! Very cool! What other cool things have you not shared with me? hmmmmm?
ReplyDeleteNeal Gaiman is going to be at Carnegie Hall and I entered a raffle for tickets, but you're kind of far away.
DeleteHonestly, though, usually Cam finds the cool things.
I can listen to the podcast through iTunes, but you should be able to google search for a listening platform. They should be free to listen to.