Radiolab: "Curious Sounds: A Radiolab Concert"

Date: June 28, 2011
Hosts: Jad Abumrad, Robert Krulwich
Guests/Performers: Buke and Gase, Glenn Kotche, Reggie Watts
Venue: NYU Skirball Center, Live Audience

Episode Overview

This special episode of Radiolab pivots from its usual deep-dive journalism to celebrate the musicality at the show's core. Broadcast from a live concert at NYU’s Skirball Center before an audience of more than 860, Jad Abumrad introduces three innovative acts—Buke and Gase, Glenn Kotche, and Reggie Watts—each of whom blends musical genres in unique and wildly curious ways. The episode unfolds as both a concert and a playful investigation into curiosity and sonic experimentation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Musical Heart of Radiolab

• Radiolab’s Secret Ingredient: Jad shares that at its root, Radiolab is "a deeply musical situation." The show’s approach—merging information and music—is literalized in this episode, as the boundaries between story, science, and sound dissolve on stage.
  • Quote:
    • "If I were to get highfalutin about it for just one second, I would say...that experience of putting [unrelated things] together...that, to me, is what makes life worth living, honestly." (Jad Abumrad, 03:00)

Setting the Stage: The Line-up Explained (02:54–03:35)

• Jad describes the night's three acts as "really hard to describe," each thriving on blending unexpected elements—just as Radiolab does with ideas.

Performance Breakdown, Notable Moments & Quotes

1. Buke and Gase (06:11–09:01)

• Who: A duo, both named Aaron, known for constructing their own instruments (the "buke" and the "gase").
• Performance Excerpt: One song is played, described as one of their more recent offerings.
• Lyrics highlight:
  • “You choose your battles. All that's surely worth their form. Build strong character. That's what you want, that's what you're after.” (Buke and Gase, 07:00)
• Audience & Host Reactions:
  • Jad introduces them as “pillaging my iPod for about six months.”
  • The performance is warmly received, with both Jad and Robert expressing their thanks.
• Transition: Their set is cut for brevity since they’ve been featured previously.

2. Glenn Kotche (Wilco Drummer) (09:01–32:38)

Introduction & Instrumentation (09:01–12:10)

• Glenn, normally of Wilco, is presented in his avant-garde classical mode, surrounded by an odd assortment of objects:
  • Crotales (high bell tones)
  • Tuned cowbells (“Am Glacken”)
  • Prepared snare (“the drum acts as a resonator for these little sounds”)
  • Fruit Bowl Gong (“a wedding present... When you hang it from a rubber band over a contact mic, it sounds really cool, kind of like a big gong.” – Glenn Kotche, 11:20)

Main Pieces

• Monkey Chant (12:33–28:16):
  • Loosely based on the Hindu epic Ramayana; each drum or object represents a different character from the tale.
  • “He could kind of make the whole story unfold before you in music.” (Jad, 12:12)
• Notable Reaction:
  • “That blew my mind.” (Jad, 28:16)

Insights on Music Composition (28:34–29:43)

• Jad asks Glenn about composing for string quartet as a percussionist.

  • Glenn describes mapping his four drum limbs onto the four string players, using rhythmic thinking to drive melodic composition.
    • Quote:
      • “For the Kronos piece...I sat behind the drums and started playing and thought, there’s four guys on stage and I have four limbs. So why don’t I just treat them like a drum set?” (Glenn Kotche, 29:02)

• Second Piece: “Projections of what Might” (29:43–32:38):

  • Another excerpt showcasing Kotche's blending of rhythm, melody, and experimental sound.

3. Reggie Watts (32:42–45:33)

Introduction

• Jad introduces Reggie as indescribable—a hip-hop artist, R&B singer, comedian—all rolled into "the most talented performer I've ever seen." (Jad, 32:42)
• Reggie launches into freeform, often humorous, improvisations and loops, “pretty sure he has zero planned the moment he opens his mouth.” (Jad, 33:40)

Notable Segments & Banter

• Beatboxing and Looping (35:05–36:20):

  • Reggie layers beatboxing with loops, then sings over the structure he creates live on stage.

• On Creative Origins (36:33–38:47):

  • Jad interviews Reggie about his improvisational style:
    • Quote:
      • “I think it started because I was an only child, and you just need to...come up with stuff to, you know, make sure that you're entertained.” (Reggie Watts, 36:52)
    • Reggie entertaining himself led to elaborate model airplane/firework experiments as a kid—a metaphor for his playful, elaborate music-making.
      • “Then I would collect all the pieces and I'd re-glue them together again...” (Reggie, 38:09)

• Classic Reggie Improvisation (40:14–44:40):

  • Mixes soulful singing, comic lyrics, and audience interaction.
    • “Cause babe built a Trojan horse into my heart. Cause babe built biggest goddamn Trojan horse to get it into my...” (Reggie Watts, 43:11)
    • "Let's play some skirt ball, let's do this...I've got some glasses. I can say that proudly." (Reggie, 44:40)

4. Grand Finale: The Epic Jam (45:34–46:31)

• All three acts join for an improvised jam. Initially “a little bit shaky,” it settles into an energetic collaboration.
  • “But eventually they locked in and it started to sound really good. Not bad, right?” (Jad, 46:01)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Metaphor and Curiosity

  • “Finding an affinity between two things that are on opposite sides of the universe, that, to me, is what makes life worth living, honestly.” (Jad Abumrad, 03:00)

• On Drumming-as-Orchestra

  • “The drum acts as a resonator for these little sounds.” (Glenn Kotche, 11:00)

• On Improvisation

  • “Pretty sure he has zero planned the moment he opens his mouth.” (Jad Abumrad describing Reggie Watts, 33:40)
  • “It started because I was an only child, and you just need to, like, you need to come up with stuff to...make sure that you’re entertained.” (Reggie Watts, 36:52)

• On Blurring Genre

  • “He’s kind of everything all at once...And he just happens to be maybe the most talented performer I’ve ever seen.” (Jad Abumrad introducing Reggie Watts, 32:42)

Important Timestamps

• [03:00] – Jad explains the concert’s guiding metaphor about the thrill of connecting disparate things.
• [06:11–09:01] – Buke and Gase perform.
• [09:01–12:33] – Glenn Kotche’s instrument demo and intro.
• [12:33–28:16] – Glenn Kotche: "Monkey Chant" performance.
• [28:34–29:43] – Glenn on composing for string quartet as a percussionist.
• [29:43–32:38] – Glenn’s second piece, "Projections of what Might".
• [32:42–35:05] – Introduction and start of Reggie Watts’s set.
• [36:33–38:47] – Reggie on his childhood creative habits.
• [40:14–44:40] – Reggie’s soulful/comedic improvisation.
• [45:34–46:31] – All acts jam together to close the event.

Episode Tone & Atmosphere

• Playful: The hosts’ banter sets a mischievous and humorous tone.
• Experimental: Music is approached as experimental art, not just performance.
• Celebratory: There’s a palpable sense of celebration—of curiosity, of collaboration, and of music’s power to stitch together genres, ideas, and people.

Summary

"Curious Sounds: A Radiolab Concert" captures the podcast's soul—curious, inventive, and always blending genres and ideas. By swapping narrative segments for live performance, Radiolab highlights the artistry behind their sound design and the pleasure of unscripted, collaborative creativity. The trio of performances—from homespun indie ingenuity, to orchestral percussion repurposed, to kaleidoscopic vocal loop comedy—embody the joy of bringing together disparate worlds. For listeners, it’s a chance to hear curiosity, in multiple forms, made musical.