Bullseye with Jesse Thorn
Episodes
Drew Magary, author of 'The Night The Lights Went Out'
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Drew Magary is a writer and novelist. He was a longtime columnist at Deadspin. He's written features for GQ, The Atlantic and more. His latest work is...
They Might Be Giants
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At the heart of They Might Be Giants, there are two Johns: John Flansburgh and John Linnell. The two singer/songwriters have been writing and recordin...
Sébastien Lifshitz, director of 'Little Girl'
09 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The documentary Little Girl is a profile of an 8 year old transgender girl named Sasha living in France. The film talks about the resistance Sasha mee...
Dam-Funk on the Giorgio Moroder song that changed his life
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite artists about the music that made them who they ...
Susan Orlean, author of 'On Animals'
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Orlean has been writing for decades. She's the author of the Orchid Thief, The Library Book and is also a staff writer for the New Yorker. This ...
Tamron Hall
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tamron Hall is a TV veteran: She's host of Emmy Award-winning talk show Tamron Hall. Before that, Tamron worked in news. She had her own show on MSNBC...
Jo Firestone on 'Good Timing,' 'Joe Pera Talks with You' and more
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jo Firestone's new comedy special Good Timing is the culmination of months of work from her and a group of senior citizens she taught how to do standu...
The Bullseye Halloween Spectacular: Jamie Lee Curtis, Elvira and Harvey Guillén
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week: a very spooky Bullseye Halloween spectacular! We've got Jamie Lee Curtis, Harvey Guillén and the one and only Elvira, Mistress of the Dark...
John Carpenter
15 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John Carpenter has made an impact on film in two different disciplines. As a director , there's so many memorable movies in his filmography: Halloween...
Sonia Manzano on playing "Sesame Street's" Maria and creating "Alma's Way"
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For nearly 5 decades, Sonia Manzano played the part of Maria on Sesame Street. The role came to be during her college years while she was studying act...
Mac McCaughan: Superchunk, solo records, Merge Records
08 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 1989, Mac McCaughan co-founded the band Superchunk. The band was abrasive and vulnerable; Guitars dominated their sound, with Mac's voice sitting l...
Photographer Gusmano Cesaretti, and graffiti artist Chaz Bojórquez
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The photography book Street Writers: A Guided Tour Of Chicano Graffiti was first published in 1975. To the extent that a photography book can be a cul...
Mark Mothersbaugh: The Craziest Day of My Entire Career
01 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Mothersbaugh doesn't need much of an introduction. He's a composer who's worked in TV and film for almost 40 years now. And, of course, he's also...
G Perico
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
G Perico is a gangster rapper from Los Angeles. That puts him firmly in a tradition stretching from Ice T and the DOC in the 80s through Ice Cube and ...
The Song That Changed My Life: Buddy Guy
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite artists about the music that made them who they ...
Jessica St. Clair and Dan O'Brien
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica St. Clair is a comedy writer and actor. Alongside Lennon Parham, she created and starred in the comedy series Playing House, which aired for t...
I Wish I'd Made That: Nick Offerman
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Artists, musicians, and filmmakers are often inspired by what they see or hear. Sometimes that thing is so great, they tell us they wish they made it ...
Remembering Michael K. Williams
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Michael K. Williams died earlier this month. He was 54 years old. He was best known for playing Omar Little on The Wire. Michael began his caree...
David Byrne
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
David Byrne! The one and only. The founder of the Talking Heads talks with Jesse about his latest project American Utopia, and his return to playing l...
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have been working together for 40 years, producing some of the biggest R&B records of all time. In their four decades of wor...
Rostam on the Paul Simon song that changed his life
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite artists about the music that made them who they ...
Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hannah Waddingham stars alongsie Jason Sudekis in Ted Lasso. She plays team owner Rebecca Welton in the series. Hannah joins guest host Linda Holmes ...
Uzo Aduba: In Treatment, Orange is the New Black and more
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Uzo Aduba first rose to fame playing a character known as Crazy Eyes. It was on Orange Is the New Black, a part of the first class of original TV show...
Bonus: Remembering Zumbi, of Zion I
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Zumbi, born Steve Gaines, made up half of the Oakland duo Zion I, who were stalwarts of the Bay Area hip-hop scene for decades. Zumbi died at 49 and w...
Sam Richardson
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode we welcome back Sam Richardson! His breakthrough role came in HBO's Veep. The political satire starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus wher...
Aidy Bryant on Shrill, Saturday Night Live, and more
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Odds are, you probably know Aidy Bryant from Saturday Night Live. She's been on the cast now for almost a decade. She's been on the cast now for almos...
Jonathan Majors
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan Majors has been acting professionally for just under five years now. He's done theater, TV, and starred in movies. In that short amount of ti...
Alice Waters, chef and activist
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
50 years ago, in Berkeley, Calif., a restaurant called Chez Panisse opened its doors. It wasn't super buzzy at the time. The chef, Alice Waters, hadn'...
Kamasi Washington
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're revisiting our conversation with Kamasi Washington, one of the greatest living saxophone players. In the studio, he's played saxophone and arran...
Busy Philipps
30 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Busy Phillipps has well amassed over 60 credits on the big and small screen. Her first big break came when she was just 20 years old on the acclaimed ...
Tom Scharpling
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For over 20 years, Tom Scharpling has hosted The Best Show. It aired on the New York public radio station WFMU until around 2013, and now it's a podca...
Andrew McCarthy
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Brat Pack, as you might know, is a term for a group of 8 or so actors who starred in about a dozen movies in the 1980s. There's Molly Ringwald, Em...
Singer-Songwriter Liz Phair on her New Album "Soberish"
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Look at just about any "greatest albums of all time" list and you'll usually see Liz Phair's 1993 record Exile in Guyville. The album put her on the m...
Remembering Gift of Gab
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're remembering the life of rapper Gift of Gab, who died last month at just 50 years old. Gab was the co-founder and MC for the legendary Northern C...
Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Melissa McCarthy has played some unforgettable parts, like in Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy. She met her husband, Ben Falcone, when they were members ...
John Waters: I Wish I Made Pasolini's 'Salò'
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Content Warning: this segment contains some graphic descriptions of torture, sex and violence. It's an interview with John Waters for a segment we do ...
Patton Oswalt and Meredith Salenger
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Patton Oswalt and Meredith Salenger keep busy with various projects in show business. They're parents, too. The celebrity couple don't get much one-on...
Wendy and Lisa
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're dedicating this week's show to music duo Wendy and Lisa. Together they recorded some stone cold classics with Prince's band The Revolution: Purp...
Canonball: Writer Aaron Carnes on third-wave ska
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Canonball is a segment on Bullseye that gives us a chance to take a closer look at albums that should be considered classics, to find out what makes t...
NBA Hall Of Famer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the greatest basketball players of all time: an NBA Hall of Famer, six-time MVP, 19-time All-Star and, of course, the ma...
Will Forte: MacGruber, SNL and more
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you know Will Forte from one thing, it's probably Saturday Night Live. He was a cast member for eight years, playing characters like MacGruber. He ...
Antonio Banderas on "Pain and Glory," "Mambo Kings" and more
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning actor Antonio Banderas is probably one of the most versatile, charming and handsome actors out there today. You've probably seen him in ...
Ryan O'Connell on Netflix's 'Special'
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Content warning: This interview contains some explicit language and graphic, frank talk about sex that some listeners might be sensitive to. Ryan O'C...
City of Ghosts creator Elizabeth Ito
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
City of Ghosts, the children's show on Netflix, is a bit hard to explain. It's animated in 3-D, and the characters — mostly children — look kind o...
Comedian Chris Gethard on the time he got Diddy to play the UCB theater
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Craziest Day of my Entire Career is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite people about some truly unbelievable stor...
Rick Steves
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rick Steves is probably best known as a public media travel expert. He's mastered the art of travel in his public television programs: Rick Steves' Eu...
Desus Nice and The Kid Mero
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Desus Nice and the Kid Mero are longtime collaborators and friends, having met at summer school in their native Bronx. They started first as podcast h...
Writer and Cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa Hanawalt is a writer, cartoonist, and author of four brilliant books, including "Hot Dog Taste Test" and "My Dirty Dumb Eyes." You may be familia...
That time writer Jonathan Ames broke his nose in a boxing match
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Craziest ******* Day of my Entire Career is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite people about some truly unbelieva...
Sons of Kemet's Shabaka Hutchings
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shabaka Hutchings is a saxophone player and composer. He fronts the bands Sons of Kemet and Shabaka and the Ancestors. His music combines jazz, calyps...
Jason Schreier on the rise and fall of gaming's biggest studios
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For the better part of a decade, the video game industry has made more in revenue than Hollywood. Year after year, it's not even close. Some of the bi...
Ann Dowd
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ann Dowd is a veteran actor. Her career began on the stage, first in Chicago, where she went to school, then in New York. She started appearing on scr...
The Song That Changed My Life: Doc Severinsen
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite artists about the music that made them who they ...
Archivist and filmmaker Rick Prelinger
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rick Prelinger is an archivist and professor at UC Santa Cruz. He's a collector of found and discarded footage: home movies, outtakes from industrial ...
William Jackson Harper
30 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
William Jackson Harper won the hearts of fans as the sweet philosophy professor Chidi Anagonye on NBC's The Good Place. The role helped jump start his...
Documentary Filmmaker Ric Burns
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ric Burns has written, produced, and directed many documentaries over the last 25 years that capture fascinating narratives about different topics in ...
Director Raoul Peck
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Raoul Peck makes sweeping, breathtaking, insightful films that marry the political to the personal. As a director, he's made both documentaries and fe...
Remembering Jessica Walter
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, the actor Jessica Walter died. She was 80 years old, her family says she passed away in her sleep. Her career spanned over six decades. Sh...
Nicole Byer
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nicole Byer is a force of nature. She hosts two game shows and four podcasts. She also writes and does stand-up and improv. She's an Emmy-nominated ac...
David Mitchell and Robert Webb
13 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
British comedy duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb have been making audiences laugh for over two decades. They began their career performing on stage a...
Killer Mike
09 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Killer Mike first joined Bullseye all the way back in 2009. Since then, he's formed the supergroup Run the Jewels with partner El-P, he's appeared in ...
Adam McKay
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Adam McKay's had a pretty eclectic career. He started in sketch comedy. First as a founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade, then as a writer on Saturd...
Jon King of Gang of Four
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The post-punk band Gang of Four was an unstoppable force of danceable beats, abrasive guitar work and unflinchingly political lyrics. Formed in the la...
Christopher Lloyd
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you think of actor Christopher Lloyd, what's the first film of his that comes to mind? Is it the Back to the Future franchise where he starred as...
Riz Ahmed
26 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Riz Ahmed has spent the last decade pursuing dual careers in acting and hip-hop. His work has been political, controversial, funny, subtle — the sor...
Kim Deal of The Breeders
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With a little help from the smash hit "Cannonball" on their 1993 album "Last Splash," The Breeders became one of the biggest names in early '90s alter...
Delroy Lindo, star of 'Da 5 Bloods'
19 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you seen the latest Spike Lee Joint? Da 5 Bloods? It's one of the best movies of 2020. It follows the story of four Black Vietnam war veterans wh...
Poet Nikki Giovanni
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nikki Giovanni is a Grammy-award winning poet, essayist and professor at Virginia Tech University. She's been creating beautiful, plain spoken prose t...
E-40, rap legend
12 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
He goes by many names: Forty Fonzarelli, Charlie Hustle, 40-Water or maybe you know him as the Ambassador of the Bay Area. When it comes to Bay Area h...
Kathryn Hahn
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It Was Kathryn Hahn All Along! Kathryn Hahn shows up just when you need her most in some of our favorite television series and movies of the past 15 y...
Comedian Kate Willett on the Craziest Day of her Entire Career
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Craziest Day of my Entire Career is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite people about some truly unbelievable stor...
Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart: Wolfwalkers, Song of the Sea and more
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're joined by film directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart—creators of the new animated film Wolfwalkers. The film is the third installment in their...
Terrace Martin
26 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Born in Los Angeles' Crenshaw District, Terrace Martin found a love for hip-hop early on. The kids growing up around him were freestyling and playing ...
Errol Morris
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Documentary filmmaker Errol Morris has a very unique style of storytelling. Part of his creative process includes the use of a device he invented call...
Christian Jacobs of The Aquabats
19 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're joined by Christian Jacobs, aka MC Bat Commander. He's the frontman for the SoCal band The Aquabats. The band got their start in the ska scene i...
Holly Hunter
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Holly Hunter's had unforgettable roles in some of the best movies of the last 30 years. She's been nominated for several Academy Awards for her roles ...
Justin and Dr. Sydnee McElroy of the Sawbones podcast
12 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Buckle up folks, it's about to get weird and maybe even a little bit icky! Dr. Sydnee McElroy and Justin McElroy are here to share all the weird and f...
Actor Steven Yeun: Walking Dead, Burning and more
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Steven Yeun played fan-favorite Glenn Rhee for 6 years on AMC's wildly popular series The Walking Dead. He's also appeared in critically-acclaim...
'All Creatures Great And Small' showrunner Ben Vanstone
05 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
All Creatures Great and Small tells the story of a Scottish veterinarian who moves out to the English countryside. It started as a book series written...
Ted Danson
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From his role as the lovable Sam Malone on the classic sitcom Cheers to his role as the goofy demon Michael on The Good Place, Ted Danson has made an ...
John Wilson of "How to with John Wilson"
29 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John Wilson created the series "How To with John Wilson," one of our favorite new shows, a totally unique look at New York City, social anxiety, the p...
Fran Lebowitz
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fran Lebowitz has lived in New York City pretty much her entire life. Her written work often provided American social commentary through her unique le...
Natalie Palamides, creator and star of "Nate: A One Man Show"
22 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Natalie Palamides joins Bullseye this week to talk with guest host Carrie Poppy! Natalie and Carrie talk about Natalie's new Netflix special ...
Isiah Whitlock Jr.
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're joined by actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. He played Clay Davis in the iconic television series The Wire. He's also appeared in some of our f...
Robert Glasper, Grammy-winning R&B artist
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Glasper is a Grammy award-winning pianist, producer and songwriter. He's worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop from Kanye West to Co...
Freddie Gibbs, Grammy nominated rapper
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're revisiting our 2019 conversation with rapper Freddie Gibbs. Freddie joined us to talk about his childhood growing up in Gary, Indiana,...
Michael Ian Black
08 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're joined by comedian and actor Michael Ian Black on an all-new Bullseye! He's a founding member of the comedy groups The State and Stella as well ...
Glynn Turman: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, marrying Aretha Franklin and more
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're back with our first new episode of the year! It's already one of our favorites in recent memory. Actor Glynn Turman talks with us about his extr...
End of Year 2020 Comedy Special
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's the most hilarious time of the year again! That's right, we're back for another End of Year Comedy special. This holiday season the staff at MaxF...
Why Bjork's "Post" is one of the greatest albums of all time
25 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Canonball" is a segment on Bullseye that gives us a chance to take a closer look at albums that should be considered classics, to find out what makes...
Dick Van Dyke
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dick Van Dyke has been entertaining the public for over 70 years. He's a legend of stage and screen – The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins, Bye Bye ...
Bullseye's 2020 Holiday Spectacular!
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's here! Bullseye's Holiday Spectacular has finally arrived and it's a jam packed episode! This year features interviews with guests like musician a...
Cartoonist and Author Adrian Tomine
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Adrian Tomine is a cartoonist. Along with graphic novels like Killing and Drying and Shortcomings, he created the series Optic Nerve, which began publ...
Roman Mars of 99% Invisible
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Roman Mars hosts the radio show and podcast 99% Invisible. It's a show about the little known stories behind everyday design and architecture. Prefabr...
Phil Elverum of The Microphones, Mount Eerie
04 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're revisiting our 2017 conversation with musician Phil Elverum. Phil is a singer-songwriter best known for the music he records as the ba...
Ani DiFranco
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco has been making music since she was a teenager. For decades now, she's recorded and released her music on her own label...
Carrie Coon on 'The Leftovers,' 'Fargo' and 'The Nest'
27 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Carrie Coon is an actor best known for her roles on TV. You've seen her as Nora on HBO's The Leftovers. No one was as fearless and bold as Nora. She w...
David Cross
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Actor and comedian David Cross is our guest! While you may know him best for his stand-up comedy and roles on shows like Arrested Development and Mr. ...
David Letterman
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, our guest is David Letterman. The one and only. He and Jesse talk about the Late Show, about his triumphs and failures, and latest TV show:...
A$AP Ferg
13 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're joined by rapper A$AP Ferg of the A$AP Mob. Born Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr., he grew up in Harlem in an area dubbed "Hungry Ham." His musi...