Open Mike Eagle is Creating Amazing Content

I seek a lot of escape, education, distraction and magic through my ears. Walk the dogs, drive to groceries, lift weight, wash dishes, put away clothes, shovel the snow that will one day arrive, do more dishes, sit in the sauna. I’ve got earbuds in for all of that. I love radio. I love music. I love podcasts. I’ve got my go-tos. I was just smiling from ear to ear today because Bomani Jones is back making podcasts and today in reference to a black quarterback phenomenon I barely understand because I don’t watch football Bomani still lined up an incredible run of mildly obscure references to white R&B/soul singers. Laughed just at the construction and at how much he was cracking himself up (19:31 in the video).

I don’t want on YouTube because what has time for entertainment in my chapter in life right now is my ears. The eyes and the hands are busy. But having Bomani in an unscripted video experience is the ideal. The man is wildly talented but it’s more him without the script. In my opinion he doesn’t need a writer’s room, he needs a podcast. And he’s back.

But Open Mike Eagle is taking the cake. He has been doing a podcast called “What Had Happened Was” for a handful of years and it has the production quality and narrative arc of an interview show, but the comfy bullshitty chew the fat energy of a “same folks every week” podcast. He hits both by having the same guest in for an entire season. At some point even if Open Mike Eagle isn’t friends with guests like El-P, Prince Paul, Questlove et cetera. . .they grow to find a chemistry. Cause Mike is a wildly charismatic person. The show is so commited to providing a level of quality that I think must be such a small market. The theme songs are co-created with the guests and they’re awesome. When they come upon a topic that would benefit from an audio clip, they take the time to drop it in just right. It is an incredible thing to listen to. I love the Roots. Right, I’m not saying I’ve bought every record from the back half of their career. But it’s so interesting to hear Questlove discuss the “tribulations” of a group that I think of as just such a profound success relative to my live band hip-hop trajectory. But Questlove is sharing it all, and sharing it compellingly and Open Mike Eagle is a huge part of that recipe. It is just absolutely invigorating to listen to this podcast and I’m just hear typing in hopes that Open Mike Eagle gets a couple more listeners off this. Cause when you are making world class shit people should take the time to spread the word and get more people involved. Open Mike Eagle is doing the damn thing and you should listen. For now watch this little clip but this whole season is an audio journey I recommend you take.