Wow. Video via Crooks & Liars.

[this is my soapbox, so I'm using it goddammit]



Subject: I support Sam Seder & the Majority Report.
Date: August 10, 2006 9:26:42 AM CDT
To: supporttheshow@majorityreportradio.com

To whom it may concern, whether they be the powers that be at Air America Radio, or simply the hard-working producers & hosts of the network's evening program, the Majority Report:

I would consider myself a loyal Air America listener. I was streaming it on my computer from day one, March 31st 2004, and have been regularly downloading Air America Place podcasts & writing about/promoting the network on my blog (the-big-ticket.blogspot.com) periodically since that day. I joined Air America Premium as soon as it was announced this spring, and I listen to its downloads on my iPod every day on my way to & from work. Basically, Air America has been a fixture in my everyday life for the past 2+ years, despite the repetitiveness & annoyance factor of the network's less than stellar advertising (another reason I love AAR Premium).

I never miss the Majority Report. It has been my favorite show on Air America, even from its rocky early days after the initial launch. I tuned in enthusiastically to the show's 2004 convention coverage & its on-location broadcasts from NYC's the Tank, the Aspen Comedy Festival, Yearly Kos & others. I listened & laughed along as hosts Sam Seder & Janeane Garofalo gave their running commentary over President Bush's State of the Union speeches, as well as others. The Majority Report is Air America's best connection to the liberal blogosphere (I have become an avid reader of political blogs) & the Democratic netroots, both vital elements in the new progressive movement of which Air America is also a vital part.

In the wake of Ned Lamont's people-powered victory in this week's Connecticut primary, it's important to note that Sam Seder was way ahead of the curve in covering the Lieberman/Lamont race, giving Ned his first big media interview during the campaign's infancy & featuring him on his show (or when he ably guest-hosted for Al Franken & Randi Rhodes on several occasions) repeatedly long before Joe was down in the polls. I believe Sam Seder was instrumental in raising Lamont's profile & accurately focusing on many Democrats' frustration with Lieberman, helping build the narrative that led to Ned's grassroots victory. The Majority Report/Daily Kos partnership for the regular Fighting Dems segment has also been a fantastic concept, which will hopefully help lead to future Democratic victories in this fall's mid-term congressional elections.

While Janeane Garofalo may have had a bigger profile & more recognizable name, Sam Seder has been the show's driving force all along (a far cry from "the barnacle on the S.S. Garofalo"). Even Janeanne has admitted that he has become a better broadcaster over the last two years, as Sam truly made the Majority Report his own during the long stretches of Janeanne's West Wing-related absences. Sam has been Air America's utility man, stepping in to guest-host time & time again for Air America's other shows, including some particularly memorable marathon seven hour stretches while being the voice of both the Majority Report & the Randi Rhodes show. Sam's solid knowledge of current issues & his distinctive sense of humor have made him a fun, relatable & reliable on-air personality & a major asset to the Air America family.

Unfortunately & astonishingly, Sam & his show's future on the network are apparently uncertain.

In this listener's humble opinion, I think it would be a terrible mistake & a huge loss for Air America Radio if the Majority Report was cancelled & Sam Seder was let go. I believe Air America made a similar large error when Marc Maron & Mark Riley's innovative, entertaining & much-beloved Morning Sedition was cancelled last December. The early demise of the LA-based Marc Maron Show & the recent ill-fated attempt to lure Maron back to NYC to host mornings again serve as proof that I am not alone in my beliefs. After losing such unique programming like Morning Sedition & Unfiltered, the possible removal of the Majority Report from Air America's line-up would strip the network's of nearly all the idiosyncratic personality that drew me in initially & made me an avid listener.

On a personal note, Sam Seder & his show have come to mean a lot to me. Dropping them from Air America would be very disappointing to me & would irrevocably alter my positive & supportive view of the network, despite my sincere belief in its endeavors. If the Air America brass is listening out there, I passionately urge you to keep Sam on the air. Frankly, I cannot imagine why you wouldn't.

If the Majority Report truly is in its last days (it's incredibly sad to even write about that possibility), I would like to wholeheartedly thank both Sam & Janeane for all their talent & humor & passion & determination in putting together a show that has made me laugh, gotten me angry, kept me interested and helped to inform me over the past 2+ years. I have truly enjoyed their work, I appreciate all of their efforts, and I have loved their show. Thank you.

-mr gilbert
Minneapolis, MN
Air America Premium member
Proud owner of F.U.B.A.R.

Pitchfork was a total blast.

MP3 Jens Lekman - "A Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill"
From Lekman's 2005 odds & ends release, Oh You're So Silent Jens.



YouTube: Art Brut - "Good Weekend (7/29/06)" via Pitchfork











And last nite at the Varsity, Diplo & friends capped off the long weekend.


MOV "Let's Make Love & Listen To Death From Above" (82mb)


MP3 Cansei de Ser Sexy - "Music is My Hot, Hot Sex"
From CSS' recently released self-titled Sub Pop debut. It's the hotness.

Yawn. Good nite.

ETA: Elsewhere, Fluxblog & marathonpacks have their own festival breakdowns.

Tons more pix all over Flickr, including two sets from Chicagoist.