A Live Podcast Just for You

"Listen to any good podcasts recently?" A question you've probably been asked by a friend, overheard at a party, or even seen as a intro question on Bumble. It's as if podcasts are the best way to get insight into who you are as a person.

It makes sense. The range of podcasts to choose from is enormous, covering an array of topics that can fit any interest. And with the ubiquity of Alexa, Siri, and headphones, podcasts are being constantly streamed—more than 40 million people tune in on a weekly basis, and that number only continues to grow.

On February 14–17, you can ditch your earbuds and experience it in real life. Listen Up Festival, Portland's first citywide podcast festival, is bringing 17 of the nation's best podcasts straight into Portland's favorite hot spots.

Depending on what you're into, the festival has a show for you.

If you're a Pop Culture Fiend…

• Bullseye with Jesse Thorn: NPR’s cultural guide to what’s hip. In the past, Thorn has interviewed Kamasi Washington, Tracee Ellis Ross, and small hands-hater Randy Newman. For the festival, he’ll be talking to Lance Bangs (filmmaker and music video director for Kanye West, Nirvana and more), Corin Tucker (of Sleater-Kinney), and Bill Oakley (The Simpson’s writer).
• Alright Mary: As hosts Colin and Johnny describe their show, “We’re two parts Drag Race viewing party, one part queer studies lecture and a healthy dose of obscure pop culture references, all wrapped in a nuanced layer of Dad jokes and pun-offs and served weekly with a side of piping-hot tea.” The pair will interview Portland’s Darcelle XV, the world’s oldest performing drag queen.
• HORSE: It’s a podcast about the NBA, and the NBA is so much more than just basketball. It’s a pop culture requirement— and here in Rip City, we know this more than anyone (we’re definitely guilty of knowing way too much about the Dame). Hosts Mike Schubert and Eric Silver will come talk about our own Portland Trailblazers and how they define the city today.

If you're a Sex Guru…

• Guys We F#@$!D: Hosted by comedians Krystyna Hutchinson and Corinne Fisher, this show talks unabashedly about sex, love, and relationships—and of course, guys they fucked. Their mission is to spread the word that women should be able to have sex with whoever they want, whenever they want–and not be ashamed about it.
• Food 4 Thot: The four friends who host this podcast bonded over their love of literature, rose, and butt stuff. Two years later, their hit podcast explores sex, relationships, race and identity. They’ll be live over mimosas in Portland’s premier LGBTQIA+ hotel, the Jupiter Hotel.

If you're a Self-Proclaimed Foodie…

• The Sporkful with Dan Pashman: To be fair, host Dan Pashman (James Beard Award winner) says his podcast is not for foodies, but for eaters. He doesn’t want to just look at food but explore the culture and people around it. He’ll be recording a talk with Portland designer Aaron Draplin, discussing menu design, restaurants that write their name in papyrus font, and more.
• She’s Crafty: Catherine Contreras wants to know more about beer—and she’s willing to get drunk while doing it. She’ll be featuring local brewers right here in the beer capital of the US, diving into PDX brew culture.
• Doughboys: Real foodies know that good food doesn’t need a high price tag to be delicious. Hosts Nick Wiger and Mike Mitchell travel around the country eating at fast-food chains and discussing the meals, food, and life in general. They will welcome on a special guest to help review a Portland-based fast food chain.
• Smart Mouth: Host Katherine Spiers, former LA Weekly food editor, searches for what makes people tick. And for her, there is not better way than talking about their favorite dish. She will sit down with a local comedian to discuss Oregon’s greatest food invention—tater tots.

If you're a Supernaturalista…

• Spirits: A boozy deep dive into spooky stories over cocktails. Hosts Julia and Amanda mix a drink and discuss mythology, folklore, and urban legends that haunt us today. They’ll be in the Hoxton Hotel’s underground speakeasy, talking about Portland’s own ghost stories and pouring drinks.
• White Wine True Crime: Think “My Favorite Murder” and then class it up with vino. Caitlin and Kari enjoy a nice glass of pinot with their true crime stories–and they’ll be drinking just that at Coopers Hall with a trained sommelier.

If you're a Self-Starter…

• The Hash: From first hand experience, Oregon knows the greatest entrepreneurial feat of our generation is the cannabis industry. The Hash discusses a concentrated mix of cannabis news and culture in the budding industry, and they’ll be sitting down with cannabis trailblazer Anja Charbonneau, (co-founder of Broccoli Magazine) and other prominent cannabis industry special guests.
• Side Hustle School: Doing a side hustle isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. Hosted by Chris Guillebeau (New York Times bestselling author, world traveler and iTunes Top New Podcast of 2017) will interview a local side hustle success story.
• Probably Science: A show about the science of cannabis hosted by professional comedians with so-so STEM pedigrees.

If you're Seeking Self-Actualization…

• The Good Life Project: If you’re really feeling down in the dumps, this will pull you right out. GLP shares inspirational and disarmingly-unfiltered conversations about a meaning-filled life. Bring tissues, you might need them.
• Yo Is this Racist?: Realizing you might be saying racist things is an actualization we all need. Andrew Ti, Tawny Newsome, and their guests answer questions about whether or not something is, in fact, racist.
• Potterless: Mike Schubert at 25 has never read Harry Potter before. His podcasts follows his journey while he reads the books, finds the plot holes JK Rowling overlooked, and discovers the magic most of us found 15 years ago.

Tickets are for sale at Listenupportland.com. Options vary from single show tickets to multi-show packs.

We're hooking up ticket holders with a discount code for Provenance Hotel group so you can really make it a date and stay at one of their many Portland hotels. For more information, visit listenupportland.com.