Pop Culture Happy Hour: Live From Sixth And I

NPR

On Tuesday night, December 9, we gathered at the historic Sixth & I synagogue in Washington for our biggest live show yet. Along with our great friend Barrie Hardymon, Stephen, Glen and I talked about some of our takeaways from the year, from podcasts to great books to the music that wouldn't die.

Then, we chat about a couple of pop culture firsts. When was the first time, we try to recall, that we pretended to like something more than we actually did? For Stephen, this is a walk down Big Hair Memory Lane. For Barrie, it brings her back to the books she didn't really read. For me, it's all about the fashion. And for Glen ... well, you'll see.

We also tackle our "first second thoughts" — the times we've sat and wondered whether something we love just isn't as good as we originally thought it was.

As always, we close the show with what's making us happy — this time, not just this week, but in 2014. Stephen loves the way a couple of albums came into his life, especially one in particular that came too late last year for inclusion in year-end lists. Glen is happy about a whole bunch of comics: a beard, a superhero, a four where you'd expect no four, a story about hip-hop, a study in contrasts, a "pretty" series, and what Glen calls possibly his favorite book of the year. Barrie salutes an HBO show and an actor for whom she sees a brilliant continuing future, and I express my great hope that the musical will continue to thrive.

On a later episode, you'll hear the quizzes we did with our wonderful pals and collaborators Kat Chow and Matt Thompson and our equally wonderful pals and radio heroes Audie Cornish and Bob Mondello.

Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter: me, Stephen, Barrie, producer Jessica, and pal and producer emeritus Mike.