During my commute to and from my daily responsibilities at Seattle Pacific University, I often listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and new releases. But most of the time, I just hit “Shuffle” to see what pops out of my lifelong music library. When it’s a happy surprise, I turn it up… and often I’ll play it more than once. And sometimes I’ll fight the urge to roll down the windows and share it with the world. It occurred to me today:... Read more
Hello, class! I’m Joe Allen, your new substitute teacher, so to speak. You know how Dr. Evil had his “Mini-Me”? For a while, I’m going to be Overstreet’s Mini-Me. I’m a new Looking Closer intern, shouting out the news from the Looking Closer front porch, and helping fill the gaps while our usual show host strives to stay afloat amidst the stormy seas of a full-time job and graduate school. I’ll take notes he sends me and pass them along to... Read more
I've seen three memorable movies in the last three weeks. Two of them come from world-renowned directors, and one of them is as crazy and strange as time-travel stories get. Read more
Want an injection of instant joy? I’ve just heard the most joyful song about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Thank you, Belle and Sebastian! Read more
I saw all of the Oscar hopefuls, and none of them have stayed with me as powerfully as these unpredictable, suspenseful, and richly rewarding films. Read more
Legendary guitarist and songwriter Bruce Cockburn spoke about the Psalms as he moved from song to song during his short, seven-song set on Thursday in Seattle. Read more
Are you excited about Galaxy Quest coming to television? What's your favorite album of 2015 so far? How about They Might Be Giants — what's your favorite album from their 31 years of recording? Read more
What's your favorite record of 2015 so far? Let me know, and I'll try to make find time to mention it during the live podcast recording of the show. Read more
The new album by Bettye LaVette, produced by Joe Henry, features some excellent test cases when it comes to the subject of cover songs. Read more
We held our breath. The Lucasfilm logo came up. We cheered. Familiar music. Familiar sights. And then... Read more
Looking Closer
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