Piece image

SOTRU - Welcome to DC

From: Al Letson
Series: State of the Re:Union
Length: 58:59

Embed_button
In the show's pilot episode, host Al Letson, familiarizes the listener with a side of the Capitol City that most visitors never get to see; a thriving metropolis removed from the politics that govern this nation. The District is filled with arts and culture unique to the area, individuals striving to make the city a better place, and neighborhoods struggling to return to their former glory. So joins us for the next sixty minutes as we explore the undiscovered country right in our own backyard. Read the full description.

Stateofthereunionlogo_small In the show's pilot episode, host Al Letson, familiarizes the listener with a side of the Capitol City that most visitors never get to see; a thriving metropolis removed from the politics that govern this nation. The District is filled with arts and culture unique to the area, individuals striving to make the city a better place, and neighborhoods struggling to return to their former glory. So joins us for the next sixty minutes as we explore the undiscovered country right in our own backyard.

Billboard (:59)
Incude: "That is Go-Go"
Outcue: "...first this news"

News Hole: 1:00-6:00

SEGMENT A (15:30)
Incue:" The way to diffuse"
Outcue: "State of the Re:Union"

A-. Welcome to the Re:Union
Al starts the show explaining the goal of the series and the focus of its first episode, Washington DC.

A-2. Taxation without representation.
Summer Mathis, editor of the local news site, the DCist.com, gives listeners a feel for the city beyond government buildings and discusses the District of Columbia's unusual position in national politics.

A-3. Poetic Interlude - Spoken-word/Hip-Hop artists, the Poem-Cees set the stage for the next story and the area that surrounds it.

A-4. Busboys and Poets - A DC landmark with a mission.

SEGMENT B (17:59)
Incue: "I was once told"
Outcue: "State of the Re:Union"

B-1. The History of the Shaw
We hear the incredible history of DC's Shaw district. From it's beginnings as an all-black neighborhood, the growth of Black Broadway and the violent riots that destroyed the area to its modern day struggles with gentrification.

B-2. Poetic Interlude

B-3. Dischord House - Al speaks with punk and independent music pioneer, Ian MacKaye about the DC-based record label Dischord and its history with the city it calls home.

SEGMENT C (16:59)
Incue: "The Verizon Center..."
Outcue: "Welcome to DC"

C-1. The Wooly Mammoth
An avant grade theatre that pushes limits in the Nation's Capital and in doing so uniquely represents the city itself.

C-2. Go-Go - An infectious uptempo groove rarely heard outside of DC has been making people dance in the capital city for over two decades. Listeners learn about the genres history, it's draws, and why it packs clubs across town most nights a week.

C-3 Wrap-up / Montage - Residents of the city describe DC in their own words

PROGRAM OUT @ 59:00

This episode made possible by CPB and PRX. Produced by Al Letson and Taki Telonidis

Also in the State of the Re:Union series

Piece image

SOTRU - State of the Re:Union Evergreen Promo (:30)
From: Al Letson

In one town, it might be an oil spill. "I should not have seen three dead dolphins in my lifetime. And I've seen em." In another, saving a basketball team, "That tweet I sent ...
Caption: Brooklyn - Change Happens, Credit: State of the Re:Union

SOTRU - Brooklyn: Change Happens (53:53)
From: Al Letson

Brooklyn is New York's most populous borough. Ever evolving, Brooklyn has been celebrated as everything from a bastion of industry to a refuge for immigrants from around the ...
Piece image

SOTRU - Oakridge: A Work in Progress (53:53)
From: Al Letson

Back in the timber industry’s heyday, the small mill town of Oakridge, Oregon was thriving. Business was booming. Then in the early 1990s, the saws stopped. The mills shut ...
Piece image

SOTRU - New Orleans: The Big Easy (53:53)
From: Al Letson

The city of New Orleans is as proud of its traditions as it is steeped in them. But since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the city and its residents have been thrust ...
Caption: Growing Power, Credit: State of the Re:Union

SOTRU - Milwaukee: City of Vision (53:53)
From: Al Letson

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, once referred to as "America's Machine Shop", has suffered a similar fate to other rust-belt cities. But despite the decline of some of its industries, ...
Piece image

SOTRU - Greensburg: To the Stars through Difficulties (53:53)
From: Al Letson

One night in May of 2007, a tornado wiped Greensburg, Kansas, off the map. The town's residents have decided to not only resurrect the town, but to rebuild in a true spirit ...
Piece image

SOTRU - Who Is This Man? A State of the Re:Union Black History Month Special (58:23)
From: Al Letson

Discover the words and wisdom of an unsung hero of the Civil Rights movement who changed the course of American history.
Caption: Zach Mannheimer and Matt Maguyver of the Des Moines Social Club

SOTRU - Des Moines: Heart of the Heartland (58:55)
From: Al Letson

Join State of the Re:Union as the show travels to the surprisingly metropolitan and remarkably progressive city of Des Moines, Iowa. Discover an immigrant Iraqi family's take ...
Caption: Al interviewing at the Midnight Mass, Credit: Ian Desousa

SOTRU - Jacksonville: Bold New City of the South? (58:59)
From: Al Letson

This episode SOTRU visits the host Al Letson's hometown, Jacksonville, Florida and ask the question, "Is Jacksonville a Bold New City of the South?"
Piece image

SOTRU - Detroit: Motor City Rebound (59:00)
From: Al Letson

If you listen to the news, you've heard a lot about Detroit lately, none of it very good. This week SOTRU and host Al Letson travels to Detroit to move beyond the headlines ...

Piece Description

In the show's pilot episode, host Al Letson, familiarizes the listener with a side of the Capitol City that most visitors never get to see; a thriving metropolis removed from the politics that govern this nation. The District is filled with arts and culture unique to the area, individuals striving to make the city a better place, and neighborhoods struggling to return to their former glory. So joins us for the next sixty minutes as we explore the undiscovered country right in our own backyard.

Billboard (:59)
Incude: "That is Go-Go"
Outcue: "...first this news"

News Hole: 1:00-6:00

SEGMENT A (15:30)
Incue:" The way to diffuse"
Outcue: "State of the Re:Union"

A-. Welcome to the Re:Union
Al starts the show explaining the goal of the series and the focus of its first episode, Washington DC.

A-2. Taxation without representation.
Summer Mathis, editor of the local news site, the DCist.com, gives listeners a feel for the city beyond government buildings and discusses the District of Columbia's unusual position in national politics.

A-3. Poetic Interlude - Spoken-word/Hip-Hop artists, the Poem-Cees set the stage for the next story and the area that surrounds it.

A-4. Busboys and Poets - A DC landmark with a mission.

SEGMENT B (17:59)
Incue: "I was once told"
Outcue: "State of the Re:Union"

B-1. The History of the Shaw
We hear the incredible history of DC's Shaw district. From it's beginnings as an all-black neighborhood, the growth of Black Broadway and the violent riots that destroyed the area to its modern day struggles with gentrification.

B-2. Poetic Interlude

B-3. Dischord House - Al speaks with punk and independent music pioneer, Ian MacKaye about the DC-based record label Dischord and its history with the city it calls home.

SEGMENT C (16:59)
Incue: "The Verizon Center..."
Outcue: "Welcome to DC"

C-1. The Wooly Mammoth
An avant grade theatre that pushes limits in the Nation's Capital and in doing so uniquely represents the city itself.

C-2. Go-Go - An infectious uptempo groove rarely heard outside of DC has been making people dance in the capital city for over two decades. Listeners learn about the genres history, it's draws, and why it packs clubs across town most nights a week.

C-3 Wrap-up / Montage - Residents of the city describe DC in their own words

PROGRAM OUT @ 59:00

This episode made possible by CPB and PRX. Produced by Al Letson and Taki Telonidis

Musical Works

Title Artist Album Label Year Length
From Creation Thievery Corporation The Richest Man in Babylon. 03:00
Un Simple Histoire (A Simple History) Thievery Corporation The Richest Man in Babylon. 00:35
Switch it Up Middle Distance Runner Middle Distance Runner. 01:00
Gentle Shifts South Jason Moran Modernistic. 02:00
The Scat Song Cab Callaway The Scat Song. 01:00
On Your Way The Album Leaf In a Safe Place. 01:00
The Cousin of Death Beastie Boys The Mix Up. 01:00
When it Falls Zero 7 When it Falls. 02:00
In A Sentimental Mood John Coltrane In a Sentimental Mood. 02:00
Mister Magic Grover Washington Mister Magic. 01:00
Lock it Rare Essence Lock it. 00:30
One Thing Amerie Touch. 01:00