Podcasts I Have Loved: Dreamboy

[andraste]

Dreamboy is a great podcast that is difficult to describe but here goes: a musician named Dane moves into his friend's house in Pepper Heights, Cleveland, for the winter. In theory he is there to write some music, but in practice he divides his time between working a crappy job at the weird local zoo and fruitlessly browsing Grindr. Then he meets a boy who is having the exact same weird dream he's having ... oh, and also there's a murderous zebra and did I mention it's a musical?

None of that gets anywhere near capturing the charm of this quirky show, which is both more and less weird than the premise makes it sound. Less so because I feel like I've been exactly where Dane is, as most people have, no matter how much the details of the crappy job and the time-wasting phone app vary from person to person. More so because it's about the deep strangeness of suburbia and the stuff that hides inside and behind modern life. Also because of the murderous zebra and the songs. (And the songs about the murderous zebra. And the singing drag queen who is dressed like the zebra, because why not?) It's both poignant and creepy and really funny.

Also, something that may be a bug or a feature depending on personal preference: this is easily the most sexually explicit podcast I have ever listened to. Which makes sense, since sex is one of those things that hides inside suburbia. Along with mysterious Girl Scouts, random cakes, surprise exotic wasps, and those dreams about weird giant fish.

The show has just finished its first season, and while I do hope they make more, it tells a complete story that comes to what would be a satisfying conclusion if they didn't.

Comments

[astrogirl]

You know, I was easily resisting picking up this podcast, because I cannot remotely begin to even keep up with all the podcasts I'm already subscribed to, and it's becoming a little frustrating.

But I went to a Welcome to Night Vale live show earlier this month and Dane opened for them, and he was just weirdly captivating. And had a surprising and lovely singing voice, too. So I fear I may have have to check it out, after all. But where on Earth am I going to find the time?

[andraste]

But I went to a Welcome to Night Vale live show earlier this month and Dane opened for them, and he was just weirdly captivating. And had a surprising and lovely singing voice, too. So I fear I may have have to check it out, after all. But where on Earth am I going to find the time?

I feel your pain. My fiction queue isn't too bad at the moment (but which I mean I have only about a dozen things I want to try but don't have time for) but my non-fiction list is completely out of control.

I'm sorry that I missed those lives shows, because I would have been fascinated to hear how they kept Dreamboy PG-13 through an entire performance. (Then again, for the live WtNV show I did see they brought Dessa as the weather, which was awesome.)

[astrogirl]

I'm trying very hard to not want to try things, fiction or non-fiction, but I am apparently not very good at it. :)

And I'd say it hovered pretty much right on the thin edge of me worrying "Oh, dear, should my friend actually have brought his kid to this?", but more or less managed to stay there.

[st_aurafina]

I will give that a go, for sure! Thank you for the rec.

[andraste]

My pleasure! I love to spread the news of weird musicals about murderous zebras to all.

[st_aurafina]

IT'S SO GOOD OMG.

I'm two episodes in and I've had to slow down or I'll burn through it too fast. The drag queen zebras, omg.

[andraste]

So glad you're enjoying it, and the dragon queen zebras are indeed wonderful!