

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn
NPR
Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture. Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney's, which called it "the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world."
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 8, 2024 • 43min
Against Me's Laura Jane Grace
Musician Laura Jane Grace fronts the punk band Against Me. On the latest , episode Jordan Morris chats with Laura about her early days playing shows in laundromats, her love of Guns N' Roses, and what it's like to record an album while in quarantine. Laura Jane Grace's latest album Hole in my Head is out now and available on her Bandcamp. Jordan Morris co-hosts a new podcast with Emily Fleming on Maximum Fun called Free with Ads.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Mar 5, 2024 • 34min
Bob Edwards
Bob Edwards died last month. He was 76. Edwards was the original host of Morning Edition when the program launched in 1979 – a legend in the public radio game. To commemorate his passing, we're replaying Jesse's 2007 interview with Edwards - back when the show was broadcast out of the woods in Santa Cruz, CA.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Mar 1, 2024 • 44min
Singer-songwriter Corb Lund
Corb Lund is a country and western musician from Alberta, Canada. He's been recording music since the nineties and just released a new record called El Viejo. Like his earlier work, it's clever, plain spoken and beautifully produced.When Jesse first talked to Lund, back in 2010, it was at a folk festival up in Calgary – his hometown. Now, he joins us in the studio with his guitar to talk about the new album and play a few songs.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Feb 27, 2024 • 45min
Photographer Catherine Opie
Catherine Opie's photographs have been shown in museums all over the world. Her career spans nearly four decades. Breathtaking photographs of queer and fetish communities, street photography in Los Angeles, portraits of surfers, her friends and families. She joins us to talk about her latest exhibit — a retrospective at Regen Projects. Plus, she tells us about the time she made her own dark room in her childhood bathroom, and also some of the incredible historical items she collects.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Feb 23, 2024 • 34min
Why Biz Markie embodied hip-hop
Sacha Jenkins has chronicled hip-hop culture for decades now. He is one of the founders of the legendary magazine Ego Trip and has produced documentaries on Wu-Tang Clan and Cypress Hill. His new documentary, All Up In The Biz, highlights the life and rhymes of the late rapper Biz Markie, known for his 1989 hit "Just A Friend." Sacha Jenkins sits down with us to talk about Markie's legacy and unconventional approach to life and music.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Feb 20, 2024 • 37min
Seth Meyers
Seth Meyers reflects on his 10-year Late Night journey, from early ideas to pandemic challenges. He discusses crafting jokes for the show, unique segments like 'A Closer Look,' and the importance of engaging with a dedicated audience. Meyers talks about the joys and challenges of hosting late-night TV, navigating high-stakes environments, and maintaining work-life balance.

Feb 16, 2024 • 38min
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny is known for a lot of things in showbiz – but she is perhaps best known for being cool. She has an impeccable fashion sense and makes waves in that world. She's an Oscar nominated actor for her role in Boys Don't Cry. An indie darling in films like The Last Days of Disco and Broken Flowers. Chloë talks with Jesse about how she kept it cool after all these years. We'll also geek out with Chloë about her making own clothes.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Feb 13, 2024 • 27min
Meshell Ndegeocello
Meshell Ndegeocello has made a career as a bassist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. She's been performing professionally for over thirty years now and has recorded albums spanning folk, rap, rock, blues, you name it. Just a few weeks ago she earned a Grammy for her album The Omnichord Real Book. When we had Meshell on the show back in 2009, she'd recently released her album The World Has Made Me The Man of My Dreams. She talked with us about the album, coming up in DC's go-go scene, imagining the sound of the bass and more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Feb 9, 2024 • 29min
Cartoonist Bill Griffith on "Nancy" and "Zippy the Pinhead"
The Nancy comic strip is one of the most iconic and influential strips out there. It's a comic snob's favorite, but you also don't have to be a super fan to love it. Cartoonist Bill Griffith is a comic nerd who loves Nancy. Last year he released a graphic biography about the creator of Nancy. It's called Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller. It's a beautiful appreciation of Bushmiller's work. Bill Griffith joins the show to talk about the book and the long-lasting impact that Nancy has had on comics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Feb 6, 2024 • 31min
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren, actor known for Rocky IV, talks about his time dating Grace Jones, his rocky audition journey, and his new movie Wanted Man. He also discusses his background in martial arts, extreme measures for achieving a muscular body, and his journey to redemption after struggling with alcoholism.