We bring you special rebroadcasts on "Connections with Evan Dawson" today.
12:00: Special rebroadcast - Plant-based burgers – a fad or the future?
1:00: Special rebroadcast - Earworms: Why we love them, hate them, and how we get rid of them
It has been eight years since the debut of the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger. The companies behind the plant-based patties promised a tasty alternative to animal meat, along with a lower impact on the environment. Proponents of the products hoped they would upend the meat industry. Did they deliver? According to Vox, sales of the products doubled from 2017 to 2020, but have since declined. Sticker price, nutrition concerns, and unrealistic expectations have led to industry setbacks. So what’s next? Do plant-based burgers need a refresh to help foster large-scale change? Our guests discuss it in this special rebroadcast. In studio:
- Chris Lindstrom, vegan, co-founder of the Lunchador Podcast Network, and host of “Food about Town”
- Jenn Long, vegetarian for 11 years and senior content SEO manager at Zoom
- Lisa Medina, vegan, AFAA-certified group fitness instructor, and development coordinator at WXXI
Then in our second hour, are you loving the return of Christmas music season? Or have you already had enough of Mariah Carey and "Carol of the Bells" and the "Little Drummer Boy?" NPR recently dove into the science of earworms* — those songs that get stuck in our heads. Our guests are songwriters who seek to write memorable tunes, sometimes with repeatable choruses, but not the kinds that drive us crazy. During this special rebroadcast, we even wade into how to get earworms OUT of your head. Our guests:
- Sarah De Valliere, local songwriter and recording artist
- James "Jimmie" E. Highsmith Jr., CEO and managing partner of Xperience Live Music Group LLC and Grammy-nominated saxophonist
- Hannah Maier, music director of the Route on WRUR
- Taurus Savant, artist, musician, writer, and community advocate
*To listen to the "Earworm Eraser" discussed on the show, click here.
