'Freakonomics Radio' Announces First-Ever Los Angeles and San Francisco Live Shows in May

Freakonomics Radio will host its first-ever live tapings on the West Coast on May 16 in San Francisco's Sydney Goldstein Theater, in partnership with KQED, and May 18 at the Theater at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, in partnership with KCRW. 

At both shows, host Stephen J. Dubner will bring to the stage the same kind of factual, inquisitive journalism that has been a hallmark of his weekly show, but disguised in the most entertaining, unexpected, and occasionally ridiculous conversation you’re likely to hear. He will be joined by co-host Angela Duckworth, author of Grit, and a real-time fact-checker, Mike Maughan of Qualtrics. Plus, the composer Luis Guerra, who scores the weekly podcast, will debut his new "Freakonomics Radio Orchestra" at the tapings.

Guests from the audience will come on stage and try to wow Dubner and his co-host with a fascinating fact, historical wrinkle, new line of research — anything, really, as long as it’s interesting, useful, and true (or at least true-ish, as determined by the live fact-checker). At the end of the evening, the live audience will vote to determine the winning guest.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti will be there to join in the fun and a DJ from KCRW will be spinning some tunes. More special guests will soon be announced, for both shows. San Francisco and Los Angeles have long been home to some of Freakonomics Radio's most passionate fans (the cities are the show's #2 and #3 top markets, respectively), and Dubner and the full Freakonomics team look forward to bringing the show to two new homes away from home.

These special West Coast dates will follow two New York shows in March that sold out months in advance. About other recent "Freakonomics Radio Live" tapings, New York Magazine said attendees "leave with answers to questions you didn’t even know you had" and the Washington Post wrote, "not only will you laugh, but your IQ will go up 10 points."

* Tickets for San Francisco, May 16:

https://www.cityboxoffice.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=2528

* Tickets for Los Angeles, May 18:

https://www.axs.com/events/364514/freakonomics-radio-live-tickets?skin=acehotel

Photos, links and more info:

https://shorefire.com/roster/freakonomics-radio-tell-me-something-i-dont-know

About Freakonomics Radio:

Discover the hidden side of everything with host Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the best-selling Freakonomics books. Each week, hear surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature — from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. Dubner talks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs — and his Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt. After just a few episodes, this podcast will have you too thinking like a Freak.

About Stephen J. Dubner:

Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and TV and radio personality. In addition to the Freakonomics book series (which have sold more than 8 million copies in 40 languages), he is the author of Turbulent Souls (Choosing My Religion), Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper, and the children’s book The Boy With Two Belly Buttons. His journalism has been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Time, and has been anthologized in The Best American Sports Writing, The Best American Crime Writing, and elsewhere. He has taught English at Columbia University (while receiving an M.F.A. there), played in a rock band (which started at Appalachian State University, where he was an undergrad, and was later signed to Arista Records), and, as a writer, was first published at the age of 11, in Highlights for Children. Dubner is also the host of Freakonomics Radio, which gets 12 million downloads per month as a podcast and also plays weekly on NPR stations. He lives in New York with his wife, the documentary photographer Ellen Binder, and their children.