I don't listen to the radio. I don't have a car, or a long commute to work, or a shower radio. So my curiosity was piqued when I got the invite to go see Martha Stewart's radio show on Sirius. The occasion was the launch of a new series, "At Martha's Table" featuring a live interview with global super chef Jean Georges Vongerichten. The event took place in the midtown lobby of Sirius Radio, a glass and chrome affair with lots of LCD type schedule boards of what's-playing-now. Conveniently, there's a sort of glass aquarium cum sound booth which was all set for the show. In true MS Living-style, there was a baby grand piano with player, an announcer nattily dressed in a cream linen suit, a table dressed in Martha green linens, floral arrangements, wine and hors d'ouevers from Vong, and several photo and video-ographers. The hour-long live broadcast was peppered with pre-recorded testimonials from culinary notables like Eric Ripert, Wylie Dufresne, and Cedric Vongerichten (JGV's son, a young chef) and calls from listeners. I tried to close my eyes or look away, to listen without watching to try and approximate what it was like for the listeners. While I can tune-out an over crowded subway car with my ipod, I was unsuccessful in quashing the excitement reverberating off of all that glass. It seems there's a free online trial over at Sirius, which I may activate if the "At Martha's Table" rebroadcasts. I wondering if hearing radio is as good as seeing it?
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