Wednesday Webcast: Bostonist Rates the Front Porch Podcast

A little bit of comedy, mixed with political commentary, some pop culture, and interesting interviews. This is exactly what Baratunde delivers on his podcast, the Front Porch Podcast.

When Baratunde Thurston isn't appearing in local comedy clubs or writing down his thoughts and opinions, he is creating some pretty darn good podcasts. At press time, there are only 15 episodes out for consumption, thus the show is in its infancy. Despite the show being young, it sounds like a much more mature show. No doubt, the show benefits from his experience as a stand-up comedian. That being said, the show could see some improvement in format and flow. Bostonist has a feeling that the Front Porch Podcast will hit its stride as the show reaches 30 or so episodes.

The self-proclaimed 'vigilante pundit' packs each episode with smart and witty commentary about current events in the worlds of media, politics, racism, and his hatred of MySpace. His jokes must be funny, as Dave Chappelle allegedly stole one of them. But, don't listen to this podcast thinking it is all jokes. This podcast would probably appeal more to listeners of liberal comedy-news shows such as the Al Franken Show than people who would listen to the Onion Radio News. Bostonist enjoys both.

What you won't get from this podcast is a good deal of local content. Most of the discourse covers national and international issues, but occasionally some local content slips in. Not enough, in our opinion. Then again, our appetite for Boston content is never quite satisfied.

One area where Bostonist thinks the Front Porch Podcast could see some improvement is in sound quality. The sound quality isn't horrible, but it suffers from a few of the typical problems. These problems include occasional vocal distortion and popping and breath sounds in the microphone but do not make the podcast unlistenable. As Baratunde becomes more comfortable with the technical aspects of podcasting, these should improve.

To sum it up, if you enjoy your news infused with a little bit of opinion and comedy, this might be the podcast for you. If you are looking for a straight-up comedy cast or a straight-up political commentary cast, you might be a little disappointed.

Wednesday Webcast Review contributed by Colin Rego of BostonGeek (who deliver their own podcasts).