The Heather Gold Show is a talk show, San Francisco-style. The chat-talented host sets the tone at affirming, curious, and honest; her guests follow suit and so do her audiences. Where Gold's television counterparts make the smart person's skin crawl with their pre-screened, homogenous vibes and carefully shepherded "controversies," this talk show delivers genuine conversation. Maybe it gets a little self-congratulatory at moments, but this is an infinitesimally small price to pay for comedians calmly discussing childhood abuse, storytellers full of encouragement, or local-famous authors letting their wit loose. Tonight, Gold's invitees are writer Kirk Read, beatbox looper Kid Beyond, life-gamer Jane McGonigal, and the theme is "Does Art Change Anything?"
Fri., Sept. 21, 8 p.m., 2007
