Episode 361

with Chapman & MacLain Way, Mary Pilon, Ahmed Bharoocha, Raley Schweinfurth, and Ron Artis II & The Truth

Chapman & MacLain Way, creators of the Netflix docuseries Wild Wild Country, discuss the incredible true story behind the followers of guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh who established a controversial commune in 1980s rural Oregon; sports journalist Mary Pilon details the life of Olympian Kevin Hall and his struggles with the Truman Show delusion; high school senior Raley Schweinfurth explains her award-winning efforts to save Portland’s bees; comedian Ahmed Bharoocha questions the crow flight training program; and Hawaiian soul group Ron Artis II & The Truth perform “Searching for Answers.”

Chapman & MacLain Way
Show Runners

Chapman Way & Maclain Way are two brothers who had made a literal cult classic for our times. Their six-part documentary Wild Wild Country, about the clash between Oregon residents and government officials with the Rajneeshee community in the 1980’s, is scoring great reviews and even better word of mouth with viewers. Meticulously detailed with archival footage and new interviews with key characters, they’ve spun a somewhat-forgotten part of Oregon history into Netflix binge-watching gold.

Mary Pilon
Sports Journalist

Mary Pilon is an expert on the rules of the game. We mean that literally - her best-selling book The Monopolists covers the history of the game Monopoly. Her new book, The Kevin Show, uses her skills as a sports reporter to tell the story of Olympic athlete Kevin Hall’s battle with a mental illness that causes him to believe that he’s starring in his own reality show. Pilon has written about sports, business, and politics for publications around the world, and worked as a producer for NBC Sports for the Rio 2016 Olympics. A native of Eugene, OR, she is proud to report that her biggest fan is her grandmother. Website • Twitter

Raley Schweinfurth
High School Senior

At just 18, Oregonian Raley Schweinfurth is an accomplished pianist and, most recently, became an award-winning scientist. Inspired by a documentary on declining bee populations, she began a study into bee die-offs and ways to rid soil of the toxic chemicals responsible. As a result of her research, she won 10th place in the prestigious Regeneron Science Talent Search for high school seniors. She is headed to Columbia University, where she plans to double major in environmental chemistry and music.

Ahmed Bharoocha
Comedian

Ahmed Bharoocha is half Irish Catholic, half Pakistani-Indian-Burmese-Muslim, and 100% hilarious. He’s performed on “Conan” and Comedy Central, hit the festival circuit at places like Just for Laughs Montreal, Riot LA, and the Great American Comedy Festival, and produced viral sketch hits. His debut album, Almond Badoody (a play on how people pronounced his name) was called “playful and absurdist” by “Paste Magazine.” In addition to stand up, he’s also a series regular on the Adult Swim show “Dream Corp, LLC.” Add all that to his high energy performance punctuated with striking social commentary, and it’s clear that Bharoocha is the complete comedy package. Twitter

Ron Artis II & The Truth

Singer Songwriter

For Ron Artis II, life as a musician is the very epitome of paradise. The oldest son in a musical family of eleven children in Hawaii, he was crawling across his father’s piano and taking in his mother's beautiful singing from the very beginning. A multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter, Artis plays all genres of music (even creating new songs on the spot during his concerts), and released his debut full-length album "Soul Street" in 2018. He's has played with Mick Fleetwood, Jack Johnson, and many more, weaving in his deep Delta Blues and Gospel, R&B, and Northern Soul influences. When you see Ron Artis II and the Truth play, you'd better be ready for a tidal wave of heart and soul. Listen • Insta