Endless Thread: The Musical

As Shakespeare once said...all the internet is a stage, and all keyboard warriors merely players. In this episode of Endless Thread, the members of the Nashville-based musical improv group Cherry Bomb stage an homage to their very active neighborhood Facebook group, and put some posts inspired by the Endless Thread subreddit to song.

Show notes:

This content was originally created for audio. The transcript has been edited from our original script for clarity. Heads up that some elements (i.e. music, sound effects, tone) are harder to translate to text.

B: Grace Tatter coming to us from underneath the podcast blanket. How are you, Grace?

G: I'm good. Host Ben Brock Johnson. How's your blanket?

B: It's very cozy. It's cozy, it's fluffy,  it's light, and also yet supportive in a way that  makes me feel at home.

G: Well, Ben, I'm glad to hear that you're cozy and settled in because I have another question for  you.

B: Am I the greatest sandwich maker that has ever lived? You should know the answer to this.

G: That was not my question.

B: Shocker.

G: Valid investigation though that might be. My question is, have you ever been a member of a neighborhood online community?

B: Like part of an angry mob or something?

G: Online.

B: Like pitchforks? You’re asking if I’ve ever held a torch?

G: No, no, no. I’m thinking internet. I’m thinking Nextdoor. I’m thinking listserv.

B:Nextdoor keeps trying to recruit me. I feel like either Nextdoor got my email from somewhere and is haranguing me or one of my weirdo neighbors wants me to join so that I can like participate in the gossip about like the homeless guy who lives in the woods, and I'm just not here for it. I'm not interested.

G: You're not here for it because you feel like it's going to be kind of like Karen-y, neighborhood watch-y...

B: Yeah, kind of. Yeah, it's like a lot of complaints about stuff that I don't need to complain about.

G: Something that I always think is funny to me in these neighborhood groups is that people are every bit as mean and abrasive as they would be on other parts of the internet, but you all know where each other lives, and you’re probably going to run into each other at the grocery store.

B: The NIMBYs are righteous AF and they don't care who knows it.

G: Exactly. So the neighborhood I used to live in, in Nashville, had the most active neighborhood Facebook group I've ever seen. It was also the most dramatic.

B: Uh-oh.

G: And truthfully, unlike you, I love the drama.

B: Was it like in a Southern way like a bless your heart kind of drama or was it like, straight just ripping drama. You know what I mean?

G: Oh, straight drama. There have been multiple lawsuits that have come out of this private Facebook group.

B: Oh my god!  Is there a warrant out for your arrest? Are you, are you, have you fled Nashville?

G: Secret’s out. No, I'm purely a lurker in the East Nashville Facebook group, but it does always deliver. I literally left Nashville like seven years ago, but I'm still a member.

B: Oh, you've been gone just long enough for the statute of limitations for crimes to kick in. That's perfect.

G: Exactly. Except I promise there is no crime committed in the state of Tennessee. My one crime is violating the policy of this Facebook group, because I no longer live there.

B: We'll see the next time you get pulled over in Tennessee, Grace. We'll  find out

G: I no longer live in Tennessee, and that is a violation of the rules of this Facebook group. So, it is quite possible I will be kicked out once this episode airs.

B: Oh, thank you for your sacrifice.

G: You're welcome. All in the name of journalism. But the good news is, I recently discovered a musical based on this Facebook group.

B: Amazing. Amazing.

G: East Nashville Facebook Page: The Musical. And I am going to play you some of it.  Are you ready for some musical theater?

B: I mean, I've never not been ready for some musical theater.

G: That's what I hoped you'd say.

[A place where you'll always find an eclectic mix. We all live by our own code, but our zip ends in six. We share thoughts, night or day. Some joy, but mostly rage. Come online and you will find/ East Nashville Facebook Page…(fade)]

B: That’s excellent. That’s excellent. I love it. I’m in. Where do I sign up?

G: East Nashville Facebook Page: The Musical was staged for the Kindling Arts Festival in Nashville, but I came across it on YouTube. And as soon as I did, I was like, oh my God, of course. The Facebook page has all of the fixings of the theater. I mean, I think a lot of online communities do. They have a lot of drama, tension.

B: Regular characters that everybody knows and loves or hates.

G: Exactly!

B: They got, you got your villains and your heroes.

G: And in Nashville, you do have a lot of musicians. It just made perfect sense. So this really tickled my imagination, and I wanted to know more about how it came about. So I reached out to the person who conceived of the musical.

Emma: I'm Emma Supica, and I'm an improviser.

G: Emma is the founder of Cherry Bomb, the musical theater improv group that staged East Nashville Facebook Page: The Musical.

B: Oh, are they named after the song? Cherry Bomb?

G: I don’t know the song.

B: You don’t know the song Cherry Bomb?

G: I don’t. I’m so sorry to disappoint you.

B: It goes, Hello Daddy, Hello Mom, Ch-Ch-Ch-Cherry Bomb! No?  Nothing?

G: I’m sor – but I don't even need to know any of these songs because you'll always sing them for me. Why listen to the song when I have Ben?

B: What does the Cherry Bomb Theater Improv Company do?

G: So for the most part, they improvise musical theater, um, based off of all sorts of prompts, which we'll get to more later. But this was actually scripted because again, the East Nashville Facebook page is such an institution, is so iconic, it needed a special treatment.

Emma: I have had this idea for a very long time, like, years of being in the group and just seeing characters. I mean, people who live here who present their lives, ask these questions, get into these ridiculous arguments.

[(Singing) Your reputation precedes you/what makes you think this corner needs you?]

Emma: We already have this, like, cultural location. Because East Nashville is – it's kind of its own little city. It's like, separate from Nashville. It's its own thing, separated by a river, culture, all of this. There's a lot of people who live on the East side who don't even cross the bridge. Like, they just won't. And I, I agree. I'm like, ugh, I don't want to go to that thing. It's across the river. I'm not going to do that.

[(Singing) Relevant because I live in East/To leave is not allowed…]

Emma: The Facebook group, specifically is — there's drama, there's comedy, there's love.

[(Singing) Relevant because we’re headed towards Valentine’s Day in East…]

Emma: I mean, there are all the themes that you need to make a great story, just happen all the time.

(More singing, applause)

Emma: A musical, not just because that's one of my favorite art forms to play in. Musical theater, like, can't take itself seriously. You know, I mean it does, like we clearly have, but like, the real world, people aren't just breaking out into song randomly, you know, it's, it's a little suspension of disbelief. And so that it's already there, like all the ingredients are there for this to be a musical because it's kind of ridiculous. And so is musical theater.

[(Singing) You farted, stumbled slightly/And giggled to yourself…]

B: Is this, is this someone who witnessed someone in the real world and is now writing about them on the Facebook group? That's terrible.

G: It was a verbatim missed connections post.

B: (Laughs.) Well, you know what? That's beautiful, man.

G: Like Emma said, it all happens, all of the beauty happens in East Nashville.

B: Wow. People, people are, people are witnessing each other farting in public and chasing each other down. I guess that's Nashville for you.

G: Sure is. Ben, I thought of you when she said that people don't actually break into a song randomly. I was like, clearly, clearly Emma does not work with Ben Brock Johnson.

B: In my real world, we do, we do. Okay. Well, thanks for thinking of me.

G: Always. Um, so are you feeling inspired? Are you ready to write an Endless Thread, the musical?

B: I mean, yeah, I feel like that's what I'm trying to do all the time. I'm just waiting for people like you to join me in song, Grace.

G: Well, since I'm not musical, actually, I enlisted Cherry Bomb, Emma's improv group, to help us with this.

Ben: OK

G: So they jammed out some Endless Thread music for us at their most recent rehearsal.

B: Oh my God.

G: And it is a lot of fun, and we will hear some of it after the break.

B: Oh my God. Oh my God. OK, I can’t wait.

(Sponsor break)

G: So we're back and we're going to hear some jams from Cherry Bomb, the Nashville-based Musical Theater improv group behind East Nashville Facebook Page: The Musical. They kindly allowed me to Zoom into their most recent rehearsal. And they asked me to bring three separate posts to sing about. They had no advanced warning. I just dropped these links into the chat as they were rehearsing. With minimal, like there was like a little bit of chatting beforehand, but like 30 seconds. Minimal chatting, no rehearsing whatsoever.

B: I cannot wait to hear this.

G: So Ben, the first post I gave them is a Reddit post that actually you have been wanting to do an episode about. Will you read it for me?

B: Yeah. The title of the post is "What's up with the obsession over Stanley Cups?" and it's from r/outoftheloop.  “Non-American here. Stanley Cups seem to be a big thing in the US. People seem to love and even collect them. Just watched this video here with a girl happy crying about getting a Stanley Cup for Christmas – and there’s a link…What's going on? It's just a cup, no? What makes it so special?"

G: OK. So here is what they did with that.

[(singing) So shiny, it's so shiny, so shiny, it's so shiny. Thinking about Stanley Cup makes me just squeal/ but I don't want to hear the rumors from you that this this one definitely leaks/ I get a new one every year, it's a Christmas tradition/And get out of my way at Target because this one is a special edition! So shiny! It's so shiny!]

B: This is amazing

[(singing) … So shiny! It's so shiny! Everybody's forgotten about me. I'm the original Stanley Cup/You had to play hockey to get me and you sometimes got beat up. /You got your teeth knocked out of your head before you scored a goal./Now all of these little girlies take me to middle school to look cool/ So shiny!/ From the NHL/ Put a flame in me!/ Take me from town to town/ Your dad wants me!/…..]

G: Yeah. I cannot imagine being that quick on my feet. Being able to rhyme  on command like that?

B: That was truly something. I’m amazed. I’m so into it because this is basically how I move through my life all of the time. I’m making up songs while I'm picking up cat puke off the floor in my house, you know what I mean? So this is, I'm in. I'm in.

G: OK, the second post I gave them was from the endless thread sub. From user Captain_Of_Trouble. The title was "If you like tunnels.”

B: Have you heard of Colin Furze? He was a plumber who started making whacky machines and gathering a big YouTube following. In the pandemic he started building a tunnel from his house to his shed. He's now connecting to the bunker/mancave he built at the end othe garden and to a massive underground garage where he plans to store his Delorian which will lift up out of the driveway. It's all really well-documented on his YouTube channel including how he turned a secret project into something with planning permission.”

G: OK, a lot of potential there.

B: Yes there is. Yes there is.

G: I'm just curious, actually, if you were to turn this into a song, do you know, like, what you'd latch onto?

B: Oh, man. I'd be doing some like, dig, dig, dig, dig. Like, I'd be doing some of that, and I'd be like, um, something around like, Join me in the tunnel. I'd be, you know, it'd be very, um, I feel like it'd be very almost like, uh, militaristic, the ants go marching two by two. I'd be bringing some of that energy, and then I'd throw in some, like, uh, Back to the Future's references, you know? I'd be singing about the DeLorean popping up and then I'd be like, I'd have somebody off to the side be like, Marty,  you know, like I'd be throwing some of that in there. I, that's what I got

G: Ben, we have to send you to Nashville. I think this your calling. OK. Without further ado.

[(singing): Follow me. Follow me. Follow me. I'm not scary// Well, it's me, I'm Doc,  and I'm ready to go back to the past. I really wanna get there quick. Oh, I wanna get there fast. Well, this guy,  he is famous for If you're ready to go to the past, Just hop in, hop in, my DeLorean!/

Follow me! Come on, follow me! Follow me! I'm not a creepy old scientist! Follow me! I'm not scary! Come on! Yes, here in the dark, I will dig my way through/From one room from here, all the way over to you/In the darkness by myself. I'm incredibly brave/And at the end of this long tunnel, I hang out in my old man cave. Follow me. Follow me. Follow me…]

G: I feel like there are some things in there. They took a slightly different approach from you, but you latched onto some similar details.

B: I’m just in awe of their ridiculous talents.

G: Well we have one more that they did for us. And this is something that someone had posted on the Endless Thread sub about, suggesting that maybe we look into for a future episode, about the rat hole in Chicago –

B: Which is not, as it turns out, a Leather Daddy Club, which is what I assumed.  But it's, it's actually something else.

G: I had assumed it was like a hole, like, that rats lived in or came out of, but in fact –

B: It is a rat shaped hole.

G: So I gave Cherry Bomb this post from r/chicago. It's kind of long, so let's read an abbreviated version.

B: OK. “Hey everyone. I live in the 3-flat directly in front of "the Chicago rat hole". I came here to politely ask that you please stop congregating, partying, and getting married in front of our house. My neighbors and I have been struggling. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh at this person… Since this thing went viral, here are some of the things we've had to deal with:

Garbage piling up, including vapes, cigarettes, alcohol, and food

Vandalism

People filming videos to promote things, like improv shows, radio stations, businesses, etc… and leaving advertisements and flyers on our property

G: We’re all guilty.

B: I know we didn’t do the WBUR main character TikTok in front of the rat hole. That’s sad. (continues reading.) Our mail carrier has been skipping our house due to the crowds and news crews.  People doing weird-ass "rituals" like prayer circles and chants late at night? This past weekend was absolute hell for me and my neighbors. We have always liked the rat (or squirrel) – it was a cute, quirky little thing in our neighborhood. People would smile and laugh as they walked by, and that was it. It's been there at least 20 years, afaik. But now the internet has learned about it, and taken things waaaaay too far. What was once a fun little quirk has become a trashy, cheap marketing ploy.”

G: OK. Are you ready for this one?

B: So ready.

[(Singing) It's the eighth wonder of the world. It's not a hole in the shape of a squirrel.  It is the rat hole. I just came here looking for a way to make my mark/Oh, I'm searching around for a brick to throw/I gotta make a name for myself. See my name in the big lights./ And make sure that you come to my improv show! It is the eighth wonder of the world. It is the eighth wonder of the world. It's not a hole in the shape of a squirrel. It is the rat hole, rat hole, rat hole. Oh, well look at all these people all around the rat hole. What could they all be doing? Let's say what we're doing at the rat hole. And I will go first!

B: This is very B-52s right now, and I’m here for it.

[(singing)  I'm marrying my second cousin! I'm here to do a little rat seance! I'm just here to fight! I'm doing rat vandalism! I'm Alderman Wickback, and I wanted to see what was going on. And I'm building a shrine for the rat. (For the rat.) It’s the eighth wonder of the world. It’s the eighth wonder of the world…It’s not a hole in the shape of a squirrel. That would be so weird. It is the rat hole.]

B: Standing ovation for Cherry Bomb. Just, wow. Amazing. So good.

G: They did not hold back for us at all, and I really appreciate that.

B: I know, that was huge. How much does it cost for them to follow you around just for like a week?

G: I will inquire.

B: Amazing.

G: Thank you so much for listening along with me. I think what drew me to this initially was how East Nashville Facebook Page: The Musical, because it was a group that I like a lot, but also because it draws attention to the  blurry lines between life online and “real life.” This musical is based on posts in the Facebook group, but it’s not really ABOUT the Facebook group. It’s about the community and the people who really live there. Or maybe it is about the Facebook group, but that’s the same difference.

B: I mean, to me,  it's sort of like an art imitates life imitates art thing, right? except, like, insert the internet. It's kind of amazing.  And I feel like this, to me, this is like, channeling the negative energy of like what sounds like exists on the Facebook group and trying to like disarm it in a way, you know, like disassemble it by using humor. And like, I'm a huge fan of that.

G: Yeah, it’s more joyful content on the internet, which I’m here for.

B: Same, same. Thank you for bringing us this amazing, incredible example of joyfulness borne by terribleness on the internet.

G: You’re so welcome. And thank you so much to Cherry Bomb.

B: Oh my god, Cherry Bomb, I hope you're available for, bar mitzvahs and birthday parties because I'm definitely going to be spreading the word.

B: Please let us know if you have an improv musical theater group in your town. because I think we should have a chapter in every city, personally.

G: This episode was produced by me, Grace Tatter, and hosted with

B: Ben Brock Johnson, who also performed Ch-ch-ch-Cherry Bomb, by the Runaways.. Mix and sound design by Matt Reed.

I just played excerpts of the songs that Cherry Bomb performed for us. You can find the whole songs on our website, wbur.org/endlessthread. Cherry Bomb is Emma Supica, Mick Khoury, Amelia Rossetti, Caroline Conner, Cammie York, Kim Herman, Mike Garvin, and Alex Dolezal.

B: A talented bunch! We will see you all next week.

G: Bye!