Heavyweight

4.9 (38)
PERSONAL JOURNALS
WEEKLY SERIES

Maybe you’ve laid awake and imagined how it could have been, how it might yet be, but the moment to act was never right. Well, the moment is here and the podcast making it happen is Heavyweight. Join Jonathan Goldstein for road trips, thorny reunions, and difficult conversations as he backpedals his way into the past like a therapist with a time machine. From Spotify Studios.

EPISODE 52

Lenny

Lenny was Jonathan's childhood best friend, but they drifted apart as they grew into adulthood. Now, Lenny is dying and needs a friend. So Jonathan makes the call. Credits Heavyweight is hosted and produced by Jonathan Goldstein. This episode was produced by supervising producer Stevie Lane, along with Phoebe Flanigan. The senior producer is Kalila Holt. Production assistance by Mohini Madgavkar. Editorial guidance from Emily Condon. Special thanks to Lauren Silverman, Neil Drumming, and Jackie Cohen. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Blue Dot Sessions, Katie Condon, Paper Rabbit, Boxwood Orchestra, Principle, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records. Heavyweight is a Spotify Original Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

44 min
EPISODE 53

Leif

On Valentine’s Day in junior high, Leif was supposed to ask Kalila out. But he never did. Seventeen years later, Kalila wants to know why. Credits This episode was hosted and produced by senior producer Kalila Holt, along with Jonathan Goldstein and Phoebe Flanigan. The supervising producer is Stevie Lane. Production assistance from Mohini Madgavkar. Editorial guidance from Emily Condon. Special thanks to Max Green, Flora Lichtman, and Connor Sampson. In the IM recreation, Karina was played by Reagan Didier, and Leif was played by John Claassen—thanks to Greg Holt and Tony John for making that possible. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Blue Dot Sessions, Katie Mullins, Florian Le Prisé, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

47 min
EPISODE 54

Victor and Maite

Victor can’t stop painting portraits of his ex-wife, decades after their divorce. You can find Victor's work at victorrodrigueznyc.com, or on his Instagram at instagram.com/victorrodrigueznyc CREDITS Heavyweight is hosted and produced by Jonathan Goldstein. This episode was produced by supervising producer Stevie Lane, along with Phoebe Flanigan. The senior producer is Kalila Holt. Production assistance by Mohini Madgavkar. Editorial guidance from Emily Condon. Special thanks to Lauren Silverman, Neil Drumming, Mimi O’Donnell, Anya Schultz, Jackie Cohen, and Jessica Bashir—the director of Heroin, a short documentary about Victor and Maite. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Blue Dot Sessions, Michael Hearst, Sean Jacobi, Saigon Would Be Seoul, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records. Heavyweight is a Spotify Original Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

35 min
EPISODE 55

Toby

After his father’s death, Toby found a box of cassette tapes in his dad’s house. These private recordings tell the story of how his parents’ relationship fell apart—a story that Toby never knew, and might not want to know. CREDITS Heavyweight is hosted and produced by Jonathan Goldstein. This episode was produced by senior producer Kalila Holt, along with Phoebe Flanigan. The supervising producer is Stevie Lane. Production assistance by Mohini Madgavkar. Editorial guidance from Emily Condon. Special thanks to Alex Blumberg, Max Greene, Blythe Terrell, and Jackie Cohen. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Blue Dot Sessions, Saigon Would Be Seoul, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

50 min
EPISODE 56

44 Photos

One morning, Amy opened her mailbox and found a package with 44 photos inside—photos of complete strangers. Now Amy wonders: Who are they? And why were the photos sent to her? Credits This episode was hosted and produced by supervising producer Stevie Lane, along with Jonathan Goldstein, Phoebe Flanigan, and Mohini Madgavkar. The senior producer is Kalila Holt. Editorial guidance from Emily Condon. Special thanks to Alex Blumberg, Mimi O’Donnell, Lauren Silverman, Maureen Taylor, Estelle Ivory, and all the incredibly patient people over at the USPS. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Blue Dot Sessions, Golden Dunes, In Skies, Megatrax, Christopher Lennertz, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records. Heavyweight is a Spotify Original Podcast. Amy has just written a new book, Artificial, a graphic memoir about her father’s efforts to preserve her late grandfather’s identity using AI technology. You can find it at your local bookstore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

32 min
EPISODE 57

The Budget Motel

In 1993, Nick was shot in an Idaho motel room. One stranger came to his aid. Nick wants to find him. CREDITS If you're feeling unsafe in your relationship, call 1.800.799.7233, or text "START" to 88788. You can also visit www.loveisrespect.org. Heavyweight is hosted and produced by Jonathan Goldstein. This episode was produced by senior producer Kalila Holt, along with Phoebe Flanigan. The supervising producer is Stevie Lane. Production assistance by Mohini Madgavkar. Editorial guidance from Emily Condon. Special thanks to Annie Minoff, Laura Morris, Lauren Silverman, and Jackie Cohen. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Blue Dot Sessions, Michael Hearst, Katie Condon, Ehren Ebbage, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

40 min
EPISODE 58

Harry

Before Scott died, he bequeathed to his brothers his beloved pet parrot, Harry. The brothers promised to care for the bird. Except they didn’t. Over twenty years later, they want to find Harry and make things right. Credits This episode was produced by Phoebe Flanigan, Mohini Madgavkar, and Jonathan Goldstein. Our senior producer is Kalila Holt. Our supervising producer is Stevie Lane. Editorial guidance from Emily Condon. Special thanks to Mimi O’Donnell, Lauren Silverman, and Katherine Brewer. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Blue Dot Sessions, Heinz Kiessling, Boxwood Orchestra, Luke Janela, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records. Stay in touch on Twitter @heavyweight, on Instagram @heavyweightpodcast, or at our new email address: heavyweightshow@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

47 min
EPISODE 59

Hello from Heavyweight

A small hello from the Heavyweight team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 min
SEASON 8 TRAILER

Trailer: Heavyweight Season 8

Here’s a taste of what’s in store. Season 8 begins October 5th. Listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 min
12/07/2023

Heavyweight Short: Yasser

When Yasser was a boy, he saw a cartoon that changed his life. He’s been searching for it ever since. The only problem is… it’s vanished. Credits This episode was hosted and produced by supervising producer Stevie Lane, along with Jonathan Goldstein, Mohini Madgavkar, and Phoebe Flanigan. The senior producer is Kalila Holt. Editorial guidance from Emily Condon. Special thanks to Pia Gadkari, Bobby Lord, Dr. Mohamed Ghazala, and Tom Scharpling over at The Best Show. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Blue Dot Sessions, Podington Bear, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records. Heavyweight is a Spotify Original Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 min
12/14/2023

Heavyweight Short: Loch

Loch swears his kindergarten teacher used to steal his cheese. But no one believes him. Credits This episode was produced by Phoebe Flanigan, Mohini Madgavkar, and Kalila Holt, along with Jonathan Goldstein. The supervising producer is Stevie Lane. Editorial guidance from Emily Condon. Special thanks to Pierce Singgih, Wendy Zukerman, and extra special thanks to Loch’s mom, Dawn. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Blue Dot Sessions, Sean Jacobi, Matthew Hollingsworth, Jaybird Blonde, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

30 min

See All Season 8 (11)

4.9

out of 5

38 Ratings

A wonderful show and touching stories from real life

Apr 17

Youyoucatmusic

I discovered this show about half a year ago and have been binge-listening to its episode since then. What fascinates me the most about the show is that all the stories happened to people actually living their life in the real world. Similar to what I feel when reading a good novel, I feel my world expands as I listening to these stories. I can relate to so many people in these episodes that I started to feel that I’m not alone when feeling low (and happy). Moreover, Jonathan and his colleagues all have a cheerful style of talking and are definitely masters in narrating things in an “ear-catching” way. I found many stories unforgettable and couldn’t help but sharing them with my family and friends (I kinda translate them into Chinese and retold them to my families hahaha). I also really like the theme song, Sun in an Empty Room, by The Weakerthans. I’ve listened to it several times and it always reminds me of those poignant stories told by Heavyweight. It’s disheartening to hear that Spotify cut the show in 2023. Hope Heavyweight can find a new home very soon and continue to bring stories-for-soul to all our listeners. Thank you for your effort in producing a good show all those years, and looking forward to hearing from you guys again before long! —— A fan of Heavyweight from Nanjing, China
all-time favorite

09/24/2021

Aysgwhw

This is my all-time favorite podcast. Totally unique and gripping. Masterful storytelling. Should be in the UNESCO World Heritage list of stuff that humanity is proud of.
Great podcast

11/14/2020

Delfonski

This is awesome. Been listening since it started up. Found myself singing along with the theme music today so I thought it was time to write a review. Thanks Jonathan! you are always funny and I love your banter with your sister. Keep it up!
Rediscover what it means to be human thru storytelling at its best

12/16/2018

ArtificialFintelligence

Most episodes leave me teary-eyed or grinning in public like an idiot! Thank you for your beautiful contribution to humanity. Keep it up :)