The Modernist Society

Jason Mojica

5.0 (14)
Society & Culture
Updated Monthly

The Modernist Society began as a DJ night in Chicago, became an debaucherous salon in DC, and comes to you now as a podcast wherever you happen to be. Each month, hosts Jason Mojica and Eric Ottens bring you intimate conversations with practitioners of the high and low arts, replete with all of the esoteric digression you've come to expect from the medium. themodernistsociety.substack.com

02/19/2025

John Roy of Smoke and Mirrors Sound System

In this episode, Eric interviews John Roy, currently of Smoke and Mirrors Soundsystem. John Roy started off as one of the younger members of Gangbusters, an early 90's ska band featured on California Skaquake along with a hit list of bands that went on to define the early era of the American take on the genre such as Hepcat, Jump With Joey, Let's Go Bowling, and even No Doubt. He also played in Unsteady, another ska band that impressively toured with a full organ and leslie. Smoke and Mirrors play live as well as release creative vinyl records on Escape Hatch Records from themselves as well as artists such as Monkey, Manganista, Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra, and Out of Control Army. We touch on all this and more in this episode of The Modernist Society Podcast. Escape Hatch Records: https://escapehatchrecords.com/ Smoke and Mirrors Soundsystem: https://smokeandmirrorssoundsystem.com/ California Ska-Quake available on cassette now!https://www.discogs.com/release/6416405-Various-California-Ska-Quake This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themodernistsociety.substack.com
12/03/2024

Trace Crutchfield of THIS IS NOW

In this episode, we are joined by the host with the most, Trace Crutchfield. You may remember him from the Coronavirus Potluck episode of The Modernist Society back in 2020, but you more likely remember him as one of VICE’s most beloved on-camera correspondents in the company’s earliest forays into video (think classic Vice Guide to Travel pieces like Screwed in Houston orBolivian Marching Powder. Yes, he was the guy you saw indulging in purple drank, chewing coca with Evo Morales, and fitting right in at a baile funk in the favelas of Rio.) But that was then and this is now, which happens to be the name of the new non-consumerist travel show that Trace is making together with The Modernist Society’s own Jason Mojica. THIS IS NOW is a show that “drifts through the spectacle, notes the marginal, and refuses to let belief limit surprise.” We talk all about the philosophy behind this DOGME 95-inspired approach to the travel show and the upside of low-budget, DIY video production. Thanks for reading The Modernist Society! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Follow Trace Crutchfield : SubstackTwitterInstagram Follow This Is Now with Trace Crutchfield SubstackTwitterInstagram Follow The Modernist: SubstackTwitter⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ Follow The Modernist Society Hosts: ⁠⁠Jason Mojica⁠⁠SubstackTwitter⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠ Eric OttensSubstackTwitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themodernistsociety.substack.com
05/16/2024

Johnny Berger of Jake's Pizza

We dive into the world of Chicago pizza, the perils of small business ownership, family drama, family trauma, and what constitutes a good tip for a delivery driver with Johnny Berger, author of a zine on these very topics called Jake's Pizza: 40 Years in the Pizza Business, and Other Stories. Jake's Pizza also happens to be the name of the pizza joint that Johnny's family ran in Franklin Park, Illinois for 57 years before its unceremonious demise in November of 2023. We talk to Johnny about what happened; about his forays into comedy, filmmaking, and writing; and about what comes next. This episode is dedicated to the memory of William "Bill" Berger July 13, 1936 — May 12, 2024. Buy a copy of Jake's Pizza at heykidscomics.net! Follow Johnny Berger's never-updated social media account: Twitter ⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Modernist ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Medium⁠⁠ Follow The Modernist Society Hosts ⁠⁠Jason Mojica⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Eric Ottens ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themodernistsociety.substack.com
03/28/2024

Noah and Reza from Uni Boys

In this episode, Eric goes rogue and interviews a band from WAY after the 1970s, otherwise known as "now." Noah and Reza from the Uni Boys talk about their band, plans, cleaning products, records, and other topics. Follow Uni Boys (and co.) Uni Boys The Lemon Twigs Billy Tibbals Band ⁠ Follow The Modernist ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Medium⁠ Follow The Modernist Society Hosts ⁠Jason Mojica⁠ ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ Eric Ottens ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠ Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themodernistsociety.substack.com
12/10/2022

Fifi from Firestarter

This episode we take you to one of the most unique places on earth - Poor Cow. You may know the owner from such hit bands as Teengenerate, American Soul Spiders, The Tweezers, and Firestarter. If you’re interested, skip the shinkansen and don’t feel bad about temples. The Modernist Society Podcast validates that Poor Cow is not only a legitimate part of Japanese culture, but is The Real Temple. 4th floor in a nondescript building, walk in and you are guaranteed to see most of the following regulars: Tsune from Young Parasian Honma from Car Crash Hiroshi from The Knocks / Flashlights You just landed in Tokyo and you already have friends! Closed Mondays. Follow Fifi for day to day updates. -- Follow The Modernist Twitter Instagram Facebook Medium Follow The Modernist Society Hosts Jason Mojica Twitter Instagram Eric Ottens Twitter Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themodernistsociety.substack.com
01/11/2022

Robert Whiting

We chat with Robert Whiting, author of Chrysanthemum and the Bat, You Gotta Have Wa, Tokyo Underworld and Tokyo Junkie. Robert moved to Tokyo in 1962 as part of the U.S. Occupational Forces and has lived there on and off ever since. He believes Tokyo may current the best city on Earth, and his enthusiasm is infectious. But it wasn't always that way. Robert talks us through his early days in a city still rife with black markets and crime, using baseball as his window into the language and culture and eventually publishing his first book on the topic, a pending screen adaptation of his Tokyo Underworld book, and his latest memoir Tokyo Junkie, which looks back on his 60-year love affair with the city. Follow us! Twitter Instagram Facebook Medium This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themodernistsociety.substack.com
04/30/2021

Bayard Winthrop of American Giant

We catch up with Bayard Winthrop. He’s the founder and CEO of American Giant, a San Francisco-based clothing company that specializes in a) making stuff really well, and b) making it in the USA. American Giant has been going for about 10 years now, but before that Bayard ran Chrome, Freeboard, Atlas Snowshoe, and in the heady days of the dot com boom, was the President and CEO of WebChat, which was a big online community that was acquired by Infoseek right before AOL started dominating that space. That's all to say that in addition to producing the "the greatest hoodie ever made," he's a super interesting, super smart guy who’s been an incredible innovator not only in direct-to-consumer businesses, but in breathing new life into at least on area of American manufacturing. Follow us! Twitter Instagram Facebook Medium This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themodernistsociety.substack.com
02/01/2021

Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun

We hang out with Jeff Pezzati, singer of Chicago punk legends Naked Raygun and talk about all of the things: AC/DC, UFO, Big Black, comic books, Philip Jose Farmer, HVAC, Condor, and the forthcoming Naked Raygun studio album. Follow us! Twitter Instagram Facebook Medium This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themodernistsociety.substack.com

5

out of 5

14 Ratings

The Modernist Society began as a DJ night in Chicago, became an debaucherous salon in DC, and comes to you now as a podcast wherever you happen to be. Each month, hosts Jason Mojica and Eric Ottens bring you intimate conversations with practitioners of the high and low arts, replete with all of the esoteric digression you've come to expect from the medium. themodernistsociety.substack.com

Creator

Jason Mojica
Years Active

2019 - 2025
Episodes

22
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Jason Mojica & Eric Ottens
Show Website

The Modernist Society