Nabil Ayers
@nabilayers.bsky.social
📤 171
📥 12
📝 141
Host, Identified podcast / memoir, “My Life in the Sunshine” / Beggars Group / nabilayers.com
Sad to say that the NYC snow is preventing this event from happening. Refunds are available at point of purchase. We’ll be back soon. ☀️
6 days ago
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The amazing Tony Williams in 1972.
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7 days ago
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Brooklyn! Feb 23 Identified live podcast with Allison Russell and Valerie June.
tinyurl.com/identifiedpodcast
15 days ago
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Had a great time compiling my 100 best shows of all time.
nabilayers.substack.com
Bring on the arguments and Seinfeld jokes.
21 days ago
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This Saturday is my 100th Substack post. To mark it, I’m working on a list of my 100 favorite shows of all time. What’s on your list?
nabilayers.substack.com
23 days ago
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26 days ago
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I’m excited to announce an LA live taping of my podcast Identified with Matt Berninger of The National. Thurs Jan 29. Tix go on sale 1/23 3pm pacific.
www.eventbrite.com/e/identified...
about 1 month ago
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James Brown on Italian TV in 1971
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about 1 month ago
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Kate Bush appreciation post. Here she is on SNL in 1978 with Paul Shaffer on piano.
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about 2 months ago
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Tim Heidecker is our final guest of 2025 on the Identified podcast.
@timheidecker.bsky.social
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
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about 2 months ago
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One amazing minute of Isaac Hayes conducting “Theme From Shaft” 1971
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2 months ago
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A year-end list of sorts. If it doesn’t come to mind now, it probably didn’t need to.
nabilayers.substack.com/p/a-year-end...
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A Year-end List I Didn’t Keep
If it doesn’t come to mind now, it probably didn’t need to.
https://nabilayers.substack.com/p/a-year-end-list-i-didnt-keep
2 months ago
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Ramsey Lewis trio performing “Summer Breeze” in 1973
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2 months ago
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Stevie Saturday: live on German TV 1974
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3 months ago
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Wrote about these 2 guys
nabilayers.substack.com/p/the-music-...
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The Music You Inherit vs. the Music You Choose
Two musicians died this year who lived on opposite sides of an important divide for me: Jimmy Cliff, whose music filled my childhood home, and Ace Frehley from Kiss, the first band I truly chose for m...
https://nabilayers.substack.com/p/the-music-you-inherit-vs-the-music
3 months ago
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Curtis Mayfield “Move on Up” live on Beat Club / German TV 1972
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3 months ago
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love this new episode of Identified with my guest Yasi Salek
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
3 months ago
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How to start the show. Herbie Hancock on Danish TV in 1976.
youtu.be/9RsZifvSVSI?...
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3 months ago
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Annual Thanksgiving repost of this 2018 piece I wrote for NPR’s Code Switch about discovering my family tree… and a lot more
www.npr.org/sections/cod...
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A Family Tree With Roots Deep In Slavery
At first, the results of Nabil Ayers' DNA test made him feel less black than ever. But months later, those results uncovered his ties to a unique and specific black experience.
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/11/21/413191794/a-family-tree-with-roots-deep-in-slavery
3 months ago
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One of my favorite Identified episodes yet: Massima Bell on her journey growing up between rural Iowa and urban cities, discovering her gender identity, and navigating family relationships.
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
3 months ago
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1995
3 months ago
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New Substack post about Hiro from Soundgarden’s incredible Rock Hall speech
nabilayers.substack.com/p/did-you-he...
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Did You Hear Hiro from Soundgarden’s Rock Hall Speech!?
When Soundgarden’s singer Chris Cornell passed away in May 2017, I was deep in my new habit of writing about everything that caught my attention—still in private, not quite yet ready to share.
https://nabilayers.substack.com/p/did-you-hear-hiro-from-soundgardens
3 months ago
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Headed to Boston later this week for events at Berklee and Harvard…
4 months ago
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Thrilled to have Jad Abumrad as this week’s guest on Identified.
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
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4 months ago
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New Substack post about doing shit live
open.substack.com/pub/nabilaye...
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The Risk and Reward of Doing Shit Live
I had no idea what I was doing when I started a podcast, but I figured that a) seemingly everyone has one, and b) I was lucky to be working with Kieron, an experienced executive producer.
https://open.substack.com/pub/nabilayers/p/the-risk-and-reward-of-doing-shit?r=sezp&utm_medium=ios
4 months ago
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The first ever Identified podcast live episodes were a blast! Huge thanks to my guests Meshell Ndegeocello and Michelle Zauner, executive producer Kieron Banerji, and the wonderful (sold out) audience. More of these to come. 🎤
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
4 months ago
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Live from Gowanus!
4 months ago
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Tomorrow’s event is sold out but we will hopefully have a pair of tix to give away today…
publicrecords.nyc/events/nabil...
4 months ago
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Saturday’s event is sold out but we will release a few more tix this week!
dice.fm/event/k6kwpo...
4 months ago
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It’s Substack Saturday!
nabilayers.substack.com/p/file-under...
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File Under: Electronic
Even after all these years, music can still sneak up on me
https://nabilayers.substack.com/p/file-under-electronic
4 months ago
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reposted by
Nabil Ayers
DK
5 months ago
I’ll be in New York this week for a pair of book events. On Tuesday, I’ll be in conversation with Benny Horowitz of
@gaslightanthem.bsky.social
at
@roughtraderecords.bsky.social
. On Wednesday, I’ll be at Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn in conversation with
@nabilayers.bsky.social
. Hope to see you!
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Best selling author Dani Shapiro is my guest on Identified this week
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
5 months ago
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New Substack post about taking it back on the road
nabilayers.substack.com/p/just-when-...
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Just When I Thought I Was Out…
…they pull me back in
https://nabilayers.substack.com/p/just-when-i-thought-i-was-out
5 months ago
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David Cross was open, thoughtful, and generous in our Identified podcast conversation, and I don’t think I laughed once.
youtu.be/DkIU7CSBl_c?...
#davidcross
#comedian
#podcast
#family
#arresteddevelopment
#mrshow
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David Cross on Growing Up in Chaos, Comedy as Survival, and Becoming a Dad
YouTube video by Identified
https://youtu.be/DkIU7CSBl_c?si=P7TOclHWn0TfwnJL
5 months ago
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Just when I thought it was all winding down… a run of book and non-book events this fall around the USA. Come hang!
nabilayers.com/events
5 months ago
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Imagine seeing Nirvana play “Smells Like Teen Spirit” live for the first time. To commemorate the anniversary “Nevermind”, Nabil Ayers shares the story about of that April 1991 Seattle show. Full clip on YouTube.
youtu.be/gt8lmgFAp3g?...
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5 months ago
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Help me solve this impossible argument?
nabilayers.substack.com/p/london-or-...
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London or New York: Which is Better?
I’ve worked for a British company since 2009, and although I lost count years ago, I’m guessing I’ve made the trip from New York to London at least 50 times in those nearly 17 years.
https://nabilayers.substack.com/p/london-or-new-york-which-is-better
5 months ago
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Honored to be this week’s guest on BBC Arts Hour. We discussed my podcast, Identified, how my mother pushed me to be a child actor, and I got to share my favorite quote from “Meet the Parents.” You can listen in all the pod places.
open.spotify.com/episode/4zoO...
6 months ago
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David Cross is my guest on this week’s episode of identified.
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
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6 months ago
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Shame on all of you for not telling me about this Billy Joel doc
6 months ago
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Important weekend discussion: What makes a ‘90s band? Does Radiohead count? The Chili Peppers?
open.substack.com/pub/nabilaye...
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What Makes a ‘90s Band?
Is it alt-radio staples like Weezer and No Doubt? Do Radiohead or the Chili Peppers count?
https://open.substack.com/pub/nabilayers/p/what-makes-a-90s-band?r=sezp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
6 months ago
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Youngmi Mayer on my podcast, Identified
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
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6 months ago
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Loved my conversation with Youngmi Mayer on Identified podcast…
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
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6 months ago
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Wrote about Shudder To Think’s brilliant 1994 album “Pony Express Record”
nabilayers.substack.com/p/pony-expre...
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Pony Express Record - My Sunday Review
+ John Legend on my podcast
https://nabilayers.substack.com/p/pony-express-record-my-sunday-review
6 months ago
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Wrote about not writing about a record that I love.
nabilayers.substack.com/p/pony-expre...
6 months ago
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Saw NYC in a whole new way
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6 months ago
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Back by popular demand: bands going hard on TV pt 2 1 - Skid Row / SNL 1991
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7 months ago
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John Legend is my guest on Identified this week!
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
7 months ago
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John Legend is my guest on Identified tomorrow
linktr.ee/identifiedpo...
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7 months ago
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New substack post about a severely underrated band
nabilayers.substack.com/p/i-want-candy
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I Want Candy
The Overlooked Genius of Bow Wow Wow
https://nabilayers.substack.com/p/i-want-candy
7 months ago
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