A loose Christmas clip show that turns old material and self-mockery into the joke.
This Christmas special from This Is Big Green goes for holiday greetings, self-mockery about a very quiet year, and a clip-show setup that admits what it is.
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In their own words
Big Green attempts to make sense of music, politics, emptiness, fullness, half-fullness, and other imponderables. Features include previously unreleased Big Green songs, impromptu performances, incendiary rants, visits with Marvin (my personal robot assistant), and much more. Learn more at http://www.big-green.net
As heard by us
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Joe makes Big Green's songs and recording history vivid by placing them inside a restless mix of recollection, performance and political parody.
This Is Big Green! turns a music program into a homemade variety show, with Joe moving between original songs, band memories, solo performances and the political science-fiction parody Ned Trek.
Why you'd press play
Ned Trek puts a starship on the gambling table; your taste for chaotic satire has found company.
Press play if you want
- political jokes where a starship crew treats affordable health care as a threat
- Joe to tell you how an early Big Green demo came together
Talks about
Best episodes of This Is Big Green!
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A solo return that turns Big Green history and old material into something worth revisiting.
Joe’s solo turn looks back at Big Green history, old songs, and the band’s early recording years. It keeps the loose, homemade feel that suits this kind of return, and it lands best when it leans into the shared memories already on the table.
A scrappy space parody built from script jokes, fake sets, and a Sousa punchline.
This August 2019 Big Green installment leans into a homemade space-parody feel: Ned Trek returns, the crew keeps talking about the script as the story moves along, and the humor keeps finding traction in fake elevators, fake hallways, and the sense that the writers are inventing…
A long-hiatus return turns into an unruly Ned Trek riff full of Lee Majors, gambling, and free enterprise.
The episode feels like a welcome return after a long hiatus, with the hosts joking about being back and easing into another Ned Trek installment, "The Square of Mar-a-Lago." It keeps finding new angles as it moves along, from Lee Majors name-checks to Star Trek parody, gambling…
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Positive SarcasmOne fast, dry voice turning gripes into rules.
Robots vs TaxesComic-book talk and political fury, same breath.
Episodes
- 1
This is Big Green - September 2021
Hidden gemJoe of Big Green returns in September 2021 after the previous show in December 2020, describing COVID’s effect on the band and presenting a solo virtual concert.
Sep 19, 2021·45m·3 clips - 2
This is Big Green - December 2020
Hidden gemJoe opens with a Christmas greeting and makes plain that this return is a bit of a retread.
Dec 28, 2020·1h 14m·5 clips - 3
This is Big Green - July 2020
Hidden gemJoe returns solo in July 2020.
Jul 19, 2020·1h 4m·5 clips - 4
This is Big Green - December 2019
Dec 17, 2019·2h 2m - 5
This is Big Green - August 2019
Hidden gemThis Is Big Green for August 2019 opens with a clatter and a joke about the episode taking much too long to put together.
Aug 19, 2019·1h 59m·7 clips - 6
This is Big Green - July 2019
Jul 3, 2019·1h 46m - 7
This is Big Green - February 2019
Feb 6, 2019·1h 52m - 8
This is Big Green - December 2018
Hidden gemThis Is Big Green returns after a long hiatus and opens by saying it is glad to be back.
Dec 2, 2018·1h 44m·7 clips - 9
This is Big Green - June 2018
Jun 10, 2018·2h 23m - 10
This is Big Green - February 2018
Feb 18, 2018·1h 57m - 11
This is Big Green - December 2017
Dec 31, 2017·1h 14m - 12
This is Big Green - November 2017
Nov 7, 2017·1h 38m - 13
This is Big Green - September 2017
Sep 3, 2017·2h 11m - 14
This is Big Green - April 2017
Apr 4, 2017·1h 46m - 15
This is Big Green - February 2017
Feb 25, 2017·1h 47m - 16
This is Big Green - November 2016
Nov 15, 2016·1h 59m - 17
This is Big Green - August 2016
Aug 9, 2016·1h 50m - 18
This is Big Green - May 2016
May 24, 2016·2h 1m - 19
This is Big Green - February 2016
Feb 22, 2016·1h 50m - 20
This is Big Green - December 2015
Dec 23, 2015·1h 25m - 21
This is Big Green - October 2015
Oct 6, 2015·1h 50m - 22
This is Big Green - August 2015
Aug 28, 2015·1h 40m - 23
This is Big Green - July 2015
Jul 28, 2015·2h 7m - 24
This is Big Green - April 2015
The host returns with a comedic monologue and launches into a parody of Star Trek called 'Net Trek'.
Apr 26, 2015·1h 39m - 25
This is Big Green - February 2015
Feb 22, 2015·1h 49m - 26
This is Big Green - December 2014
Dec 23, 2014·33m - 27
This is Big Green - November 2014
Nov 18, 2014·1h 54m - 28
This is Big Green - October 2014
Oct 6, 2014·1h 26m - 29
This is Big Green - August 2014
Aug 5, 2014·1h 42m - 30
This is Big Green - July 2014
Jul 10, 2014·1h 6m - 31
This is Big Green - May 2014
May 24, 2014·2h - 32
This is Big Green - March 2014
Mar 29, 2014·1h 51m - 33
This is Big Green - February 2014
The host rambles humorously about losing time, missing episodes, and introduces a spoof sci-fi segment.
Feb 4, 2014·1h 29m - 34
This is Big Green - December 2013
Dec 17, 2013·2h 2m - 35
This is Big Green - November 2013
Nov 10, 2013·1h 51m - 36
This is Big Green - October 2013
Oct 5, 2013·1h 37m - 37
This is Big Green - August 2013
Aug 29, 2013·2h - 38
This is Big Green - July Jubilee 2013
Jul 28, 2013·1h 53m - 39
This is Big Green - June 2013
Jun 27, 2013·2h 1m - 40
This is Big Green - May 2013
May 27, 2013·1h 41m - 41
This is Big Green - April Breakout 2013
Apr 28, 2013·1h 44m - 42
This is Big Green - March Fiendraiser 2013
Mar 26, 2013·1h 48m - 43
This is Big Green - Asteroid Flyover - Feb. 2013
Feb 26, 2013·1h 41m - 44
This is Big Green - Hangover Edition 2013
Jan 26, 2013·1h 21m - 45
This is Big Green - Holidaze 2012
Dec 26, 2012·1h 38m - 46
This is Big Green - Thanksgaffing 2012
A comedic variety show mixing absurdist rants, fictional characters, and original songs, with a Thanksgiving-themed episode.
Nov 23, 2012·1h 20m - 47
This is Big Green - Octobercast 2012
The host rambles about aging, introduces segments with a talking horse and new songs, and teases a tribute to NASA's chief scientist.
Oct 24, 2012·1h 22m - 48
This is Big Green - September 2012 Narrowcast
Sep 25, 2012·1h 10m - 49
This is Big Green - First Anniversary Special
The anniversary episode features political satire, parody songs, and absurdist humor with a robot assistant.
Aug 20, 2012·1h 20m - 50
This is Big Green - the July not-so-special
The host returns with a comedic July episode featuring rants, imitations, new songs, and a conversation with his brother Matt.
Jul 19, 2012·1h 24m