'History That Doesn’t Suck' Will Bring Live Version of Podcast, 'The Unlikely Union,' to Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center

This isn’t your mother’s history class.

Imagine watching true tales from our country’s founding, its struggle to remain representative of its people, and its transformation into the republic we know today — brought to life with live music, visuals and juicy details you probably missed during your school years.

“History That Doesn’t Suck,” the biweekly podcast by Professor Greg Jackson that’s topped Apple’s and Spotify’s history charts across nearly 200 episodes, is coming to the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on October 25 with a live show, titled “The Unlikely Union.”

Armed with a Ph.D. in history, tenure as an associate professor and senior fellow in National Security Studies, and a fellowship in Integrated Studies at Utah Valley University, Jackson will present defining moments from America’s first 100 years — in just 100 minutes.

The show is like if a TED Talk and a concert had a baby — merging learning with entertainment so audiences can see the country’s story (warts and all) in context, and in a compelling way.

Jackson frames U.S. history as a gripping narrative filled with intrigue.

“Our protagonist is the union itself, and, yes, we meet a lot of engrossing characters along the way, but we’re following this very unlikely idea — and that’s something that’s lost on Americans,” Jackson said. “We take for granted the idea of the United States. The idea itself was harebrained and crazy for many in the founding generation.

“So we follow it — how that harebrained idea gets off the ground, how it starts, how it actually gets entertained, how it’s compromised upon and finally accepted through great debate, the flying fists in the ratification process, you name it. And then how this very motley family of states actually manages to hold together, from the Revolution up to, of course, the near breaking point, that existential crisis for the union that is the Civil War.

“By the time I’m done, we do get to end on the hopeful note of the success of the Civil War. Spoiler alert: I’m sure America pulls through.”

It’s not a live episode of the podcast and won’t be added to the podcast feed, he clarified. It’s a full-fledged stage show, complete with sound effects, live music, lighting and video.

He’ll even open the show by playing the podcast’s theme on his guitar, while live musicians and a backing track accompany the stories Jackson tells. The video element adds a Ken Burns-style flair.

“If it’s not too boastful, I’d say I’ve mastered the craft of audibly taking people into a vision in their heads,” he said.

Each podcast episode — typically about an hour — starts with a bang (sometimes literally) that draws listeners into an engrossing, humanizing tale about a figure or group from American history. Episodes move chronologically, so if you want to go back to where it all began, start with Episode 1.

“Episode 1 starts with George Washington, a 22-year-old kid, clueless, getting the crap kicked out of him by the French and their Native allies — what becomes the French and Indian War or Seven Years’ War,” Jackson said. “Within these humanizing stories, I am weaving in all the textbook information that is so dully, boringly presented in most curricula.

“So this is basically your ice cream that I have mashed up all the vitamins into, and it’s so thoroughly mashed in that most of the time you’re not going to be able to taste them. I want you to come for what feels like dessert, but you’re going to leave with all the intellectual nutrition.”

History that does suck, he says, often leaves the subject matter as a smattering of dates and dry facts — typically the result of strict time limits and curriculum constraints.

Jackson draws inspiration from 1930s-style radio shows like the original “War of the Worlds,” Ken Burns documentaries, and historical writers like David McCullough, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jon Meacham and Ron Chernow.

He launched “History That Doesn’t Suck” in October 2017 to teach important American history at a time when historical context — without bias — is sorely needed. His goal is to present these stories, good, bad and ugly, without commenting on the present or bending the facts.

“The thing is, fact is stranger than fiction, so I have no shortage of engrossing tales or cliffhanger stories,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what decade I’m in or what the subject is — I am baffled as I dive deep into these figures’ lives.”

He admits he often gets emotionally attached to the historical figures he covers, including President Theodore Roosevelt. “I’ve sat here at this very desk working on the episode of their death, and cried,” he said, recalling how Roosevelt lost his mother and wife on the same day he met his newborn daughter. “These are the sorts of things we lose sight of.

“Bringing those struggles to bear now — when I tell you about his policies or the things he’s trying to do — you get where he’s coming from.”

Taking a two-dimensional or romanticized view of historical figures and moments — or failing to understand the realities these people faced — is a common trap, he explained. Jackson wants Americans to recognize that our democracy has always been shaped by conflict. Yet we’ve repeatedly overcome adversity.

“How can you have a sense of hope when you’re not aware that previous generations all faced the same problem?” Jackson asked. “It’s [about] reminding ourselves that Americans can do hard things, that we have had hard conversations, we’ve figured out compromises — not always good ones — but, you know, the republic has not only survived, it’s gotten through ugly moments and gone on to thrive.

“There’s no reason we can’t do that today, other than our own foolishness — if we don’t understand the real power of democracy.”

That hopeful message underscores both the podcast and the live show, where audiences take part in the joy of learning — set to stirring visuals and music.

If this sounds like your kind of history lesson, tickets are available now for the October 25 show at whbpac.org (starting at $36). You can also dive into the podcast on Spotify or Apple Music.