Shawn Johnson, Andrew East coming to Atlanta with a live take on their popular podcast

The show is on Feb. 1 at City Winery.
Shawn Johnson and Andrew East with their daughter Drew. JESSICA STEDDOM

Credit: Jessica Steddom

Credit: Jessica Steddom

Shawn Johnson and Andrew East with their daughter Drew. JESSICA STEDDOM

The world of podcasting is now flooded, if not saturated.

So when NFL player Andrew East suggested in 2019 to do a podcast about relationships with his wife and Olympic gold medalist and gymnast Shawn Johnson, neither had a clue if it would gain any audience whatsoever.

But soon enough, “Couple Things” became a hit. The couple’s podcast was even nominated for a People’s Choice Award last year for best podcast, losing to YouTube star Emma Chamberlain’s “Anything Goes.”

And now the Nashville-based couple is going on the road, coming to City Winery in Atlanta on Feb. 1 to talk about their podcast and their lives in a broader sense. (Tickets available here for $40 to $85.)

The multimedia show will feature fresh stories about parenting and embarrassing moments, on-stage games, advice and Q and A’s. It is not a live taping of the podcast, but rather a distillation of the 100 or so episodes they have taped to date.

“I’m a little nervous,” Johnson said in a recent interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We hope this will be a good date night. We really want to put on a good show. I’m excited just to be around people again!”

The podcast, at first, was focused on marriage but has since broadened into other topics as well. Among the recent episodes: an interview with Robert Glazer, who teaches how to develop and articulate core values; a talk with Alan Jackson’s daughter Mattie Jackson Selecman about handling grief after losing her husband; and how to work with your spouse.

And while the couple do delve into intimate subjects, they try to keep it family friendly while focusing on authenticity.

“We love being raw and honest,” Johnson said. “We want to show it’s not a Cinderella story. We learn a lot from talking to couples and marriage counselors and other experts to see how they make relationships work.”

One of East’s favorite podcasts was talking to longtime married couple Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas. The former talk show host and actress came out with a book in 2020 about long-lasting couples.

“Relationships are messy,” Johnson said. “We all argue. We all have tensions and disagreements. We now have two young kids. It can be a struggle. We take it one day at a time. We squeeze in taping our podcasts while the kids are sleeping. We figure it out. We get it done.”


IF YOU GO

“Couple Things Live with Shawn Johnson and Andrew West”

8 p.m. Feb. 1. $40-$85. City Winery Atlanta, 650 North Ave. NE, Atlanta. citywinery.com.