WRFN Barnraising #2

There was no show this weekend. WRFN was off the air to prepare for our big switch to 107.1 LPFM. In the low power FM world, these station-establishing events are known as "barnraisings". I was not around here when Radio Free Nashville had its inaugural one in 2005, but I understand it was quite the undertaking, with folks from around the country and even around the world coming in to take part. I've shared some video on that here.

Lots of work to do on the first morning. We early crewbies hauled equipment out of the studio and office to get the place ready for painting. We cleaned out an old, musty trailer, unearthing lots of trash and perhaps a few treasures. The tech crew, led by Matt the PM (and host of RFN Weekend, Saturdays at 5 p.m.), got the broadcast and computer prep going, with folks even going under the house. Stepping stones were dug up and moved and then the studio painting began.

There was food galore with tons of goodies from Bread and Company and some most marvelous chili from Kristi Rose (of Pulp Radio, Wednesdays 5-6 p.m.). The great thing, though, about any of these rare occasions for the WRFN programmers to get together is the chance to see each other and learn about each other's shows.

Barnraising day two began at noon Sunday. This was the day when the new antenna was scheduled to be put up and work at the studio and office finished up. Unfortunately they ran into some delays with the new antenna installation, but we will be broadcasting on 107.1 in this coming week...it'll just be with our old antenna until things get worked out. There's a lot of detail that's gone in to this transition and it takes a lot of dedicated folks to make this happen. It was great to meet and work with so many different people with great skills.

T.J. and Rene Kirby and I were there from morning to evening on both days and worked as a team in many spots. We were a tired but happy team when it was all done and we all agreed it was a very interesting experience being involved at this level beyond our shows. Now we just can't wait to get at the new broadcast board!

See you November 1 at 107.1!

10/18/09 Blog/Playlist: Devil or Angel

Opening: Herb Alpert and Tijuana Brass - So What's New
Segment 1: Theme - Devil or Angel
What side do you come down on? Do you come off like an angel or do you have a bit of a devilish side to you? We'll take a look at a few songs that cover either or both sides of that coin starting with a song that covers the theme and this question.

Bobby Vee – Devil or Angel
Elvis Presley – (You're the) Devil In Disguise
Beatles – Devil In Her Heart
Shelby Flint – Angel On My Shoulder
Neil Sedaka – Next Door To An Angel
Aretha Franklin – Angel

I almost forgot about that Aretha Franklin song, even though I'd always loved it.

Many times, as I do these sets, I get some folks guessing about what I'm going to play. But more often than not I either won't have the song since I use my own collection or occasionally the station's. Plus, when given a choice I really try to avoid the obvious song that any other stations that still air this music would pick.

Segment 2: Picking Through the Record Box
Well, with Halloween coming up, I wanted to get at least one weird song in. This one's got sort of an eerie and spooky storyline to it: Dickey Lee, with the story of "Laurie".

Dickey Lee – Laurie
Ral Donner – You Don't Know What You've Got Until You Lose It
Sarah Vaughn – Broken Hearted Melody
Lou Christie – Two Faces Have I
Impalas – Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)

I got hold of another in the Hard To Find 45 CD series from which I played the Impalas and Sarah Vaughn songs. I was just noting on the Eric Records site which produces the series that the Volume 1 CD is now pretty rare. I got this copy out of the library, so it was pretty cool that I was able to find it under those circumstances!

Just a reminder that next weekend we'll be off the air because we'll be getting ready for the switch over to 107.1 FM. So be sure that you set your dials for 107.1 and be back with me on November 1 when my guest will be Lance Hoppen of Orleans. Also coming up on the show is singer/songwriter Marc-Alan Barnette on November 8 and coming soon "Complicated Love—the sequel"!

Segment 3: Soul Stew
I would have loved to fit the first song in last week's feelgood show but didn't have it handy.
Spinners – I'll Be Around
Edwin Starr – Agent Double O Soul
Stylistics – You Are Everything
Tony Clarke – The Entertainer

Segment 4: Non-oldie/Current/New

There is an organization called Bring Peace Not Pain which has been having a Peace Song Challenge. One of the songs entered in this challenge is this angel song by Randi Perkins.
Randi Perkins – Army Of Angels
Eve Selis- Angels and Eagles
Alan O'Day – I Hear Voices

Alan O'Day will be the featured writer, performing with his producer Denny Martin, at the Commodore Grill Wednesday evening, going on at about 8 p.m.

Frequency To The Heart:
If you've been listening closely to the devil and angels songs in the show this morning, you can probably tell that I tend to favor angels. We can encounter wolves in sheep's clothing. We've all probably come across people like that. But I like to think of this world as basically good. I believe there are angels among us in our everyday lives and I know I can speak to that personally. There are a lot of hurting people out there right now. Think about how you can be an angel to someone in need.

Closing: King Curtis - Soul Serenade

I'd rate this week's show pretty good. My throat had a bit of junk in it at times. It's probably not a good idea to be clearing it on mike so I just had to roll with it...but oh well.

Everybody sleep in next week--back on November 1 on 107.1 FM!

10/11/09 Blog/Playlist: Music That Heals

To be honest with you, it's been a rough week. Disappointments, hurts, unexpected expenses, passings, other annoying problems. A dear friend of mine brought me over for lunch and we watched a video of Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire together in concert. Both of those bands still had it...and the songs we loved and the energy that poured forth did a lot of good for my soul. I think we all know that music has healing properties. There are a lot of soothing instrumentals that are created just for that purpose. It can be, and often is, about song lyrics that manage to express just what it is that you feel at that moment. Other times, like on the video, it's just an energetic and uptempo song that gives you a lift. You just want to feel good, ya know? So I'm starting with a set of songs which for me serve that purpose. Now on this first one you may not understand the language, but I don't think you need to – the spirit's universal.

Miriam Makeba – Pata Pata
Nathaniel Mayer - Village of Love
Brenda Lee – Dum Dum
Major Lance – Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um (This guy had the right idea..come up with a melody to hum when you're feeling down)
Johnny Nash - Hold Me Tight (very last minute change and a good one--with the "ba ba ba ba" etc. fitting in well with the previous two songs)
Reflections - Just Like Romeo and Juliet

There's talk from time to time about getting a camera here in the studio. If there had been, you'd have seen me rocking in my chair. People have noticed that I do that when I'm out listening to music. I've been doing it since I was about 3 years old. I just can't sit still when I'm listening to music. You can't always get up and dance, so I "chair dance" when the spirit moves. There were times when I was younger I'd get so into it that I've even broken a chair or two (but I watch it here in the studio!). But it's also a comfort thing for me, too.

Record Box
One of my all time favorite albums is the Drifters Golden Hits. I played one of my particular favorites, one that doesn't get as much play as some of their better known hits.

Drifters – Dance With Me
Swinging Medallions – Double Shot of My Baby's Love
Beatles – I'll Be Back
Go West - King Of Wishful Thinking

Soul Stew
Nothing like a good dose of Motown to perk you up, right? Starting out with something by the Supremes.

Supremes – Come See About Me
Four Tops – It's The Same Old Song
Temptations – Ain't Too Proud To Beg
Wilson Pickett – 634-5789
Temptaions - Get Ready (hard to decide between two Tempts songs--so decided to do them both!)

Current/Non-oldie/out of the box

Sometimes when things are not going well, you just have to get away to regroup and recover. Here's a lovely song on that subject by Eliza Gilkyson.

Eliza Gilkyson – Coast
Matchbox 20 – Unwell (Live acoustic version. Maybe slightly out of show demographic but there's something about Rob Thomas for me. Whether it's something in his voice or his songs, he just seems to nail whatever I'm going through.)
Mark Lowry – When The Sun Comes Out Again

(OK,that set together just about did me in...glad I had tissues...)

Frequency To The Heart
I might call this a note to self for this week, but this is for all of you too: When you're going through a rough time, it's very important to take care of you. Be sure you are surrounding yourself with supportive and encouraging people who care for you, who give you energy and don't drain your soul and your spirit. Don't settle for less...it may mean stepping back from people and situations that can't serve that purpose, however difficult it may be to do. Do those comfort things that will help your heart until you see that peek of sunshine coming through again.

Opening theme: Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – So What's New
Closing theme: King Curtis - Soul Serenade

Coming up on NTO:
Next week – Devil or Angel theme set
Then we are off for the weekend of October 23/24 for the WRFN barnraising, where we prepare to switch to 107.1 and install a new antenna and make some studio improvements. I will be back on November 1 at 107.1 when my guest will be Lance Hoppen of Orleans. So I do hope you'll follow me for that!

I was VERY happy with how the show went. I think it was one of the best shows I've ever done. I hope it helped some folks who may have been needing a lift.

Next week will be better.

10/4/09 Blog/Playlist: in-studio guest George Adams

I was excited because I had a guest with me this morning that I've wanted to have on the show for a long time...George Adams, a guy in my list of top male vocalists. I asked George what he wanted to hear, so I started with a few of his requests. It was mostly a different set of songs than I normally play on my show except for two, but there was a reason for that...stay tuned.

Lovin Spoonful - Darlin Be Home Soon (until the gremlins invaded. Rats.)
Critters - Mr. Dieingly Sad
Jimmy Webb - Galveston (lovely version of the song by its writer)
Dan Fogelberg - Part Of The Plan
Kenny Chesney - That's Why I'm Here

You may have heard me say from time to time in the little over a year that I've been here on Radio Free Nashville that I've gotten much more out of this gig than I bargained for. I started out on Saturday afternoons in September of last year. I used to follow a show called "Geo On the Radio". Back then I used to show up a half hour or so early to get prepped for my show, go through the station's online catalog and look for songs and check out Geo's show because I really liked it. One day I'm doing all that and I hear this drop dead gorgeous voice. I said to Geo "WHO is THAT??" He says "oh, you've never heard George Adams?" Um, no, I hadn't. He told me where his MySpace page was, I checked out his song samples and was completely blown away. Now it's hard to get that reaction from song samples and I hadn't been that impressed in about seven years. I went to see him at a gig a month after that and gave him the kind of a five star review in my Wendy V's Nashville Blend blog that I rarely give anyone. Suffice it to say I have since become a major fan of this guy – I love his voice and the music.

George considers himself more of a vocalist than a songwriter, but we heard some of his songwriting live and from studio cuts.

Song list:
Why Don't I Know It's Over
It's Just Love (these first two were done live and are unrecorded as yet)
Stronger Than Words (studio track)
Turn The Knife (live)

George is from Boston originally. He was working in the auto parts business but started developing his singing. He joined a group called the Secrets and moved to Nashville in 1988. He also played at the Stockyard Restaurant and Bullpen Lounge in the 90s as a strolling balladeer and later as part of the house band. He just finished a five month run as a performer on the Carnival Legend cruise ship. The ship carried over 2,000 passengers a week...out of 900 crew members he was one of only 10 who were American.

We also divulged one of the worst kept secrets of low-power FM radio. If those who listened to WRFN on weekends since last year thought George sounded just a little bit familiar when he spoke, yes, George Adams and "Geo On The Radio" are one and the same. Obviously, I've known him for quite some time, having followed his show back when I was on Saturdays last year. The opening set was very much like what you'd hear on a typical "Geo On the Radio" show. George picked those songs because they were songs or artists that he loved. The Kenny Chesney song "That's Why I'm Here" has great personal significance to him...like the characters in the song, he made the decision nearly five years ago to stop drinking and he called it the best decision he ever made.

Plugs:
Gig Friday, October 9, 7 p.m. - Red Tree Coffee, 385 Main Street, Kingston Springs, TN

Info/Contact:
www.myspace.com/george.adams
www.reverbnation.com/georgeadams
www.geoontheradio.com
email: geoontheradio@gmail.com, geoontheradio@yahoo.com or george.adams@myspace.com

Go to any of the above websites to hear more of George's music and e-mail him to find out how to get a copy of his "Anthology" CD he mentioned on the show.

Frequency To The Heart:
You're special. Who among us wouldn't want to hear that...or feel that? What are some ways to show people in your life how special they are? Keep your full focus on them, show your undivided attention when you are with them. Do something kind just for them, maybe make them a surprise lunch or do some other unexpected gesture. You may be making a big difference in their world just at a time when they most need to feel special.



You might think because you have a guest on that you know pretty well personally that it would be easier, right? Wrong. You want everything to be right and go well and be in the pocket. My nerves got the best of me in places. I'm used to dealing with the usual tech glitches, but this was NOT the day that I wanted any of them. I wish I'd been better on a show I'd been so psyched for.

Thanks for getting up early and coming on the show, George.