The great Syd Straw is going on tour next week with the great Don Piper, and if they’re near your town you really owe it to yourself to see the show. About a year ago I was honored to record a nearly three hour set by Syd and Don. Here’s a taste of what went down that night – a truly moving performance of Syd’s Pink Velour. Posted with permission (thanks Syd!).

The Dead Air Radio has been a staple of the WCNI-FM airwaves as long as I can remember, and as long as I can remember goes way back to the Fall of 1983 when I first encountered this amazing rock and roll radio show . Why amazing? Well, really it’s about good taste. Peter Detmold, Hugh Birdsall and Paul Sweeney (the show’s current hosts) all possess an uncanny sense of good musical taste, history and a dry sense of humor – put them all together and you’ve got a recipe for a radio show that’s managed to stay on the air for more than 30 years.

I have my own history with WCNI (which perhaps I’ll tell another time) but it’s been a long, long time since I pulled songs together for a radio show. Still,  I was asked by Peter to take the helm of the Dead Air Radio Show for an hour on September, 8 and here’s how it went. Not so bad! I’m a bit rusty and I think I over-did it on the “sounds like The Beatles, but not The Beatles” set but there’s some good stuff in there. Have a listen.

https://www.mixcloud.com/RPBCreative/rpb-dead-air-radio-september-8-2016-aircheck/

Set List
Big Kids Wanna Rock • Myracle Brah

Nothing • Jay Sherman-Godfrey
A Question Mark • Elliott Smith
She Goes To Bed • Jason Falkner
Ruin My Day • Jon Brion
Get The Message • Sagittarius

The Magic Touch • The Bobby Fuller Four
Soul Deep • The Box Tops
It’s Looking Good • The Rutles
You Don’t Know Her • The Rubinoos
Thought You’d Never Go • Kenney Howes
So Far From My Heart • Frank Lee Sprague
Sexy Rickenbacker • Charlie Chesterman

Inside Looking Out • The Animals
For Your Love • Larry Williams Show
Listen, Listen • The Merry-Go-Round
The Trouble With Boys • Little Eva
That’s How It Goes • The Breakaways(UK)

Taking Pictures • Sam Phillips