Month: May 2024

‘Are You Ready for The Country’, a Guy Clark Spotlight and ‘Live’ Lukas Nelson & POTR on Saturday, May 11, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We keep it on the country side today with our programming, both old school and country-rock, that great sound out of Laurel Canyon.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

Another EP out of mothballs this morning as we pay homage to the old standards and the country rockers with The Eagles, Asleep at The Wheel, The Byrds, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, The Desert Rose Band, Kris Kristofferson, Gram Parsons, John Prine, Tom Rush, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Guy Clark

Surely one of the absolute best country singer-songwriters ever. I know I’ve told this story before, but one dreadfully snowy night my friend George and I were walking around Harvard Square freezing when we decided to go into a place called Passim’s Coffee House to warm up. We had no idea who Guy Clark was, but we paid the cover charge and went inside. It was undoubtedly one of the best things I ever did in my life. I was totally hooked. And he played a mean fiddle to boot.

8:00 p.m. Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real Live at The Boathouse, Newport News, VA, June 14, 2018

We close out the country programming with Lukas Nelson and his great little band. Lukas comes from great country outlaw pedigree, so it’s no wonder we love him here in The Mermaid Lounge.

We’re here 24/7 for your listening pleasure, at absolutely no charge to you and with absolutely no commercial interruption. Ever. Just an occasional station I.D. bit courtesy of yours truly. That’s it. The button’s below.

Are You Ready?

Yeah, It’s Friday. And ‘It’s About Time’ Indeed, Along With a Paul Simon Spotlight and Live Neil Young & Crazy Horse, May 10, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! Welcome to Friday in The Mermaid Lounge where we break out our ‘It’s About Time’ playlist, and that’s just for starters!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. It’s About Time: Various Artists

We’re breaking this out of mothballs; almost forgot we had made it. Time is relative, at least to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Guess Who, The Doors, the J. Geils Band, Joni Mitchell, Little Feat, Canned Heat, Paul Simon, Talking Heads, Nina Simone, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, J. J. Cale, Linda Ronstadt, Buckwheat Zydeco, The Eagles, Valerie Carter, The Byrds and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Paul Simon

Paul Simon is one of the most incredible singer-songwriters of all time, over a sixty-year career both as part of Simon & Garfunkel and as a solo artist. We put him In The Spotlight where he belongs this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. Neil Young & Crazy Horse Live at The Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA, October 22, 1978

Neil and his favorite back-up band, Crazy Horse, on the original Cortez The Killer tour. He is indeed back with Crazy Horse on his 2024 tour and they are back on Cortez The Killer, debuting a never-before-heard ‘lost verse.’ Neil Young is a musical legend and still killing it on the road like The Energizer Bunny.

We’re here with the music 24/7 at no charge to the public and with absolutely no commercial advertising. We are all about the music.

Friday Has Arrived!

Thursday Brings Our ‘British Are Coming’ EP, Blind Faith Live in ’69 and a Jeff Lynne’s ELO Spotlight, May 9, 2024

Good morning, music lovers, and Thursday shall be decreed British origin. Our programs are dedicated to songs from across the pond and British artists!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The British Are Coming!: Various Artists

I remember the British Invasion well because it began with The Beatles, of course. And it was a blast! You’ll hear The Beatles, The Who, Dave Mason, ELO, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Bee Gees, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, Them, Herman’s Hermits, The Rolling Stones, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Cream, Donovan, The Searchers, The Spencer Davis Group and more!

4:00 p.m. Blind Faith Live at The Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, CA, August 16, 1969

We’re back in The Wayback Machine this afternoon for an oldie with Blind Faith.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Jeff Lynne’s ELO

Otherwise known as Electric Light Orchestra, a fine band indeed. And any guy who became a Traveling Wilbury is just fine by me. They’ve been busy on their farewell tour this year and they’ll be blowing through Boston in September. It’s a good time to put them In The Spotlight!

We’re edging toward the weekend once again, my good friends. We’re still totally free and devoid of commercial advertising. We’re all about the music.

The British Are Coming!

At Midweek, We’re ‘Under The Influence’ With a Spotlight on The Band, and Some Live Little Feat, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We take a favorite EP out of mothballs today and give you a Spotlight feature on The Band and ‘Live’ Little Feat from London.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

We have all been here. There’s no denying it. Some of our ‘influences’ have been legal; some decidedly not. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix, Steely Dan, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Talking Heads, Neil Young, The Beatles, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Foreigner, Jonathan Edwards, John Lee Hooker, Donovan and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Band

They were once Bob Dylan’s backup band. That’s how they got their name. They were referred to as ‘the band’. And then, they morphed into one of the most prolific and influential musical groups of their generation. They are In The Spotlight today.

8:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, UK, August 4, 1977

Speaking of great bands, we close the programming with a great live performance from Little Feat from The Rainbow in London.

I hear the weather is going to be nasty today here in the Boston area, rainy with possibly our first round of thunderstorms this season. We’ll see. But if I could hunker down here today with this great music, I’d be doing it. The button’s below.

Feed Your Head.

It’s ‘Ladies Sing The Blues,’ Susan Tedeschi and Big Mama & Muddy In Session, on Tuesday Bluesday, May 7, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists, and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday here in The Lounge, where the blues are great and the living is not always easy, but hey.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Sing The Blues: Various Artists

We kick it off with the ladies of the blues, including Billie Holliday, Big Mama Thornton, Ruth Brown, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Christine McVie, Marcia Ball, Ellen McIlwaine, Susan Tedeschi, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Sippie Wallace, Bessie Smith, Shawn Murphy, Angela Strehli, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Broads and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Susan Tedeschi

This afternoon it’s Boston original Susan Tedeschi, solo artist and one of the leaders of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, In The Spotlight.

7:00 p.m. Big Mama Thornton and The Muddy Waters Blues Band In Session at Coast Recorders, San Francisco, CA, April 25, 1966

We jump into the Wayback Machine to close out Tuesday Bluesday with Big Mama and Muddy live together at Coast Recorders.

Tuesday Bluesday is now in its sixth year here in The Mermaid Lounge and is always one of our most popular days, so give it a listen. We’re on 24/7, we’re totally free of charge, and devoid of commercial advertising. We’re radio the way it was meant to be.

Tuesday Bluesday!

We Close Out Fillmore Fest With A Bang With The Heartbreakers & Music From The Final Days, Monday, May 6, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Since we’re operating on an ‘eight days a week’ basis, we took an extra day for Fillmore Fest and we’ll close it out in style

Here’s your Fillmore Fest lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Fillmore: The Last Days

Bill Graham’s vaunted Fillmore closed in 1971, a couple of years after The Fillmore East, both the victims of the penchant for booking large arena venues for concerts. The final shows include performances by Hot Tuna, Boz Scaggs, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Cold Blood, The Elvin Bishop Group, The Grateful Dead and more!

6:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, January-February 1997

The Fillmore, of course, was reborn in San Francisco and other cities as well and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers took advantage of the small venue to play a legendary run of 20 sold-out nights in 1997 where they tore up the big arena set lists and allowed the attendees to write down song requests for the band. They played over 100 different songs during their 20-night run, including a series of covers paying tribute to those who inspired them that were simply amazing. Some of those covers included the Kinks’ You Really Got Me, The Dead’s Friend of The Devil, Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine and J.J. Cale’s Call Me The Breeze. There were also special guests, like John Lee Hooker and Roger McGuinn, who joined them on stage. We usually play this selection in three parts, but today it’s a one-sitting event to close out Fillmore Week.

Hell, it’s Monday all over again. What could be better than pulling up a new tab and joining our final day of Fillmore Fest? The button’s below.

Farewell, Fillmore Fest!

It’s Sunday and The Fillmore Reigns With CCR, the Allman Brothers & The Dead, Plus Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, May 5, 2024

Good morning, Fillmore fans! We’ve got three ‘live’ shows from The Fillmore venues today along with our Travelin’ Fever EP!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Creedence Clearwater Revival Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, July 4, 1971

Back in ’71, they celebrated Independence Day in style out in ‘Frisco with Creedence Clearwater Revival!

1:00 p.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

In between the Fillmore Fest, we’ve got our Travelin’ Fever EP with Canned Heat, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, The Doors, Tom Rush, The Byrds, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, The Traveling Wilburys, Del Shannon, Janis Joplin, Ray Charles, The Doobie Brothers, The Guess Who, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Cream and more!

8:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, March 12-13, 1971

No Fillmore Fest would be complete without a show from The Brothers, who graced the hallowed halls of both venues on both coasts quite frequently.

12:00 a.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, November 7, 1969

We bridge the gap between today and tomorrow with a revival of Live Dead! vintage 1969 from The Fillmore West.

It should be duly noted that Fillmore Fest will be operating on an ‘eight days a week’ basis and will not end until tomorrow. We’ve got some great stuff lined up. In the meantime, we’re here 24/7 every single day at no cost to the public and with no commercial advertising to interrupt the flow. See for yourself.

FILLMORE FEST!

Saturday Brings ‘In Your Dreams,’ Jackson Browne and Laura Nyro Continues Our Fillmore Week, May 4, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! We’re back for another weekend and we’ve got some great music on tap for you today, starting with our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP.

‘In Your Dreams’ begins at 9:00 a.m.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists

Who knew there were so many songs about dreams? Well, there are. And we didn’t even included all of them. You’ll hear The Everly Brothers, The Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Monkees, The Mamas & The Papas, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Widespread Panic, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Aretha Franklin, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, Electric Prunes, Dusty Springfield, Melissa Etheridge, John Prine, Tom Rush, Electric Light Orchestra and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jackson Browne

The Prince of L.A. (I forget who called him that) is In The Spotlight today. He is, without a doubt, one of the finest singer-songwriters of his generation.

8:00 p.m. Laura Nyro Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, March 30, 1971

Speaking of brilliant singer-songwriters, here’s one who left the planet far too soon. Her music, however, lives on.

We’re here 24/7 at no charge to the listening public. And no. There isn’t any commercial advertising either. We’re all about the music.

Join The Dream State

The Byrds at The Fillmore, Volume Two of ‘Repeat After Me’ and Toots & The Maytals Are All On Tap, Friday, May 3, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We continue on with Fillmore Week, give you volume two of ‘Repeat After Me’ and a Toots & The Maytals Spotlight feature.

Here’s your Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Repeat After Me, Volume Two: Various Artists

We’ve got volume two on tap with Joe Cocker covering The Box Tops, Kate Taylor covering The Four Tops, The Traveling Wilburys covering Del Shannon, Johnny Winter covering Bob Dylan, The Who covering Eddie Cochran, and more. You get the drill.

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Toots & The Maytals

I sometimes feel that Toots Hibbert gets short shrift in the world or Reggae, but the Maytals were around from the early sixties and were instrumental in helping to push Reggae into the consciousness of the mainstream music lover.

8:00 p.m. FILLMORE WEEK! The Byrds Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, February 7-8, 1969

One of the most iconic bands in all of music (imo) is on tap for this evening in a Fillmore performance as we continue on Fillmore Week.

In fact, we’re making Fillmore Week eight days a week so that we can get our final entry in on Monday. But that’s for us to know and for you to find out. That means you’ll just have to listen and stay engaged. The button’s below.

Fillmore Week Continues!

Thursday Brings The ‘Trio’ Sessions, ‘Repeat After Me,’ and Traffic Live at The Fillmore, April 2, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’re back at it as we continue Fillmore Week with Traffic, but first it’s The ‘Trio’ Sessions with Dolly, Linda and Emmylou and ‘Repeat After Me’.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Complete Trio Sessions: Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris

We kick off the morning with a bona fide supergroup but, of course, all these years later there’s still plenty of misogyny in the music business. So, nobody talks about these three living legends as a “supergroup.” But that’s exactly what Trio is. Today we give you the outtakes, remakes, remixes, alternate versions and final product all rolled into one.

3:00 p.m. Repeat After Me: Various Artists

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and we’ve got the proof right here. You’ll hear CSNY cover Joni Mitchell, Gregg Allman cover Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt cover Little Feat, and Three Dog Night cover Laura Nyro. And that’s just for starters.

7:00 p.m. FILLMORE WEEK: Traffic Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, July 1, 1970 NEW!

We’ve had this one hanging around but haven’t aired it until this evening. It’s about time, don’t you think? Yeah.

Join us today. It’ll be an experience in sound. We’re on 24/7 with no commercial interruption, and at no charge to you!

The Complete Trio Sessions