Friday It’s ‘What’s In a Name,’ Hot Tuna ‘In The Spotlight’ and Steely Dan Live From Cincinnati, February 28, 2025

We end the month of February with songs about people, some real and some not, Hot Tuna ‘In the Spotlight’ and Steely Dan live in Cincinnati.

Here’s your Friday lineup:

9:00 a.m. What’s In a Name: Various Artists

We start out with songs about people, some real and some imagined from Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Them, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Donovan, Steve Winwood, Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, Carly Simon, Warren Zevon, Laura Nyro, Bobbie Gentry, The Kinks, Three Dog Night, The Association, Joni Mitchell, Badfinger, Linda Ronstadt, Steely Dan, Chi Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Tony Joe White and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Hot Tuna

From out of the ashes of Jefferson Airplane’s demise came one of the greatest blues-rock bands of all time. They’re still out there. While some of the people in the band have changed over the years, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady have always been at the helm.

8:00 p.m. Steely Dan Live at The National City Pavillion, Cincinnati, OH, July 13, 2008

Speaking of great, along with The Heartbreakers, this band helped anchor the seventies. Tonight we close the festivities with a live performance from Cincinnati.

We’re here 24/7 and we’re totally free. We’re on the cusp of the weekend and there’s no better way to get through the final day of the work week than with us. The button is below.

On Thursday It’s Songs About Colors, The Beatles at Candlestick Park & a J. Geils Band ‘Spotlight’, February 27, 2025

As we head toward the weekend, we’ve got songs about colors. It’s Open Stream with a Theme. Then it’s The Beatles’ final live performance and a J. Geils Band ‘Spotlight.’

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

Who knew there were so many songs about colors? Well, you’ll see for yourself with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

This was The Beatles’ final planned live performance ever. Remember that recording shows was not a “thing” back in 1966. Hell, nobody ever played a huge arena like Candlestick until back in those days…except for The Beatles. They knew it would be their final paid live performance and they asked someone to bring their cassette recorder. This is the result. Nothing like what you hear now, but certainly musical history in the making.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The J. Geils Band

Forgive our impertinance, but we give you a ‘Spotlight’ this evening from Boston’s original Bad Boys our preferred Boston-born band.

We are on track for the weekend once again, and it’s getting warmer here in the Boston area. Hopefully, spring is in the air. We’re on 24/7 and we’re free, with no commercial interruption. Do yourself a favor and tune us in. The button is below.

On Wednesday It’s More Sixties, and Both George Harrison and Bob Marley & The Wailers Live, February 26, 2025

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to midweek in The Mermaid Lounge! Today we give you volume two of our Sixties Rotation, followed by a couple of great live performances as we wish a happy belated birthday to the late, great George Harrison.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

In this edition of our sixties fixation you’ll hear The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimmy Cliff, Chuck Berry, The Byrds, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, The Four Tops, CSNY, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, B.B. King and more!

4:00 p.m. George Harison Live at The Capitol Center, Landover, MD, December 13, 1974

We may be a day late, but we’re never a dollar short. This afternoon we give you some live George Harrison on his Dark Horse Tour. Happy Birthday, George!

8:00 p.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, October 13, 1973

We close it all out with The Legend live from The Record Plant.

Just do it. Tune us in. All you need is a free tab and your mouse. No credit card. No personal information. Nada. We’re all about free music. Seriously. No strings. The button is below. See for yourselves.

Tuesday Bluesday It’s Our Biggest. Baddest EP, Big Mama Thornton & Muddy Waters, and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, February 25, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to Tuesday Bluesday! We’ve chosen some great stuff today, including a new ‘Spotlight’ featuring The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

Our biggest blues EP of all features Delbert McClinton, Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Ry Cooder, John Lee Hooker, The Animals, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, The Yardbirds, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Allman Brothers Band, Elmore James, Big Mama Thornton, The Robert Cray Band, John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Susan Tedeschi, Roomful of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf and more!

4:00 p.m. Big Mama Thornton & The Muddy Waters Blues Band, In Session at Coast Recorders, San Francisco, CA, April 25, 1966

Two blues giants together in session at Coast Recorders takes up part of our afternoon today.

We close out the blues programming this evening with a brand new ‘Spotlight’ feature with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Before, in between and after our blues programming we give you our big, wide Open Stream featuring all musical genres. We’re totally free and we’re also free of commercial advertising. The button is below!

Monday’s Back With One-Hit Wonders, Then a Jeff Lynne ‘Spotlight’ and The Doors Live in Motor City, February 24, 2025

Good morning, workers, and welcome to The Mermaid Lounge! We’ve got a great lineup today sprinkled in between all that big, wide Open Stream. Read on for details!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. One-Hit Wonders: Various Artists

We start off with a couple of hours of artists who had one hit only (not one song), like The Amboy Dukes, Brenton Wood, The Easybeats, Los Bravos, Mason Williams, Merilee Rush, Richard Harris, Robert Knight, The McCoys, The Standells, Strawberry Alarm Clock and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jeff Lynne

This afternoon we put Jeff Lynne ‘In The Spotlight’ with his music from The Move, the leader of Electric Light Orchestra, and as Otis, a founding member of the best damned supergroup on the planet, The Traveling Wilburys.

8:00 p.m. The Doors Live at Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI, May 8, 1970

We close out the day’s programming with The Doors live from Motor City, just two months before Jim Morrison’s untimely death.

We’re back for another work week and we’ve got a lot of big, wide Open Stream to start it off! Remember, we’re free with absolutely no commercial interruption, and we’re never off air. We’re all about the music.

On Sunday The Ladies Are In Charge, Then It’s Live John Prine and a Van Morrison ‘Spotlight’ Feature, February 23, 2025

Good morning, Weekenders! We start off the day with the ladies of music fully in charge, then we move on to John Prine and Van Morrison!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

The ladies are in charge for fully five hours. You’ll hear Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Aretha Franklin, Irma Thomas, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Maria Muldaur, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Eva Cassidy, Wendy Waldman, Shawn Colvin, The Ronettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter, Dolly Parton, Dusty Springfield, Ann Peebles and more!

4:00 p.m. John Prine Live at The Other End, Greenwich Village, NY, December 1975

This is another of those shows where the actual date escapes everyone on the worldwide web. However, we know it happened because we’ve got the recording!

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Van Morrison

Yeah. We know Morrison can be an utter shit when he wants to be. Kinda full of himself and all. Yet he is a brilliant musician whose career began way back in the sixties with the British R & B group, Them. His sometimes unpleasant and arrogant nature doesn’t come through on vinyl.

We’re on 24/7 at no charge to the public. That’s important in these trying and frightening times. We don’t track anyone and we ask for no personal information. We’re not in this for profit. We’re all about the music. Always. The button is below.

We’re Feeling Soulful With Our Big EP, a Drifters ‘Spotlight’, and Live Nina Simone on Saturday, February 22, 2025

Good morning, soul and R & B lovers! We’re amped up today as we bring you ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ for starters, then it’s the Drifters ‘In the Spotlight’ and some live Nina Simone!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We officially begin the weekend with our biggest soul music EP, featuring Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, The Drifters, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, James Brown, The Shirelles, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Nina Simone, LaVern Baker, The Supremes, Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Drifters

The Drifters have an interesting background, reflecting the social injustice of the times. It’s too long for me to write about on this blog, but you can read all about it here. Regardless, they made some great music and we’ve got them ‘In the Spotlight’ today.

Today we celebrate the birthday (February 21) of the late, great Nina Simone, singer, songwriter, music arranger and, yes, civil rights and social justice activist. Here she’s live at the the annual Jazz a Juan International Jazz Festival. We need her fighting spirit now.

Come on in to The Mermaid Lounge for a little bit of soul and R & B today. In between that programming, we’ve got our big, wide Open Stream running 24/7 at no charge. We’re anti-capitalist. We care about only one thing: Playing great music for you folks with absolutely no commercial interruption. The button is below.

On Friday It’s Folk Music With Our EP, a New Eric Andersen ‘Spotlight’, and The McGarrigle Sisters, February 21, 2025

Good morning, folk music lovers! That’s the prevailing programming today with our big folk music EP, a long-planned Eric Andersen ‘Spotlight’ and some rare stuff from Kate & Anna McGarrigle!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

One of our favorite genres here in The Lounge…the genre that essentially birthed the protest song and social justice awareness. You’ll hear Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Arlo Guthrie, The Beatles, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Richie Havens, Simon & Garfunkel, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, The Carter Family, Townes Van Zandt and more!

A veteran of the Greenwich Village folk scene, singer-songwriter Eric Andersen has had his songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Grateful Dead, Rick Nelson and so many others. Today, we’ll hear him sing them himself.

8:00 p.m. Tell My Sister: The Unreleased Recordings, Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Tonight a real treat as we hear some rare music from Kate & Anna McGarrigle, the folk singer-songwriter duo who also provided many songs for others to record, including the aforementioned Linda Ronstadt.

We’ve got a great day of music lined up after a day off to pull some new music together. We hope you enjoyed your Open Stream day. We remind you that Open Stream covers most of the hours of our programming, and we’re totally free 24/7 with no commercial interruption. The button is below.

On Thursday, It’s Nothing But Our Big, Wide Open Stream, February 20, 2025

Here we are headed for the weekend once again. We’re on our big, wide Open Stream for the next 24 hours!

Dive in. The Music Mermaid is in charge today, all day, all night. She will not disappoint. The button is below.

At Midweek It’s ‘Ode To Morning’, a Ry Cooder ‘Spotlight’, and Live Bob Dylan in ’63, Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! At midweek, we open the show with our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, then it’s the great Ry Cooder ‘In the Spotlight’ and Dylan live at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, vintage 1963!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

It’s Open Stream with a theme with Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Dan Fogelberg, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Badfinger, Townes Van Zandt, Chris Hillman and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Ry Cooder

We put the ‘Spotlight’ on a literal musical genius today, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has collaborated with many creative artists over his long career. This is the guy Linda Ronstadt says was the best guitarist she’s ever worked with.

8:00 p.m. Bob Dylan Live at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, May 10, 1963

We jump in the Wayback Machine again tonight for vintage, early Dylan at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. I was only nine years old when this concert took place.

Another day of fascism in America awaits us; we the people have got to change this picture. In the meantime, you can fortify yourself with some great music here. We’re anti-capitalist; we don’t charge you one penny. We’re free 24/7. We don’t track you or break into your personal files with juvenile dumbass hackers. The button is below.