Category: Live Recordings

Monday, Monday Brings ‘Banned From the Airwaves,’ Emmylou Harris Rarities, and Live Joni Mitchell, June 2, 2025

Good morning, music lovers, and welcome back to another Monday (ugh). Be that as it may, we have some great stuff for you today starting with an expanded playlist of songs once banned from the airwaves for some pretty stupid reasons!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Banned From the Airwaves: Various Artists UPDATED & EXPANDED!

Newly expanded with about 30 minutes of new music from artists like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, The Kingsmen, The Who, Peter, Paul & Mary, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel, and many more who fell victim to the paranoia of some radio station executives.

4:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris: Rare Tracks & Forgotten Gems

At 4:00 p.m. we take a trip down Emmylou Lane for some stuff that you may not hear on other stations, but you’ll hear them here!

8:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY, February 3, 1972

We close out the day’s programming with the legendary Joni Mitchell in a great performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Again, we’re totally free and we’re on 24/7 for your listening pleasure. No strings. No surprises. No subscriptions or credit cards required. The button is below.

What was Puff smoking?

We Begin June With Some Psychedelic Music, Live Otis Redding, and a Karla Bonoff ‘Spotlight,’ Sunday, June 1, 2025

Good morning, music lovers. We open the month with one of our favorite genres here, psychedelic music. Then we move onto The Big O and singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

There are the artists who invented psychedelic rock and there are the artists who keep the genre alive. We’ve got it all, including The Beatles, Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, the Electric Prunes, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Donovan, The Byrds, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Canned Heat, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

4:00 p.m. Otis Redding Live at The Whiskey A Go Go, W. Hollywood, CA, April 9 & 10, 1966

The Big O left us all far too soon. He never got to see the heights his music would have taken him to. His hits and his legend were posthumous events. It amazes me to this day that people refer to Aretha Franklin’s classic anthem, Respect, without knowing that it was written by Otis Redding. Today we have a rare live performance by Otis Redding from the legendary Whiskey.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Karla Bonoff

We close the programming with an artist who has written many great songs made famous by artists like Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss and Wynonna Judd. Tonight we get to hear her sing them.

It’s a brand new month, and we’re off to a great start here. We’ve got some new summer music coming up as we prepare for a long, hot summer here. I have great foreboding under the present regime, but we will carry on here. Stay with us. The button is below.

The Psychedelic Express!

We Close The Month With ‘Ladies Day Out,’ Live Stephen Stills, and a Steve Winwood ‘Spotlight’ Feature, Saturday, May 31, 2025

Welcome, weekenders! We’re closing the month in style as we turn the studio over to the women of music this morning, followed by Stephen Stills live at The Capitol Center, and a Steve Winwood ‘Spotlight’ covering his vast musical career.

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

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

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

4:00 p.m. Stephen Stills Live at The Capitol Center, Passaic, NJ, March 23, 1979

Later this afternoon, we give you some great live Stephen Stills. Always a treat.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Steve Winwood

We close with legendary artist Steve Winwood and his music from The Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith, Traffic, and his solo career!

I’ll be spending one more day in hardware hell before my weekend begins, but The Music Mermaid will be in charge and she never disappoints. Stop by and see for yourselves. It costs nothing and we won’t make you sign up for a ‘subscription’ to anything. Best of all, there’s absolutely no commercial advertising. The button is below.

Ladies Day Out!

On Friday It’s ‘Free As a Bird,’ a Nicolette Larson ‘Spotlight,’ and Volume One of The Beatles Live at The BBC, May 30, 2025

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to the cusp of the weekend once again! Today we open with songs about being free, followed by Niclette Larson ‘In the Spotlight’ and our boys live at The BBC!

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Free As a Bird: Various Artists

We start off with songs about freedom from Edgar Winger, The Beatles, CSNY, The Byrds, Richie Havens, Van Morrison, Three Dog Night, Tracy Chapman, Emmylou Harris, Allen Toussaint, Pete Seeger, Joni Mitchell, Loggins & Messina, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Curtis Mayfield, The Kinks, and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Nicolette Larson

Nicolette Larson burst onto the music scene with her recording of Neil Young’s Lotta Love, and became one of the great girl singers of her generation. By 1985, she had turned to country music, charting one Top 40 country hit before her tragic death at the age of 45. Today we put her ‘In the Spotlight’ where she belongs.

8:00 p.m. The Beatles Live at The BBC Studios, Recorded June-September 1963

The Fab Four did a lot of live ‘in studio’ performances during their early years to help get their songs out to the world. This series was called Pop Go The Beatles, and it’s a great collection of music. Enjoy.

No EP today so that means plenty of our big, wide Open Stream. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free, and we run absolutely no commercial advertising. We’re all about the music. Come on in. Give it a shot. You’ll see what we mean when we say we play the best music on the planet. The button is below.

The Button.

We Bring Back ‘What’s In a Name,’ Then It’s Dylan & The Heartbreakers Live, and a Jimmy Cliff ‘Spotlight,’ Thursday, May 29, 2025

We’re headed for the weekend with a great lineup, including the return of our ‘What’s In a Name’ EP after a hiatus. What follows is even better!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

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

4:00 p.m. Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY, July 4, 1986

Two unbelievably great acts together on one stage on Dylan’s True Confessions tour. It was a thing of beauty.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff is the stuff of legends. He’s a reggae, ska, rocksteady and soul singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and the only living reggae musician to ever hold The Order of Merit. Bob Dylan called his song Vietnam the best protest song he’d ever heard. If you don’t know Jimmy Cliff, you can learn more about him here. And you can tune him in tonight!

We’re here. We’re free. We don’t run advertising. And we’re on 24/7. What could be better. And no, you can’t build personal playlists, but I say that’s not radio. This is radio, except we don’t play the same hundred songs over, and over, and over. See for yourselves.

True Confessions Tour.

We’re at Midweek With the ‘Color My World’ EP, a Jesse Winchester ‘Spotlight,’ and ELO Live at Wembley, Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Good morning, music lovers, and welcome to midweek! We’ve got it going today, beginning with songs about colors, Jesse Winchester, and Jeff Lynne’s ELO!

Here’s your midweek music lineup:

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

We open it up with songs about all the colors on the spectrum from James Taylor, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, J. D. Souther, The Who, Sam & Dave, Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Badfinger, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams and more!

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

Bob Dylan once said that you cannot talk about the best songwriters in music without including Jesse Winchester on that list. He’s right. The first time I ever saw him live was when he opened for Emmylou Harris at Boston’s Music Hall. It was a great performance all the way around. I often dreamed of seeing him in a small venue, like Passim’s Coffee House in Cambridge, but never had the opportunity. We do have a live performance or two by him at other small venues. We’ll be sure to get those on soon.

8:00 a.m. Jeff Lynne’s ELO Live at Wembley Stadium, London, UK, June 24, 2017

We close out the programming with Jeff Lynne’s ELO, who took their final world tour last year and passed through Boston, live at Wembley Stadium.

We’ll be headed for the weekend once again after today, and that is always a good thing to look forward to in a time where there seems to be so little to look forward to. The great music we play is another good thing to look forward to. The button is below!

The Button. Right here.

Tuesday Bluesday Brings Our Big, Bad Blues EP, Live Albert Collins, and a T-Bone Walker ‘Spotlight’ Feature, May 27, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists! It’s another Tuesday Bluesday with our all-encompassing blues EP, Albert Collins live at The Fillmore, and a great ‘Spotlight’ featuring T-Bone Walker.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

This is our big one with Delbert McClinton, Robert Johnson, B. B. King, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Ry Cooder, Canned Heat, 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, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Robert Cray Band, J. J. Cale, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Susan Tedeschi, Roomful of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and more!

4:00 p.m. Albert Collins Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, December 26-28, 1969

This afternoon we jump into the Wayback Machine for some electric blues with Albert Collins.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of T-Bone Walker

We close out Tuesday Bluesday with singer, songwriter, musician and innovator of the jump blues, T-Bone Walker.

It’s another Tuesday Bluesday here in The Mermaid Lounge, and it’ll be another full house. There’s plenty of room for everyone, so join us. It’s quite simple, really. The button is below.

Tuesday Bluesday!

We Celebrate Memorial Day With ‘Those Shoes,’ an Eva Cassidy ‘Spotlight,’ and Macca Live in Tokyo, Monday, May 26, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! No EP today which means plenty of big, wide Open Stream! However, we do have some pretty great programming, including our expanded and updated ‘Those Shoes’ playlist to start things off!

Here’s your Memorial Day lineup:

10:00 a.m. Those Shoes: Various Artists UPDATED!

Expanded and updated playlist of songs about shoes, believe it or not. Open Stream with a Theme from Elvis Presley, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Little Feat, The Eagles, Laura Nyro, The Band, Leon Russell, Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, The Everly Brothers, Supertramp, Jesse Winchester, Betty Everett, Ruth Brown, Richie Havens, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, Norah Jones, and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Eva Cassidy

A fine singer with an amazing voice who left us far too soon at the age of 36. She still managed to leave behind a great catalogue for us all to enjoy. Today we have her ‘In The Spotlight.’

8:00 p.m. Paul McCartney Live at The Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, November 14 & 15, 1993

We close out the holiday programming with Paul McCartney and his band live from The Tokyo Dome in Japan!

We’re here on a Monday holiday and we’ll hope you’ll tune us in today. We’re 100% free with no strings, no surprises. We’re also free of commercial advertising and overly talkative DJs. We’re all about the music. See for yourselves. The button is below.

The Button!

It’s Sunday Funday With a new Jesse Colin Young ‘Spotlight,’ Volume Two of The Sixties Rotation, and the Magnolia Sisters Live in Simi Valley, On May 25, 2025

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jesse Colin Young NEW!

Singer-songwriter Jesse Colin Young may mostly be remembered with his time in The Youngbloods, and the people’s anthem, Get Together, but he had a long career and made a ton of great music. We lost him earlier in 2025, and we should have given him a ‘Spotlight’ sooner. He’s here now.

1:00 p.m. The Original Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

This afternoon we spend our time in the wayback machine with the artists of the sixties, including The Beatles, The Mamas & Papas, The Hollies, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Steppenwolf, The Turtles, Three Dog Night, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Blind Faith, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, The Doors, Vanilla Fudge and more!

8:00 p.m. The Magnolia Sisters Live at The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival, Rancho Santa Susana Community Park, Simi Valley, CA, May 23, 2015

The only known all-woman, authentic Cajun band, led by Ann Savoy, is back with an excellent performance at the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival. We love their stuff here in The Mermaid Lounge.

We’re into the weekend, folks. Time to kick back. The Orange Scourge is probably playing golf. Tomorrow begins more battles for our sanity. But today? Turn on the tunes. We’re free. The button is below.

Sunday Funday!

On Saturday It’s ‘A Little Bit O’Soul,’ a Patty Griffin ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and the Zombies Live in the UK, On May 24, 2025

Welcome, weekenders! We’ve got quite an eclectic lineup here for you today…something for everybody. It starts with great soul and R & B, then on to country-folk and British Invasion rock!

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

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

All the best from the sixties and seventies including The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, James Brown, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Nina Simone, Irma Thomas, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Ann Peebles, Al Green, Fontella Bass, and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Patty Griffin

Patty Griffin has written many songs performed and interpreted by many artists. She’s an accomplished singer, songwriter and musician in the folk, folk[-rock, and country-folk genres, and it’s always a pleasure to hear her sing her own stuff.

8:00 p.m. The Zombies Live at Metropolis Studios, London, UK, March 8, 2008

One of the most important and influential bands of the sixties British Invasion reunited for a time, including for this performance at Metropolis Studios in London. Enjoy.

We are here cooking in The Mermaid Lounge on a 24/7 basis. We play the best music on the planet at no cost to our listeners, and we never run commercial advertising. With over 27,000 songs on our playlist, we give you the most variety and we play more women than any other music stations hands down. The button is below.

Welcome, Weekenders!