Today We Ride ‘The Psychedelic Express’, Get a New Phil Ochs ‘Spotlight’, and Some Live James Brown, On May Day, 2025

Welcome to May Day, 2025! We’ve got some great stuff today as we continue to build our protest and social justice music content. We give you a Phil Ochs ‘Spotlight’ today along with a free tip on ‘The Psychedelic Express’ and some live James Brown this evening.

Here’s your May Day lineup:

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

This morning we take a trip on ‘The Psychedelic Express’ along with Vanilla Fudge, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, The Electric Prunes, The Animals, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Donovan, The Byrds, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Jimi Hendrix, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, The Who, Canned Heat, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, The Grateful Dead, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Velvet Underground and more!

Phil Ochs is the stuff of legends, blessed with great songwriting chops and sardonic humor along with a passion for social justice. He was one of the most prolific musical social activists of his generation. Today we put him ‘In the Spotlight’ and you can read more about him here in The Guardian.

8:00 p.m. We close out May Day with a live performance from James Brown, the hardest working man in show business, from the House of Blues in Las Vegas.

We’re on 24/7 and we do not require a subscription. We also do not track. We do not play commercial advertising and we don’t buy music from Amazon. Ever. We’re all about the music and how we source it. The button is below.

On Monday It’s Live Derek & The Dominos, Then Our ‘Great Beginnings’ EP, and a J.J. Cale ‘Spotlight’ Feature, April 28, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! It’s Monday all over again, but all is not lost. We’ve got some great programming for you today.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Derek & The Dominos Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, October 23, 1970

Yet another Supergroup featuring Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Duane Allman and Jim Gordon. We’ve got them live from The Fillmore East to start the day.

1:00 p.m. Great Beginnings: Various Artists

This is the newest of our EPs, and it features songs with great openings. You’ll hear The Beatles, Elton John, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, the J. Geils Band, Aretha Franklin, Yes, Chicago, The Who, Johnny Rivers, Electric Light Orchestra, The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers Band, The Temptations, CSNY, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, ZZ Top, Badfinger, Steely Dan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Paul Simon, The Chambers Brothers and more!

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

One of the best right here. A pioneer of the “Tulsa Sound” which blended blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz. His bluesy guitar, whispery vocals, and shuffling beat defined the genre. He also wrote some of the best: Cocaine, After Midnight, The Old Man and Me, 13 Days, and Crazy Mama are among his compositions.

We’re here 24/7 without any commercial interruption. We don’t ask for a subscription, a credit card or your personal information. We don’t track or try to sell to you. What’s not to love? The button is below.

It’s Sunday Funday With ‘Color My World’, a Richard & Mimi Farina ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and Live Joan Baez, on April 27, 2025

Welcome to Sunday Funday here in The Mermaid Lounge and we are bringing in some new folk music for the resistance along with the ‘Color My World’ EP and live Joan Baez.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

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

We open with five hours of songs about all colors of the spectrum with music from James Taylor, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Procol Harum, Electric Light Orchestra, 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!

Not a lot of music, but some of the most inspiring music ever made. Richard Farina tragically died at the age of 29, never realizing his full genius potential. They were a fixture in the Boston-Cambridge (Massachusetts) folk scene, gracing the stage at Club 47, the Unicorn Coffee House, and other iconic venues. They appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, and collaborated with some of the best, including Joan Baez. Today, we put them in the spotlight where they belong as part of our growing ‘protest music’ focus.

8:00 p.m. Joan Baez: Live in 1962

We close out the day with the great Joan Baez, no stranger to songs about social justice, recorded live at several venues during 1962 at the very beginning of a long and brilliant musical career.

We are committed to music, and we are committed to free music with no commercial avertising. We are also committed to meeting the moment and raising our voices through song. We vowed never to involve politics, but where we are is not a question of politics. It’s right vs. wrong. Truth vs. lies. We must all stand and deliver in some way. This is our way. The button is below.

Saturday It’s Volume Two of Our ‘Sixties Rotation’, Then It’s Live Warren Zevon, and a Valerie Carter ‘Spotlight’, April 26, 2025

Welcome, Weekenders! We’re here again on a Saturday with a great selection of programming sprinkled in with our big, wide Open Stream! It all starts out with volume two of our ‘Sixties Rotation.’

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation: Volume Two

We cover the mid-to-late sixties (mostly) with this one with music from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Mamas & Papas, The Hollies, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Turtles, Three Dog Night, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Blind Faith, Linda Ronstadt, Chuck Berry, The Doors, Stevie Wonder, Vanilla Fudge, Bob Dylan, Steppenwolf and more!

4:00 p.m. Warren Zevon Live at The Roxy, Atlanta, GA, June 15, 1993

Warren Zevon certainly had his dark side and burned a lot of bridges in his lifetime, but he was a brilliant singer-songwriter and performer. Saw him at The Berklee Performance Center in Boston after Excitable Boy was released. He was three hours late, but it was worth the wait.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Valerie Carter

She is certainly a Mermaid Lounge musical muse. The little girl with the big voice who left us all far too soon. She opened for Linda Ronstadt once at the Orpheum here in Boston and I was lucky enough to be there. They spent some time together singing on stage and it was amazing. We’ll air that one soon.

It’s Saturday. The Orange Scourge is in Rome. We’re all stuck here with the mess he continues to make. And that’s why we’re picking up our protest music content. We’ve aired two segments this week and more are coming! Stay tuned. The button is below.

On Friday We’re ‘Under the Sun & Moon,’ Then Live Joni Mitchell, and a Roy Orbison ‘Spotlight’ Feature, April 25, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! In between all of this great programming we’ve got our big, wide Open Stream 24/7 with no commercial interruption!

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Under The Sun & Moon: Various Artists

We start out with a great playlist including music from Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Norah Jones, Bill Withers, Jimmy Cliff, The Traveling Wilburys, The Rolling Stones, Nina Simone, Cream, The Beatles, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, The Animals, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rosanne Cash, Valerie Carter, Tom Rush, The Doors, Jonathan Edwards and more!

4:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, July 20, 1983

This afternoon, we give you the legendary Joni Mitchell from Red Rocks on her World Refuge Tour.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Roy Orbison

We celebrate Roy Orbison’s birthday (April 23) today by putting him ‘In the Spotlight’ where he belongs covering his solo music and his music with The Traveling Wilburys.

We’ve made it to the end of the week. We’re in survival mode here, under the orchestration of The Orange Menace. It’s golf time, so the damage is minimized on the weekend. All we have to endure is his incessant, childish posting. But we’re here with great music to help you get through. The button is below.

We’re at Midweek With ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’, Live Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez ‘In the Spotlight’, Wednesday, April 23, 2025

We’ve got a great day of folk programming coming up today as we increase our push on protest music and artists that include social justice issues as a large part of their musical focus.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

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

We kick off the day with our multi-artist folk music EP featuring John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family and more!

We debut live Pete Seeger this afternoon at his ‘We Shall Overcome’ concert at New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Joan Baez

We close out the day with another folk icon who has always focused on issues of social justice in her music.

We’ve got it going today, folks, in a time of extraordinary upheaval here in the U.S. We cannot stay stationary on a sinking ship. Join us. The button is below.

We Begin the Week With ‘Ode To Morning’, Then Onto a John Hartford ‘Spotlight’, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at The Vic in Chicago On April 21, 2025

We kick off yet another work week with our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, a brand new ‘Spotlight’ featuring the late, great John Hartford, and The Heartbreakers live at The Vic.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

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

Yesterday, we had songs about the night. Today it’s songs about the morning with 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, Pure Prairie League, Chris Hillman and more!

John Hartford’s biggest hit was Gentle On My Mind, for which he scored three Grammies. The song was also listed in “BMI’s Top 100 Songs of the Century.” Hartford was a folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician who mastered both the fiddle and banjo and frequently switched between those and the guitar during his live performances. Like John Prine, he was also known for his witty lyrics and unique vocal style, and he had an extensive knowledge of Mississippi River folklore. He also invented his very own tap dance and frequently clogged on a piece of plywood as he sang and played. He was truly a minstrel and entertainer.

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Victoria, Chicago, IL, April 19, 2003

In 2003, The Heartbreakers played five nights at The Vic. Tonight we bring you their final performance of that residency.

We’ve got some great music for you today, including a ‘Spotlight’ we’ve been meaning to add for quite some time. We finally give the late, great John Hartford his due. We hope you’ll tune us in. We’re on 247 and we’re totally free all the time. The button is below.

We Keep It Simple Today With CCR Live at Royal Albert Hall, and Our ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP, On Sunday, April 20, 2025

Here we are again, celebrating the bunny! We’ve got a great day today with minimal programming and plenty of our big, wide Open Stream!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Creedence Clearwater Revival Live at Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, April 14, 1970

We start out with one of the finest rock and roll bands in music, led by the great John Fogerty. They crashed into fame by releasing three albums in 1969 alone. Today we’ve got them live at Royal Albert Hall.

4:00 p.m. Here Comes the Night: Various Artists

We go from afternoon to evening with our ‘Here Comes the Night’ multi-artist EP featuring the music of Warren Zevon, The J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clear Water Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Doors, John Cougar Mellencamp, Poco, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, Steve Winwood, The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt and more!

Before, in between and after we’ve got our big, wide Open Stream which has grown even larger and more diverse over the past few weeks. We will keep it growing over the next few weeks as we bolster our collection of protest music. In the meantime, have a lovely 4/20. The button is below.

It’s a Sixties Saturday With Volume One of Our EP, The Mamas & Papas, and Dylan at The Finjan Club, April 19, 2025

It’s the Sixties all over again here in The Mermaid Lounge starting with Volume One of our ‘Original Sixties Rotation’, then on to The Mamas & Papas and Bob Dylan!

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

We kick off the day with volume on including The Beatles, The Monkees, The Mamas & Papas, Sonny & Cher, Little Eva, Simon & Garfunkel, The Everly Brothers, The Searchers, Dusty Springfield, The Drifters, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, Bob Dylan, The Animals, Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, Procol Harum, The Turtles, Del Shannon, The Temptations, James Brown, Fontella Bass, Blues Image, Booker T & The MGs, The Four Tops, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Them, The Left Banke, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Mamas & Papas

Though they only recorded and produced music together for three short years, they quickly became one of the most influential bands on the sixties scene and helped define the sounds of a generation.

8:00 p.m. Bob Dylan Live at The Finjan Club, Montreal, Canada, February 7, 1962

We’re jumping in the Wayback Machine for some vintage early Dylan live at The Finjan Club in Montreal.

Well, Weekenders, we’ve made it this far. Join us for another weekend of great music. We’re on 24/7 and at no charge to the public. The button is below.

It’s Sunday Funday With Songs About Water, Dr. John Live at The Lone Star, and Ann Peebles ‘In The Spotlight’, April 13, 2025

Good morning, Weekenders! It’s Sunday and we’ve got some great stuff on tap today starting with ‘Water, Water Everywhere’, then moving on to a brand new Dr. John performance and Ann Peebles, a favorite of Dr. Tom Petty.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

I’m not going to remind everyone that water makes up 71% of the earth’s surface. No sir. I’m going to tell you that you’ll hear the music of Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, Bonnie Raitt, The Grass Roots, Carole King, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

We’ve got a new-to-the-station performance from the incredible Dr. John this afternoon live from The Lone Star Cafe!

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Ann Peebles

It should be no surprise that I’m a lover of Tom Petty’s Sirius XM Buried Treasure show. I would not have learned about the amazing Ann Peebles had I not been a devoted listener. If you don’t know her, you should. Tune in tonight and see for yourselves.

Here we are again on the weekend. The Orange Menace is golfing at Mar-a-Lardo, so it’s relatively quiet for another 24 hours. In the meantime, we’ve got music non-stop around the clock at no expense to you and without commercial interruption. The button is below.