We’re at Midweek With Our House EP, a New Country Joe McDonald ‘Spotlight,’ and The Kinks Live in NY, July 2, 2025

We’re at midweek and we’re cooking (figuratively and literally as it’s hot as the blazes again here). We kick it off with our House EP, then it’s some new music with Country Joe, and The Kinks live in New York!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

We’re chock full of great artists that inspired the station including The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Temptations, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Linda Ronstadt, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, Cream, Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds, The Animals, The Hollies, The Doors, The Mamas & Papas, The Eagles, Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, CSNY, Donovan, Johnny Rivers, Carly Simon, Neil Young, and many more!

This afternoon it’s the legendary Country Joe McDonald, best known as the leader of the 60’s psychedelic band, Country Joe & The Fish. He also had a solo career and during his sixty years in the business he made 33 albums and wrote hundreds of songs. We get to experience his magic today.

8:00 p.m. The Kinks Live at The Palladium,New York, NY, December 31, 1980

The Kinks and the battling Davies brothers bring the programming to a close tonight at 8:00 p.m. with a New Year’s Eve concert from New York’s Palladium.

I’m on the run this morning, but The Music Mermaid will get you through! Suffice it to say, I’m not going to be long winded about this. You simply have to tune us in so that you can see for yourself what amazing radio sounds like! The button is below.

We Open The Weekend With ‘Ode To Morning,’ Then It’s a Nina Simone ‘Spotlight,’ And The Byrds Live in LA, On Saturday, June 21, 2025

Good morning, weekenders, and we welcome you! Today we open with songs praising the morning, followed by Nina Simone taking the ‘Spotlight’ and The Byrds live in L.A.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

This is a beautiful morning here in the Boston area with music being provided by Yusuf/Cat Stevens, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, Gram Parsons, 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!

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

This afternoon we spend a little time with singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist, the late great Nina Simone!

8:00 p.m. The Byrds Live at The Ash Grove Music Club, Los Angeles, CA, August, 22, 1970

We close out the day’s programming with The Byrds, one of the most influential groups of the sixties and seventies, live from L.A.

We’ve arrived at the weekend, and listening to great music is the best way to spend some time enjoying it. We’ve got that covered here, and we’re on 24/7, we’re totally free, and we’re also free of commercial advertising. We’re an anti-capitalist music service. The button is below.

At Midweek It’s a Trip to Laurel Canyon, Sir Paul’s 83rd Birthday Bash, and “The Cat” Live, Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Good morning, musicologists, and welcome to midweek. We open things up with a tripto Laurel Canyon where the marriage of country and rock came to fruition.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

We take a trip to a musical playground where the greats from two generations lived and worked together, including The Byrds, The Mamas & Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and more!

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

This afternoon, we celebrate Sir Paul’s 83rd birthday with a collection of his music as co-founder of The Beatles, the leader of Wings, and as a solo artist.

8:00 p.m. Yusuf/Cat Stevens Live at William & Mary Hall, Williamsburg, VA, February 22, 1976

We close out the day’s programming with a live performance by ‘The Cat,’ as we used to call him when we were kids. It’s always a delight to listen to his brilliance.

One more time: We’re here 24/7. We’re totally free. There’s no commercial interruption. We’re radio free democracy and anti-capitalism. Join us. The button is below.

Saturday Delivers Our Big Country EP, an Elvis Presely ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and The Beatles at Budokan, On June 7, 2025

Good morning, weekenders! We’ve got a great lineup today, including our big country and country-rock EP, The King in a ‘Spotlight’ feature, and The Fab Four live at Budokan!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready For the Country: Various Artists

This is the real deal. None of that fake country shit. You won’t be hearing Jason Aldean here. Ever. But you will hear the real country greats and the pioneers of country-rock, like The Eagles, Asleep at The Wheel, Hank Williams, The Byrds, Patsy Cline, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, 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, Grm Parsons, John Prine, Tom Rush, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, The Highwaymen and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Elvis Presley

Rock and roll had plenty of pioneers, but there was one king. And this is him. He made the genre accessible to everyone. You know, George Harrison said a very poignant thing about Elvis. He said that at least he had John, Paul and Ringo to go through those times with because it was daunting. He felt bad for Elvis because it was just Elvis all alone. This is not George saying this now, but me: Elvis was just a country boy and he was naive in his early years. The Colonel, his father and manager, was someone who took advantage of him, and many around him did also. George Harrison was right.

The Beatles abandoned touring early, but remember that the Beatles accomplished all they did in just eight years. Had they not gotten off the road, they may never have been The Beatles we know and love. Concerts in those days were not hours long, and this one is no exception. But we’ve managed to avail ourselves of several concerts from The Fab Four. More are coming. We’re just starting with this one.

The weekend is here, and the bromance is over. We’ll have to endure the infighting between the two worst men on the planet but, here in The Mermaid Lounge, you can tune that all out and enjoy yourself. The Orange Menace will be golfing. He sucks at that too. Meanwhile, the button is below.

At Midweek It’s Our House EP, Janis ‘In The Spotlight,’ and John Fogerty Live at Red Rocks, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Good morning, musicologists, and welcome to the midweek show! Today we’ve got our fantastic House EP starting off, then it’s a Janis Joplin ‘Spotlight’ feature and live John Fogerty celebrating 50 years in music!

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

Yes, the music that inspired the radio station with Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, T. Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Joan Baez, Bob Marley & The Wailers, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, The Plastic Ono Band, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, The Band and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Janis Joplin

This afternoon we take a trip down memory lane with Janis Joplin and her fantastic blues rock catalogue!

8:00 p.m. John Fogerty Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, June 20, 2019

We close out the midweek programming with John Fogerty live and celebrating his 50th year in music!

No hype; just music. No subscription required; no commercial advertising. We have absolutely nothing to sell you. Not even a tee shirt. We’re anti-capitalist, and we love it that way. The button is below.

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.

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.

On Saturday It’s ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’, a Peter, Paul & Mary ‘Spotlight,’ and Live Linda Ronstadt, May 17, 2025

Welcome, weekenders! We’re at the weekend with some more great music coming your way, including one of the finest Linda Ronstadt concerts I had the pleasure to attend on my own home turf. Read on!

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

We start out with the Laurel Canyon crowd, two generations of musicians who fed off one another to create a true challenge to the chart ownership of The British Invasion and herald in the sound of country-rock. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Peter, Paul & Mary

Formed in New York City in 1961, Peter, Paul & Mary became the premier band of the great sixties folk revival. We’ll be increasing our folk content this year because I truly believe we’re in the midst of yet another revival.

8:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA, May 14, 1995

I had the pleasure of attending this show. The late, great Valerie Carter was the opener and also joined Ronstadt for her time on stage. It was like listening to two angels singing. I’ve seen Linda Ronstadt many, many times during my lifetime and this was undoubtedly one of the finest performances ever.

We’re here. We’re totally free, and there are no strings attached. We’re not Spotify, and we think that’s a good thing. They’re now introducing ads to even their paid subscribers. We’re never going there. We’re all about the music. No. We admit you do not get to create playlists here. But this is radio.

Today It’s CSNY Live at Woodstock, ‘Are You Ready for The Country’, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, on Saturday, May 10, 2025

We’re winding down on Festival Week, but we are far from being done! Our EP today is sandwiched between Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young live at Woodstock ’69 and a vintage performance from folk legend Ramblin’ Jack Elliott at the Isle of Wight Festival.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young live at Woodstock ’69, Max Yasgur’s Farm, Bethel, NY, August 17, 1969

Today we’ve got CSNY’s full performance from Woodstock ’69, a complete acoustic set.

1:00 p.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

We return to our EP’s today with our big country and country-rock offering with songs from The Eagles, Asleep at the Wheel, Hank Williams, The Byrds, Patsy Cline, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Townes Van Zandt, The Highwaymen, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, Kris Kristofferson, The Desert Rose Band, Gram Parsons, John Prine and more!

8:00 p.m. Ramblin’ Jack Elliott Live at The Isle of Wight Festival, Afton Downs, Isle of Wight, UK, May 14, 1957

We’re jumping in the waaaaayback machine for this one, all the way back to 1957 from a performance by the legendary Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, who is still out there on the road at the age of 93.

It’s your time, weekenders, and The Mermaid Lounge welcomes you. We’re on 24/7, we’re free and there’s no commercial interruption. Join us for the end of Festival Week over the net couple of days. The button is below.

We Open Festival Week With the Sounds of the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Then It’s Otis Redding and Janis Joplin, on Monday, Monday, April 5, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! Festival Week is here and we’re opening up with the sounds of the Monterey International Pop Festival from 1967, the Summer of Love no matter how many people tell you it was 1969. It was not. It was ’67, and there are no alternative facts on that.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Monterey International Pop Festival, Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey, CA, June 16-18, 1967

The sounds of the Summer of Love abound here. This was the precursor to the big festival to beat all, Woodstock. The diversity of music and artists that flooded Monterey was astounding as you will see. We’ve got five hours of uninterrupted Monterey Pop music. This repeats beginning at 11:00 p.m. tonight!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Otis Redding

Otis Redding was introduced to the world at Monterey Pop. He hadn’t even released his first song yet. Sadly, he would never get to enjoy the legendary place in music history that he would eventually achieve. His chartered plane, which also carried his back-up band, The Bar-Kays, crashed into Lake Monona while on his way to another performance in December of that year killing all on board. All of Redding’s hits were posthumous, but his gritty voice and his songwriting made him one of the legends of soul and R & B.

8:00 p.m. Janis Joplin Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, February 12, 1969

Janis Joplin established herself solidified her position as one of the stars of the sixties at Monterey in 1967. Tonight we close out the programming with a great Fillmore performance. Sadly, Janis too would be gone by 1970, a member of musical folklore’s 27 Club.

We’re just getting started. All week long we’ll be featuring the sounds of some of the greatest music festivals and the artists who made them great. Don’t miss a minute. We’ll also be replaying the festival music in the late night hours for our international friends. The button is below!