On Finally Friday, It’s The Hearbreakers’ 20-Night 1997 Fillmore Residency, an Irma Thomas ‘Spotlight,’ and Our ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP, On September 19, 2025

Good morning, musicologists, and welcome to Friday here in The Mermaid Lounge! We kick it off in grand style today with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ legendary ’97 Fillmore redsidency!

Here’s your Finally Friday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, January 10-February 7, 1997

What a fantastic way to start out the day! To a man, The Heartbreakers believed this was the pinnacle of their career. It was a legendary 20-night residency at one of the most iconic music venues in the world where they threw away the script and every night was a new show. It showcased the brilliance and road resilience of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

2:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Irma Thomas

A contemporary of both Aretha Franklin and Etta James, somehow Irma Thomas kind of fell through the cracks and never reached the heights she should have. That is, of course, except in New Orleans, where she is still known as ‘The Soul Queen of New Orleans.’ Indeed, she is.

6:00 p.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

It’s a rarity, as we give you an EP to take you late into the evening. We may be doing more of this come fall so that we can spread the wealth to our overseas listeners. Tonight, you’ll hear Warren Zevon, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, The Traveling Wilburys, Steve Winwood, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt, Poco, Emmylou Harris, and more!

Once again, before, in between, and after our programming we deliver our big, wide Open Stream without any commercial interruption. And did I mention we’re totally free? Just hit the button below at any time to see for yourselves!

On Monday, Monday It’s ‘Drivin’ Songs,’ Live Wailers, and a Bee Gees ‘Spotlight’ Feature, September 15, 2025

Welcome back to the work week, rockologists! We start the work week with songs that are great to drive to, the non-disco Bee Gees ‘In the Spotlight’ and live Bob Marley & The Wailers.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Drivin’ Songs: Various Artists

Not songs about going places, but songs that are great listen to while driving from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, The Doobie Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, The Allman Brothers Band, The Grateful Dead, The Eagles, Deep Purple, The Byrds, Mudcrutch, and more! If you’ve got a two-hour trip coming up, this is the playlist for you!

4:00 p.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at The Beacon Theater, New York, NY, May 1, 1976

This afternoon, we have The Legend playing at an iconic venue.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Bee Gees

Don’t get alarmed. This is all PRE-Saturday Night Fever. We celebrate the innovative rock band that was shelved in favor of making more money than they already were making. Too much is never enough.

We’re here and we’re on Open Stream until 10:00 a.m. when the festivities start! We’re also totally free and we don’t run any commercial advertising. Ever. The button is below:

On Friday It’s Our ‘Train Tracks’ Playlist, Dion Live at The Bitter End, and an ELO ‘Spotlight’ Feature, September 5, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got a great set of programs to close out the work week, and we begin with songs about trains!

Here’s your Finally Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Train Tracks: Various Artists

We start with songs about trains from Steve Winwood, Joni Mitchell, Guy Clark, Linda Ronstadt, The Clash, Pete Seeger, Laura Nyro, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Boogaloo Swamis, J.J. Cale, Elvis Presley, Mother Earth, Allen Toussaint, The Eagles, Lucinda Williams, and more!

Many of you know him merely as Dion of Runaround Sue fame, but Dion DiMucci is so much more than that. He has spent decades honing his craft and reinventing himself masterfully. This is just Dion and his guitar in a fantastic performance at The Bitter End.

8:00 p.m. Jeff Lynne’s ELO: In The Spotlight

Or we can simply call them Electric Light Orchestra, whichever you prefer. Either way, we close out the day’s programming with this great band ‘In the Spotlight.’

We’re here 24/7 playing the best music on the planet for free. Totally. No strings. No bullshit. Just hit the button below.

On Saturday, It’s ‘Music From Laurel Canyon,’ a Stephen Stills ‘Spotlight,’ and Joni Mitchell Live in Brussels, August 16, 2025

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to the weekend! We kick it off in style with the music that challenged the British Invasion rule of the U.S. charts.

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

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

Two decades of musicians lived and worked in Laurel Canyon, where they cross-pollinated styles and birthed 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 Stephen Stills

One of the greats of the music world from the Buffalo Springfield, to CSNY, to Manassas, and as a soloist, joins us in The Mermaid Lounge this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Cirque Royale, Brussels, Belgium, August 26, 1983 NEW!

We close with a new-to-the-station live performance by Joni Mitchell on her Refuge world tour.

I have one day left of retail servitude, but The Music Mermaid will be here to get you through the day. As always, we’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free…no strings and no surprises. We play the best music on the planet with no commercial interruption. The button is below.

We’re at Midweek With Our Big Country EP, Live Music From Neil Young, and a Nitty Gritty Dirt Band ‘Spotlight,’ August 6, 2025

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to the midweek show! We start out the day with five hours of real country and a ton of country-rock. Then it’s on to Neil Young & The International Harvesters live on Austin City Limits, and great music from the Dirt Band.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

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

We kick it off with a great lineup with no pretenders on the playlist. You’ll hear Johnny Cash, 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 (who belongs in the Country Music Hall of Fame, BTW), Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker, John Prine, Willie Nelson, Rosanne Cash, Townes Van Zandt, The Highwaymen, and more!

4:00 p.m. Neil Young & The International Harvesters Live at The Moody Theater, Austin, TX, September 25, 1984

This afternoon it’s Neil Young & The International Harvesters recorded live at The Moody Theater for Austin City Limits.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

We close out the midweek programming with one of the finest bands ever to grace the country-rock genre formed in Long Beach, CA, all the way back in 1966 that gave us over half a century of great music.

We’re here. We’re free. And we don’t run any commercial advertising. We haven’t got the money to hire DJ’s, and we wouldn’t if we did. We’re all about the music. The big-ass button is below.

On Saturday, it’s ‘Here Comes The Night,’ Bob Dylan Covers, and Laura Nyro Live at The Fillmore, On July 19, 2025

Good morning, weekenders! We’ve got a great lineup today that includes ‘Everybody But Bob’, a bunch of great artists who have covered the songs of Bob Dylan over the years!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Here Comes the Night: Various Artists

We kick off the morning with songs about the night from The Beatles, Warren Zevon, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, the Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Doors, John Cougar Mellencamp, Poco, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Steve Winwood, The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt, and more!

4:00 p.m. Everybody But Bob: Various Artists

A great collection of artists who have covered the works of Dylan over the years, including Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix, Leon Russell, Maria Mudaur and many more!

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

We close it out with another master songwriter, this time singing her own songs. There’s nothing like it.

We’re here 24/7 no matter what. We’re totally free. We’re free of advertising. And there’s no chatter from DJs who don’t know when to shut up. The button is below.

It’s All About Country With Our EP, Then the Marshall Tucker Band, and Live Townes Van Zandt on Saturday, July 5, 2025

When we say ‘country’ here in The Mermaid Lounge we mean real country (Cash, Nelson, Walker, Williams, Parton, Cline et al.) and the legends of country-rock. So, that’s where we are today.

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

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

You’ll hear 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, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, The Desert Rose Band, Kris Kristofferson, Gram Parsons, Tom Rush, John Prine, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, The Highwaymen and more!

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

I liked these guys from the very first time I ever heard them, and I saw them live a few times over the years. We’ll hear from them this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. Townes Van Zandt Live at The Jester Lounge, Houston, TX, Sometime in 1966

Another of those events where we can’t find a definite date, but it is believe that this is one of the first times Townes Van Zandt was recorded live at a commercial establishment. The man was a mess of a human being (not in a bad way, but in an unfortunate way), but that didn’t stop him from being a songwriting genius who inspired those who came after him (just ask Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, and Nanci Griffith).

And that’s where we are today on July 5. We hope you’ll give us a listen. There’s no need to sign up for anything or provide any information. Just use the button below.

On Friday It’s ‘Here Comes The Night,’ a Bob Dylan ‘Spotight’ Feature, and Live Linda Ronstadt, June 20, 2025

We’re on the cusp of the weekend, and we’ve got some great stuff planned. It starts with songs about the night, followed by Dylan and Linda Ronstadt!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

Defying all kinds of logic, we start off with songs about the night with Warren Zevon, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, the Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, Poco, The Doors, John Cougar Mellencamp, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, Steve Winwood, The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt, and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bob Dylan

We take a trip through Dylan’s magnificant sixty-plus-year musical career this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at My Father’s Place, Roslyn, NY, July 21, 1974

Tonight we close with live Linda Ronstadt prior to the release of Heart Like A Wheel (released in November of 1974), which was not only her first number one album, but the release that put her on the musical map for good.

The weekend is just around the corner. That not only means time off from work, but time off from the ravages of The Orange Shitstain in Washington. We’ll be paying for his luxury life at Mar-a-Lardo once again this weekend. Tune us in. We’ll try to help make things better!

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.

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:

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.