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So it’s the middle of September, what do you have to show about it? Will another month go by before you get your ass up and finish all those projects you said months ago you would get to? What’s your deal?!?!?
September is supposed to feel crisp; the smell of fall in the air. I think it’s getting warmer? I also have to remember that I live in the Bay Area and our summer doesn’t arrive until now anyway. Here come the warm jets! Let’s hope they leave the orange sky out of it.
I celebrate my birthday month during the first hour with songs of September. Some are even hits!!! Don’t tell my boss or they’ll take my cool underground radio card away. Check out the live cuts in the first hour: Buster Poindexter??? Big Star???
The second hour is all about the late, great Jimi Hendrix, who passed away 50 years ago on September 18th. I was to pop out of my momma 12 days later on the 30th. That’s right, I’m about to hit the big 5-0!!!
It’s all good. I’m having too much fun to stop now.
Check out the all-live Jimi Hendrix hour. Sheeeeeeeeeit, you have never heard this stuff, is my guess. I have dozens of amazing Jimi bootlegs. I didn’t even scratch the surface. But you knew that already.
Get your guitar God headphones on and enjoy this second hour.
Tomorrow, September 22, is my wedding anniversary. Saucy Hell and I have hit the magical seventh year of matrimony. Where has the time gone. I performed “Kathy’s Song” on acoustic guitar, at my wedding reception (making certain not be nervous in front of all the amazing musicians in the room like Eric McFadden and Mark Growden). What a wonderful day and long night that was. I share a story about that night during my show. Be sure to take a listen.
Keep music in your life, it’ll help see us through.
Enjoy.
jh
Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
Good Morning, Judge: Buster Poindexter and his Banshees of Blue (1985.11.06 Bottom Line, NYC) September Song: Frank Sinatra One September Day: Nina Simone
September: Earth, Wind and Fire Papa Was A Rolling Stone: The Temptations Maggie May: Rod Stewart
September Gurls: Big Star (1996-11-16 Tramps, NYC) What Keeps Mankind Alive: William S. Burroughs September Song: Lou Reed Groupie (Superstar): Delaney and Bonnie
Kathy’s Song: Simon and Garfunkel Speedy Gonzales: David Dante
Intro/Foxy Lady (1967-03-18 Studio 1 / NDR Radiohouse, Hamburg)
Morrison’s Lament: Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison (drunk) Johnny Winter (maybe), Randy Hobbs, Randy Z (1968-03-07 The Scene Club, NYC) Here My Train A’Comin’: Jimi Hendrix and All-star cast (69-06-22 San Fernando Valley State College, Devonshire Downs) Red House: Jimi Hendrix Experience (69-02-24 Live at the Royal Albert Hall, London)
Machine Gun: Band of Gypsies (70-01-01 Fillmore East, NYC) News Of Hendrix’s Death – Veronica Dutch Radio (70-09-18)
Dig Jimi at the Newport Pop Festival, June 22, 1969
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None of this makes sense. We should have been so over prepared for this pandemic that the course the government took would have been ballyhooed as overblown! But nope, not us. We’re like a comic book that no one wanted to read anymore. I blame the TV show 24. Remember that show? That’s the show that made torturing to get the confession OK. I am not OK with that. I think ever since that show (which was on FOX by the way), our nation started deeper on a path nationalism.
The terrorists have won.
We are a nation ripped apart and polarized like never before in modern history.
We need music now more than ever. We need music to ground us, and to lift us up. We need music to remind us that it’s ok to cry and it’s ok to laugh. We need to get lost in the music. It’s lustful, and it’s spiritual. Music can be your lover or your god. It can be both at once. Allow yourself to fall into it.
We need things to look forward to. I look forward to Monday nights at 8pm when I can share a couple of hours with you away from this sick, sad, crazy world. It won’t be this way forever, but while it is, look towards the music and remember that you are alive.
Johnny Cash died 17 years ago. Where has the time gone? I open up show with two sets of the Man in Black. He deserves many hours of celebration. I actually hosted a Cash/Cave show a few years ago that you might enjoy. Check it out here.
I close out the show with a tribute to Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals who passed away this past weekend. Thanks for all the love, Toots.
See you Monday at 8.
Enjoy.
jh
Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF
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This heat is just too much. Plague, fires, and now the heat? What the hell is this about?!?!?! If I believed in God I would think that it’s just one huge cosmic joke. And by Wednesday the sky was the color of blood. Where are the frogs?
I wanted to host my annual labor day show, and I was thinking that now with so many office workers working from home, what are they going to do with all of those empty office buildings, like the Salesforce lingham that penetrates the San Francisco sky? I wonder how many homeless people it could house?
And what about all those frontline workers in the grocery stores? Now that we have the world’s richest douchebag, Jeff Bezos owning Whole Paycheck, don’t you think he can afford to pay them a living wage? I mean, thanks for the banner hanging on the store front telling us how much you care for your workers, but seriously dude, put your money where your mouth is.
And so goes this show. I mix some Labor Day-themed tunes in with few other treats to keep your toes tapping.
Just take a listen to the first daughter, Tiffany Trump (the one Heir Donny-britches forgot he had) singing her autotuned heart out on the dance number “Like A Bird”. And then there’s our former Attorney General, John Ashcroft, who lost his Missouri governor’s bid to a dead guy. True story. He sings a live version of “Let Eagles Soar”. To his credit, he didn’t need autotune. Watch out Tiffany.
There’s some new music from legendary punk vocalist, Alice Bag; something new from the latest acoustic King Buzzo/Trevor Dunn release; new from Japanese power trio Boris, and a whole heap of music that I’m excited to share with you.
I have come to the realization that I have a lot of music. More than I really know what to do with. I guess this is why I host a radio show. I may need two more hours a week though. I’m just getting warmed up after two.
See you this Monday night, 8-10PM (PDST), where I’ll be paying tribute to the late, great Toots Hibbert, of Toots and the Maytals, who passed away Saturday, September 11, 2020, from complications with COVID-19. RIP Toots and thanks for the musical memories.
Enjoy,
jh
Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF
Take This Job And Shove It: Johnny Paycheck TV-Glotzer: Nina Hagen Let Eagles Soar: Attorney General John Ashcroft
Career Opportunities: The Clash Fried Grease: Greyboy Allstars ft. Fred Wesley Fire In The Hole: General Patton vs The X-Ecutioners Old Mary: Dead Weather I Am A Union Woman: Rosalie Sorrels Get Back In Line: The Kinks
Gate Crasher: Alice Bag Like A Bird: Tiffany Trump Wild Mountain: Itchy-O San Francisco Bay Blues: Jesse Fuller
I’m Glad I Could Help Out: King Buzzo and Trevor Dunn Kolbasti: Altin Gün Rope Burn: Damaged Bug All Out of Catastrophes: Marissa Nadler
There Is Power In The Union: Utah Phillips Loveless: Boris Indian Summer: The Doors Rolling Thunder/Shoshone Invocation: Mickey Hart
Ace of Spades: Link Wray Woodstock: Joni Mitchell Gonna Die With A Hammer In My Hand: The Williamson Brothers and Curry Working Class Hero: John Lennon
More Than A Paycheck: Sweet Honey In The Rock Get Behind The Mule: Tom Waits Mean Old Frisco: John Hammond
Work Song: Nina Simone What A Wonderful World: Louis Armstrong.
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I’ve been dreading writing this post. If you’re reading this, it means my dear dear friend Michael McElligot aka: Mikl-em has kicked this mortal coil.
He passed away from brain cancer on Sunday, August 30th. 2020. This has hit our community hard. I’ve known Mikl since 1996 or so, through our mutual admiration of everything SF Cacaphony Society had to offer. We hit every event we could find. It didn’t take long until Mikl began producing as many events as he attended.
Mikl was deeply involved in many stage performances at Dark Room Theater on Mission in SF, as well as SF Fringe Fest, Laughing Squid’s Tentacle Sessions, Popcorn Anti-Theater, attended many Burning Man events, produced Speechless-SF, and the regular salons featured at Long Now Foundation at Fort Mason in SF.
So many of the best events I attended or were associated with over the past 25 years were partly or
mostly colored by Mikl Em. He was the epitome of inclusion. He was the essence of “let’s put on a show”. He was love and light.
As a teacher I have been told that I teach to infinity, since I don’t know where or when my teachings will end. Mikl entertained to infinity. He inspired so many of his friends, and even more who were in the audience.
We were super lucky Mikl chose to join Radio Valencia in our infancy. He started Can Haz DJ the second week we were on the air. He produced 50 shows, and I’m excited that we are currently re-running these shows Saturday’s 8-10PM. Please tune in. Mikl was an exceptional DJ, who modeled himself after the legendary BBC-1 DJ, John Peel.
This show before you is a tribute to great musical mind. These are artists that Mikl loved, many of whom he turned me onto. We used to talk music in the most rambling and sensational way, often meandering in a tangential way across genres, and eras, always ending long before we wanted to. Our conversations were always ones for the ages. And now I guess they’ll have to be.
He leaves behind his magnificent life-partner, Danielle, who I’ve known even longer than he. She’s a vision of strength in life that has seen her share of challenges. If ever there is a person who is the model character, it is she. We love you, Danielle.
I miss you my dear friend. Thank you for shining such a beautiful light on all of us. I hope wherever you may be that there are songs to fill the air.
KQED offered a beautiful memorial for him following his passing last week.
Your friend always,
jh
Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF