Hi! DJ John just announced that today is international DJ Day. What are your favorite songs that pay tribute to the transformative role of radio and DJs in particular? I know there are a few as I've made a playlist in my mind, but haven't gotten them on paper yet. Here's one to start: Dar Williams, "Are you out there?" https://genius.com/Dar-williams-are-you-out-there-lyrics "Perhaps I am a miscreation No one knows the truth, there is no future here And you’re the DJ speaks to my insomnia And laughs at all I had to fear Laughs at all I had to fear You always play the madmen poets Vinyl vision grungy bands You never know who’s still awake You never know who understands ..." Here's to you all! 🥂

Is there an album you only really listen to when you’re in a very, very specific mood? Like, any other time feels like the wrong time if you’re not in that mood? Kind of like an anchor? For me, Radiohead’s The Bends is the album, and it surprises me because I’m a casual Radiohead fan, but that album was there for me and is still is. Anyone else with that kind of surprise affection?

Cheekface announced two distant 5-year anniversary shows for their 2nd album, Emphatically No. this morning. It got me thinking about maybe a trip out to catch one of them, and I thought I'd toss out a question for you all: what's the farthest you've traveled to see a show? For me, back in late 2019, I flew from Seattle down to Long Beach, CA to catch The Last doing a 40th anniversary show for their L.A. Explosion album at Alex's Bar. The Alley Cats, The Zeros, and Danny & The Doorknobs (a version of Trotsky Icepick) opened. It was an afternoon show, so I flew back after and was back home for dinner. 2nd pic is the Danny & the Doorknobs LP in my lap on the plane home that Vitus Mataré gifted me at the show for flying down to see them.

What tracks (or albums!) can you not escape from - for whatever reason - this past week? What needs to be on repeat, what finds it's way in your head in the morning when you wake up? What are you obsessed with that you think might be someone else's obsession one day? This week, I've been obsessed - OBSESSED - with this track from Crumb, which I handily discovered via a live KEXP set: It's the song "Genie" by the band Crumb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDwnpqQq190

I've considered doing a Morning Show about this but I only have 3 hours. It would take me 3 months. So mine was 16 years old, Jane's Addiction with Mary's Danish opening at Eastern Washington University. I remember walking in to "Coming Down the Mountain" and seeing bodies flying in the air, everyone wearing black, just absolute MAYHEM and all I wanted to do was more of this! I stayed out the pit that day and just stood there in awe to be seeing and hearing the music from a band I loved. I was HOOKED. I think they played 30 minutes because Perry was a mess but I didn't know any better and in fact was shocked when I saw a band play longer! Also first show in Seattle? Pixies. Moore Theater.