Leave Work Now! with Rick Koster: Recent Episodes
The Day Publishing Co.
Rick Koster on music, arts, entertainment, and what to do this weekend in New Lodnon county and southeastern Connecticut.
Florida-based beekeeper Patrick Gaudin has removed thousands of bees from people's homes, and now has 15-20 bee colonies living in his own back yard. Check out his website and his videos of bee removals.
We talk with Joshua Pendragon, an independent researcher for the Oxford English Dictionary, about how new words are added to the dictionary, the challenges of researching obscure words, and the evolving nature of language. This episode was originally released in August 2020
Artem Belogurov is an internationally-known professional musician who specializes in historical keyboard instruments. He talks with Rick about how a young person makes a connection to the music and instruments of the past, and what kind of merch a classical artist could be selling.Learn more about his music at https://www.artembelogurovmusic.com/Check out his ensemble Postscript (and his yellow pants) at https://www.postscriptensemble.com/Theme music by Wind Up: https://firebrainrecords.com/wind-up
What's on the bottom of the sea and why do we need to map it? Bob Wallace of Ocean Surveys, Inc. takes Rick on a tour of the ocean's depths.
We commonly describe something easy to do by saying "it's not brain surgery." This week, we talk to neurosurgeon Patrick Doherty about what it's like to operate on someone's brain.
Guitarist James Young reflects on more than 50 years with the band Styx in advance of their May 13 concert at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Okay, maybe it's not rocket science, but fluid dynamics seems like an equally incomprehensible field, so we enlisted mechanical engineer Jaime Duquette to try to explain the discipline, including how you really can put the toothpaste back in the tube. Jaime, who studied fluid dynamics in college, did his best to dumb it down enough so Rick could understand the difference between the Froude number and Euler angles.
Myles Karp once ate a mango so good it made him cry. An American journalist and consultant now based in Costa Rica, Karp talks about roaming the Central American jungles in search of a superior banana, and the many other exotic fruits that one is unlikely to find in your local supermarket.https://www.myleskarp.com/
Do you ever find yourself wondering about an intriguingly obscure or maybe intricate job? Or “I didn’t even know people did that.” My name is Rick Koster, and I don’t do many things with fluency, so when i meet someone who has a really interesting gig or does something really well, it’s a privilege to talk to them. Job Description is a new podcast from The Day where we do exactly that, talk to folks who do things the rest of us could only screw up. Look for new episodes in your podcast feed in the coming weeks.
In this edition of Leave Work NOW, Koster does just that and ruminates whilst ironing a suit to wear to the funeral of Dave Schulz - as fine a chum as a fella could hope for.
The piano/painting duo Pocket Vinyl released their latest album "Winter Person" in 2020, but but are just now getting to celebrate with an album release party. We talk with Eric Stevenson about songwriting, recording, and the companion book and ambient album that accompany "Winter Person."
https://pocketvinyl.com/
Pocket Vinyl on Bandcamp
The Touring Test web comic
Lucifer and the Predetermined Timeline
Rick and Peter talk with local radio host Lee Elci, a former minor league baseball player, about what it takes to face professional pitchers. Rick, Peter and Lee took some swings in the cages against mid-90s fastballs from a pitching machine, and Rick was about as successful as you would imagine he was.
Video of Rick trying to hit in the cage
"Road of Bones" is the 16th book in James R. Benn's series of Billy Boyle World War II mystery novels. Benn talks with Rick Koster about the historical backdrop for the novel, writing during the solitude of the pandemic, and the dark history of Russia's real life Road of Bones.
"Road of Bones" will be released on September 7, 2021 with a book signing at Bank Square Books in Mystic, CT.
Joe Bouchard talks about his years with Blue Öyster Cult, getting royalty checks from Metallica, and meeting Rick Koster at an Imagine Dragons show. Bouchard and his brother Albert, founding members of Blue Öyster Cult, perform as The Bouchard Brothers at The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, July 31.
Ian McNulty, who grew up in South County, Rhode Island and is the food writer for The Times-Picayune/The Advocate, talked to Rick Koster about being a food critic in what some would call the greatest food city in America.
Live music exploded out onto street corners and open-air performance spaces in New London on international Make Music Day. We explored the wide variety of melodies and rhythms, meeting the energetic rapper Byrd StayLow, the Nickelodeon Barbershop Quartet covering pop classics, and improvisational pianist Jermaine Edwards.
As the world reopens, the Hygienic Art Park hosted New Orleans pianist John ‘Papa’ Gros. Inspired by the experience, Rick Koster indulges in a bit of wistful but goofy nostalgia for the Crescent City.
Thanks to your suggestions, we tried the crispy chicken sandwiches from Mr. G's, Olio, Engine Room, and Hot Rod Cafe.
Subscribe to Rick's newsletter, The Fun Never Stops
Support our show with a digital subscription to The Day
After meeting Rick Koster in a local pizza shop, John Jensen asked if Rick would listen to some of the songs he had written. Rick's positive feedback gave Jensen, in his 60s, the encouragement he needed to go into the studio for the first time and record an album with a full band of local musicians.
Subscribe to Rick's newsletter The Fun Never Stops
Support our show with a digital subscription to The Day
Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, talks about this year's Oscar nominees and releasing "The Father" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A project called Lost Tapes of the 27 Club used artificial intelligence to create new songs in the style of Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Amy Winehouse. But are the headlines that state AI "wrote" these songs actually accurate? How do these songs stack up with the artists' actual work?
Listen to the Lost Tapes of the 27 Club on Spotify
Listen to the Lost Tapes of the 27 Club on YouTube
Watch Rick and Pete eat the longest hot dog in New England
Subscribe to Rick's newsletter
Support local journalism with a subscription to The Day
Who makes the best crispy chicken sandwich in the New London area? What, you thought we were going to tell you? No, we want you to tell us. Rick and Peter have tried all the fast food options, but is there a local restaurant that makes a great crispy chicken sandwich? Send us your suggestions at p.huoppi@theday.com
Subscribe to Rick's newsletter "The Fun Never Stops" at www.theday.com/newsletters
Support our show, and the rest of The Day's independent journalism, by purchasing a digital or print subscription at www.theday.com/subscribe
New London native Scott Sherratt was producer and director of Rachel Maddow's audio book Blowout, which won the 2020 Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album. Sherratt talks about recording with Questlove, Will Patton, Scott Shepherd and the Beastie Boys, as well as an angry voicemail from Gene Simmons.
Included audio:
Creative Quest, read by Questlove. Clip courtesy of Harper Audio.
The Son by Phillip Meyer, read by Will Patton. Clip courtesy of Harper Audio.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, read by Scott Shepherd.
For a variety of reasons, Don Cash's band Mars Slingshot never achieved the potential that Rick Koster saw in them when he wrote an article for The Day more than 20 years ago. Cash, a prolific songwriter, persevered through the death of his longtime bandmate and best friend Art Falconi. He recorded several new songs during the pandemic, and takes us through the creation of one of them. "Mask of Love" started out as a jazzy take on the politics of mask wearing, but became a more pop-oriented love song.
Rick's original article on Mars Slingshot: https://www.theday.com/article/20000324/DAYARC/303249924/
From Dennis Miller to Bobby McFerrin, Steve and Jeanne Sigel share their best (and worst) memories from more than 30 years running the Garde Arts Center in New London.
Rich Martin has been and will be a committed and ubiquitous presence in New London’s arts scene. From TAZ and Secret Theater to Hygienic Art and The Telegraph, he reflects on three decades in the Whaling City.
Sue Menhart has been laying low during the COVID-19 pandemic, but looks forward to getting back in front of an audience with something completely different and crazy.
Drummer Ed Toth has toured the world with Vertical Horizon and The Doobie Brothers, getting the chance to share the stage with the performers that comprise his record collection. No matter how far he has traveled, though, he has always considered Southeastern Connecticut, specifically East Lyme and New London, to be his home.
See Ed Toth on stage with The Doobie Brothers
Fred LeBlanc of New Orleans-based Cowboy Mouth is Rick's all-time favorite rock and roll frontman. We asked Fred which frontmen influenced him, what's different about being a band from New Orleans, and why he no longer jumps off the light towers on stage.
See Cowboy Mouth perform "Jenny Says"
Long revered as the creative force behind a group regarded as one of America’s premiere prog acts, Crack the Sky's John Palumbo talks about life in fame’s cruel shadows.
Kenneth Fuchs, Grammy-winning composer and University of Connecticut professor, discusses "Point of Tranquility: Band Music of Kenneth Fuchs," a seven-piece set for symphonic winds released last year by the United States Coast Guard Band under the baton of band director Adam Williamson. The album was recorded at Leamy Hall on the New London campus of the United States Coast Guard Academy and features the band's alto saxophonist Greg Case.
Craig Edwards, ethnomusicologist and professional chanteyman, reacts to the popularity of sea chanteys on TikTok, taking us through the history of the music form and explaining how the songs aided work and life aboard sailing vessels.
See Craig Edwards perform "Way Stormalong John"
Craig's website
Lickerish Quartet keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. joins us from Los Angeles to talk about the group's new EP "Threesome, Vol. 2."
Tim Smith, bassist for The Lickerish Quartet, joins us from Atlanta to talk about the group's new EP "Threesome, Vol. 2."
Guitarist Andy Timmons talks about the legacy of Eddie Van Halen and shares a song we started writing after Van Halen's death. Timmons also shares some stories from his long and varied musical career - from playing in the metal band Danger Danger to being the musical director for Olivia Newton John.
Watch Andy's weekly live streaming shows at https://www.stageit.com/AndyTimmonsOfficial
Learn guitar from Andy at https://guitarxperience.net/
Bestselling author Ann Hood on the literature of grief, the joy of (essays on) cooking, and why flight attendants can write real good.
Marc Zimmer, a chemistry professor at Connecticut College and author of the new book "The State of Science," talks about the intersection of science and politics around issues like climate change and COVID-19, and what it was like to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony.
We talk with Ben and Nancy Parent of The Rivergods about releasing their new album "Passages" during the pandemic, and about the band's longevity.
Stream/download "Passages" at https://therivergods.bandcamp.com/album/passages
We talk with Joshua Pendragon, an independent researcher for the Oxford English Dictionary, about how new words are added to the dictionary, the challenges of researching obscure words, and the evolving nature of language.
Author Lewis Shiner discusses his latest book "Outside the Gates of Eden." Shiner brings his experience as a musician - he once played in the house band at a Dallas club called Boogers - to writing about music.
Roger Joseph Manning Jr. and former Jellyfish and Imperial Drag bandmates Eric Dover and Tim Smith have released a new EP as The Lickerish Quartet. Manning talks with Rick Koster about the band's new music, the reissues of his solo albums, touring with Beck and Cheap Trick, and the challenges of making melodic pop music in beat-driven musical landscape.
The Lickerish Quartet - "Lighthouse Spaceship"
Roger Joseph Manning Jr. - "Too Late For Us Now"
Jellyfish - "That Is Why"
You've heard of one-hit wonders, but what about one-album wonders? We talk about some of our favorite artists that released one great album with no follow-up.
Toy Matinee – “Remember My Name”
Wild Tchoupitoulas – “Brother John”
Hughes-Thrall – “Who Will You Run To”
Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays – “It’s for You”
The Autumn Chorus – “Three Jumps the Devil”
Armageddon – “Buzzard”
Lauryn Hill - "Everything is Everything"
Mother Love Bone - "Stardog Champion"
Rick shares memories of Elvis Presley, including the time his father took out a full-page ad in the local newspaper to brag about selling Elvis a mobile home, and the time one of Rick's band-mates impersonated Elvis in order to supply the band with beer.
The New London Drone Orchestra, a loose collective of as many as 18 musicians, makes ambient music that. is based largely on in-person improvisation. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, members of the group recorded separate individual performances in isolation that were shared and mixed to create an album, "Isolation/Collaboration." Members Tim Wolf and Pamela Wilson joined us to talk about the album.
"Isolation/Collaboration" is available at https://enterthecircle.bandcamp.com/album/isolation-collaboration and on most streaming services.
There are some rock venues that everyone knows even if they never saw a show there. The Winchester Lounge in Odessa, Texas is not one of them. But Rick got to meet members of many soon-to-be-famous bands there. Like the time he bought breakfast for the guitarist of Quiet Riot, who had no cash, on the day they hit number on eon the Billboard chart.
The Rolling Stones' new single "Living in a Ghost Town" a few weeks ago to little fanfare. Did it get lost in all the coronavirus news, or are people just over The Rolling Stones?
Rick and Peter speak with drummer Tom Trombley and producer Richard Brukner about The Reducers' new live album "Live in Montville." The album comes from a cassette tape recording of a backyard concert in 1980, three years before the band released their first album.
You can hear the album at https://reducers.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-montville
Canceled tours. Delayed album releases. Loss of income. When the coronavirus forced everyone to stay home, many musicians had to quickly adapt to the new reality. We spoke with singer/songwriter Daphne Lee Martin, pianist/vocalist Eric Stevenson of Pocket Vinyl, and guitarist/vocalist Noah Feldman of Fleet and Noah & The Flood about the awkwardness of live streaming shows from their living rooms, and trying to stay creative during times of fear and sadness.
Do all Young People think that songs with real instruments sound like they're from the 80s?
Songs we discussed:
Von Hertzen Brothers - Long Lost Sailor
New Radicals - You Get What You Give
The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love
As he gets older, Rick is finding that the nostalgia evoked by his all-time favorite albums evokes feelings of melancholy instead of joy.
Rick and Peter share favorite memories of jazz great Ellis Marsalis and Fountains of Wayne bassist/songwriter Adam Schlesinger, both of whom died from complications related to coronavirus.
Who actually likes singing "Happy Birthday?" Rick proposes some alternative ways to measure 20 seconds at the bathroom sink to make sure you are properly washing your hands.
Rick recalls better times - the day he spent in the early 1990s drinking scotch with Roger Kahn, the late author of "The Boys of Summer."
Luanne Rice's new novel "Last Day" will launch with at Bank Square Books on Saturday Feb. 1 as part of The Day's new book club Read of the Day. While that's two weeks away, Hygienic Art's 41st annual Salon des Independants show opens this weekend.
It's going to rain on Halloween this year, and Rick is not okay with towns trying to postpone trick-or-treating. Halloween is full of memories for both Rick and Pete - like the time Pete walked into a nursing home and realized his costume was totally inappropriate, or the incident that made Rick realize he was too old to dress up and knock on doors.
Links:
Rick's List - Halloween Tombstone Edition
UFO hits Wolf Den on their farewell tour
Garde hosts showing of original "Godzilla"
Rick and Pete reflect on Justin Hayward's show with Mike Dawes at The Garde, and recall times they went along to see someone else's favorite band.
Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues plays at the Garde Arts Center on Saturday. The Moody Blues, and Hayward's songs in particular, were a big deal to a young Rick Koster.
Songs we discuss:
“In the Beginning / Lovely to See You” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AukFsBv2oDY
“Watching and Waiting” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHCtqq8GDxA
“The Actor” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFHUJeTHznk
“Are You Sitting Comfortably?” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPcPApPO20s
“The Western Sky” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KCUeg54CUI
Rick's band used to cover songs from movies in the eighties. Pete's musical taste was defined by movie soundtracks of the nineties. Are films still a major vehicle for popular music, or have video games taken over?
We were supposed to talk about something else today, but our sound check turned into an entire episode. Rick sneaks into a Brian Wilson sound check, while Pete look for help facilitating sound checks at local candidate debates.
Stupider? More stupid? Rick and Pete discuss a scientific study that found pop songs have become musically and lyrically simpler over time. Does simpler equal worse?
How do certain bands become our favorites? Pete's favorite band, Rustic Overtones, play Saturday at the Knickerbocker Music Center in Westerly. Plus, Rick has some ideas on how to use the radio to make road trips more interesting.
Song Spinner is a video series we produce for The Day where musicians perform a song and tell the story behind it. This episode of the podcast is an extended interview form our most recent Song Spinner session. See the video at: https://youtu.be/wPV8QWruQsA
Straight to VHS is a three piece rock band from New London, Connecticut whose members, guitarist/vocalist Jon Young, Drummer Jay Silva, and bassist Tim Donnell, recently recorded a new album, “Friend Music.” We spoke with Jon Young about the song “Manic in the Morning.”
Straight to VHS has a Kickstarter to fund the upcoming album, find out more at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/straight2vhs/friend-music-album-release-by-straight-to-vhs
Their music video for "Chemical Wifi" premieres Saturday at noon: https://youtu.be/ZBMM2Khz6n4
There is so much art, history and culture in the world, and so much of it is so far away, how will we ever get to see everything we want to see before we die?
A lot has happened to musical theater since Rick's favorite musical, "Pippin." Features editor Kristina Dorsey sits in to discuss how "Hamilton" has put hip hop in front of new audiences while teaching history lessons in a novel way.
Is it possible to appreciate art while disapproving of the artist? Rick and Peter discuss the talented comedians, musicians, authors, actors and athletes who were revealed to be terrible people, and how to view their work in light of their transgressions. Topics include Woody Allen, Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey, Ted Nugent, Michael Vick, Harvey Weinstein, Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain.
Rick and Peter find some things to like about chain restaurants, find even more to like about authentic Texas BBQ, and try to determine the appropriate amount of time for bands to wait before playing an encore.
Put down your cell phone! Stay until the end of the show! And stop talking! Rick went to see Kendrick Lamar recently, and can't understand how millennials behave at concerts.
Rick went to review Slayer's show at Mohegan Sun Arena, part of their Farewell Tour, (read the review here) and it was so loud, he had to improvise a pair of earplugs.
Rick calls Peter at 6:30 Saturday morning to make sure he doesn't miss the Royal Wedding.
Rick reacts to some news about his favorite musicians – Neil Finn of Crowded House joins Fleetwood Mac, and The Moody Blues are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And what do you think about the new Childish Gambino video for This Is America?
Is Rick still scared by zombie movies? Will Pete’s kids love The Goonies and The Princess Bride as much as he did? We reflect on the movies we saw as children and what we see in them now when we watch as adults.
Rick opines on the latest Grammy awards, lamenting that pop performance and spectacle have pushed out musicianship. He approves of Bruno Mars, but Cardi B? not so much.
Singer/pianist Eric Stevenson of the piano/painting duo Pocket Vinyl talks about their new documentary Drive. Play. Sleep. Through dozens of interviews and on-the-road footage, the film tells the story of independent, do-it-yourself musicians touring the country and trying to make a living from their art. Stay to the end of the podcast to hear a new song from their forthcoming album "Uncomfortably Unsure." See the film at http://www.driveplaysleep.com/ and find out more about the music and art at http://www.pocketvinyl.com/.
When is OK to be a fanboy? Rick once handed a cassette tape of his band to one of the members of The Church. Peter saw Spose and Dave Gutter out shopping and was too scared to say hello.
Rick and Peter try to figure out what to do on Thanksgiving when you don’t have a family get-together to attend. Their best options: go watch high school football, stay home and drink away your sorrows, go to the casino, or make nachos.
Rick ran into one of his musical heroes, Blue Öyster Cult bassist/vocalist/composer Joe Bouchard, at an Imagine Dragons concert at Mohegan Sun Arena. Peter stumbled upon a Boyz II Men concert at Disney World. Also, Rick and Peter agree that modern popular music all sounds the same, and admit that they are old and out of touch.
Rick recalls an unsuccessful stakeout outside the New Orleans home of Fats Domino.
Lady Madonna by Fats Domino: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1OdbPpvFYg
After Eminem made headlines with his anti-Trump freestyle, Rick and Peter discuss the history of musicians making political statements and consider the varying motiviations behind them. Is Eminem just out to promote a new album?
After the recent passing of Tom Petty, Rick and Peter consider his band's place in the pantheon of great American rock bands. Who else belongs in the top five? The Allman Brothers? Bruce Sprintsteen and The E Street Band? The Eagles? The Grateful Dead? The Beach Boys?
Rick and Peter look at several examples of public art in New London that has been poorly maintained, or not maintained at all. Arts writer mary Biekert, who has writtern about the New London Scupture Mile, joins in to discuss who is responsible for maintaining and restoring a public art installation in the months and years after it is unveiled? The Wyland whale mural has been completely repainted in a way that hardly resembles the original. The Sandy Garnett Light Cube has only one light remaining. Three of Wendy Klemperer's animal sculptures have been knocked over just a few weeks after they were installed.
The Bayou Smokehouse in Groton in closing as chef/owner Pierre Boutros steps aside to spend more time with his family. Rick has made it his life's work to find a local barbecue joint that is tolerable to his refined southern palate, and the closing of Bayou is going to make it that much harder. Rick and Peter have one last meal before the restaurant closes on Saturday.
Rick and Peter consider the concept album, from Frank Sinatra to Green Day, and whether the format still resonates today when people don't buy albums. Our favorite local concept albums include Red Over Red by Bedroom Rehab Corporation, Death Anxiety by Pocket Vinyl, and El Amor de los Muertos by The Hempsteadys. Also, Rick remembers Arthur Falconi, a local musician who died in yesterday's storm.
What distinguishes a good cover song from a bad cover song? Martha Shanahan joins Rick and Peter to provide a young person's opinion. Plus, Kylie and Kendall Jenner's vinatge rock tee shirts, and Future performs at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Peter discovered his kids singing a Simon and Garfunkel song that came out over 50 years ago. Turns out they heard "The Sound of Silence" in the animated movie "Trolls." What determines whether a song has staying power? Are there artists today whose music our grandchildren will be listening to? Rick remembers thinking that "She Sheila" by The Producers and "Hold On" by Santana were going to be massive hits.
Rick and Peter bring in The Day features writer Mary Biekert to talk about Ed Sheeran's cameo appearance on game of Thrones, and to look back through TV history and some other notable musical cameos. Plus, The Who and Queen + Adam Lambert at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Rick's wife made him listen to New Order. He went to a New Order "concert" and saw them playing exactly zero instruments. What do you think of concerts that are more dance and theater production than musical performance?
Peter hiked 52 miles on the Appalachian Trail. Rick's band played a marathon weekend of shows and almost ran out of beer, before being saved by their lead singer's Elvis impression.
Rick and Peter reminisce about slow dance songs from their past, and read through the list of favorites sent in by friends and listeners.
RICK'S HIGH SCHOOL
Bread – “Make It with You”
Chicago – “Colour My World”
Led Zeppelin – “Stairway to Heaven”
Moody Blues – “Nights in White Satin”
PETER'S MIDDLE SCHOOL
Extreme - "More Than Words"
Richard Marx - "Right Here Waiting"
Bryan Adams - "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"
Damn Yankees - "High Enough"
Boyz II Men - "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday"
RICK'S WEDDING
Neil Young – “Harvest Moon”
SLOW DANCES FOR COUNTRY PEOPLE
Willie Nelson – “Always On My Mind”
Garth Brooks – “The Dance”
Dwight Yoakam – “Ain’t That Lonely Yet”
EVERY WEDDING I’VE EVER ATTENDED
Elvis – “I Can’t Help Falling in Love”
The Righteous Brothers – “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”
Journey – “Faithfully”
Percy Sledge – “When a Man Loves a Woman”
Eric Clapton – “Wonderful Tonight”
REO Speedwagon – “Can’t Fight This Feeling”
SONGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SLOW-DANCE CLASSICS BUT, AS USUAL, THANKS TO THE IDIOCY OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, NO ONE’S EVER HEARD OF THEM
Hawks – “Let Me In”
John Anderson – “1959”
Talk Talk – “Renee”
Too Smooth – “Where Has All the Magic Gone?”
Kayak – “Life of Gold”
10 SONGS BY THE MOODY BLUES NOT CALLED “NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN” THAT KICK A LOT OF SLOW-DANCE ASS
“The Actor”
“Out and In”
“Watching and Waiting”
“Candle of Life”
“Are You Sitting Comfortably?”
“New Horizons”
“Isn’t Life Strange”
“Driftwood”
“Have You Heard” suite
SONG TITLES BY CARCASS THAT PROBABLY DON’T SUGGEST THEY’D BE GOOD PROM BALLADS
“Crepitating Bowel Erosion”
“Cadaveric Incubator of Endo-parasites”
“Lavaging Expectorate of Lysergide Composition”
One of Rick's former bandmates, Robert Corky Ray, calls in to reminisce, and Rick talks about getting ready to play bass in his one and only concert of the year. Plus, replacement lead singers and Pippin at Foxwoods.
There are way too many festivals in southeast Connecticut this weekend - the Strawberry Park Cajun Zydeco Festival, ComiCONN Foxwoods, the Sea Music Festival at Mystic Seaport, the New London Blues and Brews Festival, the Outer Light Brewing rebrand party, and Taste of Mystic. Plus, what makes the wings at Hot Rod Cafe so good, and neural network metal band names.
"Mansion in the Slums" by Crowded House. "I Remember California" by REM. "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2. Why are there certain songs by our favorite bands that we always skip over? Steve Chupaska joins Rick and Peter to discuss. Also, Braiden Sunshine launches his first U.S. tour.
Rick and Peter share memories of concert sing-alongs gone good, and bad, including Ben Folds, Rustic Overtones, O.A.R. and Crowded House. Plus, David Crobsy at The Garde.
Somehow, a conversation about the death of Soundgarden's Chris Cornell turns into a discussion about the merits of Curly and Schemp in The Three Stooges. Also, Vadim Neselovskyi at the Side Door Jazz Club and Ben Folds at Foxwoods.
Have you ever noticed the bland, inoffensive pop music that is playing everywhere you go? At the supermarket? At the gas pump? In every restaurant? Rick and Peter have noticed, and they're sick of it. Plus: Mary J. Blige and Blackberry Smoke.
Rick and Peter share favorite concert memories that had nothing to do with the music. Rick was in the front row when Uriah Heep bassist Gary Thain was electrocuted. Peter met As Fast As frontman Spencer Albee in the mens’ room. Listener Keith saw Tommy Lee fall from a drum set 25 feet in the air. Plus, Fox Farm Brewery and the Karl Kelly Memorial Concert.
Leave work now is a production of The Day Publishing Company. The program is hosted by Rick Koster, and produced by Peter Huoppi. You can see us live on Facebook most Thursday mornings at facebook.com/thedayct, and you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, and TuneIn.
Is it appropriate for an adult man to walk around wearing the jersey of his favorite sports team? How about a concert t-shirt? Aren't we just paying a band for the privlege of advertising for them? Shouldn't they pay us? Plus, reflecting on the passing of renowned painter Barkley Hendricks.
Who deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Who's in the shouldn't be? Should music be a meritocracy similar to sports? Plus, Rick's thoughts on the Genesis tribute band The Musical Boz, and the Knickerbocker All-Stars.
The seventh annual New London Youth Talent Show is coming to The Garde on Saturday night. Has the show joined the Hygienic art show and Sailfest as one of the premier events of the year in New London? Bon Jovi is coming to Mohegan Sun Arena, doing the same thing that has made them popular for decades. Flock Theatre is staging performance of Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey into Night" in real time in the Monte Cristo Cottage that inspired the play's setting.
Was U2's The Joshua Tree a life-changing album, or is it overrated? Is the new Joshua Tree 30th anniversary tour a chance to cash in on nostalgia, or is the album relevant again in today's political climate? Plus: reflecting on the passing of Chuck Berry and Aretha Franklins' farewell tour comes to Mohegan Sun Arena.
Some people think reviewing concerts is the coolest job in the world. Sometimes it is, but it's not always easy to write something that people will actually read. The Day's Rick Koster shares some things he has learned in his years writing about music. Plus, the Mystic Irish Parade is coming this weekend. Leave work now!
Rick Koster shares his thoughts on his recent dining experience at Guy Fieri's Kitchen+Bar at Foxwoods (Donkey Sauce! Trash Can Nachos!) and reveals his in-depth reseach into the Saturday party/Sunday church dichotomy in the lyrics of Florida Georgia Line.
Rick Koster and Peter Huoppi discuss the longevity of New London band The Rivergods, and preview tracks from their new album "State of the Union."
Rick Koster and Kristina Dorsey discuss the upcoming Academy Awards, plus The Subdudes atThe Garde and The Banff Mountain Film Festival at Connecticut College.
Rick Koster and Peter Huoppi discuss the 2017 Grammy Awards and King Crimson's album Larks' Tongues in Aspic.
Rick Koster and Peter Huoppi look forward to upcoming performances by Thor Jensen and Matt Charette, and discuss the distinction between music and entertainment in the Super Bowl halftime shows.
After the death of John Wetton, Rick Koster and Peter Huoppi talk about losing your musical heroes. Also, Hygienic body painting, The CarLeans, Mike Casey Trio, and The Z3.
Rick Koster and Peter Huoppi offer their takes on each other's top album from their teenage years.