For the past two weekends, my radio show has been in Pledge Drive mode. KUVO only has three pledge drives a year, a lot fewer than many other public radio stations, and this was the last one of 2004.
The first weekend, my opening hour had a live band in the Performance Studio to start things off. Eric Gunnison and Wake Up Call, performed a superb set, and certainly helped the pledges start coming in. Us not being on-air for the first four minutes, due to an engineering slip up, possibly didn't help, or maybe it did? Maybe a taste of what might happen if no-one pledged (ie. radio silance/static), spurred people on.
The second hour was even more frantic. My studio guest was British blues muscian (and Denverite of the past 25+ years) David Booker. He and I always make each other laugh, and there then followed an hour of pledge-rapping, that chiefly consisted of obscure British cultural references that no-one but Dave, myself and any UK listeners would get, interspersed with me laughing way too loudly at Dave, plus the threat of us playing a Lonnie Donnegan CD that he'd brought in. Needless to say, our threat worked, and we met our goal for the number of pledges needed for both hours.
I'd made extra tea, and had some McVitie's Chocolate Digestive biscuits for us both. I mean, two Englishmen, on Teatime Jazz? Tea and bickies is compulsory, surely?
The next weekend, saw my goals for each hour raised by 50%. Despite that, my dear friend Susan Gatschet-Reese and I managed to exceed the goals for the two hours I'm on. We pledge-rapped our butts off, getting more and more frantic (some would say "hyper", or "nuts") as the show progressed.
Love her as I do, she can be a tad bossy at times, but buoyed by the need to make folks laugh enough to call in with a pledge, I gave as good as I got, and the phones started ringing.
The jazz I was playing was all classics, and all fairly short, due to the need to get back on the mic, and get people calling in.
If I'm honest, I didn't really expect anyone to call in - so convinced was I that my show wasn't that significant, compared to others on the station. But that's just me all over: my own worst critic. As it goes, I met my target number of pledges the first week, and despite a 50% increase for the second week, I exceeded my goals.
If by chance, any of you reading this are one of the 42 people who called in a pledge for Teatime Jazz, may I give you a heartfelt and sincere thank you. I was stunned that, that many people called for my show, and even more touched by some of the kind comments of the pledge forms. And no, this isn't false modesty, this is the genuinely humbled reaction of a novice broadcaster, going through his first pledge drive as a regular host of a show.
Today's show: lots of long, long, long, tunes, and a lot of love, going out to all you Teatime listeners.
John Peel, 1939-2004
For those of you who don't know him, he was a broacaster on the BBC for over 40 years, and a champion of new music, ranging from (the then new kid) David Bowie, to current bands like White Stripes.
His media career started before rock radio came to the BBC, and he was even working in radio in Dallas, Texas, when JFK was shot.
He was probably my biggest influence on my radio broadcasting style, and a radio god to millions.
I can't believe how sad his passing makes me. I'm not the sort of person who normally grieves for people I don't know personally, but John Peel was different. There will never be another like him.
Read the full BBC News story.
I've been meaning to write for ages now. I've several things to tell you about. The first involves an incident that occurred a week ago.
I was driving back from giving what little money I have to a well-known brake repair company, when I pulled into a strip mall, to get some stuff for dinner.
There was a large number of public works vehicles, lounging around, at every turn. The drivers of which, were stood around in that way that only government employees can do. You know.. the whole job-for-life-no-matter-how-much-I-slouch posture.
I asked one of them, what was going on. I was told that the President was coming. Yes THE PRESIDENT... the same feckless tosser who conned his way into the White House four years ago.
The public works lady suggested that if I wanted to get dinner to go, I do so quickly, as at any moment, they would be getting word that Dubya was on his way, and would be blocking off every entrance and exit of the various strip malls and car dealerships along Colorado and Mississippi Avenues. I would then be unable to leave for about 20 minutes.
Sure enough, the moment I entered the store I was going to shop at, they closed every exit.
So, as I had nowhere else to go, I decided to stand on the street corner, and watch the presidential motorcade.
I'll say one thing for it, it was pretty impressive. Hmmm...make that.... foreboding.
Three motorcycle outriders and an armored SUV, then a gap, then another 12 or so, motorcycle outriders, and then more armored SUVs, populated by the sort of heavy-set government hard-men, that look like they don't actually need their guns to kill you.
Then the two limousines - identical, so you can't tell which one the pres was in unless, like me, you're stood alone on the street corner upon which he's turning,
I peered through the inches-thick bullet-proof glass. He wasn't in the first limo. That was just the dummy (is there any difference, you might ask!)
The second limo, had a grey-haired man, slouched in the back seat. Just as I was wondering if this was the "leader of the free world", he waved at me. Despite my despising him, and all the lying to the American people he's done, I found myself involuntarily waving back. No amount of politics could counteract years of well-mannered politeness (no, really).
The limos where followed by more security vehicles, all heavily armored, one of which had even heavier-set scary looking guys leaning out of the windows, assault weapons poised, ready to gun down anyone who looked like trouble... or a democrat.
So there you go. That's the less-than-glamourous story of how this Englishman met the leader of the free world.
Next week, starting on Thursday (the 14th) KUVO starts its Fall Pledge Drive.
This will be my first pledge drive as a regular host. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit nervous. Why? Well, if my show doesn't meet it's goals on the number of pledges for each hour, my tenure could be called into question.
Now, admittedly, it probably won't be an issue this time, as I've not been in the time-slot long enough to be fully responsible for such things, but, nonetheless, I'm way too conscientious (and a worrier), to not give 110%.
The good news, is that this afternoon, during my show, I found out that the first hour of my show next week, will feature live music from a jazz band, and a small studio audience, all in the Performance Studio.
I have to admit, I'm pretty excited about the whole thing! I've broadcasted from the Performance Studio before, during a pledge drive, and with a live band, but this is the first time it'll be on my own little show. Moreover, it's the first time that Teatime on jazz89 will have had a live studio audience! (OK, just bear with me, and let me have my little moment here).
So, if you have time next Saturday (or the Saturday after) call in a pledge during my show! I'm on from 3-5pm (mountain time). The numbers are: 303-480-9272, or 1-800-574-5886. Let's show them that someone's listening to Teatime on jazz89!
This time last week, Miles celebrated his 5th birthday. He eschewed a big party, and instead, opted for a bath at Denver's fabulous Stinky Dog No More, followed by a big rawhide chew stick.
We took a picture to mark the occasion.
Click image to enlarge
More pics are available:
We're laughing in the last picture, because it was done on the camera's self-timer, and I had to race round and get us both in position in time. In the course of doing so, I nearly went head-over-heels in the flower bed behind the camera!
These days, living in hard-working America, days off are rare for me. Don't get me wrong, after 18 months unemployed here, I'm still very grateful, over a year later, to be back in paid employment.
When I look back to living in the UK, one of the things I remember, was that we had a lot more paid time off work. It's well-documented (outside of the US) that the US is one of the worst places in the world for the amount of paid vacation given to the average employee, but now it seems like we had things even better than I thought at the time, in the UK.
In the US, employees start with no vacation, or maybe a week's vacation, in a new job. In the UK, employees start with four weeks, and in France and Germany, it's a massive six weeks vacation a year, in your first year.
So, all in all, having a day off here (especially a paid one), is a bit of a treat.
This week, I've had two days off. Wednesday was a bit of a catch-up-on-sleep-and-laundry day, and today (Friday) has seen me getting a bunch of errands done.
Of course no-one is more overjoyed to see me not going to work, than Miles - my faithful hound. Partly because he loves just hanging out at the house with me, and partly because he knows the odds of a long walk for him, are greatly improved.
As it happens, today's weather precluded a long walk in the morning. It was cold and wet, with heavy rain. This afternoon, the rain has finally stopped, but it's still bitterly cold - a change from the past week's 70+ temperatures.
It's been a good day to get stuff done, and now, errands complete, I'm ensconced in the infamous Monkey Bean, with a hot bowl of garlic soup, and coffee. Both are excellent, incidentally.
Of course the downside is that whilst I'm enjoying a late-lunch in the MB, I know there's a Golden Retriever back home, who's sat there, looking at the front door, at the clock and back to the door, whilst tapping his foot impatiently.
Oh yeah, memo to the girl in the group of four, on the next table:
- Stop playing the coffee house's piano. The music on the stereo is sufficient
- Adam Ant called from 1982, and he wants his costume back
Seriously, you're frightening me! Am I now getting so old that stuff I remember from my teens is now back in fashion? Yikes!
Not that I minded those Eighties fashions, I'm just not sure I'm ready for them to make a comeback just yet. Not this far from Halloween.
