Wake Up And Rock

Program name change

2006-04-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Wake Up And Rock has a new name! As of April 16, 2006, the new name is Laurapalooza. For future blog posts, go to www.laurapalooza.blogspot.com.

Upcoming changes in KPFT program schedule

2006-04-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Beginning the afternoon of April 16, there are going to be some changes in the KPFT program schedule.

Some of the current programs are being sunsetted (canceled), some are moving to the KPFT podcasting site (www.kpfti.org) and some new programs will be added to the program schedule.

I have been informed that Wake Up And Rock will move to Sundays (same time, 4 to 6 a.m.), but will air every other week. My last Friday morning program will be April 14. My first Sunday morning program will be April 23, 2006.

At first, I was disappointed that Wake Up And Rock is moving to every other week, but I decided to look at the bright side -- it wasn't sunsetted or moved to the podcasting site -- and -- it's moving to the weekend!!

2006-03-31T21:49:00.000-08:00

Stephen Yerkey has a new CD out (see below).

2006-03-31T21:44:00.000-08:00

Stephen Yerkey metaneonatureboy CD front cover

2006-03-31T21:42:00.000-08:00

Stephen Yerkey metaneonatureboy CD back cover

Stephen Yerkey calls in to Wake Up And Rock

2006-03-31T20:59:00.000-08:00

Stephen Yerkey phoned in this morning to the KPFT studio at about 5 a.m. and chatted with me about his new record that was released this month called metaneonatureboy. It was produced by Eric Drew Feldman and released on Echo Records this month. It is being marketed by World’s Fair Label Group.

In today’s music world full of sound-alikes, it is refreshing to hear Stephen Yerkey’s very unique sound. Over the last few weeks, I have played several songs from metaneonatureboy for Wake Up And Rock listeners – Songs Put Things, Cadillacs Of That Color, Link Wray’s Girlfriend, and Fall Out Of Love, and I’m sure I’ll get around to spinning a few more in the coming weeks.

Stephen was delightful to talk to and he promises to let me know if he’s coming to Houston so we can arrange a live guest appearance on Wake Up And Rock. You can find more info about Stephen Yerkey and his new album at www.stephenyerkey.com, www.echo.co.uk, and www.worlds-fair.net.

KPFT Photo Gallery

2006-03-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

I’ve been looking through my files for any pictures that were taken of my guests in the studio during Wake Up And Rock and “24-PM” interviews with live music performances. Christiane has posted them online at the KPFT Photo Gallery. Hopefully, I’ll find some more for her to add later. I hosted more than 80 musician interviews while “24-PM” was a regular on the KPFT program schedule and I made sure to get audio recordings of almost all of them, but didn’t routinely take pictures of the guests.

Here’s the link to the KPFT Photo Gallery: http://www.kpfthouston.org/gallery

Back to regular program schedule

2006-02-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

The KPFT Winter Membership Drive is completed and we're back to the regular program schedule. Thank you very much for pledging your support by either becoming a member or renewing your membership.

Our station is more than 90% listener supported financially with less than 10% of its funds coming from grants. Listener support allows KPFT Houston to operate, broadcasting independent news, community affairs programs and music programs.

During the membership drives, I try to present as much music as possible while requesting contributions and explaining why it's important to contribute to non-commercial, listener-sponsored community radio.

I received many nice phone calls during the drive and I really appreciate hearing from you. More and more people are finding out about the KPFT Archives at www.kpft.org, where Wake Up And Rock is archived for two weeks. You can listen to the show at a time of day when it's convenient for you if you want to enjoy the music, but just can't do it from 4 to 6 a.m. on Fridays.

Thank you, KPFT listener-sponsors

2006-02-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

This morning’s show was another successful membership drive edition. If you called in your membership pledge during the show, thank you very much for contributing to Pacifica Radio KPFT in support of Wake Up And Rock specifically. Because of you, I met and exceeded my goal for today’s show and you are doing your part to support free speech and freedom of choice in music on the radio.

I heard from several listeners by phone during the show who called to say they just discovered Wake Up And Rock this morning and will set their alarms and start listening every Friday morning. Several others said they listen to the show every Friday and really enjoy the music, especially the political and socially conscious songs.

The membership drive will still be in progress next Friday. If you can’t call in during the show, there are a couple of other ways to pledge. You can go to http://www.kpft.org/ to pledge online or you can e-mail your pledge of financial support to me at laura@kpft.org anytime between now and Friday, February 17. Just let me know in what amount you wish to pledge and how you want to pay (credit card, check, electronic funds transfer).

There are lots of KPFT logo items such as T-shirts, mugs, hats, etc., available to you at various pledge levels. Just ask. The special items I am offering as thank-you gifts are listed in my last post.

Thanks for supporting!

2006-02-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

My heartfelt thanks go out to the listeners who contributed this morning to KPFT in support of Wake Up And Rock. The program has been airing for nine months and is steadily gaining supporters (listener-sponsors). Each week, I receive phone calls and e-mail from listeners saying they are really enjoying the interesting music (check out my playlist archives).

The Winter Membership Pledge Drive will still be going on at KPFT next Friday. If you didn’t pledge your new or renewal membership today, your next opportunity to pledge your support for Wake Up And Rock will be next Friday between 4 and 6 a.m. You can call in your pledge during the show at 713-526-5738 or pledge online at http://www.kpft.org/. If you pledge online, be sure to designate which program you want your contribution to be attributed to. None of the programs receive any actual money, of course, but it’s one of the ways KPFT programs are judged for their viability when changes in programming are being considered.

The main reason to pledge is to help keep free speech and freedom of choice in music alive on the radio. KPFT is over 90% supported by listeners and less than 10% by grants. There are no corporate sponsors controlling our programming.

Sometimes listeners call in asking me who decides what music is played on my show and they are surprised when I tell them I choose everything I play on my show. I wouldn't host a radio show if it meant someone else telling me what music to feature or who to have as guests.

You can pledge a financial contribution by credit card, check, or electronic funds transfer. If you prefer, you can come in person and pay with cash. You can also arrange a payment plan of whatever amount you are comfortable with per month to pay your annual membership pledge.

Another way to pledge is to e-mail me at (laura@kpft.org). I would be happy to complete your pledge form and submit it on Friday at 6 a.m. The current membership drive is planned to go on through February 17, 2006.

A basic KPFT membership (which does not include a thank-you gift) is $35 and membership is good for one year ($25 if you are a student or on a fixed income), but we accept pledges of any amount.

If you are already a listener member in good standing, then consider purchasing a gift membership for a friend or family member.

There are many great items with the KPFT logo available as thank-you gifts when you donate to KPFT, including T-shirts, coffee mugs, caps, or a Lobeman (cordless mini-radio that fits on your ear).

Anyone who makes a credit card pledge of $60 or more will receive “The Blue Pages: A Directory Of Companies Rated By Their Politics And Practices.”

The following are special items available to you as thank-you gifts when you pledge to KPFT in support of Wake Up And Rock:

$60 pledge level:
17-minute 1962 Bob Dylan interview at WBAI in New York,
including the three songs he performed live during the interview

$90 pledge level:
Thea Gilmore’s 2005 album (CD) “Songs From The Gutter”
or
Cary Swinney’s 2005 album (CD) “Big Shots”

$150 pledge level:
Both of the above CDs

$180 pledge level:
Both CDs and Bob Dylan interview

KPFT Fund drive in February 2006

2006-01-15T21:54:00.000-08:00

KPFT will be in fund drive mode February 1-17, 2006. Please consider pre-pledging through www.kpft.org or by calling 713-526-4000, to help end the winter fund drive sooner and possibly eliminate the summer fund drive altogether.

2006-01-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

Featured artist on 01-06-06: Taylor Hollingsworth of Birmingham, Alabama. Songs played from Tragic City album: Take The Money, Duct Taped Heart, How Could You Be So Cold, When I Get Around, Like a Cave, Head On Collision.

2006-01-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

Featured artist on 01-06-06: Jodi Jett of Queens, New York. Songs played from Revelations album: '80s Girl, Nemesis, Instead, Heaven To Me, Greasy, Worse Than You, Other Half.

Jerry Diaz photo

2005-12-02T07:02:00.000-08:00

Jerry Diaz 12-02-05

Jerry Diaz interview Dec. 2, 2005 re: Pardi Gras

2005-12-02T06:19:00.000-08:00

Jerry Diaz was my in-studio guest this morning and we talked about the upcoming (9th annual) Pardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 12-15, 2006. There will be a block party on Bourbon Street, a parade, a pub crawl, and lots of live music. You can register for the event and get more information at www.jerrydiaz.com or by calling 409-728-0033.

Note to musicians / bands

2005-11-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

To have your original music considered for airplay on Wake Up And Rock or to be considered as a live guest on Wake Up And Rock (with interview and live music), please submit your CD, your biographical information, and your upcoming performance schedule to me at:

KPFT
Attn: Laura Slavin / Wake Up And Rock
419 Lovett Blvd.
Houston, TX 77006

To have your CD added to the KPFT music library, please send your CD to:
KPFT
Attn: Phil Edwards, Music Director
419 Lovett Blvd.
Houston, TX 77006

Thank you for supporting KPFT

2005-11-28T07:38:00.000-08:00

Thank you for supporting KPFT with your financial contributions. Every dollar counts toward meeting the ongoing expenses of running the station. KPFT is your listener-sponsored, non-commercial community radio station providing you with the real news, locally produced public affairs programs, and music shows featuring music that matters and guest artists performing live music in the studio. The next KPFT fund drive will be in February 2006.

KPFT fund drive in progress Nov. 1-18, 2005

2005-11-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

If you are a Wake Up And Rock listener, please show your support for listener-sponsored, non-commercial radio for peace, KPFT Houston. Pledge your financial support by calling in during the show to 713-526-5738 or you can pledge online at www.kpft.org. Another way is to e-mail me at laura@kpft.org and I will fill out the pledge form for you. You can pledge for whatever amount you feel comfortable with, but the basic annual membership is $35 ($25 for students).

Ladell McLin album

2005-11-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

Ladell McLin's album Stand Out is being offered as a gift of appreciation when you pledge in support of Wake Up And Rock during the KPFT November fund drive.

The Groove Divinities album

2005-11-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Groove Divinities self-titled album is being offered as a gift of appreciation when you pledge in support of Wake Up And Rock during the KPFT November fund drive.

The Rolling Stones book

2005-11-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

According To The Rolling Stones is an autobiographical book being offered as gift of appreciation when you pledge in support of Wake Up And Rock during the KPFT November fund drive.

KPFT November 2005 fund drive

2005-11-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

KPFT is doing an on-air fund drive from November 1 through November 18, 2005. Please help keep non-commercial, listener-sponsored, free speech radio alive by calling in your pledge of financial support to 713-526-5738 or by pledging online at www.kpft.org.

You can show your support for KPFT and Wake Up And Rock in particular by calling in your pledge between the hours of 4 and 6 a.m. on Fridays, Nov. 4, Nov. 11, or Nov. 18.

The following gifts of appreciation are being offered for your pledges of support for KPFT and Wake Up And Rock. After your pledge is paid, your gift of appreciation will be mailed to you.

At the $360 support level:
According To The Rolling Stones
(395-page hardcover book – autobiography written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood)
or
Jimi Hendrix: Musician
(256-page hardcover book -- biography written by Keith Shadwick)

At the $240 support level:
I Me Mine
(398-page hardcover book – autobiography written by George Harrison)

At the $180 support level:
Chronicles: Volume One
(293-page hardcover book – autobiography written by Bob Dylan)
plus 1962 Bob Dylan interview broadcasted live and recorded at Pacifica Radio WBAI in New York (includes three songs performed on air)

At the $120 support level:
Son Volt Live from Austin City Limits
(DVD recorded in 1996)
or
Jimi Hendrix Collection
(2-CD set)

At the $90 support level:
Ladell McClin debut album “Stand Out”
(2005 CD)
or
The Groove Divinities self-titled debut album
(2005 CD)
or
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers “Playback” DVD
or
Jimi Hendrix Plays Berkeley DVD
(recorded in 1970)

At the $60 support level:
1962 Bob Dylan interview broadcasted live and recorded at Pacifica Radio WBAI in New York (includes three songs performed on air)

The Groove Divinities photo

2005-09-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Trip Jenkins (Kenni Ski) and Southland Slim (Jimmy Sloan) of The Groove Divinities

The Groove Divinities full album featured

2005-09-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

Wake Up And Rock listeners were treated this morning to The Groove Divinities’ self-titled debut album in its entirety. Beginning just after 5 a.m., I featured all 54 minutes and 12 seconds of their new "hip-rock-soul" album. While the music played, KPFT listeners called me on the studio line to say thanks for playing the album and to keep up the good work. The California-based band is fronted by Trip Jenkins (Kenni Ski) on vocals, Southland Slim (Jimmy Sloan) on guitar, Carmine Rojas on bass, Tal Bergman on drums, and Phil "Silky" Parlapiano on keys. The album will be available in stores on October 11, 2005, released by the newly formed record label, Do Right Records. More information on The Groove Divinities is online at www.thegroovedivinities.com.

Mark Lewis photo

2005-09-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Mark Lewis

Mark Lewis' Sept. 2 performance

2005-09-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

Mark Lewis made a guest appearance on Wake Up And Rock this morning at the KPFT studios. He brought in his portable piano and performed one live song and then we played four tracks from Mark Lewis Trio's new album, Irreconcilable Similarities. Mark gave away tickets to the CD release party on September 9 at Clark's in downtown Houston, which will begin at 9 p.m. The listeners who won the free tickets will also receive free CDs when they arrive at the show at Clark's. Jason Consolacion will be the opening act. After Mark Lewis Trio performs, there will be an after-show party with a DJ. I only regret that I forgot to take Mark's picture while he was at the station, so I'm posting a picture that he sent me. To keep up with Mark Lewis Trio's future performance schedule, www.thelewisband.com.

Fund drive show

2005-08-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

August 26 was another successful fund drive show. DJ Woo stayed after his show, Alternative Scream, and helped me out by answering the phone lines. Thank-you to everyone who pledged financial support for KPFT and for supporting Wake Up And Rock! We had four previous members renew their memberships and one new member!

Laura Slavin photo

2005-08-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

Laura 06-24-05

Jango Rhythm photo 07-15-05

2005-07-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Jango Rhythm -- Johnny Rock, Chris, Phil, and Adam

Jango Rhythm's July 15 performance

2005-07-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

The band members of Jango Rhythm – Adam, Johnny Rock, Phil, and Chris – braved a downpour of rain to get to the KPFT studios this morning to perform live music for the listeners. They performed three unreleased songs and one song that’s on their new album, Pre-Simplify. Congratulations to listeners Ronald and Adam for winning autographed Jango Rhythm CDs. The band will perform at Rudyard’s Pub on July 21 at 10 p.m. They will perform at “Balloons of Hope,” a charity event at the Armadillo Palace on July 30 benefiting autistic children. CDs are available at Cactus Music and Video in Houston and www.cdbaby.com. For more info and the band’s live show schedule, www.jangorhythm.com.

Ladell McLin album featured

2005-07-08T04:48:00.000-07:00

In addition to all the individual songs on this morning's show, I featured the entire Ladell McLin album, Stand Out, starting at 5 a.m. and finishing a little after 5:30. While it played, I received numerous phone calls from listeners who liked the music, were happily surprised to hear a whole album being played, and thanked me for doing it. Chicago-born McLin sounds a lot like Hendrix, but maintains a unique quality to his music. Stand Out is due in record stores July 12 and will be released on the Gigantic Music label (www.giganticmusic.com). See the link on this page to the KPFT Wake Up And Rock playlist for the album's track listing.

Rozino Smith and Chris Loocke photo 07-01-05

2005-07-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Rozino Smith and Chris Loocke 07-01-05

Rozino Smith's July 1 performance

2005-07-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Rozino Smith was this morning’s musical guest, with Chris Loocke accompanying on guitar. They performed four live songs in-studio, including two that are on Rozino’s new album, Blurry Summer, one that is on a 2002 album by his previous band, Brother Luck, and a cover of a Dave Matthews song. Rozino is a Magellan Records recording artist. Magellan Records released Blurry Summer about a month ago. Hank Hamberg, president of Magellan Records, also got up early enough to Wake Up And Rock at KPFT today. Rozino will perform July 12 at El Mercado in Austin and then will return to Houston and perform on August 11 at Cosmos Café and August 20 at Next Door Coffee House. Congratulations to Aaron and Brent for winning CDs during the show. For more info and live show schedule updates, www.rozinosmithband.com.

Derek co-hosted 06-24-05 show

2005-06-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

Derek Daigrepont planned some cool music for this morning's show (see playlist archive) and I enjoyed having him as a guest co-host. He won the opportunity to co-host a show as a special prize for donating to KPFT during the Spring 2005 Fund Drive in support of Wake Up And Rock. Rather than awarding the prize to the highest donor, the winner was selected randomly. Derek learned some basics about the control room, announced the songs that were played and fielded all the phone calls during the show. Derek has a great personality and he's definitely in the running to fill in for me when I'm on vacation.

Derek Daigrepont photo 06-24-05

2005-06-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

Guest co-host Derek Daigrepont 06-24-05

Four Men Walking photo 06-17-05

2005-06-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

Four Men Walking 06-17-05: Tim Schultz, Joel Schultz, Terrance Ballard

No Kings photo 06-10-05

2005-06-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

No Kings 06-10-05: Jordan Rose, Russell Pruett, Ethan Kennedy, Tom Ross

SiennaBlu photo 06-03-05

2005-06-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

SiennaBlu 06-03-05: Jaime Miller, Sherlyn Elizabeth, Clendell Rundles, Keith Luke, Mike Morris, John Madeiro

Four Men Walking's June 17 performance

2005-06-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

If you made sure to Wake Up And Rock this morning, then you know the answer to why the rock band, Four Men Walking, has three members. Joel Schultz, Tim Schultz and Terrance Ballard performed pared-down, acoustic versions of three songs from their upcoming album, Broken. Their current album, The Life We Have To Live, is available at www.cdbaby.com, but several KPFT listeners called in to the studio line (713-526-5738) during the show and received a free, autographed CD from the band. They will be performing at Forget About It Too on June 25. More about Four Men Walking is at www.fourmenwalking.com or christen.swanner@entropyarts.com.

Live music schedule (5 to 5:30 a.m.)

2005-06-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

June 17 - Four Men Walking; July 1 - Rozino Smith

Guest co-host selected for June 24

2005-06-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

KPFT listener-sponsor and new member, Derek, has been selected as a guest co-host for the June 24 show as a special prize after the Spring Fund Drive concluded.

No Kings' June 10 performance

2005-06-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

No Kings took time out to Wake Up And Rock the KPFT listeners this morning. Ethan Kennedy, Russell Pruett, Tom Ross and Jordan Rose put on a unique live performance of four previously unreleased songs, some of which were untitled until some KPFT listeners called in to remedy that situation. They've done some recording in Austin recently and are planning to release a CD in the near future. No Kings will perform tonight at 10 p.m. at The Last Concert Cafe. For more No Kings info, www.nokingsmusic.com. On June 17, Four Men Walking will Wake Up And Rock.

SiennaBlu's June 3 performance

2005-06-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

On June 3, all six members of the Houston-based rock band, SiennaBlu, were my guests on the show from 5 to 5:30 a.m. They performed two previously unreleased songs (which is my favorite on-air thing to do because the performances are so unique) and one song that’s on their new album, To The Afterglow. We did a listener call-in CD giveaway at the end of their performance and there were a lot of positive comments about the band and about Wake Up And Rock in general. I’m hearing from listeners that they really enjoy the show because it’s a great mix of rock music, new and old and in-between. Some listeners called in to say they were pleasantly surprised to wake up and find SiennaBlu playing live music on the show. For more info about SiennaBlu, their website is www.siennablu.com. On June 10, the rock band, No Kings, will be my guests in the KPFT studio. So, if 4 a.m. is too early for you, then definitely set your alarm for 5 a.m. so you won't miss No Kings' live music performance.

Live music schedule (5 to 5:30 a.m.)

2005-05-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

June 3 - SiennaBlu; June 10 - No Kings; June 17 - Four Men Walking

Another successful fund drive show

2005-05-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Derek, Wilma, Erik, Jessica, Mr. Anonymous, Mandy, Lynn, Barbara, Kent, and Emmerson for pledging to KPFT in support of Wake Up And Rock. Mr. Anonymous generously gave a new membership to a friend of his in New England whose first name is Pacifica! And, of course, thank you, Frisco Jen of the Wednesday 4 a.m. program, Reach Out In The Darkness, for working with me during the fund drive shows in pitching for pledges/contributions. We have done pretty well for a new show that was only on the air one time before the Spring Fund Drive began. We have met our goals and actually went a little over the goal on May 13 and 20. As of this date, the Spring Fund Drive is planned to still be in progress during next Friday’s Wake Up And Rock on May 27.

We had some live musical guests in the studio on May 20. Local, 11-year-old singer, Blair Howerton was our guest singer and accompanying her were her brother, Bristol Howerton (guitar), Maston Walker (guitar), and Micah Walker (backup vocal). Blair’s and Bristol’s mother, Stephanie, was also in the studio. Blair sang two of her original songs and one of Maston’s songs. Blair, Bristol, and Micah sometimes perform at Maston’s live shows. To find out where you might see them perform, check Maston’s web site, http://www.mastonsongs.com/. They can also be reached through Gotta Visit The Frogs Promotions by e-mailing Christine Meaux at gottavisitthefrogs@yahoo.com.

Wake Up And Rock is offering the following great gifts of appreciation during the fund drive:

$60. level:
KPFT logo T-shirt (navy blue, 100% cotton, sizes sm., med., lg., xl, xxl, and xxxl)
or
KPFT logo CD case

$90. level:
KPFT cap (tan with red and black embroidered KPFT logo)
or
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "Playback" DVD (only 2 left)
or
Jimi Hendrix Plays Berkeley Community Theatre May 30, 1970, DVD (only 1 left)
or
Bruce Springsteen "Devils & Dust" Dual-Disc (audio on one side and DVD on the other side) (only 4 left)

$120 level:
Jimi Hendrix Collection (2-CD set) (only 1 left)
or
Lobeman (discreet, hands-free, mini FM tuner, fits on your ear, silver with KPFT logo)

$180 level:
Bob Dylan Chronicles Volume 1 (book written by Bob Dylan published in 2004) (only 3 left). With the book, you will also receive the 1962 Bob Dylan interview with Izzy Young at Pacifica Radio WBAI New York. This is a 17-minute interview that will be sent to you on CD along with the Bob Dylan book.

Special gift of appreciation (no particular pledge level required):
After the Spring Fund Drive ends, I’m going to randomly choose one KPFT member who contributed to KPFT in support of Wake Up And Rock to be a guest host with me for one show from 4:00 to 6:00 a.m. on a Friday! That person will be allowed to plan all the music for that show if he or she desires and announce the songs on the air, etc.

Wake Up And Rock's first fund drive show

2005-05-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

Wake Up And Rock’s second show was on Friday the 13th, but was not plagued by any bad luck. Frisco Jen, Queen of the Oldies, came by to assist because of fund drive. The goal was met and was actually exceeded, so the show is off to a good start and is already getting some regular listeners. There were a couple of music requests last week that I was able to fulfill this week, so I hope Roy and Lefty were both listening to hear their requests (Peace Frog by the Doors and Tower Of Song by Leonard Cohen). We also had several phone calls from listeners wondering what happened to The Groove with Bobby Phats and, as Jen explained to them, Bobby has made the big time and now is on the air during Traffic Jam from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Dean Moore also visited with us just before getting started with answering pledge phones. I have gotten a lot of great comments about Wake Up And Rock. Listeners are really appreciative of the music they are getting to hear.

New rock music program at Pacifica Radio KPFT

2005-05-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

At 4 a.m. on Friday, May 6, 2005, I produced and hosted Wake Up And Rock's first show at KPFT in Houston, Texas. Some regular daytime listeners will recognize me as one of the previous regular hosts of "24 PM," which featured live interviews with musicians and live music performances with various hosts. This new program, Wake Up And Rock, is not an interview show -- it's a rock music show. It features many different types of rock -- classic rock, pop rock, roots rock (country rock), blues rock, and folk rock. You may occasionally hear some rock from other countries. I also plan to occasionally feature an entire album. Live musical guests will also be featured sometimes, but not every week.

The first show went well. I don't plan on posting on this blog lists of the music that was played each week because that information is posted at www.kpft.org. Click on "On The Air," then "Playlists", then "Wake Up And Rock." I intentionally don't announce on-air the year the records were released. This is because I hope to bridge the musical generation gap by getting younger listeners interested in older music and getting older listeners interested in newer music for the music itself and not because it represents a certain era or generation. For listeners who are curious enough to find out what year the records were released, I list that information at www.kpft.org on the Wake Up And Rock playlists.

Next week, we will be in the midst of a KPFT fund drive and I'm in the process of deciding who will be featured as I am planning to have some live music during the first part of the shows on May 13 and May 20. I'm also looking for some local celebrity Houston musicians to come to the station at 419 Lovett Blvd. to answer the pledge phones during Wake Up And Rock while the fund drive is progress.

One prize I'm offering during the fund drive will be an opportunity to be a Wake Up And Rock guest host with me for an upcoming show.