2/12/07 AKRON/FAMILY

Salutations,

The show this week featured Seth, Dana, and Ryan from the amazing Akron/Family. They sat in and picked some records to spin. If you haven't listened, the program is pretty amusing, with me trying to get some real information and the band being completely goofy. Artists spun include: Toumani Diabate, Prince, Pat Metheny, Michael Jackson, Talib Kweli, and others. Blindfold test with artists like Fela Kuti, Charles Mingus, The Free Design, Vinicius de Moraes, Roscoe Holcomb, Savath+Savalas.

Great moments include:

-car repair information from A/F posse member Ed
-Edna St. Vincent Millay mixed forwards and backwards with Albert Ayler
-found percussion jam on staplers, cups, keys, record cleaning supplies, and voice
-intense low frequencies when trying to get the phone line on the air
-celebration of Charles Darwin's birthday and the proclamation that evolution is false

Facts discovered:

-Seth went to Berklee for a while
-members of A/F met in Space Camp
-all members toured with Sun Ra for over 30 years

If you haven't listened to the show on the WMBR archives site, I would suggest you do so. Also their performance on Tuesday at the Middle East upstairs was immensely moving and beautiful, featuring members of the audience climbing up onstage during the last "tune," myself included playing ride cymbal with Dana and finger cymbals. Dancing was required. It was amazing.

Stay tuned as the next show will feature some music pulled by Akron/Family for the last show and possibly some cool new things.