The Church of Classic Rock March 5th, 2017 - International Women's Day" Wednesday, March 8th is International Women's Day, and the Reverend is looking at the women's movement starting in the 1960s all the way up to the incredible Women's March the day after the 2017 inauguration. There were different problems in the 60s from the 70s, from the 80s, and even today, but the movement has never faltered! They know, as do all evolved human beings, that women deserve equality and parity with men. And the Reverend ends the show with a salute to the women whose influence has helped mold him into the person he is today! Episode Playlist: March 5th, 2017 |
The Church of Classic Rock February 26th, 2017 - "Happy 5th Anniversary SoR Radio!" Wednesday, March 1st marks five years of constant, 24/7 music and programming for SoR Radio, the streaming radio station that hosts the Church of Classic Rock live every Sunday morning! The Reverend, who's been there from before the station was even an idea, talk about how the station came to be, the on-air personalities SoR has had on-air during its first half-decade, and the amazing live shows that have made SoR what it is today! From "lost" shows like "High School Hangover" and "Black Circle Radio," to its current line-up including the "Rock-N-Roll Express," the "Back-40," the "Church of Classic Rock," and the flagship show, "The School of Rock," the live programs on SoR have given the station its identity and its voice! Plus, the Reverend gives a little background on the sweeping changes coming to SoR Radio starting on its 5th anniversary, and the reasons why it's important! Episode Playlist: February 26th, 2017 |
The Church of Classic Rock February 19th, 2017 - "National Margarita Day" Wednesday, February 22nd, is National Margarita Day! It's the one day every year that the country celebrates the Reverend's favorite drink, but that's not why it's celebrated obviously. :) But it calls to mind where people tend to drink, which made the Reverend want to explore all of the classic small venues where the most well-known names in classic rock got started! From San Francisco, to Los Angeles, to New York, to London, the small venues gave some of the biggest names in clssic rock their start. And let's face it, seeing your favorite artist or group in a small venue is so much better than being in a massive arena, right? So that's what today's lesson is all about, the history of those great starter venues! Episode Playlist: February 19th, 2017 |
The Church of Classic Rock February 12th, 2017 - "National Ferris Wheel Day" Tuesday, February 14th, is Valentines Day, but that's beside the point. More importantly, it's National Ferris Wheel Day! The Reverend Jeff Smith will take you on a trip through the history of the Ferris wheel, the imporance of circles in our daily lives, how circles even influence our way of arguing a point (badly, of course), and he shares one of his favorite childhood memories involving a particular type of Ferris wheel! Episode Playlist: February 12th, 2017 |
The Church of Classic Rock February 5th, 2017 - National "Get Out Your Guitar" Day Saturday, January February 12th is "Get Out Your Guitar" Day in the United States! The Reverend is celebrating this with a look at the guitarists of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s that demonstrated just how a guitar could be played! He'll talk about some of the amazing musicians that moved the entire rock genre along with their innovative and trend-setting techniques and styles, making the guitar, acoustic or electric, the integral part of rock and roll that it is! Episode Playlist: February 5th, 2017 |
The Church of Classic Rock January 29th, 2017 - "Talk Like a Grizzled Old Prospector" Day Tuesday, January 24th was "Talk Like a Grizzled Old Prospector" Day in the United States, and that put the Reverend in mind of all of the classic rock songs whose lyrics have been misunderstood or misinterpreted throughout the first four decades of rock, so that's the focus of today's program. From "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen, to "Brown Sugar" by the Rolling Stones, to "Puff the Magic Dragon" by Peter, Paul, and Mary, to "Africa" by Toto, each is a song that's been cast as something other than what it was by those who were quick to look for imaginary issues with the music for one reason or another. The Reverend, however, sets the story straight. Episode Playlist: January 29th, 2017 |
The Church of Classic Rock January 22nd, 2017 - "National Popcorn Day" Thursday, January 19th, was National Popcorn Day. After asking the question "Where do people eat the most popcorn?" this episode of the show is dedicated to music in the movies! The Reverend takes a look at the role music has in film, how hard it is to pick appropriate music for any particular scene in a TV show or movie, how music affects an audience's appreciation of the events on the screen, and ends the program as he offers a personal insight into why movie music holds such a special place in his heart, and has since he was a child! Episode Playlist: January 22nd, 2017 |
The Church of Classic Rock January 15th, 2017 - "Peculiar People Day" Tuesday, January 10th was National Peculiar People Day, and in honor of the day (and the people), we're celebrating all things peculiar! We'll talk about why peculiar folks need their own day, what types of behavior are often flagged as weird or odd, why you should carefully analyze suggestions that you act more "normal," and the Reverend ponders his own rather peculiar life and offers a bit of lived advice for anyone else who's had to deal with the "You're weird!" comments issued pejoratively throughout their lifetime. Episode Playlist: January 15th, 2017 |
The Church of Classic Rock January 8th, 2017 - The Old Into the New Welcome to world, 2017, and may you be a better year than 2016 was! Not that that'll be hard to do. For our first podcast of the new year, we're taking a trip through history, looking at the development of the calendar we use to know when the years change, as well as how we named our days and months. We'll also look at turn-of-the-year traditions and celebrations throughout history and around the world, and discover just how much we all have in common! Let's experience the hope that a new year brings, even if that hope is small - at least there is always still hope to be had! Episode Playlist: January 8th, 2017 |