It was a thrill to chat with John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants. The Big Wakeup Call has just become an affiliate of the They Might Be Giants Radio Network, and we’ll be featuring a new, exclusive Dial-A-Song tune every week. John and I had a fun conversation where unabashed flattery sits comfortably alongside genuine questions. A great visit with one of my all-time favorites.
Tag Archives: Musicians
Tower of Power
Tower of Power founding members Emilio Castillo and Doc Kupka, along with new singer Marcus Scott, called in to talk about their fall tour and new album Soul Side of Town, which recently hit #1 on the Billboard Jazz charts. Topics: writing and recording new material, finding new ways to approach songs and instruments, and touring in 2018 vs. 1968. Plus: what it takes to get the Tower of Power horns to play on your record.
Rita Coolidge
It was great to have the chance to catch up with the great Rita Coolidge as she called in to talk about her new solo album, “Safe In the Arms of Time,” featuring her original tunes, collaborations with Keb’ Mo’, Stan Lynch and Chris Stapleton, and a special composition from Graham Nash.
Scott Ian
Scott Ian from Anthrax returned to the show to talk about his new book Access All Areas: Stories From a Rock Hard Life. We discussed how the book is not a sequel to I’m the Man (since that would require writing a second autobiography, an absurd yet interesting thought), telling an honest version of tales of debauchery, and his most requested story (involving Lemmy and a pair of Daisy Dukes).
Follow @bigwakeupcallJim Brickman
Award-winning pianist and composer Jim Brickman called the show to promote his new holiday album, A Joyful Christmas. We talked about Jim’s own radio show, tracking down celebrity guests in an unusual way, and how he’ll have to skip the levitating piano and pyrotechnics when he plays at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville this Sunday.
Follow @bigwakeupcallEmmylou Harris
Country Music Hall-of-Famer Emmylou Harris called in to talk about her appearance in a new holiday special, “A Nashville Christmas,” premiering December 7th on Get TV. We also discussed Emmylou’s Bonaparte’s Retreat dog rescue and our mutual love for shelter dogs.
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Herb Alpert
It was a thrill to chat with the legendary Herb Alpert about his new album The Christmas Wish and his two shows at City Winery in Chicago. Despite some pesky phone gremlins, we had a fun talk about recording an album in 2017 vs 1967, how the trumpet turned on him for a while, and how he’s always searching for new sounds.
Follow @bigwakeupcallPetula Clark
It was pleasure to chat with music legend Petula Clark about her new album Living For Today and her upcoming tour that will bring her to the Chicago area on December 17th. We discussed how she keeps her voice in such amazing shape (at age 84, soon to be 85!), and what it’s like to make a record in 2017 versus 1967. Plus: Petula tells the story of how she wound up singing on the “Give Peace a Chance” record with John & Yoko.
Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid called in to talk about his band “Dennis Quaid and the Sharks,” who are coming to the Chicago area for a show at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles on September 30.
Follow @bigwakeupcallLaurie Berkner
Laurie Berkner is a legend in the world of children’s music. Her first album of all-new original material in 8 years is “Superhero.” We had a very fun conversation about her influence on a whole generation of young musicians, finding time to write while also owning her own record label, and sharing memories of classic ’70s kids television.
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