Now that it has been a month since it happened, I guess it’s time to
print my article/play list on my air shift on the WBNY 91.3 FM Alumni Weekend
Shift Bidathon, which raised funds for the WBNY Alumni Association, which, in
turn, is used to help the station.
I
was privileged to open the Alumni Weekend, from 9 AM-Noon Friday, April 25,
with the fourth edition of “Death Or Glory,” this year subtitled “One More Time
in the Ghetto.” For those of you who haven’t read my previous writing on this,
briefly, I was an on-air staffer at WBNY 91.3 FM at Buffalo State College in
1984-1985; the station started in 1982, after existing as WSCB. Along with
serving as a news anchor and reporter, talk show host and producer and
executive producer of All Talk Monday, I was a DJ there, with my first regular
shift from 2-6 AM Sunday mornings, and then I moved up to 6-10 AM Wednesdays,
hosting the “Loudest Morning Show in Buffalo.” We were proud to be a radio
station that actually broadcast into the community and wasn’t just available in
the Student Union/on campus; indeed, we happily shocked some people when we
began showing up in Arbitron books.
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| Once again, my WBNY show was brought to you in part by... |
Anyway, I enjoyed the opportunity to
present some music rarely heard elsewhere in Buffalo/Western New York, and made
some great friends who are still close friends today. The music geek bug bit
hard during that time, and still has a hold of me today.
My Alumni Weekend shows have featured much of the same music I played
when a student, namely punk, new wave, hardcore and the start of cow punk and
Americana, as well as original similar Buffalo music and other guitar-oriented
music that had nowhere else to be heard. I used to feature more recent music,
but the music I love and listen to most falls into the 1975-2000 period.
You can tell this from my
play list from April 25, which follows:
9 AM – “Death or Glory,” the Clash; “Start,” the Jam; “Holidays in the
Sun,” the Sex Pistols; “Wartime,” Nullstadt; “Disconnected,” the Enemies; “Put
It Out,” Tension; “South of the City,” the Jumpers; “Earth Died Screaming,” Tom
Waits; “Broken English,” Marianne Faithfull; “Midnight and Lonesome,” Buddy
Miller; “Something About What Happens When We Talk,” Lucinda Williams; “Damaged
Goods,” Gang of Four; “12 XU,” Wire; “Poptones,” Public Image Limited.
10 AM – “Girl Power,” Electroman; “I Can Walk Away,” Pauline and the
Perils; “Rumble Down,” the Rain; “Indy 500,” girlpope; “Sheena Is a Punk
Rocker,” the Ramones; “Cool Metro,” David Johansen; “Gloria (In Excelsis Deo),”
the Patti Smith Group; “Hangin’ on the Telephone,” Blondie; “No Action,” Elvis
Costello and the Attractions; “Antmusic,” Adam and the Ants; “Do the Strand,”
Roxy Music; “Another Nail in My Heart,” Squeeze; “Good Luck, Money and
Gasoline,” the Pine Dogs; “Crash All Night,” Jim Whitford.
11 AM – “John the Revelator,” Imperial Golden Crown Harmonizers; “Love
Comes in Spurts,” Richard Hell and the Voidoids; “Tell That Girl to Shut Up,”
Holly and the Italians; “Teenage Riot,” Sonic Youth; “See No Evil,” Television;
“Tattooed Love Boys,” the Pretenders; “Heart of the City,” Nick Lowe; “Click
Click,” the English Beat; “One More Time,” the Clash; “JJ,” Oui73; “Words in
Red,” Peter Case; “When You Find Out,” the Nerves; “Bang Bang Bang,” Gurf
Morlix; “Give It to Me Yesterday,” Pegasonics; “Turn on the News,” Husker Du.
While I got to lots
of bands and songs I intended, even with three hours, I was unable to get to
and/or locate the vinyl or CDs in my collection for such bands as the New York
Dolls, the Heartbreakers, the Replacements, Black Flag, Jason and the
Scorchers, the Pixies, the Dream Syndicate or the SplatCats, among others, but
I suppose some variety from year to year is needed. As always, I look forward
to next year’s WBNY Alumni Weekend, and thank the station’s staff, management,
alumni (especially Andrew Kat) and the listeners who made and continue to make
WBNY what it is today.
