AJOBO (7/28/14)
Greetings from the glamorous and exotic Midwest! I’m just closing out a few days in my home state of Ohio after attending my 10-year class reunion. Seems surreal that I haven’t been a full-time Ohioan in a decade, especially since, when I visit, it often feels like I’ve never left. I think that’s a perk of really cementing yourself to a place you love for life. Though you move on, it’s always there, ready to greet you when you return.
It’s no secret I love history in all its forms. My town was instrumental in the abolitionist movement and many of the buildings and homes have secret passages and tunnels that served as part of the Underground Railroad. Yesterday, my mother and I took an old-fashioned trolley tour of many URR sites, including a lot of hidden spots along edges of the city. It’s funny how you think you know a place like the back of your hand, and yet, there is actually so much you don’t know.
Of course, one of my favorite tidbits of hometown history is one of its famous residents: Alan Freed, who graduated from my high school in 1940. I remember stories of his classmates, including one woman who sat behind him in biology and had a huge crush on him. It’s humbling that before he was “Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll,” he was just a kid that lived in a small town in northeast Ohio.
Speaking of records and DJs and probably payola, July 2014 marks the 35th anniversary of Disco Demolition Night. The title alone sounds like something most people would support, especially at the end of the decade when the genre permeated radio, clubs, even movies and television shows. A Chicago DJ decided to take matters into his own hands and thus, the largest anti-disco rally spurred into action. Later this week, Pamela Sosnowski takes us through that historic night and the beginnings of disco’s downfall.
Music and television were hanging out long before MTV. The Beatles are often credited with popularizing the “music video format” beginning with A Hard Day’s Night, in which songs were set to scenes that weren’t necessarily sung live-action style. In 1966, The Monkees brought that same trick to television. In the meantime, artists and bands were popping up all over sitcoms and dramas in the 1960s, trying to capitalize on America’s new favorite way to keep itself entertained. Tomorrow, Gretchen Unico counts down some of the most memorable guest appearances from artists on ’60s sitcoms, from Bedrock to Cocoa Beach and beyond.
And finally on the agenda, we’re so excited to announce the next regular REBEAT Recurrence: a weekly playlist (creative title TBR — to be revealed!), currently commandeered by Carey Farrell. This week, she’s spotlighting some Beach Boys “soundalikes,” which include a few covers and a lot of similar themes. The perfect companion to your weekend ahead, check back on Friday for some fun — fun, fun. Sorry, not sorry.
As a special bonus, this week’s RAVER features “Two for the Price of One.” Hmm.. I wonder what that could mean?
-AJB
