The Jam On BEC, Plus A Disco Classic and STUFF TO DO

The PopCulteer
December 15, 2023

We have some radio notes for you today as we drift dangerously close to the Christmas vortex. Before we get sucked into that we also have a small batch of STUFF TO DO to get you in the holiday mood.

We have a special encore and a brand-new mixtape Friday on The AIR. This afternoon we serve up a classic episode of MIRRORBALL and a new episode of Sydney’s Big Electric Cat! The AIR is PopCult‘s sister radio station. You can hear these shows on The AIR website, or just click on the embedded player found elsewhere on this page.

MIRRORBALL

Friday at 2 PM on The AIR, Mel Larch observes a special anniversary one day late with a classic episode of MIRRORBALL devoted to the movie, Saturday Night Fever, which opened exactly forty-five years and one day ago.

In an episode that originally aired in 2021, The AIR’s showcase of classic Disco music salutes the definitive Disco Movie, Saturday Night Fever. To observe 45 years of le danse boo-gee, Mel brings you an hour of highlights from one of the best-selling movie soundtracks in history. You’ll hear classic Disco tunes by The Bee Gees, Tavares, KC and The Sunshine Band, Yvonne Eliman, David Shire, Kool and The Gang, Walter Murphy and The Trammps.

The soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever is a crash course in Disco history, and if you miss the days of polyester, danceable beats and unironic cheesiness, then you won’t want to miss MIRRORBALL Friday.

You can hear MIRRORBALL every Friday at 2 PM, with replays most weeks Monday at 9 AM and Tuesday at 1 PM and a mini-marathon Saturday nights at 9 PM.

Sydney’s Big Electric Cat Gets Into The Jam

Also on The AIR at 3 PM (EDT), Sydney Fileen graces us with special mixtape-style new episode of Sydney’s Big Electric Cat. This week Sydney devotes her entire program to The music of The Jam.

Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Butler formed The Jam in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released an amazing 18 consecutive top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982, including four number one hits.

The band mixed Punk and New Wave with 1960s Beat Music, Soul and R&B, playing up their Mod Revivalist image and paying tribute to The Who, who were a major inspiration. The band also cited The Beatles and The Kinks as major influences, and up to their dissolution in 1982, evolved their sound with every release, adding instruments and more complex arrangements and creating more challenging pop music than many of their contemporaries.

We do not have a playlist for this week’s show. Sydney was barely able to finish it and transmit it to us before we had to upload it to our servers. But Sydney assures me that this week’s show is packed with the band’s major hits, choice album cuts and even a few rarities.

Sydney’s Big Electric Cat is produced at Haversham Recording Institute in London, and can be heard every Friday at 3 PM, with replays Saturday afternoon, Monday at 7 AM, Tuesday at 8 PM, Wednesday at Noon and Thursday at 10 AM, exclusively on The AIR. Classic episodes can be heard Sunday morning at 10 AM.

STUFF TO DO

Your humble blogger is back from Chicago and things are as back to normal as they can be with Christmas charging at us full-speed. With the holidays waiting just around the corner, we do have some STUFF TO DO to tell you about. As I have been doing of late, this a good time to remind you that THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS. It’s just a starting point, so don’t expect anything comprehensive and if you feel strongly about me leaving anything out, feel free to mention it in the comments.

Live Music is back at Taylor Books. There is no cover charge, and shows start at 7:30 PM. Friday Steve Himes takes the stage. Saturday a mysterious masked individual performs at the beloved bookstore/cafe/art gallery.

The World Famous Empty Glass Cafe has some great stuff this weekend to tell you about. Friday Tim Courts plays during happy hour. Sunday Bo McMillion will entertain from 9:00 to 11:30 PM. Next Monday it’s open mic with Eric Robbins at 9 PM. Tuesday Alondra Johnson takes the stage at 9 PM. Next Wednesday Andrew Pauley brings his singer/songwriter music to the Glass at 9 PM. We have graphics below for the rest of the weekend shows at The Glass.

Please remember that the pandemic is not over yet. It’s still a going concern with the ‘rona surging again. And now there are seasonal allergies, the flu, Republican House members on holiday break running amok, flying reindeer moving their bowels overhead, billionaire governors pleading poverty in court and other damned good reasons to be careful. Many people who have very good reasons are still wearing masks, and many of us, understandably, are still nervous about being in crowds, masked or not. Be kind and understanding while you’re out.

Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

If you’re up for going out, here are a few suggestions for the weekend, roughly in order, right below the jump…