Move over, Bill Murray...Whistle Pigs are the new Wood Chucks. Punxsutawney Phil ain't got nothin' on me! This is our homage to a classic holiday movie. We know what you're thinking, folks! What's this got to do with Tom Waits? It's the same. It's the same. Start the Party! Again.
MLK Day: Change Must Come From Within
In celebration of Dr. King's birthday we paid tribute by reflecting on many of his great sayings and his final message - to serve with "a heart full of grace, and a soul generated by love". With a few of Tom's great songs dealing with the devil, love and houses to bless our journey on this great day. RIP Ralph Carney.
Over The Influence: Music That Inspired Tom Waits
From Frank Sinatra & Captain Beefheart to Little Richard, Harry Partch, & The Texas Czech Bohemian-Moravian Bands, Tom's musical influences are wondrous, wild, wide...and deep. We're talking a virtual beyond-the-chromatic-scale smorgasbord including GATMO, The Rolling Stones, & Altar Boy. Folks, your table is ready!
Tim Scherman: Pounding Post Modernism Into A Thinking Man's Floor
Bill, James and Cheryl continue Eluding the Authorities, this time with the distinguished author Dr. Tim Scherman who penned that brilliant essay. What's he building in there ain't just literature, folks. Not only has Tim used his mind to deconstruct the culture surrounding Tom Waits word by word, he's also used his hands to reconstruct his entire house board by board. Elizabeth Oakes Smith, P.T. Barnum, and Bob Frost are throwing confetti from their graves!
Goin' Home: Rain Dog & Pony Shows With Jumping Wolf Spiders
Once again without a net, Bill & James dive down a strange rabbit hole filled with 4-8 legged creatures, which as you'd expect, inspires a deep exploration into the music that informed their world outlook. That's right, this is the episode that explains everything but clears up nothing...except The Great Companion. Oh, and once again featuring "Retractions and Corrections" for your listening pleasure. That's a wrap, folks!
Bruce Barton: Never Throw Rocks At Strangers
Hail, Hail the gang's all here. That's right, folks, it's the World Emergency Circus 2.0. In the center ring in all of his glory we finally present our fashion fangod hailing from a stone's throw from the Big Muddy: Bruce Barton! For you theatre, cabaret, and LGBTQ aficionados, this episode has it all, believe you we...Bette Midler, Crystal Gayle, Lily Tomlin, and a fish in the pants. Feel the confetti!
Zeitgeist: Monkeys With Money 'N Guns Devouring Breakfast Cereal
The erudite Cheryl King joins us for a deep dive, this time plunging into a brilliant essay, "Eluding The Authorities" by Tim Scherman on popmatters.com. A well intentioned but half-baked, feckless, fumbling conversation ensues about the author's mind-bending examination of the positive effect left behind by Tom Waits' music.
Illustration by Peter Ferguson