Episode 181: Commentary Track
(Featuring a behind-the-scenes recording of what it’s like in the studio with Ricardo Wang, host of What’s This Called?)

I have always been interested in behind-the-scenes aspects to media.  There is something fascinating about the notion that there are things happening that you don’t see, and any opportunity I can get to read an interview, talk to someone, or just be there when there’s something happening, has been part of the impulse for me to get involved in radio.  I think most people who wind up being DJs are nerds, and we’re the kind of people that post to forums, read Wikipedia obsessively, and listen to all the commentary tracks we can get our hands on.

The idea to do a radio commentary track has been bouncing around in my head for a while now.  While variations on this idea have been percolating for years, it was put into focus as to how easy it would be during the infamous DJ Throwdown that happened in January of this year.  DJs are an interesting breed, and any one of them has a million stories, about how they got into the business, and about the music they play.  While Miss Rikki Lee and I have tried to integrate the “stories” element into our particular shows together, this opportunity to hang out during Ricardo’s 7 Year Anniversary seemed like the perfect combination of opportunity and event to make this happen.

Special thanks this week to Ryan, Renee and Lennon, all of whom contributed to the conversations that made up this show, and to KPSU, for hosting his show.  In the show, I make reference to the first time Ricardo appeared on KPSU, and fortunately, the episode is now called Sub-Basement Psyche, broadcast on 5 August 2005.  At the time, I had switched my show to an all-psyche rock show, because I had just discovered Nuggets and was getting really excited about rock and roll.  I did not name my shows in those days, so this name comes from a mix CD Ricardo gave me the day we did this show.  While I have tried to track down everything on it, there are still a few gems that cause me to hang on to it to this very day.  If you are ever so lucky to get a mix CD from Ricardo, you are lucky.  You can hear pretty much the entire one he made for me in this show.  I am so happy that, 7 years later, his show is still going strong.

I shot some behind-the-scenes photos, which are available on our Picasa Page.  The last photo should be credited to Miss Rikki Lee.

Thanks again to everyone who tunes into our show, the first one posted on our new official domain!  I’m really excited about moving the show into new places, and this is one that I’ve been wanting to go for quite some time.  If you aren’t already, use this opportunity to access the iTunes link to the right, and subscribe to our show.  It’s entirely free, and I often post the collaborates between myself and Ricardo.  There are a variety of subscription options in iTunes, and if you would leave a comment about what you like about our program, we will use that information to help improve the show.

See you in seven.

Commentary Track

Introduction: Are You Gonna Start Soon?
In this segment, I introduce everyone to the show.

Part I: Pre-Game Show Warm-Up.
In this segment, Ricardo Wang, Ryan, Renee & Lennon talk about music and radio during the “pre-game show” that Ricardo was mixing during the 11 AM hour.

Part II: Commentary Track.
In this segment, I interview Ricardo while he’s performing his show, getting a historic overview of his career, and some insight into the songs that he picked for this particular show.