Saturday, March 23, 2013

A Short History of the World's Only Live Music Radio Show


Hello, and welcome to the official Bootleggers Beware blog!

A few months ago, one of the DJ's I was training asked me: "What was the turning point in your show?"  I thought about it for a moment, and quickly realized that there was not just one, but many.  As I talked through them that day, I was a little shocked to see how much the show has changed and grown - as marketing guru Roy Williams once said, "It's hard to read the label from inside the bottle."  As we close in on the show's three year anniversary, it feels like the right time to sit back and reflect, and share the story of Bootleggers Beware with you:

The first edition of Bootleggers Beware aired on June 19, 2010; at the time, I was looking for a way to get back into radio, and for something to give my Saturday's some structure and purpose.  Lo and behold, The Radiator appeared out of the mist one day, and dropped the opportunity in my lap to revive my radio 'career' - one that had been hibernating since my final days at WIUV Castleton ended nearly four years earlier.  In its first several months, Bootleggers Beware was a far cry from the show you hear today - it was just me, sitting in the studio, listening to the live music that I've come to love over the years, blissfully unaware of whether anyone was listening… 

In January of 2010, I decided to flex a little social media muscle and see if I could attract a few people to join in my journey.  Born were the Facebook page (How many of you saw the first post? - January 20, 2011) and Twitter account ("Bonus points" if you saw my first Tweet!) In their early days they were also nothing like what you see today.  But this marked the first turning point in the life of the show: It took several months, but in mid-June of 2011, things began to change:  That change took place when the first 'likes' showed up on the page from people whom I didn't know personally - Sallie and Jim, (the first of the folks I've dubbed "The Regulars" - the small and growing group of dedicated listeners who brave the time differences across the country to tune in every week), then Greg and Derek of the Melted Horses.  It was then that I realized that the show was no longer just for me.  People were listening.  I had to step up my game.  That realization set the show on the path from hobby to what I refer to now as my second full time job.

A couple months later brought about the next big change, and the only show that has become an annual tradition: The Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute show.  The inaugural broadcast of this show, on the anniversary of Stevie's passing in 2011, was an incredible day for more than one reason: It saw listeners join in from around the world, and set a then-record number of listeners at about 20.  As the show wrapped up that day, something new hit me:  What I was doing was beginning to mean something to people; those who listened that day were grateful for having a place to both enjoy the music and (completely unexpected to me) grieve with their fellow fans. 

That single episode of the show brought several people who are now regular contributors and listeners on board.  With the third edition coming up this summer, it continues to be one of the most meaningful (and most popular) shows I do every year.  In 2012, the second annual Stevie Ray tribute, the show was enjoyed by listeners new and old (some of whom will be hearing their third SRV tribute in 2013). It served as a truly meaningful and cathartic listening experience by all involved, allowing us all to share stories and appreciation for Stevie and his talents together.

All the new faces did more than just make show day more fun, they also began to bring bands into the fold, beginning with Mike Peralta, the Melted Horses and The Honey Wilders from California, then comeback classic rockers Iron Claw from Scotland, and Wisconsin's The Pushers, even the gang from the jam rock band Moonalice have been known to chime in from time to time.  All of these great bands bought into the Bootleggers Beware philosophy, and shared live cuts that have since been featured on the show regularly.  The next several months brought even more requests from up and coming blues and rock bands the world over for their music to be included in a show.  I must admit that interest in the show from bands was truly unexpected and has been quite an honor.  It has been a privilege for me to have worked with and listened to all of these great bands, and I am humbled to know that the show is considered a venue for bands to promote their music.

By mid-2012, things took another very exciting turn: In studio performances.  May 2012 brought about the first of what would be three in-studio performances, featuring Michael Bernier of Michael Bernier and the Uprising.  Michael came to me looking for a place to promote his music while in town playing at the Radio Bean Café. I was again a bit shocked to find that the show was becoming an outlet for musicians to promote themselves while in town.  I was of course excited at Michael's interest in the show, and to share his music with you, my listeners.  August brought the Jessica Prouty Band into the fold; they crowded into the studio and performed songs from upcoming album. Just a couple weeks later, the band invited me to join them for their concert at Higher Ground, leading to the first (and not likely the last) recording done especially for the show.  December saw a third in-studio visit: Rosh Rocheleau from The Blind Café stopped by to hang out and play some tunes during their time in the area.    

The forward momentum has done anything but stop since the calendar has turned to 2013.  The first few months of this year have seen two landmarks on the social media front: The Facebook page surpassed 300 likes (and is well on the way to 400), along with the Twitter side of the family climbing steadily past 700 followers.

Along with that, 2013 saw one of the biggest landmarks to date, and an opportunity I never would have expected three years ago: the chance to sit down and talk music with blues legend Johnny Winter, an experience that was a true honor and privilege.  What's more, the acknowledgement through that experience, from both Johnny and his manager Paul Nelson, that Bootleggers Beware is truly as unique and one-of-a-kind as I have always intended it to be.

February brought about the most recent development in the show: The fine folks at the The American Blues Scene became official members of Bootleggers Nation.  Their support and promotion of the February blues show brought over 40 new members to the Bootleggers Beware Facebook page, and single-handedly smashed the previous high for listeners during one show at 76, a few of whom have become regular listeners and contributors to the page.

And that, my friends, is the story behind "The World's Only All Live Music Radio Show."  I would like to thank all of those who have listened, liked, shared, retweeted, favorited and supported the show in the in the last three years.  It is with the support of each and every one of you that Bootleggers Beware has become what it is today.  Without you, the show is nothing.  As you can tell, it has grown considerably since that first show back in June 2010.  The sky is truly the limit of its growth, and I look forward to sharing it all with you.

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