So, in addition to working in the visual arts of film and television, I also used to be a radio D.J.
Public Access radio.
I was basically allowed to play WHATEVER I WANTED TO (except for certain swear words…).
It was awesome. And fun!
From February 2000 through December 2002, I recorded over 200 hours of music and comedy as “The Postman” (he who delivers the music, natch!) for my series, The Wall of Sound (named mainly for The Grateful Dead‘s massively epic sound system of the 1970s).
I sort of fell into it, really: I was working at a local Tower Records Outlet (the used stuff, the out-of-print stuff, “jems of rarity” I would sometimes say) and one day, while I was talking Grateful Dead and other music with a customer, I was overheard by another customer…
He turned out to be Shane Carpenter, the radio manager of Access Sacramento, our local Public Access radio/TV channel.
This will become especially important, as the film Radio Free Sacramento was inspired largely by my experiences as a radio host.
Hearing my spirited convos about The Dead in particular (I had recently become a fan in early 1998 (by which time, The Dead had reincarnated as The Other Ones and it is in this furthuring *heh heh* that I saw two shows in 2000) while working at Tower Outlet), Shane thought I had a very radio voice and asked if I wanted to come downtown to the station, sit in on a similar show and if I liked it, create a pilot for my own series…
Sounded like fun, as I enjoyed sharing cool music!
So sometime during the Fall (I think) of 1999 (I have some recordings dated November), Shane introduced me to Tom Turk. Tommy was then doing a show called The Dead Set (Grateful Dead, rock and roll and more) and I sat in as a guest host, learning how to do a show.
In February 2000, my first pilot aired and was soon followed by a second pilot in March 2000. Very nearly directly after the second pilot (how Star Trek: The Original Series-esque!), I began my series proper (or as “The Young Turk” would say, “Nice and proper! NICE AND PROPER!”). Along the way, even after my last Tower experience, I had some special guests and guest hosts – racking up two pilots, 97 regular episodes and nine specials… I only ended the show in December 2002 when I felt that I couldn’t afford to keep making it (and recording it for future use) like I wanted to… Difficult times, even when around then, I had started to work – sporadically – as a production assistant for film and TV…
After I left Tower Records (for the second and FINAL time), I worked at a local comic book/gaming shop (starting in 2000) – Adventures in Comics & Games. It was there, that I met two co-workers that became long-lasting best friends (going on some 15 years now) – Josh Moulder and Dallas Rogers. I invited them both to co-host on some episodes, which lead to some of what you’ll see in our film, Radio Free Sacramento…
Some incidents that happened during the recording of my episodes inspired many moments in the story that became Radio Free Sacramento, but by no means happened during the same day – or even the same month or year… More on those details after the film comes out next year…!
Anyways, I thought I’d include an Episode Guide, reconstructed from some ancient notes that I have recently uncovered… As such, I will likely update the epG as more info is located… some episodes have a spoken title within the episode, or were titled by me during or later unspoken…
THE WALL OF SOUND
Genre: Radio, Music, The Grateful Dead, Jam Bands, Rock and Roll, Techno, Science-Fiction, Comedy, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, ’00s
Series Creator: Dennis Post
Host: “The Postman” (he delivers the music!)
Guest Co-Hosts:
“The E.G.G.Man” (Eddie Goman) [4 episodes]
- Pilot #1 (February 2000)
- #8 (June 4, 2000)
- #37 “The E.G.G.Man Returneth” (February 4, 2001)
- #64 “Truckin’ Songs” (December 2, 2001)
J. Raker (Jay Raker) [1 episode]
- #5 “Carbon-14 (U.S.) – J. Raker” (April 23, 2000)
Bawb Pierce and Steve Wall (of The Beer Dawgs) [1 episode]
- #9 “Beer Dawgs 2000” (June 11, 2000)
Jerry S. (Jerry Simmons) [6 episodes]
- #11 (January 25, 2000)
- #13 (July 9, 2000)
- #15 (July 25, 2000)
- #25 (October 8, 2000)
- #35 (January 14, 2001)
- #39 (February 25, 2001)
Dallas aka “D.J. Beanner” (my co-star in Radio Free Sacramento) [4 episodes]
- #14 (July 16, 2000)
- #16 (July 30, 2000)
- #18 (August 13, 2000)
- #32 (December 17, 2000)
“Agent Moulder” (Josh Moulder, also my co-star in Radio Free Sacramento) [3 episodes*]
- #20 “The Comedy Is Out There” (August 27, 2000)
- #36 “Unaired” (meant for January 28, 2001)
- #40 (March 4, 2001) – delayed from February 25, 2001
- Possibly in #30 “Thanksgiving X-File” (unaired, scheduled for November 26, 2000)
Tim Barron [1 episode]
- #58 “Brent Mydland” (October 21, 2001)
Theme music: “Forever Goldrush“ (opening excerpt* “When the postman comes, all the dogs all bark and the Sun creeps up on the postmark…”) by Grub Dog → “Doctor Who – TARDIS” (the original 1963 version by Ron Grainer/Delia Derbyshire/Dick Mills, or the 1980 “starfield synth” version (by Peter Howell) or the 1986 “The Trial of a Time Lord” (by Dominic Glynn) versions ONLY – use varied by episode). For all regular episodes airing during 2001, “Forever Goldrush” was proceeded by “Also Sprach Zarathustra – 2001: A Space Odyssey” composed by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) and used in the Stanley Kubrick feature 1968 film adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke‘s Space Odyssey saga (specifically “The Sentinel“, 1951 (“…of Eternity” in 1948) and “Encounter at Dawn” from 1953)
*Although only an excerpt from the opening of Grub Dog’s “Forever Goldrush” had been aired in its entirety during the show at various times.
Country of origin: United States
Number of pilots: 2
Number of seasons: 4
Number of regular episodes: 97
Number of specials: 9
Manager: Shane Carpenter
Running time: 2 hours
Release
Original channel: Shared with KYDS (FM)
Audio format: Stereo
Original airdates (Pilots): February – March 2000; (regular series): Sunday, March 26, 2000 – Sunday, December 29, 2002; (specials): Sunday, July 1, 2001 – Sunday, March 31, 2002.
Chronology
Related shows: The Dead Set (with The Young Turk)
External links
(bits of the old site / not updated)
Pilot episodes
(2000) [2 pilot episodes] P#1, P#2
Guest co-host: “The E.G.G.Man” (Pilot #1)
Pilot #1 (February 2000) – After guest-hosting on The Young Turk‘s Dead Set show, radio manager Shane Carpenter had me create two pilots before starting up the series proper (“Nice AND proper!” The Young Turk would say!).
Guest co-hosted by “The E.G.G.Man” (first appearance of four, next in #8)
Pilot #2 (March 2000) – The second pilot gave rise to the actual series some days later!
Season 1 (2000) [21 episodes] #1-21
Guest co-hosts: Jay Raker (#5); “The E.G.G.Man” (#8); Bawb Pierce and Steve Wall of The Beer Dawgs (#9); Jerry S. (#11, #13, #15); Dallas aka “D.J. Beanner” (#14, #16, #18).
#1 (March 26, 2000) – The series premiere!
#2 (April 2, 2000)
#3 (April 9, 2000)
#4 (April 16, 2000)
#5 “J.Raker – Carbon-14 (U.S.)” (April 23, 2000) – Guest host: Jay Raker of the band Carbon-14 (U.S.) and J.Raker (I think his band’s later incarnations were called The Candystripers and Black Market Sunday…?).
Interesting backstory: I met Jay and his band when he literally lived around the corner from me! One day, I had heard some sweet rockin’ out coming from this nearby house… I had a radio show, wanted to meet more local bands, so I thought I’d check ’em out and made contact by knocking on the door! We hung out for a bit a few times and I invited Jay to my show. Not much later, though, Jay moved to Washington State I think… Nevertheless, Jay was my first guest co-host (and the first from a band)! I’ll have to review this episode and add a song list.
#6 (April 30, 2000)
#7 (May 28, 2000)-Delayed from the original scheduled airdate of May 7.
#8 (June 4, 2000)-Guest co-host: “The E.G.G.Man” (second of four, next in #Season 2.36, #37).
#9 “Beer Dawgs 2000” (June 11, 2000) – My second band member(s) guest-hosted episode! Bawb Pierce and Steve Wall, the founding duo of Sacramento-based blues/rock/swamp band The Beer Dawgs came to guest co-host after I had met them at several of their shows. MORE on this episode to come!
#10 (June 18, 2000)
#11 (June 25, 2000)-Guest co-host: Jerry S. (first appearance of six, next in #13).
#12 (July 2, 2000)
#13 (July 9, 2000)-Guest co-host: Jerry S. (second appearance of six, next in #15).
#14 (July 16, 2000)-Guest co-host: Dallas aka “D.J. Beanner” (first appearance of four, next in #16).
#15 (July 23, 2000)-Guest co-host: Jerry S. (third appearance of six, next in Season 2.4, #25)
#16 (July 30, 2000)-Guest co-host: Dallas aka D.J. Beanner” (third of four, next in #18).
#17 (August 6, 2000)
#18 (August 13, 2000)-Guest co-host: Dallas aka “D.J. Beanner” (fourth appearance of four, next in Season 2.31, #32).
#19 (August 20, 2000)
#20 “The Comedy Is Out There” (August 27, 2000)-Guest co-host: “Agent Moulder” (first appearance of three, next in Season 2.35, #36).
#21 (September 3, 2000)-The Season 1 finale!
The Season 2 episode guide (36 episodes and the first five specials!) follows…