On the coldest night in Washington in D.C. in 20 years, with near gale-force interior studio drafts, I still managed to have a pretty good time playing music tonight, on what will be the last radio shows for a couple of weeks and maybe the last ever on 97.5 FM (our frequency is about to change to something, we haven’t been told yet to what).
Started with some R&B instrumentals, then a substantial salute to Leslie Gore, who died this week. Heralded upcoming shows in town by Sleater-Kinney, Gang of Four and Bettye LaVette, who I interviewed for the Washington Post this week. There was a set that spoke to the bitter winter weather and the spring shows that just went on sale for The Replacements and Bob Dylan.
Had a big sampling of the new Smithsonian/Folkways boxed set of Lead Belly, augmented by some covers of his material by Led Zeppelin and Nirvana, whose Kurt Cobain was having a birthday (he would have been 48). Closed with another birthday person, Smokey Robinson, who turned 75 this week.
Here’s what I played on the radio tonight:
Friday Night Rock, 2-20-2015, 9 p.m. – 1 a.m., Radio CPR 97.5 FM, Washington D.C.
- “Boppin’ at the Hop,” Lee Allen & His Band
- “Keep Getting Up,” Larry Dale
- “Southbound Special,” Lloyd Glenn & His Band
- “It’s My Party,” Leslie Gore
- “Judy’s Turn to Cry,” Leslie Gore
- “Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows,” Leslie Gore
- “She’s a Fool,” Leslie Gore
- “After He Takes Me Home,” Leslie Gore
- “You Don’t Own Me,” Leslie Gore
- “That’s the Way Boys Are,” Leslie Gore
- “Maybe I Know,” Leslie Gore
- “California Nights,” Leslie Gore
- “No Cities to Love,” Sleater-Kinney
- “Price Tag,” Sleater-Kinney
- “Fangless,” Sleater-Kinney
- “All Hands on the Bad One,” Sleater-Kinney
- “Dig Me Out,” Sleater-Kinney
- “To Hell with Poverty,” Gang of Four
- “Damaged Goods,” Gang of Four
- “Natural’s Not In It,” Gang of Four
- “Westwind,” Nina Simone (Organica remix)
- “Wild Winter,” Smoke Fairies
- “White Winter Hymnal,” Fleet Foxes
- “Listen, the Snow is Falling,” Galaxie 500
- “Winterlong,” Neil Young & Crazy Horse
- “I Felt the Chill Before the Winter Came,” Elvis Costello
- “Winter,” The Rolling Stones
- “She’s So Cold,” The Rolling Stones
- “Kiss Me on the Bus,” The Replacements
- “Can’t Hardly Wait,” The Replacements
- “I’ll Be You,” The Replacements
- “Lost Highway,” The Replacements
- Everything’s Coming Up Roses,”
- “Narrow Way,” Bob Dylan
- “Pay in Blood,” Bob Dylan
- “Full Moon and Empty Arms,” Bob Dylan
- “Corrina, Corrina,” Pete Townshend
- “Most of the Time,” Bettye LaVette
- “Down to Zero,” Bettye LaVette
- “Good Morning Blues,” Lead Belly
- “Easy Rider,” Lead Belly
- “How Long, How Long,”
- “T.B. Blues,” Lead Belly
- “Jim Crow Blues,” Lead Belly
- “John Henry,” Lead Belly
- “4, 5 & 9,” Lead Belly
- “Blind Lemon,” Lead Belly
- “Match Box Blues,” Blind Lemon Jefferson
- “Black Betty,” Lead Belly
- “”Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” Bessie Smith and Lead Belly
- “Princess Elizabeth,” Lead Belly
- “The Titanic,” Lead Belly
- “House of the Rising Son,” Lead Belly
- “Gallows Pole,” Led Zeppelin
- “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” Nirvana
- “Come As You Are,” Nirvana
- “The Man Who Sold the World,” Nirvana
- “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam,”
- “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam,” The Vaselines
- “Rudy Rides Me Raw,” The Vaselines
- “Carolina Law,” The Decemberists
- “Ever Had a Little Faith?” Belle & Sebastian
- “Late Bloomer,” Jenny Lewis
- “Capitol Radio Two,” The Clash
- “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
- “Mickey’s Monkey,” Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
- “The Tracks of My Tears,” Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
- “Going to a Go-Go,” Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
- “I Second That Emotion,” Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
- “Tears of a Crown,” Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
- “More Love,” Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Listen for Friday Night Rock to return on March 13 on Radio CPR, Washington, D.C.