The 246th birthday of the Union comes at a fraught time. So we celebrated and challenged the nation, in our way, on the July 4th edition of Capital Radio — probably on when you were in the middle of your neighborhood BBQ. 

The holiday playlist for Independence Day isn’t long, so a lot of it may be familiar from annual airplay. Still, I was glad to include some new additions from Wilco, King Khan, Neil Finn, Father John Misty and Charles Bradley. But three from Springsteen and a fourth that he wrote (but Mary J. Blige sang).

Closed with two “Fireworks” from Ryan Adams and Marah (but not Katy Perry). And I’m afraid they won’t be the last fireworks I’ll hear tonight.

Here’s a link to the whole show; the playlist follows.