Greatest DJs in the…

Posted by Jim on Mar 24th, 2008
2008
Mar 24

Check out today’s installment of the comic Big Nate, made by Portland resident Lincoln Peirce. Pay close attention to the banner on the DJ’s table. Do those letters look familiar?

Big Nate 03-24-2008

Of course, there is no way this comic could take place in greater Portland area. In yesterday’s strip Teddy mentions that there is no more snow because it is seventy degrees and sunny out. The weather isn’t that nice yet, especially considering the snow we have coming this week.

Update: It just occurred to me that Lincoln Peirce put a WMPG reference in today’s comic because he is involved with the station in some way. The only Lincoln that I am aware of who is involved with WMPG is the host of one of my favorite shows, South by Southwest, which I’ve been listening to since I first moved to Portland in 2004. I did a bit of research an lo and behold, Lincoln the DJ and Lincoln the comic artist are one and the same! How awesome is that?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted by Jim on Mar 16th, 2008
2008
Mar 16


Filmed a year ago, out side of Bull Feeney’s. Be sure to do your best Chris De Burgh impression and keep your eyes on the lady in red.

Jesus on the Radio

Posted by Jim on Feb 25th, 2008
2008
Feb 25

According to North East Radio Watch, the format of WCYI will soon change from the blues, as the station has been purchased by EMF Broadcasting.  It will become an Adult Contemporary Christian station, and will simulcast the K-Love broadcast that EMF plays across the country—so don’t expect to hear any local Christian bands (if we have any here in Portland).  It’s always sad to see a station that had such local influence turned into a generic cookie cutter rebroadcaster.  At least we still have WCYY.

Won’t Anyone Consider the Beer Drinkers‽

Posted by Jim on Feb 24th, 2008
2008
Feb 24

As you may have heard, the city of Portland has began to woo NBA officials in hopes of securing a D-League team to play their home games here in town. But according to The Bollard, things have gotten much more serious than Irish step dancers. The investment group behind the movement to get the NBA to Maine has drafted a lease in which the Portland Expo building is used as the potential team’s home court. A major point outlined in the Bollard article is that the expo is already in use almost every weekend for high school sporting events, which would cause numerous conflicts with a professional team’s schedule. [And with the budget problems Portland is having, who do you think will get to use the facility, a public school or a professional team backed by wealthy investors?]

I can understand how this would upset and anger the citizens of Portland. School sports are a very important part of people’s lives. But for me, whether or not the Rams and Bulldogs can play basketball in the expo is of little consequence. The real issue here is what happens to the Maine Brewers Festival. This is by far the best beer event in Maine year in and year out. Crowding into the expo, watching the countdown clock, and getting drunk under bad lights, basketball hoops and exposed duct work has become part of the charm of the event. It just wouldn’t be the same without it. Having the festival anywhere else won’t cut it. We need the expo and the expo needs us. So the next time someone tells you getting another minor league sports team will be good for Portland, be sure to ask them if they have really thought this out. Have they considered the feelings of the beer drinkers? I’m pretty sure us beer drinkers out number the basketball fans by a wide margin. Just keep that in mind.

Join the Club

Posted by Jim on Dec 5th, 2007
2007
Dec 5

Tonight, my lovely wife Nissa will join me in membership in one of great exclusive clubs: the Shipyard Ale Society.  Feel like joining us for a pint and some free loot?  Just show up at the Great Lost Bear any time after 6pm tonight, we’ll probably be there.  If you can’t make it this month, the Society has regular meetings at GLB on the first Wednesday of every month.  Of course, showing up at GLB only nets you the free goodies (my membership initiation included a pint glass, t-shirt, lapel pin and 2 Sea Dogs tickets); to actually join the Society, all you need to do is crack open and enjoy a fine Shipyard beer.  May I suggest a Prelude?  I say it’s their best beer, and it’s only available in the winter months.

Radio Ga-Ga

Posted by Jim on Nov 1st, 2007
2007
Nov 1

When I first heard about WCLZ being released from Citadel Communications, I wasn’t too concerned. Over the past few years (ever since I moved to Portland), I’ve been listening to the station less and less. It seemed to me they were playing more of the Jamie Cullum/John Mayer brand of watered down rock and pop and less of the music that I enjoy. Plus I could now listen to WMPG any time I wanted, so WCLZ went from the default setting on my radio to a second (or third or fourth) string back-up.

The one thing on WCLZ that remained consistently strong was Greetings From Area Code 207. Last night was the last episode of the local music show on CLZ, and I’m very upset that I missed it. At least the show will go on, as it has been picked up by WBLM.

But that was yesterday. Today is a different story. According to the comments on the CLZ blog, today was the change over to the new owners. After reading this, I tuned in to CLZ, and the change was obvious. The Rolling Stones? On CLZ? That doesn’t add up. There is no way they can be considered AAA. Yet the very next song was an Indigo Girls tune, a CLZ staple. But the on air staff is different. Earlier today I saw Rock Bergeron’s name on the website; he’s a DJ on WMPG. Now there’s some guy named Rick Johnson; I have no idea who he is. So I’m not exactly sure what is going on with the new owners. They’re still using the “Different By Design” slogan, and as I type this, they are playing an Acoustic Coffee Break, another mainstay from the Citadel days. I hope they don’t start mixing classic rock into the playlist. We have too much classic rock in Portland as it is.

I guess the point of this post is for me to say even though I didn’t listen to CLZ that much anymore, and Nissa and I would constantly make fun of the DJs, I still appreciated the place it held in Portland’s radio scene. And now it seems that the CLZ that I knew and (perhaps still) loved may be no more. Oh well. Another reason for me to go get satellite radio.

A silver lining: I discovered through this blog post that because of the new ownership taking control of WCLZ, the simulcast on WCYI is no more. That station is currently playing a blues format. Quite interesting.

Also, the Senate will soon be voting on a bill that would expand the number of low power FM stations in the country (link via WFMU). I know that a number of groups were vying for the one station allocated to the Portland market. If the Senate does the good thing and passes the bill, maybe there will be a few more independent spots on our radio dials in the coming years.

First Oink, now Onik

Posted by Jim on Oct 29th, 2007
2007
Oct 29

As you may have heard, the file-trading site Oink was shut down last week; a great disappointment to music lovers/snobs everywhere. But what you may not have heard is the news that hits a little closer to home: prolific local tagger ‘Onik’ has been sentenced to two years in prison for his widespread vandalism. I understand graffiti as art (the other day I was stopped at the train tracks at the Congress and St. John streets intersection, and some of the graffiti painted on the train was quite beautiful; I wished that the train was stopped somewhere so I could photograph it), but just writing your name all over town on people’s windows and doors is silly. What does that accomplish? Were his myspace friends that impressed?

In other news: how ’bout them Sox?

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