#RockTheGarden Recap - Or - My birthday pretty much rocked this year.

Sunday was a big day.

Final Round of the US Open.

Father's Day.

First Official Day of Summer.

My birthday.

Yes, it was my birthday on Father's Day. Not a typical occurrence, but it happens.

This year I decided to ask for what I really wanted.

Ticket's to Rock The Garden at the Walker Sculpture Garden!

I didn't really care who was playing, but with JD McPherson, Babes In Toyland (SCORE! Reunited Legends!) and Modest Mouse as the beef of Sunday's lineup, I was pretty stoked.

Let's get a closer look at JD McPherson.

Ahem.

I loved every minute from my bloody mary at Spasso that morning to the view of Modest Mouse that evening as the sun set over the back of my shoulder. 

Mmmmmm

Ahhhhh.

But my favorite part of any event is of course....

People Watching.  

I mean I learned from the best, my dad natch. He loves to sit there and watch all the loonies go by. From the local mall to the granddaddy watching place of all time The MN State Fair my dad would poke my side and point out anyone or anything cool, beautiful, funny, silly, or unusual.

He would have loved the transvestite Santa Claus who popped up dancing from a few rows in front of us Sunday night.  :) Hair in a pony and wearing RED Converse All Stars with his/her red mini-dress. 

Another excellent thing at concerts are the t-shirts. People will wear ANYTHING on a t-shirt at a concert. The best were the Minnesota Themes on shirts.  My two favorites:

Now those are some good musical references!

So thank you Terry for saying YES to a concert. I love going places with you - even if you are checking your phone to see who won the Open every 30 seconds from 8:45 to the moment your sports app told you Spieth won.  :)  

Love you baby!

Adventures in radio - Where did I work?

Radio is an odd business...even more now than when I was in it.

From my graduation at Brown I went off to a job in Crosby, MN at a station that no longer exists!  But I worked for the most awesome lady!!  ;)

When I lost that job because my boss couldn't afford to keep us all any longer I got a job in Ottumwa, IA!

When the new PD hit on me and things got too crazy in IOWA - I made them get me a new job at KDOG in Mankato, MN - well, my lawyer made them.  Again, it no longer exists.

That stunk.  So I got another job in Alexandria, MN at a station that no longer exists! (are you sensing a pattern here?)

Weekends I started working in Minneapolis at KOOL 108 - which still exists, sorta.  I got that gig because Bob Wood could not "get my voice out of his head!"  I love Bob.

I dreamed of a big market radio job.  Somewhere COOL!  (I even interviewed with Pig Vomit once by phone!)


I interviewed for a job in Syracuse...that would have been cool.  But they just brought me in to scare the crap out of the girl they had.  AND I HAD NEW HEADSHOTS TAKEN FOR THEM!  a-holes.

I got a call one day from another Wood.  David Wood.  He always joked to people "in the biz" that he was Bob's little brother.  They were BOTH hot-shot awesome PD's. 

David said he got my tape from another PD in Texas and wanted me to fly in and interview for a brand new station in Indianapolis - that no logner exists! and really neither does radio - They sent me a ticket and booked me a hotel.  It was the first time I went for a radio interview where I did not have to pay to get to the interview!  so cool.

I came in during a DOWNPOUR and David picked me up and took me to the hotel.  Told me to order whatever to eat and put it on my room - he would be back in the morning to pick me up and show me around! 

He was late - we took quick tours of both buildings - whirlwind introductions and no "real" interview.  Then we went out to lunch on the way back to the airport.  I am wondering how this is going to end.  Lunch is over and really all we have done is talk and get to know each other...then, in the car

"So do you want to start the week after Labor Day?  Will that give you enough time to move from Minnesota?"

Uh.  Sure!

"One thing.  Will you change the spelling of your last name to B-A-Y-H?"

Sure...(I had no idea why, my dad told me.) so you want to hire me then?

"Oh YEAH!  We loved your tape.  We only had you come down to make sure you weren't a nut or something."

Okay then.  Noted.  I am not a nut.

True Story Tuesday - Radio Edition

Last Thursday I told the tale of working in radio in Ottumwa, Iowa at KISS FM. (it was Top 40 then, not classic rock!)

I alluded to Tom Arnold and Rosanne Barr near the end of the tale...because when I worked at KISS FM Tom and Rosanne were still MARRIED and building their mansion just outside of town.

And their "Big Food Diner" sponsored my all request lunch hour.

Yup.  Rosanne would call every so often and say, "Play that song I like, you know."  And she was JUST about to release her latest book - My Lives - claiming she had multiple personalities.  ummm, fun stuff.

I also dated a guy who was MUCH older than I was (okay, maybe he just SEEMED that way with all his gray hair?) ...he was a farmer, a former basketball player at Tulane, a local commentator on the junior college basketball team - that happend to broadcast on our station, and a friend to Tom Arnold.

He had a out-building that he had turned into big boy playhouse for him and his buddies; complete with bar, bar signs, pool table, wood burning stove, local drunks!  You name it.  They even cooked out there on a stove and the grill.  I was invited out for the first time and had no idea he was friends with Tom...I was running up to the house for one thing or another when....

zip zip zip

I almost get run down by a lunatic on a four-wheeler...

ROSANNE ARNOLD, as she was known then.

She pulled up to the building and did not even look my way.

That was pretty much her style in Ottumwa/Eldon, IA.

she did apologize when I said something about working at the station later...like, "Oh!  ha.  Hey didn't I almost run you down out there?"

Radio Days Remembered - Olympics

A long, long, long time ago...Mommy worked at a radio station called KISS FM.  no, not that one...

This KISS FM was in Ottumwa, IA and played Top 40 hits - Think Ace of Bass and Steve Perry solo!  ;)

The year was 1994.  Mommy had just gotten let go at the end of 1993 from her first ever radio job...she remains friends with the boss because it was not her performance, but the fact that running a radio station costs A LOT of money.  And that is hard to find in Crosby, MN. 

Love you Margaret!!!  (mwah! kisses to Texas!)

The Olympics were about to get underway in Lillehammer, Norway -

Heia Norge!  shout out to my peeps across the pond!!

The big scandal had already occurred and we were waiting for the match-up of the AGES!!!

KERRIGAN V. HARDING

But, wait, what???  Who the heck is THIS???

Every morning my boss - the morning show guy and station manager had to read the results of the evening before...

He was having trouble saying "Oksana Baiul"

and I was laughing at him...

He thought if I thought it was soooooEASY to say

Oksana Baiul

then I could DAMN WELL SAY IT FOR HIM!  So over the few days of Women's Figure Skating at the Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway I got to be on the morning show to say:

Lillehammer - in perfect Norwegian accent

and

Oksana Baiul - in mock Ukrainian accent

next time ask me about Rosanne Barr and Tom Arnold...