Charlie Worsham @ the Bing Lounge--12-2-12

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)

CHARLIE WORSHAM.

Read that name over, and over, until you have it memorized; you're going to want to remember it.

Charlie Worsham made an appearance at the Bing Lounge Sunday, December 2, 2012; and though the crowd may have been small, they were blown away by this talented young man.

Worsham began his set playing a bit of bluegrass; which was a medley of his YouTube "Cover Challenges", before being interviewed by KUPL's Earthquake Jake.

During the interview, it was mentioned that Worsham has a YouTube channel where he posts his "Cover Challenges".  As he explains it, fans tell him what song they want him to cover; he then has one week to learn it, play and record it, to be posted on YouTube.  In addition to these challenges, Worsham has also posted videos of songs he's written. 

 Worsham was totally entertaining; not only with his talent for singing, but his personality as well.  As he said at one point, "usually we just play for radio people, but every so often we get to play for radio listeners as well; that's a highlight for us".  If every show Worsham does is as good as the one in the Bing Lounge, then it's a highlight for the audience as well.

Another bit of information Worsham let the crowd in on is that he'll be releasing his first single to radio in the near future.  He then performed the song, "Could It Be".  I'm thinking this song is going to be a hit for Worsham.

Towards the end of his set, Worsham explained about an instrument one of his band members was playing.  He said there are only a handful of them, and that he's the first person to have one used on one of his recordings.  He further explained that what used to be an old, (and in this case, pretty beat up looking), guitar, had been transformed into a percussion instrument known as the "shuitar".

 To be honest, as much as I've tried, I don't think I've done justice to Charlie Worsham's talent in this post.  He's definitely someone to watch for, and go see if you get the chance.

In the meantime, check him out on YouTube, and again, remember his name, CHARLIE WORSHAM; you'll be hearing it a lot in the near future!

And The Award Goes To...

(A quick note:  I've provided a word for today, however it may not work.  My fault, I forgot to give the words to Jake before he left for Nashville; my apologies to all.)

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)

Halloween is over, though in country music, artists, songwriters, producers and others in the industry are waiting to see if they'll garner even bigger treats.

Yes, it's that time of year again, time for the CMA Awards.  The 46th year of this program airs tonight on ABC.  Once again, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley will host the show.  There will also be plenty of performances and presentations during the three hour event.

What culminates on this one day however has actually been going on all week.  Radio personalities from all four corners of the U.S. have descended on Nashville, to interview country artists and nominees.  KUPL's own Earthquake Jake, and Wrongway Danny Dwyer were sent to do this task for the station.  Their interviews with various artists have been running during the "Simon in the Morning" program yesterday and today.  The ones I've heard have been very entertaining and some downright funny.

Hopefully tonight's broadcast of the 46th Annual CMA Awards will be equally as enjoyable.

Time's A Wastin'!

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)

Today's post is about something I saw on Earthquake Jake's Facebook page.  He'd made a post about how he puts things off; sounds like me!

When I saw his post, my thought was, "hmmm, sounds like a good subject for a blog post, 'Procrastination'". 

Yep, definitely something I know, (heck, I was BORN eleven days late), and can write about confidently.

Then I decided to wait on it until another time.

"Stars & Guitars" @ Alderbrook Park-9-9-12

Sunday, September 9, 2012, KUPL held it's first "Stars & Guitars" concert at Alderbrook Park in Brush Prairie, Washington.

The concert was to honor all military personnel, veterans and first responders.  Tickets were given free to any of these people.

Alderbrook Park is a beautiful place, and an excellent venue for an all day event like "Stars & Guitars".  Plenty of room for concert goers, and those looking for other things to do as well.  Even the weather was perfect; not too hot, or too cold the entire time.

KUPL's inaugural "Stars & Guitars" concert featured a mix of new and established, local and national country acts.

Ben Rue, from Sliverton, Oregon got things started with a short set of tunes he'd written, as well as a few cover songs; like David Lee Murphy's "Dust On the Bottle".

Rue's voice complimented each song he performed, and judging from the people gathered to meet him after his set, he was a definite crowd pleaser.

Next up was local favorite, Kurt Van Meter.  As always, Kurt was the ultimate professional, and kept concertgoers entertained throughout his set.  From slow songs, to uptempo, and everything in between, Kurt had the audience's attention the whole time.

Unlike some concerts, very little time was spent between acts.  Almost as soon as one artist was done, the next was onstage.  In this case, "next" was another local act, Cloverdayle.

Like Kurt Van Meter, Cloverdayle has been a local favorite for quite awhile; though recently the duo, (Chad and Rachel), has spent some time in Nashville, recording their music.  Among the songs Cloverdayle played was their current single, "Like We Were Kids Again".  KUPL has been playing the song during it's overnights, and you could tell, there were those in the crowd who had heard the song before.

During their set, Cloverdayle played other music from their new CD, and even brought Ben Rue back onstage to sing a duet he'd recorded with them.  Once again, another great set was performed during "Stars & Guitars".

There was a longer pause in the action after Cloverdayle, as the stage was set for that day's first national act, Lonestar.

 When it came time to introduce the band, Earthquake Jake, from "Simon in the Morning", was the man for the job.  As Jake told the crowd, he begged to be able to introduce the band, because they're his all-time favorite group.

Despite some technical difficulties during their set, Lonestar still managed to put on a stellar performance.  They played many of their most popular hits, as well as some new tunes from their latest CD.  Watching them perform, it makes one wonder why these guys aren't still having hits on the radio; they definitely still have the talent for country radio.

Another short break, then it was time for newcomer Andy Gibson.

Though Gibson is new to radio as a singer, ("Wanna Make You Love Me" and "Summer Back"), many have already heard a song of his.  Gibson wrote the Jason Aldean/Kelly Clarkson #1 hit, "Don't You Want To Stay".

Gibson did all of these songs, and more he's written and recorded for his upcoming CD.  Andy Gibson is someone to be watching for on the horizon; this  talented young man deserves to make it big in country music.

Following Andy Gibson was Dustin Lynch.  From the crowd reaction, Lynch was who the majority was there to see.

During the other performances, concertgoers were sitting listening to the music, or wandering Alderbrook Park.  As soon as Lynch hit the stage however, a swarm of people, (mostly teenage girls),  gathered at the front of the stage, singing and rocking along during Lynch's entire set; and he didn't disappoint either.  Lynch proved to be an ultimate entertainer, playing and singing his best, and interacting with the crowd.  You could tell he was having fun, and that fun was rubbing off on the crowd as well.

After Dustin Lynch was through, quite a few in the crowd left the concert; which was too bad, because more great music was in store.

Following Dustin Lynch, the Mavericks took the stage.

 Though the Mavericks have just recently reunited and are working on a new project out this month; it seems lead singer, Raul Malo was the only original member in attendance this day.  No worries though, Malo played many of the Mavericks early hits, as well as new music the band has been working on.  The only real letdown to the Mavericks' performance was that it seemed much shorter than the other acts, and it seemed most people weren't really paying attention to the music.

Once the Mavericks were through, it was time for the day's headliner, Craig Morgan.

Morgan proved to be the perfect artist to wrap up an incredible day of music.  He was funny, very interactive with the audience, and poured his heart and soul in to every song he sang; which he sang perfectly as well.

From his signature hit, "That's What I Love About Sunday", through all his hits and including his current radio single, "More Trucks Than Cars", Morgan kept the crowd on their feet, clapping cheering and laughing along with him.

All too soon however the show was over.  What a day it had been though! There aren't many concerts like this, where you can see so many great acts for only $20; well worth it for sure!

 During the concert there had been talk about possibly holding KUPL's "Countryfest" at Alderbrook Park.  After "Stars & Guitars, at the venue, I'd have to agree, it would be an excellent place for that event.  Can't wait to see if it happens; and also can't wait to see if there will be another "Stars & Guitars" concert next year.  I sure hope so! 

Why, Why, Why

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)

Those who know me know I have a natural curiosity about almost everything. No matter what it is, if it captures my attention, I want to know more.

Most of the time this means going on the internet, and searching for what I'm looking for; even if it's for no other reason than settling my curiosity.  This usually results in searching for something that leads to something else, then something else again; until I've strayed from the original thing I was looking for, yet still connecting everything in the long run anyway.  The way I've always described it is, it's like pulling a loose string on a sweater.  You start pulling it, and the sweater starts to unravel; the more you pull, the more it's pulling apart. After awhile it becomes more than curiosity; it's also,"how far can I go before I hit a dead end?"

For the most part I can usually find the information I'm looking for on the internet.  For other things though, I either don't have good luck, or it's something that I wouldn't be able to find on the internet.  Sometimes it's something that needs to be asked of a person specifically.  Depending on the subject, I have several people I turn to to satisfy my curiosity; including Earthquake Jake.

To be honest, I think the bulk of my questions go to Jake; sometimes on a daily basis, and more than one at a time.  I'd list here the types of things I ask, but the list would be way too long, so I won't.  Suffice it to say, I think there are times I'm probably worse than a kid asking questions; and I think Jake would agree.

Like I told him though, in a way I'm just getting him prepared for when Declan gets to that age where everything is, "why"?  If Jake can deal with all my questions, I'm sure by the time his son starts asking questions, he'll be well prepared.  Heck, at this point it's a possibility Jake will be over qualified! What can I say; I'm always happy to help, even if it means asking millions of questions!

Blog Post Cancelled For Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Just a short post to apologize to everyone; there is no KUPL Listener Blog word to Tuesday, June 26, 2012. 

I was ill all day Monday, and from what I understand, Earthquake Jake also went home sick.  Not sure if Jake will be back Tuesday or not; and since he's the one to enter the word, (when there is one), I decided to cancel Tuesday's word.

Again, I do apologize to everyone looking for the word of the day.

What A Year It's Been!

On April 12, 2011, no KUPL listener had started rambling on KUPL's website.  There was nothing from listeners about shows in the Bing Lounge, birthdays, bears, sandwiches, or anything else imaginable.

That all changed the next day, on April 13, 2011.  On that day, one year ago today, "Ramblings from a KUPL Listener" was unleashed to the internet.

Before that fateful day, I'd never posted to a blog.  Being the non-technical person I am, I needed all the help I could get on how to get started, etc.  Fortunately, for me at least, (I don't know how he'd see it), I had someone I could turn to with all my questions and concerns; Earthquake Jake, the brains behind the whole "listener blog".  The man has to have the patience of a saint for all the questions, and insecurities I've bombarded him with in the past year!

 What a year it's been though!  From day one I've been able to post as much, or as little as I want; about anything I want to write about.  I love that, because it gives me a chance to be creative, which is a big part of who I am. 

Over the past year, I've been to several performances in the Bing Lounge, and blogged about each one.  I feel very lucky to have seen such a wide range of musical talent, from newcomers, like Jaida Dreyer and Glen Templeton,to living legends, such as Vince Gill. 

Often times my posts were inspired by what I'd hear on KUPL's "Simon in the Morning" show.  One in particular I remember was when they had the person who does the voice of Winnie the Pooh on the show.

That interview lead to Scott, Jolynn and Jake talking about various voices they could do, which then lead to having listeners call in to do their best cartoon voices.  Somewhere in the mix the Muppets were mentioned.  My brain being the way it is, combined all of this into one bright idea, which I acted on, resulting in a post about the following picture.

 For the record, Scott Simon actually is as tall as Jolynn Winter; for some reason I thought he wasn't, so his caricature is shorter.  I could fix it easily, but it's been way more fun letting Scott kid about it.

Not all my posts have been happy ones.  I remember being angered by the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial.  I wrote a post in honor of Caylee Anthony, to get the anger out.

One post that turned out to possibly be my most important one to date was titled, "The Magic of Music".

I don't know how I learned about a blogging contest sponsored by the organization, MusiCares, though I remember thinking it would be fun to enter, so I did.  That was in October 2011, six months in to having my blog on KUPL's website.

The point of the contest was to bring awareness to MusiCares, which helps musicians, and artists with medical, dental, and other issues, since most don't have insurance.

The winner would be on the red carpet for MusiCares at the "Grammy Honors Paul McCartney", to blog about the event.

To my utter surprise and amazement, I was actually one of the finalists chosen!  Though I didn't win, and don't know where I ended in ranking, I still feel like I was a winner.  I mean, there were only SIX finalists in the entire U.S., and I was one of them!  It's one of those amazing times that become a milestone in one's memory; and something I would never have been able to do, had I not had this blog.

There are so many other posts I could mention here, however, as I usually do, I'm rambling again, so I won't.  Let's just say, in the past 366 days, (it's leap year), I probably could have/should have had more posts out.  Of the ones I did write, were all of them great?  No. To be honest, there were a few times when I wrote something for the sake of writing; because it was for a Tuesday or Thursday post, which are the days KUPL listeners can earn 5000 points for finding the blog word of the day.  Those are days I HAD to have something posted.

And lately, I've been in a dry spell; though just a few days ago, the ideas started happening again.

My goal for the year ahead is to continue posting blogs about anything and everything I can think of; and post more than I have been.  And of course hopefully improve with time!

Thank you to anyone and everyone who's been reading my blog this past year.  Though I may not know you, do know that I definitely appreciate you taking time to do so.  Again, thank you!

Tracy Lawrence--"Pills"

(Today's word will be in red, and bold.)


Until now, it's been a few years since country artist, Tracy Lawrence, has had a new song on the radio.

That changed in the early part of this year, when Lawrence released "Pills"; a tongue in cheek song about all the pills people take for any myriad of reasons, from losing weight, to gaining it, and every other possible reason in between.

I'd only heard the song a couple times on KUPL's overnight show, but it struck a chord with me instantly. This song says exactly how I feel about all different kinds of medications being peddled to the public these days. There's constantly ads in every form of media touting this drug or that one, etc., etc., etc. For quite awhile I've thought, "enough already!"

I decided then that I would write a post here about Lawrence's "Pills", and let readers decide what they think of the tune. I ran into a little problem though.

The song is too new to have an "official" video yet, so no luck there. I did learn that even though "Pills" has just been released as a single, it seems to have been around since approximately 2009; as I found some live videos that people had recorded at concerts. None of these suited what I was wanting though; I wanted to let readers hear the exact version of the song I'd heard on the radio.

Since I couldn't find what I wanted, but still wanted to post a blog about the song, I emailed Earthquake Jake, explained my situation, and asked if he had any suggestions for what I could do. That was about 7am in the morning.

About 2:30pm that same day, (April 11, 2012), I received and email from Sputnik, (producer on "Simon in the Morning"), with a link to this video:


Is that not awesome?! Totally blew me away that Jake and Sputnik did this so I could write a post about Tracy Lawrence's song! And they did it on top of their normal daily workload!

Because of them, I was able to tell others about this song, and share it as well. So, take a listen, and see what you think. And when you're done, maybe send Jake and Sputnik an email, or give them a call at the station and let them know how cool they are. I know I owe both of them a huge thank you for taking the time and effort I know they had to have put into this video; so thanks guys!

Two for Three and One for One

On January 4, 2010, "Simon & Sam in the Morning" signed on the KUPL airwaves for the very first time.

At that time, it was Scott Simon, Amy "Sam" Bishop, and Jolynn Winter.

The new morning team had their work cut out for them, to say the least. They were stepping into territory that had been occupied for fourteen years by Lee Rogers. To say the least, many, many listeners were not happy about this.

For a time "Simon & Sam" struggled to gain the support of listeners. Some had completely tuned out KUPL, in protest of the changes that had been made; others stuck it out a bit longer, with some eventually leaving as well.

Four months into "Simon & Sam" being on the air, "Sam" decided to leave and go back to Arizona, where she was from originally.

The show title was changed to "Simon in the Morning", and long time KUPL employee, Earthquake Jake, was brought in to take "Sam"'s place.

Jake has always been a favorite of KUPL listeners, and he fit in well with Scott and Jolynn.

The three hit it off immediately on the air. What had once sounded forced with "Sam", was genuine with the reformed "Simon in the Morning" team.

Two years later, it's the same way. You can hear it in their voices on the air, how well they work together and genuinely like each other. I don't know about anyone else, however, for me, the people on the air are almost more important than the music. Granted, I have to like the music I'm listening to; though if the DJ's aren't good, I'd change the station. Never happens in the mornings anymore with me. There's so much going on between 5 and 10 am weekday mornings on KUPL, you almost forget there are songs being played also!

So here's to a very happy second anniversary of "Simon in the Morning" and hoping for many more!

On a side note, January 3, 2012 was the first anniversary of now producer, Eduard "Sputnik" Rusu, joining the morning team.

Eduard was an intern when he started with KUPL, and has since been hired as part of the morning team. Congratulations, and happy first anniversary to Sputnik as well!

KUPL's Honky-Tonk Ho-Ho-Hoedown

Friday, December 9, 2011, KUPL's Honky-Tonk Ho-Ho-Hoedown took over the Roseland Theater.

Before the doors opened to concertgoers, a private VIP party was held for clients and staff of the station.

Once the doors opened to ticket holders, there was a silent auction in the lobby. Up for grabs were prizes ranging from crock pots, to autographed guitars, to ski lift tickets, and everything in between. There was also a raffle for people to have a chance to sit on a couch onstage during the headliners' part of the program.

KUPL's entire air staff was in attendance that night, making their way on stage for announcements, and to introduce the evening's first act, local artist, Kurt Van Meter.

Van Meter, and those backing him, took the stage and did a few cover versions of songs; in addition to Van Meter's single, "Gypsy Road". For a "band" who'd never played together on stage, (the musicians were from other local Portland bands), they got the crowd in a definite party mood.

After Kurt Van Meter, afternoon DJ, TicTak, and "Simon in the Morning" member, Earthquake Jake, came onstage for more announcements and introductions. The original line up was supposed to have Sunny Sweeney take the stage then; instead though, Steel Magnolia was introduced.

When "Steel Magnolia" came on, it was member Joshua Scott Jones, and another guy. Before singing, Josh made the comment that his "partner" had forgotten her wig that evening; (in reference to Meghan Linsley being no where to be found). He then kicked into one of Steel Magnolia's hits, going on to other songs after that. The audience was calling out, "where's Meghan", and "where's the girl" the whole time; yet Jones didn't acknowledge the questions the entire set.

He did keep asking where the fiddle player that had been wandering around backstage was. He wanted the fiddle player from Kurt Van Meter's set to come up and play with him. Yet, when the fiddle player came out, Jones would play songs the guy didn't know. You could tell the fiddle player felt a bit out of place, and eventually wandered backstage again; only to be called back by Jones. This happened a couple more times, until finally Jones broke into a song that Van Meter had done earlier in the evening, Dwight Yokum's "Fast As You". The fiddler played along, exiting the stage as soon as the song ended.

The rest of the Steel Magnolia set was much the same. Jones would stand up once in awhile, from the stool he was sitting on; though he wouldn't go too far before sitting down again. He just seemed really scattered that evening and did mostly songs he'd written, or cover versions of songs. He did a decent job of singing, though the entire set just seemed awkward. Over all, from talking with others in the crowd, it was agreed; something was wrong with Josh. What it was, no one can honestly say; though it was definitely noticeable to the crowd.

After Steel Magnolia, another break with announcements and the like from the KUPL staff, and t-shirts being thrown out to the audience. You could tell everyone on stage was having as great a time as the crowd. They were all laughing, being silly and having fun.

Next up, Sunny Sweeney. Sweeney came on stage, sang her songs that have been played on the radio, and a variety of other songs she's written as well. She seems to have a bit of a sassy attitude and a quick wit.

She had the audience laughing several times with the stories she told about the songs. Most notably was the story of how Christmas songs really don't fit her style of singing. Instead of singing the usual holiday fare, she wrote her own Christmas song. She said it was the true portrayal of her family and how they are when they get together. This included how when her family drinks, eventually they start doing the "Sweeney Sway"; instead of standing straight, they start kind of swaying back and forth. Sweeney said it was a trait of her family. She then launched in to "One More Christmas Beer". It's a similar, yet different take on "Merry Christmas From the Family"; cute song.

With Sunny Sweeney's set done, all the KUPL staff made it to the stage again. In addition to more announcements, t-shirts, etc., it was time for the raffle drawing. Two tickets were drawn, and each winner, and a guest went onstage to sit on the couch for the final act of the night.

Once everything and everyone was in place, it was time for headliners, Montgomery Gentry. The two hit the stage running and never really slowed down all night, except for a couple of songs. For the most part though, their set was high energy and running at full speed. Besides singing, the two were interacting with the audience and the four people on the couch, as well as with each other. You could tell they were happy to be there, and were genuinely having a good time. Their enthusiasm was catching, and though it seemed the crowd couldn't get any rowdier, they did.

Keeping things in a holiday mood, the duo did "Merry Christmas From the Family", though it was mostly Troy, as Eddie had decided to join the four on the couch.


Eddie and T-Roy came, they rocked, and were the perfect capper to an already electric charged evening.

Except for the one slight hiccup in the show, (Steel Magnolia), over all the evening was totally awesome. Time will tell if next year's KUPL holiday show can top 2011's; it's going to be hard for sure!

The Band Perry @ The Bing Lounge-September-1-11

I've liked the Band Perry since their first radio hit, "Hip to My Heart"; though I'd never seen them perform live. That was until September 1st, when the band performed in the Bing Lounge.

I know I say this every time, but honestly, I love the Bing Lounge to watch performances in; it's so intimate and inviting, and the Band Perry show was no exception.

After being introduced by Earthquake Jake and Jolynn Winter from "Simon in the Morning", the Band Perry started their set with their hit single, "You Lie".

Lola Montgomery from middays then came out and interviewed the band, asking several questions, and getting some funny answers to some of them.

After the interview and a few more songs, TicTak from afternoons posed a dare to the band, asking them if they could sing Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls". Not only did Kimberly, Neil and Reid take the challenge, they OWNED the song, and did an awesome job on it.

When the concert was done, anyone wanting their photo taken with the band was able to. Though they were in a bit of a rush, all three members of the Band Perry took time before each photo to ask the person's name, and shake their hand. Pretty classy in my book. I'm sure I'll sound like a mom when I say this, though I will anyway, you can tell that these three were raised well by their parents. They're gaining a name in country music, yet they still haven't let go of their manners; I like that.

I wasn't able to go to the Oregon State Fair the next evening to see the Band Perry, though if the concert was anything like at the Bing Lounge, I'm sure the audience got their money's worth. I definitely plan on catching another of their perormances sometime in the future!

GANGS & VIOLENCE

Saw a post from Earthquake Jake today on KUPL’s Facebook page. 

So there's been a lot of talk in the news about gang shootings. They're on the rise, I guess? Honestly, I don't put that much thought into it. But SHOULD I worry about it? Is it the media making a big deal of it, or are we all actually in danger? ~Jake

I also read several of the responses.  Over all, it sounds like, yes, most people do think it’s something to worry about; myself included.  At the same time, I also see where maybe the media IS making a big deal of it. 

With that said, the rest of this post is purely how *I* feel about this whole situation.  I guess you can say I’m too wordy to post on Facebook.

As I stated, I do worry about all the shootings, gang related or otherwise.  I worry about the rise in crime in general.  I worry because, as one person posted, there are a lot of innocent people, including children; that sometimes get caught in the middle of these shootings

While I believe these crimes should be reported by the media, I’m not sure it should be blown out of proportion.  That means, yes, report about shootings; just don’t make a big deal about it.  To me, that would cover both sides of the debate.  People would know the shootings are happening; yet, if the stories are buried among others, and not standing out, those doing the crimes won’t get the attention they may be looking for.  One person mentioned in a post, they thought that’s why there’s been a rise in shootings recently, people looking for attention.

I’d like to be able to say it’s because of how kids are raised these days; though that really wouldn’t be a fair statement.  While it's probable that there are those who are a product of how they were raised, it's not true of every child.  You can have a child raised "properly", (by society's standards), and they could still turn out to be a criminal.  Likewise, you could have a child with everything against them growing up; yet they turn out to be an upstanding citizen.

Yes, things have changed a lot since “the good old days”.  Those days when you knew your neighbors, people got along, etc.  We don’t live in “simpler times” anymore. Then again, the world has never been a perfect place.  There's always been crime; the difference is, you just hear about it more now.  It could be a rise in crime, or it could just be news spreads quicker in this era of electronics. It could even possibly be a bit of both.

As far as whether gang related shootings are up, I honestly don't know.  I do know that gangs have been around for eons though.  Why do we hear more about it now?  I'd have to give the same answers I've given earlier in this post; news spreads quicker, there are more people sharing space in the world, possibly how a person was raised; the list could go on and on.

I guess my whole point to all this rambling is:  Yes, there's a problem with gang shootings going on.  Is it on the rise?  Possibly.  Should people be concerned?  Yes, because if we aren't things will only get worse.  As one post mentioned, we can't just sit back and watch it happen.  While we may not be able to fight back literally, we can take precautions to protect ourselves and those around us, and we should.  If everyone opposed to gang violence stood together to help end it, that would be a great start.  There really is force in numbers; if there wasn't the gangs wouldn't be getting such a strong hold on things like they are.  

Do I think it will ever totally end?  Probably not.  That's not to be negative, just realistic.  There are always going to be those people in this world who are no good; it's part of life.  Since it will never totally go away, the best we can do is put up a resistance to what's already going on; try to keep it from getting worse.

As I said, this post is just my two cents' worth on the subject of gang shootings.  I don't claim to be right about what I feel or think, and I don't claim to be wrong; I've simply chosen to post my thoughts here. 


 

Congrats to KUPL!!!

Woo hoo!  According to the most recent Arbitron ratings, KUPL is THE #1 country station in the Portland Metro area...Congratulations KUPL!!!

Considering this blog is linked to the KUPL website, you may think my congratulations are a bit biased.  Actually, I'd be wishing them congratulations, regardless of whether I had this blog or not.  I've been a KUPL listener for a long time now, and have seen a lot of the changes the station has been through; including moving from 98.5 to 98.7 on the radio dial.

Like any other listener, there's things over the years I've liked, and things I haven't.  Let's face it, it doesn't matter who, or what it is, no one/nothing will please everyone all the time.  It's life, it's what makes things interesting.

I, like other listeners, wasn't happy about how things happened with Lee & Alana.  After Lee, (and Jim E. Chonga), being at the station for so many years, it was sad when it all came to an end.  I also realize though, that it was business.  That doesn't mean things should have happened how they did...it's just how radio works.

Listeners of Lee & Alana definitely were NOT happy about the change.  A lot of things were said about never listening to KUPL again, etc.  And a lot of those listeners did stop listening.

I've always felt however, that before giving up on something that's changed, it should be given a chance to prove itself. If I didn't truly believe this, I would have stopped listening to KUPL when Smokey Woods left the station.

On January 4, 2010, KUPL, (now owned by Alpha Broadcasting), started their new morning show, "Simon & Sam in the Morning".  It was a rough start.  Even listeners who stayed with KUPL were not happy with the new show.

At a station event that same month, the morning show got an earful about what listeners liked and didn't like about the new show.  To their credit, the morning show team did take to heart what was said, as the following Monday you could hear some changes taking place.  It was still a rough go however.

If it wasn't hard enough trying to get a new morning show running, the afternoon drive time shift was, in my opinion, "all over the place"...It seemed like it took forever to finally have a permanent person at the helm.

Not long after the afternoon drive slot was filled, yet another change took place at KUPL.  Rick "Bubba" Taylor was let go after 25+ years at the station. Some listeners who'd stuck out the morning show change began bailing after that. I still had the "stick it out and see how it goes" mind set; though I did check the "other" station occasionally, to hear what they had going on. 

I'm a person who likes live DJ's on the air.  For me, it's as important as the music that's being played.  That's why, even though the "other" station had more music variety at the time, I kept listening to KUPL...The DJ's at the other station just didn't hold my attention.  I'm glad I stuck it out with KUPL.

By April, 2010, "Sam" left the morning show and Earthquake Jake became a permanent part of "Simon in the Morning".  Things just seemed to steadily take off from that point.  "Simon in the Morning" has evolved steadily over the past year, and they really make people laugh.  What I like about them is, they're real...You can tell what you hear on the air is what you get in person.  The laughter is genuine, not forced, and you can tell, Scott, Jolynn and Jake really get along.  While not trying to take anything away from Lee Rogers, or anyone else previously on the KUPL morning shift, to me, this is the best, most real, morning show KUPL has ever had in all the years I've been listening.  More proof for me was when a friend of mine, (a die-hard listener of the "other" station), told me she'd switched over permanently to KUPL.  This is a person who, guaranteed, wouldn't have done that if she didn't want to.

To be honest, I was excited when Lola came to KUPL.  I'd remembered her from the other station in Portland, before I'd started listening to KUPL.  Liked her then, and still like her now.  Again, just my opinion:  I think Lola is a great shot in the arm to middays on KUPL.  Like the morning team, Lola is a "what you see is what you get", person; she's real.

Over all, I think KUPL has dialed in well to what listeners want; not just with the DJ's, but with contests, music, the whole station package in general.  Obviously it's not something that happened overnight; it's taken over a year to get to the point KUPL is under the leadership of Alpha Broadcasting. As stated at the beginning of this blog though, the latest Arbitron ratings are solid proof of how well KUPL is doing.  So congrats again KUPL!  Keep up the great work!