Hell's Kitchen Radio #609: Mitch Polzak Moseys On In To The Show

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When I prepare for an interview with a musician, it's mostly based on their music that I craft the questions. I want to know where the ideas for the stories came from. I want to know how they crafted the song, where the melody came from. Then I start to dig. I need to know their influences, musical and otherwise. 

This is when it gets fun. 

Tell me where you grew up. What was the first music that caught your attention? Who in your life do you credit with turning you on to the music that helped define your own journey? 

Once in a blue moon do I interview someone I've only met a few times but feel a quick kinship with.

Mitch Polzak is one of these people. I've seen Mitch play at the Ivy Room in Albany a few times, and once on his home court in Port Costa, where he once was mayor. 

Mitch will look you right in the eyes when he's playing, and you know he's playing just for you. And he is! He told me this himself last Monday when he was my guest. I told him that he had to guest DJ with me, and he did not disappoint! He brought 33 LPs along with him and everything that aired on Monday night was his choosing, except for my opening set and the single Mitch Polzak tune that I pulled out, and it's thanks to his delightful partner, Amanda, that "Sugrarfoot Rag" was chosen.

We caught each other saying "you too?!?!" a lot during the show, and a lot of laughter throughout. The

music ranges from delta blues, bluegrass, folk, Bakersfield Country, train songs, trucker songs, and honky tonk. 

What a magnificent night this was. 

I hope you take the time to listen into the music and enjoy our banter. Better yet, please take yourself and a loved one out to see Mitch perform live. You'll find Mitch was looking for you all along.

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM Pacific
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Honky Tonk Blues: Hank Williams
Wham Bam: Buck Owens
It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels: Kitty Wells
Cannon Ball: Merle Travis

Watch My Fingers: Lightning Hopkins
Cumberland Gap: Flatt and Scruggs
Ballad of 40 Dollars: Tom T Hall
Road Runner: Blackie Forestier

Sugarfoot Rag: Mitch Polzak
Sad Hour: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Randall Collins: Norman Blake
The Longer You Wait: Merle Haggard

Let The Good Times Roll: Buck Owens
Nitro Express: Redd Simpson
Bucking Mule (Piano): Uncle John Patterson
Tombstone Every Mile: Dick Curless
Caffein, Nicotine, Benzedrine: Gary Stewart
For A Few Dollars More: Ennio Morricone

Cause of it All: Howlin' Wolf
I Got Love If You Want It: Slim Harpo
Fire On The Strings: Joe Maphis
Stone Walls and Steel Bars: Jimmy Martin and Ralph Stanley

This Time: Waylon Jennings
Rain: Charlie Feathers
Alabama Jubilee: Roy Clark

Graystone Chapel: Johnny Cash

Hell's Kitchen Radio #607: Straight Trippin' For Your Love

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There are reasons to feel despair, and there are reasons to celebrate. I think we can do both at the same time. Two things can be right at the same time. Time waits for no one, and it won't wait for Hell. Hell is for other people's children. Children are the future. There is no future. There is only now. 

Can you tell I'm tired?

I just finished helping Little Lauson Hell (AKA: Spawn) do her taxes. What a kick in the ass that was. 

I'm pretty brain dead. Deadhead. Head on a poll. Poll taxes. TAXES?!?!??!

That was terrible.

And you and I both know what they're using our taxes for! And since the IRS basically doesn't exist at all anymore, what's going to happen if we all just don't file?

I'm so tired I couldn't remember a better word for "don't" in the previous sentence. I'm misspelling words all over the damn place! You wouldn't know that though since I have a lot of white out.

And I'm distracted with Lauson and our kitty Chairman Meow Mao (AKA Maui) chilling out next to me. Lauson loves our kitty. 

Sorry. I was gone for a moment, We both had to take a kitty break. If you know, you know. 

Did you know that David Yow of The Jesus Lizard has a tumbler blog about cats?

True story.

I think I was going to write something about music since I did host my show on Monday night. I bought a few records over the weekend and I share a lot of it tonight! Orcutt, Shelley, Miller; The Exploited, Sprints, Primitive Ring, and The Bobby Lees!!!!!!!

I kinda blew my load with all this great new music. Too bad, so sad.

So tired. I really need to call it a night and not regret my decisions. 

Enjoy....if you dare.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM Pacific
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Some Velvet Morning: Vanilla Fudge (Near The Beginning - 1968)
Black Rat: Big Mama Mae Thornton (With Chicago Blues Band - 1966)

Hot Head: Orcutt, Shelley, Miller (with David Yow) (Hot Head Single - 2026)
Eight Miles High: Husker Du (Duck and Cover - 1990)

Back Home: Yusef Lateef (Blue Yusef Lateef - 1968)
The Whip: Frantics (Louie's Limbo Lounge - 1988)
Intro/Sweet Jane: Lou Reed (Rock and Roll Animal - 1974)
Let's Start A War: The Exploited (Let's Start A War - 1985)

Deceptacon: Sprints (7" - 2026)
Spear and Magic Helmet: The Gits (Enter: The Conquering Chicken - 1993)

You're What I Need: Jenny Don't and the Spurs (Broken Hearted Blue - 2023)
Sugarfoot Rag: Mitch Polzak (Down South Blues - 2023)
We're Desperate: X (The Decline of Western Civilization - 1980)
Burn Out: Redd Kross (Rodney on the Roq, Vol. 2 - 1981)
This Is Not Normal: Negativland (True/False - 2019)

Poisonous Gift: Primitive Ring (7" - 2025)
Higgs Boson Blues: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Push the Sky Away - 2012)

Napoleon: The Bobby Lees (New Self - 2026)
In Every Home A Heartache: Roxy Music (For Your Pleasure - 1973)
Say it Too: Death Valley Girls (Islands in the Sky - 2023)

Dungeon Vision: Earth Tongue (Dungeon Vision - 2026)
Love Song: The Darts (Snake Oil - 2022)

Reject All Americans: Bikini Kill (Reject All Americans - 1996)

Hell's Kitchen Radio #606: False Punks In Heaven...Sorta

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I anticipated a fun time on Monday night, but nothing could have prepared me for this multi-generational celebration of the local music scene. As I had been publicizing over the past week, I had drummer/artist Prairie Prince of The Tubes coming in, along with his bestie, author/screenwriter/director/producer/band manager Edwin Heaven. They were coming in to promote their Thursday night program at the Mabuhay Gardens, which is also featuring a live set from local rockers and all-around tastemakers False Flag.

This show on Thursday night is free, by the way. And it's 21+. Be warned.

What I wasn't totally prepared for were all the special guests. And Monday night was truly special. 

My Prom Committee team of Katrina and Daniel from the FabMab were in the studio, as well as our latest RV staffer Jasper, who is slated to take over Saturdays 4-6pm in the upcoming weeks. You are all going to love her!

And then comes False Flag! Pretty and Strong Sims came to hang out, along with drummer Monroe. And they brought a brand new song with them, that really kicked the crap out of me...figuratively. Get your head outta the gutter. 

It was full, and very rambunctious house, with Daniel teaching both Jasper and Strong how to use a yo-yo, Edwin attending to his Yorkie, Tulip; Prairie trying not to allow the jetlag get to him after returning from a show in NYC, and Katrina circling the room capturing it all for prosperity.  

After my interview with Prairie about his new album, Colours and Passions, and my talk with Edwin about his new memoir "The Night I Got David Bowie Laid Sorta", Strong and Pretty sat in to talk about the state of the music scene in San Francisco, and to share the aforementioned track "Never Gonna Be". Katrina and I are in agreement that this band is bound for stardom, and need to get their music onto a soundtrack, pronto.

There is so much fun conversation and music on this show, that I may need to loop it throughout the rest of this week. 

Fun things are afoot at Radio Valencia, and in this incredible scene that three generations of music-related folk all agreed with on Monday night.

See you at the show...any show. Every show!

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM Pacific
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Whitey On The Moon: Gil Scott-Heron (Small Talk at 125th and Lennox - 1970)
Moonage Daydream: David Bowie (The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust - 1972)
Flesh: Ken Nordine (Colors - 1966)
Dear God: XTC (Skylarking - 1987)

Interview with Prairie Prince

Flesh Terror: Prairie Prince (Colours and Passions - 2026)

Interview with Prairie Prince (Colours and Passions - 2026)

Orange Joy: Prairie Prince (Colours and Passions - 2026)
White Punks on Dope: The Tubes (The Tubes - 1977)

Interview with Edwin Heaven

WWIII: The Nuns (The Nuns - 1980)
Down on the Street: Iggy and the Stooges (Fun House - 1970

Interview with Edwin Heaven

(I Saw You) Shine: Flipper (Generic - 1982)

Interview with Edwin and Prairie

The American in Me: Avengers (s/t - 1983)
Suicide Child: The Nuns (The Nuns - 1980)

Never Gonna Be: False Flag (unreleased - 2026)

Hell's Kitchen Radio #605: All Freaks No Accidents

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These days even when I have no guest the studio is hoppin'! I love the energy that's been flowing through the Radio Valencia studios these days. It fills me with a lot of pride for what we've been doing here over the past 15+ years. I often keep the door wide open to attract passers-by to come through and check us out. This has actually led to a few new shows that have been making us sound fresher than ever!

I've been hosting a lot of guests over the past few months and I really thought it would just be you and me on Monday night, other than having a new host shadow me for the evening. 

And then...

Daniel Haver of the FabMab came through with artist Dexter Hixon, who had been out "improving" the SF landscape and promoting some upcoming shows. Dexter designed the ceiling art at I Hate Records in the lower Haight, owned by Pretty Sims of False Flag and Cody of Surprise Privilege. He also makes some unique characters known as Siliclones. I played a song by his dad's 90s band Hive in the second hour.

I love having a radio station that doubles as a clubhouse for the local music scene. It's a dream come true.

As for the music tonight, it's as you would expect: many genres and eras. 

This Monday, April 6, starting at 8pm Pacific, I'm excited to host legendary drummer Prairie Prince from The Tubes, Journey and Todd Rundgren. He'll be in to talk about his first solo album "Colours and Passions" that feature an incredible lineup: Todd Rundgren, Ross Valory, Buckethead, Jello Biafra, Ralph Spight, Cyril Jordan, Neil Hamburger, and the late great Ralph Carney.

I'll also have the quintessential "I was there" guy for SF’s punk and underground scenes, Edwin Heaven. His memoir "The Night I Got David Bowie Laid, Sorta" isn't just a collection of stories; it's a frantic, non-linear love letter to a version of San Francisco that feels like it’s slipping away.

These two have been best friends for 50 years and I can guarantee the conversation will get take a few turns throughout the night.

You do not want to miss this show! 

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM Pacific
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Money: The Flying Lizards (S/T/ - 1979)
I Would Kill For Suzy: The Catheads (Hubba - 1987)

Don't Blame Me: The Freak Accident (The Midnight Show - 2026)
In Your Mind: The Terminals (Last Days of the Sun - 2008)

Mojo Navigator: Country Joe and the Fish (Together - 1967) 
Louie, Louie: The Sonics (The Best of Louie Louie - 1983)
Carmelita: Warren Zevon (S/T - 1976)
Love Rolled: Mitch Polzak (Down South Blues - 2023)
My Baby's Gone: Jenny Don't and the Spurs (Broken Hearted Blue - 2023)

Muffin Man: Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and the Mothers of Invention (Bongo Fury - 1976)
Chartreuse: Ken Nordine (Colors - 1995)
Political Song For Michael Jackson to Sing: Minutemen (Double Nickels on the Dime - 1983)

Sunday Morning: Kelly Stoltz (The Velvet Underground and Nico...Castle Face - 2012)
The Ballad of El Goodo: Big Star (Number 1 - 1972)
I Swallowed A Dragonfly: Heatless Bastards (All This Time - 2006)
Live Loop: Butterscotch Tuna (Explosion in Texas Comp - 1994)

Cartographers: Linda Lindas (No Obligation - 2024)
Words of Advice/Kim Like the Great Gatsby: William S Burroughs (Smack My Crack - 1987)

I Once Was A Contender: Kate Vargas (Golden Hour in the House of Lugosi - 2025)
Gold: Hive (S/T 1995)
There She Goes My Beautiful World: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Abattoir Blues - 2004)

Volunteered Slavery: Roland Kirk (Volunteered Slavery - 1969)
Fairies Wear Boots: Brown Sabbath (Brounout - 2016)

Who Was In My Room Last Night: Butthole Surfers Independent Worm Saloon- 1993)

Hell's Kitchen Radio #604: A Felonious Amount Of Music

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Radio is seduction. I like seduction. it just feels good. And who doesn't like to feel good. And this here show just keeps getting hotter and hotter until it climaxes in just the perfect way at just the perfect moment. And like any good seduction, there are twists and turns, a pull back here and there, a tease, a touch, a tickle. And throughout there are hints at what's to come. 

Not go give anything away, but I should have worn gloves. 

Every time I have Daniel from the FabMab into the studio I'm afraid the turntables are going to catch on fire. The banter, the wit, the inside jokes! All of it is worth it when you get to hear what we both brought in for your pleasure to night.

The anticipation is just killing me.  

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM Pacific
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

Follow me on Blue Sky
Follow Radio Valencia on Facebook
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Tattoo Love Boys: Melvins and ShitKid (EP - 2021)
Hey Hey What Can I Do: Led Zeppelin (7" - 1970...but I slooooooooowed it down)

TV Is From Outer Space: Butch Willis and the Rocks (Forthcoming - 1986)
Lexicon Devil: Germs (7" - 1978)
Deuce: Redd Kross (Teenage Babes from Monsanto - 1984)

Requiem of Confusion: Shinki Chen (And His Friends - 1971)
I Don't Want It: Montrose (S/T - 1973)
Algo Ha Cambiado: Pappo (Pappo's Blues, Vol. 1 - 1970)
Fighting Cock: Rotomagus (7" - 1971)
Anti-Love Song: Betty Davis (S/T - 1973)

Hypodermic Needle: Novak's Kapelle (7" - 1968)
Babydoll: Eric McFadden Trio with Robin Coomer (Diamonds to Coal - 2010)
Chocolate Piano: Orang-Utan (S/T - 1971)
She Shook Me Cold: David Bowie (The Man Who Sold The World - 1971)

Satan: Freshwater (7" - 1970)
Mohawk Town: Paul Leary (Born Stupid - 2021)
Come On Over (Turn Me On): Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan (Sunday At Devil Dirt - 2008)

The Fire of Love: The Gun Club (Miami - 1982)
Broke My Own: Shannon Shaw (In Nashville - 2018)
You Got It: Pearl Harbor and the Explosions (S/T - 1980)
Only Son of a Ladies Man: Father John Misty (Fear Fun - 2012)

Nervous Breakdown: Black Flag (7" - 1978)
Rise: PIL (Album - 1978)