Hell's Kitchen Radio #406: For Mikl Em

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I've been dreading writing this post. If you're reading this, it means my dear dear friend Michael McElligot aka: Mikl-em has kicked this mortal coil.

He passed away from brain cancer on Sunday, August 30th. 2020. This has hit our community hard. I've known Mikl since 1996 or so, through our mutual admiration of everything SF Cacaphony Society had to offer. We hit every event we could find. It didn't take long until Mikl began producing  as many events as he attended.

Mikl was deeply involved in many stage performances at Dark Room Theater on Mission in SF, as well as SF Fringe Fest, Laughing Squid's Tentacle Sessions, Popcorn Anti-Theater, attended many Burning Man events, produced Speechless-SF, and the regular salons featured at Long Now Foundation at Fort Mason in SF.

So many of the best events I attended or were associated with over the past 25 years were partly or

mostly colored by Mikl Em. He was the epitome of inclusion. He was the essence of "let's put on a show".  He was love and light.

As a teacher I have been told that I teach to infinity, since I don't know where or when my teachings will end. Mikl entertained to infinity. He inspired so many of his friends, and even more who were in the audience.

We were super lucky Mikl chose to join Radio Valencia in our infancy. He started Can Haz DJ the second week we were on the air. He produced 50 shows, and I'm excited that we are currently re-running these shows Saturday's 8-10PM. Please tune in. Mikl was an exceptional DJ, who modeled himself after the legendary BBC-1 DJ, John Peel.

This show before you is a tribute to great musical mind. These are artists that Mikl loved, many of whom he turned me onto. We used to talk music in the most rambling and sensational way, often meandering in a tangential way across genres, and eras, always ending long before we wanted to. Our conversations were always ones for the ages. And now I guess they'll have to be.

He leaves behind his magnificent life-partner, Danielle, who I've known even longer than he. She's a vision of strength in life that has seen her share of challenges. If ever there is a person who is the model character, it is she. We love you, Danielle.

I miss you my dear friend. Thank you for shining such a beautiful light on all of us. I hope wherever
you may be that there are songs to fill the air.

KQED offered a beautiful memorial for him following his passing last week.

Your friend always,

jh

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

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Observing Systems: Tied and Tickled Trio

Michael From The Mountains: Joni Mitchell

Pledging My Time: Bob Dylan

Redondo Beach: Patti Smith

Frisco Blues: John Lee Hooker

Politcal Song For Michael Jackson to Sing: Minutemen

Rouche Rumble: Sonic Youth

Messing With The Kid: The Saints

Fables of Faubus: Charles Mingus

Graveyard: Butthole Surfers

Whistlin' Past The Graveyard: Tom Waits

The Drama You've Been Craving: Sleater-Kinney

House of the Rising Sun: Sex Mob

Metal Postcard: Siouxsie and the Banshees

The Body of an American: The Pogues

Blue Jay Way: The Beatles

Peace Two: John McLaughlin

So What'cha Want (Butthouse Remix): Beastie Boys

No Expectations: Califone

Rip Off: T Rex

He Was A Friend of Mine: Cat Power

Eric B for President: Eric B and Rakim

Funky President: James Brown

What A Wonderful World: Louis Armstrong

Hell's Kitchen Radio #244: 21st Century Schizoid DJ

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There were so many amazing sets tonight. For the past month or so I've been designating a "Set of the Week" to sets that have the type of character that stands out against the rest of the program. Tonight, I swear there must be at least three sets that I could have given the title to. It was that kind of night. Everything just made sense. Just take a look at the playlist below, and I think you'll agree.

Really, take a look at the Set of the Night™. It's all about T. Rex. First, there's the new LP release from Ty Segall "Ty Rex", which is all T. Rex covers Ty originally released on 7", with the addition of the track I played, for vinyl only. Hell yes! I follow that up with a John Zorn produced track from Zorn's "Great Jewish Composers" series on Marc Bolan. Finally I have to play some T. Rex. Do I play "Bang A Gong"? Fuck no! What radio station are you tuned into? Get your head out of your ass. No. I play "The Motivator" because it kicks serious ass! Now THAT is a quality set.

But later in the night I connected Black Sabbath to Primus. How did I do this? I know you're interested. Get this: The Butthole Surfers track I played, "Dum Dum", uses the exact same drum melody as "Children of the Grave" by Sabbath. I followed up the Buttholes with some Melvins, featuring Pinkus and Leary from the Buttholes, off of the 2015 Melvins "hold it in" release. But wait, it gets better! Dale Crover is the drummer from the Melvins (but you know that). He's also the guitarist/singer for Altamont! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! And Altamont is a local SF band, which leads to me playing the next four local bands: Rube Waddell from Oakland; The Mummies from San Mateo (where I went to high school, thank you very much, and saw The Mummies at Pony Express Pizza in Redwood City, when I was 16-18); SF's Polkacide, which if you haven't seen them then you just plain suck, and you know it. Give it up already. Really. Give it up. Finally, South Bay's Primus. They suck, but I still love them. I was at that Berkeley Square shows that turned into "Suck on This". Party. With. Me.

What a ride. If memory serves the banter was humorous at times, and I didn't stick around long enough to make you run away screaming.

There's some very early (1965) Pink Floyd near the end, and an isolated vocal track from a young and wild (though probably not nearly as wild as he would be following the electro shock treatments he received for skipping out on Vietnam) Roky Erickson.

That's probably more than you wanted to read, but aren't you happier for doing so? No? Thanks for being a friend. Can you feel the love? Just feel the love, already.

Enjoy.

jh

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

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21st Century Schizoid Man: King Crimson
Starliner: Montrose

Easy Now: Hot Tuna (request)
Into the Sun: Grand Funk Railroad
Give Me Some Skin: James Brown

***Set of the Night***
20th Century Boy: Ty Segall
Children of the Revolution: Arto Lindsey and Marc Ribot
The Motivator: T Rex

Stay Away From Downtown: Redd Kross
Steppin' Out: John Mayal's Bluesbreakers (featuring Eric Clapton)
The Thrill is Gone: BB King
Rubber Biscuit: Blues Brothers
Spazz: The Elastic Band (request)

Baby Let Me Kiss You: King Floyd
Children of the Grave: Black Sabbath
Dum Dum: Butthole Surfers
Bride of Crankenstein: The Melvins

Young Man Blues: Altamont
Boom Boom: Rube Waddell
The Frisco Freeze: The Mummies
Glorious: Polkacide

John the Fisherman: Primus
Africa: Sun Ra
Double-O Bo: Pink Floyd

You're Gonna Miss Me: 13th Floor Elevators (Isolated vocals)
13th Floor Opening: Mudhoney

Below is a great and grimy commercial from Pony Express Pizza's Hair Metal Week. I'm so happy this place existed. We need more all-ages venues for the kids, today.

Hell's Kitchen Radio #215: Here Come The Bastards

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As much as I enjoy interviewing bands, I really enjoy bringing my musician friends into the studio to guest DJ. So it just makes sense that guitar slinger, Eric McFadden guest DJd with me Monday night, and to KICK OUT THE JAMS!!! Eric and I are serious brothers-from-another-mother. When it comes to music we could jam/talk/listen-to/scream at/jump up and down to, and generally appreciate whatever you throw our way. It's kind of ridiculous.

And two hours was not near enough time. The music is awesome, the banter is SICK. This is by far one of my most favorite shows, EVER!

Eric posted a video to his Instagram account of us rocking out. You can see it here.

I know you're going to enjoy this one. Please share with music fans everywhere.

Enjoy.

jh

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

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Kick Out the Jams: MC5
Jeepster: T Rex
Psychobilly Freakout: Reverend Horton Heat

Here Come the Bastards: Primus
Lilybelle: The Geraldine Fibbers
Como Se Goza En El Barrio: Marc Ribot
Easy Money: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Wanted Criminal: Delphine de St Paer
Is She Weird: Pixies
Goin' Down: Ty Segall
No Spell: Thee Oh Sees

No Head, No Backstage Pass: Funkadelic
Filipino Box Spring Hog: Tom Waits
The Dancer: PJ Harvey
Zodiac: Melvins
Deuce: Kiss

Side with the Seeds: Wilco
Retrovertigo: Mr. Bungle
Hit the Road Jack: Ray Charles
I Love You Honeybear: Father John Misty

Burning of the Midnight Lamp: Jimi Hendrix
Sunless Saturday: Fishbone
From Under Down: Eric McFadden

Into The Hollow: Queens of the Stoneage
Child Is Father of the Man: Beach Boys
Sailin' On: Bad Brains

I Want You: The Beatles

A Season in Hell #158: Where Is The King Of Love?

We have made it once again through yet another glorious Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day! And what a day it was. How do you celebrate this day? I for one took time to meditate on the glory that is the message of Dr. King.
What a man.

And what a show I have for you tonight. (great segue, huh?) I start out with a tribute to the man. Some Nina Simone, followed by Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln. Try not to shed a tear, OK? I then follow it up with some pre-punk that I had left over from last week. Check out that last set, with Billy Holiday into T Rex!!!

This Thursday night at The Chapel on Valencia is the triumphant return of Wooden Shjips. For any longtime listener to my show, you're no doubt aware of my love for this SF psychedelic quartet. This is going to be a real treat, as they rarely appear to, well, um, appear anywhere local. Tickets may still be available. Get to this show!

Now on to the goods.

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Enjoy.

jh

A Season in Hell with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia, 87.9FM in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Why (Is the King of Love Dead?): Nina Simone
Freedom Day: Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln

Early in the Morning: Ray Charles
Pretty-Eyed Baby: Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie
Step Right Up: Tom Waits
Lady Day and John Coltrane: Gil Scott-Heron

Impressions: John Coltrane

Fire Waltz: Eric Dolphy
Softly As A Morning Sunrise: Modern Jazz Quartet
Love Minus Zero/No Limit: Bob Dylan

Colors: Wooden Shjips
Love Comes In Spurts: Richard Hell and the Voidoids
Ladies in Waiting: Kiss
TV Party: Black Flag
Dig Lazarus, Dig: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

In And Out of Grace: Mudhoney
Notes and Chords Mean Nothing To Me: Redd Cross
Saeta: Miles Davis

Gloomy Sunday: Billy Holiday
Children of the Revolution: T Rex
Everybody Loves Somebody: Dean Martin

A Season in Hell #153: 1973 The Way It's Supposed To Be

A couple of years ago I hit on the idea that it would be fun to host a show from 1971. It was an amazing year for rock and roll. Led Zeppelin IV, Sticky Fingers, Who's Next; the rock rolls on and on. Since doing that show in November 2011, I was encouraged to repeat the challenge for 1972 last year. Again, what an amazing year! So it looks like I've hit upon a regular annual feature for A Season in Hell. Last night was all about 1973!!!

When I started the research I was afraid it was going to be wimp rock. I'll be honest, I wasn't as into this one as I was 71 or 72. But upon careful research, from my very large, and very deep library of awesome-ness, I found that indeed, there are some unbelievable tunes coming from this year!

Debut releases from Tom Waits, Queen, Montrose, Iggy and the Stooges, and the New York Dolls, just to name a small few. Are you kidding me?!?!? Soul and funk were getting on the ONE during this era, and British Glam Bands were on the rise. Music was starting to diverge like never before. We were as far away from the vocal politeness and anti-Vietnam banter as we could get by this year. Sabbath released "Sabbath bloody Sabbath", Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" was released (not my favorite, btw), Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy", and The Who's "Quadrophenia" hit the shelves and the arenas.

My Best of 2013 is coming up in a few weeks, and on Monday, December 16th, Rotten Ronnie Donovan and I are hosting Rock Fight 11!!!! This time it's all about the Rock Block!

This show is an epic journey. I think you're really going to enjoy this one.

Have fun.

Get into the time machine and stream this show here.
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Check out my shows from 1971 and 1972, and all of my shows by going here, or just scroll down.

A Season in Hell with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia, 87.9FM in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Basketball Jones: Cheech and Chong
Steppin' In Her I. Miller Shoes: Betty Davis

Right On For the Darkness: Curtis Mayfield
Natbush City Limit: Ike and Tina Turner
The Boss: James Brown

The Love I Lost: Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
Use Me: Bill Withers
Born To Boogie: T-Rex
Jet Boy: New York Dolls

Raw Power: Iggy and the Stooges
Watch That Man: David Bowie
Berlin: Lou Reed
Old Shoes: Tom Waits

A National Acrobat: Black Sabbath
The Great Gig in the Sky: Pink Floyd
Song Remains the Same: Led Zeppelin
Punk vs. The Godfather: The Who

Meat City: John Lennon
Modern Times Rock N' Roll: Queen
I Don't Want It: Montrose

Walk On Hot Coals: Rory Gallagher
Dinah-Moe Humm: Frank Zappa

Sweet Lady Genevieve: The Kinks