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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Tommie's Book Club: Tomorrow Night, and for March...

Interesting stuff so far...I'll start the discussion soon at WAOR.COM...but Junot Diaz' "The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao" is on sale right now at the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore in the Eck Center, on campus. Go get one: February's book sold out pretty quickly.

And remember: Thursday (tomorrow) night at 7, we'll be at Hammes discussing the February Book.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Tuesday Rock Roundup

AC/DC were shut out at the Grammy and Brit Awards, but they were winners Saturday night at the ECHO German Music Awards, that country's equivalent of the Grammys. They won in the Best Rock/Alternative/Heavy Metal International category. The Scorpions were honored at this year's ceremony in Berlin with a lifetime achievement award.

2009 marks the 40th anniversary of Grand Funk Railroad, but original lead singer Mark Farner says there's no chance he'll reunite with his ex-bandmates. Strong (and unspecified) animosities remain between Farner and drummer Don Brewer and bassist Mel Shacher, who continue to tour as Grand Funk. The Brewer-led version of the band is celebrating the anniversary on a tour they're calling The American Band Tour 2009.

Woodstock's 40th anniversary promises to be one of this summer's most notable landmarks. Warner Home Video will re-release the Academy Award-winning documentary about the iconic festival on D-V-D at a date to be announced. The 40th anniversary edition will add two hours of bonus performances, some only recently discovered.

Van Morrison will be the first musical guest when Jimmy Fallon takes over for Conan O'Brien on NBC's Late Night on March 2nd. And the next morning, Van will be on the syndicated Live With Regis and Kelly. Morrison will be in New York to do four of his Astral Weeks shows. Jon Bon Jovi will be one of Fallon's guests on Tuesday, March 3rd. His new album hits stores today.

Yoko Ono started recording a new album last week and says she is working on it every day from 3:00 pm to midnight.

Men at Work lead guitarist Ronald Strykert was recently jailed in L-A for making "criminal threats" against original frontman Colin Hay. Both "Down Under" band members now live in the US...Hay works as a solo artist. Strykert is supposedly still behind bars, apparently unable to post 50 grand in bail.

NEW RELEASES:

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Live CD
Rush - Retrospective 3 CD/DVD
Rod Stewart - Playlist Your Way CD
JJ Cale - Roll On CD (he's the guy who wrote Cocaine and After Midnight for Clapton, and also wrote Call Me The Breeze for Skynyrd...Neil Young is a big fan, so is Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits)
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (DVD - 2009)
NFL Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers Champions DVD
Breaking Bad - The Complete First Season DVD
Sex Drive with Seth Green DVD
Ironweed with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep DVD
Just Shoot Me: The Complete 3rd Season DVD
Dirty Jobs Collection 4 DVD
The Red Green Show: 2001 Season DVD
The French Connection [Blu-ray] and the sequel as well.
The Who Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 [Blu-ray]

Monday, February 23, 2009

Tommie's Science Corner: Atlantis Found?

(thanks to Fitz on twitter for posting this)

Best comment on the Oscars last night from Twitter:

roybragg: This show sucks. I wish Heath Ledger could go the production booth and make some pencils disappear. #oscars

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Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Next Vinyl Monday: Poison

Look What The Cat Dragged In.

Craig's been waiting for ages for this one, and we finally found it on vinyl. Both sides are great, but Side 1...let's be honest...is the first statement the boys (hard to tell from the cover) from LA made to the world.

Hear it Monday Morning at 9 on WAOR.

Cry Tough
I Want Action
I Won't Forget You
Play Dirty
Look What The Cat Dragged In


Friday, February 20, 2009

The Movie Man, Russ Leatherman, Creator of Moviefone, on the show Friday!

Deadly accurate ninja Oscar picks from the man himself, the creator of Moviefone...Mr. Movie Russ Leatherman are coming Friday morning on The Tommie & The Bartender Show.

Don't forget: we'll also be giving away copies of the Pictorial History of the real-life Harvey Milk, Thursday and Friday morning!

http://www.moviefone.com/ - official website

http://www.sixsecondreview.com/ - awesome movie content for your mobile phone!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Captain Sig Hansen has his own fish nom nom!

On the shelf, next to Captain Phil's Unfiltered High-Tar Alaskan Pride Premium Cigarettes!



Dr. Nancy Irwin

Changing direction in the current economy, trying to suddenly find a new way to make a living...it's not easy. Dr. Irwin is the author of You Turn, and joins us at 8:30 Thursday morning to give you some tips on how to pull it off.

Learn more at our bookmobile, and her website, http://www.makeayou-turn.com

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Special Guest Marie Forleo

Marie Forleo joined us this morning with the Five Ways For Women To Be Irresistible To Men. (The unofficial 6th way? Look like Marie Forleo...)
Hear it on the usPod - - - >

Today's Meijer Wednesday Weather Kid on WAOR: Cassidy

After an early run of the giggles (who can blame her...we're kind of silly...) she did a great job with the weather this morning, giving Gordy the day off on AOR.
Hear it on the usPod - - - >

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tuesday Rock Roundup

20 years ago today, David Coverdale married Tawny Kitaen. They divorced two years later.

Rolling Stone reports: Ozzy Osbourne has put his annual Ozzfest on hold for 2009, opting instead to spend more time working on his follow-up to 2007’s Black Rain, what will be the legend’s 10th studio album. Ozzfest has had some tumultuous treks in recent years: The traveling festival became a free event that relied on sponsorship in 2007, while 2008 saw Ozzfest being reduced to a one-day event in Texas where “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott was honored with a heavy superjam. Rolling Stone also has a preview of the new Osbournes: Reloaded variety show coming to Fox.

When Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood hit the road for a 14-city tour this summer, they'll be doing so in support of a two-CD/two-DVD set of their three shows last February at Madison Square Garden in New York. Due out this spring, Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood - Live From Madison Square Garden contains 21 tracks on the CDs and 20 on the first DVD. The second DVD contains two documentaries and four bonus tracks, two of which are not on the other three discs.

Peter Gabriel won't be performing at the Oscars Sunday night. He announced on his website that he decided to pull out after learning that the three Best Original Song nominees (the other two are from Slumdog Millionaire) would be performed only as part of a medley. That would allow him and co-writer Thomas Newman to do only 65 seconds of "Down to Earth" from Wall-E. Gabriel still plans on attending the ceremony, and hopes that the Soweto Gospel Choir will take his place onstage. Gabriel added, "Even though they're a small part of the whole filmmaking process, [songwriters] still work bloody hard and I think deserve a place in the ceremony as well. So I'm an old fart, it's not going to do me any harm to make a little protest." I agree: the damn thing goes on for, what, four hours? And he and the other nominees can't do a four-minute song? Stupid...

A New York songwriter is claiming that the song "No Reins" by country act Rascal Flatts is strikingly similar to "Shadows of the Night," the Top 20 hit he wrote for Pat Benatar in 1982. According to the New York Post, D-L Byron filed a federal lawsuit against the country group and the Disney Music Group for copyright infringement. Lawyers for Flatts' singer and guitarist Joe Don Rooney have stated that if there are any similarities, they are purely an accident.

Billy Squier will embark on his first headlining tour since the early '90s this summer. He'll get things going on June 23rd in New York State, with shows scheduled through August 8th in Oklahoma, but he's expected to continue into the fall. Squier is also working on new material, having recently recorded two songs. His dates include July 2nd in Muskegon MI and August 1st in Aurora, IL.

Scott Weiland recently told Spin magazine that Stone Temple Pilots will release a new album in 2010.

NEW RELEASES -

High School Musical 3: Senior Year DVD
Changeling DVD w/Angelina Jolie
Religulous DVD w/Bill Maher
Body of Lies (Widescreen Edition) DVD w/Leo DiCaprio
Choke DVD
Quarantine DVD
The Obama DVD Parade continues with USA Today's America's Journey: Inauguration Day 2009
Dead Like Me: The Complete Collection DVD
Dead Like Me: Life After Death DVD
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - The Eighth Year DVD
and Gandhi (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray] and Pulp Fiction (Import) [Blu-ray] hit Blu-Ray

Monday, February 16, 2009

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Sunday, February 15, 2009

Vinyl Monday: Pink Floyd The Wall Side One


Side One of the Roger Water's-led last "true" Floyd album (according to some fans) is up Monday morning at 9a on WAOR and at WAOR.COM
In The Flesh?
The Thin Ice
Another Brick In The Wall Pt. I
The Happiest Days Of Our Lives
Another Brick In The Wall Pt. II
Mother

Friday, February 13, 2009

The Love Doctor

Our thanks to Dr. Paul Zak, the Dircetor of the Center for Neuroeconomic Studies at Claremont Graduate University, for a great interview this morning. Check out what their doing by clicking here.

Phriday Photo Phinish: Kandy The NASCAR Chick

People always ask us what she looks like...so...here she is, getting ready for the NASCAR Report this morning. She's back every Monday and Friday at 730 during the season...

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Food For Kids with the Food Bank of Northern Indiana

...more details coming on this, because we HAVE to do something with this project. Many students in area schools depend on the program, and due to funding issues and volunteer drop-off, one school had to be dropped from the program.

That sucks. Join Tommie & Craig in supporting The Backpack Program. Call Michelle at 574-232-9986, or visit feed indiana dot org. With 42 $50 donors, that school is back on board, and the kids will have food to take home again. We'll have details soon on a chance to stuff the bags with us at a volunteer event.

Hear all about this on the usPod under "Food For Kids". - - - - >

Today's Wednesday Weather Kid From Meijer: Nicholas

Nine year-old Nicholas, a BIIIIIG Classic Rock Fan (dazzled us in-studio with his knowledge) pulled off the first-ever Live Wednesday Weather Kid Forecast (hear it at the end of his interview on the usPod)
Your kid could be the next winner from Meijer! Find out how at WAOR.com!

School Delays Due To The Fog This Morning

Click for the list of affected schools from WNDU

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Press Box/WAOR Dart League, Week Five

Barb & Doug, shortly before they utterly destroyed us. On Flickr, in fact, I said Barb unhinged her jaw shortly after this picture was taken so she could devour us. (Just kidding, Barb, you know we love you...)
But we had a good time losing (as usual) and Craig and I each stole one game in the course of the evening. Click The Mighty Barb And Doug for more pictures on the WAOR stream...

Love Week, Part 3: Love Of Unhealthy Food

Author Hank Cardello...who knows the inner-workings of food and beverage marketing...places the blame on our unhealthy eating habits on "the bottom dollar". He'll explain Thursday morning at 7 on our show.

Tuesday Rock Roundup

Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer will be the first member of the band to write an autobiography. Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top will be published by Harper One in June. Kramer writes about such topics as his bout with and recovery from drug abuse, his fight against depression, and his having endured physical and emotional abuse as a kid. Aerosmith's autobiography, Walk This Way, was published in 1997.

Joey's band, meanwhile, have hired Brendan O'Brien to produce their next album. The plan is to start recording in the spring and be done in time for the band to launch a North American tour on June 1st. Aerosmith has never worked with O'Brien before, he's the man who produced Bruce Springsteen's Working on a Dream and AC/DC's Black Ice. He's also worked the board for Bob Dylan, Stone Temple Pilots and Rage Against the Machine...and he's doing the new Pearl Jam album soon. This will be Aerosmith's first album of original material since Just Push Play in 2001.

Lynyrd Skynyrd will continue on despite the death last month of piano player Billy Powell. Though the band hasn't named a replacement, concert promoter Live Nation confirms that the band's European tour, scheduled for May, will go ahead as planned. A spokesman for the band was unavailable for comment. Powell died on January 28th at his home in suburban Jacksonville, Florida, from what appears to have been a heart attack. He was 56.

The Recording Academy failed, by the way, to acknowledge the recent deaths of both Powell and Buffalo Springfield drummer Dewey Martin during the "in memoriam" segment of the Grammy Awards Sunday night in Los Angeles. But Kid Rock did mention Powell before doing a snippet of "All Summer Long," which samples Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama."

A group of Beatles fans plan to connect via social networking website Twitter on Thursday. Fab Four fans will converge on 170 sites around the world for the first-ever Twestival. There they'll network online with fans in the other cities all while raising money for clean water programs in third-world countries. One of the 170 sites will be the Beatles Revolution Lounge in the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. Event organizer William Crozer tells the Las Vegas Sun, "Social tweet-ups like this are a great way to meet the faces behind the avatars while raising money for a good cause."

Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder surprised his fellow Cubs fantasy campers recently when he joined them for the camp's karaoke night at the Best Western Dobson Ranch Inn in Mesa, Arizona. Vedder sang U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name," a duet with a fellow camper on "I Got You Babe" and a take on The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" he dubbed "Yellow Cubmarine." Videos of all three songs popped up on YouTube. Vedder knew he was being filmed, as he turned to the bank of camera phones at one point, smiled and gave them the finger.

NEW RELEASES:

Van Morrison Astral Weeks Live CD
Motorhead is releasing four remastered classic albums: Ace Of Spades, Bomber, Iron Fist, and Overkill
Paul's Boutique (20th Anniversary Edition) by Beastie Boys CD
Live Bootleg Series, Vol. 4 (remastered) by Johnny Winter CD
Stems and Seeds by Ben Folds CD
Nights in Rodanthe ~ Richard Gere, et al. (DVD - 2009)
The Inauguration of Barack Obama on CNN (DVD - 2009)
60 Minutes Presents: Obama: All Access - Barack Obama's Road to the White House ~ Steve Kroft, et al. (DVD - 2009)
W. (Widescreen) ~ Josh Brolin DVD
Miracle at St Anna (Widescreen Edition) ~ Miracle at St. Anna (DVD - 2009)
Tales from the Darkside: The First Season DVD
Amadeus (Blu-ray Book) [Blu-ray]

Monday, February 09, 2009

On The (Who's) Next Vinyl Monday...

We've been doing Vinyl Monday since September 10th of 2007 according to my notes...and we've NEVER done a Who album? WTF? Well, on Monday, we'll fix that:


After the huge success of Tommy, and the Live At Leeds album, Pete Townsend envisioned the biggest undertaking ever: the ambitious Lifehouse project. But his vision for it was impossible to pull off, and the rock opera dissolved, leaving him a mess and the rest of the band afraid for his sanity. Some of the songs intended for the project ended up on the brilliant Who's Next, in '71.

This album is among the first to embrace synthesizers, and really make them work in rock. Both sides are amazing, but I decided to go with Side Two:

Getting In Tune
Going Mobile
Behind Blue Eyes
Won't Get Fooled Again

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Politico 44 President's Calendar

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Love Week, Part Two

Tuesday morning, we'll be talking a little love with author Dr. John Gray.

Perhaps you've heard of his book.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Love Week, Part One

Cindi Sansone-Braff: The Romance Whisperer, will be our guest on the phone Monday morning at 7:30 to kick off Love Week on the Tommie & The Bartender Show.

She'll talk about Valentine's Day, and how important Romance is to our relationships. And how it gets pushed to the wayside from time to time.

She's the author of Grant Me A Higher Love.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Lux Interior Dead At 60

Turns out life indeed IS "short, and filled with stuff..."
A punk rock icon from my teenage years is gone. Lux and his band The Cramps were the first to really fold Alice Cooper-like horror into punk. Kids who love Marylin Manson owe Lux a big thanks. But The Cramps were deeper than that, and I wore out two tapes of Bad Music For Bad People in the late '80s.
Here’s a clip of The Cramps, from the early days in the '70s, playing at Napa State Mental Hospital. And yes, those are actual patients wandering among the band.


R.I.P., Lux

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Twitter hate...

Shameless Plug for Tommie's Book Club at Hammes Notre Dame

Step 1: Go to The Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore in the Eck Center on the campus of Notre Dame.
Step 2: Save 20% off the price of the Tommie's Book Club book for February..."Then We Came To The End" by Joshua Ferris.
Step 3: Get a nifty little bookmark while you're at it. That's free.
Step 4: Read it and laugh. A lot.
Step 5: Tell your friends to do the same.
Step 6: Join us for the book discussion at the end of the month, or share your opinions early at WAOR.COM.
Step 7: Repeat every month this year with different books.

oh yeah: Step 8: Don't lose the book for four days, like I did. You'll fall behind.

Sneak Peek

We just talked about this cover on the air: we're giving copies of this book away next Thursday when we talk to the author, Hank Cardello. But for now: we're digging the States of the Union Done In Various Foods idea...

This Morning's Concert Announcement

Yeah baby! Two great midwestern classic rockers sharing the Morris stage March 27th! Tickets for Styx & Kansas go on sale on Valentine's Day at 10am at the Morris Box Office, and at http://www.morriscenter.org.

We must arm ourselves against the Swiss Menace!

...A spokesman for the Liechtenstein authorities said: "It's not like they invaded with attack helicopters."...

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

This Week's Wednesday Weather Kid from Meijer: Ethan

Five year-old Ethan rocked the house this morning...hear it on the usPod.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Did The Boss Rip-Off Kiss?

In case you haven't heard, there's been some debate over the similarities between "Outlaw Pete," the lead track on Bruce Springsteen's new album, Working on a Dream, and "I Was Made for Lovin' You," from KISS's 1979 album Dynasty. There are similarities in the chord progressions and melody. Spokespeople for Springsteen and KISS were unavailable for comment. Hear 20 seconds of both on the usPod and see what YOU think - - - - >

Tuesday Rock Roundup

When Van Halen reunited with David Lee Roth in 2007, Roth said, "The idea is that this will continue on and on and we're all together with this..." Apparently Eddie Van Halen is on the same page. He tells Spinner magazine, "Dave, Wolfie, Alex and I are a band. I hope that after Janie and I get married [in June], and Wolfie graduates [from high school], that we sit down and discuss recording new music, which I have tons of. Actually, Wolfie, Alex, and I are gonna start jamming [this month]. Maybe we'll give Dave a call and see what he's up to. He's off, always doing his own thing, and he checks in every now and then to see how we're doing." Van Halen's last album with Roth was 1984. Alex Van Halen...an ordained minister...will preside over the wedding of Eddie and his girlfriend.
The 51st annual Grammy Awards are this Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Among the classic rock nominees are the Eagles, Robert Plant, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, David Gilmour, Peter Gabriel, AC/DC, The Who, Rush, Judas Priest, Motley Crue and Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart.
Jimmy Page's solo in "Stairway to Heaven" is the best ever, according to Guitar World magazine. Page has three solos on the list -- the other two are "Heartbreaker" at #16 and "Whole Lotta Love" at #38. At number-two is Eddie Van Halen and his fancy fret work on "Eruption," followed by the dueling solos of Allen Collins and Gary Rossington on Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird." Jimi Hendrix has the most solos on the list with four.
Last year, the UK's English Heritage society decided not to honor the late Who drummer Keith Moon with a blue plaque -- placed on buildings the honorees are connected with -- because "further time should be allowed to pass so he can be considered alongside his contemporaries."So in March, the Heritage Foundation will honor him with a plaque in front of the Marquee Club, where the Who did some of their early shows, 29 in all. The plaque will be unveiled by Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey on March 8th.
In case you haven't heard, there's been some debate over the similarities between "Outlaw Pete," the lead track on Bruce Springsteen's new album, Working on a Dream, and "I Was Made for Lovin' You," from KISS's 1979 album Dynasty. There are similarities in the chord progressions and melody. Spokespeople for Springsteen and KISS were unavailable for comment. Hear 20 seconds of both on the usPod and see what YOU think...
Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens died fifty years ago this early morning in the plane crash referred to as The Day The Music Died.
A helicopter carrying Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee was forced to land at California's Van Nuys Airport Sunday after it flew too close to a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter over Glendale. The pilot told cops he was drinking. I won't even get on a helicopter that's on the ground.
Jon Bon Jovi has been elected to the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on May 3rd at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. Last year's inaugural class included Bruce Springsteen.
Dave Davies of The Kinks is 62 today.
NEW RELEASES:
Graham Nash releases a career-spanning box set today. Reflections is a 3-disc set that covers his entire recording career -- from The Hollies through various Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young lineups, to his solo work. Nash says: "It was an interesting journey to plot... I had a good time. I think if you listen to this and read the book you'll find out a lot about me." There are 64 songs, half of which are unreleased mixes, alternate versions and unreleased tracks. There is also a 150-page booklet with 75 photos and liner notes by Nash.
Ted Nugent is re-releasing six of his albums today.
A couple of kid movies are hitting DVD today: Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa (Widescreen) and Space Buddies, which seems to be about puppy astronauts.
The first 3 Friday the 13th movies are being re-released, along with a new 30-year retrospective about the Jason Franchise called His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIV DVD including the classic "Manhunt In Space"

Monday, February 02, 2009

Tommie's Science Corner - Immortal Jellyfish

(from Telegraph.co.uk)

The Turritopsis Nutricula is able to revert back to a juvenile form once it mates after becoming sexually mature.
Marine biologists say the jellyfish numbers are rocketing because they need not die.
Dr Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute said: "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion."
The jellyfish are originally from the Caribbean but have spread all over the world.
Turritopsis Nutricula is technically known as a hydrozoan and is the only known animal that is capable of reverting completely to its younger self.
It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation.
Scientists believe the cycle can repeat indefinitely, rendering it potentially immortal.
While most members of the jellyfish family usually die after propagating, the Turritopsis nutricula has developed the unique ability to return to a polyp state. Having stumbled upon the font of eternal youth, this tiny creature which is just 5mm long is the focus of many intricate studies by marine biologists and geneticists to see exactly how it manages to literally reverse its aging process.

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