The Cosmic Beatles

Sunday December 2^nd, 2012 – Kenosha, WI

   I am thoroughly pleased with the remarkable amount of positive progress that has been made in regards to ‘The Mothership Connection’ radio show on AM 1050 WLIP this year. We have made a noticeable leap forward in consistency and quality of product, and I intend for that to continue.

A major reason for it is the competence and cohesive chemistry of the others on the show along with me. After almost five years of trial and error, I feel we’ve got “the band” together and could really take this whole thing to a higher level. Exactly where and how to do that is unclear, but we definitely do have the pieces in place to make it happen. I’d love to be able to develop it further.

Our show is a unique hybrid. It’s kind of a cross between ‘Coast To Coast AM’ and a morning show, and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of the team. We’re getting consistently solid guests – many of whom have been on Coast To Coast or network television. We treat everyone with nothing but respect, and word has gotten out that we’re the fun show to do so guests are now approaching us.

This is exactly how I pictured it to be when the show started in March of 2008. Everything was different then, from the host lineup to the time we were on the air. It seems ridiculous now, but at first we were on the air from 1 to 3pm. Nobody wants to hear about werewolves or flying saucers when the sun is up, and we were so new that filling two full hours every week had its challenges.

We eventually got on at night where we belong, and two hours stretched to three and now four as it has been or a couple of years now. Cast members came and went, and some have come back on more than one occasion. I’m sure it’s a lot like the evolution of a typical band, but now we’re ready to be The Beatles. I can feel this is by far the best lineup we’ve ever had, and it’s exciting!

My immediate co-host is Greg DeGuire, aka ‘Ubergeek’. I say that with total respect, as he has an unbelievably diverse range of paranormal topics he can go off on and be fascinating about for hours. He knows amazing in depth information on everything from the Kennedy assassination to Star Wars to Star Trek to 9/11. He’s a walking conspiracy theory. I couldn’t find a better copilot.

Scott Markus is living in L.A. now, but he’s been back on the show a lot of late. He’s an author, film maker and truly talented on many levels. He fits right in, and is a welcome cog in the wheel. His website is www.whatsyourghoststory.com and he always adds to the mix when he’s with us.

Mary Marshall is a perfect fit as well. Her website is www.theparanormalmd.com and she does paranormal investigations and teaches classes about it at Harper College in Palatine, IL. She’s on when her schedule allows, but always brings something of interest to the table whenever that is.

Dave Hendrickson a.k.a. ‘The Two Bit Guru’ is our newest member, but I’ve known Dave for 30 years. He’s very spiritual and has always been into subjects that fit perfectly on the show. His website is www.twobitguru.com and his webmaster Nate Kroll is working on a site for the show. We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but at least the main players are in place. Join us on a Sunday from 8pm to midnight Central Time at www.wlip.com/listenlive. The Mothership is flying high!

Advertisement

Sunday Night Fever

Sunday April 4th, 2010 – Kenosha, WI

If there’s a  better way to spend four hours on Sunday evenings than talking on the radio about UFO abductions, ghost hauntings, time travel, crop circles, pyramid power, ancient civilizations, conspiracy theories and zombies – I sure haven’t found it. I really love being on the air with The Mothership Connection on AM 1050 WLIP in Kenosha, WI. It’s fun.

This was our second week of stretching out to four hours, and I must admit at first I was a little concerned about filling that much time and making it flow. We aced it both weeks, and I’m no longer worried in the least. In fact, we had to squeeze to pack everything in.

The show is getting better because I’ve made it a point to try to make it better. Co-hosts come and go for various reasons, but never because they’re dissatisfied with the show. I’ll take at least some of the credit for that because I make the vibe laid back and fun, unlike a lot of radio people who don’t want anyone to be funnier or more prominent than they are.

I’m just the opposite. I’m the daddy driving the station wagon full of people, but I let all the passengers participate in the conversation. I know where I’m headed, and all the other people are coming along for a fun ride. It’s worked out great so far and should continue.

I like having a woman in the mix for many reasons. It splits up the testosterone and also provides another viewpoint with a recognizable voice. Diane Ebert works at sister station 102.3 XLC in Waukegan but she has three jobs and is overworked at the moment. She’s a very good co-host but needs to take a little time off to recharge her batteries. I understand.

She said she wants to come back and I’m sure she will but tonight Grey Dolan slid in to  that spot seamlessly. She’s been a guest on the show and adds to the mix quite nicely in a totally different way. It’s amazing how any time someone has moved on, another has been waiting in the wings and steps right in. If the rest of my life worked this easy, I’d be set.

Joey O’Shey has really stepped up to the plate as well. He did radio in Boston for years and understands how the radio game works. He’s been showing up and adding to what’s happening and together with Gary Pansch we’ve got a very solid core to work with every week. Then we add guests and callers and it’s a blast and a half packed into four hours.

One of our former co-hosts Scott Markus is out in Los Angeles because he got a job out there, but I’d love to get him back into the mix. He’s up for it, now I have to find a way to fit him in. He adds a lot because he has a book called “Voices From The Chicago Grave”, and he knows a lot of people in the horror movie industry too. He covers a lot of ground.

We’ve been banging these shows out for just over two years now, and I’m just now at a point where I’m feeling good enough to start promoting it. The people around me are very competent and the shows get better and better. The topics are interesting and I know there is an audience for this. I think it’s on the internet, but the station streams so we’re in good shape there. It’s http://www.wlip.com in case you ever feel like listening on a Sunday evening.

Mothership Maintenance

Tuesday March 23rd, 2010 – Lake Villa, IL

Sometimes I look at all the projects I have going on and I see a whole lot of similarities between that and the process of raising children. Some of them share the same things, but most are very different from each other. I totally love each in their own way, but I have to treat them all as individuals and judge each situation that comes up on it’s own merits.

Today the Mothership Connection radio show on AM 1050 WLIP in Kenosha, WI was what won out for my attention. I’ve stuck with that project over two years now, and that’s the longest I’ve ever lasted on any show I’ve been involved with on the air. I really love it and the little voice inside my head tells me it’s time to devote more time and energy to it.

Since my own resources are stretched pretty thin, I need to delegate tasks to the regulars who keep showing up each week. We’ve got a solid core of quality people and if I put the word out that I need help, I know they’ll all rise to the occasion and make it happen. I feel a very positive vibe from everyone involved, but the show needs to have a total overhaul.

Joey O’Shey has been a very welcome addition, mainly because he’s been on a big time morning show in Boston for years. He understands the concepts of preparation and pacing and his energy on air fits in perfectly with the others in the studio. Diane Ebert has been a radio pro for years and she handles the phones and also takes care of all the social media.

Gary Pansch has really stepped up to the plate. He’s always been very quiet off the mic, but when that red light comes on he’s right there. His weekly ‘Mothership Hall Of Fame’ feature showcases a weekly kook from either past or present and he’s made it his own.

There are several others who drift in and out when they can like Dr. Destruction who’s a TV horror host of a show called “The Crimson Theatre”. He’s a local icon and is a true artist in every sense of the word. I always love having him in, and he shows up whenever it fits his schedule. No pressure either way, and it works. That’s how the whole show is.

Grey Dolan and Shelley Maas Hernandez are former comedy students and they show up when they can too, as do several of my co-hosts like Scott Markus and Lara Shaffer. They are both off doing other projects, but when they’re in town they know they can show up at the studio and I’ll put them on the air. It’s a nice relaxed feeling that’s very rare in radio.

George Clinton created his own situation in the ‘70s with Parliament/Funkadelic. That’s who did the album ‘Mothership Connection’, which is where I got the name for the show and use it as a tribute. George oversaw everyone and had the vision but the musicians put the work in to make it pop. Together they created a whole better than the sum of the parts.

That’s the goal here too and I don’t think it’s that far away. The on air part sounds great, but things like a total website update and coordination of guests and weekly promos and a mailing list and podcast all need to be addressed and put in place. Like a child, this is part of growing up. The Mothership Connection is reaching puberty. It’s a whole new galaxy.