Neil Young is surely one of the patron saints of just about all of the music that we love most, so it’s only right to celebrate his birthday and his return to town this week. Tonight, a dive into Neil’s catalogue with some great covers of his classics, as well as a bit of ol’ Shakey himself. And how could we not get excited about a show where the opening acts are Los Lobos and The Sadies? This is a roots rockin’ good time.
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Winter just arrived, but we’re already thinking about getting away, so a couple of musical trips today to Australia and Minneapolis, as well as some amazing new music and a couple of birthday dedications.
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Pledge-O-Rama is behind us, so it’s time to get back to what we do best – playing great new music, telling you about upcoming shows, and spinning some classics along the way.
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It’s UMFM’s first Pledge-O-Rama, so this week, instead of giving to you by sharing great music and information, we’re looking for you to give something back by phoning in a pledge to help the station. In exchange, we’ve got plenty of great prizes and incentives to give away. And, best of all, we’ve got Del Barber and his band live in the studio to perform!
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Upcoming shows, new music, and a tribute to the West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg’s music venue of choice for 25 years!
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Pre-recorded today, but we’ve got plenty of great upcoming shows to talk about, including the return of CR Avery, the long-awaited return of Matt Mays, and a show tonight featuring one of our favourites, Sunparlour Players! The version of this show that aired on UMFM contained an interview with Andrew & Rosie of Sunparlour Players, so the last half hour of this podcast is a download exclusive.
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Just like that wise poet once said, “Everything I Do, I Do It for You.” We at UMFM try very hard each and every day to give a lot to our listeners and our community. We provide a lot of services and support to local musicians, venues, and festivals. We also try to give everyone the best listening experience. Where else can you drop by and meet your favourite host, make requests and have them played right away (or, in the case of my shows, 3 weeks later…), or sit in and co-host a show? How many other stations would give a joker like me the opportunity to be on the air for over a decade, twice a week, every week?
We do it all for you, and we don’t expect ANYTHING in return. We’re always there for you, free of charge and ready to help. Any time. It’s what we do, and we’ll keep on doing it.
YOU DO NOT OWE US A THING for these services!
However… if those services, that personal touch, that commitment to quality, and that tireless devotion means something to you, here’s your chance to show your appreciation. YOU DON’T HAVE TO. But, if you can help us out this week, it would go a long way to helping us to be better and feel connected to you and strengthen our resolve to be bigger and better and to find new ways to serve you and our community.
EVERY DONATION HELPS! Yeah, we like to give out lots of stuff to those who give lots, but ANYONE can help at ANY amount. If you give even $1 to UMFM, it shows that you care enough to make that call and that you care enough to give, and that is REALLY APPRECIATED!
IF you feel like helping us out or showing that we mean something to you, this is the time. Here are the ways:
http://tellthebandtogohome.com/music-angels/
Secure online donation form: http://www.umfm.com/info/donate/
204-474-6610
pledge@umfm.com
Check out some amazing new incentives: http://www.umfm.com/news/page/1
And some really cool online auctions to support Pledge-O-Rama:
Canadian Indie Music 2CD Sampler 1989: http://bit.ly/Indie89
Colin James DVD & signed original script: http://bit.ly/CJDUDVD
Stan Rogers signed CBC cheque stub: http://bit.ly/SRCBCauto
If you’re not convinced to support us yet, consider the following:
I hope that somewhere along the line, I’ve introduced you to an artist, an album, or a song that really moved you and really mattered to you. If you appreciate that, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
If you first heard Willie P Bennett or Del Barber or Christina Martin or Townes Van Zandt for the first time on my show, you’re welcome. If you’re glad to have those musicians and songs in your life, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
If you just appreciate the fact that there is a place where those amazing songs and songwriters can get played on the radio, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
If one of my shows made you laugh, taught you something new, helped you through a difficult time, or just entertained you while you were gardening, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
If you’ve used my websites to keep apprised of upcoming events, download a show, find something out, or just browse around, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
I put on some amazing house concerts. Whether you’ve come to one or not yet, and you appreciate the opportunity to see great artists up close and personal, to get to know them and share some food and fellowship with them, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
If you’ve come to one of those shows and enjoyed the food and beverages that we provide to you, FREE, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
If you’ve ever tasted Jaine’s famous brownies or her specialty homemade ice cream, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
You know those “Best of” compilations that I’ve been working so hard on and handing out for 10 years? Have you ever had to pay for one of those? Nope, and you never will. If you appreciate those, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
If you’ve ever won tickets or a CD or some other kind of prize and really enjoyed getting that for free, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
I’ve made so many great friends through this show, and I think that we’ve paired up plenty of other folks with like-minded music lovers. If you’ve connected with someone at one of my house concerts or through the show, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
I’ve been on the air, giving up my Sunday afternoons AND Thursday (and previously Monday) evenings for over a decade. I’ve missed out on shows, events, and most importantly, quality time with my wonderful family. If you appreciate those efforts, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
We often have amazing musicians live in our studio to talk and perform. If you appreciate the opportunity to hear great artists in an intimate, engaging, and interactive environment, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
Every artist has to start somewhere. In order to grow as an artist and find support, music needs to be heard and encouraged. We provide one of the most direct and easiest ways for beginning artists to nurture their talents and get the word out. We expose new artists to an eager and willing audience. We’ve helped build the careers of many people who have gone on to bigger and better things. Whether you’re an artist or not, if you appreciate those efforts, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
We now have a “live band room,” where local artists can come in and use professional facilities to record a demo or just hone their craft for a very, very reasonable price; it’s a lot cheaper than buying the software and equipment yourself and MUCH more reasonable than booking a “real” recording studio. If having that opportunity in our community means something to you, as it does to a lot of musicians, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
We nurture local music by putting on concerts and events, supporting concerts and events, providing feedback and support, and just spreading the good word. If that sounds like a good thing to continue doing, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
We get a LOT of CDs in the mail. Every one comes in an envelope that would normally just get thrown away. Did you know that we save those things and that local artists can come and pick those up and reuse those envelopes, thus saving them a HUGE cost? Did you know that by reusing those things, we divert (or at least delay) those things from reaching landfill? If that sounds like something you encourage, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
Did you know that we do mailouts of local music? Local artists can bring in copies of their album and we will mail it out to other stations across Canada. We have a relationship with other stations, so we can get the music into the right hands and we’ve built up enough trust that we can ensure that it will get listened to and played. We do the work and we pick up the cost. If that sounds like a noble effort, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
WE DO NOT PLAY CLASSIC ROCK! How many other stations in Winnipeg can say that! We don’t play the same tired hits over and over and over again! We offer true alternative music, instead of rolling out the same tired playlist. If having the opportunity to hear new music means something to you, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
All of our shows are programmed by people in our community who are passionate and committed. Our hosts are NOT told what they have to play. Our station is NOT programmed by some service in Toronto! We don’t program certain music at certain times to maximize the impact. If you appreciate music and talk brought to you by REAL people who REALLY care, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
Our station is NON-PROFIT! There is nobody getting rich at UMFM. We have TWO employees who work really, really hard to keep the station running. It’s a tireless job, and they’ve been doing it well for YEARS. Those two hard-working people earn less money than I do, and they work long hours and take very little time off. If you want to applaud their efforts, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
Jared likes to give me grief. If you appreciate someone doing that (as I do), please support Pledge-O-Rama.
I screw up a lot and do a lot of stupid things (just ask my family.) There have been so many times when I’ve made a huge mistake and Jared has come to the rescue or (eventually) forgiven me and allowed me to keep going, knowing that I’m likely to do it (or something worse) again! If you appreciate a good guy like that, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
I remember the day in 1998 when I first turned my dial to 101.5 fm and found something new, something interesting, something challenging, something different. I found a place where I didn’t have to hear the same tired hits all day, every day. I found real people who inspired me, amazed me, frustrated me, educated me. It was so unlike everything I’d grown up with on the radio. If you remember that day or just don’t want to know what life is like without truly alternative radio, please support Pledge-O-Rama.
If you want me to stop thinking up reasons to support Pledge-O-Rama and get back to doing all of the other important things that I’ve been neglecting, please support Pledge-O-Rama!
In short, PLEASE SUPPORT PLEDGE-O-RAMA!!!
http://tellthebandtogohome.com/music-angels/
Secure online donation form: http://www.umfm.com/info/donate/
204-474-6610
pledge@umfm.com
Canadian Indie Music 2CD Sampler 1989: http://bit.ly/Indie89
Colin James DVD & signed original script: http://bit.ly/CJDUDVD
Stan Rogers signed CBC cheque stub: http://bit.ly/SRCBCauto
The short sell:
UMFM’s Pledge-O-Rama is on NOW! For the next week, we’re looking for a little love from our listeners to help us to continue to put on the best possible programming. We have a modest goal that we must meet. We really could use your support:
http://tellthebandtogohome.com/music-angels/
Secure online donation form: http://www.umfm.com/info/donate/
204-474-6610
Check out some amazing new incentives: http://www.umfm.com/news/page/1
And some really cool online auctions to support Pledge-O-Rama:
Canadian Indie Music 2CD Sampler 1989: http://bit.ly/Indie89
Colin James DVD & signed original script: http://bit.ly/CJDUDVD
Stan Rogers signed CBC cheque stub: http://bit.ly/SRCBCauto
This Sunday, Oct. 21, live, in-studio, our most played local artists in history, NATHAN!
Thursday, Oct. 25, live, in-studio, DEL BARBER and his BAND!
The full story:
I like to support a lot of good causes. I’m a do-gooder. I’ve sold hundreds of pounds of beef to send a kid to Churchill, raised dough for my school in all kinds of weird ways, and I even rode a bike to Gimli and back to raise money for the MS Society, five times! I believe in all of those good causes and more, and I put my money where my mouth is.
But no cause has ever gripped my heart and soul like this one. The radio station that has given so much to me over the past 12 years or so needs a little bit of help, and damn it, I’ll move hell and high water to do what I can for the cause.
You see, I’d dreamed of being on the radio since I was a kid, listening to Howard Mandshein introduce me to amazing new music and talk to famous people. I never even thought that I’d someday be his sidekick on the radio. UMFM gave me that opportunity, and so much more.
It sounds stupid, I know, but this volunteer gig has changed my life forever in so many different ways. My family will always be first and foremost in my life, but I have to tell you, there are times when even they take a back seat to my role at UMFM. Doing these shows is something that I’m more passionate about than I could have ever imagined.
I’m a guy who gets bored pretty easily – for most of my life, I never kept a job, a relationship, an address, a vehicle, nothing for more than about 5 years at a time. But 12 years into my time at UMFM, I love it more and more every day, and I’ve never for a moment considered what life would be like without it. I spend most of my time thinking about what I’m going to play and talk about on my next show. I spend too much money on music for the shows. I spend way too much time researching, planning, promoting, and archiving my shows. It’s consuming, but never a chore; in fact, the more I do it, the more I want to do more with it. I’m hooked, and I’ve got it bad.
And it’s because of people like you. As a kid, I was a real loner, very few friends, didn’t have much to say, never wanting to be the centre of attention. I was that guy that you never knew existed in school. I was nobody.
But when I got to UMFM, I suddenly felt like somebody. There were all of these people, many of whom were even nerdier than me. I could sit and talk about music with people who understood and appreciated what I had to say. I got to sit across a desk from my idol Howard for years, and he regularly asked ME to jump in on an interview with some of the most famous and admired musicians in the world.
And that was just the beginning. In 2002, I inherited the Sunday afternoon slot from Lisa-Marie Serafin’s Songwriters’ Circle. I know that truly, Jeremy gets the title, but I kind of feel like Tell the Band to Go Home is my first born. Yeah, I stole a lot from Lisa-Marie, Howard, and a wee bit here and there from Stu Reid (please don’t tell him I said that), but it’s something that I felt was my own, and something that I was and still am insanely proud of and forever committed to.
It’s given me so many incredible opportunities. I got to be the manager/publicist for Easily Amused (which I sucked at, so they don’t talk to me to this day!), I got to organize incredible benefit shows for JP Hoe and The Times Change(d). I got to nervously introduce The Sadies at a sold out Pyramid show. I got to drive the Wailin’ Jennys’ tour bus and create a multi-media presentation for their CD release show. I got to host a stage at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and lots of shows at The West End Cultural Centre. I even had a song written about me (it’s been a while since we played the classic “Jeff Robson Brings Bruce Springsteen to Winnipeg!”)
And that brings me to you, my friend in music. Ron from Lockport is one such devoted character who’s become a friend and so much more (he spent Christmas morning with us last year, and donated the weird and wonderful items we’re auctioning off on eBay), then there’s Allison Green, the longest-standing, most devoted and passionate supporter any musician or music-lovin’ radio dude could wish for, of course there’s Big D, our Canadian music loving German superfan, Boyd & Jean, Zenon & Melissa, Rob & Laura, and so many others who have become true friends. For a guy who has never had many “real” friends, it’s incredible to think that I’m so closely connected with so many amazing people.
And the musicians! I truly believe that Del Barber and Christina Martin are among the finest songwriters in the world today, and they’re my friends. I can call them and count on them. I get to meet my heroes (even cranky Colin Hay and mumblin’ Martin Tielli), and I get to help hand out Canadian Folk Music Awards and Junos.
Me!
And it’s all thanks to a radio show with a goofy name. And there are dozens of incredible radio shows with goofy names on UMFM. All of them are programmed by passionate nerds like me. Each and every host treats their show like it’s an important member of the family (well, most of them, anyway…) We all work hard because it matters so much to us.
But it wouldn’t matter at all without you. Each of us has had that experience where we’ve heard some amazing music or an intelligent idea that really moved us somehow, and we want to provide those moments for you. We want to entertain you, educate you, humour you, inspire you, move you, and occasionally, anger you. We could easily sit and make mixed tapes for ourselves, but it’s so much more fun to connect with you and get you involved.
Pledge-O-Rama is your chance to get directly involved and take ownership of these shows and this station. No, you can’t actually buy Jared’s desk, but this week, we’ll let you name it! This is the point where we really need your help, and we really want to know that you think we’re important.
We don’t have to be your whole world, and you don’t have to pay the bills single-handedly. As much as it would make our lives so much simpler to find one rich benefactor willing to give us $20,000, it’s so much more fun and important to get lots of great people involved. I’d much rather have 20,000 people pay $1 each than have a big corporation give us the amount we’re looking for. To know that you think we’re worthy of some of your hard-earned money is huge reward, and it motivates us going forward.
If we’ve done something good for you, as you’ve done for us, we really would appreciate hearing from you this week. I know that some of you are shy and don’t like to call in all the time, but if just this once, you phoned and said that you were out there, and especially if you were willing to make a donation, HOWEVER SMALL, it would mean a lot.
Sure, we’ve got big prizes to thank folks who can afford to give us more. Honestly, it helps a lot to get those big ones, but for me, if you’re willing to give us $5 or $2 or just phone and say that you’re out there, that’s what I’m really hoping to get out of this week. I would love to know that UMFM matters to you. It means everything to me.
I’ll be down at UMFM answering phones on Saturday during my mentor and old friend John Prentice’s fine show, Planet Mainstage, and I’ll sit around on Sunday night during the great block of roots shows that follows TTBTGH. I’ll stay late on Thursday after Free Range Radio, and I’d love it if you called and showed your support for one of those great hosts and said hi to me. Of course, I’d love it a little more if you called in during one of my shows. TTBTGH has received overwhelming support in pre-pledging action. Steel Belted Radio could use a little love…
Thanks for reading this insane manifesto. Thanks for the encouragement and support over the years. Thanks for being my friend. And thanks so much for helping out UMFM’s Pledge-O-Rama. Let’s hug.
Operators are standing by:
204-474-6610
http://www.umfm.com/info/donate/
Jeff Robson
host of:
Tell the Band to Go Home
Sundays, 2-4 pm central
www.tellthebandtogohome.com
Steel Belted Radio
Thursdays, 6:30 – 8 pm central
www.steelbeltedradio.com
CJUM 101.5 UMFM
Winnipeg, Manitoba
www.umfm.com
It’s a “new music and upcoming shows” kind of day, with plenty of both.
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As usual tonight, we’ve got new music and upcoming shows to hype, but it isn’t every week that we’re joined by guests as lovely and talented as Andrea Romalo and Cindy Doire, otherwise known as Scarlett Jane. They’re in Manitoba for a Home Routes tour, and they kicked it all off with a visit to the studio for a chat and some live music!
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