I got an email from KickStarter yesterday and the campaign was awarded the very coveted, A Project We Love! For those unaware, last years KickStarter campaign was A Project We Love, so when I launched this year, I wondered if this campaign would be awarded it again. Yes!
Congratulations! We’ve selected Memphis Weirdos Gets Weirder as a “Project We Love,” which is our way of highlighting brilliant examples of creativity. You’ll see a badge under your main image or project video, and we’ll feature your campaign across Kickstarter.
A Project We Love
Does this mean Memphis Weirdos will get funded? No, it doesn’t. I think it helps and will reach people who aren’t aware of the project. But there is still a lot of work to do. But for now, I wanted to share the great news and thank the people who have backed so far. I have roughly $1,700 to go with 25 days left.
Two years ago on this date, Memphis Weirdos hit the air via shortwave for the first time! It was fascinating because I got to hear the transmission in Memphis, which brings up a point. Memphis Weirdos is not curated for a Memphis audience, but rather an international audience.
The first song I played was a Cramps cover by Memphis band, SuperLo, featuring Klitz founding member, Marcia Clifton on drums and vocals. For the first year, the broadcast lasted 30 minutes a week, every Sunday at 2000 UTC on 15770 kHz. It was popular and a year later with a lot of support, I was able to increase the broadcast to an hour.
I’ve sent Memphis Weirdos QSL’s to Japan and all over Europe. I’ve sent a handful to North America. People listen to Memphis Weirdos. We are everywhere. At the end of 2021, I was able to add an additional 30 minutes on 7730 kHz at 2130 UTC, which is dedicated to our local hard rock scene.
I don’t play this music from a historic standpoint, but rather as a fan. There are instances where I site historical facts because I was witness to or involved. But then again, I throw out opinions from time to time, which come off as facts. Its human.
If you are a long time listener and supporter of Memphis Weirdos, then you know I am getting ready for another KickStarter campaign in hopes to secure operating costs for another broadcast year. I will post the link to that when its available. In the meantime, I want to recognize a few entities who went above and beyond to help keep Memphis Weirdos on the air, my Executive Producers, Omnivore Recordings and Mike De Mita. I can’t thank them enough for their support this past year. Memphis Weirdos would not be broadcasting without them. I also want to thank Jeff White and all at WRMI for letting me do this. And I want to thank you for listening. I love the music we make in our city. Regarding popular culture, Memphis is it. Musically speaking, there is not a more influential city in the world than Memphis, Tennessee.
Alan Hayes passed away this morning after a gallant fight with cancer. He was perhaps best known as a member of Memphis post punk, new wave band, Calculated X. I was just over at his home last year for a visit. An avid biker, we talked about cycling more than music. We swapped merchandise, I left him with some Memphis Weirdos stuff and I left with a Calculated X shirt. To date, I’ve gotten one report for Japan, a man named Hirokazu Mitsumoto. He wrote to tell me his favorite song from a show was 4 Windows, by Calculated X.
I think about letting the sunset on Memphis Weirdos from time to time, then I remember events like that and how happy it made Alan. I hate that he had to deal with cancer at the end of his life. In the same regards, I am glad he is free. Memphis is a better places because of him. I know his family and those closer will miss him. May his memory always be a blessing.
I talked to the radio station yesterday and we are good to go until the end of July 2022. Between now and then I will go about raising funds to keep Memphis Weirdos on shortwave. Last year, 40+ supporters took Memphis Weirdos from an obscure 30 minute weekly broadcast to an hour long an hour broadcast.
It is still obscure, because Memphis Weirdos is a shortwave radio program. If I don’t hit the goal, Memphis Weirdos doesn’t broadcast anymore.
This year, I want to expand another 30 minutes. I recently started playing harder music from Memphis, metal, hardcore, etc.. The 30 minutes for that show were given to me from the station to use as I wish, and the Memphis metal scene is robust with talent, so I want to secure the time.
I was able to fund last year through a Kickstarter campaign, so I am going to do that again. Like last year, there will be various means to support Supporters will be rewarded with Memphis Weirdos merchandise. If funded, I am going to have the shirts printed, better shirts and better graphics. I love the look of the original Memphis Weirdos t-shirt and that I screen printed them in my dinning room, but I don’t want to do that again. I am also looking for a few other items to reward with. I will have it all listed when I go live, which should be in about a week. That’s all. I would love to see Memphis Weirdos maintain its shortwave presence and with your help, it will.
Memphis Weirdos is heard all over the world, every Saturday at 2130 UTC on 7730 kHz and every Sunday at 2000 UTC, on WRMI, 15770 kHz
Listen to Memphis WeirdosBlues legend, Robert Johnson. Sold his soul to the Devil.
I record Memphis Weirdos at my house when it’s quiet. Then through magic, it gets beamed via shortwave all over the east coast of the US, Canada and Europe. Of course its streamed, but keep in mind that that each broadcast is curated for a shortwave audience, so the quality may not be up to your standards. I had fun doing this broadcast. I like the new Epoch of Unlight song. Its from their forthcoming album, their first since 2005. I think we are onto something here. I appreciate all the support from the scenes. I am happy to play your music.
My friend Joe kept checking into places on Facebook to see a new band called Negro Terror. Finally I asked him if he liked them and he told me they were great and reminded him of hardcore/punk music from the 1980’s and 1990’s. Joe was around back then, he’d know. I knew the members of the band were Black, but that’s all I knew. Finally a video came out. It was shot at local DIY skatepark, Al Town and not only that, they redid the Skrewdriver song, Voice of Britain with their own lyrics and changing the name to Voice of Memphis. So, we had a Black hardcore band, covering a white supremacist rock band. Only in Memphis. Time gets away from me and no sooner did I see the video, I found out that singer and bass player for Negro Terror was sick and in the hospital. Surely he’d get better. He was young, in a cool band and people loved this dude. They respected him. But sadly, it didn’t happen. He succumbed to his illness on April 18, 2019.
This broadcast is dedicated to the memory of Omar Higgins.
I recorded this episode at 6AM. And damned if I didn’t forget to play music from Memphis band, Copout. So, I’ll be sure to play them on the other Memphis Weirdos broadcast. Listen every Saturday at 2130 UTC on 7780 kHz for that. So, I am on twice a week, Saturdays and Sundays at 2000 UTC on 15770 kHz.
Memphis Weirdos 