40 Comments

Thank you Spencer! You hit on it. That feeling of hearing through a peephole. That magic of pulling sound from the ether and that real-time shared experience of radio. It’s always been special to me too and passed down to me from my dad as well.

Expand full comment

I like that sort of accidental shifted interpretation of radio, art and life. AM radio seems like it was made for the warm glow of betterment thru misunderstanding.

Expand full comment

I'll always have a soft spot for a.m. radio. One of my most memorable childhood gifts was my own small radio. I carried that everywhere, listening to the Beatles, Kinks, Stones, Herman's Hermits as I biked around.

Also my dad worked for awhile in Leo Fender's radio repair shop.

The gods of radio have been good to me.

Expand full comment

Wow! That is very interesting about your dad!! Wonder if he followed the amp business after Leo started it?

Expand full comment

It was just a part-time job for Dad. When I was about 8 he explained that he "worked on pianos". I figured he tuned them or something.

Found out as an adult that he actually was helping Hal Rhodes develop the Fender-Rhodes keyboard! It was never a big deal to Dad though; he'd rather tell you about jumping into Corregidor in WWII. 😄

Expand full comment

has anyone else lost the ability to play embedded audio files on the app? all of a sudden i can’t play files, even ones i’ve listened to before. sorry to post technical difficulties in the comments. i searched and found no helpful information.

Expand full comment

I removed and reinstalled the app, and that issue resolved. Hope it helps.

Expand full comment

YES! I’ve been digging through the settings and support pages, etc and see nothing about their being an issue and no way to report/solve it, but as of a day or two ago all the embedded audio just shows as having zero minutes of audio and won’t play. If anyone finds a fix, please share!!!

Expand full comment

Ditto...

Expand full comment

No luck for me either 🙈

Expand full comment

Taking AM Radio away from cars is a terrible idea, and I'm very disappointed to hear that's the plan. Broadcast is so important in so many ways. Love the sensation of listening to late-night broadcasts as well.

Expand full comment

Reading this I can’t help hearing in the back of my mind…

Switching it over to AM

Searching for a truer sound

Can't recall the call letters

Steel guitar and settle down

Catching an all-night station somewhere in Louisiana

It sounds like 1963, but for now it sounds like heaven

Expand full comment

I got my first AM transistor radio the week that the Beatles had the top 5 slots on the charts. My fate was sealed.

I don’t think I’ve felt anything more magical and mysterious than dusk falling and AM stations from all over the Midwest and East and Canada drifting in and out of my radio. Somewhere hundreds or maybe a thousand miles away(!), there was someone else out there listening to the same song! It made me feel like I had friends out there I didn’t even know.

Expand full comment

"You've got family out there."

Expand full comment

I listen to your dads feed too. Subscribe as a Captain. But sorry Jeff. Your sons a better read at the moment. Tell him to step it up. If that’s possible. Lol.

Expand full comment

Love that you care about this Spencer! I also like listening to the play by play of a baseball, basketball or football game & really miss some of the old timers up here on 1500 or 830 WCCO like The Boone and Erickson Show and the many character voices they would do!! Hope it never ends!

Expand full comment

Radio forever.

Expand full comment

Love these descriptions:

"eery, lonely listening"

"plays against the weak signal like a clown"

"A chipper attitude out of place"

Spencer, your writing makes the smallest discovery the most amazing thing ever!

P.S. Great title

Expand full comment

And you’re right Spencer, radio was like magic!

Expand full comment

Still working or in a foreign land with no internet connection….Drum away!

Expand full comment

Did anyone go to Friday’s Pitchfork Festival? The Alvvays and The Smile sounded amazing, but The Smile was a short set as far as I’m concerned….I want to say by 9:50 the band was back on their bus or limo to next show or airport! Where have all the rock n roll animals gone…nearly extinct! Save the Rock n Roll Animal! Please!

Expand full comment

I wonder what your brother could do with that signal running it through his synth setup? ✌🏼❤️😊

Expand full comment

Very, very cool! I have early fond memories of listening to short wave radio as a kid. My parents had a large console stereo with turntable and radio that included a short wave setting. I was picking up broadcasts from other continents and it always captivated me. Thanks for this cool post that triggered that great memory! ☮️

Expand full comment