My KUTX - The Backseat Philosopher's Musical Concert Journey

After attending the 2026 kutx live! at Scholz Garten, a showcase organized by the hardest working kind soul Jacquie Moody-Fuller, with a variety of SXSW artists picked and corralled by the amazing Deirdre Gott, I was invited by the venerable Austin DJ and Texas music guru Susan Castle, who works at the station with my wife Rebecca, to regale y'all with my musical tastes and stories. I am in no way as big a music nerd as the many DJs and staff at KUTX... and I do mean that in the most loving and respectful way possible... but hopefully like many of you, music has given me some unique experiences throughout my life. So, join me as I explore some of those, though some of the concerts I've seen with the stories and people of my life connected to them.

You can listen to this show via KUTX FM, 98.9 in Austin, TX or via the KUTX.org live feed (there's a "Listen" button at the top of the web page) on Saturday night, 18 July 2026, at 6pm US CDT/ Midnight BST (IYKYK!). It will also be available to stream later on the My KUTX web page. But, you can also stream my playlist on Apple Music, if you want to avoid my blathering. The full playlist is also at the bottom of this post for those without Apple Music.

There may be other gems found here, available for y'all after the segment airs tonight...

Tune in when you can... I did the best I could with my voice at the time... and the feelings bubbling up during the recording.

Intro

Hello everyone, this is Jeffrey Ouellette and I’m the guest DJ on KUTX Austin. This hour I’m playing whatever I want… it’s MyKUTX. I’m the author of "The Backseat Philosopher", a listener of KUT since 1996, and KUTX from its beginning... and husband to Rebecca, an Austin unicorn AND one of the staffers here. I was invited by the venerable Susan Castle to regale y'all with my musical tastes and stories. I am in no way as big a music nerd as the DJs here (and I do mean that lovingly and respectfully) but hopefully like many of you, music has given me some unique experiences throughout my life. So, join me as I explore some of those, though some of the concerts I've seen, their stories, and the people of my life connected to them.

You can also follow along on my blog, www.backseatphilosopher.net, for more details to the stories and links to performance setlists where available, as well as my other thoughts on this collective journey of existence.

Now, let's dive into a sea of nostalgia and maybe some intense feels...

Tracks 1 & 2

Growing up in Rochester, MN, a sleepy little city in southeastern MN and home of the Mayo Clinic, we weren't exactly at the forefront of any real music scene(s), but rather gleaning what was happening via AM and FM Top 40 pop and rock radio, as well as an equal dosing of country-western music. My mom always had the radio on, house and car, tuned to a local AM pop music station and my dad always had country-western on his truck radio. Culturally, Rochester was very white Wonder Bread (there was literally a Wonder Bread bakery near my high school... and a Libby's vegetable canning plant a bit further away... both now sadly gone). As youth, we survived off of what is now considered "classic rock", as MTV wouldn't show up on our boob tubes until nearly 3 years after its launch. That isn't to stay we were totally musically or culturally illiterate, we were just a bit behind the curve.

In high school, I did get a lot more exposure to more music, from R&B, to British New Wave, to classic Delta and Chicago Blues, as well as a fair share of Grateful Dead and the aforementioned "classic rock". I had a predilection for Prince, ZZ Top, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, and AC/DC, among others. I didn't limit myself, like some would... what was the point?

My first real concert was the summer after my high school graduation from Our Lady of Lourdes. We didn't get a lot of big name acts in those days, since Minneapolis was just a little over an hour away, but once in a while someone interesting would show up. While I didn't get to the Bon Jovi concert earlier in the Spring of 1987, I did see George Thorogood & the Destroyers, at the Mayo Civic Center, Rochester MN, 20 AUG 198, thanks to my Aunt Donna Drews-Boespflug, who was the events director, at the time. She tried to get me a backstage pass, but sadly, George was not a very friendly or cooperative person at the time.

I went by myself. Most of my friends had already left for college... I was due to leave for Iowa State the following weekend. While alone, I had a blast. I got there early enough to get a spot at the stage, open floor. I danced (with a cute little brunette whose number I never got... you dumb shy kid), and screamed, and sang along to nearly every song which I had ingrained in my brain beforehand. George was known for his covers of lots of classic Rock 'n Roll, Blues, and R&B tunes.

One year later, after my freshman year of college at Iowa State, I came home feeling ill. Turns out I had contracted mononucleosis. Summer was a bummer. I could work, but no waterskiing, softball, or goofing off with friends. My best friend, Klip, took pity on me and scored us a couple of tickets to Van Halen’s Monsters of Rock 1988 tour, at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis MN, 13 JUL 1988 We tolerated Sammy Hagar's OU812 antics and butchering of David Lee Roth era classics, as well as barely noticing the flashes-in-the-pan Dokken and Kingdom Come. I knew of Metallica but was not a fan... unlike the thousands of longhaired, black T-shirt clad metalheads bobbing in furious synchronicity to Lars Ulrich's ragtag crew and their short set. While we were NOT big headbangers, we were huge fans of the German über-rockers, the Scorpions. Back in the day, we used to go cruising up and down Broadway Ave in Rochester, in my Plymouth K-Car 4-door sedan hand-me-down, with a Radio Shack hi-fi stereo I installed myself, cranked loud enough to deafen its inhabitants... singing to Love at First Sting tracks, along with a variety of Thorogood, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, and ZZ Top classics.

So first up is an original, "Long Gone" by George Thorogood, from the 1985 album "Maverick", followed by "Big City Nights" by the Scorpions, from their 1984 "Love at First Sting" release. A special shout out to the backseat cruising passengers Melba, Chi, and Tobin... with apologies to their eardrums... but I dedicate these two to Tony Klipsic, always my shotgun, and the best friend I made in high school... and still have today, through thick and thin, marriages, divorce, and deaths of parents. I love ya' like a brother, Klip. Thank you.

Track 3

I grew up a Prince fan. I could relate to being small in stature but overflowing with hormones and... urges😏. Fortunately, my mom was not so curious as to understand Prince's previous discography and was only aware of 1999, Little Red Corvette, and of course, Purple Rain. At the time, I think that was for the best. It wasn't until I was at college... Iowa State University in Ames, IA... when I finally got to see him. In essence, he bookended my time there, because I saw him twice, first for the Lovesexy Tour at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames IA, 21 NOV 1988 and then during Spring Break on the Act I Tour, at the Fox Theater in Atlanta GA, 11-12 MAR 1993 (Soon after, he would legally change his name to the Love Symbol and be known as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince"... or TAFKAP... because Warner Bros. Music were such assholes to artists).

Most memorable was Atlanta. I was there for Spring Break with an architecture school classmate, Daryl Dixon, and my girlfriend, Noemar Castro. Daryl's brother scored us tickets for the second of two nights at the Fox Theater. It was raining cats and dogs after the show... a show which blew our minds, as Prince typically did. Little did we know that we would soon be experiencing the 1993 "Storm of the Century", which blanketed the entire east coast with 4 to 48 inches of snow in 12 hours. In central Atlanta, we woke up the next morning to 6" inches of heavy snow, socking us in for an unexpected extra couple of days, until they could clear the highways leading northwest out of Atlanta and Georgia, back to Iowa.

So, next I give you "Kiss" from the 1986 album "Parade". This goes out to the most beautiful, kind, and loving Noemar Castro, who I admittedly did dirty by breaking up with her because I was a big fat 25-year-old coward, not wanting to deal with a long-distance relationship after graduation and figure how to marry her. I am forever sorry for how I made you feel, because it was never about any shortcomings you might have, but solely the ones I struggled with in myself. I hoped you found the happiness you truly deserved. Te amo, siempre.

Track 4

Ames, IA, being a university town, ISU had about a 25,000-person enrollment at the time, was more likely to be part of big-name tours across the musical spectrum. But on a college student budget, you had to be picky, lucky, or creative.

I got a part-time job as student labor for the Iowa State events centers. Essentially, we were cheap labor for a variety of tasks as any number and kind of acts came through the arts and entertainment venues there. One of the most memorable was being in an Italian production of Rigoletto... but that's another story for another time. The other was working as stage security for KISS at the Hilton Coliseum, ISU, Ames IA, Revenge Tour, 14 NOV 1992. I stood in front of the stage, on the floor, back to the stage, watching the crowd behind the barricade and making sure everyone had a good time and stayed safe. At one point, the crowd in front of me started going bonkers. Obviously, something was going on behind me... not knowing I would soon be part of it. A moment later, I felt something gently pressing on my right shoulder... I glanced to see a black, platform boot standing on it... so I slowly turned my head to look up... to stare right into the wide eyes of none other than Gene Simmons with his tongue hanging out... and then a shower of sweat in my face as he shook his head wildly.... and laughed. Yes, I had been baptized by the Demon himself.

In honor of my baptism, I give you "Unholy" from the 1992 "Revenge" album and written by the Demon himself... shalom and thank you for the cheeky antics, Chaim Witz.

Tracks 5, 6 & 7

After college, I ended up in Iowa City, IA. I was fortunate enough to run into some architecture school classmates and their friends and coworkers, forming an instant social group... friends I still have today. We spent a lot of lunches and nearly every weekend hanging out together. Those "Iowa City OGs" include Jen Lein, Mark and Rosanna Seabold, Matt Niebuhr and Lisa Shettler, and Maite Arango Marcet, as well as Dan Lind and Kevin Collins. We went to so many shows together, big and small, from punk shows at Gabe's Oasis upstairs, to NIN at Carver Hawkeye Area, and Lollapalooza at Tinley Park. We never failed to get our eardrums blown out, our voices trashed from shouting and singing, and our bodies sore from dancing and thrashing in mosh pits. Those were heady days for me... making a life after college, testing the waters of adulthood without losing the vibrancy of my youth.

The first show I remember going to was My Life w/ the Thrill Kill Kult, at The Union Bar for their 13 Above the Night Tour, 15 NOV 1993. A small college bar with a small stage and predilection for attracting college frat and sorority ilk on most nights. But that night was reserved for some less provincial alternative entertainment... and experiences. In the middle of the show, everyone getting whipped into a frenzy on alcohol, a bit of weed, and hormones uniquely stoked by Thrill Kill Kult's music and onstage presence, I found myself involuntarily hoisted up in the air by the larger friends... and surfing the crowd. Very quickly, I was being passed toward the stage, with Kitty Kildare belting out a tune... dressed in a corset and thigh high boots?... and making lurid grabbing motions at me as I got closer. At that moment, I thought I might have the most... we'll say "interesting" night of my life... until the crowd unceremoniously dropped me on the ground right before reaching the stage... and a potentially life-altering interaction. Oh well. Laughs all around while I massaged my sore ass and ego.

A few months later we would be bouncing about a mosh pit for the Dead Milkmen at Gabe’s Oasis, 07 MAR 1994. I wrote about the experience earlier in this blog's life. Gabe's was the quintessential Midwest college live music club... darkly lit, crusty dive bar downstairs, a decor seemingly unchanged since the 70s... and a long, narrow "ballroom" upstairs, with hardwood floor, small stage, and low ceiling with steel bar joists (great for hanging from... not that I would do such a thing 😁🤣). The tables and chairs would all be shoved to the back to give the early arrivers room to sprawl out on the floor, getting their required alcohol and nicotine intake... and maybe partake in a bit of jovial herb... not that I would ever condone or partake myself (hee, hee). There might have been an opener... but who really knew or cared. By the time the Milkmen took the stage, everyone was raring to GO. The mosh pit instantly coalesced and barely controlled mayhem ensued. It was glorious. When we weren't throwing ourselves at each with all abandon, we were screaming at the top of our lungs singing along to such classics as Big Time Operator, Tiny Town, Bitchin' Camaro, The Guitar Song, and Punk Rock Girl. I wish I could've bottled that moment for a long drink today.

Summer of 1994, my girlfriend, Jen, longtime friend Maite, and her boyfriend du jour, Jason, would take a road trip to the Chicago area for the second day of Lollapalooza 1994 at the World Music Theater, Tinley Park IL, 15-16 JUL 1994. It was a pretty intense music festival. The amount of music available to us was... frankly, overwhelming. It was impossible for us to see EVERYTHING we wanted being there were three(?) stages going all day. We did get to see the Beastie Boys and The Smashing Pumpkins headline on the main stage at the end of the evening, as well as A Tribe Called Quest a bit earlier... but there was soooooo much more. Of the 29 acts we also managed to catch L7, Luscious Jackson, the Breeders, George Clinton & The P Funk All Stars, and Shonen Knife... as best I can remember. Again, kind of a blur of a memory now... but lots of good feels. It was a long, but happy day. Warm, sunny, filled with music, beer, food... a cool, comfortable evening and a bit of community partaking (gotta love that tap on the shoulder and the raising of the eyebrows as a complete stranger offers you a smoldering spliff) on the lawn of the amphitheater during the headlining shows. I slept hard that night in the shared hotel room. I hope I didn't snore too much (sorry, Jen and Maite!).

So, this next block starts with "Dirty Little Secrets" by My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult from the 1993 album "13 Above the Night", followed by "Punk Rock Girl" by the Dead Milkmen from the 1988 album "Beelzebubba", and finally "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys from their 1994 masterpiece, "Ill Communication".

I dedicate these to the Iowa City OGs, especially Jen, Mark and Rosanna, Matt and Lisa, and Maite. They rallied behind me soon after news of my ALS diagnosis, coming from all corners of the US to see me, some thirty years after our original escapades, to raise my spirits. Here's to you, my dearest friends, a love greater than I deserve, but one I am forever grateful for.

Track 8

My parents both came from relatively large families... 6 siblings for Pops and 7 for Mom. Our collective family is spread from coast to coast. But we were a very close-knit couple of clans, seeing many if not all at least once every, or every other, year. This also made vacation opportunities more exciting. In the fall of 1994, I finally got the chance to travel on my own to see family in Brick, New Jersey... my mom's sister, Virginia, aka "Aunt Ginny", Uncle Roger (RIP, you wonderful larger-than-life man), and my cousins Ranger and Stacy.

Ranger was just a few years older than me and Stacy about a year younger. Growing up, I never hung out with Ranger as he was usually with my older cousins, but Stacy would end up being lumped in with a group of us that were within a year or two of age. Ranger and Stacy were 80s suburban/shoreline Jersey kids, not the Jersey Shore ilk from earlier this century... they were into the pretty hardcore rock/metal scene, mind, spirit, and fashion. And they hadn't shaken that off by the time I reached them on their grounds, even as young adults. Adulthood also narrows the age gap between people. I wasn't "just Jeff" visiting from Iowa, I was there to have some fun!

Ranger had a lot of friends in the metal music scene, some originating from high school, and he stayed connected during his time in the Coast Guard. He would often help friends as a roadie (He even traveled with Dee Snider back in the 90s!). So, if there were bands to be seen and scenes to be part of, he knew. One night, he got a pass from his family and took Stacy and me to one of those art deco era ballrooms... the ones you'd see in the movies with the likes of Cab Calloway... for a showcase of hardcore metal bands. The names are long gone, but the atmosphere still sticks with me. The strange clash of long-haired, black-clad metal denizens occupying a rust and orange(?) art deco historic masterpiece, a setting not lost on a young architect, complete with bandshell-framed stage, dance floor, a couple tiers of table seating(?) and then rows of amphitheater seating... bathed in a dim light from recessed fixtures around the perimeter and the ambient light thrown from the stage fixtures. The music was HARD and LOUD, but my cousins' friends were cool and friendly... and gave me a pass for my effort. The events of the night are a blur (hee, hee), but the vibe... that vibe... settled itself in a little corner of my psyche forever.

Then on a following Sunday night, 09 OCT, I was swept away to Asbury Pary, NJ to THE Stone Pony to see the Melvins on their Stoner Witch tour. For those not in the know, The Stone Pony was the NJ dive bar/music venue where the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi would hone their chops to become international stars. The Melvins are a ragtag trio, but very intense in their stage presence. The music is loud and constantly shifting through low gears, with the lyrics... poetry... obtuse, imaginative, mid-twisting poetry... a music far more mature and complex than most "rockers" are given credit for. They were a product of the punk, post-punk, metal, and grunge scene of Washington, but moodier and less "commercial" than the likes of Nirvana, and other contemporaries.

There was no crowd. Hell, there weren't more than 50 people... because it was a Sunday night? No matter. Just meant that Jeff could be upfront... a rare position for me at shows... and soak it all in... music, beer, and invaluable time with family. Regardless of the lack of a crowd, Buzz was there to LET IT OUT and PLAY! He alone brought all the energy missing from a packed house.

Next, I give you the track "Queen" from the Melvins 1994 album "Stoner Witch". I dedicate this to my cousins Ranger and Stacy, who shared their time and friends with me, showing this goofy midwestern kid, trying to be cool, what Jersey life was about. And a special shout out to Ranger's kids... R.T., Theresa, and Nick... who managed to venture out here a few years ago (2015). I hope I showed them hospitality that they would also always cherish. I love you guys.

Tracks 9 & 10

In the Spring of 1996, I left Iowa with my architecture compadre, college roommate, and dude, Brian Ziska, and moved to Austin, Texas to start a new chapter in the adventure of life. We were both trying to figure out why we were still in the middle of Iowa as young, skilled, and single young men. Brian was an Iowan native and was looking for a change of scene... and I was getting restless, yet again. While we talked about where to go... Chicago? New York? LA? Seattle? Atlanta? All with pros and cons... we kept hearing "what do you know about Austin, Texas?" What? Texas? You're kidding, right? "I got this cousin there...", or "my brother moved there three years ago and man, he says it's cool"... WTF? Well, after some debate and research (the young internet was NOT as useful as it can be now), we settled on visiting Austin... during SXSW... but that dear readers, is yet another story.

We saw lots of live music, but never really any major concerts. I did go to the One World Music Festival the summer of 1996, but honestly, I don't remember much of that other than seeing James Brown... still killin' it at age 63. However, one name popped up, and we figured we couldn't miss the opportunity. It harkened back to one corner of our architecture school days... Rammstein.

They were playing 05 DEC 1997, as part of their Symbols tour, at the old Liberty Lunch, the "dive-y-est" of dive live music bars back in the heady days of Austin's 90s boom. For those that never had the pleasure, Liberty Lunch was as barebones a venue as they could get... a former lumber yard front office building, just simple steel framing and metal panel exterior, with a stone/brick front wall added in the early 90s. It stood on the site of the "new" office building just west of the current Austin City Hall... next to the Schneider General Store, which still stands today as a designated historical landmark... yet another case of "progress" erasing important cultural landmarks. In Liberty Lunch's case, it wasn't a "right candidate" for preservation... it wasn't "pretty" or "of significant architectural or historical" importance... at least to the people who were never part of the culture who really appreciated it. Shout out to Raoul Hernandez for writing about the travesty at the time in the Austin Chronicle.

Rammstein came ready to throw down HARD for the ATX crowd. Till Lindemann was up to his prime theatrical antics, shirtless, leather pants, some seriously jacked leather boots AND sporting a pair of goggles where one eyepiece had a laser (kinda reminiscent of the Locutus of Borg... IYKYK... for all you Star Trek:TNG fans)! Brian managed to push close to the front, but I hung back with my date that tagged along (a name mercifully forgotten... but maybe part of a story of the crazy Austin dating scene from those days). Most of the night is lost to the haze of age (I know, sounds like a theme), but the spirit remained.

In 1996, I met a young woman, Rachael Lieck, who would prove to be quite consequential in many of the relationships I developed with a variety of people in Austin. Rachael and her friends started an independent modern dance company, REALMdanceproject. I was the graphic designer, set designer, and sound guy. It was a heady side gig from my usual architecture. These exploits are deserving their own blog post(s). Through REALM, I not only met Rebecca, but I also met Travis Young, a quiet but very intense architect with serious Tae Kwon Do chops. He was invited by one of the other REALM members, Stacy Christie, to collaborate on a piece... which led to a lasting romance betwwen the two of them... and remaining friends to Rebecca and me to this day.

When Rebecca and I moved to Maryland (6 years and more stories) we stayed in touch as best we could with the REALM pack back in Austin and those who had also scattered about for other opportunities. When we came back in 2012, Travis and Stacy were there to pick up where we left off, hanging out, this time with kids.

In early 2013, Travis called me when he found out !!! (Chk Chk Chk) was going to be in town and wanted to know if I was interested. Hell yeah! They were playing at the Mohawk on 25 MAY 2013.

!!! was a live tour de force! Nic Offer hits that stage with the energy of a Texas tornado and never stops. When's he's not singing, he's dancing... or both simultaneously... 'til sweat is raining off him and all over the stage and front row audience. He shakes his ass as much as the whole room full of ladies dancing at one of Austin's gentlemen's clubs. His energy is infectious and soon has the whole crowd dancing with as much fervor. Now Travis and I aren't exactly spring chickens anymore... both in our forties at this point... but on a warm Austin spring evening surrounded by lots of young, scantily clad, beautiful bodies, and an infectious groove, we couldn't help but dance ourselves... even if it meant being sore for a couple days after.

So next up, I give you Rammstein's "Engel", from the 1997 album Sehnsucht, followed by !!!'s "Get That Rhythm Right", from the 2013 album Thri!!!er. I dedicate these to Brian and Travis. Due to choices and life's circumstances, Brian and I drifted apart... a chasm seemingly as wide as the Grand Canyon. We've still got some work to do to bridge the proverbial gap, but these days, it seems coming to terms with the past difficulties of my life has been a grand raison d'etre. Travis, you are my fellow old man yelling at the kids to get off the lawn, throwing proverbial bricks at the TV when someone does something stupid (yet again), raging against the machine, if low key, and doing the best we can raising unique, but loving and empathetic, kids in these most challenging times. Thank you both for being the friends I needed at just the right times.

Track 11

When you have kids, you find yourself thinking how you might do things differently than what your parents did raising you. That's not a dig at my own parents... I was very fortunate for their love and attention. They were great examples. But every generation looks at parenthood thinking they could do it... well if not better, just differently... to maybe fill some gaps we felt existed in our own growing up. Rebecca and I have tried to do the best we can. We've tried to surround them with love and books and LEGO and art and dance and... and... and...

And when they are (pre-)teenagers, they are looking to "identify themselves"... I think everyone can relate as we all did the same. Sometimes we absorb what our parents liked and tried to imbue in us and sometimes we rebelled and tried to be and do the opposite. Our oldest, Hugo developed an independent taste in music... not out of spite, but naturally as a matter of having influences far greater than we had as kids, through being connected via the WWW. One act that surprisingly popped up was Ghost. I had no idea who they were but looked them up. Okay...

Hugo wanted to see Ghost with a friend in the late summer of 2022. Funny thing is that Ghost was no stranger to Austin. They've appeared here in multiple venues before and since then. You'd think they were an Austin band they've performed here so much instead of a Swedish one. So, we got tickets to see them at the Moody Center, for the Imperatour - North America, on 30 AUG 2022, with myself acting as the chaperone.

Personally, I was more intrigued by their preceding act, Mastodon, who had been together for over 20 years at that point. I can't say I was a big fan, but I knew who they were and respected what they produced. They sounded solid and tight, like veterans proud of their work and respectful of the audience. They had a cool projection and light show to go with their set... but it paled in comparison to what Ghost had in store for the crowd.

For those not familiar, let's just say Ghost is... well, they have a very highly-produced, dramatic flair, expressed by their religious parody theme... accentuated by an over-the-top pyrotechnics and light show, staged and costumed with all the trappings of religious symbolism, meant to be openly subversive. But for all the controversy they draw, they are no more "demonic" than KISS was back in the day... all show to get the hypocritically pious and all-too-buttoned-up squares to get their knickers in bunches.

To me, it is a bit "one note", but hey, if it is what the kid wants, and it's all fun and entertaining, I'm up for a concert to see what's what... and maybe learn something new... not really, but you gotta have a positive attitude going into a situation like this. It was loud, flashy, tightly executed and highly professional... Hollywood-level production quality with everyone committed fully to the bit and script. Admittedly, I was entertained.

So next, I give you "Spillways", from the 2022 Ghost album, IMPERA, dedicated to my dearest oldest child, Hugo. I wish I could take all your worries and pains away. I'm sorry our corner of the world has turned into such a fucking shit-show. Your mom and I had higher hopes and fewer worries when you were just a wee, precocious baby. I hope as time unravels you, Mars, your friends and allies, and your generation can heal the meses we've managed to leave behind.

Track 12

On Halloween of 2024, I was blindsided by a devastating diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis... aka ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease... after a year and a half of progressing symptoms and almost comical, if not malfeasance of, misdiagnoses. It was gutting and clouded any concept I may have had about a future with my wife, my family, and my friends. Yeah. But I am a fortunate man as my friends and family rallied to my side... after trying to absorb the shock themselves. The lovely folks here at KUT/KUTX, who are my wife's coworkers and friends, have rallied to our side, too. They've been so supportive of the effort it takes everyone to manage a terminal disease... with all its inevitable challenges, struggles, and pitfalls before the end. Last November, the staff gifted Rebecca and I tickets to see David Byrne, Who is the Sky? tour at Bass Concert Hall, 26 NOV 2025.

It was a bittersweet experience. I wrote about it earlier on this blog. It was a firestorm of emotions for me. I was getting to see an icon of my generation, a respected artistic elder... but under this dark cloud. I wanted to dance along, like he implored us to do... but all I could do was vibe... and cry... and then smile... and absorb everything he and his band of merry fellows could throw at us... from the confines of my electric wheelchair. In the end, I am grateful... to him, to KUTX, to my wife... to the human capacity to tell stories and create art through music and lights and dance and imagery... to touch our souls... to make us feel like someone hears us and understands... even in the light of so much dumbfuckery surrounding us.

However, there's one song he didn't play, that I was really hoping he would. So, I'm going to break my self-imposed format of only playing a song from the concert. But I think given what I am facing, what so many of us face every day, I think it most appropriate as I leave y'all tonight... It's "Road to Nowhere" from the Talking Heads' 1985 "Little Creatures" album. An anthem for existential crises if there ever was one.

It is time for me to say good night to y'all. Hug 'em if you got 'em... and don't stop saying "I love you"... because love is the real meaning of life as we make the journey... even if we don't know where we're going or how much time we have.

FIN.

1. "Long Gone", George Thorogood & The Destroyers, "Maverick"
2. "Big City Nights", Scorpions, "Love at First Sting"
3. "Kiss", Prince, "Parade (Music from the Motion Picture 'Under the Cherry Moon')"
4. "Unholy", KISS, "Revenge"
5. "Dirty Little Secrets". My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, "13 Above the Night"
6. "Punk Rock Girl", The Dead Milkmen, "Beelzebubba"
7. "Sabotage", The Beastie Boys, "Ill Communication"
8. "Queen", Melvins, "Stoner Witch"
9. "Engel", Rammstein, "Sehnsucht"
10. "Get That Rhythm Right", !!!(Chk Chk Chk), "Thri!!!er""
11. "Spillways", Ghost, "IMPERA"
12. "Road to Nowhere", Talking Heads, "Little Creatures"