Rock Garden Tour

Happy Noxious Weed Month Mr. Potter!

The critics say that last night's Rock Garden Tour on KCFS was fairly good. We talked about binomial nomenclature, and vermicomposting, more specifically though, we came up with naming devices to help listeners figure their noxious weed names. My noxious weed name is Green Capped Orph Weed by the way. You're not going to want to miss the podcast. In the mean time though, I'll post the playlist from last night's show. We blasted everything from the Jayhawks to The Mountain Goats. Here we go.

The Jayhawks - Let The Critics Wonder

The Black Keys - Howlin' For You

The Kinks - Did You See His Name

Fire - Fathers Name Was Dad

The Gourds - Burn The Honey Suckle

The Hold Steady - The Weekenders

The Bottlerockets - Get Down

Damien Jurado (with Richard Swift) - Arkansas

Black Tambourine - Throw Aggi Off The Bridge

The Black Keys - She's Long Gone

Okkervil River - Unless It Kicks

Alela Diane - White As Diamonds*

MGMT - Someone's Missing

Beach Fossils - Desert Sand

The New Mary Jane - Weeds

The Mountain Goats - Genesis 30:3

Tonic - Flowerman

*Songs by friends of Joanna Newsom

Rock Garden Tour 73: Let's Get Radical!

 
I took a week off to plant the garden. But, never fear, we're back in the swing of things now and all is right in the cosmos. This week's podcast features an interview with Christopher Langford (pictured above with herd of llama). I also mixed in some witty banter from Coach. If you'd like to hear the full hour stream of this show as heard on SDPB radio (music and all!) go here: www.sdpb.org/rockgardentour

If you're interested in learning more about Christopher Langford's 'Hi I'm Lang Get Radical!' show, go here: www.youtube.com/lightonious

Enjoy the podcast and keep it rural.

Download Rock garden tour 73 podcast

As A Matter Of Fact-oid!

 
I sat down a couple weeks ago for an interview with a local Upward Bound syndicate. The program’s theme for the summer was the “Black Hills,” and she wanted to know what I knew.

I took one hard glance at her itinerary full of the basics.

“What? No Potato Creek Johnny?” I asked.

It was a legitimate question. But she didn’t treat it that way.

“Well, you’ll at least want to hear about how the Black Hills almost became the UN Headquarters, no?” I pressed.

Again, just a polite smile.

It was quickly becoming apparent this gig was below me—or at least not up for the kind of serious, off-grid look at Black Hills history that I was prepared to give them. We parted amicably. I told her to call me if she ever needed a lecture on a revisionist history of Poker Alice.

And then a few days later, I ended up in the capitol in Pierre.

This sort of thing happens from time to time. One moment you’re eating a jalapeno-topped cheeseburger at a Worthington truck stop and the next you’re in the basement of the capitol checking out the miniaturized model dresses worn by South Dakota First Ladies to the inauguration prom.

Anyway, the intersection of these events left me pondering state history. As a South Dakota history buff, I believe everyone should know the basics. But, that’s sort of pie-in-the-sky hopes. Honestly, if you only have five minutes, it’s way more fun to know the really trivial and weird stuff.

So, here they are: three of the most fascinating things that most South Dakotans have never heard of…or three things that will come in handy when one encounters a boastful Nebraskan….

1) In 1947, when world leaders convened to pick the United Nations headquarters site, the Black Hills received serious consideration. In fact, a vote was even cast for the Hills by Greece, which, of course, at the present moment is not the sterling model of prudent decision-making….but stay with me here…

The only disparaging remarks were heard (duh!) from the French, who described the Hills as “little piles of dirt.” Of course, locals in Ft. Pierre know for a fact this is just jealousy speaking because France’s 18th Century claim of ownership over the vast Dakotas (via the Verendrye Runestone) got buried in a cow pasture.

2) The first photograph of a tornado ever taken was shot southwest of Howard, South Dakota in 1888. Of course, the unassuming homesteader probably didn’t foresee the massive adrenaline sport he would give birth to. But, he did ignite a tradition of great journalistic photographers in South Dakota. In fact, rumor has it this farmer actually taught Lloyd Cunningham everything he knows.

3) In our rush to remember the characters of the Wild West, we often forget about Potato Creek Johnny. Johnny stood barely over four feet tall in his prospector’s hat, but he made a larger-than-life find when he “allegedly” panned the world’s largest gold nugget (locals say he just glued smaller clumps together). Even if he was a downright falsifying scoundrel, he makes the Rock Garden Tour Hall of Fame if solely for his association with vegetables and guerilla advertising.

Plus the man grew a beard past his waist, a look soon after copped by American prospecting revivalist rock act, ZZ Top.

So, he’s like a triple-whammy for us.

The revolution will not be found scouring Dallas, Texas for some tush, instead we’ll be at home studying the Scot-Irish heritage of Scotty Philip.

Rock Garden Tour 72: The Art Of Gardening

Letwan from Pest Control, 1 of 10 artists participating in Time Piece, works in her studio at Fresh Produce in downtown Sioux Falls.

This week's Rock Garden Tour on SDPB Radio was inspired by Time Piece, a 48 hour arts event hosted by the Ipso Gallery at Fresh Produce to benefit the State Theater. The concept paired sponsors and artists. Each sponsor provided their artist with just 2 words of inspiration. The artist then had 48 hours to create a piece of art based on the words, hence the name Time Piece. The exhibition opens this Friday night at Ipso Gallery at Fresh Produce and is shaping up to be something special. Anyway, the Rock Garden Tour sponsored a piece of work. In this week's episode Oil Can and Flowerman rack brains to try to sum up the radio show in 2 words or less. You can listen to the whole show as heard last night on SDPB Radio here. Or just listen to the 8 minute podcast at the bottom of this post.

Last night's playlist:

Merle Haggard - Live and Love Always

Steve Martin - Banana Banjo

Peter & The Wolf - Bonsai Tree

The Kissaway Trail - New Lipstick

The Radio Dept. - Heavens On Fire

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - Window Shopping

Tonic - Flowerman

Download Rock garden tour 72 podcast

Isn't it, sort of, radical?

Last night's Rock Garden Tour on KCFS 94.5 featured less talk, and more witty banter with Christopher Langford regarding the radical shift. Learn about his show, 'Hi I'm Lang Get Radical' over here. Or you can just listen to the interview when we upload the podcast next week. Radical? Last night's show featured some most righteous free range rock and roll. Here's the playlist.

Cisco Houston - Diamond Joe

The Gerbils - The Battle Of Electricity

The Magnetic Fields - Strange Powers

Stranglers - Something Better Change

The Yayhoos - Bottle And A Bible*

The Theater Fire - Coyote*

The Duhks - Down To The River

Garbor Szabo - Walking On Nails*

The Rural Alberta Advantage - The Deadroads

The Hold Steady - The Sweet Part Of The City

Wet Dog - Steal A Car*

Peasant - Tough

Wavves - Weed Demon

Merle Haggard - Stranger In The City

The Kissaway Trail - New Lipstick

Harlem - Friendly Ghost

The Mountain Goats - Quetzalcoatl Is Born

The Futureheads - Heartbeat Song

Tonic - Flowerman

*Tunes I've never played before on the show, but will probably play again

Rock Garden Tour 71: GQ Gardening And What Not

Last night's Rock Garden Tour on SDPB Radio shocked the fashion world, from 5th Avenue in New York to Hollywood to Menno, SD. Tim Gun was like, 'DUDE!' A friend of the show sent us a link to a story about gardening, in GQ Magazine. So we produced a whole show about it. We talk about overalls and stuff - its chic. If you're interested, listen to the podcast at the bottom of this post, or visit www.sdpb.org/rockgardentour/ and listen to the whole friggin' show.

Last night's playlist:

Lil Millet & His Creoles – Rich Woman

Dr. Dog – Mirror, Mirror

Owen Pallet – Lewis Takes Action

Horse Feathers – Belly Of June

Bob Dylan – Talkin’ New York

Mason Jennings – Crown

Merle Haggard – Down At The End Of The Road

Tonic – Flowerman

Download Rock garden tour 71 podcast