Twenty Years!

Jul 07

In just over a month, we’ll have been on the air for twenty years. This is objectively weird to me. I’d like to ask y’all to help us celebrate. First, a little history:

We started with Valley Free Radio, then a brand new station–they started on August 9, 2005, and we started on August 12. (They’re having a twentieth birthday party too!) I’d been involved in the station for quite a while before it went on the air, and, while it had some bumps in the road leading up to getting on the air, and presumably there have been more, it’s still plugging along providing great community radio for the Pioneer Valley.

After about 2 1/2 years with VFR as our home station, the nice folks at 93.9 The River asked if we’d like to move over there. We said sure, as long as the show could still be on VFR too, and that was our home from February 2008 until May of 2015 (we started syndicating the show in the summer of 2012).

And then 2012 is when the mighty KUTX 98.9 became our flagship station.

No photo description available.

We’re also a good long ways into Spare the Rock Records, which has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to amazing non-profits.

Anyway. I never expected to be doing radio for kids for this long or to operate a record label or to book a bunch of shows or any of the rest of it. Both of our kids are out of college, though listeners know they pop on the show regularly. But I still love jumping on the air weekly and doing events and all the rest.

And what I love most of all is hearing from listeners. So what I’d like is to hear from folks about what the show has meant for you. I’d especially love to hear from those former kids who might have some memories of the show or our events, or from parents or guardians or caretakers who found the show fun, or from folks without kids who enjoyed it, or from current kids, or from artists who appreciated getting some love from us. I guess that’s not narrowing it down much. If the show or our events or the releases on the record label have meant something to you, let me know.

You can record a short little thing for possible airplay; you can send me an email; you can record a video; you can send a carrier pigeon, I guess? I’m at show at sparetherock dot com.

In light of the recent flooding in the Hill Country, I’ll make a donation to Kerr County flood relief efforts for each submission.

I’m going to be doing the August shows pretty soon (like next week, most likely) so if you want to potentially be included in the “official” 20th birthday show (August 9), get something in soon? But I’ll celebrate throughout the late summer and fall some, most likely, too.

I love you all.

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2025-07-13 playlist & stream

Jul 13

1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – Put It To The Test

The Deedle Deedle Dees – Little Red Airplane

ID

Dan Zanes & Friends – Catch That Train

Sara Hickman – Goop’s In It

Frances England – Blueberry Pancakes

ID

I’m From Barcelona – Treehouse

[WJFF – Jessica Harper – Down By The River/Bullfrog

[KUTX – Elizabeth Mitchell – John the Rabbit

[WFNU – na

2nd set

Lead Belly – Skip To My Lou

ID/prep to rock 

They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock

ID

Fugazi – Waiting Room

Koo Koo and the Shackletons – Cat Party (new)

The Replacements – Cruella De Ville

Candy Band – Get Up Already

The Not-Its! – Green Light, Go! 

ID 

3rd set

Barenaked Ladies – I Don’t Like

The Nields – Anna, Kick A Hole in the Sky

ID

Seth Decker – Open the Door

Kool & The Gang – Celebration

The Bar-Kays – Shake Your Rump to the Funk

ID 

They Might Be Giants – The Bloodmobile

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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2025-07-08 playlist & stream

Jul 06

1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – Boat of Car

The Be Good Tanyas – The Littlest Birds

Go Banana Go! & Flula Borg – Cutest Things in the World (new)

ID

Fyütch & Aura V – Thankful (feat. Kymberly Stewart) (new) 

Manu Chao – Bongo Bong

ID

Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke

[WJFF – Mike Phirman – Dance, Little Meatball, Dance

[KUTX – Zachary Sanders – Verb: That’s What’s Happening

[WFNU – Jeremy Messersmith – Everybody Gets a Kitten

2nd set

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – A Taste of Honey

ID/prep to rock 

They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock

ID

Animal Farm – What Noise Annoys a Noisy Oyster? (new)

Skankin’ Pickle – I Missed the Bus

The Suburbs – Rattle My Bones

Robbert Robbert & The Bubble Machine – We R Super Heroes 

ID 

3rd set

Frances England – The Books I Like To Read

Lunch Money – I Love My Library

Mega Ran – The Library Jawn (new)

ID

Daveed Diggs – Directions (new)

Rare Earth (Mocean Worker remix) – I Just Want to Celebrate

Us3 – Cantaloop

ID 

They Might Be Giants – Got Getting Up So Down

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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2025-06-29 playlist & stream

Jun 29

Super fun to have Birds of a Feather come by!

1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – Particle Man (live)

Birds of a Feather in-studio

[WJFF – Divinity Roxx – Be Yourself

[KUTX – Lunch Money – Nightlights

[WFNU – Turkey Andersen – If a Sandwich Was a Sandwich

2nd set

Deedle Deedle Dees – Major Deegan

ID/prep to rock 

They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock

ID

Keith Munslow – My Favorite Shirt is Clean! (new)

Spoon – The Fitted Shirt

Dick Dale – Miserlou

Diet Cig – Together We Can Conquer Whatever

ID 

3rd set

Justin Roberts – All Eyes On You

Elizabeth Mitchell – Down in the Valley

Mega Ran – Why Do People Go (feat. Kimya Dawson) (new)

ID

The Harmonica Pocket – Imperfection is a Gift (new)

Jenny Lewis – Barking At The Moon

ID 

They Might Be Giants – Robot Parade (live)

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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2025-06-22 playlist & stream

Jun 22

1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – To the Bubblecraft!

David Byrne – Everybody Laughs (new)

ID

Haley Bonar – I Wanna Be Like You

Cake – Mahna Mahna

ID

The Beths – Metal (new)

[WJFF – Zee Avi – Don’t Worry, Be Happy

[KUTX – Rissi Palmer – Not Afraid of the Dark

[WFNU – Andrew & Polly – Growing Up

2nd set

Craig Finn – Forever Young (in-studio)

ID/prep to rock 

They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock

ID

Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Kinder Words

Skankin’ Pickle – I Missed the Bus

Mister G – Grilled Cheese

Mega Ran – Dino Stomp on the Playground (new)

ID 

3rd set

Django Jones – Breakfast

The Harmonica Pocket – Spiders in My Breakfast

Go Banana Go! & Flula Borg – That’s Breakfast (new)

ID

Pavement – No More Kings

Los Lobos – Cruella de Vil

Aaron Nigel Smith – Everyone Loves to Dance (feat. Ziggy Marley)

ID 

They Might Be Giants – Free to Be You And Me

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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2025-06-15 playlist & stream

Jun 15

1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – Four of Two

Uncle Rock – Play Outside Today (in-studio) (ft. young Ella)

ID

Moona Luna – What Time Is It?

The Murmurs – H.R. Pufinstuf

ID

Willie Nelson – The Rainbow Connection

[WJFF – Justin Roberts – Never Getting Lost

[KUTX – Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem – Ranky Tanky

[WFNU – Okee Dokee Brothers – Thousand Star Hotel

2nd set

Erin Ivey – Amelia (in-studio)

ID/prep to rock 

They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock

ID

Boogers – It’s a Sunny Day

All – Frog

The Ramones- Spider Man

Talking Heads – Stay Up Late

Red Yarn – Grizzly Bear

ID 

3rd set

Matt & Kim – Hoodie On

Go Banana Go! & Flula Borg – Eggs (new)

Bonerama – You’ve Got a Friend in Me

ID

Trombone Shorty – A Better Song (new)

Fyütch & Aura V – Harmony

Mega Ran ft. Kymberly Stewart – Have a Great Time! (new)

ID 

They Might Be Giants – D is for Drums

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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2025-06-08 playlist & stream

Jun 08

1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – And Mom And Kid

Lin-Manuel Miranda – Long Last Gator of New York City (new)

ID/Bill Sherman interview

Brandi Carlisle – One Sacred Thing (new)

John Legend – For You

[WJFF – Father Goose – By and By

[KUTX – Mega Ran – Time 2 Clean Up!

[WFNU – Jose Luis Orozco – Clap. Stomp, Tralala

2nd set

Honeydogs & Chastity Brown – Oh! You Pretty Things

ID/prep to rock 

They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock

ID

The Not-Its! – Haircut

Alex the Astronaut – Haircut

Johnny & The Raindrops – Punk Rock Zoo (new)

Parker Woodland – Makeup

ID 

3rd set

Sister Sledge – We Are Family

Michael Ramos – Los Scavengers

ID

Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out

Nields – Butterfly 

ID 

They Might Be Giants – New York City (in-studio)

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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