1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – Nine Bowls of Soup

Princess Backpack and Benjamin – Too Much Soup (new)

VIAL – broth song

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Carole King – Chicken Soup with Rice

Uncle Jumbo – Check on the Soup

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Cloud Cult – Help

[WJFF – Lucky Diaz & the Family Jam Band – Pato Loco

[KUTX – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo – Hi-5 for the High Dive

[WFNU – Milkshake – Tip Toe Thru The Tulips

2nd set

Mike Watt – Walking the Cow

ID/prep to rock 

They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock

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Bug Friend – Letter F (new)

Koo Koo and the Shackletons – Ink (new)

Mike Doughty – 27 Jennifers

Mike Park – Wigily Wigily Worm

Mega Ran – Dino Stomp on the Playground (new)

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3rd set

Booger Bubble – Puppy Pants

Go Banana Go! & Flula Borg – Party Goat (new)

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Trombone Shorty – A Better Song (new)

Motion City Soundtrack – Here Comes the Sun

Claudia Robin Gunn – Hello Hello Sunshine (new)

Miles Davis – Boplicity

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

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

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They Might Be Giants – No!

Asylum Street Spankers – Mommy Says No!

Princess Backpack and Benjamin – No (new)

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Todd ’n’ Tina – I Am Strong! (new)

Marshall from Tumble – There Are Eight Planets in the Solar System (new)

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Vince Guaraldi – Motocross

[WJFF – The Boogers – Eat Your Vegetables

[KUTX – Michael Hearst – Flying Cathedral

[WFNU –

2nd set

Ella Jenkins – Head and Shoulder

ID/prep to rock 

They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock

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Bug Friend – Letter B (new)

Rolie Polie Guacamole – Unplug the World (new)

Teacher Peter – Just Breathe (new)

Pears 4 Bears – Peanut Butter Sandwiches 

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3rd set

Pianosaurus – Back to School

Lucky Diaz – El Sol Teseg a

Divinity Roxx – Ready, Set, Go!

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The Dinosaur’s Skin – In My Dreams (You’re Not Extinct)

Mocean Worker – Yay Yay Yay (new)

Twinkle Time – A Superhero (new)

Tim & the Space Cadets – Superhero

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They Might Be Giants – Science is Real

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

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They Might Be Giants – Apartment Four

Lunch Money – You Were a Basket of Flowers

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Frances England – Tricycle

Ella Fitzgerald – Two Little Men in a Flying Saucer

SaulPaul – Rise (live at Studio 1A)

Gustafer Yellowgold – Gravy Insane (in-studio)

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The Submarines – Swimming Pool (in-studio)

[WJFF – Jeremy Messersmith – We All Do Better When We All Do Better

2nd set

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World

ID/prep to rock 

They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock

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The Fastbacks – One Of These Things

Fountains of Wayne – Laser Show

Folk Implosion – I’m Just a Bill

Deedle Deedle Dees – Little Red Airplane

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3rd set

Gentle Hen – Beautiful Day in the Wood

Quiet Company – At the First Sonogram

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Craig Finn – Forever Young (in-studio)

Jeffrey Lewis – Time Trades

Elizabeth Mitchell – I Wish You Well 

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They Might Be Giants – One Everything

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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We received a lovely note from New England listeners:

Hi Bill,

Happy birthday and congratulations on 20 years of Spare the Rock!

My son and I started listening to your show in 2022. I was commuting 40 minutes to work each way and my son was in preschool on the campus where I worked. Spending 80 minutes in the car, five times a week with a 3-year-old was NOT one of my best thought-out plans, but it meant that in my desperate search for music to listen to on the drive, I found Spare the Rock, and it was the best thing to come out of that year of driving back and forth. 

He quickly latched on to “The World’s on Fire (and we still fall in love),” and it was amazing to hear him recognize when you’d say, “We’ve got some Parker Woodland coming up…” He’d go, “Parker Woodland! My favorite!” It’s still his all-time favorite, and at the top of his playlist. It’s been amazing to see him develop his own taste in music. He also loves Candy Band, Lunch Money, OKGo, and the album of David Bowie covers. His first live music experience was seeing Jazzy Ash at Wolf Trap, and he was big-time disappointed that she saved “Be Outside” for the last number– a learning moment about concerts, for sure!

I also love that your show is the musical equivalent of #weneeddiversebooks. Our local libraries are great at providing books that show kids of all cultures, skin tones, body shapes, and family configurations, and Spare the Rock helps me do that with the music he listens to, both in terms of topics/content as well as styles and genres of music. Although it did once get me into the situation of trying to explain the glass ceiling when he was only 4!

So my kid was happy and engaged in the car, which is a great win for me as a mom, but I have to say that Spare the Rock brought me back the joy of discovering new music and the serendipity of hearing old favorites. It’s just so wonderful to hear a song about dichotomous keys or chocolate milk alongside the likes of Soul Coughing or the Be Good Tanyas. Many times I’d start my work day by going to the website to investigate your playlists and track down a new artist or a song I recognized but never knew the name of. 

So thank you, thank you, thank you. Even though we’re relative newcomers to your 20-year run, there’s so much more I could say about what Spare the Rock has meant to our family. I hope it brings you as much joy as it gives us.

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1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

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They Might Be Giants – Doctor Worm (feat. Other Thing Brass Band)

Laurie Berkner – Victor Vito

[Lovelace 20]

Josh Lovelace – Climb a Tree

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Milkshake – Happy Song

Kelly Hogan – Señor El Gato

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Joe McDermott – My Cat Can Fly

[WJFF – Jad Fair – Inky & Winky etc. (in-studio) 

[KUTX – Michael Hearst – Handcar 

[WFNU –

2nd set

Sweet Honey in the Rock – Shoo Fly – Don’t Bother Me

ID/prep to rock 

They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock

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CandyBand – Get Up Already

Shonen Knife – Frogphobia

The Replacements – Buck Hill

Carl Kasell bumper

Skankin’ Pickle – Onyonghasayo

Suburbs – Cows

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3rd set

[Cactus 20]

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo – I Gotta Be Me

Justin Roberts – In The Car

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Sara Hickman – Radiation Man

Alejandro Escovedo – Sad And Dreamy (the Big 1-0)

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[Liam 20]

They Might Be Giants – Particle Man (Other Thing Brass Band version)

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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