Up the Downstair: Show #76: The First Anniversary

It only seems like yesterday that I started this thing but, lo and behold, it's Up the Downstair's First Anniversary! Gifts for first anniversaries are usually paper so please send green bits of paper with pictures of dead presidents on them to me. I'm happy to say that, since the podcast's inception, I've had to up the bandwidth thrice. In fact, every month since December has seen the bandwidth usage for the month increase over the previous month. And, as some of you have doubtless noticed, I've run out on the last day of the month the past two.

I started this podcast for two reasons: 1) I have a goodly-sized collection of live music and I don't have enough time left in my life to listen to it all. So a podcast seemed a good way to force me to sift and winnow through it lest shows merely gather dust. And 2) It was partly a reaction against the MP3 blogs that I'd seen around. Anyone can download a tune or rip a CD and post it so I wanted to do something a bit different. Plus the MP3 blogs that I ran into were almost all devoted to indie rock. I like me some indie rock, so don't get me wrong, but I just tired of all the hoopla around it. I met some folks around town who were extremely pompous and had their indie heads shoved up their indie asses. For these people, it's all a pissing match to see who can like the most obscure bands on the most obscure labels and I want none of it.

The first year has been fun. I talked during only one show before getting tired of hearing my own voice while I edited. Besides, listening the announcers from the King Biscuit Flower Hour and Westwood One In Concert always annoyed me so I figured why annoy others in the same manner. I've endeavored to mix things up so subscribers get something different each week. To be honest, I thought that once things got going, people other than my friends would make requests but, so far, none have. In fact, there's been quite a paucity of communication from listeners. But so it goes, I guess. On the bright side, this also means that I've only ever had one person bitch about the podcast. But I also helped one woman get started in the world of live music trading and, as one listener found out, I'm happy to send copies of shows to people. (I mean full shows in the best quality I have, not these mp3s.)

So thanks for listening and onto the show.

To celebrate, I've thrown together a mix. Putting it together was a bit like being in high school again. So listen as Phil Collins mocks Packer fans and others entertain Madisonians in days gone by. And don't worry if you can't understand the lyrics to the first song – they're in Middle English. But, if you listen hard enough, you can make most of them out. Here's the cryptic setlist: