Marshall Tucker Band "Heard It In A Love Song"

The storm was over.   Figuratively and literally.

The Blizzard of 2013 had spun itself out of the area.  The skies were clearing.  The Governor had reopened roads.

And 2 1/2 months of a whirlwind fundraising campaign to Save mvyradio, had culminated with the station signing of 92.7 for the last time, right in the middle of a Blizzard.

I'd spent the night at the radio station, and I was ready to venture out into the new world.

People have asked me, over and over, about my feelings on signing off 92.7.

Honestly, I was okay with it.  Not to say that I was happy about it.  But to be in a stable radio job for 13 years is extremely uncommon in my field.  And to have survived a station sale is even rarer.

I couldn't really begrudge our former owner, Aritaur Communications, for selling 92.7.  By all rights, they should have fired most of the staff years ago, to cut costs.  To their credit, they never did.

And I couldn't really begrudge WBUR for buying the signal.  Someone was going to.  I suppose that it's good that it went to someone who a) didn't want to take the parts of the station that it didn't need, and b) isn't really going to be a competitor, going forward.  It's just business.

So I didn't have much anger, and only a hint of sadness through this process.  And truthfully, most of those feelings were completely drown out by the adrenaline associated with effort of raising over half a million dollars in 60 days.

I walked away from my night of saying goodbye to 92.7, feeling at peace.

Hungry, I went down to The Black Dog in Vineyard Haven, one of the few restaurants open the day after the storm.

Stepping inside, I felt a punch in the gut.

On the overhead speakers, a Classic Rock radio station from Cape Cod was playing "Heard It In A Love Song."

Now, had this been any other business on the Island, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.  But this was The Black Dog.

The folks who run The Black Dog have been superior partners to WMVY over the years.  I don't know how they see us, but I know that I see The Black Dog in much the same way that I see the station---we are long-standing Vineyard institutions that folks who visit the Island feel embody the Island.  Listening to mvyradio, or wearing a Black Dog t-shirt says, "I have a connection to Martha's Vineyard."

No matter what Black Dog location you walk into, they are always playing mvyradio, because it gives the store/bakery/restaurant that Island feel.

But now they were playing someone else.

That hurt.

Not that The Black Dog had chosen to play another station, but that someone, a stalwart friend, was unable to listen.

I won't say I cried---I mean, I was eating a BLT with bacon stacked nearly to the ceiling---but it was the closest I'd come to crying all day and night.

A few days later, I saw Dan, who works for The Black Dog, who told me that the bakery isn't internet-ready, but that they were still playing MVY in their other locations.  We'd be back on their sound system as soon as they were wired up.

I guess this is the new reality.  We're losing some friends who can't come with us into this new technological world, and out of contact for a while with others . . .




Hear the song on Youtube.

Gillian Welch "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor"

When leaving my house on the Friday morning of the Blizzard, I was kissing my wife and kids goodbye as I do every morning, but I was also explaining to the kids that I would probably be gone overnight, due to the storm.

Before walking about the door, my daughter screamed, "WAIT DADDY!!!"

She disappeared down the hall and moments later re-appeared with a big white ball of fuzz.

"I want you to take this with you, so you have something to remember me by."

Let it be know that the Blizzard Of 2013 is when I knew for certain that my daughter would one day win the Oscar for drama.  And I expect that her acceptance speech will include a mention of her Dad, and the Unicorn pillow she made me take to work.

At the end of the night, I pulled a couple of cushions off the soft chairs from the mvyradio lobby, GM Greg had brought in a blanket and a comforter, and I took the unicorn pillow off the record player, and rested my weary head upon it.  That pile of fluff in the foreground of the On Air studio, was my bed for the night.

I don't know if you've ever had the experience, but it is pretty funny to be the only person at your workplace, and to have your workplace become your home for a day.  I made sure to make myself comfortable, hanging out the next morning in my pajamas.

The only drawback to studio life, was the very, very small coffee pot.  I mean, look at the pot, next to a normal sized mug?!?

Hear the song on Youtube.

Fats Domino "Blueberry Hill"

There are many occurrences in fiction, of the actual joy of being the last man on Earth, from the Twilight Zone, to I Am Legend.  Mutants and broken glasses aside, that is. 

Being the only man on Earth does allow you to indulge, unhindered, into whatever you feel like doing.

I was at mvyradio for the last night on 92.7, which happened right in the middle of Nemo the Blizzard. 

Barbara and Jess live within a mile of the station, so shortly after midnight, they went home.

But I stayed behind.

First, it was going to be near impossible for me to get home, in the thick of the storm.  Much easier to stay put.

Second, if I stayed, then no replacement DJ would have to come in until the storm was over.  I could keep music going, and be live when necessary.

Third, there was a blueberry pie.

Yes, some very, very generous soul was in The Black Dog on Friday morning, and heard us on the stereo, talking about our last day.  They were buying themselves a pie, and they thought to buy one for the mvyradio staff.

Early in the day, Laurel had a small piece.  But by the time the whole gang had left, I realized that no one else had taken a bite.

The pie was mine. 

Through the night, and for breakfast on Saturday, and for lunch, and for an afternoon snack, I cut myself pieces of pie.

Yes, it did seem indulgent.  Decadent.  But on the other hand, I was the last man on Earth.

Who would begrudge me?


Hear the song on Youtube.

Snap! "The Power"

I GOT THE POWER! POWER!

We were without power at my house, due to the storm, all the way through Monday evening.

This is the first time in 2 years that I missed two days in a row of blogging.

Happy and thankful to have had a hot shower, a home cooked meal, to wake up in my own bed and so many of the other perks that come with being home.

Thank you to Bruce, Karen, Greg, Jimmy, Josephine, Gram & Tim, Stephanie, Salty and everyone else that helped my family out in these last few days.

More storm story blogging to come, later this week.


Hear the song on Youtube.