It's Kind of A Live Blog, and Also A Diary Entry

I hope everyone out there has heard about 80 Hours on Air, the arts staff's radio show on KRUI. Every Friday from 5-6 p.m. on KRUI 89.7 FM, the arts staff takes over the airways to regurgitate all things popular culture and highlight stories from the previous week's DI arts section. In case you missed this week's show, I've live blogged it for you hear, but don't let it happen again. This show is too entertaining to just read about, be sure to stream it online at www. kruiradio.org/listen if you don't have a radio. I promise, it's the perfect way to kick off your weekend.

Friday, March 7, 2008

5:03 p.m.- Louis calls Paul a racist (for what reason I don't know) and becomes even more my hero. OK, upon further investigation, Louis didn't call Paul a racist but in fact called himself a racist. And my little heart is broken :(

5:06- Jarrett throws on his interviewing hat and talks to a composer from the upcoming UI Composers Workshop. (Read his brief on the event in the DI).

5:08 - Paul takes over. What a good host. Way to moderate :))

5:08- We hear "High Pressure," a piece by the composer (whose name I forgot, SORRY!). It was good. It had lots of strong brass sounds, which I think everyone should be a fan of.

5:12- Paul reminds our composer that there's no vulgarity allowed on air. Ah, the irony, Paul telling someone not to be vulgar. ( That might not be ironic as much as semi-hypocritical).

5:13- Louis tips his Madre Cody story. And I wait with baited breath as we hear some music.

5:21- Paul referred to himself as "me." So comforting.

5:21- Paul just said he knows how it feels to be a minority, because there are only four guys on the Arts Staff. And legions of non-whites just rolled in their graves. I hope Paul never tries to convince anyone he isn't ignorant, and if he does, they should be directed to this blog.

5:21- The men of the Arts staff discuss making a seasonal calendar, since there's four of them. I'll be first in line to buy! Oh please let this happen.

5:23- Louis called his (and Diablo Cody's) hometown, Lemont, IL, a thimble. LOVE IT. That's right, he's just as witty in life as he is in 80 Hours!

5:23- Louis and Jarrett discover a bond because Jarrett played Lemont with his band in high school, and thus more arts staff connections are bond.

5:23- Paul feigns feminism by attacking Cole for saying the most important thing about Diablo Cody is that she was a stripper.

5:24- Paul talks about how he wants Diablo Cody's arc for his own career. AWKWARD.

5:25- Paul addresses the Juno backlash. Something he contributed to significantly. Scroll down for evidence.

5:27- Louis makes a Juno/Fargo crossover reference. And a bunch of unemployed writers just opened new word documents.

5:28- Paul is literally retelling a conversation we had over Facebook, and I'm going to sue for royalties and fair use.

5:29- Cole asks what makes a film indie. Way to jump in, resident Bluegrass expert!

5:30- Paul brings up the sameness between indie-films and studio films because the budgets are going to be the same.

5:31- Paul says that Juno was the first focus group indie film. I disagree, but it's a decent point.

5:32- Louis gives a shoutout to Liz Phair- cool. Paul makes a Phair/fair weather pun - hokey.

5:33- The boys of the DI Arts Staff play "Jealousy," a track from Liz Phair's album Whip Smart. These may be the coolest guys you'll ever know, if for no other reason than putting on a 14 year old gem by a now-sucky artist.

5:36- Don't get me wrong, I love listening the music of KRUI, but I wonder what's going on in the studio right now...

5:37- Paul drops some "Meant to Live" lyrics in honor of the Switchfoot show coming to the UI.

5:39- Cole and Jarrett fight about bad rappers. Kris Kross and Ron Artest come up, and Jarrett becomes a little more awesome in this conversation.

5:39- Jarrett and Cole discuss how downhill Veisha at Iowa State has gone. As a tribute to Blessid Union of Souls, who will be playing Veisha this year, Jarrett sings a little "Hey Leonardo."

5:40- Louis' absence is discussed. And the show loses a little spark. Mission Creek conversation quickly fills the time.

5:42- Jarrett talks about his band, Birth Rites, playing a fraternity talent show at Marquette University, and how when the audience members heard that they weren't Christian rock, covered their ears and were very confused...

5:42- Paul says "Fix You" by Coldplay is "such a bad song. Why would you play it anyway?" And Paul becomes one my least favorite people EVER. In this one moment.

5:43- Paul reveals his spite towards Marquette because he didn't get in. He also calls Milwaukee a second-rate Chicago, and Cole says how scary he finds Milwaukee to be, which is sheltered and vaguely adorable.

5:44- A public service announcement (looking out for those with mental illness) and a song from Sunset Rubdown.

5:54- Jarrett acknowledges the decline in the show's quality during its last moments.

5:55- Cole's writing his first Medium! He wants to write about The Life Of Ryan. Paul reveals his eternal uncoolness by admitting he has no idea what Cole and Jarrett are talking about.

5:56- Paul brags about (sorry, "previews") his interview with John Irving.

5:57- One last song to bring the show to a close.

All in all, the boys of the arts staff brought it to the radio show. I think they should do a show like this once a month, especially in light of Paul's feelings of being disenfranchised as a male on the arts staff (even though he's an editor). Nice work, team.

-Meryn, who thinks anyone doing radio is far cooler than she :))