Andras Jones
&
The Essex Green
From ANDRAS JONES: In sync with the coming of Gregorian 2019 we welcome the airy sweet darkness of THE ESSEX GREEN to the realm of The Pop Oracle. October 3rd, 2018 was one of those days that challenges a Radio8Ball host’s faith. I woke up that morning in a cheap motel room in Burbank with that tingle in my throat which promises the coming of a cold. I felt obligated to let the band, who were in the middle of a tour, know of my condition in case they didn’t want to risk catching what I had. Lucky for us, they decided to trust the strength of their constitutions and do the session. And they were right to, as about a week after the session I got an e-mail informing me that they were all still in great health. Lest ye think such faith is always rewarded with immediate good feeling, this show actually had some major blowback. I won’t go into all the details but certain individuals at the session, in true rock star fashion, tucked into the Starburns bar which resulted in our show being placed on probation at the studio which is basically indefinite (no more booze for the guests – unless they bring it themselves). Not only that but one of our engineers decided to express, in dramatic fashion, his desire to quit working on Radio8Ball after this session, which made booking studio time at Starburns a little difficult for a while. As this was all raining down on me it was tempting to lay the blame for it on others but that’s not the way for a Radio8Ball host. If a band you booked drinks the studio booze and gets us probationed, it’s because I as the host didn’t communicate the boundaries of the studio well enough. If a team member flips out and projects their shadow onto me in an angry e-mail full of threats and ultimatums, it’s because I, as the host, have not properly created a container that can accommodate the contradictions and projections a synchronicity show is bound to stir up. It’s one of those painful situations where you can dig your heels in and be “right” and lose, or take your lumps, maybe learn a lesson and, one hopes, ultimately build a machine of greater integrity. And of course, as I always tell myself when I’m struggling with the painful synchronicities that may arise around a particular Radio8Ball show, “I can always write about the whole context in the Radio8Blog when the podcast drops”, as I am doing now. Like I said, it was one of those days that tests one’s faith, and if you ever find yourself hosting a Radio8Ball show you’ll probably have a similar opportunity to expand yourself beyond what feels comfortable, reasonable or fair. Welcome to Gregorian 2019, and check out today’s Pop Oracle song (written for the film “Walk Hard”) from Dan Bern & Common Rotation. Impeachment’s in the air and it smells like…Mike Pence? Hey. Wait a minute…
POP ORACLE Song of The Day (January 1, 2019): DAN BERN & COMMON ROTATION “Dear Mr. President”