After the end of an era ( and yes, I’ve got one more “e” in me…wait for it.), it was a question on the lips of the music-lovin’ masses, what would ear X-tacy’s John Timmons would do next?
No matter how the end credits ran, what rose above the ear X-tacy story was a fierce dedication to local, independent commerce – not to mention a passion for music as written, performed, and recorded by anyone from buskers in the Highlands to festivals on the Waterfront or the intimacy of a nightclub set to recording studios nestled throughout the city.
John shared this passion with his friends, customers, and visitors from afar in his store and beyond. His efforts in collaborating with Louisville Independent Business Alliance to Keep Louisville Weird will forever inspire our many communities and merchants. And if we can poke into Louisville indie pop for a moment, young Timmons could become airborne in an impressive pogo/guitar move in quite a few bands.
If anyone thought his future might be up in the air, they can now rest assured that he is on the air.
Between subbing and a few solo-flights on WFPK with Duke Meyer and Sean Cannon, John Timmons is forging a path into your ears, once again, this time via public radio. He offers a timeline and some background on his relationship with WFPK.
“Stacy Owen called a few months back and asked me (A) if I might be interested in working at the station as a DJ and (B) if I would come in and do some test ‘air checks’ to see if I might fit in with the station. Apparently, Duke Meyer, that’s SIR Duke had suggested my name. I was honored to be asked. I came in, tried my shot at it, and came off sounding like ‘radio guy’!”
After some encouragement and guidance from both Stacy and Duke, John confessed he was able to sound “a whole lot like ME.”
“After a month or so of practice at the station, Duke had me in for a short time on his ‘Relics’ show on a Saturday morning. A bit after that, he let me be a guest on his Monterrey Pop Fest anniversary show. After an hour-long solo flight on Sean Cannon’s evening show, they let me fly solo on July 7th, hosting Duke’s Relics show. Scary, to say the least! I did a solo show again on August 4 a bit more relaxed, and a bit more ME.”
In his own humble and self-effacing charm, John learned the ropes of his first broadcasts and got tangled in a few along the way…but what a great selection of songs and commentary. He admits to the learning curve of live radio being overwhelming and I’m sure that it sounds like fun and harder than you think. His wealth of knowledge on the rock genre and time frame serves us all quite well thank you.
“I’m having a blast playing music from 1965 to 1981 on my favorite local radio station,” he confirms. “The response so far has been really encouraging, and I’m learning to be a lot more relaxed while juggling 3 balls, spinning a few plates on sticks and playing some great tunes! I’m really happy to have been given the opportunity by Stacy and Duke. I look forward to doing more with ‘FPK as time goes on.”
John will be sitting in again on August 18 with Duke during the Woodstock Anniversary show. His next solo outing will be September 1 on “Relics” from 9 a.m. to noon on WFPK 91.9.
Where are my manners? We’ve talked all the way up to the lunch hour. Now it’s time for John to raise a toast to three favorite dining establishments.
The (original) Bristol Bar & Grill on Bardstown Road. I’ve been going to the Bristol ever since they first opened in 1977(?) when it was located on what is now their patio! I’ve never been disappointed with any menu item…EVER. Favorites include: the green chili won tons, Thai Stir Fry, Pork Dijonaise, Filet Mandarin and the Bristol Burger. As a matter of fact, the day after our wedding, Denise & I headed there for the Bristol Burger. Manager (for life) Pete Peters took our “day-after the wedding” photo which he later framed and gave to us as a Christmas gift. Oh yeah… the regular service is that good too! I never get tired of lunch at this place. Great crowd-watching place too… business lunch meetings, ladies “doing” lunch, celebrity sightings… I met Sheryl Crow there… just before she got famous… she had played at Cliffhangers to about 50 people the night before. I even spotted Chris Anger (Louisville Improvisors) dining with Flo, (the Progressive Insurance actress/comedian) sans wig & over the top makeup.
August Moon If for no other reason, I’d go for the hot & sour soup! I’ve tried this soup at every Asian/Chinese restaurant around the country, and hands down, August Moon has THE best. Not once have I eaten there and not ordered this soup. Other favorites, appetizers: pot-stickers, chicken satay, or spring rolls, meals: General Tso’s Chicken, ANY of the stir-fry dishes or the wok-seared salmon! Quite often it’s just soup & 2 appetizers for lunch… dinner, too.
Zen Garden Site of my first and only blind date. I didn’t want to go, she didn’t want to go. We were just trying to appease a friend that had been trying to get us together for years. 2 hours later……it snowballed into my marriage to Denise! Zen Garden, indeed. Vegetarian at it’s finest. First-date lunch was Egg Rolls & Noodles… the rest of the menu is quite awesome too,and I’ve tried a few other dishes, but I keep coming back to this, my favorite.
A triple thanks to Louisville for supporting the independence of locally-owned restaurants, live and recorded music, and our public radio station WFPK. Thanks for keeping Louisville Weird and well-fed. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
