The 20 Year Free-Fall

Shockwave 20th Anniversary Annotation of the tape and CD

Compiled by David E Romm. It would be impossible to give the full experience of 20 years of Shockwave in an hour's worth of material. But I'm going to try to at least give the flavor of the broadcast shows, interviews, Live Stage Shows and sundry bits. Many Shockwave skits are long, and don't take to excerpting to a sampler very well. Many of the bits in the samplers have been edited for time. Some of the samplers have related material and a beginning and end, but mostly these are just bits put together for your enjoyment.

Please pardon the sound quality and levels and Dolby mismatches. I've tried to use the highest generation sources, but some of these bits come from second generation cassettes from nearly 20 years ago and too often the choice was between "clear with a bit of hum/static" or "muddled with Dolby". (I'm really glad that very early on I decided to master on chrome tape, but some material precedes that; heck, some Shockwave exists only taped off the air.) I've tried to smooth out the sound levels and edit the pieces digitally, with greater and lesser success.

Unless otherwise noted:
Dave = David E Romm
Jerry = Jerry Stearns
Brian = Brian Westley
Kara = Kara Dalkey
Shockwave Riders = a group writing effort (or else I've forgotten who wrote it)
See also Shockwave FAQ, and the Shockwave tapes often have more complete credits for the Minicon Live Stage Shows

Sampler 1 (an intro to Shockwave)

1. Intro to Amongst the Best of Shockwave Live! Vol. 3 (3:35) Performed as part of the Minicon Live Stage Show April 13 1990. Written by Dave, but the bits come from all over. Engineered by Chris Dronen and then beginning reengineered by Jerry. Performed by Dave and the Shockwave Riders.

2. Lunatennial Milk Carton Satellite Race promo (1:34) First aired on our second show, Sept. 26, 1979 (I found out when I digitized the show, currently on the audio page). Written by the Shockwave Riders. Everett Forte reads.

3. Interview with the projectionist at the fifth anniversary of the Uptown Theater's weekend showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show excerpt (0:29) Feb. 1984.

4. Riders In The Sky promo excerpt (0:13) The group did a promo for the station and a few of the shows when they visited here for the State Fair many years ago. They did the music and script.

5. Breaking Down the Fourth Wall Pledge Rap excerpt (0:12) Part of a promo written by Dave for a KFAI pledge drive.

6. Report on the ISO Mall (1:42) From the Keep It Moving Show, a Minicon Live Stage Show, March 9, 1993. Written by Dave and performed by Kara.

7. Preconceptions, News of the Future, item (0:30). From You're Riding the Shockwave, the Minicon Live Stage Show, April 14, 1995. Written by the Shockwave Riders (from a bit done first in 1980), performed by Jerry.

8. Swearing in of Dr. Emil Nitrate (0:17) You, the Jury was all one skit done as the Minicon Stage Show March 29, 1991. This bit written by Dave and performed by Dave and Jerry.

9. Jews For Elvis (1:01) From When the Chips Are Down, the Minicon Live Stage Show from April 5, 1985. Written by Dave, performed by many with Ed Eastman as the preacher.

10. When the Chips Are Down excerpt (0:14) From the rewritten When the Chips Are Down, part of Amongst The Best of Shockwave Live! Vol. 3, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 13 1990. Written by Dave, performed by Kara and Emma Bull.

11. Russian Limberger joke (0:08) From the Keep It Moving Show, the Minicon Live Stage Show, March 9, 1993. Written by Dave, performed by Denny Lien.

12. The Possible Dream edited (3:48) From You're Riding the Shockwave, the Minicon Live Stage Show, April 14, 1995. Written by Dave and performed by Brian Westley and Jeff McNair

13. Dennis the Phantom Menace (0:11) Brief bit from Demon With A Glass Jaw, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 3, 1999. Written by Brian and Dave, performed by Kara and Jim Young.

14. Ending to Amongst the Best of Shockwave Live! Vol. 3 edited (3:35) Performed as part of the Minicon Live Stage Show April 13 1990. Written by Dave, but as in the intro, the bits come from all over. Performed by Emma Bull and the Shockwave Riders.

Sampler 2 (more obscure references)

1. Interview with Tom Kelly, manager of the Minnesota Twins excerpt (1:00) Before a game with the Angels at the Metrodome, May 31, 1998.

2. Hands Across Anoka edited (3:05) Aired July 29, 1986. Written by Dave, performed by Dave and Kij Johnson

3. Intro to Cerebus #5 (0:40) Circa 1983. Adapted with permission from the Dave Sim comic by Kara.

4. Dead Tribble Sketch (3:35) From Colorized Radio, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 1, 1988. Written by Jerry, performed by Ed Eastman and Jon Singer.

5. Beginning of interview with Douglas Adams (0:42) live broadcast November 9, 1993. Dave, Jerry and Brian.

6. Stiff In The Box Drive In Mortuary (3:36) From Cable Radio, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 20, 1984. Written by Kara, performed by Jake Esau, Jon Singer and Kara.

7. Breaking Down the Fourth Wall Pledge Rap excerpt (0:12) Part of a promo written by Dave for one of KFAI's pledge drive. Produced by Jerry.

8. Beginning of interview with George Tirebiter (0:23) Live broadcast June 22, 1993. David Ossman, as Tirebiter, is interviewed as his Firesign Theater character, so we interviewed him in character. Dave, Jerry, Brian

9. Mary Hartman Dude Condominiums excerpt (1:26) Circa 1981, when Mary Hartman jokes were still current. Written by Dave, performed by Dave and Jerry.

10. Tired of Tofu? (0:18) From the Keep It Moving Show, the Minicon Live Stage Show, March 9, 1993. Written by Dave, performed by Terry Garey.

Sampler 3 (the Time Traveler cycle)

1. Proctor Promo excerpt (0:19) Phil Proctor of the Firesign Theatre did an interview and some promos for Shockwave on April 11, 1998.

2. The Time Travelers (0:17) From the Keep It Moving Show, the Minicon Live Stage Show, March 9, 1993. All the Time Traveler bits were written by Dave, performed by John Houghton and Hilary Posner. Believe it or not, this was just a throwaway joke, which blossomed into dominating the next year's Stage Show and becoming an important plot element in the one after that. Presented here for the first time is the complete cycle (though not all the bits).

3. Captain Audio and the Space Cassettes (4:59) From Spindizzy, a soundsheet from 1981. Written by Dave, Jerry and Kate Worley, engineered by Chris Dronen, with Emma Bull as Captain Audio and Dave as Al Bum and many others. Music is from Thunderball, I think.

4. The Time Travelers excerpt 1 (0:18) From The Adventures of Jason Reignboughs, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 1, 1994. Denny Lien and the Time Travelers.

5. Computer Age Flashback (2:00) From You're Riding the Shockwave, the Minicon Live Stage Show, April 14, 1995. Written by Dave, performed by Dave and Brian, with Terry Garey sneaking in at the end.

6. Time Storm Watch (0:37) from Opening Ceremonies, the first Minicon Live Stage Show April 17, 1981. Written by the Shockwave Riders, performed by Jerry.

7. The Time Travelers excerpt 2 (0:25) From The Adventures of Jason Reignboughs, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 1, 1994. Denny Lien and the Time Travelers.

8. Preconceptions, News of the Future (0:28) Some business news from When the Chips Are Down, the Minicon Live Stage Show from April 5, 1985. Written by Dave, performed by Sue Grandys.

9. Abbott Ann Costello (0:41) From the rewritten When the Chips Are Down, part of Amongst The Best of Shockwave Live! Vol. 3, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 13 1990. Written by Dave, performed by Dave, Kara and Emma Bull.

10. The Time Travelers excerpt 3 (0:18) From The Adventures of Jason Reignboughs, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 1, 1994. Jane Yolen (as Abbott Ann Costello), Brian, Kara and the Time Travelers.

11. The Time Travelers excerpt 3 (0:18) From The Adventures of Jason Reignboughs, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 1, 1994. Jane Yolen (as Dr. Gay Vays) and the Time Travelers.

12. Minus 500 excerpt (0:43) From the live broadcast on January 14, 1992, an overview of science fiction as part of the Columbus Quincentennal. Jerry and Dave banter, with Brian and Eric Heideman in the background.

13. Schroedinger's Pet Store (0:45) From the Keep It Moving Show, the Minicon Live Stage Show, March 9, 1993. Written by Brian, performed by Brian and Kara, with Dave sneaking in at the end.

14. The Time Travelers final excerpt (2:06) From The Adventures of Jason Reignboughs, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 1, 1994. Jane Yolen (as Dr. Gay Vays), Brian, Kara, Ed Eastman (as Jason Reignboughs) and the Time Travelers. The plot is wrapped up... or is it?

15. The Time Travelers (0:42) From You're Riding the Shockwave, the Minicon Live Stage Show, April 14, 1995. Dave (as Jason Reignboughs), Terry Garey and the Time Travelers.

Sampler 4 (movies parodies and more)

1. Pete Moss, Space Detective intro (2:09) From Amongst The Best of Shockwave Live! Vol. 3, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 13 1990. Written by Brian, performed by Jerry, Brian, Jerry Modjesky, Dave. Music: William Tell Orchestra.

2. Mission Constitution (0:44) Written and performed by Dave, circa 1980. Mission Impossible Theme by Lalo Schifrin.

3. Repast of the Jello intro (1:06) From Weatherproof Windows of the Mind, the Minicon Live Stage Show March 24, 1989. One of the hardest things in making these samplers was deciding how to excerpt bits of Kara Dalkey's three brilliant Food Wars parodies. Repast of the Jello was the one we did live. Jon Singer does the honors.

4. Jesse Ventura interview excerpt (0:46) The governor of Minnesota and former science fiction movie actor graciously granted Dave an interview for the 20th Anniversary of Shockwave on September 9, 1999. This sound bite seems appropriate to toss in here.

5. Repast of the Jello excerpt (1:24) From Weatherproof Windows of the Mind, the Minicon Live Stage Show March 24, 1989. Written by Kara, performed by Ed Eastman and Barry B. Longyear.

6. At the Previews/Joys In Collision (1:59) From Cable Radio, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 20, 1984. Written by Dave, performed by Dave and Brian.

7. Pete Moss fragment (0:17) From Amongst The Best of Shockwave Live! Vol. 3, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 13 1990. Written by Brian, performed by Brian, Brian Anderson, Emma Bull.

8. Master & Igor (3:08) From the Keep It Moving Show, a Minicon Live Stage Show, March 9, 1993. Written by Brian, performed by Rick Crabtree and Jane Yolen. This slips into a bit of that year's At The Previews by Dave and Brian.

9. Gene Wolfe interview excerpt (1:25) At the World Fantasy Convention on Halloween, October 31, 1993, Wolfe talks about himself and Harlan Ellison.

10. Dan Keshane (1:06) From The Adventures of Jason Reignboughs, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 1, 1994. Written by Dave, performed by Anthony Tollin.

11. Pete Moss ending (0:45) From Amongst The Best of Shockwave Live! Vol. 3, the Minicon Live Stage Show April 13 1990. Written by Brian, performed by Jerry Modjesky, Emma Bull and Brian.

CD Bonus Extras!

20th Anniversary Promo (1:14)
Promo spot for the 20th Anniversary Show, Sept. 25, 1999

Start of Interview with Gov. Jesse Ventura (5:56)
Most of the science ficton questions. After this, the Sept. 9. 1999 interview drifted into talking about dairy price supports, his appointments, term limits, that he doesn't answer his own e-mail or drink coffee, and so on. Nothing shocking like the Playboy interview, which was around the same time. Afterwards, his secretary asked what soundbites I'd gotten. Not "if", but "what"... As of this writing, the whole interview is will on the net in RealAudio format here.

Freeman King Pledge Rap (1:38)
Fresh Air Radio is community sponsored, listener supported. No commercials, but we have to ask for money every now and then. This is one I wrote for the station back in the early 80s (hence topical but now obscure references like "President Dayton"; Department store heir Mark Dayton had run for Minnesota senator in 1982. Ed. Note: As another example of Shcokwave's prognostication ability, Dayton became MN Senator in the 2000 election, so the reference is topical again.) Engineered by Chris Dronen. Note: Rates have changed. Please pledge at the current rate.

Rates and laugh (0:35)
Chris Dronen was playing with the vocal effects machine used in the Freeman King Plege Rap, and wanted just a take of the rates, which was used in a different pledge rap. This is me camping it up more than usual. A good thing, too, as this led to me being in the documentary about KFAI, "Little City In Space". Again note: Rates have changed. Please pledge at the current rate.