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PSYCHEDELIC PETE'S UNDERGROUND FREAKOUT!
The Greatest Music You've Never Heard!
I specialize in digging up rare records from the 60's and 70's that rarely or never got played on the radio. A lot of these bands we never heard of, since the records weren't even available in the local stores. So tune in and let your ears experience a fresh approach to the most dynamic era in musical history from basically 1964 - 1975 (Especially if you're tired of hearing the same old songs being played over and over again on classic rock stations). It is an eclectic mix of mid 60's to early 70's underground rock, specializing in psychedelia, garage, soul, freakbeat, frat rock, bubblegum, british blues and r&b, novelty records, folk rock, psychedelic soul and blues etc., etc., etc.
I have been collecting for 40 years and on the radio for 28 years and like to feature extreme rarities by unknown artists as well as rarities by the classic garage, psych and soul artists. I mix it up pretty good so as not to bore anyone who doesn't like a particular genre. The one hour weekly show goes by quickly. I am starting to get too much traffic for the CKMS servers to handle, so therefore the need for this site.
You can listen live to CKWR FM 98.5 Radio Waterloo every Friday night from 10:30 p.m. E.S.T. until 12:00 a.m. midnight,. for a mind blowing experience that will dig new grooves through your aural membranes! If you miss a show click on the show archive to hear it!
This show is like a combination of 60s AM and underground FM of the 60's and early 70's. I grew up listening to the pop AM stations then when the FM stations featured underground music I listened to those shows. However a lot of these shows wern't available full time except for Chum FM around here which was hard to get. In my town , once a week we got Big D's Underground Groove which later became Kaleidoscope. This was heard late every Sunday night from 10 till 1. We would have to sneak the radio under our pillows. It was hosted by Dave Booth who later became Daddy Cool on CFNY and wrote for blues and soul magazines etc.Also Grantley had a show every Saturday night and he also hosted Canadian Bandstand. In every area, these kind of shows were starting up. They played a WIDE mix of music. It wasn't till the 70's that music types were formatted into categories and you had to choose just one type of music to listen to. This was the start of the death of music and the reason we have problems today. So my show plays a wide variety of stuff centering on about 64 - 75 basically, but with leeway.
Also I tend not to play a lot of the classic tunes that you have heard on every other radio station. You wouldn't believe it but there has got to be 100 X more of the underground bands than the regular bands you hear, so I try to feature some of the best music from there, though I sneak some faves in to keep listeners interested. I also take requests as you know. Just send an email or call the station if you listen live through the CKMS stream. I just wanted to explain why you might hear a guy like John Prine on a psychedelic show. These days , psych and garage shows tend to stick to only those formats. Sorry but John Prine was a big part of the counter culture as well as anyone. In fact , Dylan was probably just as responsible for it as the Beatles, and of course the Byrds with their rocked up psychedelic folk.So just enjoy the SPIRIT of the AGE. That is what I am trying to say. After 1975 , the spirit changed because this generation had grown up and was working and becoming established. The new generation started punk. Thats how the world works. In cycles.
I also want to say that a lot of thoughtand preparation goes into my shows. It often takes 10 hours or more of work on each show,digging up tunes that have never been heard before and trying to catch a certain mood for each show. Also trying to decide which popular tunes to play to keep a listener's interest when I have so many listeners nowadays. Over 28,000 a month after 4 yrs of being online. Thanks to you all. You are my friends!
Click here for info on an old special show !!
For more info e-mail me at: psychopete@rogers.com
_______________________________________________________________Back to the garage : Peter Ahrens and his huge record collection focus of first Freakout
(Apr 8, 2004)
He's been known by many names, among them Chicago Pete and Psychedelic Pete, but no matter what you call him, Peter Ahrens is, above all, recognized as a true music fanatic. He's played in area bands for over 20 years, rubbed shoulders with many rock legends, and now he's hoping to share some of those experiences -- not to mention his massive record collection -- with anyone who likewise shares his passion for '60s and '70s underground rock.
Ahrens is hoping this exchange can take place on a monthly basis at gatherings he is tentatively calling Pete's Underground Freakout. The first will be tonight at the Grad House on the University of Waterloo campus. Things will get underway immediately after Ahrens finishes his CKMS radio show at 9 p.m. (it airs every Thursday night from 8 to 9 p.m. at 100.3 FM), when the tracks will keep spinning and special guest Rich Wamil, a one-time member of local legends Copper Penny, will be on hand to talk about his experiences as well.
Ahrens explains his motivation as simply wanting to start a local scene that can bridge the generations.
"I've been collecting records for 40 years, since I was a kid, and it's been clear that I've been getting more and more young listeners to my radio show," he says. "So I've been thinking that someone should do something to bring together the kids today who are mods and into garage rock, and the people my age who still listen to this stuff."
Ahrens adds, "I just want it to be an evening of listening to cool, obscure records, and a place where cool people can meet on a regular basis. Eventually I'd like to get some local bands like The Candidates involved, because it seems like more and more bands are being influenced by this music."
Indeed, Ahrens' timing couldn't be better as the recent wave of bands like The Strokes, The Vines and Jet have spawned what's become known as the "garage revival," and Steven Van Zandt has reaquainted legions with the magic of radio through his weekly Little Steven's Underground Garage syndicated program.
"The thing is that a lot of the older people who were into this music originally have lost touch with it, because at a certain point you couldn't hear it anymore," he says.
"But I've always kept up with it, and actually I can say that I've been doing what Little Steven's been doing on the radio for 20 years. I like to go a little deeper though, but the encouraging thing is still how many kids have gotten into the music lately. If these monthly shows work out, then they will definitely start expanding interest in garage rock around here."
Pete's Underground Freakout No. 1 takes place tonight at the Grad House, with DJ Chris Abbott and special guest Rich Wamil. Doors open at 8 p.m. with a $2 cover and free giveaways.
