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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 20 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 12:00 a.m. E.S.T. until 2:00 a.m. Sat
morning,. 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
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Back to the garage : Peter Ahrens and his huge
record collection focus of first Freakout
By: JASON SCHNEIDER
(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.
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