WFHB FireHouse Broadcasting

Our Thanksgiving show starts off with Art Heckman and the Fire House Swing Thing doing Hoagy Carmichael's "Thanksgivin'." Host Richard Fish and announcer D. James have a word about giving thanks, and then Busman's Holiday faces Terror On Ponytail Mountain! Col. Mike Kelsey reads his holiday letter on the air, being too cheap to buy postage stamps. Then Richard has an on-air reunion with Rex Hunt and Tom McHugh, the other two members of Adam's Haunted Sons -- a folk trio which hasn't performed since 1974! They resurrect two of their old songs, and Cathi Norton joins them for one of hers.

The Fire House Swing Thing leads off with Jack McDuff's "Briar Patch." The Firehouse News Team gives the local version of Faux News, and Busman's Holiday is back for their second set. Then it's time for a hilarious radio play: COW TIPPING, written and directed by Joel Pierson of Mind's Ear Audio Productions. Art Heckman and Rex Hunt join forces for "Grandma's House," the Swing Thing gives out with "Got The World On A String," and everybody joins in to finish the show with our own version of "Thanks For The Memory."

Our second hour opens with a tribute to jazz great Louis Jourdan, as Dennis Riggins and the Fire House Swing Thing give out with a rockin' and rousin' version of "Caledonia," and are joined by Art Heckman for "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens." After a quick Fiddlin' Joe Enterprises commercial, host Arbutus Cunningham tells a lovely story about how the Man in the Moon got a job in Cedar Bluffs Iowa. Then our special Guest Star, Don Fischer -- the Voice of Indiana University sports himself, in person! -- joins Mike Leonard and the Mighty Firehouse Art Players to present the play-by-play for "Bloomington Idol" -- a talent show to end all talent shows! Some more wonderful songs by "Small Potatoes" finish out the program on a pair of lovely high notes.

As the show opens, Bloomington Herald-Times columnist Mike Leonard watches host Mike Kelsey's dreams of glory get a rude awakening. WFHB's Board President, Carolyn VandeWiele, decrees that the station must find ways to produce new programs without spending much money. Music from Ginger Curry, Chicago's "Small Potatoes," and Art Heckman (impersonating Hoagy Carmichael) is woven in and around several new program demos, including a call-in show, a game show called "Name That Toxic Asset," and "Bloomington Survivor" -- the Mighty Firehouse Art Players' version of you-know-what!

Norman Corwin’s radio play “The Plot To Overthrow Christmas” was first performed in 1938, and we are delighted and honored to perform this delightful classic on its 70th anniversary. The story begins in Hell, where the Devil and some of his most famous fiends meet to plan the destruction of Christmas. After considering various nefarious schemes, they decide to assassinate Santa Claus! The evil Roman emperor Nero is chosen as the hit man, and he travels to the North Pole to confront jolly old Saint Nick. You’ll have to listen to find out how the Plot unravels – and our show comes to a lovely finish.

The second hour begins with some topical satire, as the Mighty Firehouse Art Players give us the Faux News of the day. Then we’re into some lively and haunting Holiday music from the B-Town Bearcats, who cut loose with “Is That You, Santa Claus?” Richard and WFHB Music Director Jim Manion talk about the amazing Bloomington music scene, and introduce Art Heckman & Friends who perform “Hot Buttered Rum.” The Bearcats then come back with a rousing rendition of “Santa, Swing Me A Christmas Tune.”

The show opens with some hot Dixieland from our house band, Mike Lucas and the B-Town Bearcats, and Art Heckman joins them for an updated version of the depression classic, “Brother Can You Spare A Dime” – allowing for inflation, it becomes “Buddy, Got A Buck Forty-Nine?” We take a quick look at all the different Holidays being celebrated, and join the folks in the old General Store, sittin’ around the old potbelly stove swappin’ haiku poems. The Fatted Calf String Band cuts loose with a set of lively old-time tunes, and then host Richard Fish tries his wings as a storyteller, with the tale of his disastrous and miraculous experience on the night of the Senior Prom, back in High School. Next, Jim Krause and Ann Hurley perform some gorgeous original tunes: their cello and guitar duet weaves some truly beautiful music over the airwaves. Writer and storyteller Bill Weaver presents his holiday classic, “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Housecat” to finish out our first hour.

Carl “Deacon” Moore (9:53)

One of the favorite musicians and bandleaders heard on Border Radio was Carl “Deacon” Moore (beautifully impersonated by Art Heckman), whose combination of music, comedy and salesmanship deserves to be better remembered today.

The Firehouse Swing Thing (7:25)

Back home in 2009, Dennis Riggins leads the Firehouse Swing Thing in a great original jazz number.

Opening: Bye Bye Blackbird (5:12)

The show opens with a little tomfoolery, and then Cathi Norton and our house band, Dennis Riggins and his Firehouse Swing Thing, get things going with a rousing version of a classic tune, “Bye Bye Blackbird.”

The RadioSynclastic Infandibulator (4:03)

Co-Host “Colonel” Mike Kelsey and Announcer Richard Fish
introduce Co-Host Arbutus Cunningham to our radio time machine, the RadioSynclastic Infandibulator, which fails to impress her despite help from the whole audience.