The world at presupposed brink of collapse is a funny thing. Heathen Disco has been preparing for this moment since roughly this time in 2016. This show that I do is mostly put together from vinyl records, played live. Time is funny too, in that everyone who'd been hoarding these records gave them up for sale to a store or online, and I was fortunate enough to be there when they fell. In brief, it was just too easy. Sure, I missed out on a $4 Hot Chocolate record, but have you listened to the show? It barely registers. I got a different one, it jams too. Lotta records over here. Good ones. Ones I'd been looking for, ones I didn't know I needed.

I still keep track of a lot of fun new music, so if you want to get some idea of what's happening beneath what you know is happening, this is a place you can go. If you wanna remember what a record listening party is like, hey, me too, we do it every week. If you wanna recall what it's like hitting a small club on the right night and losing yourself in the music, I want that too, from both sides of the DJ booth. If you wanna be jarred out of complacency then snapped back into the familiar, who can blame you, it's a lot of fun if done right. Every show on CHIRP is unique in its own way, but there is only one show like Heathen Disco on CHIRP as well as Chicago proper, and of a small handful online.

I count my lucky stars to be able to do this thing that I love, for you (and for me), every week, right when you're about to jump back in the shit Monday morning. We're building moods and strategies to connect musical moments that didn't seem obvious until key points over the past 60 years, an audio geography that shows you more than you knew was out there and welcomes you to redraw your own map. 

It took me a while to get reacclimated to radio after a 12-year hiatus, but CHIRP opened a door for me to return and let me work out what I needed to do to get the Heathen Disco fully operational. For that reason alone I pledge my support for the station every year, and bring in listeners who agree with what I'm doing. If you'd like to be one of them, we could certainly use your support. We all acknowledge this is a tough time to fundraise for non-social justice causes, but all of CHIRP's public appearances and fundraising events, like our annual record fair, are on indefinite hiatus. That's why your support means so much to us now.

I'll keep moving the needle on these donations once the current goal gets topped. Who knows where we'll end up.

Speaking of which, here are six starting points to the backlog of Heathen Disco from recent times. I'm super proud of these episodes and they serve as an excellent introduction to the show. Check em out and give what you can. Also tune in to the show live Sundays at 9pm ct on http://www.chirpradio.org or at 107.1fm in Chicago.

Episode 225 (airdate 9/13/2020). The most recent run. So happy with the mixing in the first set. Getting to live in a city with such a strong and specific past in the next steps of dance music from the '80s onward means that most of the artifacts from that era are still out there for those who are willing to look.

Episode 220+221 (airdates 8/6/2020 and 8/13/2020). Added some of the stronger sets from a less-strong show into a new episode through the magic of digital editing. Those of you who were around August 6th, never forget. But this is a good, longer show with a lot of runs I'd listen to anytime.

Episode 215 (airdate 6/28/2020). Some noise/disco back and forth in the first hour that was sort of serendipitous. Sometimes the mixes present themselves as they are!

Episode 214 (airdate 6/21/2020). This is around the time I started venturing back into record shops since the pandemic stated. Needless to say, everyone was ready. Kind of a moodier show but was great to pull off.

Episode 198 (airdate 1/19/2020). From back when we were still going out, though Chicago makes it a point to sit out winters. Nice variety in this one and a great mix in the second hour around Experimental Products through The Loft.

Episode 195 (airdate 12/30/2020). Rare daylight hours appearance! I filled in for Mary Nisi's show and now we all have to wear masks. Coincidence?

We've been here for you throughout this challenging year - now, we need you to be here for us!

This wasn't how we anticipated spending our tenth anniversary year. Instead of parties and open studio events, we've spent the last six months, one DJ at a time in a carefully disinfected studio, keeping you connected while we all worked to stay safe. We've worked hard to amplify the voices of local artists who can't play live and local venues who were first to close, and to help you feel less alone at a time when it's easy to feel distant from your community.

But we've been hanging in there, and we hope you have too. We're still here every single day, live and local, commercial-free, with great music brought to you by true music fans. If you believe in this work, and if you're able, we hope you'll support the station with a gift today.

If you would like to become a sustaining member by making a recurring donation (monthly or quarterly), or if you want to select a thank you gift, please visit CHIRP's main donation page to make your contribution (and don’t forget to enter the name of the CHIRP Volunteer or DJ in the “How did you hear about CHIRP” section so they can receive credit for your gift).