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Problem Corner is an iconic radio show that has become a vibrant community hub. Callers engage in a wide array of discussions, ranging from local political debates to community commentary and casual advertisements for listeners looking to buy, sell, or trade personal items.
The show's rich history is marked by its association with several prominent local figures. Notably, Dennis Egan, a former mayor of Juneau, was a key personality in shaping the show's direction in the 1980s.
As a testament to its enduring relevance and appeal, "Problem Corner" has etched its name in the annals of Alaskan broadcasting history. It's not just a radio show but a cultural landmark, celebrated for being the longest-running radio show in Alaska.
Welcome to problem corner, Alaska's longest running radio show presented each weekday by Alaska Laundry and Dry Cleaning. Connect, share, discuss the topics that matter as you know in all of Southeast Alaska. Join the conversation at (907) 586-1800 and onlineradio.com.
Speaker 2:Morning. I'm Katie Bosler, your Thursday host Corner along with program manager Justin Miller running the board and taking your calls. If you have something to say or sell on the air, please call us at (907) 586-1800. If you prefer email, fill out a problem corner comment form at k I n y radio dot com. Now we are thrilled to have a very special guest here with us in the studio in town for the fiftieth anniversary Alaska Folk Festival guest dance band Dickerson and his western swing all stars.
Speaker 2:Dick is a well known member of the Southern California roots music scene. He's toured with many bands, including Dave and Dick Combo and Dick Dickerson and the Ecophonics. His latest album is with his band, the Whippersnappers. They're currently touring their 2023 album, Honky Tonk Rhythm. And he's brought yet another band to Juno for this western swing extravaganza at the Jack Friday and Saturday night.
Speaker 2:Welcome, Deek.
Speaker 3:Well, thanks so much for having me, Katie.
Speaker 2:So great to have you here and thanks for bringing us in with a little bit of instrumental there. Tell us about this band that you've brought with you.
Speaker 3:Well, there's a local fellow and I think that a lot of the listeners out there probably know him. His name is Rieber Stein. He's a guitar collector. That's how I met him online and we began a friendship that way. But he's brought me up to Alaska to perform at four different times now with my band, the Whippersnappers.
Speaker 3:And once or twice, I came up here with some Alaska musicians and played some gigs. And he kept talking about the Alaska Folk Fest and how he really wanted to get me on it and how big it was and how cool it was and what a, you know, event it was here here in town. So he approached me and he said, look. I have them interested. They really want a western swing band, you know, for this the dance.
Speaker 3:Is it called the dance hall? What it what's it called?
Speaker 2:It's the Geno Arts and Culture Center, the Jack, we just call it.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah. But that's where the dancing takes place
Speaker 3:Exactly.
Speaker 2:For school festival.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So he had them interested. He wanted a western swing band. And so I I do perform some western swing. I don't perform it full time.
Speaker 3:I mostly play rockabilly and, you know, vintage rock and roll and things like that. But I love western swing, and I I relish any opportunity that I have to play it. So I was able to get three positions from Texas, female fiddle player named Katie Shore, who's played with the sleep at
Speaker 2:the wheel and Willie Nelson and about a million other people.
Speaker 3:And then a husband and wife team that play bass and drums from Austin, Texas, Brad Fordham and Lisa Pankratz. And then there's a really incredible guitar and steel guitar team from Portland, Oregon, Russ Blake and Ian Miller, and that's the band that I have here this weekend.
Speaker 2:So what a team. So altogether with
Speaker 3:Wait. I'm a musician. Hold on. One, two no.
Speaker 2:K. Six. Wow. So what are you most looking forward to during your time here in Juneau
Speaker 3:and with the Folk Festival? Well, I love Alaska. You know, I I have thought many times, like, if I have to bug out of the Lower 48, like, where am I gonna go? You know? And I've never gone through a winter up here, so maybe maybe that's a pipe dream.
Speaker 3:But every time I've been up here, I just think to myself, I love this place because there's just a lot less people. You know? It's this
Speaker 2:Living in Los Angeles, that's a lot of human beings to deal with every day.
Speaker 3:A lot of rush hour traffic. And, you know, there's there's pros to Los Angeles and the weather's gorgeous year round and all that kind of stuff. But but it the immense amount of population there is a problem. And every time I come up here, I think, man, this is kinda like Portland or Seattle with a lot, lot, lot less people.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. You got the fresh air and less human beings to deal with. Yep.
Speaker 3:And, you know, we've played Fairbanks and Talkeetna and just driven over a lot of the state and it's just a gorgeous place.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's pretty stupendous for sure. So your first time in Southeast Alaska was twenty years ago with the Southeast Alaska State Fair?
Speaker 3:The first time I came to Alaska was to play the Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines. And that was my first introduction to the whole thing and I just kind of fell in love with it.
Speaker 2:Wow. Well, folks, if you are just tuning in, we have Deke Dickerson here with us in the studio. He is here with the dance band for the Alaska Folk Festival. If you have anything you'd like to ask about western swing or rockabilly music or a variety of genres that Deakus specializes in, you can give us a call at (907) 586-1800 or as always, if you have something to say or sell, call us at that number or you can always email us at k I n y radio dot com. Well, you have your guitar there, Deke.
Speaker 2:Would you like to, grace us with a tune?
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I I figured I might as well play a couple of these songs that we will be playing over the weekend. Perfect. And also, I could use the practice.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 3:So this first song and I should mention, you know, Western Swing, it it's an interesting form of music. It started in the nineteen thirties in Texas and Oklahoma. And then a lot of those people moved out to California, you know, during the Dust Bowl and then during World War two to work in the defense plant industry, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah. How do you define that western swing?
Speaker 3:It's Well, and I should mention I'm giving a workshop.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes. Of course.
Speaker 3:I believe it is 10:30 in the morning on Saturday, although I would have to consult my official schedule for that.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah. I I can look it up on the website here too.
Speaker 3:But I'm gonna do a little history of Western swing for that workshop. But in in this workshop that I'm gonna give, I was gonna talk about how the music kinda started in Texas and Oklahoma and they just called it Texas fiddle music. And it was an interesting blend of Dixieland jazz and swing and blues, but it was primarily stringed instruments, you know, fiddle, banjo, guitar, upright bass, that sort of thing, playing jazz as opposed to like, you know, the big bands that were popular with a lot of saxophones and trumpets and that sort
Speaker 2:of thing. So Interesting jazz length there.
Speaker 3:It was never really known as Western swing until, as I mentioned, a lot of these people moved out to California. And during World War two, it became There were band leaders like Spade Cooley who were drawing 15,000 shows, and and it was just a crazy time because the defense plants were so busy during World War two that they were actually running twenty four hours a day. And so as each of these eight hour shifts got off, they would have dances. So the musicians during World War two were literally working, like, twenty four hours a day. They would play these shifts, you know, when the when people cut off at six in the That's fascinating.
Speaker 3:And they would play shifts at, you know, three in the afternoon, and then they would play, their standard nighttime shift. Uh-huh. But the music was just hugely popular. And there was a promoter there named Foreman Phillips who was, you know, he was sort of like the Bill Graham of that scene. You know, he promoted all the clubs and he, you know, managed all the bands.
Speaker 3:And he's the guy that really came up with the term western swing. And it just kinda stuck since then. Yeah. And, you know, it experienced a great decline during the nineteen sixties and then was sort of revived by people like Merle Haggard and Ray Price and Willie Nelson to a certain degree and then also sort of popularized by younger hippie bands like Asleep at the Wheel and Commander Cody. And it's still going strong today.
Speaker 3:Wheel has won a million Grammys. They're still out there playing.
Speaker 2:And the dancing is a huge part of it, the the steps to western swing.
Speaker 3:It's a huge part of it. And you know, what differentiated the Texas fiddle music and western swing from the country music that was happening back east is that, you know, in Nashville or or, you know, most most of the South, people would sit and they would watch acts on stage. Right? And they would be quiet and watch the acts on stage. But then with this Texas fiddle music, it became a dance thing and Sure.
Speaker 3:And a much rapid thing Yes. And and taking place in these very rowdy dance halls. Mhmm. And so electric amplification also became a big thing. A lot of the country music at the Grand Olefri was all acoustic instruments, you know, and they would gather around one microphone.
Speaker 3:But with Western swing, they had to play electric guitars and amps just to be heard.
Speaker 2:And then Western swing dance clubs are really big and and I was connected with you initially through my sister who is a Western swing dancer
Speaker 3:in San Yeah. And, you know, swing dance has had a lot of revival, like there was a big revival with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Royal Crown Review twenty five years ago. But there's still a ton of swing dancers out there and they love dancing to Western swing music.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So they're a big part of that community. Well
Speaker 3:That's how I met your sister.
Speaker 2:That's right. Okay. Well, a long introduction to some maybe Destin and I will start dancing in the studio. Who knows?
Speaker 3:Alright. Well, this first song that I'm gonna play was written by a guy named Merle Travis, who I wrote a book about And this was a huge hit in 1947 and we are gonna be playing it, this weekend. It's it's it's it's about smoking cigarettes. You know, I'm not sure how culturally relevant it is today, but I'm gonna do it for you right now.
Speaker 2:Okay. Well, take us back to 1947.
Speaker 3:Here we go. And I'll see if I remember all the words. There's a lot of words of this thing. Now I'm a fellow with a heart of gold. With the ways of a gentleman, I have been told the kind of a fellow that wouldn't even harm a flea.
Speaker 3:But if me and a certain character met the guy who invented the cigarette, I'd murder that son of a gun in the first degree.
Speaker 5:Now it ain't cause that
Speaker 3:I don't smoke myself, and I don't reckon they'll hinder your health. I've smoked them all my life, and I ain't dead yet. But nicotine slaves are all the same. At a pettin' party or a poker game, everything's gotta stop while they have
Speaker 5:a cigarette. Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette. Pop, pop, pop. And if you smoke yourself,
Speaker 3:tell Saint Peter at the Golden Gate that you hate to make
Speaker 5:him wait. You just gotta have another cigarette.
Speaker 3:Not a game of chance the other night. Old damn fortune was doing me right. The kings and queens just kept on coming round. Now I pulled the full and I raised up high, but a bluff didn't work on a certain guy. He just kept raising and laying the money down.
Speaker 3:Now he'd raise me, and I'd raise him. I sweated blood. I gotta sink or swim. He finally called and then didn't raise the bet. I said, Ace is full, pal.
Speaker 3:How about you? He said, I'll tell you in a minute or two, but right now, I just gotta have a cigarette.
Speaker 5:Now the other night, I
Speaker 3:had a date with the cutest little girl in 48 states, a high bred uptown fancy little dame. And she said she loved me, it seemed to me that things were going like they ought to be. So hand in hand, we strolled down Lover's Lane. She was oh so far from a chunk of ice, and our smooching party wasn't going real nice, so help me, Hannah. I think I'd have been there yet.
Speaker 3:Well, gave her a kiss and a little squeeze, and she said, Deacon, excuse me, please, but right now, I just gotta have a cigarette.
Speaker 5:Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette. Pop, pop, pop it if you smoke you something.
Speaker 3:Tell Saint Peter at the Golden Gate that you hates to make them wait. You just
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. What fun. It kinda makes me wanna smoke a cigarette.
Speaker 3:I was just gonna say, let's all light one up. Why don't we?
Speaker 2:Even after that kiss, she doesn't she doesn't say, you have smoke breath.
Speaker 3:Well, if we could only go back to the late forties when cigarettes didn't cause cancer.
Speaker 2:Right. Yeah. And our lives may feel we have a phone call.
Speaker 6:Alright.
Speaker 2:Good morning. You're on problem corner.
Speaker 6:Hey. First thing I wanna say is, you know, I was sitting here getting ready for work, I heard the guy start to sing and everything, and I had to stop and say, yeehaw.
Speaker 3:Alright. That's much better than boo, so I appreciate that.
Speaker 6:To change the subject, I don't I wanna talk about the gondola.
Speaker 2:The gondola. Okay.
Speaker 6:Yeah. That thing is wasting away and
Speaker 7:Well, you know I think I'm I'm
Speaker 2:Yes. Go ahead.
Speaker 6:I think I heard that it's not gonna be ready for a few years, quite a few years, as a matter of fact.
Speaker 2:Well, actually, you know, I have a little bit of more information on that. That is something that is a priority of the city and borough of Juneau and of Gold Belt and they're gonna do their best to get that that up and running as soon as possible. I mean, it's a huge project. So, it will take a few years but.
Speaker 6:We'll never get back.
Speaker 2:Well, it's actually something that's kind of separate, you know, from Eagle Crest. This is something that the CBJ is a priority. I think I think we're gonna be okay.
Speaker 6:Yeah. I I I beg to differ. I think
Speaker 8:it I think it's a
Speaker 6:horrible idea. And, you know, my wife, she's a Gold Belt shareholder, and
Speaker 8:she is she is fit to
Speaker 6:be tied. Because first of all, Gold Belt didn't even talk to their shareholders about that investment. And from my point of view, it's kinda like a cylinder of money down a hole. And it could have gone to shareholders because this project, it's gonna cost millions more. I mean, millions more that the taxpayers are gonna have to pay and Gold Belt shareholders are gonna shareholders are gonna have to Yeah.
Speaker 6:You know, wash their money.
Speaker 2:I think a lot
Speaker 6:of yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. But what was there that kind of opposition to the tram? And that's a a Goldbelt project.
Speaker 6:And that's another thing too. That's gonna you know, why why would these you know, one thing I work with tourists. I'm a I do tours and stuff like that. And one thing that they haven't taken into consideration is all these tourists are on a time crunch. They can't you know, they I don't think they'll be spending money for a half hour ride to a mountain where you pick blueberries.
Speaker 9:Well, that
Speaker 2:It's hard it's hard to say. I I know there's a lot of trepidation in advance, but I think we need to have a little faith in in in what is already underway, and I think it will be for the best of our community and for our economy because we people do are interested in in seeing our natural environment here. But thank you so much for your Yeah,
Speaker 8:beg to differ.
Speaker 9:I think it's a huge mistake, sorry.
Speaker 2:Okay, no, no, well thank you for your call. Appreciate your perspective, thank you for calling.
Speaker 9:We do have
Speaker 4:one more call.
Speaker 3:We have another call.
Speaker 4:They're a patient while Deke was playing, so let's get him on the show.
Speaker 2:Yes. Good morning. You're on Good morning. Hi. Hello.
Speaker 2:You're on problem corner.
Speaker 10:Yeah. Is your guest still there?
Speaker 2:He certainly is. Deep Dickerson is right here.
Speaker 10:You mentioned a band that I have a record in
Speaker 6:pristine condition. The name of
Speaker 10:that band is commander Coding is Lost Planet Airman, Lost in the Ozone Again.
Speaker 2:What a great
Speaker 10:title. If you don't know this music, they did the best rendition of My Pappy said, son, you're gonna drive me to drinking if you don't stop driving.
Speaker 9:That hot That
Speaker 10:hot rock drinking.
Speaker 2:Actually, that reminded me of that song a little bit. Yeah. Same kind of thing.
Speaker 3:Well, a lot of words in both of those songs. Yeah. Yeah. But, yeah, the the guitar player from Commander Cody is still around. A guy named Bill Kirchen.
Speaker 3:He's a he's a good friend of mine. He does a fantastic version of Hot Rod Lincoln where he throws in about a ten minute thing in the middle of the song where he plays every guitar style known to man, calls out all these different players and he imitates them perfectly. And he's just a great guitar player and fabulous showman.
Speaker 10:You wouldn't believe how many younger people have no idea of commander Cody. Cody. But I have a copy of that that I'm thinking about selling. If there's anybody out there interested in a one and only beautiful condition of this record, you can call me up at 507371.
Speaker 2:That is good to know. Yeah. My husband has is celebrating a big birthday later this year, and that is, one of his favorite songs.
Speaker 10:I also have, George Carlin occupation full. Cheech and Chong up in smoke.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah. Classic.
Speaker 10:All those classics when I just have too much stuff. So there you go. But, yeah, I I've known a Hot Rod Lincoln or two in my life.
Speaker 3:Now, sir, as we try to ascertain the value of these albums, were any of these album covers used to separate seeds and stems?
Speaker 10:Clean. Legal.
Speaker 3:Okay. Alright. Alright. Good to know. No no residue of any kind?
Speaker 6:No. No no
Speaker 10:no munchies.
Speaker 3:This may be the only Cheech and Chong album out there, friends, that does not have seeds and stems residue on it.
Speaker 2:No. Stems and seeds that you don't need.
Speaker 10:Yeah. Well, the good old days are gone. The alcohol go cold. Anyway, thanks for the time.
Speaker 2:Thanks so much for calling. Alright. I love I love it when what the person has to sell works right into our our guest and our theme.
Speaker 3:There you go.
Speaker 4:Anyway, do have another call. Let's get him on the Good
Speaker 2:morning. You're on problem corner.
Speaker 11:Hey, cool. I'm looking for a homeless, but I have steady income. I'm a Goldbelt and shareholder. And what I'm really looking for both rent to own doesn't have to be here in Juneau. I'm for both the buyer, rent to own, good work in condition.
Speaker 11:And for me and my sister, we'd like to live aboard it and we both have over pretty close to $3,000 and then come a month between us. If anybody else there, like I said, ma'am, I'm not if there's one here in June now, maybe Sukka or somewhere else. They can call (907) 419-5262.
Speaker 4:5 2 6 2. Alrighty. Well, we'll see if someone we could get someone to reach out to you about getting you a possible boat rent to own and all that. We'll release lost
Speaker 2:Okay. Thanks for calling.
Speaker 4:So that gentleman looking for a boat to live aboard on with his sister, possibly to rent or to rent to own. I know rent to own is kinda slowly dwindling in the community as I've noticed, but livable, good condition. They make about $3,000 a month in income. So anything I know some houseboats go for about $2, maybe 1,500 to to rent on. So if you have a boat that you have that's livable, give them a call at (907) 419-5262.
Speaker 2:Alright and thanks for calling folks. You are listening to Problem Corner, Thursday Problem Corner with Katie Bosler and Justin Miller. Our special guest here is Deke Dickerson who is the lead man for our guest band, Western Swing Band for the fiftieth anniversary of the Alaska Folk Festival. And I was looking up online, Deke, about the workshops that are happening at Centennial Hall. And on Saturday, you are down for a 10:30AM to 11:50AM Western Swing in Americana Music History, which I think will be absolutely fascinating.
Speaker 2:And then you also are going to be doing a western swing lead and rhythm guitar workshop that afternoon.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 2:Yep. 01:30 to 02:50PM. And that's for intermediate and advanced players. And then I do have your let's see here. We have one of I I came across one of your band members is also giving a workshop and I'll have to
Speaker 3:I believe Katie Shore is doing
Speaker 2:a Yes.
Speaker 3:Western Swing Fiddle workshop and I thought that Lisa Panc
Speaker 2:Yes. Katie Shore, noon to 01:20PM, Western Swing Fiddle and we do have a phone call.
Speaker 6:Alright.
Speaker 2:Good morning. You're on problem corner.
Speaker 8:Good morning.
Speaker 2:Hi. We really can't Good morning. Problem corner? Yeah. You're you're gonna you're you're on a real echo because you have your radio on in your house.
Speaker 2:You need to please turn that down. Otherwise, we can't really understand what you're saying.
Speaker 6:Okay. The radio's off.
Speaker 4:Okay. I think I think it's
Speaker 3:just this quality of
Speaker 2:the phone. Alright.
Speaker 4:Well, let's try
Speaker 7:it. Go ahead. Yep.
Speaker 8:So I I actually just need to address the what do they call these? The stoplights here in Juneau. Mhmm. I need to hire someone to come and fix the programming on some of these lights. Sitting at the one at Vanderbilt for
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 8:Five minutes with the with the gas price is what they are. They need to be fixed.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's right out our window here at KONY. Yes. Sometimes that lit takes a while, but it is a four way intersection.
Speaker 8:And on the Riverside, that one also needs to be fixed. The the programming, I'm making vehicles sit at these lights for five minutes. Well, that's five minutes worth of gas. I just think we need to have somebody here to come and reprogram these lights so they're more suitable for the public.
Speaker 4:Alright, let's see if someone from the community, whether someone that works in that department's hearing your call right now and I know they usually kinda do some adjustments before the summer season hits. So, let's hope they make those adjustments so we're not sitting forever at lights this summer.
Speaker 8:Yeah. Okay. Especially especially Vanderbilt. That one really needs to be addressed.
Speaker 2:Yep. Alright. Well, thanks for calling. We appreciate it. Yep.
Speaker 4:And the crazy thing about, we've had someone on DOT a while back with Craig Dahl talking about that Vanderbilt light down there by Lemon Creek, not the one by Bartlett here, but the one down there. And they're working on making it just a straight dry, like, I can't think of the term right now, but it's essentially, you're able to still continually drive down there so that they're going to extend that lane. So when you're turning, you still have a safe turn lane. And then that's the pretty much you're going to make it so you could continuously drive almost through that light going down Eagan. So I know there's plans in place to adjust that area there.
Speaker 4:So yeah, once we figure out more updates, we'll let you guys know about that.
Speaker 2:Okay. Alright. Well, how are we doing for time here?
Speaker 4:We can take a quick commercial break, and we'll be right back with more Problem Corner on KINY.
Speaker 2:Okay. And more music with Deke Dickerson.
Speaker 4:And more music. Judo's home for local news first. Local news first.
Speaker 12:This is KINY. Checkmate Pawn has moved to the airport shopping center next to Friends of the Library conveniently located just behind Donna's restaurant. Discover incredible deals on jewelry, electronics, and one of a kind treasures at our new spot. Whether you're hunting for something special or upgrading your essentials, Checkmate Pawn is your destination for quality and value. Stop by today and see why everyone's raving about us.
Speaker 12:Amazing deals are waiting. Don't let them slip away. Visit us today at 9131 Glacier Highway. Your next great find is just around the corner.
Speaker 13:Spring into tradition at Mendenhall Mall. Dive into a world of nostalgia and excitement at Coop's Collectibles where playing cards and unique treasures await you. Refresh your wardrobe and discover hidden gems at Alaskan Dames. Ensure your little ones have the best with a visit to musk egg munchkins and let their imaginations run wild at the rainforest play zone. Don't forget to pamper yourself with a stop at LA nails.
Speaker 13:Mendenhall Mall is more than a destination. It's a cherished family tradition. Join us this spring and explore. Shop local. Shop Mendenhall.
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Speaker 14:Choose Tongass Federal Credit Union because we believe in neighbors helping neighbors. Visit us at 8585 Old Dairy Road in Kay Plaza or go to TongassFCU.com.
Speaker 15:By always looking local first, we're making sure our children have a bright future. You know businesses depend on our support. They're usually first in line to support our local organizations. Let's do our part to always look local first.
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Speaker 14:Marisol offers authentic Mexican cuisine with an Alaskan twist featuring fresh salsas made daily. Enjoy tacos, enchiladas, burritos, seafood, and more. Visit downtown near Foodland or online at JunoMexican.com. Fresh flavors since 2018. Busy fall routines call for quick, nutritious meals, and Juno Natural delivers just that.
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Speaker 1:Go to KINYRadio.com and look local first. Local owned and operated, KINY. The news you need, the music you love.
Speaker 14:This is a special report from ABC News.
Speaker 17:I'm Michelle Franzen. After president Trump paused reciprocal tariffs for ninety days and raised levies on Chinese imports to 145%, the president says he's ready to resolve what he calls years of unfair trade practices with countries even with the existing trade agreements in place, including the deal he carved out with Canada and Mexico during his first term. The president open to talks, he says, even with China. ABC's Selena Wang says so far China is not backing down issuing countermeasures on US goods.
Speaker 18:What I'm hearing from talking to China experts all day is that it's not going to be easy to get Xi Jinping to come to the table. They are ready to dig their heels in. They're ready to take the economic pain. The only way that Xi Jinping is going to pick up the phone and speak to president Trump is if he can know that he's going to walk away with a deal with The United States. The last thing that Xi will wanna risk is humiliation.
Speaker 17:Stocks wiping out many of the gains from yesterday's rally. This is ABC News.
Speaker 1:Now back to problem corner where our community needs to talk, trade, and share.
Speaker 5:Deep within my heart lies a melody, a song of old San Antonio, where in dreams I live with a memory beneath the stars all alone. It was there I found beside the Alamo enchant meant strange as the blue up above, and that moonlit path that only she would know still hears my broken song of love. Moon in all your splendor, know only my heart, Call back my rose rose of sand and tone. Lips so sweet and tender, like petals falling apart. Speak once again of my love, my own broken song, empty words I know still live in my heart all alone.
Speaker 5:And that moonlit path by the alamo and rose my rules of sand and tone.
Speaker 3:Now it's about this point that we will have one of our fabulous soloists play a fabulous solo for you at at the Folk Fest this weekend. But right now, you can just hear me play a little rhythm guitar.
Speaker 5:Fall apart, speak once again of my love, my own broken song, empty words I know still live in my heart all alone. And that
Speaker 2:in
Speaker 5:that moonlit path by the Alamo and rose my rose of San Antonio and rose my rose of San Antonio.
Speaker 2:Deke Dickerson live in the studio here on Problem Corner, k I n y. I'm Katie Bosler, and thank you so much for playing that. It's such a fun song.
Speaker 3:Thank you. I look forward to seeing lots of people dancing to it this weekend.
Speaker 2:Oh, heck yeah. At the Juno Arts and Kirtzl Center and we have a couple of calls on the line.
Speaker 4:Alright. We'll get them on the show.
Speaker 2:Good morning. You're on problem corner.
Speaker 7:Oh, hello. I This is Christina. How are you?
Speaker 2:I think I recognize this voice.
Speaker 7:This is Yeah. This is my littlest this is my little sister. Hi, Katie. Hi. Are you?
Speaker 7:You guys having fun?
Speaker 2:We're having a blast.
Speaker 3:Yep. We're on the radio here. Excuse me. We're on the radio. What are you?
Speaker 7:Deak, I do have a serious question. I wanna know if there's a musical instrument that you do not play because I just amazed during COVID. You entertained us all by creating these amazing videos online where you were playing every single instrument and you edited them. It just blew my mind that you put that together. So curious.
Speaker 7:Two questions, actually. How long did it take to make each of those videos? How many hours? And then, yeah, is there an instrument that you actually don't play?
Speaker 3:Well, there there are there are lots of instruments that I don't play that I wish I played. Okay. And and, you know, a lot of these instruments that I'd I have a recording studio at home and so, you know, I can sort of play piano, but I have to record the right hand first and then I have to record the left hand. I'm not a real piano player. I can't sit there and play both hands at the same time.
Speaker 3:You know, and saxophone was my school band instrument, so I can still sort of play saxophone, but I don't really like playing saxophone around real sax players. But, you know, there there's there's lots of instruments that I I just wish that I had learned how to play. I'm fascinated with steel guitar and Yeah. It's one of those instruments that you really have to play about ten thousand hours before you start sounding professional. And so my attempts I remember sitting down really seriously for about two weeks trying to learn how to play steel guitar.
Speaker 3:And at the end of the two weeks, I'm like, man, I still sound like I just started playing. And so I've left that one to the professionals, but there there's plenty of instruments that I don't play. But thank you for the nice words.
Speaker 7:Yes. No. We're and so wish so wish we could be there this weekend to
Speaker 2:So do we, Christine.
Speaker 7:Performances and just shout out to anybody in Juneau. Get yourself through the dance hall to see Dick Dickerson.
Speaker 3:Did you pay her
Speaker 7:to say all this stuff?
Speaker 2:May or May maybe not. I don't know.
Speaker 3:Alright. Well, thank you. Thank you, Christina, and especially, thank you for for getting me here on the radio show with Katie.
Speaker 7:Yeah. Thanks. Anything I can do to help a musician that I love. So it it was we're happy to connect you guys.
Speaker 3:I appreciate it.
Speaker 7:Very it's fun to hear. And we have some people from San Diego listening in too.
Speaker 3:Some Great.
Speaker 7:Some of your other fans are listening right now.
Speaker 2:You so much for calling, Christina. Really appreciate And you're coming in loud and clear from La Jolla.
Speaker 7:Alright. Have fun. Okay. We will. Okay.
Speaker 2:We'll miss Bye.
Speaker 7:Okay. Bye.
Speaker 4:And we do have another call. Okay.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Problem Corner. You're on the air.
Speaker 8:Yes. This is in regards to the guy that called about the Gold Belt gondolas. You know, the thing is is that I think being a Gold Belt shareholder also, what profit is this for Gold Belt itself? By donating things, you know, we elect our board of directors to base our investment solely on the profit that Gold Belt is going to make. What profit level is that going to be for Gold Belt?
Speaker 8:We don't own Eagle Crest. So why are we investing in Eagle Crest? How much how much, per ticket is it going to cost for those gondolas and how much of that ticket price is going to Goldbelt? How long is that going to take to pay for itself? And there's also the matter of the the land that was donated our land to build another ferry terminal on Goldbelt land, how much is okay.
Speaker 8:Are the Goldbelt shareholders gonna be getting 65% off, tickets on the ferry that are landing on our land, which we donated to to Juneau and the land and the gondolas. I think, shareholders of Goldbelt need to, pass a resolution as an initiative of its shareholders that Goldbelt is not allowed to just donate our because that belongs to all Goldbelt shareholders, not just to the board of directors. It doesn't just belong to the board of directors or the president of Goldbelt. It belongs to all the Goldbelt shareholders. It's like somebody going into your bank and saying, hey.
Speaker 8:We decided to donate a thousand dollars out of your bank account to this cause and your bank just decides to just donate that, that belongs to the shareholders. Well, it is sound shareholder resolution. Goldbelt is not a free for all. It's not just a giveaway. That's for the shareholders only.
Speaker 8:That's not for the city and borough of Juneau. That's not for Eagle Crest.
Speaker 2:Well, it sounds like this is something you wanna bring to the leadership of Goldbelt.
Speaker 8:Goldbelt shareholders should be getting 65% off. Okay. We need to pass a resolution that the board of directors and and the executive committee of Gold Belt cannot just go out and just donate to everybody unless it's tax deductible for Gold Belt or there's some other benefit to Gold Belt's shareholders?
Speaker 2:Well, it sounds like this is quite a weighty
Speaker 8:topic. Shoulders.
Speaker 2:Okay. We're
Speaker 8:losing end of the stick on this.
Speaker 2:Okay. Thank you for calling and this is quite a weighty topic and we need to do a little more research on this and and get some people from Gold Belt in here to talk about this. So thank you for bringing it up, sir, and we, look forward to getting to it on another program. And you could also take it to Gold Belt. Okay.
Speaker 2:You are listening to Thursday Problem Corner with Katie Bosler. My guest here is Deke Dickerson. He is a musician from Southern California and he is the lead for the Western Swing Dance Band here for the fiftieth anniversary of the Alaska Folk Festival. Deke, you've been a performing musician since the age of 13. You also were a DJ on public radio at the age of 13.
Speaker 2:Tell us about your your past life here.
Speaker 3:Well, we were having this conversation during the news break and I just I said, let me just tell the story on air. The shortest version of the story is that I was pretty hyperactive into music. And there was a program in my school that they were sort of trying to get people interested in stuff and I was so I'm trying to voracious, is that the right word? I just kinda drove everybody crazy with it. So one day, I was dropped off at the public radio station, like, literally, like, go in there and talk to those people.
Speaker 2:Does your parents dropped you off?
Speaker 3:No. It was the guy from school.
Speaker 7:Okay.
Speaker 3:And it was a local community public radio station that's still there in my hometown, Columbia, Missouri. It's KOPN eighty nine point five FM. I still remember all of this. And I went in there and I talked to the program director, a guy named Bill Wax, who spent a long time in Washington DC working at SiriusXM after that. He's still in DC although
Speaker 2:It's great radio name, right?
Speaker 7:Bill Wax.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And Bill Bill was really truly one of my mentors because I was I was pretty lost soul at that point, loving all of this antique music. I mean, I did not like music that was popular or current at the time.
Speaker 2:So your friends are listening to Led Zeppelin.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, this would have been the eighties so it would have been more like Sorry.
Speaker 2:I was thinking was in wrong era.
Speaker 3:Go ahead. I was into all this music from the fifties and the sixties and and even before that. And Bill, was a real scholar of that kind of music and and he talked to me for a few minutes and and I literally had just walked in the door. And he said, well, come on, you're going on the air right now. And so I he had me grab some raid you know, some records from their library.
Speaker 3:I remember grabbing Elvis the Sun sessions, you know, the earliest Elvis stuff and a few other things.
Speaker 2:So you knew exactly what you wanted?
Speaker 3:Well, sort of, but, you know, he just kinda just tossed me in the pool and told me to swim is basically what happened. And and so I was on the air spinning records and talking about them and and and then he's like, well, you should get your own show, you know. And it was basically like, if you volunteered a few hours each month, then you could have your own show. And, you know, to to a 13 year old, it was the greatest thing in the whole world. Of course.
Speaker 3:So I had my own show, as I was telling you, on Friday nights, 7PM to 08:30, which I thought was this incredible time slot until I realized that everybody else was busy with life, you know. Going on dates and things. Exactly. And I wasn't, and I followed, the the Moon of Artemis, which was a lesbian music program. And then right after my show was the puppet lady who was a woman who would tell puppet stories on the radio, which you know in retrospect, all these years later, that's weird.
Speaker 3:Right? I mean, puppets don't really translate to radio, but but anyway, had a show, the puppet lady that was on the radio.
Speaker 2:So then this is like circa 1981.
Speaker 3:That's what it would
Speaker 4:have been.
Speaker 3:02/03, something like that. Yeah. And and I just kinda took it all in and and the the radio show was was really fun for a number of years. I eventually had to give it up because I started playing music too much.
Speaker 2:And you started playing music as a young teenager as well.
Speaker 3:It was right around the same time. I started playing in bars when I was 14, 15 years old because I was six feet tall and could sort of get away with it. Underage drinking was not the problem that it was back then. Back then, it was sort of allowed, especially in a college town.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Those were the days. Yeah. But then you started a band called Untamed Youth
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 2:In 1987.
Speaker 3:That was my sort of high school era band and we were a surf garage band and we made records and we toured all over the place and we're still playing with that band today, which makes our choice of the untamed youth like seem like a really terrible band name.
Speaker 2:But you have an album coming out
Speaker 3:with this band. New album on High Tide Recordings. It's coming out in June.
Speaker 2:A reunion.
Speaker 3:We've done reunion shows every couple of years. Band never really went away. But when we decided to do this new album, we're like, man, we're all in our fifties and the band name is The Untamed Youth. So I got my 16 year old daughter and some other friends of ours kids to pose on the cover because we figured that's the only way we're gonna get away with it.
Speaker 2:Perfect. Well, I'm looking forward to it coming out in June, right?
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So so music has just been in your veins since as long as you can remember.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's really the thing that that turned me on as a young kid and and the the weird thing was just being into music that was long dead. You know what I mean? I never really liked music that was current or popular. So it took me a while and I had to move to Southern California to do it, but I eventually figured out how to make a living doing that and I'm still out there doing it today.
Speaker 2:And it's interesting too that that sibling, if you if you will, called surf rock. How that kind of they go together.
Speaker 3:Well, you know, the interesting thing about country music and surf is that they both have electric guitars. That's really the shared DNA. So, yeah, it was easy to make the transition.
Speaker 2:There you go. Well, you're also a writer.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And
Speaker 2:and you have something called musings on your website. So this is kind of like a blog.
Speaker 3:I have a blog, although the blog really hasn't been very active reason too busy.
Speaker 2:But you pretty recently wrote about, is it Earl Tubbs belt?
Speaker 3:Oh, Ernest Tubbs belt.
Speaker 2:Ernest Tubbs belt.
Speaker 3:Well, know, so okay. Just to back up, my my web mistress does a lot of this stuff that I don't even know that she does. She puts it on my my homepage. And that was one of the things I didn't realize that it was just a fake wrote about this belt and then she put it on my website.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah. But I always try to keep my social media stuff fun and interesting with just weird stuff that's going on in my life and
Speaker 2:Yeah. What what struck you about Ernest Tubbs belt?
Speaker 3:Well, it was this odd merchandise item from the mid nineteen forties that I found at an antique mall somewhere like in Ohio. And it's it's this plastic belt. It's about four inches wide and about 80 inches long. I mean, was just like a souvenir bell. Right?
Speaker 3:Uh-huh. With this homemade wooden buckle.
Speaker 2:Okay. That's why it's But
Speaker 3:silk screened on it is, it's pretty interesting because it shows all of his band members with their names and shows a silk screen of Ernest Tubb and it's got his hits, you know, written above their heads and that sort of stuff. So it's like, yeah, you can pretty much date this belt to being somewhere between 1945 and 1946 just based on the the band members that that are pictured on it.
Speaker 2:What a treasure. Wow.
Speaker 3:I have a lot of weird, interesting junk like that.
Speaker 2:Well, you're also the author of three books. Yep. And your latest is 16 tons, four eighty page book. So 16 tons, the Merle Travis story. What drew you to to write in detail and learn all about this person, Merle Travis?
Speaker 3:Merle Travis is a, you know, he's a country music hall of famer. He's a songwriter, hall of famer. He's a very, very influential guitar guy. And I was a fan, you know, from a young age because he's if you're into older styles of guitar playing, he's one of the gods. He does this finger in fact, that first song that I played, is a song called Cannonball Rag that he recorded.
Speaker 3:He does a style called Travis picking, which is sort of a thumb picking style of performing. And I for a long time, I just wished somebody would write a Merle Travis book so that I could read it. And years went by and finally I realized, oh, nobody's written this book. I'm gonna have to write the damn thing. So I spent most of the COVID shutdown time getting this thing all put together.
Speaker 3:We have another call?
Speaker 2:We do. Hello. You're on problem corner.
Speaker 9:Yeah. How's it going today?
Speaker 7:Good. How are you? Hello?
Speaker 2:Hello. You're on the air.
Speaker 9:Yeah. I got a few items I wanna sell.
Speaker 8:Okay.
Speaker 9:I have a Subaru Impreza. It's a o seven. I'm selling it for maybe a thousand dollars or best offer because that needs some it's got cosmetic stuff going on with it. And I have a bike bike trailer or, you know, you hook up to a bike. And I got a full up jogging stroller and and that's got the wheels that come off, you know, and can fold it flat.
Speaker 9:And I also have it's a scooter with the big wheels and it can folds up so you can carry it. It's like one of the push scooters, you know, because they got the real big wheels on it. So anybody interested in those items? 504607.
Speaker 8:5
Speaker 4:4 6 0 7.
Speaker 9:Yeah. And I also got a Suzuki two hundred d r. Anybody who knows motorcycles will know what that is. It's got low miles on it. Was the battery?
Speaker 9:Suzuki a Suzuki Enduro. It's a 200 Doctor.
Speaker 4:Okay. 200. I thought you said it was 800. It's like holy cow. It's a powerful bike but
Speaker 9:Yeah. It's a Enduro. So anyway, $504.06 $0.07 if anybody's interested in those items.
Speaker 4:Alright. We'll shout that out before the end the Alright.
Speaker 9:A good day. You as well. Alright. Thank you. Thanks.
Speaker 9:Bye.
Speaker 2:Thanks for calling. Alright. We are just getting to the last few minutes of our time with you, Dik. I just so appreciate your coming in today.
Speaker 3:Well, thanks so much for having me. I'm happy to be on Alaska's longest running radio show.
Speaker 2:Yes. How many years do we think?
Speaker 4:Seventy plus years.
Speaker 3:That is crazy.
Speaker 2:Incredible. Yeah. Well, folks, if you wanna go dance to Dick Dickerson and the Western Swing, all stars. It'll be Friday night at the Jack Juno Arts and Culture Center, nine twenty PM. On Saturday night, they will also be there 9PM.
Speaker 2:They're kind of right in the middle of a lineup that starts at seven, ends, just before midnight. And then we also have Deke and some of his band members doing workshops. Katie Shore is doing a western fiddle workshop at noon on Saturday at Centennial Hall. We have Deke doing a western swing in Americana music history talk at 10:30 on that day. And we also have him with Ian Miller doing a western swing lead and rhythm guitar workshop for immediate intermediate and advanced players at 01:30 in the afternoon.
Speaker 2:And then there's a western swing percussion. Justin, you'd be interested in this.
Speaker 4:I might need you joining on.
Speaker 2:Our our drummer, Lisa Pankritz. Well, 01:30PM at Centennial Hall. And we have Western Swing Steel Guitar with Russell Blake on thirty. So your band is all over the place this weekend.
Speaker 3:And and I must say that each of these musicians that I've hired for this gig are incredible musicians. If you're interested in any of this stuff, you should definitely show up. They're just world class.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. Well, and and you are, also an award winning guitar player. You have won something called the the Ameripolitan. Yes. Music award for musician of the year and that is for people who specialize in in the the genres that we've been talking about here.
Speaker 3:That's right. And Katie Shore, the fiddle player that's playing with me this weekend, she also won that same award. I can't remember if it was the year before me or the year after me but.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. So much. We're so excited about for this Folk Festival. So thanks again for coming Thanks
Speaker 3:for having me and great to be on the air with you.
Speaker 2:Thanks for sharing your music and your stories.
Speaker 4:All right. I would like Deke to play us out, but real quick, I wanna just read out all the folks that called in today. So that gentleman called in with that Commander Cody record, 907507371. And then that gentleman with the home or the homeless gentleman looking to rent a boat or rent to own that's livable. (907) 419-5262 for that.
Speaker 4:And that last caller with a Subaru Impreza o 7, a thousand dollars or best offer. Also has a bike trailer, a jogging stroller, and big wheel scooter in a Suzuki Enduro. To reach him, you could call 907504607. Well, thank you, Deke, for joining us as always, and thank you, Katie, for bringing Deke on the program. My pleasure.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Check out all the Folk Fest festivities
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 4:I do. This week at a kfolkfest.org. You got it.
Speaker 5:All
Speaker 4:right, that's been Prom Corner here on KINLY.