Hello folks. Hello folks at world. Sorry folks, but as the first month of the year winds up, I'm still in thoughts regarding anniversary time of Space Pirate Radio. Thinking back to that first show of 1974, as I did last week, I noticed during this week remembrances for the Challenger disaster, marking the 25th anniversary. Ye gods! Has it been that long? Remembering the Challenger incident puts me back to the week of the show's 12th anniversary celebration. (I still remember at the time that there seemed to be a mixture of sadness with celebration. The Challenger accident happened on January 28th. During festivities for the show's anniversary, Frank Herbert, the sci-fi author of Dune, passed away on February 11th.) Anyway...as nice as the 10th anniversary party was for the show when it was on KTYD, the 12th anniversary on Y97 was the most satisfying.
The poster contest theme continued. Mike Merenbach, the artist who had started with the 8th anniversary, had come up with a contemplative sci-fi image. Looking at it now, I am amazed that it sort of predates the kind of image of Coruscant from the Star Wars films yet to come. Looking backwards now, the Space Pirate Radio ship could easily be docked next to any Republic cruiser. So I was surprised by the incredible variety of entries submitted using that image.
I had secured the premises of Zelo (the hip, happening club in Santa Barbara) for the festivities. The number of entries turned the restaurant/nightclub into an art gallery. There were a large number of prizes for the most creative entries. Although there was a grand prize winner, there were a number of other awards for merit to imaginative submissions of the poster design. I don't think the prizes were as important to the artist as it was to create something unique with the Space Pirate Radio image. The main winner was a very unique 3D diorama, but other entries included giant stand-ups, sculptures created out of Tiffany-like plastic, and one that was an actual rocket that could be shot off. It was all quite amazing. Very surreal. And hopefully a giggle for everybody.
Again, for me, I received the most personal satisfaction with this anniversary party for Space Pirate Radio. It was everything I felt should have happened during the 10 years at KTYD. Zelo had never done any promotion with a radio station up to this time. It was a bit of a coup. And thankfully it was a major success for the club, resulting in even more well attended later engagements. The party was covered by local media, as evidenced in the photo with KEYT TV reporter, Lance Orozco, doing the interviewing. Lance was a terrific fellow and had previously brought his camera to an all-night Space Pirate Radio show for a TV feature. Pardon my gloating, but I was a media whore then. As an Arts & Entertainment editor as well as a performer, I understand what it's like to be on both sides of the microphone. I appreciated Lance's work, as well as newsman John Palminteri, who also covered the event. I have the fondest memories of working with these news professionals.
On a psychological test I took in high school, I scored with a number zero, determining that I was a complete ambivert: introverted in thought and extroverted in action. So what the hell does that mean here? Not sure, but basically although I prefer the introverted creation of Space Pirate Radio in the studio, these extroverted moments of public celebration are a heck of a lot of fun. And besides, it's good to get out every now and then.
"...My time. I love my time. Thank you my time."
