First off- yes, this blog is named after a Jefferson Airplane album but has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with that band whom I have never been into. Rather, this site is dedicated to my favorite college radio show of the same name that ran between 1987 to 1989 on WCSB, 89.3 FM, the wonderful college radio station on the campus of Cleveland State University in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
I got into punk back in 1987 while in high school, via skateboarding which was much more closely tied to the punk scene back then. I was like a sponge back then for punk and HC, and my teenage brain soaked up the tons of great punk and stuff that Blows' host, Matt Dudas, and his co-host, Mike Kole, spun week after week on the show. It was all so new to me back then and was a breath of fresh air for me admist a sea of horrible 80's music and general boredom.
20 years later I live in the Chicago area, am married, have my own family and a "career" but punk is still my bread and butter and remains an ongoing passion of mine. In the late 80's Blows Against The Empire played a key part in shaping my musical tastes, and I still listen to a lot of the bands and records I heard on the show 20 years ago. I have a kind of photographic memory, so I still have very clear memories of hearing classic stuff for the first time while listening to Matt and Mike week after week (usually during the choice 3 to 5:30 p.m. slot on Wednesday afternoons).
All of my postings on this blog will highlight my memories of the great show. Please note that any music posted on this site is for educational purposes only.