Category: Special Shows

Check out the local artists, themed shows, and more that have been featured on The Rocker!

October 17, 2026 – Listener Appreciation ShowOctober 17, 2026 – Listener Appreciation Show

October 17, 2026October 17, 2026|

We celebrated our 7th year on Maker Park Radio by renewing our annual tradition of inviting our listeners to build the playlist. What they came up with was in the best tradition of our motto: a diverse hodgepodge of generation spanning tunes from across the rock spectrum and beyond. Listen to the restream by clicking here.

  • SPUTNIK THE BAND Good Company
  • EGGS Head in Flames
  • ZZ TOP I Thank You
  • ALL THEM WITCHES Am I Going Up
  • LAZARETTES Undertow
  • JEFF TUOHY Bourbon Street
  • THE 1975 People
  • MODERN ENGLISH I Melt with You
  • BOSTON More Than a Feeling
  • NINE INCH NAILS Dead Souls
  • THE BEATLES Two of Us
  • WESTSIDE COWBOY Kick Stones
  • PHOEBE BRIDGERS Smoke Signals
  • AC/DC Have a Drink On Me
  • URIAH HEEP Poet’s Justice
  • GRAHAM PARKER I Want You Back
  • KISS Love Her All I Can
  • DAVID BOWIE Life On Mars
  • THE ENGLISH BEAT Save It For Later
  • SPANISH LOVE SONGS Good American
  • DAVE MATTHEWS & BRANDI CARLILE Papertown
  • ELTON JOHN Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
  • TOM JONES Tower of Song
  • JOHN PRINE When I Get to Heaven
  • THE AQUABATS Red Sweater
  • THE BATES Billie Jean
  • THE INCREDIBLE BONGO BAND Apache
  • GREEN JELLY Three Little Pigs
  • THE ZOMBIES She’s Not There
  • SASS JORDAN I Want to Believe
  • STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN Life By the Drop
  • SANTANA Song of the Wind
  • D.L. BYRON Love in Motion
  • THUNDER QUEENS Teenage Years
  • OLIVIA RODRIGO All-American Bitch
  • RED RIDER Lunatic Fringe
  • MICHAEL BUBLE Everything
  • T. REX Life’s a Gas
  • THE DEAR BOYS Join the Queue

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October 3, 2026 Playlist – Tom WaitsOctober 3, 2026 Playlist – Tom Waits

October 5, 2026October 5, 2026|

I was joined by my MakerPark Radio colleague Magie Serpica on this episode of the program, in which we traded sets of our favorite Tom Waits tunes for the first two hours. We pivoted to some new and exciting stuff in the final hour, As Tom puts it, it’s “Champagne for my real friends and real pain for my sham friends.” Check it out below.

  • TOM WAITS The Heart of Saturday Night
  • RAMONES I Don’t Wanna Grow Up
  • TOM WAITS The Return of Jackie & Judy
  • TOM WAITS New Coat of Paint
  • TOM WAITS Ol’ 55
  • TOM WAITS 16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought-Six
  • TOM WAITS Hold On
  • TOM WAITS Goin’ Out West
  • TOM WAITS House Where Nobody Lives
  • LOS LOBOS Jockey Full of Bourbon
  • TOM WAITS Jockey Full of Bourbon
  • TOM WAITS Hang on St. Christopher
  • TOM WAITS Temptation
  • BOB SEGER Downtown Train
  • TOM WAITS Jersey Girl
  • TOM WAITS Eggs and Sausage
  • TOM WAITS Earth Died Screaming
  • TOM WAITS The Black Rider
  • TOM WAITS Clap Hands
  • TOM WAITS Time
  • TOM WAITS Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
  • SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY Hang Down Your Head
  • JON CASPI Alone in My Hot Tub
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Good Trouble
  • MANIC HONEY Limerance
  • SOMEWHERE NOT HERE Cycles
  • GARY CALAMAR feat. ROBYN HITCHCOCK Who Are We Gonna Be Today?
  • TOM O’DRISCOLL Remember Days
  • BAD MANNERS Inner London Violence
  • K-MAN & THE 45s The Girl Likes Heavy Metal
  • PARALLEL LINES Dream Girl
  • TALL DAYS Rock Shake
  • THE EX-BOMBERS Down and Dirty
  • MERESHA Night Sky
  • LOUVERS Drive Tonight
  • COWBOYS IN THE CAMPFIRE Dream
  • AUTUMN KINGS Livin’ La Vida Loca

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September 19, 2026 Playlist – Rocker JennSeptember 19, 2026 Playlist – Rocker Jenn

September 20, 2026September 20, 2026|

Tales from The Rock House, with owner and operator Jennifer Lee “Rocker Jenn” Padilla, along with our usual diverse hodgepodge of generation spanning music from across the rock spectrum. Lotsa laughs and loudness will greet your ears when you click here.

  • DEAD BOYS Sonic Reducer
  • IGGY POP Lust For Life
  • ROBBIE QUINE Fabulocity
  • T REX Jeepster
  • LOU REED Down at the Arcade
  • THE GERSHWIN BROTHERS Doomscrollin’
  • THE GET AROUNDS Bones
  • THEN COMES SILENCE Judgement Day
  • PEGZILLA Chelsea
  • SO GOOD I Will Love You Until
  • GREEN DAY Basket Case
  • HARVEY DANGER Flagpole Sitta
  • STEPPENWOLF Born to Be Wild
  • KISS Mr. Speed
  • AC/DC That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll
  • THE ROLLING STONES Hang Fire
  • STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN The House is Rockin’
  • HALESTORM I Like It Heavy
  • OZZY OSBOURNE Over the Mountain
  • MOTLEY CRUE Red Hot
  • RATT Round and Round
  • DAN CORIO BAND Heartbreaker
  • OUR OWN YOKOS Feel Alright Tonight
  • GODDAMN WRECKS Away From Here
  • LED ZEPPELIN Communication Breakdown
  • MOTORHEAD Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers
  • THE FRATELLIS Chelsea Dagger
  • THE RUNAWAYS Cherry Bomb
  • THE BLACK CROWES Too Hard to Handle
  • MIGHTY JOE CASTRO & THE GRAVAMEN Come On Angels
  • THE WHO I Can’t Explain
  • THE KINKS All Day and All of the Night
  • BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE Takin’ Care of Business

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September 5, 2026 Playlist – WestFest 19 PreviewSeptember 5, 2026 Playlist – WestFest 19 Preview

September 5, 2026September 5, 2026|

Julia Aponte, co-director of this year’s Westerleigh Folk Festival, joined us for a preview of this year’s event. We also remembered Dolly Parton, Shelly Faberes and Tim Curry, and gave away a pair of tickets to Pig Fest NYC to lucky winner Nanci Richards! Check out all the music and goings on by clicking right here!

  • RODRIGO Y GABRIELA Orion
  • STYX Blue Collar Man
  • DROPKICK MURPHYS Worker’s Song
  • THE ROMANTICS What I Like About You
  • REM Toys in the Attic
  • THE GOODS Summer’s Almost Gone
  • DULCET TONES As I Am
  • KABUKI LOVE The Wolf Dance
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Shine
  • DREW ANGUS Lost
  • KYLE LACY One Trick Pony
  • CARRIE ANN Parent’s Room
  • GYM CLASS HEROES featuring RYAN TEDDER The Fighter
  • THE MORNING LINE Staten Island
  • WINE LIPS Stimulation
  • FLOWERS FOR JAYNE Pocket Superman
  • CANCION FRANKLIN Just Made Rent
  • THE NEW STUDENTS Black Earth Country
  • MOONMILL Ruin It
  • DOLLY PARTON 9 to 5
  • SHELLY FABARES Johnny Angel
  • TIM CURRY Sweet Transvestite
  • RORY D’LASNOW I Won’t Do Anything
  • RONIT & THE INVISIBLE STRINGS Can’t Wait To
  • GOATROPER The Kind of Woman You Can Hold
  • DIAMOND SPUR RODEO Virginia Slims
  • OUR OWN YOKOS Snack Dad
  • JOAN CADDELL & THE MIDNIGHT CHOIR When
  • SHERYL CROW featuring JESSE WELLES Freedom Bus
  • DAN CORIO BAND Hold On
  • BREWSTER MOONFACE Broken Pieces of New York City
  • LUNA’S WERELD Bunnies in the Clover
  • HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS Workin’ for a Livin’
  • CHRIS VANDALAY PROJECT How Will You Know
  • SPUTNIK THE BAND Villa Capri
  • THE JAZZTRONAUTS Shoot Your Shot

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August 22, 2026 Playlist – Brother DynamiteAugust 22, 2026 Playlist – Brother Dynamite

August 22, 2026August 22, 2026|

Take a heaping helping of harmony, add a sumptuous serving of melody, mix thoroughly and yield a distinctive dose of polished power pop. That’s the music of Brother Dynamite. Alan Miller and Sean Moynihan joined me for a trip down their personal memory lane, with stops along the way at their time as Next Big Thing and Save Pluto. They also performed five songs live. We also shared a memory and the music of our late friend, Doug Principato, of Grand Pepper of Reality. Listen by clicking here.

  • ZZ TOP Sleeping in the Desert
  • ZZ TOP La Grange
  • ZZ TOP Sharp Dressed Man
  • COLLECTIVE SOUL Eye On You
  • REGINA SPEKTOR Becoming All Alone
  • LUCID DREAMER Music is Medicine
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Radio Silence
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Better
  • NEXT BIG THING Radiate
  • SAVE PLUTO What If
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE The Girl’s in Love (Live in MPR Studio)
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE You Could Do So Much Better
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Violet
  • SAVE PLUTO Red Letter Day
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Things You’ve Left Behind (Live in MPR Studio)
  • GRAND PEPPER OF REALITY Let’s Be Easy
  • GRAND PEPPER OF REALITY Elephants Fly
  • GRAND PEPPER OF REALITY Your Eyes Just Shine
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Shine (Live in MPR Studio)
  • SAVE PLUTO When I Got There
  • SAVE PLUTO All Fall Down
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Get Up
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE What Are You Waiting For?
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE This Time
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Beautiful Lie
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE You Cannot Bring Me Down (Live in MPR Studio)
  • NEXT BIG THING Said and Done
  • SAVE PLUTO Life is Good
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Until the Stars Fall (Live in MPR Studio)
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE Your Time Will Come

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July 25, 2026 PlaylistJuly 25, 2026 Playlist

July 25, 2026July 25, 2026|

A rare departure from our diverse hodgepodge of generation-spanning rock music takes you down my personal musical memory lane. Turning 65 made me wax nostalgic about the songs that helped shape my musical tastes in my formative years. Here’s a sampling of songs that resonated with me from toddler to tween to teenager in the years from 1961 through 1979. Click here to access the stream.

  • HOT BUTTER Popcorn
  • REUNION Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)
  • THE BEATLES She Loves You
  • BOBBY LEWIS Tossin’ and Turnin’
  • THE BEACH BOYS Barbara Ann
  • LOU CHRISTIE Lightning Strikes
  • THE ARCHIES Sugar Sugar
  • THE BOX TOPS The Letter
  • THE DRIFTERS On Broadway
  • BEN E. KING Spanish Harlem
  • THE O’JAYS Back Stabbers
  • OTIS REDDING (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay
  • THE BYRDS Turn! Turn! Turn!
  • THE ROLLING STONES Mother’s Little Helper
  • SIMON & GARFUNKEL Mrs. Robinson
  • JEFFERSON AIRPLANE White Rabbit
  • BOB DYLAN Lay Lady Lady
  • CREAM White Room
  • JIMI HENDRIX Purple Haze
  • THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN Something in the Air
  • EDWIN STARR War
  • RAIDERS Indian Reservation
  • ELVIS PRESLEY Burning Love
  • ELTON JOHN Crocodile Rock
  • THREE DOG NIGHT Joy to the World
  • CHUCK BERRY My Ding-A-Ling
  • NEW YORK DOLLS Personality Crisis
  • THE WHO The Real Me
  • LED ZEPPELIN Heartbreaker / Living Loving Maid
  • BLACK SABBATH Paranoid
  • ALICE COOPER No More Mr. Nice Guy
  • CHEAP TRICK Surrender (Live)
  • KISS Rock and Roll All Nite (Live)
  • VAN HALEN You Really Got Me
  • BLONDIE One Way or Another
  • JOE JACKSON Is She Really Going Out With Him?
  • RAMONES I Wanna Be Sedated
  • MOTT THE HOOPLE All the Young Dudes
  • THE ROLLING STONES In the Stars
  • JETHRO TULL Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young to Die (coda)

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July 3, 2026 Playlist – America’s 250th BirthdayJuly 3, 2026 Playlist – America’s 250th Birthday

July 5, 2026July 5, 2026|

Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S.A. with perhaps her greatest export – rock and roll music! Click here to access the restream.

  • VIOLENT FEMMES American Music
  • THE BLASTERS American Music
  • DAVID LEE ROTH Yankee Rose
  • GREEN DAY Last of the American girls
  • PAUL McCARTNEY Freedom
  • THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM American Slang
  • THE BEACH BOYS Surfin’ USA
  • MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS Heat Wave
  • JOHN MELLENCAMP Pink Houses
  • IAN HUNTER Cleveland Rocks
  • GRAND FUNK RAILROAD We’re an American Band
  • KISS Kissin’ Time USA
  • DEBBIE HARRY French Kissing in the USA
  • KIM WILDE Kids in America
  • SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS This Land is Your Land
  • JAMES BROWN Living in America
  • LENNY KRAVITZ American Woman
  • DAVE ALVIN 4th of July
  • BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN American Land
  • BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND American Storm
  • TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS American Girl
  • DEF LEPPARD Hello America
  • NIGHTRANGER You Can Still Rock in America
  • CHUCK BERRY Back in the USA
  • BROOKS & DUNN Only in America
  • ME FIRST & THE GIMME GIMMES Country Roads
  • Y&T All American Boy
  • COUNTING CROWS American Girls
  • NEIL DIAMOND America
  • JOHN MELLENCAMP R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
  • CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL Fortunate Son
  • NEIL YOUNG Hawks and Doves
  • DON McLEAN American Pie
  • BROTHER DYNAMITE What are You Waiting For?
  • VAN HALEN Dreams
  • JACKSON BROWNE I Am a Patriot
  • JEFFERSON AIRPLANE Volunteers
  • STEVE MILLER BAND Living in the USA
  • THE TEMPTATIONS Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
  • MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS Dancing in the Street
  • RAY CHARLES America the Beautiful

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June 27, 2026 Playlist with Melo DiBartolo of Beat BrigadeJune 27, 2026 Playlist with Melo DiBartolo of Beat Brigade

June 28, 2026June 28, 2026|

A very ska-centric episode! All you rude boys and girls can check it out by clicking right here!

  • MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA Get Smart
  • THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES The Impression That I Get
  • THE HOLOPHONICS Havana
  • URBAN BLIGHT Three More Roses
  • BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS Spinning Wheel
  • UB40 Can’t Help Falling In Love
  • REEL BIG FISH Take On Me
  • DONKEY SHOW Mr. Brown
  • DODGY Summer Forever
  • BEAT BRIGADE Armageddon Beat
  • BEAT BRIGADE Just Got Lucky
  • GOLDFINGER More Today Than Yesterday
  • FISHBONE Unyielding Conditioning
  • BEAT BRIGADE You Charming Thing
  • MELO DiBARTOLO 401Kill (Live in the MPR Studio)
  • MADNESS One Step Beyond
  • MADNESS Our House
  • BEAT BRIGADE Lori
  • MELO DiBARTOLO Walk Away (Live in the MPR Studio)
  • BEAT BRIGADE Racists and Fools
  • RANCID Time Bomb
  • THE INTERRUPTERS featuring TIM ARMSTRONG Family
  • SAVE FERRIS Come On Eileen
  • THE ENGLISH BEAT Save it for Later
  • BEAT BRIGADE Has the Fire Died
  • MELO DiBARTOLO Ferguson Bullets (Live in the MPR Studio)
  • THE CLASH Rudie Can’t Fail
  • THE SPECIALS A Message to You, Rudy
  • THE SELECTER Too Much Pressure
  • THE TOASTERS East Side Beat
  • BEAT BRIGADE All the Lights Have Gone Out
  • BEAT BRIGADE Keep Still Dark
  • BEAT BRIGADE Another Cause
  • BEAT BRIGADE Bittersweet

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May 16, 2026 Playlist – Guest Host: Gwen GibsonMay 16, 2026 Playlist – Guest Host: Gwen Gibson

May 17, 2026May 17, 2026|

Familial obligations took me elsewhere on this day, but thankfully, my Sister of Sound Gwen Gibson was able to take the ride up from Philly to cover the show. Check out her playlist below and click here to listen to the terrific job she did in my absence.

  • LOS STRAIGHTJACKETS Galaxy Drive
  • THE VELVET UNDERGROUND Rock and Roll
  • GODDAMN WRECKS Here’s To You
  • CAGE THE ELEPHANT No Rest for the Wicked
  • GREEN DAY Boulevard of Broken Dreams
  • THE DEAR BOYS Procrastination
  • THE BEATLES Think for Yourself
  • THE SECOND SUMMER I Should
  • HOLE Malibu
  • THE STANDELLS Dirty Water
  • CHUCK BERRY Come On
  • CANCION FRANKLIN Pass Me By
  • VAN HALEN I’ll Wait
  • BEE GEES In My Own Time
  • BLACK PUMAS Fire
  • COURAGE MY LOVE Bridges
  • INXS Red Red Sun
  • BIG JOE TURNER Shake Rattle and Roll
  • TENACIOUS D Tribute
  • THE ZOMBIES Time of the Season
  • THE TRANSFERENCE Ramon Says I’m The Devil
  • MIDDLE AGES Silver Lining (Don’t Count Me Out)
  • MERESHA Night Sky
  • THE CHURCH Reptile
  • BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
  • FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES Wild Flowers
  • THE EINES 48 Beers
  • MOMMA Speeding 72
  • THE RALLIES Not So Much Anymore
  • THE LEN PRICE 3 I’m A Fake
  • NIRVANA You Know You’re Right
  • OUR OWN YOKOS Follow You Down
  • 6KITTY June
  • JACK WHITE Archbishop Harold Holmes
  • SUZZALLO River
  • TRACY BONHAM Mother Mother
  • CROWDED HOUSE That What I Call Love
  • DEMOLITION 23 Hammersmith Palais
  • JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)
  • THE EASYBEATS Friday on My Mind
  • OLD 97s Every Night is Friday Night (Without You)
  • DAVE EDMUNDS Almost Saturday Night
  • THE HIVES Tick Tick Boom
  • THE KNICKERBOCKERS Lies
  • THE POWER STATION Some Like It Hot
  • LOS PAJAROS Gato Negro
  • CHAGALL GUEVARA Tale O’ The Twister

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March 7, 2026 Playlist – International Women’s DayMarch 7, 2026 Playlist – International Women’s Day

March 7, 2026March 7, 2026|

We observed International Women’s Day 2026 by compiling a playlist that celebrated and hopefully elevated the voices of our sonic sisters, past and present. The entire program is available to restream by clicking on this link.

  • THE SURFRAJETTES Toxic
  • LIZ PHAIR Extraordinary
  • THE RUNAWAYS Cherry Bomb
  • HEART Barracuda
  • PAT BENATAR Heartbreaker
  • SISTER ROSETTA THARPE Jericho
  • BIG MAMA THORNTON Hound Dog
  • KOKO TAYLOR I’m a Woman
  • BREWSTER MOONFACE Tin Woman
  • CAROLE KING Breaking Up is Hard to Do
  • BETTY-ANNE Laughter in the Rain
  • TINA TURNER The Bitch is Back
  • ARETHA FRANKLIN Respect
  • INGRID MICHAELSON Maybe
  • JULIA GARGANO & JOAN CADDELL A Man Like That
  • KING LIKE MOM Fragrance
  • LISA SCHERMA Love Me Just a Little
  • JOAN JETT Bad Reputation
  • HOLE Celebrity Skin
  • SPUTNIK THE BAND They Don’t Know
  • SARAH BORGES Mercy of the Moon
  • LUCINDA WILLIAMS Six Blocks Away
  • SUZI QUATRO Little Miss Lovely
  • THE DARTS Zombies on the Metro
  • THE DRACU-LAS I’m Blue
  • MONA FREAKA Last Song
  • LISA LeBLANC 5,748 KM
  • BLONDIE I’m Always Touched By Your Presence, Dear
  • THE BEACHES I Ran
  • THE LIVERBIRDS Why Do You Hang Around Me
  • MANIC HONEY Problems
  • THERINA BELLA Starcrossed
  • TORI AMOS Stronger Together
  • CHAPPELL ROAN The Subway
  • GARBAGE When I Grow Up
  • GIFTSHOP We Want You
  • KILLDEER Never Enough
  • SISTER ROSETTA THARPE This Train

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