Leave Work Now! with Rick Koster

Florida-based beekeeper Patrick Gaudin has removed thousands of bees from people's homes, and now has 15-20 bee colonies living in his own back yard. Check out his website and his videos of bee removals.

We talk with Joshua Pendragon, an independent researcher for the Oxford English Dictionary, about how new words are added to the dictionary, the challenges of researching obscure words, and the evolving nature of language. ***This episode was originally released in August 2020***

Artem Belogurov is an internationally-known professional musician who specializes in historical keyboard instruments. He talks with Rick about how a young person makes a connection to the music and instruments of the past, and what kind of merch a classical artist could be selling. Learn more about his music at https://www.artembelogurovmusic.com/ Check out his ensemble Postscript (and his yellow pants) at https://www.postscriptensemble.com/ Theme music by Wind Up: https://firebrainrecords.com/wind-up

What's on the bottom of the sea and why do we need to map it? Bob Wallace of Ocean Surveys, Inc. takes Rick on a tour of the ocean's depths.

We commonly describe something easy to do by saying "it's not brain surgery." This week, we talk to neurosurgeon Patrick Doherty about what it's like to operate on someone's brain.

Guitarist James Young reflects on more than 50 years with the band Styx in advance of their May 13 concert at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Okay, maybe it's not rocket science, but fluid dynamics seems like an equally incomprehensible field, so we enlisted mechanical engineer Jaime Duquette to try to explain the discipline, including how you really can put the toothpaste back in the tube. Jaime, who studied fluid dynamics in college, did his best to dumb it down enough so Rick could understand the difference between the Froude number and Euler angles.

Myles Karp once ate a mango so good it made him cry. An American journalist and consultant now based in Costa Rica, Karp talks about roaming the Central American jungles in search of a superior banana, and the many other exotic fruits that one is unlikely to find in your local supermarket. https://www.myleskarp.com/

Do you ever find yourself wondering about an intriguingly obscure or maybe intricate job? Or “I didn't even know people did that.” My name is Rick Koster, and I don't do many things with fluency, so when i meet someone who has a really interesting gig or does something really well, it's a privilege to talk to them. Job Description is a new podcast from The Day where we do exactly that, talk to folks who do things the rest of us could only screw up. Look for new episodes in your podcast feed in the coming weeks.

In this edition of Leave Work NOW, Koster does just that and ruminates whilst ironing a suit to wear to the funeral of Dave Schulz - as fine a chum as a fella could hope for.

The piano/painting duo Pocket Vinyl released their latest album "Winter Person" in 2020, but but are just now getting to celebrate with an album release party. We talk with Eric Stevenson about songwriting, recording, and the companion book and ambient album that accompany "Winter Person." https://pocketvinyl.com/ Pocket Vinyl on Bandcamp The Touring Test web comic Lucifer and the Predetermined Timeline

Rick and Peter talk with local radio host Lee Elci, a former minor league baseball player, about what it takes to face professional pitchers. Rick, Peter and Lee took some swings in the cages against mid-90s fastballs from a pitching machine, and Rick was about as successful as you would imagine he was. Video of Rick trying to hit in the cage

"Road of Bones" is the 16th book in James R. Benn's series of Billy Boyle World War II mystery novels. Benn talks with Rick Koster about the historical backdrop for the novel, writing during the solitude of the pandemic, and the dark history of Russia's real life Road of Bones. "Road of Bones" will be released on September 7, 2021 with a book signing at Bank Square Books in Mystic, CT.

An appreciation of an all-time great rock and roll drummer.

Joe Bouchard talks about his years with Blue Öyster Cult, getting royalty checks from Metallica, and meeting Rick Koster at an Imagine Dragons show. Bouchard and his brother Albert, founding members of Blue Öyster Cult, perform as The Bouchard Brothers at The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, July 31.

Ian McNulty, who grew up in South County, Rhode Island and is the food writer for The Times-Picayune/The Advocate, talked to Rick Koster about being a food critic in what some would call the greatest food city in America.

Live music exploded out onto street corners and open-air performance spaces in New London on international Make Music Day. We explored the wide variety of melodies and rhythms, meeting the energetic rapper Byrd StayLow, the Nickelodeon Barbershop Quartet covering pop classics, and improvisational pianist Jermaine Edwards.

As the world reopens, the Hygienic Art Park hosted New Orleans pianist John ‘Papa' Gros. Inspired by the experience, Rick Koster indulges in a bit of wistful but goofy nostalgia for the Crescent City.

Thanks to your suggestions, we tried the crispy chicken sandwiches from Mr. G's, Olio, Engine Room, and Hot Rod Cafe. Subscribe to Rick's newsletter, The Fun Never Stops Support our show with a digital subscription to The Day

After meeting Rick Koster in a local pizza shop, John Jensen asked if Rick would listen to some of the songs he had written. Rick's positive feedback gave Jensen, in his 60s, the encouragement he needed to go into the studio for the first time and record an album with a full band of local musicians. Subscribe to Rick's newsletter The Fun Never Stops Support our show with a digital subscription to The Day

Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, talks about this year's Oscar nominees and releasing "The Father" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A project called Lost Tapes of the 27 Club used artificial intelligence to create new songs in the style of Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Amy Winehouse. But are the headlines that state AI "wrote" these songs actually accurate? How do these songs stack up with the artists' actual work? Listen to the Lost Tapes of the 27 Club on Spotify Listen to the Lost Tapes of the 27 Club on YouTube Watch Rick and Pete eat the longest hot dog in New England Subscribe to Rick's newsletter Support local journalism with a subscription to The Day

Who makes the best crispy chicken sandwich in the New London area? What, you thought we were going to tell you? No, we want you to tell us. Rick and Peter have tried all the fast food options, but is there a local restaurant that makes a great crispy chicken sandwich? Send us your suggestions at p.huoppi@theday.com Subscribe to Rick's newsletter "The Fun Never Stops" at www.theday.com/newsletters Support our show, and the rest of The Day's independent journalism, by purchasing a digital or print subscription at www.theday.com/subscribe

New London native Scott Sherratt was producer and director of Rachel Maddow's audio book Blowout, which won the 2020 Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album. Sherratt talks about recording with Questlove, Will Patton, Scott Shepherd and the Beastie Boys, as well as an angry voicemail from Gene Simmons. Included audio: Creative Quest, read by Questlove. Clip courtesy of Harper Audio. The Son by Phillip Meyer, read by Will Patton. Clip courtesy of Harper Audio. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, read by Scott Shepherd.

For a variety of reasons, Don Cash's band Mars Slingshot never achieved the potential that Rick Koster saw in them when he wrote an article for The Day more than 20 years ago. Cash, a prolific songwriter, persevered through the death of his longtime bandmate and best friend Art Falconi. He recorded several new songs during the pandemic, and takes us through the creation of one of them. "Mask of Love" started out as a jazzy take on the politics of mask wearing, but became a more pop-oriented love song. Rick's original article on Mars Slingshot: https://www.theday.com/article/20000324/DAYARC/303249924/

From Dennis Miller to Bobby McFerrin, Steve and Jeanne Sigel share their best (and worst) memories from more than 30 years running the Garde Arts Center in New London.

Rich Martin has been and will be a committed and ubiquitous presence in New London’s arts scene. From TAZ and Secret Theater to Hygienic Art and The Telegraph, he reflects on three decades in the Whaling City.

Sue Menhart has been laying low during the COVID-19 pandemic, but looks forward to getting back in front of an audience with something completely different and crazy.

Drummer Ed Toth has toured the world with Vertical Horizon and The Doobie Brothers, getting the chance to share the stage with the performers that comprise his record collection. No matter how far he has traveled, though, he has always considered Southeastern Connecticut, specifically East Lyme and New London, to be his home. See Ed Toth on stage with The Doobie Brothers

Fred LeBlanc of New Orleans-based Cowboy Mouth is Rick's all-time favorite rock and roll frontman. We asked Fred which frontmen influenced him, what's different about being a band from New Orleans, and why he no longer jumps off the light towers on stage. See Cowboy Mouth perform "Jenny Says"

Long revered as the creative force behind a group regarded as one of America’s premiere prog acts, Crack the Sky's John Palumbo talks about life in fame’s cruel shadows.

Kenneth Fuchs, Grammy-winning composer and University of Connecticut professor, discusses "Point of Tranquility: Band Music of Kenneth Fuchs," a seven-piece set for symphonic winds released last year by the United States Coast Guard Band under the baton of band director Adam Williamson. The album was recorded at Leamy Hall on the New London campus of the United States Coast Guard Academy and features the band's alto saxophonist Greg Case.

Craig Edwards, ethnomusicologist and professional chanteyman, reacts to the popularity of sea chanteys on TikTok, taking us through the history of the music form and explaining how the songs aided work and life aboard sailing vessels. See Craig Edwards perform "Way Stormalong John" Craig's website

Lickerish Quartet keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. joins us from Los Angeles to talk about the group's new EP "Threesome, Vol. 2."

Tim Smith, bassist for The Lickerish Quartet, joins us from Atlanta to talk about the group's new EP "Threesome, Vol. 2."

Guitarist Andy Timmons talks about the legacy of Eddie Van Halen and shares a song we started writing after Van Halen's death. Timmons also shares some stories from his long and varied musical career - from playing in the metal band Danger Danger to being the musical director for Olivia Newton John. Watch Andy's weekly live streaming shows at https://www.stageit.com/AndyTimmonsOfficial Learn guitar from Andy at https://guitarxperience.net/

Bestselling author Ann Hood on the literature of grief, the joy of (essays on) cooking, and why flight attendants can write real good.

Marc Zimmer, a chemistry professor at Connecticut College and author of the new book "The State of Science," talks about the intersection of science and politics around issues like climate change and COVID-19, and what it was like to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony.

We talk with Ben and Nancy Parent of The Rivergods about releasing their new album "Passages" during the pandemic, and about the band's longevity. Stream/download "Passages" at https://therivergods.bandcamp.com/album/passages

We talk with Joshua Pendragon, an independent researcher for the Oxford English Dictionary, about how new words are added to the dictionary, the challenges of researching obscure words, and the evolving nature of language.

Author Lewis Shiner discusses his latest book "Outside the Gates of Eden." Shiner brings his experience as a musician - he once played in the house band at a Dallas club called Boogers - to writing about music.

Roger Joseph Manning Jr. and former Jellyfish and Imperial Drag bandmates Eric Dover and Tim Smith have released a new EP as The Lickerish Quartet. Manning talks with Rick Koster about the band's new music, the reissues of his solo albums, touring with Beck and Cheap Trick, and the challenges of making melodic pop music in beat-driven musical landscape. The Lickerish Quartet - "Lighthouse Spaceship" Roger Joseph Manning Jr. - "Too Late For Us Now" Jellyfish - "That Is Why"

You've heard of one-hit wonders, but what about one-album wonders? We talk about some of our favorite artists that released one great album with no follow-up. Toy Matinee – “Remember My Name” Wild Tchoupitoulas – “Brother John” Hughes-Thrall – “Who Will You Run To” Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays – “It’s for You” The Autumn Chorus – “Three Jumps the Devil” Armageddon – “Buzzard” Lauryn Hill - "Everything is Everything" Mother Love Bone - "Stardog Champion"  

Rick shares memories of Elvis Presley, including the time his father took out a full-page ad in the local newspaper to brag about selling Elvis a mobile home, and the time one of Rick's band-mates impersonated Elvis in order to supply the band with beer.

The New London Drone Orchestra, a loose collective of as many as 18 musicians, makes ambient music that. is based largely on in-person improvisation. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, members of the group recorded separate individual performances in isolation that were shared and mixed to create an album, "Isolation/Collaboration." Members Tim Wolf and Pamela Wilson joined us to talk about the album. "Isolation/Collaboration" is available at https://enterthecircle.bandcamp.com/album/isolation-collaboration and on most streaming services.

There are some rock venues that everyone knows even if they never saw a show there. The Winchester Lounge in Odessa, Texas is not one of them. But Rick got to meet members of many soon-to-be-famous bands there. Like the time he bought breakfast for the guitarist of Quiet Riot, who had no cash, on the day they hit number on eon the Billboard chart.

The Rolling Stones' new single "Living in a Ghost Town" a few weeks ago to little fanfare. Did it get lost in all the coronavirus news, or are people just over The Rolling Stones?

Rick and Peter speak with drummer Tom Trombley and producer Richard Brukner about The Reducers' new live album "Live in Montville." The album comes from a cassette tape recording of a backyard concert in 1980, three years before the band released their first album. You can hear the album at https://reducers.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-montville

Canceled tours. Delayed album releases. Loss of income. When the coronavirus forced everyone to stay home, many musicians had to quickly adapt to the new reality. We spoke with singer/songwriter Daphne Lee Martin, pianist/vocalist Eric Stevenson of Pocket Vinyl, and guitarist/vocalist Noah Feldman of Fleet and Noah & The Flood about the awkwardness of live streaming shows from their living rooms, and trying to stay creative during times of fear and sadness.

Do all Young People think that songs with real instruments sound like they're from the 80s? Songs we discussed: Von Hertzen Brothers - Long Lost Sailor New Radicals - You Get What You Give The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love

As he gets older, Rick is finding that the nostalgia evoked by his all-time favorite albums evokes feelings of melancholy instead of joy.