|
Adored and reviled by hundreds, The Citizen Kafka Show was a monthly pastiche of comedy, "outsider" music, old 45's, 33's, 78's and 16's, and a coterie of out-patient quality callers-in that ran on WBAI radio in New York City from 1980 to 1990. Old time fiddler, band leader, record collector, poet, artist, unterKultur archivist and antiques dealer Richard Shulberg created the Citizen Kafka persona ca. 1976.
In 1980 Edward Haber, a producer and engineer at WBAI asked the Citizen to broadcast a folk show with his anarchic old time ensemble, The Wretched Refuse String Band. What started out as a trad music set evolved into improv comedy, Appalachian de- and reconstructions, the Citizen's beat poetry with ad lib musical accompaniment, and song parodies - a typical Wretched Refuse performance. Over the ensuing months the group at times included Shulberg, Kenny Kosek, Bishop O'Brian, Roger Mason, Andy Statman, Tony Trischka, Jeff Berman, Jon Sholle, Marvin Rosenberg and Matt Glaser and by 1981 the comic ringers Jane Brucker and John Goodman.
As time marched on and people were called to arms, families and careers, the show settled down to the format of Kafka, Kosek (Johnny "Angry Red" Weltz) and Goodman (Buddy Fortune) writing and prerecording bits and, unless Goodman was at the Polo Lounge in LA, the three taking calls on the air, spinning discs from the Citizens archives (including the complete set of Hartz Mt. parakeet training 78s), and trying to get to the 7 second delay red button in time to defuse the more sociopathic callers. As producer Ed Haber would announce before each airing : "This show contains frank language". As a matter of fact Citizen Kafka donations helped establish a Department of Frank Languages at WBAI.
The satirical songs devolved into an "active" rock band that typically included Kafka / Weltz / Sholle /Statman / Mason / Berman and occasionally O'Brian and the late Steve Burgh and played for dozens at such famed NYC venues as Folk City, CBGB's, and The Eagle Tavern (all now defunct) and produced a rock video that was duly rejected by the young MTV.
We live, jive, play and satirize yet and our past broadcasts and present musings will be posted here for you, our beloved fan.
Johnny A.R. Weltz
Prague 1954
|
|
