Do you like stories? If not just skip to the end.
The year was 1996. Georgia, James, and I–accompanied by our young ward, Bruce Bennett–travel to East Orange, NJ, and in return for pledges to WFMU attempt, emphasis attempt, to play your requests. Did it go well? Historians and grammarians have worked round the clock ever since, trying in vain to answer that question. Meanwhile, Yo La Tengo have participated in every WFMU marathon–one year a cancelled flight stranded Bruce in Austin; another year a brutal case of the flu put Georgia on the DL.
Cut to: present day. Station Manager Ken Freedman inexplicably does not consult with us about our touring schedule, and consequently the 2013 WFMU Marathon is taking place in its entirety while we are touring Europe. Unless, in fact, Ken did this explicitly to keep us from our annual appearance. In which case, the joke’s on him (not to mention the WFMU listener).
Ladies and gentlemen, live from Berlin, Yo La Tengo and cub reporter Bruce Bennett will be taking your requests in return for your generous pledge to the Only Radio Station that Matters. Thursday at 9 a.m. EDT (or thereabouts), we will occupy the Hello Children program with your host Faye and your co-host Gaylord Fields. Go here right now and make your pledge and make your request. Fear not, your requests will remain hermetically sealed until airtime. Fulsome apologies in advance, and thank you for supporting WFMU!