Ed Post, one of the most consistently discerning voices at Radio 1190 for the last four years, will host his final Under the Mattress show on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Ed’s Facebook page.
Oddly enough, Boyz II Men said it best: It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
And that’s why Ed Post hasn’t said goodbye to yesterday. Each weekend, Post’s Sunday-afternoon radio show — heard on Sundays at 4 p.m. — revels in yesterday, digging up the best and brightest jams from the ’50s and ’60s (along with some contemporary songs that fit in). The 4-year-old show has been a safe haven for rock ‘n’ roll aficionados and garage rock freaks alike, and Post has been the man who has spent hundreds of hours in the station’s basement studios kicking out the jams each week.
The news hit the street earlier this week that Post — a respected voice in Colorado radio and a talent buyer at Capitol Hill rock haven — is moving to Chi-town to get a taste of bigger-city life. And as Post moves east to the Windy City, Under the Mattress will say goodbye with a final show on Sunday at 4 p.m. It’s all in the timing, of course, as some of Post’s loyal listeners will be at this weekend’s . But that’s not to say that we can’t take a dinner break out in the parking lot to catch part of the final show — which will be dripping with very special guests.
Reverb spoke with Post earlier this week about college radio’s vitality and the lessons he’s learned in his years in the Boulder/Denver music community.
Question: Ed, why did you first start Under the Mattress four years ago? And how have you kept a show about decades-old rock so fresh over the years?
Answer: I started doing Under The Mattress with my good friend Conor Walker. We were given the opportunity because Bob Goldie decided to move to San Francisco. Bob hosted a program on Sundays called The Music Machine (named after the Sean Bonniwell group who recorded the garage classic “Talk Talk”). Bob would break up the two hour program into 2 sections. The first would be 60s garage, psych, beat, and punk, then the second would go into 70s punk, glam, power pop, and early 80s hardcore. You could hear the influences from one style or genre to the other. That show turned me onto a lot of great music. I used to call Bob every week, stop in to the studio just to look through his records and pick his brain. I had always been a fan of vintage rock, I was obsessed with The Beach Boys and Elvis as a child, and though I hadn’t been listening the whole time, but when I found out Bob was leaving after 6 years of hosting that program I felt obligated to try to fill his shoes in a way. The programs aren’t identical, but Conor and I modeled Under The Mattress on Bob’s Music Machine.
The fact that the majority of the music I play never got any exposure when it was put out helps keep the show fresh. There were countless musicians in the 50s and 60s listening to the radio thinking “why not me?” Think of Johnny Cash walking into Sun Studios. Both decades were immensely prolific musically and thanks to fans and record collectors a lot of obscurities are available now. Norton, Sundazed, Gear Fab, Bear Family, Collector, Munster have all been releasing fantastic vintage recordings for a long time. Less obscure labels have started to get involved as well. A good example would be the recent release of Death’s “For The Whole World To See…” or The Monks “The Early Years: 1964-1965”. Charlie Feathers, Ronnie Dawson, Andre Williams, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, The Seeds, The Pretty Things, The Pyramids, Link Wray, etc. They’re just the tip of the iceberg.
I think anyone who programs a radio show that focuses on older music will also agree that you have to play around with the constraints you impose on yourself. When Conor and I first started the show we would highlight one contemporary artist every week. I play a lot of modern bands now.
Q: Your day job is at Bender’s Tavern handling booking and such. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your years at a Capitol Hill rock club?
A: That you have to be on top of your shit and that nobody walks on water. That’s two lessons, but I think they come hand in hand.
Q: And now you’re moving to Chicago? Why do you have to hate Denver, Ed?
A: I love Denver! I’ve made some great friends here and I’m sad to be leaving. It’s treated me incredibly well and I’m grateful.
Q: Tell us why you’re inviting guests to help you with your final show.
A: Jonny Trash: Badass #1. And Uncle Jeff: Badass #2
Not only are Jon Martinez (The Lunch Hour w/ Jonny Trash) and Jeff Holland (Route 78 West) two of my favorite DJs, but they are also very good friends. We met through 1190 and have similar taste. They’re the kind of guys that will always listen when you’re going on that rant about the 45 you just picked up. It doesn’t hurt that we are all part of 1190’s Sunday lineup either. I love those guys and I wouldn’t feel right not having them in the studio with me when I bid adieu to the (10) people listening. Katherine Peterson who hosts The Local Shakedown and Charles Ballas who hosts Spirits Rejoice will probably be on hand as well.
Q: And we don’t expect a full playlist of what you plan on playing – in advance – but tell me three groups you might play on Sunday (and why).
A: 1. Hasil “Haze” Adkins. The wildest one-man-band EVER. He’s been a staple of the program from the beginning. A real champion of the DIY aesthetic. Adkins spent most of his life recording music by himself in a shack in West Virginia. Crazed and inventive rock ‘n’ roll that no one got to hear for a very long time.
2. Takeshi Terauchi. I played some of him last week, but it’s so damn good I can’t help myself. Japan’s famed, or not so famed, surf guitar hero. A brilliant combination of traditional Japanese music and surf rock.
3. The Del-Vetts. When Conor did his last episode of Under The Mattress the last song we played was the Del-Vetts’ “Last Time Around” a killer garage nugget from the must-have compilation compiled by Lenny Kaye and Jac Holzman (Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968). They were a Chicago group circa 1965 who had a couple releases on Dunwich records. It’s a fantastic track and “I know this is the last time around for me.”
Q: Why is college radio important/vital in this day an age of internet radio, satalite, iPod culture and such?
A: There are a lot of great internet and satellite radio stations. Fantastic podcasts too, but not everyone has an iPod dock or a satellite feed in their car. The independent and college stations are taking risks, turning people on to new music and giving bands a chance to be heard. It’s a great outlet for local musicians and for a lot of things that would otherwise fall under the radar (completely). That could be said for radio in the non-traditional sense as well, but for now it’s just not as accessible.
Q: Lastly, why should we run out to our cars in the Red Rocks parking lot on Sunday from 4-6 p.m. to listen to your final show?
A: I’m not sure you should! I’m not a good salesman… Tune in if you can. The last show is gonna be a lot of fun.
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Ricardo Baca is the founder and co-editor of and an award-winning critic and journalist at The Denver Post. He is also the executive director of the , Colorado’s premier indie music festival. Follow his whimsies at , his live music habit at and his iTunes addictions at .
