Great Northern Radio Show hits Zenith City

Host Aaron Brown looks on as Duluth Mayor Emily Larson tells a story during a live broadcast of the Great Northern Radio Show on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. (PHOTO: Grant Frashier)

That second week in November was a doozy. It started with a wild election result that left the nation speechless (for a few minutes, anyway). Then the Great Northern Radio Show made its Duluth debut on Saturday, Nov. 12.

You now have a chance to hear this broadcast again. Northern Community Radio will rebroadcast both hours of Duluth programming this Sunday, Nov. 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stream online or find local frequencies at www.kaxe.org.

Host Aaron Brown, your intrepid local blogger as seen in public.

I was glad to have a radio show to channel my energy toward, and it would appear Duluth, which was 70 percent disappointed with the national election result, was glad to see us. Hundreds joined us for the live performance, while KUMD-Duluth Public Radio broadcast the event on their airwaves.

We did two back to back shows, each featuring musical guests and our unique combination of comedy and local storytelling.

Both shows included our house band, led by Katie Houg on keyboards and vocals, and featuring all-star musicians Corey Medina on guitar, Eric Sundeen on drums, and D.C. on bass.

The Great Northern Radio Players perform a sketch during the Great Northern Radio Show in Duluth on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016.

Our cast for this show included our regulars Jason and Louisa Scorich, along with some new friends, Mark and Julie Venheizen, and foley artist John Bankson.

Mark Munger

The first program “The Untold Wonders of Duluth” featured the Duluth-based bands Woodblind and Dance Attic. Students from the Duluth Speech team read some of the famous 1871 speech to Congress by J. Proctor-Knott, which questioned the existence of Duluth. Local writer and judge Mark Munger shared a humorous and harrowing 1970s tale of driving the hills of Duluth in an old Chrysler with bald tires.

That hour also featured a fun interview with Duluth Mayor Emily Larson, who also appeared in a cameo during one of the sketches.

Lucie Amundsen

The second program “Great Expectations” featured the national touring act The Lowest Pair. Duluth-area chicken farmer and author Lucie Amundsen performed a charming monologue.

Both shows, as you might imagine, included monologues from yours truly and our usual mix of unusual comedy sketches. Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan both made surprise appearances.

Jason Scorich and John Ramos helped write some of the material for this show, which was a great addition to the vibe of the two programs. Once again we had great support behind the scenes from sound crew Dan Houg and Chad Haatvedt, and stage manager and NCR Director of Operations Sarah Bignall. The staff of Northern Community Radio also provide tremendous unseen services to the cause of the radio show.

After the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday rebroadcast, we’ll have the podcast for the Great Northern Radio Show up at our website soon. It’s my goal to get the iTunes podcast channel up and running in the next few weeks.