Shows
Dad's AtticUmThe truth behind the Dad's Attic legend of us never saying 'um'.2023-08-0602 minDad's AtticHappy Trails To You!Dear listeners, a name change may be in our future; you may come to know the show as Grandpa's Attic from here on out! With the new little Alfred Hitchcock look-alike on the way, we conclude this season with a healthy talk on many musical musings, specifically touching on the works of Keef Hartley, Cat Stevens, and Fleetwood Mac, among others. As usual, we can't help but mention some favorite old time radio shows, books we're reading, and movies we've got on repeat. We have loved sharing with you the past few seasons and we hope to meet you...2023-07-3142 minDad's AtticA-Wop Bop A Lu Bop and a Slice of BreadIn this episode our two crusaders of quondam culture prattle on about the likes of Sinatra, Little Richard, the band 'Bread', and so much more. Join us for a discussion on viewpoints changing over time, for better or for worse! Just don't 'touch that dial' and change this episode out for one of those 'blech' new fangled podcasts that revolve around 'gasp!' modern topics! Heavenly days! ( Hey, this episode isn't about Fibber Mc Gee and Molly! Stupid dog!)2023-07-1048 minDad's AtticHarry Nilsson on the Brink with Colonel Hogan and Colonel KlinkI know, I know what you must think, that Willa and Dad are little finks for not uploading an episode link for weeks on end...it really stinks! But here you go, before you blink, we've got it all but the kitchen sink. No really, today we get back to business discussing Lennon's 'Lost Weekend' period, chatting about Hogan's Heroes, and a variety of other miscellany. We are glad to be back on the air with you once more. Who knows how long our next episode will take to come out. Wink, wink!2023-06-3045 minDad's AtticWell, Patch My Pantywaist! A Real 'Ball of Fire'!We all know Dad and Willa both believe in honoring the past. In this episode our chat turns to the sense of responsibility we have to continue processing classic works of art, be they movies, books, radio shows, music... what makes them so great? What makes them stand out? Do they still deserve to take up space in the collective consciousness? Well. We don't know all the answers, but we continue to suss out our own truths on the topic. Don't worry, we also throw in a few 'things we love to hate' near the end. And in the...2023-04-1647 minDad's AtticIt's a Treasure Trove!What didn't we cover in this one?! We unwrap literal and figurative gifts in this episode, bouncing back and forth with the silliest quips, cracks, and conundrums. It's got a little bit of everything, including chats on Jim Croce, a synopsis of the movie 'The Stranger' directed by Orson Welles, talks of radio comedians Bob and Ray, and so, so much more. It's a hoot, this one, enjoy it!2023-04-0744 minDad's AtticWe're Back! You'd Better Beatle-ieve It!Here we go again, embarking on another explosion of pop culture history here on Dad's Attic, Season 3! Lots of things have happened since we shared the airwaves with you last and, boy, are we glad to be back to the mics. To get things rocking and rolling again, we are covering a topic that is dear to us both, and to so many others out there: The Beatles. It's an absolute wonder that we kept this one under an hour, but believe us, we'd go on if you'd let us...Now, take your Ticket to Ride and hop aboard...2023-03-3138 min
Dad's AtticA Dad's Attic Christmas SpecialHo, ho, ho! The holiday season is upon us. A new year is around the corner, but we at Dad's Attic prefer to ring in the old and...put off the new until next year. So come along with us on a retro Christmas escapade as we discuss classic carols, provocative short stories, heartwarming flicks, and entertaining old radio programs. We unwrap a little bit of everything in this special episode! Won't you join us?2022-12-2338 minDad's AtticChillin' with Matt Dillon and the Smell of...Beach Boys Tonight Dad gives us a loving account of one of our favorite old time radio shows, Gunsmoke. Such a treasure of a show! And Willa finish us off with the beginnings of a conversation featuring The Beach Boys...which we've determined must continue on in season three! We've had some good vibrations going on tonight for our final episode of season two. It's been so fun, fun, fun, we're already looking forward to next time. Thank you for tuning in, faithful listeners!2022-11-1851 minDad's AtticOkay...Just This Once..."From 'Family Affair' to 'Niagara'"Peppered with a variety of other topics, this week we satiate our appetite for antique TV and movies by biting off a hunk of the 60s show 'Family Affair', a show that Dad wouldn't say is necessarily his bread and butter, though he does admit when the other three TV channels left something to be desired, he did indulge as a young lad. We then scoop up a big gulp of the 50s film 'Niagara', which is like the cherry on top of our discussion this week. Get organized, Baby, it's Thursday night--time to devour another episode of Dad's...2022-11-1147 minDad's AtticFolky Polka and Funny PagesWe won't Yank-ovic your chain, we were a bit cranky about the comics, but, frankly, Yankovic turned out to be a barrel of unexpected fun. Accordion to dad, the funny pages aren't what they used to be, but still gets plenty of laughs from them every day. And on the rare occasions when he doesn't he folds them into an accordion and pretends he's Frankie Yankovic to his wife's chagrin. (Polka)Dot's all folks! We hope you enjoy yet another episode of Dad's Attic!2022-11-0444 minDad's AtticNyuk, Nyuk, Name that (Classical) Tune!You'll sointenly enjoy this episode of Dad's Attic, especially if you are a fan of the slapstick stylings of The Three Stooges. If you aren't a fan, tune in anyway. At the very least, you'll work your extraocular muscles as you roll your eyes and learn a little something about the trio to boot. But before we launch into Stooge territory, Dad and Willa discuss the topic of creative borrowing amongst the greats: How bands such as Jethro Tull, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, ELO, Black Sabbath, etc. imitated melodies from the likes of Beethoven and Bach. You may find it...2022-10-2846 minDad's AtticA is for 1940s Noir Radio, As We Can Plainly SeeIf you thought we couldn't get more far reaching into the realms of past pop culture, guess again. This week, Dad gives detail on John Lennon's first album 'Plastic Ono Band' and also shares readings from Lennon's fantastical books. Too bad Dad didn't bone up on his Liverpudlian accent for this one--you'll just have to 'Imagine'! To top it off, Willa gets into all things spooky by sharing her favorite creepy OTR episodes. Quiet Please! The show's about to start!2022-10-2146 minDad's AtticHi-De-Hi-De-Hi and A Couple of Tra-La-La-sWhat you might not know is that during every episode Willa's mom, A.K.A., Dad's wife Geralyn, sneaks up and serves a healthy snack to us two hosts. One thing she does not do is break into 'Everybody Eats When They Come to My House' while doing so--a grave oversight. After this episode, we sure hope she gets the memo, since a major topic of discussion this week is the esteemed Cab Calloway. Get geared up for more with Dad's delightful delivery of facts straight from the Merry Ol' Land of Oz. Tune in, dear listeners, it's another...2022-10-1246 minDad's AtticA Really Big Shoe That's Strong to the FinichWe can only hope in our wildest dreams that our dear listeners avidly tune in to episodes of Dad's Attic the way the masses tuned in to Ed Sullivan on Sunday nights. In this show we discuss how Ed made it all work so well. If that's not enough, sit back, crack a can of spinach, as we gleefully explore the metaverse of Popeye the Sailor Man (Toot!).2022-10-0743 minDad's AtticIn Like Flynn! Or On Second Thought...Dad's Attic du jour has highs and lows--first we discussed hot takes on song lyrics--the good, the bad, the ugly. We got onto Errol Flynn. Unfortunately, he was more bad and ugly than anything else, but luckily we recovered with a lively chat about the history of sound effects which left us both on a good note. Let us know your favorite (or least favorite) song lyrics. We'd love to know!2022-09-3049 minDad's AtticHoly Dad's Attic, Batman! Bette Davis, Oswald Cobblepot, Robert Benchley...and more!Wham! Sok! Kazowee! This episode we come out punching with Batman banter and conclude with a feud--the feud between the esteemed Bette Davis and the glamorous Joan Crawford. Who knew this cast of characters would commingle in one airspace? Of course we also get on the odd tangent about the odd author, musician, childhood friend...but that's to be expected when you're listening to good ol' Dad's Attic! Grab a cup of tea and cuddle in, it's another great show!2022-09-2351 minDad's AtticAlbum Covers, Gyro Gearloose, Dave Brubeck...and All That JazzHey y'all! We got so jazzed about season two that we bit off more than we could chew and began our second foray (wait..June Foray? No, that must be an upcoming topic...) before we could really get the ball (we already covered her, I think) rolling. But believe us, we are here, we are sincere, and we shall persevere! So enjoy this episode where Willa interrupts Dad's high-brow academic intake of Gyro Gearloose to discuss the one, the only, Davey Brubeck, and of course you won't want to miss Dad's best and worst album art picks. Interesting stuff...2022-09-1958 minDad's AtticThe Foibles and Follies of FameDear listeners, in this episode Dad and Willa chat at length about the risks and rewards surrounding the exciting, the attractive, the sometimes detrimental acquisition of fame. We talk about those who handled fame well and those who struggled...and why. Willa references an article by Mark Schaller, The Psychological Consequences of Fame: Three Tests of the Self-Consciousness Hypothesis, and Dad gives some background on how Don Rickles dealt with his own celebrity status.
This topic could be endless, but we tried to keep it under an hour. You know how we can get sometimes if we d...2022-08-0752 min
Dad's AtticIts A Gift...To Be Back On The AirWell helloooo there! We're back at our mad chatting in the attic! We hope during our interlude you, dear listener, had the opportunity to watch the classic W.C. Fields film, "It's A Gift". Dad and Willa have watched with fervor, and have been keeping their thoughts on the subject mum for far too long! It's time to discuss already! Please join us for our first episode of season two of Dad's Attic--we hope you enjoy!2022-07-0544 minDad's AtticEpisode 13-BonusWe couldn't get enough, so we're back for a bonus episode. The two of us are so thrilled to keep on going, we loaded this episode with inspiration for our next season. We hope you enjoy this little hors d'oeuvre while we get back to work! Stay tuned!2022-04-2348 minDad's AtticEpisode 12Ah, dear listeners, we've made it to the final episode of season one! With topics ranging from Frances Bavier to Alice Cooper, our first foray into podcast-dom was quite eclectic. Today's episode is no different as we pull topics from Dad's retro coffee can and reveal the potential subjects for season two. Thank you for being with us on this journey through the past. Until next time...we'd better be...shoveling off...2022-03-1350 minDad's AtticEpisode 11We are close to completing our first season of Dad's Attic! In this penultimate episode, our faithful hosts passionately discuss plenty of "What's New That's Old" topics. Dad delivers information on The Allman Brothers and Willa shares her opinion of a kitschy piece of 1950s cinema, The Pajama Game. We love our listeners--thank you for joining us for another episode of Dad's Attic!2022-02-2243 minDad's AtticEpisode 10Welcome back to another thrilling episode of Dad's Attic! In this weeks edition, we cover information on the elusive Eden Ahbez, creator of the song Nature Boy, and we also take a deep dive into the hit TV show Green Acres. If there's one thing we're good at, it's variety!2022-02-1652 minDad's AtticEpisode 9Ah, Dad and Willa were having too much fun on this one. We discussed a myriad of topics, but focused most of our attention on The Bonzo Dog Band and The Beatles' White Album. It was a lovely snowy afternoon when we recorded this one, and time was on our side. Please enjoy another rip-roaring episode of Dad's Attic!2022-02-0751 minDad's AtticEpisode 8After a bout with the dreaded Covid 19, we're back with more material than we can keep track of! Episode 8 includes information on the new Amazon Prime biopic Being the Ricardos, old radio program Pat Novak for Hire, J.D Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye, and songwriters Leiber and Stoller...and that's just scratching the surface. It's another rousing episode of Dad's Attic!2022-01-2246 minDad's AtticEpisode 7This week's thrilling conglomeration of conversation includes a brief comparison between radio programs Gunsmoke and The Lone Ranger, a mini bio on comedian Harry Parkyakarkus, the last word on Bob Newhart, and we FINALLY get around to covering rock band Alice Cooper. We've got a wide range of topics that'll surely keep you on the edge of your seat--how many references can you relate to us on? Take the challenge and tune in!2022-01-0744 minDad's AtticEpisode 6After a small holiday hiatus we're back! Today's topics include a reflection on the old radio gem The Couple Next Door, and information on Bob Newhart, Nat "King" Cole, and the 50s TV show Life With Elizabeth. We also continue an ongoing discussion on racism, sexism, and bigotry present in many areas of retro-culture. Very important stuff, so let's get to it!2021-12-2744 minDad's AtticEpisode 5Dad and Willa attempt to catch up on past topics we promised to discuss, including the iconic Wally Cox, the lovely Francis Bavier, and the most effectual Top Cat. When there are decades upon decades of pop culture history to indulge in, it's easy to get side tracked, so join us on another Magoo-esque wild ride down memory lane!2021-12-1144 minDad's AtticEpisode 4The conversation for this episode kicks off with Dad's take on a favorite British comedy, "Last of the Summer Wine", which morphs into a conversation on humor. What makes something funny, anyway? The chat continues with brief information on Orson Wells and more elaborate information on the old time radio program "The Inner Sanctum". We continue down many rabbit holes in this one, as we seem to do every time, so sit down, get your popcorn...it's time for Dad's Attic!2021-11-2846 minDad's AtticEpisode 3In which we discuss the audio/visual connections of old radio, Damon Runyon, seasons of media consumption, the injustices of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and more!2021-11-2145 minDad's AtticEpisode 2Dad and Willa go off script and discuss everything from Alfred Hitchcock to The Who to John Steinbeck. It's a humdinger, folks! 2021-11-1036 minDad's AtticEpisode 1Today we peek into the past and remember four greats of retro TV. Frances Bavier performed in various broadway shows, but is most remembered for her role in the Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. We also cover the most effectual Top Cat and his gang. Get to know about comedian Jack Benny's moment in TV's spotlight, and make sure you're sitting down while learning about the astounding Wally Cox of Mr. Peepers and Underdog fame. We're excited to launch our little foray into the past. Thanks for joining us!2021-02-2146 min