Chatting Up The Broadcast Outcast

Anyone who knows the radio scene in the Twin Cities knows about Tommy Mischke, the self-styled Broadcast Outcast, KSTP's homegrown radio anarchist who made his name hurling all manner of brilliant nonsense into the night air where it was picked up by a fascinating assortment of listeners and callers. Although his show isn't quite the same carnival it once was (getting bumped from late night to midday will force a guy to tone it down a bit,) the Mischke Broadcast is still, for my money, the best thing on the radio anywhere in Minnesota. (That's right, MPR geeks, I said anywhere. This American Life is great stuff, and no one loves Morning Edition or 89.3 The Current more than I do, but Mischke does radio on an entirely different level.) Back in the days when I was writing long-form essays for my personal web site (now mostly defunct,) I once wrote around 3,500 words on Mischke, and what I'd gotten out of listening to his show. At the time, I had a vague notion that I might get the chance to run into him someday, and tell him how much I loved what he was doing on AM1500's air.

I finally got the chance last week. During an afternoon rehearsal, my stand partner looked up into the first tier box, where reporters and other backstage visitors frequently sit to watch us practice, and whispered to me, "Who's the guy nearly falling out of the box?" I looked up and did a violent double take. It was none other than Mischke, craning his neck every which way and leaning so far forward to hear every word that was being said on stage that he did seem about to plummet down to our level. I've never seen anyone look so engaged in what we do, us included.

Afterwards, our PR chief asked if I'd stick around along with a few other musicians (violists Tom Turner and Mike Adams, timpanist Peter Kogan, and bass player Bill Schrickel) to talk to Mischke for a piece on the orchestra he was preparing for his show. I've done a lot of press interviews over the years, but I don't think I've ever before been quite so puppy-doggish in leaping at the chance to do one. As it turns out, Tommy asks great questions, and the six of us ended up stretching what was supposed to be a 10-minute interview into nearly 40 minutes of chatting about music, life, and being on stage for a living.

Mischke aired our chat this afternoon, devoting more than half of his program to it, which was incredibly flattering. Tom and Mike and I spent part of our lunch hour gathered around a portable radio listening, and fortunately, KSTP now archives all its shows online, so you can listen too, if you're so inclined. (I don't know how long the links below will stay active, but they should work for at least a week...)

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE MISCHKE BROADCAST

HOUR TWO OF THE SHOW IS HERE