Singing four well-seasoned original songs and filling the airwaves with spirited banter with host George Schricker, Mallory Graham, and Scott Tyler bring down the house on this edition of The Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour. Following the radio theme song, an exchange concerning the old radio series, The Shadow, with announcer Derek Jensen, and a “Moment with Rosie,” featuring the words of Mae West—performed by Pam Gunterman, Malory, and Scott hold court, setting up their first song, “Aint’ That the Way,” by describing themselves as “more ourselves but different.” In this song, which begins with the story of a plastic spoon burning at the stove at the beginning of a bad day, the refrain meditates:
I showed up,
Not at my best,
And I’m starting all over again.
Rock, paper, scissors
That’s my guess,
If it’s gonna be alright
My finest work: this isn’t it.
And I’m starting all over,
All over again.
The song features Scott's steady and playful guitar work punctuated by Mallory’s strong and soulful vocals blended with Scott's fine tenor for an uplifting rockabilly anthem about getting back up when knocked down. Following the piece, a discussion ensues about what genre of music they represent, and after some lively debate, they settle on the description: “Free-Range Folk and Grassfed American Music.” This leads them to their next song, “Wahoo Wahoo,” – a wonderful song about being and staying in love. Mallory cheerfully explains that the song was initially recorded for an album entitled “Love is Gross, But It Looks Good on You.” The clever and playful chorus goes:
My brain goes wahoo, wahoo, wahoo
For all that I’ve got to do, to do
To keep the baboom, baboom, baboom
Of my heart beating for you, from you
Following the break, the Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour Band, featuring Nathan Waddill and John Bahler, let loose with his strong consoling ballad “I Will Be Brave,” a meditation on life’s brevity and nature’s soothing reassurance. The song features a fine bass solo by Nathan and John’s lead rendered on his National-brand brass guitar, which he explains was purchased from the legendary Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan.
The “Shoot the Moon” game show ensues, featuring contestants Janet Meyers, a talented seamstress from Plymouth, and Justine Rader-McDonough, a paralegal from Elkhart, answering questions related to the biographies of Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler of Rough and Tumble. The questions concern themselves with such subjects as The Stamp Act of 1775, an online comedy strip curated at one time by Rough and Tumble, oddball public awareness campaigns championed by the Scott and Mallory and a question concerning Mount Ascutney in Vermont.
In the third section of the program, Rough and Tumble return with their classic accordion-driven rock and roll country classic, “Trouble.” After the rendering, they discuss the song’s origin from one of Mallory’s dreams, recording the musical hook when she woke and imagining it as a soundtrack for a real-life cross-country unicyclist on a mission. Again, the song features Mallory’s powerful vocal, soaring with Scott in harmony in the chorus:
Trouble’s showing up where I expect it least
Just minding my own business like I ought to be.
But trouble’s coming up, and I can’t help but think--
Is trouble blaming trouble on me?
I know trouble; I know trouble.
I know…
I know trouble; I know trouble.
I know trouble
About as good as trouble knows me.
The final song, “Key of G,” is a great closing feel-good number with a solid vocal and sharp country guitar break by Scott.
Drinking coffee in the evening,
Playing in the key of G
Gonna keep it nice and simple,
Gonna keep it good and clean.
Go on walks while I am able,
Give you kisses on the cheek.
Drink my coffee in the evening.
Make it strong if it’s not sweet.
And for one last addition of whimsey to an already whimsical program, the show closes with Mallory taking a solo of her nose flute on the outro song, “The River Goes Round. “
-George Schricker