‘Acoustic Storm’ show marks 15 years
Thunder rumbled over the metro Phoenix airwaves 15 years ago, kicking off an acoustic classic-rock radio program that has aired every weekend ever since. Jeff Parets is creator and host of “Acoustic Storm,” which airs 6-9 a.m. Saturdays on KSLXFM (100.7), as well as on more than 80 channels in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The playlist ranges from songs that were acoustic all along to rare, unplugged versions of electrified hits.
For its 15th anniversary, this weekend’s show will feature songs with titles or lyrics relating to storms, and the weekly “Eye of the Storm” artist spotlight will be on Bob Dylan.
Parets, who lives in Mesa, spoke recently about music “purity,” the Beatles and the show’s future.
Question: Why the devotion to acoustic classic rock?
Answer: There’s just something very organic about it that appeals to me on a basic level. ... The power of the electric guitar is something to behold, but then the pure, sincere, authentic, genuine sound of the acoustic guitar is a contrast in terms of like, after a powerful storm, there’s something really calming about listening to an acoustic guitar. That might be waxing a little poetic.
Q: Explain the process of how you create a show.
A: It’s a very timeintensive process that’s also a labor of love for me because I absolutely love the music, so I don’t think of it necessarily as work.
I’m very careful about repetition because it’s a specialty show and I want to keep that element of surprise and unpredictability alive and well to keep listeners tuning in because they never know what they might hear. I want it to be: If they don’t listen for a particular week, then they may wonder what they may have missed.
Q: How has the process of getting rare acoustic demos or live performances changed through the show’s life?
A: Boxed sets have helped. For instance, Van Morrison, his classic album “Moondance” is just now being released as a deluxe edition with like four CDs and an entire disc of previously unavailable demo versions of “Into the Mystic” and “Moondance.” Those are two tremendous songs.
Q: Do you play any instruments?
A: I play piano and I can play like one or two songs on guitar and that’s about it. “Dirty Water,” by the Standells.
I took piano lessons when I was a kid from my grandmother. My family has a bit of a music background. My grandfather was a singer and my grandmother was a classically trained pianist and violinist.
Q: Do you think you got your love of music from them?
A: It may have been. It probably trickled down to a certain extent, although I don’t know how much, if they were still around, what they would think of listening to an acoustic version of Pink Floyd.
Q: What are some of your all-time favorites?
A: My favorite band, without question, is the Beatles. I just never get tired of listening to the Beatles. You can isolate tracks by listening to the right speaker or the left speaker and hear things you never heard before, harmonies or just nuances with the music. ... I’m also a big fan of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, solo and combined. Paul Simon, both solo and with Art Garfunkel. Joni Mitchell has always been one of my favorite singer-songwriters of all time.
Q: Why did you choose to showcase Bob Dylan for the anniversary?
A: He is a quintessential acoustic artist ... I could have had the Beatles, too. It was early ’60s for both of those, but Dylan even influenced the Beatles in certain instances, like the album “Rubber Soul” by the Beatles. He’s a very in- fluential artist.
Q: Can you see yourself hosting the show for the rest of your life?
A: Well, that’s kind of the beauty of radio: You can do it as long as you’re able to continue to be inspired and continue to share your love for music with listeners. Let’s put it this way: I don’t have a retirement age in mind.