Boston pt. 3: On the Radio and In the Clubs / Billy Ruane

For part three in our Boston series, we take a look at the scene in its pre-internet era, when radio played a key role in exposing bands to new listeners, fanzines and flyers were legitimate marketing tools, and musicians were lining up to play the shadiest bars in town.

Promoter Billy Ruane was a larger than life figure in the Boston music community. He was instantly recognizable as the man in the suit jacket with a drink in hand, dancing with reckless abandon at the front of the stage. Despite his chaotic appearance, Ruane was an integral part of Boston’s musical history.

And we speak with WMBR DJ Jon Bernhardt about the days when pitching songs to college radio was sometimes the only way to get your music on the airwaves.

This episode also features Claudia Gonson (Magnetic Fields), Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500, Luna), Byron Coley (Forced Exposure magazine), Clint Conley (Mission of Burma), Damon Krukowski (Galaxie 500, Damon & Naomi), and Dana Hatch (Cheater Slicks).

Hosted By Dylan Metrano & Gregory Moss.

Episode artwork (Billy Ruane) by Alan Bull.