It's been a hard year thus far for Houston's pre-eminent punk-rock institution, the Hates. Former drummer and co-founder Glenn Sorvisto lost a long, hard battle with cancer last month, and if the Craigslist ads are any indication, the band is still searching for a full-time percussionist.
Nonetheless, our elder statesman Christian Kidd né Arnheiter is still going strong. He taught his annual class at the University of Houston about music of the '70s, his autobiography is nearing completion and now he mans a weekly Internet radio show courtesy of Houston Media Source. Christian Arnheiter's '70s Punk and Beyond airs midnight Fridays.
"When Houston Media Source decided to add an Internet radio station, I was asked if I would be interested in doing a half-hour punk show," said Kidd. "HMS has shown several Hates videos over the years."
Kidd sent us a recording of his third broadcast, and it is equal parts expert mixtape and history lesson on the amazing contributions that the '70s made to music. Incredibly in-depth reminiscences of meetings between giants, the motivations of mad geniuses like Lou Reed, and the perspective of a man who actually lived it roll off Kidd's tongue smoothly and easily.
It's like he's sitting next to you guiding you from one gem to another in a way that has almost left radio forever.
You might think that the show would focus exclusively on the punk scene that Kidd is so famous for being a part of, but his selections run the gamut from Mott the Hoople to Suzi Quatro to the Cramps. It's not a one-trick pony show, but a cohesive look on the musical identity of a particularly fertile period of pop.
"There's not a lot of music from that era that I don't like," says Kidd. "I think glam-rock from Hollywood, New York and London had a huge influence on punk. And I like exploring the less obvious ties that bind to the music that I care so much about.
"I've seen musicians from Irish folk bands, mod music groups or even pub-rock bands end up taking their places in the punk pantheon," he adds. "It's pretty cool to me how so much of it all is interconnected."
