Blue Snakes & Banjos

06/17/2026

Ernie D'Amico would have been 89 today. Unfortunately our great friend of BS&B died on Easter Sunday. But he will live in our hearts and minds as one of the first beyond our friends and family to discover the show. The landing page of BlueSnakesandBanjos.com has been redesigned to pay tribute Ernie, and many others who have supported us for more than 12 years. Thanks to Stephanie Henkener and John Tarvardian for their work on the banner. I'll be on the air today with John London, who will take over in Hour 2. Join us 6-8 p.m. at WAIF 88.3 FM CIncinnati, streaming at WAIFRadio.org and BlueSnakesandBanjos.com.

https://bluesnakesandbanjos.com

Come for the music - Stay for the charm

06/11/2026

Proud to share this edition of Blue Snakes & Banjos dedicated to Bruce Springsteen's May 27 concert at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., 3.5 miles from the White House. As Janinne Thompson said, the real Boss had 41,000 people ready to march down Pennsylvania Avenue, ready to reclaim democracy from "a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration." This is a snapshot of The Land of Hope and Dreams tour.

Bill dedicated the entire show to Bruce Springsteen’s Land of Hope and Dreams tour show in Washington D.C. on May 27. It was more than a musical extravaganza, it was a call to duty for Americans co…

06/10/2026

JJohn Tarvardian the computer genius who created and curates BlueSnakesandBanjos.com, visits the studio today to welcome the sweltering days of summer. I won't ruin his playlist, but can't resist pimping one of his songs that's on my list of all-time favorites. Join us 6-8 p.m. today on WAIF 88.3 FM CIncinnati (streaming at WAIFRadio.com).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW6JapTtRM0&list=RDOW6JapTtRM0&start_radio=1

"The Boys of Summer" is a song by American rock musician Don Henley...

06/03/2026

Today's show is dear to my heart. One week ago, I was headed to Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., to see Bruce Springsteen. Unfortunately, we didn't get there in time to see the E Street Band hit the stage at 8:02 p.m. (who starts rock concerts on time????), but almost three hours later, I was exhausted but exhilarated, dehydrated but determined, and thrilled to the bone by what I witnessed. I can't duplicate it on the radio, but I'm going to do my damnedest to try. Join me 6-8 p.m. on WAIF 88.3 FM CIncinnati, streaming at WAIFRadio.org and BlueSnakesand Banjos.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM02s3RzINA

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band took the stage at Nationals...

06/02/2026

It's been quite a month on the city's fourth most-popular radio show. Bob Hust hosted Andy Kwiatkowski and his daughter, Keira, on May 6, which likely lowered the demographic of our audience by at least 40 years. And if Keira's musical taste and knowledge is any indication, the kids are certainly alright. You can see for yourself on this episode.

Keira and Andy Kwiatkowski join Bob for a wonderfully diverse episode. Keira, who turned 18 on May 23, is ready to graduate from Ursuline and headed to Miami University. Dad and daughter are spendi…

05/27/2026

What a week! Bob Hust is celebrating his birthday Thursday and his retirement Friday. Today is the birthday of three of my favorite people: Barbara Schmidlapp, Stepfanie Romine and John Tarvardian. Finally, I will be in Washington, D.C., to see the real Boss, nothing like the current boss, on his Land of Hope and Dreams tour just miles from the White House. Tune into Blue Snakes & Banjos 6-8 p.m. today and every Wednesday on WAIF 88.3 FM CIncinnati (streaming at WAIFRadio.org and BlueSnakesandBanjos.com). And mark your calendar for next Wednesday for a full report from the front lines of the battle for American democracy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_G4LblL9LM

575 likes, 74 comments. "The Boss in Portland - Intro, War, Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen, April 3, 2026"

05/19/2026

Thanks to everybody who came to THE COMET last night for the Blue Snakes & Banjos Spring FunRaiser (noD). There were many wonderful moments as we paid tribute to our late friend, Ernie D'Amico. Roger White set a new bar for fan loyalty by driving from Atlanta to join the festivities. We met one of the hosts of WAIF's "Kitty's Blues," multiple trustees of the Longworth-Anderson Series, and friends from different parts of our lives. Our sincere gratitude goes out to everyone for supporting WAIF 88.3 FM CIncinnati and LAS at Memorial Hall OTR. If you missed the shindig, you can still get a shirt or a coffee mug, or you can become a member of the station. It's amazing that two knuckleheads with microphones and a turntable (well, a computer these days) can build a community of such wonderful folks. Bob Hust and I are humbled and proud.

05/18/2026

Join us today for the Spring Blue Snakes & Banjos FunRaiser (noD) where fans of the WAIF 88.3 FM CIncinnati show gather to support "The Best Music Education on the Radio" (Cincinnati CityBeat, 2016). Visit THE COMET on Hamilton Avenue in Northside from 6-8 p.m. where we will have new T-shirts and coffee mugs for sale with proceeds going to the radio station and the Longworth-Anderson Series at Memorial Hall OTR. Today's event is special to us because it honors Ernie D'Amico, a great friend of the show who passed away at 87 on Easter Sunday. He was one of our most faithful listeners and we miss him dearly. Raise a glass to Ernie and meet a roomful of like-minded music fans to kick off Memorial Day week.

05/12/2026

Join the Blue Snakes & Banjos community 6-8 p.m. Monday at THE COMET for the Spring FunRaiser (noD) where we will pay tribute to Ernie D'Amico, great friend of the show who passed away on Easter. He was one of the first people who called because he liked the show. Before that, Bob Hust and I thought the only people listening were our friends and family, and then, only when they weren't otherwise occupied. Ernie and his neighbor and friend Lynn Jentzen were the ones who suggested the FunRaisers about five years ago and we have met many others at these events. So tell your friends and neighbors to join us to meet like-minded folks and get the new BS&B T-shirts (designed by Pulitzer Prize-winning illustrator Jim Borgman).

05/06/2026

Thanks to Cori Wolff and Kyle Fugate of the Longworth-Anderson Series for the opportunity to pimp Blue Snakes & Banjos and engage in some shameless self-promotion. The series has brought top-flight artists to Memorial Hall OTR, the best listening room in the city, and I'm proud to have been part of it since it began in 2017. The series and venue offer a diverse lineup that has something for everybody. It's a joy to work with the folks involved and to step into the building as many times as possible.

Behind every unforgettable Longworth-Anderson Series (LAS) evening at Memorial Hall , there are people whose passion for music makes it all possible—and Bill Thompson is certainly one of them. A Cincinnati Memorial Hall Society Advisory Board member, LAS Advisory Committee member, and co