''Anything Anything with Rich Russo'' is a weekly two-hour freeform radio program that airs on Sunday nights at 9 pm in the New York City market. The program's weekly playlists range from deep tracks of known artists, punk, non-album b-sides,

bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, th ...

, TV themes, jazz, blues, country, novelty and unsigned local artists.

Dramarama Dramarama is an American, New Jersey–based alternative rock/power pop band, who later moved to Los Angeles. The band was formed in New Jersey in 1982 and disbanded in 1994. The band formally reunited in 2003 following an appearance on VH1's ' ...

's "

Anything, Anything (I'll Give You) "Anything, Anything (I'll Give You)" is a 1985 song by the alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground ...

" is the theme song and the ''Live at the China Club'' version begins 99% of the shows (occasionally an acoustic or piano version is played). The show has world premiered tracks by

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...

, and

Tegan and Sara Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters, Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumentali ...

. fun.'s "

We Are Young "We Are Young" is a song recorded by American pop rock band Fun, featuring American singer Janelle Monáe. It is the third track on the group's second studio album, '' Some Nights'' (2012). The song was released on September 20, 2011, as th ...

" had its first airing in October 2011 on ''Anything Anything with Rich Russo''. The show has also had numerous guests including

Andrew WK Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier (born May 9, 1979), known professionally as Andrew W.K., is an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and motivational speaker. He is known for his combination of rock, metal and pop mus ...

Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#J, Godmother of Punk", she is regarded as a Pop icon, rock icon and ...

Mike Ness Michael James Ness (born April 3, 1962) is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1978. He has also released two solo albums, '' Cheating at Sol ...

Brandon Flowers Brandon Richard Flowers (born June 21, 1981) is an American musician. He serves as the co-founder, lead vocalist, primary songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional bassist of the Las Vegas-based rock band the Killers, which he formed with Dave Ke ...

Jim James James Edward Olliges Jr. (born April 27, 1978), professionally known as Jim James or Yim Yames, is an American vocalist, guitarist, producer, and primary songwriter of the rock band My Morning Jacket. He has also released several solo albums. ...

My Morning Jacket My Morning Jacket is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Kos ...

The Buried Life ''The Buried Life'' is a reality documentary series on MTV. The series features Duncan Penn, Jonnie Penn, Ben Nemtin, and Dave Lingwood attempting to complete a list of "100 things to do before you die." The pilot episode aired on January 18, ...

, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels,

Girl in a Coma Girl In a Coma is an American indie rock band from San Antonio, Texas, United States, formerly on Joan Jett's Blackheart Records label. The band consisted of Nina Diaz (vocals/guitar), Phanie Diaz (drums) and Jenn Alva (bass). The name is a r ...

Little Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin. He has appeared in ...

Alejandro Escovedo Pedro Alejandro Escovedo (born January 10, 1951) is an American rock musician, songwriter, and singer, who has been recording and touring since the late 1970s. His primary instrument is the guitar. He has played in various rock genres, includin ...

Steel Train Steel Train was an indie rock band from New Jersey. They performed at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Coachella, ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', and ''Late Show with David Letterman'', and toured with several acts, including Tegan and Sara, Fun, Ben ...

The Bangles The Bangles are an American all-female band, all-female pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, in 1981. They are known for hit singles during the 1980s that made them one of the most successful pop rock groups of the decade. The band’s biggest ...

Urge Overkill Urge Overkill is an American alternative rock band, formed in Chicago in 1986, consisting of Nathan Kaatrud, who took the stage name Nash Kato (vocals/guitar), and Eddie "King" Roeser (vocals/guitar/bass). They are widely known for their song " ...

The Smithereens The Smithereens are an American rock music, rock band from Carteret, New Jersey. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio lead vocals, (vocals and guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar and backing vocals, vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar and bac ...

Jesse Malin Jesse Malin (born January 26, 1967) is an American rock musician, guitarist, and songwriter. He began his performing career in the New York hardcore band Heart Attack, and rose to prominence as vocalist of D Generation. , he is a solo recordin ...

, Paul Collins,

Garland Jeffreys Garland Jeffreys (born June 29, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter in rock and roll, reggae, blues, and soul music. Career Jeffreys is from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, of African American and Puerto Rican heritage. He majored in art histo ...

Lucero Lucero may refer to: * Lucero (given name) a Spanish given name * Lucero (surname) a Spanish surname * Lucero (entertainer) (born 1969), Mexican singer and actress ** ''Lucero'' (album), eponymous album released in 1993 * Lucero (band), an Ameri ...

and Prima Donna.

Broadcast history

The show began on November 9, 2008, on WRXP. Upon their sale and format switch in July 2011, the show moved to

WXPK-FM WXPK (107.1 MHz), branded ''107.1 The Peak'', is a commercial radio station licensed to Briarcliff Manor, New York, and serving Westchester County, New York. It is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts an Adult Album Alternative (AAA) radio ...

on September 25, 2011. Russo also hosts and curates The Jersey Guy Does Jersey on Sirius/XM's Little Steven's Underground Garage and also the Midnight Malfeasance on the same channel.

Influences

Host Rich Russo cites as his influences the following radio personalities and shows: *

Rodney Bingenheimer Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he als ...

(

Rodney on the ROQ Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he als ...

) *

Dr. Demento Barret Eugene Hansen (born April 2, 1941), known professionally as Dr. Demento, is an American radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograp ...

(The Dr. Demento Show), who has appeared on the show 4 times as

Super Bowl counterprogramming Although the Super Bowl is consistently one of the most watched television programs in the United States annually, broadcasters have sometimes attempted to intentionally counterprogram against it by running new programming against the game as an ...

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

(

Peel Sessions John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

) *

Vin Scelsa Vincent Anthony Scelsa (born December 12, 1947, in Bayonne, New Jersey) is an American broadcaster who was at "the forefront of the FM radio revolution" as the host of several freeform radio programs, the best-known titled ''Idiot's Delight''. ...

(Idiot's Delight) *

Nic Harcourt Nic Harcourt (born September 23, 1957) is an English-born American radio and television presenter, producer, and journalist best known as the former Music Director and on-air presenter for the Santa Monica, California-based radio station KCRW. Ha ...

(

Little Steven's Underground Garage ''Underground Garage'' is the name of two different related radio outlets that present rock 'n' roll and garage rock on radio: a syndicated show and a satellite radio station. Steven Van Zandt, best known as a guitarist in Bruce Springsteen & ...

) *

WFMU WFMU (91.1 MHz) is a non-commercial educational station, non-commercial, listener-supported, independent radio, independent community radio station city of license, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey, with studios in Jersey City. It is owned by ...

Notable on-air events

August 30, 2009

of The Killers calls in and gives the show an exclusive live version of "A Dustland Fairytale" to play on the air. February 28, 2010

was a guest in studio for the first ever extended broadcast of the show. May 15, 2011, Darryl DMC McDaniels was a guest on the show. Rich read Sara Quin's entire letter about Tyler the Creator and there was spirited dialogue that followed. October 9, 2011, As a tribute to the passing of

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American businessman, inventor, and investor best known for co-founding the technology company Apple Inc. Jobs was also the founder of NeXT and chairman and majority shareholder o ...

, Rich played only songs that began with the word "I" October 21, 2012, For

John Wesley Harding ''John Wesley Harding'' is the eighth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on December 27, 1967, by Columbia Records. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album marked Dylan's return to semi-acoustic instrumentation and ...

's birthday Rich played an hour of his music July 28, 2013, As a tribute to Hoboken Music Venue

Maxwell's Maxwell's, last known as Maxwell's Tavern, was a bar/restaurant and music club in Hoboken, New Jersey. Over several decades the venue attracted a wide variety of acts looking for a change from the New York City concert spaces across the river. ...

closing, Rich only played songs that were recorded live at the club on his WDHA show Every Super Bowl Sunday since 2011,

serves as the co-host for a special all novelty edition show.

Notable off-air events

As an extension of the radio show, Russo began doing events with local unsigned bands on Staten Island, which then led to events in Brooklyn and New Jersey and then New York City. An Anything Anything show at Santos Party House drew over 700 people for a group of unsigned bands and featured a guest appearance by Andrew WK for the encore. Russo also hosted a series of residency shows with Jesse Malin at Bowery Electric. Every show in the concert series sold out and featured guests including Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, Moby, and Eugene Hutz from Gogol Bordello Anything Anything was given the exclusive on both Foxboro Hot Tubs (Green Day) shows to announce, promote and give away tickets. A special secret show was held to celebrate Alejandro Escovedo's appearance on Letterman; it sold out immediately and was featured in a write up in

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

by David Fricke. November 2010, the Anything Anything 2nd Anniversary Show was featured in the gossip pages of the Daily News (due to Lady Gaga, Madonna and Joan Jett being in attendance). For Record store day 2010, a special limited edition of 500 copies of live performances from the Anything Anything radio show featuring all unsigned local acts, sold 468 copies in one day and was the 68th best selling album of the week in the NY Market. There was an Anything Anything bus tour visiting local record stores that day and received local TV coverage. 100% of the profits of the record went directly to the record stores. Russo serves as emcee with Vincent Pastore of the annual Light of Day concerts in Asbury Park, NJ where he has brought Bruce Springsteen on stage on two different occasions. Russo also served as emcee with Vincent Pastore and Maureen Van Zandt at Little Kids Rock Benefit at Hammerstein Ballroom on October 20, 2014, performers included Joan Jett, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Ness, Darlene Love, Jake Clemons, Tommy James and Brody Dalle, The Anything Anything 4th Anniversary Party with Social Distortion at Starland Ballroom was cancelled due to

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...

. The Anything Anything 5th Anniversary Party with Tegan and Sara, Willie Nile and Plastiq Passion was on September 27, 2013, at Starland Ballroom. The Anything Anything 6th Anniversary Party Part 1 with Social Distortion, The Whigs and Jonny Two Bags was September 4, 2014, at Starland Ballroom. The Anything Anything 6th Anniversary Party Part 2 With Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Jesse Malin was October 11, 2014, at the Count Basie Theatre. The Anything Anything 8th Anniversary Party Part 1 with Lucero, Cory Branan and was October 21, 2016, at the House of Independents, Asbury Park The Anything Anything 8th Anniversary Party Part 2 with David Cassidy, The Battery Electric and Hell Yeah Babies was October 27, 2016, at the Count Basie Theatre

Reception and reviews

Rich was voted the best DJ in the October 19–25, 2011

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...

Best of NYC Issue

References

{{Reflist

External links

Anything Anything with Rich Russo, official site

Rolling Stone Magazine article about Bowery Ballroom concert presented by Anything Anything with Rich Russo

* ttp://cranford.patch.com/articles/part-time-gig-not-only-rock-n-roll-to-cranford-man-9623ef2c Cranford Patch, interview with DJ and host Rich Russo
2010 interview with Rich Russo from the Staten Island Advance

Article about Record Store Day and independent music from 2010

Playlists from Anything, Anything with Rich Russo

American music radio programs Freeform (radio format)