Oxfest is Back and Bigger Than Ever!
Ever found yourself around a campfire and thought, “Hey, let’s throw a music festival!”? Well, that’s exactly what happened, and we’re chatting with Ken Boland, who gives us the inside on this festival that’s all about honoring loved ones and raising money for kid-focused organizations. Picture this: a festival packed with 14 bands, food galore (mouthwatering brisket), and fun kid zones that’ll keep the little ones entertained—all while helping to serve children and youth in our region. Grab your favorite beverage (adult lemonade, anyone?) and let’s get the lowdown on what makes Oxfest a must-attend festival this September 19th—where music, community, and helping kids collide!
Nestled in the heart of Washington, Missouri, Oxfest has become a staple of the local music scene. We’re joined by Ken Boland, emcee of the event, and he takes us on a journey through the festival's inception. Picture this: a few friends reminiscing about their late brothers, the discussion turns serious, and before you know it, a music festival is born! Fast forward nine years, and the Oxfest Music Festival has transformed from a modest gathering to an exciting full-day festival featuring 14 amazing bands.
From rock to bluesy tunes to country beats that’ll have you two-stepping, this festival is about more than just music; it’s about supporting local charities that focus on helping kids in need. We discuss the various organizations that benefit from the festival, how they work to uplift the community, and why your attendance matters. Since 2017, OxFest Charities has awarded nearly $400,000 to nonprofits that serve children and youth in our region. Ken’s enthusiasm for the festival is contagious, making it clear that this is not just another summer concert venue—it’s a heartfelt mission to create a positive impact for kids through music and camaraderie.
[00:00] Campfire Festival Idea
[01:10] Show Banter Begins
[02:08] Sponsor And Jazz Hands
[03:15] Meet Ken Bolen
[03:32] Why It’s Called Oxfest
[05:34] Festival Growth And Stages
[06:50] Tickets Parking And What To Bring
[08:45] Pro Production And Giving Back
[10:24] Seven Charities Supported
[15:22] Mission And Volunteers
[18:55] Main Stage Lineup
[22:54] Blues Stage Highlights
[26:14] Country Stage Acts
[29:13] Next Up Kids And Food
[29:45] Mortgage Sponsor Break
[30:32] Dred Scott Stamp Petition
[31:46] OxFest Details Recap
[32:25] Kid Zone and Youth Bands
[34:09] Food Drinks and Sponsors
[37:09] Safety and Special Guest Sarah Kraffty
[39:32] Visit Washington Missouri
[40:32] Tickets Donations and Thanks
[43:36] Welcome Corps PSA
[44:25] Banana Split Day Editorial
[45:59] National Days
[49:30] Humor and Final Signoff
Takeaways:
- The Oxfest Music Festival is a heartfelt tribute to lost loved ones, aiming to raise funds for local charities that support children and families.
- This year, the festival will feature 14 diverse bands across multiple stages, including rock, blues, country, and more, making it a must-attend event.
- If you're looking for a family-friendly festival, Oxfest has a Kid Zone with activities like face painting and a petting zoo, so bring the whole crew!
- The festival not only highlights great music but also emphasizes community engagement, showcasing local organizations that support underprivileged children.
- Mark your calendars for September 19th at the Washington Fairgrounds, where gates open at 11:30 AM—don't forget your chairs and good vibes!
- Oxfest is not just about the music; it's about creating a supportive environment for kids and families, with all proceeds going to local charities.
This is Season 9! For more episodes, go to stlintune.com
#oxfest #oxfestmusicfestival #washingtonmo #sarahkraffty #washingtonfairgrounds #thecoveringhouse #allabilitiesathletics #duanehaddoxmemorialscholarship #casaofmideastmissouri #wingseducationalfoundation #wholekidsoutreach #oneclassroom
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00:00 - Untitled
00:12 - Starting a New Musical Journey
03:32 - Introduction to Oxfest
10:24 - Supporting Local Organizations
17:40 - Supporting Our Community: The Mission Behind Oxfest
22:54 - Exploring the Blues Stage
29:13 - Transition to Family Activities at Oxfest
37:59 - The Festival Highlights and Special Guests
41:54 - Reflections on a Decade: The Tenth Anniversary
51:51 - The Rise of Technology in Daily Life
Arnold
What do you do if you're sitting around a campfire in the wee hours of the morning and you get to a barbecue and you go, I want to remember somebody who's very important to me. Let's start a music festival. We're going to talk about the oxfest in its ninth year on St. Luis and tunes.
Mark
Foreign.
Arnold
Welcome to St. Louis in Tune.And thank you for joining us for fresh perspectives on issues and events with experts, community leaders, and everyday people who make a difference in shaping our society and world. I'm Arnold Stricker along with co host Mark Langston. Hey, needed to get those. The Pistachio Gallery. Applauding. Oh, I announced your name.
Mark
You're probably right. Let's see. Okay. Yeah. So my name backwards. What is yours? Mine's Knots Canal Cram.
Arnold
I've stopped trying to figure mine out.
Mark
Did you. You got to write it out.
Arnold
I did that one time. It's like I just. I got enough trouble saying my name correctly.
Mark
Is there a. Yeah. It's great to be with you.
Arnold
It's great to be with me, too.
Ken
No taking in nourishment.
Arnold
Oh, here we go. It's gonna be one of those shows.
Mark
No modesty in Arnold. He's got.
Arnold
Except I'm follically challenged.
Mark
Yes. I love that. Yes. We're talking about that, folks. Off mic if that's what something.
Arnold
I refuse to wear a toupee.
Ken
Oh, that's.
Mark
I know very smart people in local TV news on Channel 5 that wear toupee.
Arnold
You can tell some.
Mark
I'm not going to tell you who it is.
Arnold
You can tell some of them.
Mark
I've told you too much already. Yes, you can.
Arnold
Some of them is bad rug man.
Mark
I know. Why do you even. I don't.
Arnold
You didn't go to hunt. Hans.
Mark
Fine on this thing, Hans.
Ken
Is it a squirrel or is it a rug?
Arnold
It's a bird bag.
Mark
It's your hair on head. Okay, good.
Arnold
All right. We're glad that you joined us today, folks. Want to thank our sponsor, Better Rate Mortgage, for their support of the show.You can listen to previous shows@stluntune.com where you can follow us and leave a review. Our thought to ponder today.
Mark
We got lots of those.
Arnold
It's a good one. Anyone who's just driven 90 yards against huge men trying to kill them has earned the right to do jazz hands.Anyone who's just driven 90 yards against huge men trying to kill them on the field, folks, has earned the right to do jazz hands. You see some of these celebrations you know, in the end zone.
Mark
Yeah.
Arnold
Some of them mostly are dancing. Some of them are. They lay down. They're, like, taking pictures, man. Just do the jazz hands. Or better yet, just say, okay, I scored.Give the ball to the referee and go back to the huddle.
Mark
Wave to the crowd.
Arnold
Yeah, wave to the crowd.
Ken
Take your Sharpie and sign the.
Arnold
Sign the ball. Throw it out. If they throw the ball into the stands, it's, like, fine.
Mark
Yes. And in soccer, the fans throw it back. Wow. I never.
Arnold
They poke it with a stick first. Depends on how good the team is.
Mark
I know, I know.
Ken
I thought that was you by Spalding.
Arnold
And that commercial. That commercial was given by our guest today, Ken Boland, who's the MC of the Oxfest. Hey, we need that applause now, Mark. There we go, Ken.Welcome back to St. Louis in Tune.
Ken
Thanks. Thanks. Good to be here, Arnold.
Mark
Yeah.
Arnold
Tell the folks again the origin of the name Oxfest, because it's not Steer Fest or Cow Fest or she Fest.
Ken
Food Fest. Yeah. It's important to tell the story because it's about my cousins.
Arnold
Absolutely.
Ken
So there were three brothers. Doug, Duane, and David, and Doug and Duane passed away prematurely because of diabetes. Duane in 2010, Doug in 2013.And so they had a couple charities that they worked with. Dwayne was a coach, a mentor, a father, a great husband. He's just a wonderful guy.He's the one that passed away in 2010, and he worked at a local high school.
Arnold
He was at St. Francis Borgia.
Ken
Very good.
Mark
Yes.
Ken
You have done your homework.
Mark
Thank you.
Ken
Way to go, Arnold. And so he's just not a pretty face, folks.
Mark
That's for sure.
Ken
And then Doug had a. An organization that he supported called Whole Kids Outreach. And so we thought we'd go ahead and honor these guys.We had a campfire and a barbecue and stuff like that. And I think it was the second or third one. There's bourbon and things going around a campfire like you do.And the surviving brother, David, goes, we ought to have. Do something to raise some money for these charities that they supported. We go, that's a great idea.And my buddy Kevin Walde, who's the president of oxfest, says, maybe we ought to do a little music. And David goes, that's a great idea. Let's do that. And so we all walk away thinking, yeah, this will never happen.David calls the next day and says, hey, I rented the park.
Mark
What?
Ken
Yeah, I rented the park. You did? For the music. We're gonna have a band. He goes, no, we got five we're gonna have five bands and it's just.
Arnold
Not a regular park. It's the Washington.
Ken
Yeah, the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds where the Town and country fair is, which is a big deal in Washington.
Mark
Oh, it's huge.
Ken
It's the number one thing. We think we might be number two now. We hope that we're. We're trying to be. We're not gonna be the biggest thing in the world, but we want to be.Keep it continuing to grow. So yeah, we had five bands and about 500 people, something like that. So we're in our ninth year. We're looking to draw about 2,000 people this year.
Arnold
And how many bands are going to be there?
Ken
We've expanded again. So last year we had the blues stage and it was such a big hit. People loved the blue stage. We had Jeremiah Johnson and some really good acts.People are going, you really need country out here. And we're like, okay, so we're not afraid to be afraid, apparently. And we have a third stage now. Yes, country bands. So we got 14 bands this year.I know.
Arnold
Now folks, you got to put this date on your calendar. It's Saturday, September 19th at the Washington Fairgrounds. And the gates open at 11:30. Bring Venmo, Visa, MasterCard if you got dogs.Only service animals. Okay. It's family friendly. But there's got the main stage. You have the oxfest blues stage. We'll talk about this. You got the country music stage.You might have another stage next year.
Ken
Let's see how this year goes. Because we're all volunteers. You got to get people to actually work this thing. Really.
Mark
I know. In their spare time.
Ken
In their spare time. That's right.
Arnold
Let's go into all the aspects of the festival. Because when you go to a festival, okay, the first thing is I got to get tickets. Which you can get tickets on Eventbrite or you can go to.
Ken
You can go to oxfest. It's O X F E S T Music Festival with one. No, no s.org and that will take you to Eventbrite. A couple banks in town. Franklin county bank of Washington.
Arnold
Washington is if you're some south cities worship.
Ken
Yeah. Or from anywhere beyond this studio. Washington.
Mark
And that's right.
Ken
You can get them there as well. And they're a whopping $30.
Arnold
Wow.
Ken
I know. For an all day festival.
Mark
Oh yeah.
Arnold
Okay. So where am I going to park? So I'm coming in from out of town.
Ken
Yeah.
Arnold
I want to go through everything here. Where do I park? Is parking free?
Ken
As a matter of Fact, it is. The actual address is 201 Grand Avenue, so you can put that in your GPS. It's hard to get lost in Washington, but you could.But we're at the fairgrounds where the town and country fair is, which is a big deal like we were talking about earlier. And it's free. Parking will actually direct you to. To park, so plenty of parking.
Arnold
And do I need to bring lawn chairs? Like blankets? What do I need to bring?
Ken
Yeah, bring a smile.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
Just come happy. Because it's a family event.
Arnold
Kid friendly, folks. Kid friendly.
Ken
Kid friendly. Yeah. Bring a chair.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
Definitely bring a chair. Coolers and food. We provide all that for you.
Arnold
So don't bring that stuff from home.
Ken
No, please don't. Because we're trying to support these seven organizations. And here's the thing.A lot of times people don't buy their tickets early because they're thinking, oh, it's an outdoor festival. Every one of our stages are covered, number one.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
And the blue stage and the country stage actually cover the people as well. Oh. So if you're a little warm or something, you want to go and get underneath to get out of the sun, you can do that.We have big tents out there as well.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
Don't worry about the weather, folks. Just come on out. It's a good point. Fabulous stages are. Let me tell you about the. One of the stage. Film. One of the stages. A million dollar stage.
Arnold
Wow.
Ken
It is a really, wow, professionally done festival. And this one stage is just beautiful.
Arnold
So is that there all the time?
Ken
Yeah, that stage is permanent.
Arnold
Now, you mentioned something off the air before we started. This isn't just. This isn't just like some podunk music festival. No, the sound people.
Ken
Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for bringing that up. So last year we had this sound producing company out of, I think Omaha or somewhere. Really professional.The music was fantastic. These aren't Uncle Harry's speakers. We're talking about his Marshall speakers from 1980. These things are mounted. It's professionally done.And as we're going along, we're about into our fourth band on the main stage. And one of the producing music producer guy goes, hey, come here. He says, you guys really mean this? I said, what do you mean what?He goes, you really mean this? That you are an organization that's throwing a great festival, wonderful music, greatly produced, and you're giving the money away? I said, yeah.He goes, we go to a lot of places where people are not doing that as well as you are. So. Yeah, we have no employees. We cover our Expenses. And the rest of it goes to our seven organizations that we support. All kid related. Arnold.We, we like to call it a mutual fund of kid organizations that we support.
Arnold
Let's talk about some of those groups.
Ken
Yeah.
Arnold
Because I think it's important that people who are listening understand what you just said is a really important concept that a lot of 501 C3s don't implement. All the money goes to the organizations that you support. No money is paying somebody's salary.
Ken
Yeah, I pay my way into the festival. I'm the main aim. Say this shirt. I'm wearing, this hat. I brought it. I pay for all that. We don't line anybody's pockets. Even if it's a shirt or a hat.We're like, yeah, I mean, you got to pay for that. Okay. So some of the organizations that we support, All Abilities Athletics is a local WASHMO place.And their missions provide first class athletics for kids that may not be able to enjoy that because of their disability. And that ranges from pre K up through high school. So they build confidence and some skills and things like that. So most of the kids are autistic.So really a cool organization. You want me to just go on down the line?
Arnold
Absolutely.
Mark
All right. Yeah.
Ken
Wings, which is Washington's investment in great schools, sometimes the school cannot provide or won't provide certain supplies that a teacher may need. And so we help them with that and they give grants to their teachers so they can get the materials they need. Really do a good job teaching them.The third of seven organizations is St. Francis Borgia. As we mentioned earlier, Dwayne had Doc H A D D O X. That's how we got ox best.Because we used to call Doug and Dwayne ox because they were football players and they were rather.
Arnold
They're big.
Ken
They were big.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
Yeah. I should have followed Doug's blocking a lot better than I did when I was a kid.
Mark
Yeah.
Ken
Really, the things you learn. But anyway, Dwayne was a. He was a coach and a mentor teacher. He's the athletic director there. He really supported Borgia.So we provide a scholarship to a kid that may not be able to afford that type of education. Here's one that Doug really liked. And I think I told this story before and I told Sister Ann I'd never tell this story on stage again.But I'm not on stage. Right.
Arnold
You're not on stage.
Ken
Yep. So Sister Ann Francione is executive director for a place called Whole Kids Outreach down in Ellington, Missouri.The average income for a family of four down there, 15,500 bucks.So they serve 11 counties, they're in southeast Missouri, and they provide like in home nursing and other programs for pregnant women and their families. Doug was a big supporter of those. So here's the deal. All right, Doug, so you're supporting this place. There must be a chick involved.And he goes, oh, yeah, her name's Ann. Wow, that's great. So poor Ann must not have liked Doug so much. Or Doug did something to her because she became a nun.Sister, if you're listening to this, we love you. We really appreciate what you're doing. Another organization that we, that we support is called One Classroom.And they're dedicated to inclusive educational opportunities. Again, those kids with special needs, that's in the St. Louis archdiocese. So very happy about that. CASA, which is children. What does that stand for?CASA. Help me out here. It's child advocate special. Something.
Mark
You're doing fine.
Ken
I should know this. Yeah, Child advocate special. Anyway, they have child advocates and Glenda Vollmer is the leader of casa and.
Arnold
They court appointed special advocate.
Ken
There it is. Court appointed special advocate.
Arnold
I looked it up.
Mark
Wow, you're fast. That is really.
Ken
I appreciate that. So you know, children that have been abused or neglected, they help them get through the court system.Now the thing with them is you don't have to be a child advocate. They're looking for any type of volunteers. There's lots and lots to do for, for casa. Let's see, who have I not covered? I have not covered.Maybe the two of the most important ones that are. I'm sorry, one most important ones in my mind is the covering house. And that was started by Ed Lehman.And what the covering house does is it restores the childhood of mostly adolescent kids that have been sex trafficked. It's a sad situation. Missouri's number four in the nation. St. Louis, I think is number eight in the nation for trafficking.And it doesn't mean that they just get grabbed and taken away.Most of it's like, sadly, fathers or boyfriends of these, these victims, and they'll put something on Facebook and they'll say, hey, we're gonna have a party. Why don't you come on over? Oh, great. Thinks it's an 18 year old, has her friend, all her friends, and next thing you know, they have a party.They drug them and they film them and blackmail them. We're a big supporter of the covering house. We think their mission is really huge. So I think that's. I think I've covered them.
Arnold
These folks, if you didn't hear something of value in what Ken was talking about, then you need to go back and push, rewind and listen again. Because all of those things can. Any. Any one of those individually is well worth supporting.There's some that probably pull on people's heartstrings a little bit more than others because maybe of their background or the knowledge that they have of situations that are going on with maybe people in their family or their neighborhood or their community.But I want to commend you, and I guess there's a board that kind of oversees the oxfest of all the things you guys are doing to keep the focus on that. Because sometimes when groups.And I guess I'm editorializing, Mark, is when groups, they go down the road and they've been doing this for a long time, it kind of becomes regular and. Oh, yeah. And they lose sight of the mission. You guys have really kind of laser focused in, and you're spot on point.
Ken
Thanks. Thanks. We. We try to keep the mission in mind all the time. You get stressed out. You're thinking, what's about this? What about this decision?What about this decision? So we always go back to our mission. What's our mission? And it's.It's supporting the development of strong, healthy families and their educational endeavors of deserving students. That's our actual mission statement. So we have a statement.
Arnold
Say that again.
Ken
It's supporting the development of strong, healthy, happy families and the educational endeavors of deserving students.
Arnold
Now, can you think, Mark, of any other thing that would be like that of a music festival?
Mark
No.
Ken
Wow.
Mark
No. And I think it's great. You guys have been going for nine years.
Arnold
Yeah.
Mark
And it doesn't look that you're ever going to end, which is great. I can't imagine the volunteers that it takes. And are you bringing up folks that'll take your place when you.
Arnold
Good point.
Mark
When you move on. Not that you're gonna move on anytime soon.
Ken
You never know.
Mark
I have so many questions about it, but the. The volunteers to put this event on must be crazy.
Ken
It's. Yeah, it's a task. And we shake our heads sometimes going,.
Mark
What are we doing?
Ken
Are we doing this again?
Mark
Why are we adding another stage?
Ken
Yeah, why are we. And it's. You just keep going back to the mission.And the people in the greater Washington area, Franklin County, St. Louis county area, Warren County, Gasconade County.
Mark
I know people from St. Louis county that have come. Yeah, they talk. I've talked to people that are heading that way. Yeah.
Ken
Yeah.We'd love to have more and more People from St. Louis, St. Louis county come out because the deal with it is, yeah, we are laser focused on our mission. There are volunteers that are just unbelievable how they show up all the time.
Mark
They're.
Ken
They know what our mission is. They. They know we're doing this for kids.And the thing is, you can come to the festival at noon and listen to the Mighty Pines, which is unbelievable band, by the way, leading off this thing. You can come to the festival at noon if you want to leave at 3 o', clock, go somewhere for a while, come back, please do re entry.
Mark
Is easy to do.
Ken
Easy to do. We'll just give you a band or mark your hand or whatever we do at the gate and come and go.
Arnold
As you please because the last band plays at 8pm and that's Anthology tribute to the Allman Brothers Band.
Mark
Love it.
Arnold
This is Arnold Strick with Mark Langston of St. Louis in tune as Mark is getting a jolly back there about the Allman Brothers Band. Let's go through the lineup here because let's talk about the main stage, the blues stage, and then the Mark's favorite, the country music stage.
Ken
That's your favorite? Really? Country music?
Mark
It's an acquired taste actually. But yeah, it's. For me, it's American music. It's just something. I don't know. I love rock and roll. Don't get me wrong.I was weaned on rock and roll and I do love jazz. I've been to East St. Louis with a couple of friends that know the landscape of where the jazz clubs are. Nothing like. There's nothing like it.If you can go over there with someone that knows their way around, the jazz in this area is great. So I'm not. I don't doubt that jazz is going over very well there because this town really loves jazz.
Ken
The bluesy is kind of a jazzy type thing. And one of the main guests we have on the main stage is actually a country singer. But then we have the country stage and it's no joke either.I mean, no, we don't bring out some band we found in a basement, that's for sure. Unless they're really good.
Arnold
They have to be good to be on the Oxfest festivals.
Mark
And they call violins a fiddle, which is,.
Ken
You know, we had the steel drivers one year.
Mark
The year before COVID are those steel guitars.
Ken
What's the guys?
Mark
Another great instrument to play.
Ken
The one guy that played the fiddle didn't read a word of music. He couldn't read music to save his Life. He just played. He's a great Cardinal fan, by the way. But anyway, Steel Drivers were really cool, but.So here we are on the main stage. We're starting off with the Mighty Pines and they're a really interesting group, an acoustic quartet group.They've just came out with a new album and it's called Good Luck. Nice to meet you. So it's kind of give you an idea of what kind of band they are. They are. They are a fun group.That group alone could be the headliner, but they happen to have a gig later that night, so we have to have them early.
Arnold
Yeah.
Ken
Molly Lovett. You probably had never heard of Molly Lovett. No, she's from Nashville, She's a country singer. She's touring Europe currently.And Molly was at the Del Mar hall about four or five months ago and just released a new album. So she's. She'll be on the main stage. You'll. You should see them, Mark. I think she's fabulous. Then the Third State.The third band is called the Sapping Tones. They're all from the Sappingtone area.
Mark
Is.
Ken
I'm saying that right? Sappington and Crestwood area. And they do local 70s and 80s and 90s. My brother in law happens to be the drummer. Really solid band.Yeah, they've played there. I think this is their third time. Very interesting music. Great stuff. Now we get into. You could flip a coin who's going to be at the main band here.So Jimmy Griffin. Jimmy Griffin with the name El Monstero, Celebration Day and Hard Promises.
Mark
Wow.
Ken
That's the band he's bringing his Hard Promises. Tom Petty tribute band. And he's there. Close your eyes and you think you're listening to Tom Petty. Tom's dead now, but Jimmy is not.
Arnold
That'll break your heart. For those of you that don't know Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Had explained it. Shouldn't have said it then if you have to explain it.
Ken
The final band coming on at 8 o', clock, go for a couple hours is the Anthology. Danny Liston, the old Mama's Pride guy. Tribute to the Allman Brothers. And.And I didn't know this, but he's actually has some ties, real ties to Greg Allman.
Mark
Wow.
Ken
So there's a deep connection there and you can really feel that in his music. I saw him.
Mark
Great band.
Ken
It's a wonderful band. So that's the main stage.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
You want to talk about the blues stage? Sure.
Arnold
And a question that I was thinking about, say I wanted to. I didn't have to stay at one stage all the time. I could go from the main stage now I want to go over to the.The blues stage and I can go over the country stage. You can kind of do that.
Ken
Oh, yeah. We try to stagger the bands a little bit, like a half an hour. So if a band ends, you can go to another stage if you want.Or if they're halfway through and you, hey, I really want to hear Jeremiah Johnson. I'll go over there. If I really want to hear Adam Knight, I'll go to the country stage. Yeah, you can. You can roam all you want.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
And we service all those stages with another mc. And so you hear about our charities, hear about our organizations, because we don't want it just to be here.Make sure everybody is educated about all of our organizations at each of those stages. That's just really important to us. The money's great and that's the whole idea of the festival.But educating people on what's going on in the world is just as important.
Arnold
It is, it is.
Ken
So, yeah, you can go to each of those stages at any particular time.
Arnold
Okay, let's talk about the. What do we got here? The blue stage.
Ken
Oh, yeah. So we started off with a local band, Bag lunch blues. They're just great guys.They play every year because they're part of the Washington blues society. And they're just. They're wonderful. They're just great guys. They love to have fun. And they've been playing since they were in diapers, I think.Wow, they're really good. Then a band called Mo Berry, M O E Berry. They rock it really hard. They're a fun country band as well.Jeremiah Johnson, who in the St. Louis area has not heard the international artist, One of the best blues players in area, Jeremiah. And that guy is. The thing about him is that he's really humble.And when he sings about the humble man, he sings about the guy that's working in the fields. He sings from his heart. Just a wonderful guy. He's number one Billboard blues charting artist at one time. And in 2022, he.He was up for a blues music award nominee, so no joke there. Then comes Amanda Fish. Amanda Fish from Nashville. She just cut another album as well. Number six on the blues chart. Number four on iTunes. Blues chart.240 Plus Spotify streams. 40,000 Spotify streams. Sorry, not 240.
Arnold
These aren't some garage band kind of deals.
Mark
Nope.
Ken
No, no. These are really professional.
Arnold
This is really music festival groups.
Ken
Yeah. And they give us a little Break. Because they know what we're all about. So we're happy about that. We don't twist anybody's arms.But most of the time, they'll hear about what we're doing, Right? They'll say, yeah, we'll cut our fee a little bit. Great. Thank you. Appreciate it. And the last band, Soul Cracker, we laugh about that.I think it's a funny name. But Tony Campanella is a part of that group. And I don't know if you're familiar with Tony, but Tony is probably.Jeremiah Johnson would say he's the best blues guitarist in the St. Louis area. He's totally into it. So that's the blues stage.
Mark
Wow.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
I know. Thank you.
Arnold
Then we have the country stage.
Ken
That golf clap is really perfect timing after the.
Mark
Oh, yeah.
Ken
BMW Classic. The country stage. There's a band called Riverbend. Southern rock country band.Another one of these local bands that are just really having a lot of fun people. Will people enjoy them. It's a good one to start off with. The next one is from New Jersey.
Mark
Wow.
Ken
I know.
Mark
I don't know.
Ken
I don't know how they're going to perform out there.
Mark
Washington.
Ken
Yeah, From Joy.
Arnold
They're just trying to get out of town.
Mark
Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Joyce. Here we go.
Ken
Called Runaway Train. That's another thing.
Mark
Yeah, that's probably okay. Let's hear it, guys. Okay.
Ken
That's perfect. But they're a country band. They play all your favorite country hits. They're really a fabulous band. Joyce.
Mark
Sorry, Tracy. There it is. Okay.
Ken
There goes the Amtrak, folks. Just in time. Here's one. Mark, you need to come see Adam Knight out of Austin, Texas. Country guy.
Mark
Oh, a lot of good bands out of Austin.
Ken
This guy is DZ Top, I think.
Mark
Was out of Austin, actually.
Ken
Really?
Mark
Yeah, I believe they are.
Arnold
I went.
Mark
I saw them.
Ken
That seems to be a hotbed for me.
Mark
It is. It is a hotbed.
Ken
And you being a music director and.
Mark
All would know that, I think. Yeah.
Ken
And we got a doctorate over here.
Mark
Oh, yeah. Doctor. Yeah.
Ken
In something.
Mark
Dr. Stricker.
Ken
What was it?
Arnold
Education.
Ken
Education, yeah.
Arnold
But adult education, actually.
Mark
Oh, wow. I don't know about that.
Ken
We could use some of that here, Mark. So he's got a new song called A Little Bit of Heaven. And apparently it has just blown through the charts. So.Really, another band that has their own music has cut an album. I feel like I'm repeating myself here. But these bands are the real thing.
Arnold
And what's great about this is sometimes these bands are on their way up. And when you see them and then in a couple years they're like, you're seeing them on the CMA or you're seeing them on television or.And you're like, I remember when I saw them at the Oxfest, they were just on their way up.
Mark
That is so true, Arnold.
Ken
Yeah, that, that easily could be many of these bands and. Yeah, and that was a dream of ours. Can we find some talent that's on its way up?Because when they're already up there, they're like way too expensive. The last band, and this might be one of those that it's on the way up. It's a local guy from Sullivan, Missouri. His name is Justin Bizzle.B I Z Z L E. He's touring the Midwest right now. He did a little video. It's pretty funny. He goes, oh man, this, this music thing, it's so glamorous, isn't it? We just had to fix the rv.This thing went wrong. This thing went wrong. We drove all morning. We got there just in time for our gig. It's just a wonderful thing being a musician.
Mark
I know it's really a traveling musician,.
Ken
But he was talking about his blessings and another just really an up and comer. I think you'll, I think you'll enjoy him too.
Arnold
We're going to take a little break here because we need to make some time to talk about what are the things available for kids. Also, there's a food creator who is so well known nationally, she's going to be there.We need to give her some time that Ken's going to talk about her. So don't go away. This is Arnold Strick with Mark Langston of St. Luis and June. We'll be right back.As strange as it may sound, at Better Rate Mortgage, we love talking to people about mortgages. Everyone in St. Louis promises a better mortgage rate. But what you really need to turn that perfect house into your dream home is a better mortgage.At Better Rate Mortgage, we open the door to so much more. So where are you in the home buying process? Researching, maybe wondering how much you can afford? House hunting.Get a pre approval from Better Rate Mortgage Ready to buy. Our team is ready to make your mortgage process fast and easy.Whether you're purchasing your first home or taking cash out to make your dream home even dreamier. Our door is open. Come on in and get started. Today we'll show you how. Call Sean directly at 314-375-3293 or online@betterratemortgage.com.Remember, at Better Rate Mortgage, a better rate is just the beginning. Betterratemortgage.com and mls.id 401335 and Equal Housing Lender.This is Arnold Stricker of St. Louis in tune on behalf of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation. In 1857, the Dred Scott decision was a major legal event and catalyst that contributed to the Civil War.The decision declared that Dred Scott could not be free because he was not a citizen.The 14th Amendment, also called the Dred Scott Amendment, granted citizenship to all born or naturalized here in our country and was intended to overturn the US Supreme Court decision on July 9, 1868.The Dred Scott Heritage foundation is requesting a commemorative stamp to be issued from the US Postal Service to recognize and remember the heritage of this amendment by issuing a stamp with the likeness of the man Dred Scott. But we need your support and the support of thousands of people who would like to see this happen.To achieve this goal, we ask you to download, sign and share the one page petition with others. To find the petition, please go to dredscottlibs.org and click on the Dred Scott petition drive on the right side of the page.On behalf of the Dred Scott Heritage foundation, this has been Arnold Stricker of St. Louis. In June, We are talking to Ken Bol and he is the fabulous MC for the Oxfest Music Festival at the Washington fairgrounds in Washington, Missouri.And that will take place Saturday, September 19th and the gates open at 11:30am you can get more information by going to the following website. They take Visa, MasterCard, all major credit cards are accepted. Venmo and only service animal dogs can attend.
Mark
It's festival. Singular.
Arnold
Singular festival.
Ken
Very good.
Mark
No s. the end of the festival.
Arnold
And before the break, we were going to talk about what parents can expect. I got four, five kids in the neighborhood they want to come to. What are they going to do? They're not necessarily involved with the music. Do you.What do you have Ken for them?
Mark
Is it the same price for the kids? 30 Bucks a kid?
Ken
I don't know if it's. If you're 12 or under, it's free.
Mark
Okay.
Ken
Yeah. So another reason to bring your kids.It's funny you talk about the kids because we were talking about having young bands and the board might kick me in the shark right in the shorts.
Mark
If I, when I say this, that shark song.
Ken
We were talking about having a. A little fest. Not a festival, but a competition of young bands like in, in the winter or something. And the winner to lead off at Oxfest.
Arnold
Oh, that's cool. Oh, that's a great idea.
Mark
I know.
Ken
We got to find the young bands. Sweet Ruckus is a young band in Washington.
Arnold
They play Sweet Ruckus.
Ken
They played War Pigs.
Mark
What?
Ken
They were at our festival. Can you believe that? War Pigs. Anyway, so the Kid zone. Yeah, bring them on out. We do have a Kid zone.
Mark
It's free.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
It runs from two to six or seven, something like that. We've got a petting zoo this year.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
We've got a bounce house. We've got face painting. What else we have? Oh, we got this great big. This guy does his great big giant bubbles and the kids just go nuts. Yeah.Bubbles flying through the air, popping in their face.
Mark
More fun to do the kids stuff then.
Arnold
Balloon art, too.
Ken
Yeah, we got some creative balloon art, but yeah, it's all free. It's expanded this year because we would love to see the parents stick around as long as they possibly can handle their kids.
Arnold
And refreshment wise, what are we kind of talking brats, Dogs, burgers, soda. Are there alcoholic beverages or. No, just asking all these questions for.
Mark
People to call them adults beverages.
Arnold
Adult beverages, yes. There you go.
Ken
They just happen to have alcohol.
Mark
That's right.
Arnold
This is an adult lemonade.
Ken
Can I mention any sponsors?
Mark
Oh, sure.
Ken
Oh, yeah, Gray Eagle is a sponsor.
Arnold
Okay.
Ken
And right there in good old Fenton. But so they help us out with all a lot of the alcoholic beverages. They give us a variety of Anhyzer products. Okay.Hopefully some Goose island and a little bit different variety other than just Ultra. Although Ultra people love Ultra. They're so a lot of adult beverages. Pepsi of New Haven, they. So we have lots of Pepsi products.Coastal Wine and spirits. They help us with some wine and spirits. Believe it or not. How that kind of plays right into their name. Yeah, not those kind of spirits.That'd be pretty cool, though.
Arnold
And food wise, food.
Ken
Yeah. We have ice cream out there. We have snow cones. We have pizza, burgers, cheeseburgers, brats. But the number one seller is brisket.Now I've got a hard headed. I shouldn't say hard headed. I should say very determined friend named Keith Piontik. He happens to be Polish and he loves his heritage.Makes this brisket, Arnold.
Arnold
Wow.
Ken
And you got to come out and have it because it is.
Mark
He's got to be making a lot of brisket.
Arnold
I was just thinking the same thing.
Ken
Pounds and pounds. This brisket. It sells out pretty early.
Mark
Okay.
Ken
But he makes, I don't know, how many pounds? Let's just say £60,000. I don't know what it is. I don't know how many pounds. A lot of pounds.
Arnold
Yeah.
Ken
And it just makes it just perfectly because he's very particular about his brisket.
Arnold
Sure.
Ken
And then put a little blues hog barbecue sauce on that watering.
Mark
Cut it out. I know my mouth, kid. Just cut it out.
Ken
It's our most expensive sandwich, but the one that's sells out the quickest because brisket's not cheap, but it's gosh, really good. Then we have kettle corn and ellis, all that kind of stuff. Okay, yeah, lots of stuff.
Arnold
How about. What are those things? They would. They're like dough and this circles around. Yeah, no, you know I'm talking about.
Mark
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ken
What do they call it?
Mark
I can't remember.
Arnold
Yeah, my mind is buffering.
Mark
Yep.
Arnold
Funnel cake.
Ken
Funnel cake. No, no funnel.
Arnold
Good.
Mark
They're not healthy.
Ken
Thank goodness. It's not healthy food for the kids.We also have these towards the end of the night after the kids zone is closed because we have all abilities athletics pretty much volunteers and does the kids zone. They're pretty worn out after, you know, four or five hours, six hours of this.We have these little light up tubes and the kids love these light up tubes. At 8 o' clock you just see these tubes all over the place.
Arnold
The airplane is trying to land, people.
Ken
Are going in, convulsions and things like that.
Arnold
But it's okay. The parents confiscate them.
Ken
You know we have first aid out there. Okay, Mercy Medical, we'll be there, don't worry. We got guys on 91 1.
Mark
Okay.
Arnold
Yeah, I'm sure there's. You have the local EMS out there in case things happen and facilities for bee stings or somebody trips and falls or whatever. It's going to happen.
Ken
Yeah, it's. And it does. It will. Somebody will get a beast.Yeah, we have a medical staff out there and we have security that guard the perimeter and things like that. We haven't had any problems to date. So yeah, we got security. We have the medical staff there. Yeah, there you go. We're ready.
Arnold
Now I'm going to let you announce the name of the viral food creator and cookbook author who's going to be there and she's going to be actually signing copies of her cookbook also.
Ken
Yeah, yeah. This girl is a local Washington person that's just blown up the Internets.Her name is Sarah with it's S A R A H, crafty, K R A F F T Y And like I said, she's a viral and I don't know what that means, viral food creator. But she's a food creator and a cookbook authority. She's got a community of more than two and a half million followers now.
Arnold
Can you believe that? That's crazy. Isn't that nuts? Yeah, that's more people in St. Louis.
Ken
She's a. Yeah, she's just a really, a friendly person. You never know that she's this famous.But she's known for her food content and her engaging food content, creative recipes, taking something out of the refrigerator and making it look gourmet. She's just really something. So she's joining us. She's a special guest this year, trying to give a little variety talks fest.So she'll be there signing her cookbooks, talking to people.
Arnold
What time does she start, Ken?
Ken
I think she's there from beginning to end.
Arnold
Wow.
Ken
So I'm not 100. Sure. Yeah, she's. She's committed to it.And you could tell by some of our ticket sales from out of states, different states, like, oh, wow, what's this person from New Jersey, this person from Texas, this person from Oklahoma, What. They're all of a sudden. When they saw her name. I don't know if There must be a connection there.
Arnold
Yeah.
Ken
So people are coming from all over to this festival.
Arnold
So if you can't come from the St. Louis metropolitan area, but you got people from Joisie and Texas coming up, there's something wrong.
Ken
And the thing is, this community is really warm. It's a cool community.If you want to take some time out like we were talking about earlier, and going down to the riverfront and seeing what's going on down there, they're building these beautiful places, like 6, 700 thousand dollar condos down townhouses down the riverfront. There's just a lot going on in Washington.
Arnold
Check. Yeah, check the Amtrak because you could actually take the train down to Washington.Yeah, I used to go down to Washington and I like to sit on the bench on the riverbank and just watch the river go by. It was very relaxing to me.
Ken
Yeah, it's beautiful.
Arnold
Yeah.
Mark
Oh, yeah.
Ken
Very clean.
Arnold
It's a great area.
Ken
It really is. And there's hotels, motels all around. There's a new one downtown. I think it's called Sirens. That's really a cool little boutique hotel.People could walk down to the riverfront from there and take a short ride to the. To our festival. A lot of fun.
Arnold
Very good.
Ken
A lot going on.
Arnold
Yes, it is and folks, get more information. You go to ox. Excuse me, I need to go back here.You need to go to oxfest music festival.org ox o x f e s t music festival singular.org and that festival again takes place Saturday, September 19th at the Washington Fairgrounds. Gates open at 11:30. You can get tickets on the oxfest musicfestival.org website.
Ken
And if for some reason you can't come, but there was something in this talk that we just had that sparks you, that you feel like, I need to help some kids. You just don't know who this is. Like we said, a mutual fund. It spreads along a lot of kids centered organizations.You can donate and we, we'd love to have you donate. We know everybody is asking you to donate for several things. If you. If it's in your heart to do so, do it. If it's not in your heart, don't.
Arnold
Okay. Ken, thanks for coming in today, talking about this.
Ken
You guys are a lot of fun. I really appreciate you having me.
Mark
Thank you.
Ken
I. Look, you got 400 episodes probably under your belt.
Arnold
Getting there, Almost. This is 394.
Ken
Really?
Arnold
Yes.
Ken
So I was close.
Mark
Yeah.
Ken
But I was over. Do I lose? No, no.
Mark
Good.
Ken
So it's humbling being here. Thanks so much for having me.
Arnold
We enjoyed having you here.
Mark
We sure did.
Arnold
Come back.
Mark
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Come back. I want to. Yeah. The 10th. Is the 10th anniversary. You already planning that one?
Ken
Yeah.
Mark
I bet that's a big one.
Ken
It's really going to be something to think, Mark, that we've been here 10, 11, we had that little virus thing going year, but to think this, this is our ninth and we're going to have our tenth. It's just mind blowing to a lot of us because we're like, look what's happened here.
Mark
Yeah. What happened? How did we get here? Yeah, I think it's great.
Arnold
Yeah.
Ken
We're very humble and we understand that this doesn't happen without great sponsors, without all the volunteers with guys like you that allow us to do this, to spread the word. We're very proud about that.
Mark
So we want to help you with the 10th.
Arnold
Yep. Yeah.
Mark
Come on.
Arnold
Absolutely.
Mark
Yeah. Absolutely. No question about it.
Arnold
No question about it.
Mark
Yeah. None whatsoever.
Arnold
We're going to take a brief break and we'll be right back with a couple other important things that you need to be aware of. This is Arnold Stricker with Mark Langston of St. Louis and Tune. As Strange as it May Sound, at Better Rate Mortgage.We love talking to people about mortgages. Everyone in St. Louis promises a better mortgage rate. But what you really need to turn that perfect house into your dream home is a better mortgage.At Better Rate Mortgage, we open the door to so much more. So where are you in the home buying process? Researching, maybe wondering how much you can afford? House hunting?Get a pre approval from Better Rate Mortgage. Ready to buy. Our team is ready to make your mortgage process fast and easy.Whether you're purchasing your first home or taking cash out to make your dream home even dreamier. Our door is open. Come on in and get started. Today we'll show you how.Call Sean directly at 314-375-3293 or online@betterratemortgage.com Remember, at Better Rate Mortgage, a better rate is just the beginning. Betterratemortgage.com lender the United States has a strong tradition of welcoming newcomers and refugees.The welcome Corps is a new service opportunity for Americans inspired to welcome those seeking freedom and safety and in turn help strengthen their own communities. Welcome Corps is a public private partnership that is inspired by what Americans represent to so many around the world. A beacon of hope and refuge.All it takes is a helping hand. Are you ready to learn more? Contact the International Institute of St. Louis@infoistl.org or call 314-773-9090.That's infoistl.org or call 314 203-9090. Welcome back to St. Louis in Tune. This is Arnold Strucker with Mark Langston. Not Scannel Cram is back there behind the board.Mark, do you have some kind of interesting things you want to tell us?
Mark
Yes, and I want to do a little editorial as well.
Arnold
Editorialized.
Mark
So today is National Banana Split Day. Yeah. How can you even editorialize over a banana split? But we went over the weekend to see banana ball. The Savannah Bananas sold out.Sold out is right.
Arnold
Yeah.
Mark
The Cardinals haven't been able to sell out yet. I think maybe opening day they sold out. But no, they haven't sold out.
Arnold
Entertainment.
Mark
It was.And that's what I want to say because I was listening to some other radio station because I don't know why I only listened to our radio station, but they had sports on. And they had some sports guy on there telling us how much he hated the Savannah Bananas because it's not real baseball. It's not. And you know what?It's fun. That's all. It's like you said, it's entertainment. This is not a major league baseball game.This is a bunch of folks that came together to have fun on a baseball diamond. And it is a lot of fun. This is our second year. We've gone and enjoyed it thoroughly. So, yeah, to that guy that has.That's just Sour Puss, that sourpuss guy that's on that other radio station, well known radio station. I know. It's like, cut it out. Quit with that kind of talk. I don't know what. We don't need that kind of talk. We got enough of that talk.
Arnold
Absolutely.
Mark
Let's see. It is. What else is going on today? It's Kiss and Makeup Day. Okay.
Arnold
For some people, that's every day.
Mark
National Heroes Day. And Ken and his bunch are heroes. Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. Ken and his bunch are definitely. Yeah. National Park Service, Founders Day.Who comes up with. I don't. It's great. National Secondhand Wardrobe Day. Have you ever. Why are you looking at me like that, Arnold? Have you.
Ken
Is it how he's dressed?
Mark
I love kids. Yes, it is how he's dressed. Have you ever gone and shopped secondhand?
Arnold
Yes.
Mark
Seems to be a big. I have a son who's in his early 20s, and him and his girlfriend, they go to and look and get stuff all the time.
Arnold
New work pants. Good place.
Mark
Yeah. And I'm like, really?
Arnold
Yeah. Some people do that. That's where they shop because of their budgets. There's nothing wrong with that because you can get some really nice clothes.
Ken
Absolutely. Goodwill.
Arnold
Yeah.
Mark
Yes.
Ken
Unbelievable.
Mark
And I know. And who's. Yeah. Some of the stuff is barely worn. It's been sitting in somebody's closet forever. Coming up is National Dog Day.
Arnold
Okay.
Mark
I know you have a dog.
Arnold
Every day is National Dog Day for me.
Mark
Yeah. Pick it up, put it in a bag, swing it.
Arnold
I do. I play. It's. It's, you know, cornball. I. I play the bag with the trash can.
Ken
You don't fake pickup, do you?
Arnold
No,.
Mark
I've caught people doing that.
Ken
Oh, it's terrible.
Mark
And I go, hey, aren't you gonna leave that there?
Arnold
One guy's walking away. I got a bag for you, if you want.
Mark
I know, right? But I do hate it, though, because I've seen people put it in a bag, tie it up, and then they swing it and they go down.
Arnold
Well, if the millage of the bag is thick enough, that's okay.
Mark
Okay. International Lottery Day. I haven't won yet. I don't know when I know.
Arnold
Somebody won that billion dollars.
Mark
Wow. In Illinois.
Arnold
Really?
Mark
Not too far from here.
Arnold
Oh, wow.
Ken
Look for the donate button.
Arnold
Yeah.
Mark
Yes. Oxfest donations are Needed. National Lemon juice Day. National Beach Day is coming up. Left handers day. Anybody? Left hand here?
Arnold
No.
Ken
My daughter, see there? And I think she's fake poop pickup, too. I hate to admit that She's a.
Mark
Fake poop picker up.
Ken
Not anymore, but she was when she was younger. Sorry, Lara.
Mark
Fake poop pick her up.
Arnold
Sounds like a club.
Ken
Three people. Boring.
Mark
That's not poop in the bag. Okay? International Beer Day. We're all. Are we all about that now? Come on, everybody. Yes, I know. Beer's good for breakfast. And National Relaxation Day.
Arnold
Oh, that's every day.
Mark
Oh, yeah. There's more Cycle to work day. You've done that before.
Arnold
Yeah, I have ridden your bike here before.
Mark
I've seen that. And national take your cat to the vet day.
Arnold
Oh, gosh.
Mark
Come on.
Arnold
Really?
Mark
Really? Yeah. Cats don't need to go to the vet, do they?
Arnold
For shots in the annual. If you're really leaving them anywhere, they have to have certain shots.
Mark
Okay.
Arnold
And we had to have ours put down, remember? A couple weeks ago.
Mark
Stop it. I know. It's so sweet. So sad.
Ken
Cat's name.
Arnold
What's that?
Ken
What was your cat's name?
Arnold
Vinnie.
Ken
Vinny.
Arnold
He's from Joisie.
Mark
They didn't mess with Vinny.
Arnold
The rabbits did. That's for sure.
Mark
Yeah.
Arnold
I got a note from a lady. She said, my husband asked me why I whisper in the house. She said she was afraid that Google was listening. He laughed, Alexa laughed, Siri laughed.And the refrigerator laughed. The husband went to the doctor and he said to the wife, the nerve of that doctor, saying I'm so old that he's referring me to an archaeologist.The wife goes, audiologist. Dear audiologist, you can't hear my wife. A married couple who never fought, not even once in 25 years of marriage.Friend of the couple asked, how is that even possible? The husband replied, we went to a ranch for our honeymoon. While horse riding, my wife's horse jumped and my wife fell off.She got up and patted the horse and said, this is your first time. After a while, it happened again and she said, this is your second time. And when it happened the third time, she pulled out a gun and shot the horse.I shouted at her and said, are you crazy? You killed the horse. She gave me a look and said, this is your first time.
Mark
Wow, Arnold.
Arnold
I got one here.
Mark
Horses in loose in the hospital.
Arnold
These are things that. The things that tell the truth. Small children, drunk people, and yoga pants.
Mark
There are some people that should not wear yoga pants.
Arnold
Oh, my.
Mark
Gosh I'm just telling you right now. Do you hear a Greek head?
Arnold
You know, at this point in history in our country, it's healthier to eat biscuits and gravy than lettuce.
Mark
It's a sad state of affairs.
Arnold
A strange new trend at the office. People putting names on food in the company fridge. Today I had a tuna salad named Linda.
Mark
Take a bow.
Arnold
I. When I. Here's. Let's see. When I read this one, I was just like. I started laughing really hard. Seriously. But not this one. I'll save it. There's.Here's one My ex girlfriend just told me she wants us to get back together again. Man, I am sure lucky. First I win the lottery and now this. Yeah, so here's the one.
Mark
There's more.
Arnold
Yeah, I'm going to end with this one. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to read this one, but I'm going to go ahead anyway.Three women, two young executives and one senior lady were relaxing together in a spa sauna, wrapped only in towels. Suddenly, a loud electronic beep went off. The first young woman pressed two fingers against her forearm and the beeping silenced.Seeing the confused looks from the other two, she smiled smugly. That was my paper. I have a futuristic microchip embedded right underneath the skin of my arm.A few minutes later, a phone ringtone echoed throughout the room. The second young woman lifted her open palm directly to her ear, spoke for a moment and lowered her hand. That was my mobile phone, she bragged.I've got an advanced wireless chip implanted in my hand. Feeling hopelessly outdated and low tech, the elderly woman decided she wasn't going to be outdone by these tech savvy youngsters.She excused herself, stepped out of the sauna and headed to the restroom. Moments later, she strolled back into the steam room with a long string of toilet paper dangling straight out of the back end.The two younger women stared at her in utter belief. Their jaws dropped. The older woman looked over her shoulders and smirked and said, would you look at that. I'm getting a fax.
Mark
Oh my. Oh my God.
Arnold
Wow. I rolled when I read that.
Mark
Oh, that's really bad. Look at them all that. The horse is back. Okay, thanks, Arnold. A whole bunch for that. Okay. Oh, man. Who reloads the paper in that fax machine?
Arnold
Much information,.
Ken
Onion skin.
Arnold
Oh no.
Mark
Oh.
Arnold
That's all for this hour, folks. Thanks for listening.
Ken
Thank you.
Arnold
If I can get through this, it'll be a miracle. If you've enjoyed this episode, you can listen to additional shows@stlntune.com where you can leave a review.
Mark
FCC's on the phone for you right now.
Arnold
And follow us. I want to thank Bob Bertha Self for our theme music. I have to take my glasses off so I can read this.Our sponsor, Better Rate Mortgage, our guest, Ken Boland, and thanks to co host Mark Langston. Folks, we thank you for being a part of our community of Curious Minds.St. Louis and Tune is a production of Motif Media Group and the US Radio Network. Remember to keep seeking, keep learning, walk worthy, and let your light shine. For St. Louis in Tune, I'm Arnold Stripper.
Ken
Sam.
Emcee
Ken Boland is the emcee for the OxFest Music Festival in Washington, MO. “OxFest” started as an annual barbecue organized by Dave Haddox and Kevin Walde in 2014 to memorialize the lives of Dave’s brothers Doug and Duane Haddox. Doug, the oldest, and Duane the middle brother, died prematurely from complications of diabetes, in 2013 and 2010 respectively.
At the end of each barbecue, Dave and Kevin would sit around a fire and reminisce until the wee hours of the morning. They dreamed of turning “OxFest” into a benefit music festival, never thinking their campfire talk would turn into a reality. But after the 2016 barbecue, Dave took the “Ox” by the horns and decided to make it happen. OxFest Charities was born!
