By Toby Weiss

QUESTION: What’s the best way to deal with a strong dislike for Sammy Hagar, Rush and REO Speedwagon?

ANSWER: Learn to accept what you cannot change by editing a book about KSHE 95.
Almost 3 years ago, I innocently stumbled into the gig of editing what eventually became In Concert: KSHE and 40+ Years of Rock in St. Louis by helping a friend contribute his photos to the project. Seems a guy in Chicago, Illinois was compiling artifacts for a book about the history of KSHE, and Craig Petty needed me to scan his amazing photos of (among others) Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Grace Slick and Iggy Pop for inclusion in the project.

I had to contact the author for a mailing address to send the digital files. That wasn John Neiman, and we began lengthy e-mail chats about his book project. Turns out he was not a writer, just a man with a passion for KSHE and the bands it championed, and now that he had amassed about three years worth of artifacts and interviews, he was trying to turn it into a book.

At this point, Neiman was a bit overwhelmed at how large and unruly the project had become. I specialize in organizing the chaos of words and images into coherent shapes, so I volunteered to take a look at some of the chapters that were troubling him. He passed me a few word documents by e-mail, I edited them and sent them back.

Right around the one-year/50 documents mark, I wondered what the hell had I got myself into, and exactly how big is this book? We never spoke by phone or in person; it was strictly an e-mail collaboration, so I never got an accurate sense of the extensive scope of the project. In essence, Neiman could see the whole elephant, while I was only petting the trunk.
And sometimes it felt like I was knee-deep in elephant crap while rewriting pieces about Bob Seger and Jethro Tull, or dying a little inside as I had to research details about Journey or Uriah Heep. I would moan about this to my rock friends who invariably responded with, “Why in the hell are you working on a book about KSHE?!”

I understood their incredulous tone because I was one of those people who had used KSHE as training wheels into a broader and more detailed rock world, and then abandoned it roadside. There were plenty times I considered KSHE the enemy of good and new music, and it spurred me to do things like Jet Lag magazine or DJ at KDHX. But I am also a life-long radio junkie, and there is no denying the importance of Real Rock Radio to the musical DNA of this town, and its faithful endurance in a faithless industry must be celebrated and honored.

Right around the two-year/100 documents mark, I got to see galley proofs of what the book actually looked like, and I was awe-struck. Neiman was not a writer, but he is a gifted graphic artist, and the way he presented hundreds of layers of history and memorabilia was pure genius. Whether you just look at the pictures and read cut lines, or flip about to your favorite bands or eras, you take away just as much pleasure and knowledge as if you’ve read every page chronologically. This was kick ass, and I got this just from looking at laser print copies of PDFs of rough layouts of the book! Suddenly, I was deeply honored and excited to be a part of this exhaustive labor of love, which was a good thing, as there were still six-months of work coming at me!

As I relied on the concert-going memories of older friends to verify facts about, say, Slade or Led Zeppelin shows, I discovered a tie that binds. Tap into the over-40 music scene in St. Louis and you will find an endless treasure trove of talented and vital musicians and connoisseurs who prove that age means nothing in the face of passionate musical devotion. One thing that these musical natives have in common is that KSHE was the Ground Zero of their musical life. I know this because it’s in the pages of the book (lots of recognizable names have contributed) and because so many rock friends have revealed how crucial 94.7 was to their musical upbringing.

Yet I still got ribbed for editing the book. After analyzing why, here’s my theory: Deep love can turn to hate, and this is why so many of them have come to dislike the station; it’s like grousing about the lover who broke your heart. But musical development continues on, and as some Baby Boomers divorced KSHE, some Gen Xers got the rebound romance, and the children of the Boomers and Gen X continue to date it. It’s as integral to this town as Imo’s, The Arch and Forest Park, and love it or hate it, we do have an opinion because it’s an inescapable part of our heritage.
Telling the KSHE story was long overdue, and a large round of applause goes to John Neiman for succeeding at documenting the massive musical history of our town. Since the book released, I’ve heard from many participants and readers who are genuinely thrilled to relive good memories and were forever changed by a simple radio station. The lasting cultural impact of KSHE certainly transcends my petty dislike of Gypsy or Nektar, and in the end, I am proud to be another musical note in the song line made possible by Real Rock Radio.

Toby Weiss photographs and writes about architecture at www.beltstl.com, and covers music (performing & writing), blogging and other diversions at www.tobyweiss.com.