Hidden in a basement beneath a community college in Santa Monica is one of the most influential radio stations in the country, 89.9fm KCRW.
"Kiss the Joy As it Flies : An Aural History of 89.9fm" tells the story of Ruth Hirschman nee Seymour, founder of modern KCRW, whose bohemian beatnik ethos connected the station to a long tradition of culture makers from William Blake to the Beatnik Poets, to the German Exile Emigrees, California Hippy Acid Dreams of the 60s and the Beach Boardwalk Culture of Santa Monica. It also tells the story of the modern metropolis of Los Angeles, home of the global entertainment industry, as it evolved into a world class city and center of culture, providing the petri dish of creatives and culture makers that Ruth would grow into a unique culture.
Featuring interviews with Beck, Moby, David Byrne, Joyce Carol Oates, Yo-yo Ma, Henry Rollins, Ethan Hawke, Chloe Zhao, Reggie Watts, Judy Baca, Rufus Wainwright, Shirley Manson, Mac DeMarco, Meshell Ndegeocello, Brett Dennen, Hollie Cook, Norman Lear, Gabriel Kahane, Jade Bird, Justin Simien, Roy Choi, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Governor Gavin Newsom, and archival interviews with Nina Simone, David Foster Wallace, Peter Tosh, Timothy Leary.
We've also got incredible musical performances from the last 30 years of KCRW's flagship morning show, "Morning Becomes Eclectic."