The Prince Of Darkness 
Christmas in Eau Claire has finally started to feel normal again—right as winter reminded me how brutal it can be. Between snow that turns the city into planet Hoth, driving my wheelchair in traffic to avoid ice, a faceplant off a curb while carrying beer, and watching the news roll out battleships, ballrooms, and vanity projects, this feels like the perfect end-of-year snapshot. Funny, frustrating, and just a little surreal.
I was going to do a Christmas show, but after digging through the library, I realized we’ve all heard enough of the same holiday songs by now. So instead of forcing three hours of carols, this episode takes a different route—diving deep into jazz that lives outside the usual names. Episode 1329 rides the jazz train with a focused exploration of guitarist Steve Khan, offering something richer, calmer, and far more rewarding for the season.
The federal government may finally move marijuana out of Schedule I, but calling that “legalization” is a stretch. After decades of hypocrisy, moral grandstanding, and selective outrage—especially when compared to alcohol and opioids—this latest move feels less like justice and more like the bare minimum. We’ve been “almost legal” before, and history suggests that’s exactly where they plan to keep it.
This week’s episode started with one plan and quickly turned into something else entirely. What began as an idea about early pop music evolved into a night of sharp comedy, smart songwriting, and progressive rock, moving from Flight of the Conchords into Flying Colors. Episode 1328 is about contrast, intention, and trusting where the music wants to go.
Tonight we dive into Get in the Van, Henry Rollins’ brutally honest account of life inside Black Flag—years of broken vans, hostile crowds, and raw, unforgettable punk history. We’ll also round out the show with Rollins’ spoken-word firepower, and yes, I know I didn’t talk during last week’s Zappa tribute. Letting Frank wish WORT a happy 50th felt right. Big changes are coming to Rolling with Scissors… but tonight, the van is already rolling.
A bed-to-chair transfer derailed by a sneeze-hurricane broke a reacher-claw cord. Tools arrived zip-tied together until my girlfriend snipped both ties like a precision ruler. Add disability to a device name and the price explodes. Laughing at yourself is mandatory hardware. This is the Gospel of the Gimp Stick.
This week on Rolling with Scissors, we celebrate 50 years of WORT by letting Frank Zappa off the leash for a full three hours. It’s been too long. We spotlight key corners of his studio and live output between 1969 and 1979, where jazz fusion brains melt purposefully into rock skeletons, satire lives next to razor-tight musicianship, and the guitar is both the punchline and the proof. Frank Zappa was a composer who happened to lead bands that could actually execute his blueprints, and a guitarist who never treated rock as a border or a limit. Tonight, we let the albums speak — loud, sequential, and gloriously incomplete. Each era chosen for impact. Each track allowed to sprawl. The final piece will be faded out, drifting into the classical block that follows. Happy birthday, WORT. Welcome back, Frank.
In Episode 1325 we continue our look at the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees with full-album dives into Bad Company, The White Stripes, and Salt-N-Pepa. Chubby Checker will get his own deep dive soon, but for now we’re exploring classic rock grit, early-2000s garage fire, and ’90s hip-hop power from three very different artists who helped shape their corners of music history.
ock ’n’ roll didn’t collapse in one dramatic moment—it slowly eroded under shifting culture, digital noise, and a generation that no longer finds rebellion in guitars. This manifesto takes a hard look at the death of the garage band, the rise of hip-hop, the algorithmic takeover, and the moment a 14-year-old called Limp Bizkit “classic rock,” forcing us to confront what rock once was, what it became, and whether it can ever rise again.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame just announced the 2025 inductees, and this week on Rolling with Scissors we’re taking a deep dive into three of the most deserving names on the list: Outkast, Soundgarden, and Cyndi Lauper. From the mind-bending brilliance of ATLiens, to the explosive weight of Badmotorfinger, to the pop genius of Cyndi Lauper, Episode 1324 explores the artists who actually shaped the sound and attitude of modern music.