WPKN Special Broadcasts

About WPKN Special Broadcasts

Often live, unique, remote, out-in-the-wild WPKN broadcasts. WPKN, cited as “the greatest radio station in the world” by The New Yorker, founded in 1963 as a 100-watt campus outlet, WPKN is today a 10,000-watt listener-supported community radio station broadcasting at 89.5 FM and streaming online at WPKN.org. WPKN’s terrestrial signal now reaches to a listenership of 1.5 million people in Connecticut, Long Island, parts of New York and Massachusetts. Operating 24/7 and largely run by volunteers, WPKN offers a unique and eclectic mix of live and recorded music, news, public affairs, spoken word, arts and culture and other free-form programming which defy genre. WPKN is proud to be listener-supported, commercial-free, community-driven radio available to the public at no cost, any time, day or night.

Publisher

WPKN

Category

arts · music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Aug 2024

Latest episode

6 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

15 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Nov 2026

   WPKN's Live Broadcast of Bridgeport Art Trail Opeing 2026, with Frank Foster Post Art Opening at PKN! Special guests!

   RELIVE A REAL TIME VIA THIS PODCAST! WPKN is a media partner for City Lights Bridgeport Art Trail, presenting an evening of art and live radio featuring artist Frank Foster Post on Thursday, November 5, from 6 to 8 PM. Explore artwork, enjoy light refreshments courtesy of Ursa Coffee Roasters, and catch a live WPKN broadcast with Brendan Toller from 7:00 to 8:00 PM.

2. 

   2 Jul 2026

   Residual Groove - In-Studio Performance & Interview with Martha Nachman (The Music Never Stopped)

   Residual Groove hits around the 1:25 mark! Residual Groove rolled through the WPKN studios yesterday, blending soul, funk, and jazz into a live in-studio set and interview with Martha Nachman. The band’s deep-pocket grooves and improvisational edge brought serious energy to the room. Big love to Dave Golden and Rod Richardson for holding it down behind the board. Find out more from @residualgroove on their page, including the new album and upcoming dates.

3. 

   16 Jun 2026

   JUNETEENTH with Dr. D (Dwayne Smith), Kiden Smith, Steve di Costanzo & more...

   Dr. D (Dwayne Smith), Kiden Smith, Steve di Costanzo, and guests present a special podcast exploring the music, traditions, and history of Juneteenth; the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and celebrating Black freedom, resilience, and cultural achievement. Featuring the eclectic sounds of Beyoncé, Big K.R.I.T. feat. B.B. King, Nina Simone, Earth, Wind & Fire, Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Betty Davis, and more. Through music and conversation, the program traces the enduring legacy of Black artistry, resistance, and joy.

4. 

   30 Mar 2026

   Pete Stewart Tribute with Mike Merli, Ebong Udoma & Special Guests, 3.28.26

   This Saturday March 28, 2026, from 12 to 3pm, we here at WPKN will be using these airwaves to pay tribute to our dear friend and programmer Pete Stewart. Beginning in August of 1988, Pete Stewart brought his unique perspective, humble heart, and compassion, conviction, and strong sense of community to WPKN. We will be sharing memories, stories, and reflecting on the incredible person and programmer Pete was. If you'd like to share a personal tribute to Pete, please plan to join us from 12 to 3pm this Saturday, March 18, 2026.

5. 

   16 Oct 2025

   THE PROBLEM WITH KIDS TODAY! Live from WPKN on Colette Rossignol's Capital Radio !

   Connecticut's fave raves The Problem With Kids Today performed live on the WPKN airwaves with a blistering 45 minute set of tunes from their rocketing album Take It! (https://theproblemwithkidstoday.bandcamp.com/album/take-it) The band packed into the WPKN Community Room dazzling a crowd of ~20 fans and friends. Don't miss this essential raw document of the current Connecticut rock scene!

6. 

   17 Sept 2025

   Preservation Sound Radio with Chris Ruggiero featuring Bob Alexander’s "The Good City Rock Show" WBAI NYC 9/17/77 with Johnny Thunders & Walter Lure, Alan Betrock (New York Rocker)

   Chris Ruggiero's monthly Preservation Sound Radio program presented a mindblow of an archival find. Via Chris: "I restored a full 90min 1/4” recording of Bob Alexander’s The Good City Rock Show as aired on WBAI NYC Weds 9/17/77…. The day after Elvis Died. Alexander interviews Johnny Thunders and Walter Lure of The Heartbreakers just two weeks before the release of their first LP “L/A/M/F”. They discuss the differences b/w the NY and UK scenes, the place of politics in punk rock… etc… fascinating stuff that has been lost to time. I dont believe that this interview exists anywhere online. For the 2nd half of the show Alexander interviews Alan Betrock, publisher of New York Rocker magazine. And its all laced with classic early punk and ‘pub rock’ tracks PLUS a few super-rarities that may be unreleased demo tapes. This is a fascinating piece of punk-rock history from the collection of WPKN’s Eric Cocks (r/i/p). Do not miss."

7. 

   11 Sept 2025

   50 YEARS of LOU POMALES & LA ESQUINA LATINA TRIBUTE

   Many thanks to those who paid reverence to the Puerto Rican, Afro-Cuban, and Latin grooves of Lou Pomales' La Esquina Latina this past Sunday. 50+ years of a WPKN broadcasting powerhouse, uniting many in Sunday afternoon song. Dig the picture of WPKN revolutionaries above including (left to right) Kevin Gallagher (Digging in the Dirt, GaiaGram), Bob Johnson (Second Saturday Magazine), Lou Pomales, Ebong Udoma, and Public Affairs Director, Richard Hill (Organic Farm Stand, Mic Check, Monthly Labor Report et al !). It was a joyous celebratory vibe with Herman Olivera (ReHumanize Yourself Radio) taking the DJ reins from 12-2PM, and Lou mixing in tributes, tunes, and great memories. A must listen!

8. 

   7 Jan 2025

   Joe Flood Interview, Music, and In-Studio Performance with WPKN's Brendan Toller

   This WPKN Special Broadcasts Podcast features songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Joe Flood in studio with Brendan Toller, DJ B the T Jr. of Shake 'N' Vibrate Radio. Karen Schoemer of the New York Times says Flood has “songs bursting with eccentric characters ... a voice that perfectly straddles the fence between country and the blues…” And it's those kind of qualities that have taken Flood towards collaborations with members of the Band, the Bottle Rockets, Mojo Nixon, Dan Baird, and Eric "Roscoe" Ambel - who produced many of Flood's solo works for the late Jeremy Tepper's (Outlaw Country) Diesel Only label. More info at: https://www.joefloodmusic.com/ (https://www.joefloodmusic.com/)

9. 

   7 Nov 2024

   Goodnight Moonshine In-Studio Performance and interview with WPKN's Mike Horyczun

   Goodnight Moonshine join WPKN's Mike Horyczun for a beautiful in-studio and performance ahead of their myriad of appearances in the Northeast.

10. 

    23 Oct 2024

    WPKN Live from New Haven Open Studios at Erector Square 2024

    WPKN's Valerie Richardson, Martha Willette Lewis, and Brendan Toller lead a special live broadcast from New Haven's Erector Square Open Studios featuring interviews with Eric March, Oi Fortin, Lesley Finn, Janet Warner, Adrian Martinez, Paul Theriault and more.

11. 

    15 Oct 2024

    Rebel Music In-Studio Concert & Live Broadcast with Gold Eris

    WPKN's debut in-studio live concert broadcast with Black Rock, Bridgeport musician, Gold Eris! http://www.golderismusic.com (http://www.golderismusic.com/) Gold Eris was formed by singer/songwriter Thomas Oliverio in 2017. Indie/Alt/Artrock, with influences including David Bowie, St. Vincent, and notes of 90's grunge, Gold Eris recorded and self-released their debut album, Born A Quitter, in 2020. It is available on all major music platforms. The band’s sound has since evolved into a more lively, bright, and lyric-heavy live show, made possible by the talent of members Oliverio, Arachne, Morcaldi, Sudo and Gaudette - local musicians who share similar artistic vision. Gold Eris has created and established its sound over the past few years by playing numerous shows throughout Connecticut. The band’s multi-instrumentalist members relentlessly strive to push the boundaries of the conventional, through complex chord progressions and time signatures. Gold Eris is currently hard at work independently producing their sophomore album, and expect it to be released by mid 2024.

12. 

    15 Oct 2024

    Rebel Music In-Studio Concert & Live Broadcast with Lys Guillorn

    WPKN's first live in-studio broadcast concert with CT avant-twanger, Lys Guillorn! https://www.lysguillorn.com/ (https://www.lysguillorn.com/) Lys Guillorn is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and multi-disciplinary artist based in Shelton, Connecticut. They are of the same musical school as Laura Veirs, and Kristin Hersh, with a little Emmylou Harris thrown in: dreamy, lyric-driven, melodically interesting, and undefinable. They call their genre of music "Avant-Twang." Live sound is solo on electric or acoustic guitar, focusing on lyrics and intricate guitar work, or with full band, adding a little more crunch. Band members in Lys Guillorn & The Void Kittens are Lys Guillorn (vocals, guitar), Peter Riccio (drums, vocals), and Eric Bloomquist (bass, vocals). Guillorn has opened for artists including: Robyn Hitchcock, Danielle Howle, Richard Buckner, Laura Cantrell, Amy Rigby, Scout Niblett, The Handsome Family, and Nora O'Connor. Guillorn’s eponymous debut CD was released in 2003, receiving international radio airplay and notice in indie press. The CD was produced and engineered by Jeff Feuerzeig (best known as director of the films The Devil and Daniel Johnston and Author: The JT LeRoy Story). Feuerzeig enlisted guests Stanley Demeski (Luna, Feelies), Brenda Sauter (Feelies), Dean Wareham (Luna, Galaxie 500), Robert Quine (Voidoids, Lou Reed, Tom Waits) and Glenn Mercer (Feelies, Wake Ooloo). In the spring of 2006, Guillorn released the Three Songs EP; a trio of intricately arranged, original home-recorded tracks, packaged in a hand-letterpress printed cover. Guillorn's 2009 oddities collection Wayward Children pulls together their releases on compilations from various small indie labels, including originals, covers of Skip Spence, old English ballads, fragments, and other miscellany. Winged Victory was Lys Guillorn's first full-length studio record in ten years. It was recorded at Dirt Floor Studio in Chester, Connecticut with their bandmates and some special guests and released in November of 2013 on Guillorn’s own Little Cowgirl Records. Sunny Side Down was released in January of 2016, a 2-song single recorded with drummer Peter Riccio and bass player Eric Bloomquist at Bridgeport’s Gold Coast Recorders in the fall of 2015 and released in January 2016. This effort is described by Guillorn as “Nancy Sinatra on a grunge bender." I'm a Boy EP picks up where Sunny Side Down left off--garage rock with a live feel recorded at Cheshire's Bonehead Studios. This is the first recording documenting the four-piece as a band. Since 2017, Lys Guillorn has released several singles including 2019’s, “Chipped Fingernails”, released on February 1, 2019 in a split single with Julie Beman and “Dolores & I” released on the 2020 compilation Waiting on a Sunrise Volume 1 on Free as Birds Records. In addition to being a songwriter and performing musician, Guillorn is also a writer and visual artist.

13. 

    9 Oct 2024

    Shawn Taylor (singer/songwriter) interview and performance with WPKN's Mike Horyczun

    WPKN's Mike Horyczun hosts an interview and performance with singer/songwriter, Shawn Taylor ahead of his show at the Black Bear Americana Music Fest, October 11-13, in Goshen, CT, and, November show at Best Video in Hamden, CT.

14. 

    10 Sept 2024

    Hope In Space: A Benefit for CT Storm Victims Special Broadcast with WPKN's Herman Olivera, TEAM Inc., Will Diaz of Pangea and more

    On August 18, in the middle of the day, residents of the Naugatuck Valley and surrounding areas received weather advisory warnings on their cell phones. Within hours, many found themselves standing inside their homes in several feet of water, forced to move to higher ground. Those on the roads were trapped, unable to drive, as floodwaters from surrounding waterways quickly inundated roads and homes. Tragically, lives were lost, and countless homes have been condemned or severely damaged. Many families are now facing the overwhelming loss of household items, rapid mold growth, and the trauma of displacement. Some, despite the severe damage, have no choice but to remain in their homes. Compounding these challenges, many do not have flood insurance because they do not live in designated flood zones. The flood has also left many residents homeless, exacerbating food insecurity and other vulnerabilities in our community. On September 11th at Space Ballroom, we are hosting a benefit featuring Pangea, The Alpaca Gnomes, The Moonrise Cartel, and Erik Rabasca for those affected by this disaster to help them rebuild their lives, and to ensure that no one faces this crisis alone. 100% of all proceeds from the event will go to TEAM, Inc., a non-profit human services agency whose mission is to strengthen our communities by educating, supporting, and empowering individuals and families. In addition to the music, we will hold a raffle with concert tickets and items generously donated by our friends at Redscroll Records, Static Era Records, each band performing that night, and more. We will also be accepting food donations at the door for the Seymour Oxford Food Bank. Food donations will also be accepted at our shows that night at College Street Music Hall (Movements) and District Music Hall (The Lemonheads). Tickets are being sold on a sliding scale, and are on sale now. We would like to thank Eventbrite for waiving their service fee to help support this cause. MORE INFORMATION: Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-benefit-for-ct-storm-victims-tickets-1003285813877?aff=ebdsoporgprofile Human Services Agency: https://teaminc.org/

15. 

    27 Aug 2024

    WPKN Live from BLACK ROCK PORCHFEST 8.24.24 with THE ZAMBONIS & THE COVERALLS ! feat hosts Emma Speer and Gold Eris

    WPKN's inaugural LIVE REMOTE broadcast from Black Rock Porchfest featuring the musical stylings and live sets from THE ZAMBONIS & THE COVERALLS!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

8,233

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

37

Social presence

0

YouTube

74

Engagement

0

Contact WPKN Special Broadcasts

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.