Guess what, Generation Xers? You may still bounce like a human pogo stick at the first few bars of "Rock the Casbah," but that doesn't mean that you're not ...
you know. [whispered]
Getting up there in years.
Know how you can tell? PBS – that haven of nostalgia come pledge time – is not just wooing us with Doo Wop, the Osmonds and John Denver. This season's most surprising retro pledge concert comes from the British punk gods dubbed "The Only Band That Matters" – The Clash.
"
Clash Live: Revolution Rock" airs this Saturday night at 11 on Rocky Mountain PBS. You can hear more about it
here, as Boulder's 97.3
KBCO Morning Show Host Bret Saunders speaks with Don Letts, producer of the program.
Part of the reason pledge specials perform well is that they strike an emotional chord by reminding us of, say, our senior year in high school. So as we Gen Xers take stock of what we appreciate about public television (speaking for self: political and environmental coverage, music shows like "Austin City Limits" and "Soundstage," no commercials), we'll be more likely to give during pledge time if a special speaks to us in an emotional way.
After all, it's our library, our city park, our White House, our Rocky Mountain National Park, our public television. It ought to look and sound like us too.
When we first heard about this Clash program, my friends and I had fun dreaming up other pledge program ideas for our generation. The A-Ha pledge special. Hee hee. The Nirvana pledge special! (You think I'm kidding, but wouldn't that make a great one? An archived concert/documentary?) Madonna! Prince! Michael Jackson! This could go on and on down the generational list, from New Kids on the Block to Beyonce to Britney. (I'm not condoning it; just trying to be fair.)
So far, The Clash special has only one scheduled air date this month. But if it proves to be a good fundraiser, we might get to repeat it. You know what that means, right? Tell a friend, pass it on, pledge often. PBS may not be punk, but we have our moments (at certain times of the night).
Do we have any Clash fans out there reading this blog? And if you identify as a Gen Xer, what musical pledge special would you like to see?
Bouncing like a human pogo stick to "Hitsville UK" as I type,
-Allison, Rocky Mountain PBS
