In the late 1960s and early ’70s, young Iowa musicians and music lovers would tune in to late night programming on KAAY 1090 AM, a 50,000-watt station out of Little Rock, Arkansas. That’s where Clyde Clifford’s legendary program, Beaker Street, filled the airwaves with the latest underground sounds and long cuts that shaped a generation. He tracked entire album sides, broke new artists, and brought underground radio into the light. It wasn’t unusual for listeners to pull off to the side of the road at the top of a hill, because they knew they would lose the AM signal down in the hollow. His legacy shaped the alternative radio landscape before alternative radio was even a thing. For many, the experience was nothing short of transformational.

When The Beaker Brothers Band first gathered back in 2006, the goal was to recreate the magic they had experienced when hearing the music during their younger years. The improvisational nature of the songs they heard informed and fueled their collective vision. They had all listened to BeakerStreet while coming of age across the Midwest and still seek to recreate the songs that still inspire them.

In 2009, inspired by the band, KCCK’s John Heim – a longtime friend, fellow musician, and on air host – introduced The Beaker Street Hour during his Friday night Big Mo Blues Show. What began as a tribute quickly became one of the station’s most popular segments, featuring classic tracks and studio visits from members of the band. In 2020, the show reached a new milestone when Beaker Street founder, Clyde Clifford himself, joined the show by phone.

Now, this tradition reaches new heights. Come celebrate KCCK’s fifty years as Iowa’s only full-time jazz and blues radio station and help to honor the Beaker Street legacy. Beaker Street Goes Live happens Friday November 14, featuring the Beaker Brother Band with KCCK’s Big Mo joining to DJ from the Englert Stage. Return to the top of the hill – where the reception is strong, the music is powerful, and the inspiration comes through loud and clear.