About Tom Marker

March 25, 2010 2:57 AM

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tom 385 About Tom Marker
At ‘XRT we still hear from people who tell us they’ve been listening since we were a part-time, underground station. Tom says he’s been listening longer than that. His first personal contact with ‘XRT was when he met John Platt. He invited Tom to visit him while on the air at WGLD, a one-time progressive rock station based in Oak Park. Tom thought, “cool job.” John went on to be one of the founders of the rock programming on ‘XRT, our first program director, and one of the stations first DJs. Tom became a DJ and worked in Hastings, Michigan and Beaufort, South Carolina for a couple of years. John was a nice guy and all, and helped Tom land his job at WJKL, “The Fox”, in Elgin where Tom worked from 1975 to 1980, but he never hired Tom at work at ‘XRT. Lucky for Tom, soon after Norm Winer became ‘XRT’s program director in 1979 Tom was one of his first hires and Norm remains Tom’s favorite program director of all time.

A mid 80s trip to Memphis and New Orleans helped to stoke Tom’s interest in the Blues just as the position of host for ‘XRT’s Blues Breakers became open. Tom has now been hosting the show for over 25 years, is the mainstage emcee of the Chicago Blues Festival each summer, has talked about the blues on radio stations in Sweden, Japan, China and Australia and is the recipient of the “Keeping the Blues Alive” award from the Blues Foundation, in Memphis.

So, we know Tom loves the blues, but what’s Tom’s favorite kind of music? “Live music,” he says. “And the smaller venues are the best.” Second favorite kind of music? “New music. I love to hear the old favorites and some of the best songs take some time to grow on you, but there’s nothing like hearing a song for the first or second time. I also love to hear old music for the first time. It can even be a song from the forties or fifties, but when I hear it for the first time it counts as new to me. This is part of why I like Blues Breakers so much; I’m always finding old songs I’ve never heard before and Chicago’s blues clubs are some of the best places to hear live music. And it’s why I love doing New Noise at Nine on ‘XRT on Thursday nights.”

Tom’s currently working the evening shift at ‘XRT. He also does vacation relief for the other DJs and, seeing as so many of the ‘XRT staff are such longtime veterans of the station, they’ve earned a lot of vacation time, so you might hear Tom at just about any hour.

You can reach Tom by email at tom@wxrt.com.

Favorite Concerts

Allen Toussaint at S.P.A.C.E.
Mavis Staples at The Hideout
Ivan Neville Neville and Dumpstaphunk at Martyr’s
Billy Branch at Artis’
Alejandro Escovedo at Old Town School.
James Brown at Park West
Etta James at House of Blues
Sonny Landreth at Sutton’s Bay Blues Festival
Buddy Guy Buddy Guy’s Legends
Dave Alvin Fitzgerald’s
Muddy Waters Harry Hopes
Bob Marley Auditorium Theater
Los Lobos Biddy Mulliagan’s
Rolling Stones International Amphitheater
Luther Allison Chicago Blues Festival
Lyle Lovett Chicago Theater
Iguanas Mid City Lanes
Patti Smith Group Riviera
Iggy Pop Metro
Specials B’ginnings
Tom Waits Ivanhoe
Bonnie Raitt Mill Run
Ramones Haymakers
Bruce Springsteen Uptown

Scotty

New Noise at Nine, I think you played a song from The Baseball Project about the cubs…can you tell me where to find it via mp3?

Thanks.

Scitt
XRT and Cubs Fan

markertom

There are some songs you just have to listen to the radio to hear. The Baseball Project is a band that comes together once in awhile a releases a new record every year or so. Their newest isn’t yet available but we got a copy of that song a little ahead of time.

Jason

Hey Tom,

you played that new Nathan Xander song last night before 9pm,
“Last Day of the Month”.
Do you have the lyrics to that song?
That was a great tune.
Jason

markertom

Nathan Xander is a local artist played last night on our Local Anesthetic Capsule. I really don’t know how to go about getting the lyrics to the song, but I’m glad you liked it. tm

Rick M

Tom, listening tonight as the kid can’t watch TV for Earth Week always listen anyway while cleaning up after dinner.
You played Balloon Man by the RH & Egyptians.. I have’nt heard tht song in years..used to have it but God knows where..thanks!! The 80′s produced good music for our listening pleasure…XRT is Chicago’s Finest Rock!
Mitch

Hi Tom,

I was wondering if you have checked out the new music from the UK band JAMES. They will be at the Vic Oct. 2nd and tix are on sale this week. They have a new ‘mini-album’ titled The Night Before out in the UK already and set for US release in September along with the companion minialbum The Morning After. Their new music is really outstanding.

Can you please give this band some airtime with some of the new tracks, particularly Crazy, It’s Hot and Porcupine. This is one of the most underrated bands of all time, and really deserves more attention here in the U.S.

FYI, details about their US tour and the minialbum can be previewed from their website http://www.wearejames.com and here is a link so that you can preview 5 of the 7 tracks from The Night Before:

http://www.youtube.com/WeAreJamesTV#p/a/u/1/TLeFbnj-q18

Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I realize you got thousands of these requests, so I appreciate you reading this.

Mitch
SCOTT

Tom,

just hear the bowie song boys

Drunk girls bears a strinking resemblance.

What to think?

Scott
SCOTT

Tom,

Sorry for the jumbled typing what I meant to say was

I just listened to you play Boys by Bowie
Drunk Girls bears a strinking resemblence.
What do you think?

I’m working late…

Scott
SCOTT

Does everything sound like drunk girls now?

White light White heat
Tom

Tom – you played a song by Sugar Blue right after Modern English tonight. What was the name of the song? Your website did not post the name or musician.. Thanks Buddy!
King Jay II

I have always enjoyed listening to your show. I moved to Elgin in 11/80, and one of my first friends was your one of your ex jocks at JKL, Glen M. Because of him and listening to you I became a loyal XRT fan. Keep up the great work and don’t stop Blues Breakers.
Craig Schultz

Tom,
Will Buddy Guy be playing his run of concerts at his new club in January? If so, do you have any idea when tickets would go on sale. Thank you
Lisa

Last night you mentioned that John Mellencamp had recently been in Chicago and outside the theatre instead of buses and semis all you saw was a pick-up truck with an Airstream and wondered if that was all he had brought. My daughter attends I.U. in Bloomington, In. and ushers at the auditorium on campus. Mellencamp had played there right before Chicago. She said that outside the auditorium, instead of all the buses etc. that the big acts bring, all he had was a pick-up with an Airstream hitched to it. So, you were right!
Jolyn Crawford

If there really is a Santa, I would love two tickets to Elvis Costello and Alejandro Escevedo’s concert 12-10! I’ll make a wish on a falling star!
daniel minas

hi Tom, could you please tell me what group with a female lead singer that did “first we take Manhattan” WXRT used yo play back when my brother in law Pat Driscoll and a young Marty Lenarts were interns? (Pat once had you call his sister as she was a member of your target audiance, her name is Marianne).
Thank you as this is driving us nuts, because when ever we have heard WXRT play it we never catch who it is.
Patti Spencer

I want you to know how pleasurable you have made my wrapping & baking! Every night at 8:00 I get in gear & work happily until midnight! THANK YOU & Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.
Tom Marker

Hi Everyone, Wow, maybe I should check for comments here more often, I hardly ever do. If anyone wants to get a message to me a better way than posting here is to email me at tom@WXRT.com.
mike

Tom, Gary Moore died today. I really hope you will play some of his music. He was great with Thin Lizzy, but he made an impressive debute on the blues scene. He contributed a lot.

Tom, don’t forget him.
Lisa

Here is a link to the 1982 Dead show in Oakland with Etta James and Tower of Power.
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1982-12-31.sbd.miller.77301.sbeok.flac16
check out Hard to Handle for sure.
dianna hoppe

Hi There Tom . .

A REALLY COOL thing you could do (even with notiraty) Is . . And I know you could DO IT ! Is take your “Buddy” – Buddy Guy, for a stroll down Michigan Av. (Weel, the weather is good) towards the Chicago Theatre . . and . . invite him in to jam with Neil . . .That would be a REALLY GREAT set.

Love & with all good inentions “Happy MOthers Day”
Doug

Tom,

You incorrectly stated yesterday that all the Chicago sports teams were on the road. The Fire played (and defeated) the defending champion Colorado Rapids 2-0.
Mary Therese Fazzini

Tom – Jai Guru Dev – is what practitioners of Transcendental Meditation say after they have completed their practice – I think John is saying Jai Guru Dev and then the universal mantra of “om”.

(I’m a TM person) love your show Tom!!
Steve Wohnrade

Hey Tom, always loved to here ya on the radio! Found you on WJKL around 1976 or so. loved lunch time little theater. listened in the parking lot at college! I remember when you went to xrt as we listened to that too. I remember Platt also and I really liked the Guy in the AM before Hemmert… ahhhhhhh gosh his name slipping……… you were on behind him for a while. was it Gary Wright (not the singer) Norm Winer was always cool he was on the air once in a while too I think? With all the hoopla about Brehmer of late I hate to say I quite listening in the AM about a month after he came on. ( barely listened to him since)Never thought He’d make it. As a pretty loyal listener at that time I cant believe i am the only one that ever thought that. It appears that I may be one of the few that just left his time slot.

Oh Well thanks for all the great tunes and hard work that went on at 4949 W. Belmont!
jack jalove

back in summer ’77 i called jkl and requested mirage by santana
15 minutes later it was playing on the radio
wo oh oh oh oh o i am just a mee raj
marker’s been my favorite dj for over 35 years man