Of Recent Vintage: Sounding Board (1990's)

In the mid-to-late 1990's, the home district's music scene was bigger than it is now. In downtown Troy alone, there were at the most five or six clubs hosting music on the weekends, and, during college season, you factored in what was going on at RPI, which had two venues, the McNeil Room on the upper level of the Student Union, and Mother's Wine Emporium on the ground floor.

In 1994, a group of local musicians put together a compilation CD celebrating the women of the local scene. In turn, "A Little Nip" had a little something to do with Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum) launching a weekly music series, Sounding Board, which aired on Friday & Saturday.

Poet-singer-songwriter Amy Abdou, lead singer of the Hand Held Moon, was the series' initial host before leaving for Boston a few years back. The half hour series had room for a couple of short sets and an interview with the artist of the week.

Sadly, all good things have to come an end, and Sounding Board did eventually sign off for good. Spectrum Cable today cannot be bothered to even consider reviving the series.

From 1998, here's MotherJudge and the Urban Holiness Society with "Bread & Beer":

In memory of MotherJudge herself, Caroline Isachsen, who passed away over the weekend from complications from pancreatic cancer.

Show rating: A.