Living legend Charo is our first guest DJ to stretch her set into multiple hours of the show. The virtuosic guitarist, comedian, and all-around good hang, shares songs and stories… so many stories — from her upbringing in Murcia, Spain to the multiple 2 a.m. phone calls she received from her good pal Elvis Presley when the two shared similar Vegas casino-performance schedules. She even has her son, Shel Rasten, stop by to introduce his own song “I’m Going Home.”
All the while, Charo gushes about the life-saving power of music, especially radio, as a constant companion to anyone who has ever been stuck in traffic. She leads the entirety of KCRW HQ in “The Macarena” dance, but only after the correct version of the song of the same name has been properly queued up. She’s precisely the type of force to be reckoned with that anyone would expect, and we can’t wait to relive her very special engagement with “Antonio,” and Novena over and over again in this space.
And the party continues with a joyous 2019 cut from San Bernardino band QUITAPENAS ahead of their May 2 Lodge Room show with Y La Bamba (also featured in this installment of MBE). Plus, a soulful rewind to Raphael Saadiq’s 2002 debut Instant Vintage, the latest from Zamrock legends WITCH, and classic Paul McCartney & Wings.