Let's make a birthday phone call.
Okay.
Can we?
Yeah.
Right now, award-winning singer-songwriter, director of Girls Rock Camp, director of the
model award show for many years, guitar and vocals, and gin chocolate and bottle rockets.
We wish a 50th happy birthday to Beth Killy.
Yeah.
Beth, are you on the line with?
Yes.
Beth, you're just...
I am alive and ticket.
You're just a child at 50.
Yes.
Good morning, Beth.
Good morning, how are you?
Good, good.
Good.
Welcome to the Johnny Gordy Show and rockers with us and happy birthday.
Yeah.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you so much.
Now, Beth, gin chocolate and bottle rockets, your band of three amigos there, is having
a 50th birthday show for you tonight at Friday, March 1st from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Memorial
Union.
And I know that you're asking people to make a donation because you're trying to get
to $5,000 for Girls Rock Camp in Madison here.
So there's all kinds of things going on tonight.
But you know, we wanted to dive a little bit deeper with you here on the Johnny Gordy
Show on Mad Radio 97.
We're going to play a game, okay?
Yes.
Let's go through the years with Beth Killy.
Yes.
Is your music go live?
Yes.
We're going to expose everything from your past.
I love it.
I love it.
Okay.
We're going to play a clip from a few of your songs.
And then we're going to have you tell us about what we just heard.
Yes.
Okay.
Okay.
Here we go.
Here we go.
So what's the first one you got here?
Name your tune versus this is your life.
Let's play the first song.
Okay.
Name my head from there.
Give me the white, my night's the sweat of the crowd.
All right.
What did we just hear?
Yeah.
You sound a little frustrated there, Beth.
That's my angsty younger self.
There you go.
Oh, that is a Beth Killy band just want to play.
And that's a song about a girl who likes to play guitar.
I just come up with you know, imaginary character for that one.
Okay.
Oh, okay.
You're trying to get women to be in rock, right?
That's right.
I mean, that's the whole point here.
So this is your dream come true.
And you explained it a little bit in that song.
Great.
Fantastic.
Beth, how did you start the girls rock camp?
That was like 10 years ago or more, right?
Yes.
Peter.
We're going into our 15th.
Oh my gosh.
Oh my gosh.
Okay.
I know.
Time goes so fast.
I can't believe it.
So I was approached by a dad of a kid who had been trying to get his daughter into the
Chicago girls rock camp for years.
And I think it was 2008 or 2009 and he's like, you should start a camp like that here.
And I said, that's a great idea.
I have no idea how to do that.
But let's gather around with a bunch of people who are smarter than me and know things
and let's get it done.
Yeah.
Not let me ask you something.
You know, it's a girl, girl rock camp.
You must have like an obstacle course where girls are supposed to run through boy bands
to just finally get, no, it doesn't work.
Exactly.
All right.
Okay.
Just failed it.
Yeah.
Thank you.
All right.
All right.
Well, let's go on to clip number two.
Okay.
Are you ready?
Here we go.
I am ready.
I've been accused of driving way too fast.
I've been accused of standing too close to man who wasn't mine.
Well, it's been say of that I am unstable, relentless, crazy and unable to back down in a fight.
Well, they might be right.
All right.
What song was that?
Yeah.
I've been accused of that song with Jesse Lynn who was singing backing vocals with me on
there.
That's a nice banjo.
That's excellent.
Yeah.
Good stuff.
Yeah.
All right.
Now, let's reach back into rocker's closet.
We're going to give her a challenging one right now.
Okay.
Okay, Sam.
Let it rip.
I'm running through this.
She is seeing my heart has been wilder.
Though I know it's just a dream and I'm certain I can't get myself free.
So I've forced my eyes to open.
There's still coming after me.
They've walked back down.
I see them all around me.
And the voices bring in my hands.
All right.
This was a hard one.
What song was that?
That is clear blue Betty, my band from 2008 or 2002 to 2008.
And that song is called Keetney Away from Myself.
Yeah.
Wow.
So when inspired them?
Why are you trying to keep yourself away from yourself?
Well, actually, that song was inspired by the movie A Beautiful Mind with Russell Crowe
from way back when he had, I think he had schizophrenia in the movie.
And that's, you know, my life is really pretty boring.
So I have to make up characters.
That last song sounded like you were aggressive.
That you're aggressive person.
You know, I've been accused.
So maybe it's not that boring, right?
I'm still a vivid imagination, really.
Now, we're talking with Beth Kelly.
By the way, just to keep people up to date.
She's celebrating her 50th birthday today.
And there's a big show tonight at Memorial Union, right?
Yep.
That's right.
6 to 8.
4 to 6.
That's what I said.
4 to 6.
Don't talk about it.
But that last song, wait a second.
That last song.
Yeah.
Who was on guitar?
I don't know.
Oh, you're asking her.
Ross Codes.
Well, I mean, I was probably playing a acoustic guitar in the background.
But the lead guitar part was the Rob Colts from Clue Betty.
Oh, perfect.
All right.
And another song, right?
Oh, I'm going to hear this.
Next song.
Okay, you hit it.
This is number four.
It dreams and plans to come undone.
Nobody's nice.
And nothing's fun.
The brats and bullies have you wishing.
You could fly off in a single bound.
Find your steel.
And don't back down.
You don't have to wear a cape and tight.
Stand up for what is right.
Be your own superhero.
When the sun does it shine.
Part those clouds make way for the light.
So what PBS children show was that from?
What's that?
It's in chocolate and bottle rockets.
And see, I'm not an angry person.
We can sing about being your own superheroes.
That is fantastic.
That's the song that I wrote with my beloved friend, Shondelle Marx.
She was singing lead on that one.
And I'm singing them back up and playing Madeline.
And yeah, you'll hear that song if you come to the show tonight with chocolate and bottle rockets.
Great song.
Great group.
You know, I've gotten to know Jin Chocolate and bottle rockets over the last few years.
Because I'm up in Baraboo.
And they play there occasionally and on the sticks.
Yeah, Beth Kelly and Jen Farley and Shondelle Marx and wonderful group.
And it's great that you're going to be playing this evening for your 50th birthday.
All right, you got another cut here.
I do have another cut.
And this one is live.
So it's going to be tough.
Number five.
All right, I'm ready.
I see a ray of sunshine across my table.
A crop is hot the day is bright and I'm alive.
You're smiling at me for no reason.
I laughed it back in a soak in the love that's in your eyes.
In this house we built with brick and stone.
We paint the walls and roll it all.
All right, name that song.
Is this house with Jin Chocolate and bottle rocket?
Okay.
That's right.
I play in a accordion.
I'm on the guitar and Jen Farley singing back up playing some shaker.
Good stuff.
Do you know where it was recorded?
That was in the layer.
It was in the layer.
Oh, yeah.
That was one of those triggers.
That was a trick question.
That was when, yep, they were live in the layer right here in the studio.
All right.
Yeah, Rocker, you got to wake up earlier in the morning to pull the wall.
Exactly.
We're talking with Beth Kille, celebrating her 50th birthday.
We're going to come back in 60 seconds with more.
Beth Kille and Rocker.
It's back in a soak in the love that's in your eyes.
In this house we built with brick and stone.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I see a ray of sunshine across my table.
A crawfish hot the day is bright and I'm alive.
You're smiling at me for no reason.
Good stuff.
All right.
We're back here, MDX, the John and Cordy show with Rocker in the studio and today we're
having a very special birthday party early.
We're Beth Kille.
Yes, we are.
And we've got Rocker.
You've got one more song.
Yeah.
What did you want to say about?
Well, I actually want Beth to tell us a little bit about that song and how it was written
because I found the story to be very amusing when we had her in the layers.
Tell us about it.
Oh, that's right.
Okay.
Two quick funny stories about that song.
One is it was inspired by my house, my son and my husband and I used to have dance parties
when my son was really little.
And when he was two, we'd turn up all the lights and put flashlights in our hands and dance around
all crazy and it dawned on me one day.
If someone was walking past the house, they would just see my husband and I because my son was too
little.
Yeah.
But I didn't care because I was like, hey, this is my house and we're having a good time.
Yeah.
But also, that song was written with Jin Chok with a bottle rocket.
We just started playing around and Jen actually had disco ball.
Wow.
So that song was written with a accordion guitar and disco ball.
Wow.
What a weird combination.
At least you can't hear the crystal ball.
Yeah.
Okay.
All right.
You got another song.
We have one more song to leave you with you tonight and this is track number six.
All right.
What makes you happy?
What makes you happy?
Hey, what makes you happy?
Nice.
Good stuff.
Yeah.
Here we go.
Name that song.
That's an easy one.
That is Jin and Chok.
There you go.
Hi, Jin and Chok.
It's all right.
Thanks for taking it easy on me for number six because it was pretty stressful first day of the
morning.
Beth, where did you come up with that name?
How did that name evolve?
Well, it's actually the two things that Shawnee carries in her purse to get through the
months of February and the past.
How long was this February?
It wasn't bad, right?
Right.
Yeah.
So we didn't even have to break in case of emergency.
So Jen, chocolate and bottle rockets, center purse.
Well, making that the bottle rocket.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Now, now we know, right?
We know that Jen is the bottle rockets without a doubt.
Now, are you Jen or are you chocolate?
Most of the time, I'm the Jen.
The magical Jen.
Okay.
All right.
Now, the secret story is the chocolate.
I want to ask you something, Beth, because you're the sound.
I missed this sound from a long time ago.
There was a group called The Joy of Cooking with the McGarregal sisters.
I think one passed away recently.
But your sound is very similar to that.
And it's a great sound to have.
I just love it.
So just kudos for what you sound like.
Yeah.
Terrific.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I mean, it's really tough to sound great with Jen and Shawnee, but I make it work.
Oh, yes, you did.
Oh, yeah.
Don't be modest.
Wonderful.
That is total harsh.
Well, happy birthday, Beth.
This has been your musical life.
Your Maxing Gradio and John and Gordy show.
We had a great time.
They're great songs.
You know, if you can't get to tonight at the Memorial Union to see
Gin Chalkan and bottle rockets, they will be playing here in Madison coming up
May 24th.
Yes, that's our 10th anniversary show at the Oak.
At the Burr Oak over on Wednesday.
Excellent.
Excellent.
So there's still a chance to get to see them.
They're going to be amazing.
And just, you know, look for them at festivals this summer.
That's all I can say.
I think we should have a fundraiser so they could at least, you know, buy a sign
for the Burr Oak.
Yes.
Some kind of indicator that it's there.
That's right.
That's the building.
That's the little signage.
The place you go.
Well, you know, it's like the Natspeel.
You know, you don't have a phone.
You're just there.
You know, I speak easy.
You know, you just have to know where it is.
You have to know.
Exactly.
Are you cooler?
You're not cool.
All right.
Well, Beth, again, thank you and happy birthday to you and the show tonight.
The times at the Memorial Union of 4 to 6 p.m.
4 to 6 p.m.
4 to 6 p.m.
4 to 6 p.m.
Excellent.
I mean, I got to be in bed before 10 o'clock.
I'm 15 now.
Oh, please.
That's a rule.
That's a rule.
That's a rule.
Oh, that's a busy time at the Union though.
Yeah.
It's a fantastic time to make that concert.
What my favorite place is to play in the world is at the Union.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Always a good time.
All right, Beth.
We're going to let you go here.
But thank you so much and happy birthday.
May the win.
Thank you.
Beth, you might want to join Eric Hubdy.
I believe he's out there in the polar ice.
There's going to be these campaigning.
That's right.
That's right.
Well, I thought you were going to tell me to join AARP.
Oh, yeah.
Well, that too.
Yeah.
You know, that's a good suggestion.
Yeah.
We're members, aren't we, Jack?
Yeah.
They never stop nearly knew the new papers and the reminders.
All right.
They're good enough.
Thanks, Beth.
All right, Beth.
Good night.
It's a memorial union.