July 22, 2013 Podcast

Show open: a solo best-of special

Ben, who names himself on-air as the show's host, opens a special best-of clips show: Mike, Dan, and Boova are out of town, so he plays favorite past clips with background stories. He tells the origin of the opening theme, 'Working Man' by New World Son, which he heard before the show existed and which has opened the show since its first broadcast.

First-year anniversary compilation clip

Ben plays a montage of clips from the show's first year: rapid-fire outtakes, catchphrases, and studio banter from the early episodes, with video visuals referenced for online viewers. He notes KTIA radio listeners miss the visual gags and points them to the website.

How the show started

Ben recounts the show's origin: Mike and Dan had guested on Worldwide Amplified, an internet radio station in downtown Des Moines, and were invited to do their own program; they asked Ben to host it. The first show aired at 6AM on a Saturday in March 2010 with cohost Zach Hauk; the second show's recording was lost, and the third never aired after the station's operators split and the feed was cut.

Why the show airs at 10PM on Mondays

Ben explains the 10PM Monday slot: with small kids at home, he and Mike did not want another night out, and internet radio had no audience to lose. The two-hour format was a mistake for unprepared hosts, producing some difficult early radio. Dan Hudson, he says, would show up at any hour without complaint.

Jess Anderson: You Go Before Us

Ben describes how the Spirit Midwest Music Festival, via Julie Barnes and Al, began funneling bands their way, including Syndrome of Fire. Jess Anderson and her husband Jordan became the show's biggest YouTube draw, and Ben plays her song 'You Go Before Us' from the own-studio era.

Dave Funk's 'who stinks' question and after-show hangouts

Ben recalls politician Dave Funk's awkward visit, when the hosts asked which politician at the Capitol smells bad and Funk dodged while lecturing them on maturity. He describes the show's culture of lingering in the studio one to two hours after the broadcast talking about Jesus and their lives - the experience he would miss most.

'Noah of the future' clip

Ben plays a favorite clip in which Dan Hudson theorizes that the pre-flood society was technologically advanced - perhaps with a computerized factory - and that Noah was a savvy builder, joking that the Jetsons may be truer history than we know.

Bethany Joy Johnson: Lost

Ben plays Bethany Joy Johnson's song 'Lost,' noting her parents sat on either side of her in the studio as backup for the late-night internet show. The hosts joined in on the chorus feedback section and, in Ben's words, sounded like drunk lumberjacks trying to sing.

Studio history and the KTIA story

Ben traces the move from Des Moines Amplified, which eventually required payment the show could not afford, to their own small studio at the Pathway Church Ministry Center in Johnston, Iowa. He tells how they met KTIA's Chris Roloff at the Spirit Midwest Music Festival booth, dropped off a CD that was politely ignored, reconnected a year later, and earned a Saturday 7PM slot; he names sponsors Bob Eisenlauer's real-estate team and Westfield Veterinary Hospital.

Quiz: things heard to raise money on Christian radio

• Which of these outrageous lines was actually heard on a Christian radio station during a fundraiser?

Ben plays a quiz clip built from outrageous lines Mike heard during a Christian radio fundraiser, such as 'go and pay others to make disciples' and a $1000 'apostle' giving level. Contestants Troy, Bob Eisenlauer, and Dan Hudson guess which options are real; revealed truths include the on-air prayer for callers and the apostle level ($2000 made you an archangel).

Why the show does quizzes: godly vs worldly wisdom

Ben explains the quizzes' purpose: distinguishing what is of God from what is not, as in 'Deuteronomy Dan' (spotting real Levitical laws) and 'Secular vs Solomon' (spotting biblical vs worldly proverbs). He notes how often American patriotism gets confused with following Christ.

Supernaw: California Earthquake

Ben plays a favorite studio performance by the California band Supernaw, discovered through ReverbNation, praising how they filled the studio with sound and arrived with a giant RV and truck of gear.

Tales from the Path: Jack and the Beanstalk

Ben introduces the 'Tales from the Path' bit - performing books with music behind them - which produced the channel's most popular clip, 'Caps for Sale,' and plays their retelling of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' (retold by Mary Hoffman). Mid-segment he signs off the KTIA radio listeners, since the special is running long.

Chandra Knudson: God Is There

Ben plays Chandra Knudson's song 'God Is There,' noting her EP 'Rotten' is on iTunes and Spotify with physical copies at Java Joe's. He mentions catching a Lindgren and Lewis show at Java Joe's that evening and recommends both songwriters.

Quiz: it's the end of the world as we know it

• What do we know about people who have predicted the end of the world?

Ben plays an October 2012 quiz on end-of-the-world predictions: the Thessalonians alarmed by an end-times rumor (2 Thessalonians), the Sun's 1997 Noah's Ark story, Luther's 'three hundred years' quote from the Familiar Discourses, the Jehovah's Witnesses' many predicted years, Revelation 9's locusts read as killer bees, and the 1991 Sydney Harbor prediction. Contestants include Troy, Kevin Lindgren, Mike, and Dan Hudson.

Jeff Arendelle: Most High

Ben plays his favorite Jeff Arendelle tune, 'Most High,' calling Arendelle an all-time friend of the show who holds the record for most appearances and who musically directed the snowed-out 2012 Christmas Extravaganza (12-14 attendees). He notes a possible Arendelle album release before year's end.

Mike's on-the-spot song: Methuselah Went to Nineveh and God Smote Him

Ben tells how a Candy for Nickels member bet Mike he could not write a song using old-testament words like 'smote,' 'Nineveh,' and 'Methuselah' in two or three minutes; Mike did it on the spot with guitar and earned the $5. The resulting comedy song name-checks cleaning Joel Osteen's hair.

Wayne Stewart: 78

Ben plays worship leader Wayne Stewart's song '78,' which stuck with him, and recalls the spontaneous uninvited singalong at the end. He contrasts it with the show's rough early music efforts, like worship pastor Jared Roy's badly lit first performance.

Dear LFTP origin: the conservative woman's letter

• Should I stop going out with friends who mock my religious jewelry and fashion?

Ben introduces an early 'Dear Life From The Path' bit: a Dear Abby letter from a very conservative woman whose friends mock her religious jewelry and fashion. The hosts mock the letter ('Dear loser'), reject Abby's advice to find like-valued friends, and argue she should be more secure instead of running - while also mocking her self-righteous tone.

Silversyde: Circus Circus

Ben plays Silversyde's 'Circus Circus,' recalling how Melinda from the 208 in Osceola drove the band down for a pre-recorded interview and songs, and noting their new single 'Hush' releases July 23. Their tunes sometimes serve as the show's intro/outro music.

Now Serving Seven: The World Will Never Know

Ben plays Now Serving Seven's 'The World Will Never Know,' a band Dan and his daughter saw opening a show in Pella. He notes some played clips are not yet on the website and promises to add them.

'The Solomon Show' transition bit

Ben plays the comedy bit used to announce the studio move from Des Moines Amplified: 'The Solomon Show,' covering the three W's - wisdom, wives, and war with Palestine - with Solomon's archnemesis Secular as in-studio guest. He flags the visual of the Solomon head for video viewers.

Non-biblical signs of the apocalypse: flushtracker

• Are these news items non-biblical signs of the apocalypse?

Ben plays a late-night bit on non-biblical signs of the end times, built around a Metro (London) article on flushtracker.com, a site for tracking one's flush on World Toilet Day. The hosts vote 'the end is near' versus 'we've got more time'; the chat mostly votes more time.

Outro: clips left out and the Spotify playlist

Ben wraps up, naming clips he lacked time for (the two-year anniversary compilation, Dana Bryant's 'Live From The Path blues') and saying the show's nightly prayer is that it would glorify God despite its amateurishness. He points listeners to the 'Life From The Path' Spotify playlist of intro/outro music, mentioning Robert Randolph, Bruce Katz, Tim Timmons, Rhett Walker, Booker T and the MGs, New World Son, and Silversyde.