I have two music subscriptions–Spotify and Sirius XM. The majority of my XM listening is to the Vegas Sports Information Network (VSIN), a channel devoted entirely too sports gambling. That is probably 90 percent of my XM use. The other 10 percent is still mostly Outlaw Country, the station started by Steven Van Zandt several years back. Of that 10 percent, probably 90 percent of my listening there is the Steve Earle Show, which airs every weekend. I tend to catch the on demand version on Sundays.

This week, Steve did an entire hour dedicated to Broadway musicals. Yes, an hour of Broadway music on a station called Outlaw Country that typically heavily features the likes of Willie, Waylon and Merle. It would seem like an odd fit, unless you pay attention to Steve Earle.

Steve moved to New York in part to get into Broadway. He has recently been working on an original production of Coal Country, scoring the music for a retelling of a mining explosion.

On his Hardcore Troubadour show this week, he does a tribute to Broadway, as the entire scene was one of the first casualties of Covid-19. Steve is not a Johnny-come-lately to musicals, for as he puts it within the show “drama was one of the few classes I didn’t get kicked out of.” He was into Jesus Christ Superstar, even as he was dropping out of school. That was the only one he played two songs from.

So, for all you theater kids out there, if you have a Sirius subscription, head over to an unlikely source and check out an hour I’m sure you will enjoy. Video links are below, but it is worth hearing Steve talk music any chance you get if you have a subscription.

I just can’t believe he forgot about Belly.

Steve’s playlist:
Ben Platt–Waving Through A Window (Dear Evan Hansen)
Lin-Manuel Miranda–My Shot (Hamilton)
Anais Mitchell/Greg Brown–Why Build The Wall (Hadestown)
Damon Daunno/Rebecca Naomi Jones/Mary Testa–The Surrey (Oklahoma, 2019)
Jan Clayton/John Raitt (Yes, Bonnie’s dad)–If I Loved You (Carousel)
Ezio Pinza–Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific)
The Beatles–Till There Was You (The Music Man)
Cowsills-Hair (Hair)
Tom Waits–Somewhere (West Side Story)
Michael Cerveris–The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd)
Original London Cast–Like A Rolling Stone (Girl From The North Country)
Yvonne Elliman/Ben Vereen–Everything’s Alright (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Yvonne Elliman–I Don’t Know How To Love Him (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Steve Earle–John Henry Was A Steel Drivin’ Man (Coal Country)