Homegrown Gooseflesh

“I was just given the history of the Homegrown brand yesterday by Jeff Berkley,” says Cathryn Beeks, new host of Saturday night’s Homegrown Hour on KPRI 102.1. “He broke out original Homegrown vinyl...I got goosebumps.”

Homegrown Hour was a KGB radio staple in the ’70s and ’80s, originally hosted by Jim McInnes, whose “Homegrown Nights” at venues like My Rich Uncle’s also spawned a series of Homegrown albums from 1973 to 1984. KGB promotions director Scott Chatfield next hosted Homegrown Hour, which has jumped radio stations and had numerous incarnations, the most recent hosted by Astra Kelly.

“It took me about 10 to 15 hours a week,” says Kelly, a performer who just signed with RYOT Entertainment (co-owned by P.O.D. bassist Traa Daniels). “It was sometimes a misconception that Homegrown Hour was an acoustic show, but I only played two or three acoustic tracks within the hour. The rest were full-band rock tracks like Dynamite Walls or Transfer, with some reggae or soul splashed in there as well. Sometimes, I’d even slip in a little Roses on Her Grave, even though it might have been slightly grungier than what you’d hear within KPRI’s regular AAA programming, which is primarily melodic rock.”

As the new Homegrown Hour host, Beeks says, “It’s not likely I’ll play much death metal or murder rap, unless the song is really good and fits the show. The most important thing is production and sound quality. [There will be] a few changes, like my ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’ song of the week from a San Diego artist who has moved on. Astra will still be doing in-the-field live interviews, plus I’ve enlisted the help of Rosey from sddialed.com and will play a pick from her scene each week.”

In addition, a Homegrown Happy Hour concert series happens every Friday from 4 to 6 through Labor Day, at Sunset Plaza in Ocean Beach. Performers interested in Homegrown exposure can contact Beeks at cathryn@listenlocalsd.com.