‘The Pop Culture King’: Jon Waterhouse ascends to the throne
August 1, 2008 at 2:54 pm by David Lee Simmons in A&E
Jon Waterhouse has worn many crowns: filmmaker (“Basically Frightened”), magazine publisher/editor (Sideshow), wrestling manager (“Monopoly Man”), rock star (Van Heineken), actor (Retch, Silver Scream Spook Show) and freelance journalist (AJC, Esquire, Paste). But last week Waterhouse assumed the throne as the “The Pop Culture King,” a one-hour radio show on all things pop and entertainment in Atlanta, Friday nights at 8 p.m. on WMLB (1690 AM), “The Voice of the Arts.” (Full disclosure: Creative Loafing has a partnership with WMLB.)
Tonight, Waterhouse (pictured, with a portrait of one of his sons, Levi) interviews Nancy Simms, the heiress to the Varsity drive-in restaurant — which celebrates its 80th anniversary on Saturday. (The show will air again on Saturday at noon.) Nancy Simms tells delightful stories about growing up in the family business. “It’s all action,” she says, according to a press release. “There’s always something going on. You see friends, you make new friends, you see presidents and movie stars.” That includes an order by a presumably famished President Bill Clinton, as well as a multiple-burger addiction by Elvis Presley. Simms will even share with Waterhouse the incredible value of her onion rings. (“Actually,” she says, I traded one of them for an emerald!”)
(Photo by David Lee Simmons)
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Heard the repeat today on the radio. Good stuff.
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:38 am
I just ran into Jon last night as he was MC-ing the “Go West!” Blast-Off Burlesque show at Alcove (which was stomach-churningly funny, by the way), and he said he’s kind of going for a “This American Life” vibe with a combination of interview, narration and reflection, but what surprised me was the subject-appropriate music and its prevalence throughout the hour. That’s a nice mix. And I think he’s going to be more comfortable behind the mic as the show progresses.