Hope all of you in the States enjoyed your Thanksgiving. We took some time off to enjoy ours, so this week, we’re giving you old gold. Øystein was recently in Houston, and because our stars didn’t align, we weren’t able to record a new episode with him. (Øystein, come back anytime, buddy!) To make up for that, we give you this rerun. 

Learn 100% more about the tuba in this episode than you’ve ever known! Norwegian tuba soloist and chamber musician Øystein Baadsvik is the only tuba virtuoso in the world to make a career exclusively as a soloist. He is also the only tuba player in the world to have a great story about touring with a punk band. He joins us all the way from Norway to tell us about this shadowy instrument: its size, its repertoire, and its fnugg.

Audio production by Todd “Tall Texan” Hulslander with slings and arrows by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

• Bass Tuba Concerto in F Minor, 1st movement, by Ralph Vaughn Williams. Performed by Øystein Baadsvik.
• Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra 1st movement, by John Williams. Performed by Øystein Baadsvik.
• “Fnugg” from The Front Row – Reserved (a Houston Public Media compilation CD). Performed by Øystein Baadsvik.
• “Fnugg” from YouTube video
• Blood Sweat and Tears tuba solo
• The Cod Lovers
• Encounters II for solo tuba, performed by Roger Bobo
• “Csárdás by Vittorio Monti,” performed by Øystein Baadsvik.
• “Ordner seg (It’ll Be All Right)” from Ferry Tales by Øystein Baadsvik.
• “Winter” from the Four Seasons Concerto by Antonio Vivaldi, performed by Øystein Baadsvik.

PS, The title for this show was inspired by a great band called 500 Megatons of Boogie. You can find out more about them here: www.reverbnation.com/500megatonsofboogie

For more about Øystein Baadsvik: www.baadsvik.com.