In the movie, “Almost Famous,” inspired by the real-life experiences of director Cameron Crowe, who started writing for the “Rolling Stone,” at age 15, his character is given back-stage access to some of the biggest musical acts to grace past generations, filling the boy with wonderment as he meets his rock heroes.

In much the same quest, Rick Galusha has researched, chronicled and even promoted some of the most legendary musical acts of the 20th century and beyond, interviewing everyone from John Entwhistle from The Who, to B.B. King, King of the Blues, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, Steven Van Zandt from Springsteen, as well as various, even lesser-known, up-and-coming local, regional and global acts in between.

Although both cut their teeth on music at an early age, much like the musicians who cut their first records, Galusha was not just a teen chasing stardust dreams. In reality, he is a radio show host/music director, writer/columnist, political activist, entrepreneur and community organizer, whose day job is a professor at Bellevue University, teaching courses in political science, business management and leadership and public administration, to name just some of his varied endeavors.

In December, his show, “Pacific Street Blues” – top-rated in its market and recently named a top-30 blues podcast – will celebrate its 35th anniversary, amassing many “gold record” type awards for his musical prowess over the years.

Since founding the radio program in 1991, with podcast listeners throughout Europe, Asia and into Africa, he has been inducted into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame, Iowa Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, Keeping The Blues Alive from the Blues Foundation in Memphis and is an Omaha Blues Society award recipient.

Just skimming his many “hits,” the avid cyclist is also founder of Earth Day Omaha, the Old Market Business Association, past president of Homer’s Music stores, co-founder and principal lead of the Omaha Free Speech Society, a monthly forum for constructive political discussion and debate, earning Civic Nebraska’s 2023 Civic Catalyst Award for being “a champion of – providing regular space for – civic discourse across political ideologies,” or as one nominator aptly stated, “a stalwart champion of decent discourse.”

But that’s another story…

All throughout, Galusha has woven his penchant for music, done voluntarily, into his role as educator, political activist and writer, illustrating just how the art form has kept beat with society within his in-depth, often anecdotal, sometimes whimsical, carefully curated – all the while thought-provoking, programs, podcasts, lectures and writings.

So what’s this noise all about…

“From broadcast to podcast, and Hi-Fi to Wi-Fi, Pacific Street Blues & Americana is a music forward, informative, three-hour radio show that focuses on music, targets the musically informed and curious, focusing on adult roots music that blends Americana, Classic Rock, homegrown artists, and weaves the Blues, in all its forms, throughout the program,” Galusha, even managing spare time, has said.

But as far as who or what inspired his love of music, like many artists, Galusha spun personal pain into gold.

“As a very young child I had Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: The bones in my legs were not fully formed. I was immobilized for years in traction, body cast and on crutches. Unlike most, I can remember my first steps once my legs healed. My parents would buy 45 rpm records that featured American folk songs or Hugh Downs discussing the astronauts and space. I would lay on the porch and play those records over and over. It must have driven my family nuts. So my companionship with music precedes any other memories,” he said.

In a prior interview from “Omaha Magazine,” Galusha notes what further charted his own course in “musicology,” much like the teen in “Almost Famous.”

“As a kid in the ’60s and really, the early ’70s, my sister would take us down to the Old Market and the original Homer’s Music store. It was just a land of enchantment. Homer’s had a store in Westroads Mall that I would go and work in … for free, because I wanted to work there so bad,” he said.

‘Working Homer’s counter in college was Galusha’s bliss, and when he rejoined the company in the late 1980s after a brief period away, he thought it would be more of the same. It wasn’t, but it taught him other sides of the music business that would inform his later endeavor,” the article further states.

Parlaying the young record clerk into his next foray, running the place …

“Years ago, as the president of Homer’s Music Stores, I was discussing advertising with a new radio station, KKVU-FM,” said Galusha, who had moved up the ranks, when opportunity struck the right chord.

“I noticed the program director, Tom Sleeker had a stack of audio reels on his desk. Turns out they were considering adding a blues show. Having done radio in Wyoming and at Omaha’s KVNO, I said, ‘I can do that for you.’ Tom asked, ‘What would you call it?’ Looking out the window of the Overland Wolf Center at 69th and Pacific streets, I said, ‘Pacific Street Blues.’ The name stuck,” he said.

But mentally he never left the music store…

“Probably the most enjoyable job I ever had was working the counters at Homer’s Music Stores. I really enjoyed listening to a lot of new music and then suggesting titles to customers. I am naturally a ‘connector’ whether that’s people or music,” he said, reflecting back.

So in showbiz parlance, what exactly is his shtick…

“Musical Ecclectricity,” he claims.

“Years ago, Top 40 Radio was developed in Omaha, on a juke box in a restaurant at approximately 55th & Dodge streets. Since then, radio realized they could build bigger audiences by limiting their playlist. As a kid, I can remember when KQ98 came on the air from a house in Council Bluffs on Munster Avenue. It was a glorious time as FM radio was just taking off, and the deejays were using Album-Oriented Rock to program their shows. Those guys were my heroes – I knew who came on the air at what time, and what their musical proclivities were. I want(ed) my show to emulate that era when weaving together a radio show was an art form. Someday, I would like to be considered worthy of this elite group of radio pioneers. I suspect they have fond memories and find my adulation somewhat odd. LOL, fan boy #1 I guess.”

Nothing wrong with Golden Oldies, but that doesn’t mean Galusha is stuck in that groove.

“As a listener said to me recently, ‘After 35 years, don’t you think listeners will follow you anywhere?’ That struck a nerve and really freed up the show to broaden what we play and to talk about the aspects of music that have been forgotten, like Skiffle Music (which is how the Beatles started), Black String Band Music, and modern Psychedelia – just to name a few.”

Nor try telling him there’s nothing new worth listening to…

“Each generation, and each influential artist brings something to the party. A recent trend in the blues is that artists cover rock songs. I love the idea of playing something familiar for listeners by playing these covers. I imagine it opens doors for listeners to explore beyond their traditional comfort zone. For example, most of us get on a music-listening treadmill while we’re in high school and never graduate off. Eventually, the songs get redundant, and we stop listening. I can’t tell you the number of times my peers have said to me, ‘There’s no good music anymore.’ To which I reply, ‘Oh yes there is!’”

Proof is the “wall of sound” music collection he has amassed over the years.

“As kids, there were perhaps 500 releases a year in six or seven genres of music. Today, there are probably 55,000 releases in any musical genre you can imagine. I consider my role as the guy digging through the stacks and stacks of new and archival releases, trying to find things the audience will enjoy. I’ve also learned over the years, at least tried to learn, that if I am going to stray too far, musically, I need to use the somewhat familiar to set up songs that may, initially, be pretty alien to the average listener. That’s an area where having a degree of music knowledge helps. An example of this was the latest release by Dave Alvin’s side project, ‘The Third Mind,’” he said.

However, as musical tastes have changed, so has the business.

“Music today is defined by whom the music is marketed to, rather than how the music sounds. A great example of this is Taylor Swift. Is she really country music? Of course all great artists eventually transcend genre and create their own sonic space. However, as the blues artists moved into covering rock tracks, I followed them. I know this costs us a lot of serious blues listeners. However, there are online radio stations that strictly play traditional blues, and I can’t compete with 24/7 focused stations with limited playlists. As a little guy, I have to ‘not be them.’ That was something we learned early on at Homer’s when competing with the large box stores who used CDs as lost leaders,” he said.

Stepping outside the sound booth, his musical ventures have also taken him far and wide.

“Years ago I was asked to host a Beatles tour to London and Liverpool – which I really enjoyed putting together. (Wife) Barb and I have organized a number of excursions including a ‘Rock Walk in London, Newcastle and Edinburgh,’ a Blues trip to Memphis and the Mississippi Delta, where we met Bobby Whitlock (Derek & the Dominoes, George Harrison), Chicago, where we met Mato Nanji, Melvin Taylor, John Lee Hooker Jr., and Sugar Blue in one bar, and Nashville. I can see us going Los Angeles and New York City someday,” he also muses.

Calling music a great art form, that “enriches our souls, warms our hearts, and helps us care about others,” he simply hopes what he does resonates with the listeners…

“Most of all, I want to introduce people to new music. Secondarily, and this is perhaps selfish and I’ve been castigated for doing it. When I think of the listener base, it’s the generation that grew up in the so-called ‘Age of Aquarius.’ Despite being trained as an economist, I bought into that ethos hook, line and sinker. It took me decades to learn how to be a better version of myself. I guess that’s what they mean by growing up. As a Boomer, our generation was going to end war, feed the hungry, fight for civil rights, and save the world.

“Today, it often seems we’re often overwhelmed, insanely busy, and forgot to strive to be the best version of ourselves. There are moments where I’ll try to spin a song that makes that emotional connection to who we were. These are challenging times for everyone. So while the show is engaged in the ‘ancient art of weaving’ music into an entertaining show, there are times when a song can strike an emotional chord. It seems to me that artists have always used music, art, or performance to do this. I’d like to think being aware demonstrates respect to the musicians as well as the listeners. It’s meant to be a constructive and thoughtful gesture – empathizing with the listeners.”

However, not everyone has that privilege.

“Every week I get an email from YouTube telling me my show’s podcast has been blocked in some territories. I love free speech,” he seems to audibly sigh.

And throughout his brushes with legends, he even has his own claim to fame.

“We once attended a very private party in a record store that featured Pearl Jam and John Doe of X. There were maybe 100 people there. There was a subsequent live CD from the show, and I can be seen amid the crowd on the cover.”

No wonder …

Sidebar: PSB Program Offers Course In Musicology

“We’re not for everyone,” he exclaims as “the voice” of the program, “but we might be for you ...”

If this “sounds” familiar, you may be privy to Pacific Street Blues & Americana, a top-rated radio station and podcast, hosted by Omaha’s Rick Galusha, a fixture on “KIWR 89.7 FM, The River,” based at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, now celebrating its 35th year.

“Pacific Street Blues & Americana explores blues and Americana music through the familiarity of Classic Rock. So sprinkled throughout the show are bands, songs and cover songs that most listeners will be familiar with and know already,” he notes in the program’s promo.

Bred from his love of music from an early age, this college professor by day, political activist by design, and radio host in his spare time, over the years, Galusha has interviewed and highlighted some of the music industry’s most legendary performers, as well as lesser-knowns, whom he deems worthy of greater recognition.

It’s a “carefully curated” program, according to one fan, he’s produced from his vast collection of vinyl and CDs, mixed with in-depth knowledge of their music, history and path to fame – now reaching listeners throughout many parts of the world.

As music has evolved from bebop to K-pop, so has his programming.

“Years ago, I would have an annual, ‘on-the-air musical trivia show’ where I would provide the questions via social media and then play the songs, and pose the questions, during the show. 

“Eventually, I realized it was too much for many listeners. However, a friend encouraged me to have a weekly trivia segment. After some time I came up with ‘What’s The Common Thread.’ I use one of the show’s nine segments to play 4-5 songs and ask the listeners to identify which artist, band, songwriter, or lyric theme ties these songs together. The response has been overwhelming, and so each week we play an audio trivia game together,” he said. 

Among the various broadcasts are monthly Spotlight Shows, where he focuses on the musical legacy of great artists, such as Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters, John Haitt and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

“Spotlight Shows are listener-friendly, music-intense (not a lot of talking) that explore those who influenced the featured artist, those they influenced, the bands they covered, and the bands that covered them.” 

And like any good academic, he delves into the homework.

“It takes about a month. I’ll read at least one book on the artist, an autobiography when I can, and then research the Internet and their library of music, including those they covered and those who covered their music. A non-spotlight show takes about four hours. I recently upgraded some technology and, ugh, for several months now, anything that can go haywire will. I recently wanted to play a very specific new release, it took several hours to locate, purchase, and prepare that one song into the show. It was the Bataan Death March of radio programming,” he muses. 

As far as what to highlight, it’s a bit more complex than “Name That Tune.” Nor is there any payola – or pay for that matter. Galushes hosts and produces these programs for free.

“I will read something or hear something and choose one song. The entire show is influenced by that song. Often, these are new releases. Of course I have to set up, What’s The Common Thread first so I can provide a hint or two in the first five segments of show. I have a list of nine primary and nine secondary core artists, which usually includes at least two local recording artists. After the WTCT has been recorded, and the songs or feature has been decided, I start weaving.”

Or in more Husker or Hawkeye terms, depending on your side of the Nebraska/Iowa divide…

“To use a sports metaphor, it’s like an offensive coordinator in football; running a play or playing a song now, in order to create a comfortable space for the listener which allows me to play something edgy. After 35 years, it’s all in my head, but it’s usually intentional and intentionally emotional. When the show gets too spontaneous, for me, it’s usually too scattered and not as good as I would like it to be … but putting a show together is like sending your favorite girl a three-hour mix tape every week. You remember those days, right?”

Among the numerous interviews, which include a virtual “Who’s Who” of legendary artists, Galusha got to meet Stevie Van Zant, guitarist for Springsteen. 

“That guy is a walking encyclopedia of the history of Rock 'n' Roll. Our interviews meander far and wide – an absolute gas for me that sends me to the record stacks afterwards to listen to some of the acts he brings up. Joe Bonamassa and Dom Flemons are the same way. However, the biggest thrill for me was interviewing Bill Wyman. I prepared for weeks. I knew what Bill wanted to discuss and he told story after story. After the interview was over, he told me that in the 30-plus years he was in ‘The Rolling Stones,’ I was the most prepared interviewer and what a real pleasure it was talking with me. I was touched by his kindness,” he said. 

High on his get-list would be Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger.

“Bruce and Mick are autodidactic – self-taught. They are both incredibly well-read, deep thinkers, and focused. Bruce writes in a literary style that, for me, captures American society after 1945 and surpasses the poetic musings of Bob Dylan – but I get the connection. I’ve met people who know Jagger. Understandably, he is emotionally guarded but I have to imagine that as a conversationalist, once you get past the ‘being Mick Jagger” facade, he would be wide-ranging, well-informed, and egoless. But then we all idolize our heroes,” he noted. 

To learn more, tune in to PSB at:

• 9 a.m. to noon, Sundays/89.7 FM
• 11 a.m. Fridays GMT/Lion Heart Radio (England)
• All major podcast platforms, including Apple, Spotify, Youtube and Amazon Music. 
• Spotlight Shows: https://pacificstbluesandamericana.substack.com/podcast 
• Radio Shows: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/kiwrblues