For Listeners · Independence Day · July 4, 2026
Fire up the grill, gather everyone ’round, and let 250 years of American music carry the whole day.
What You’ll Hear
The blues, jazz, country, bluegrass, rock and roll, soul, and hip-hop were all invented right here, and no other nation on Earth can say that.
From an 1890 wax cylinder to the music of right now, America at 250: The Soundtrack of Us walks the entire arc of American music in one continuous, story-rich four-hour ride. It’s a birthday party for the country, scored by the country. No speeches. Just the songs that made us, and the stories behind them.
Every sound America ever invented… in one show.
A short demo from the produced show is on the way.
Demo audio coming soon. The show is in production now. Set a reminder below and you won’t miss it on the Fourth.
The Journey
A chronological ride from the very first recordings to the music of today, built to keep the whole cookout listening.
The first recordings ever sold, the anthem, Appalachia, the Bristol Sessions, the Delta blues, New Orleans jazz, and the swing era through World War II. It opens on the actual 1890 Sousa cylinder.
Memphis erupts, Elvis arrives, the Million Dollar Quartet, then the whole country grabs a towel: teen idols, Dick Dale, the Beach Boys, and the California sound.
An eight-hundred-dollar loan that built Hitsville, the queen of soul, the music of the civil-rights era, bayous and back roads, and American Pie in full.
The Boss, the birth of hip-hop in the Bronx, the cookout anthems, a non-partisan look at country and the flag, and Ray Charles takes us all home.
Why You’ll Stay All Four Hours
The show opens with the oldest patriotic recording in America, Sousa’s Marine Band on an 1890 cylinder, then leaps 136 years to Whitney Houston’s anthem. You’ll never hear it framed like this anywhere else.
The one rock & roll song NASA launched into deep space. The first certified gold record. The beach hit Brian Wilson gave away. Told like a friend leaning over to tell you a secret.
Singalongs from every corner of the country (Country Roads, Sweet Home Alabama, Party in the U.S.A.), built to fill a backyard, a road trip, and the drive home under the fireworks.
It all comes home with Ray Charles and America the Beautiful. Four hours, 250 years, and one unforgettable way to celebrate the birthday of the country.
Your Host
The Voice of the Broadcast
Host of multiple shows & stations on the Thasis Radio Network
You can’t get more American than Steve. He delivered papers as a kid, spent much of his career teaching high school, and raises chickens in the backyard for the love of it.
His second act brought him to the microphone, with years on the air out of the Chicago market. Today he hosts multiple shows across multiple stations on the Thasis Radio Network. On America at 250 he doesn’t announce the songs at you; he tells you the stories behind them, like a friend leaning over to share a secret. He’s the voice that ties 250 years together.
Don’t Miss It
It airs across the Thasis Radio Network all day on Saturday, July 4, 2026. Add it to your calendar now so the reminder finds you when the grill’s already going.
Run a station? Carry the show →