Young and defiant. Memory lane moments. Tortured teen years. Angst before adulthood.
Reading Rick Kaempfer’s “The Loop Files” should fall into the category of time travel. I think I logged more than a few miles when I reminisced and read. I feel bad for my dog-eared copy (see images snipped in above). It looks like it’s been mauled.
Rick – do you offer a frequent flyer program to those who enjoyed your book so much that they’re exhausted? Jet lagged?
The “Loop” I’m referring to was a radio station. Scratch that. Not “a” radio station. THE radio station. The one that made every geeky teenager I knew (self, included) feel cool…cooler than cool. All it took to be part of the club? Attitude and a certain black t-shirt. A bumper sticker if you could get one. And presto! We achieved angsty perfection. I’m sure we provided John Hughes with inspiration for Judd Nelson’s attitude-ridden character, “Bender” in “The Breakfast Club”.
We became part of the holy, high order of Loop Fans. The photo of me snipped in above is proof enough…circa 1979…all attitude and sass.
Wynne and I had the pleasure of visiting with Rick recently and we had a blast. I prepped Wynne ahead of time. She had the misfortune of not living in the Chicago area when The Loop was everything. I did, though. I did! As we talked with Rick about his book, “an oral history of the most outrageous radio station ever”, I smiled for an hour. Giggled and guffawed, too. So many memories.
Youngster me, in high school, drove around in my ready-to-explode-at-any-moment Ford Pinto (in flame orange, of course) with Loop bumper stickers strategically placed on the rear hatch. Protection? Capable of warding off evil spirits? I don’t know, but my mom, Sue hated them, so I loved them all the more.
I had the t-shirt, too, but during a trip to France, a pretty boy stole it from me and his friend had the nerve to offer a profane gesture in reply. Parting with my favorite t-shirt to a boy who had no clue what the Loop was but was dying for some American coolness? I succumbed. My Loop t-shirt was as fascinating to him as our faded Levi’s, our music. I don’t know if our adventures did anything to improve Franco-American relations, but we had fun. 😉 Until our chaperones shut us down, night after night. Underage and feeling empowered. Loop-style. (Yep, that’s the “pretty boy” in the collage above…with the ‘censored’ label I added.)
This description in Rick’s book explains the feeling, the intensity, better than I can, from one of the DJs who was there:
The Loop was an attitude; it was a cool friend. It was the thing every teenager and twenty-something wanted to connect with.
-Mitch Michaels, p. 37, “The Loop Files”
You needn’t have been in the Chicago area in the late 70’s and early 80’s to appreciate the vibe. Reading “The Loop Files” will take you there.
You’ll love our chat with Rick. I promise. Radio heyday history, insider info and hilarious doses of parenting humor from his book, “Father Knows Nothing”. What a combo!
Here are two sneak peeks:
Vicki 😎
Anchor Episode 62: The Loop Files with Rick Kaempfer
Transcript for Episode 62 of the podcast
Episode 62: The Loop Files with Rick Kaempfer on Anchor
The Loop Files: An Oral History of the Most Outrageous Radio Station Ever | Eckhartz Press
EveryCubEver–6th Edition (2024) | Eckhartz Press
Back in the D.D.R | Eckhartz Press
Father Knows Nothing | Eckhartz Press
From the hosts:
Vicki’s personal blog: Victoria Ponders
Wynne’s personal blog: Surprised by Joy
Vicki’s recently released book: Surviving Sue
Wynne’s book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith
Victoria Ponders 
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