Not much to say about this show. But it does bring to mind how the Casual Artscast got started.

See, in 2002-2003, when the Funk Doc and Old Man J both used to live in the same city, they did a live show together at Bauhaus University's radio station in Weimar, Germany. They called their show "The Casual Arts," playing off of Masta Ace's album "The Disposable Arts" and their intention to keep their conversations casual yet substantial. Back in those days they mostly played music and shot the shit in between songs. Music was the focus, and much of the conversation centered on it. Occasionally an amusing anecdote was thrown in for good measure.

But with the Funk Doc's move to Berlin in August 2003, the two-man radio show was out. Enter the podcast. The Casual Artscast was born.

Instead of just playing a bunch of music and wittering thoughtfully in between, the Funk Doc and Old Man J decided to shift the focus of the show onto conversation. Thus, as in the previous 22 Artscasts, music plays a subordinate role to the German-American themed conversations. Call it vanity, but, using our extensive knowledge of a foreign culture (Germany's) as a springboard, we thought we could interject a few interesting insights on the U.S. and what it might mean to be American.

The beginning of the end.

But The Casual Artscast 023 brings us back home. For the last time, the Funk Doc and Old Man J got together in Weimar (where the latter still lives) to do a final live radio show. We returned to the music for this occasion, and hopefully it doesn't disappoint.

So give the tunes a listen. We went back to what worked for us: funk and hip-hop. Hope you enjoy it.

Oh, and we also got to know the Old Man on a much more intimate basis during the middle of the show. Good times.

Finger puppetry.

Timetable and Playlist:

The Meters – “Live Wire”

The Village Callers – “Hector”

– “Gangsta Boogie”

Black Star – “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”

The Meters – “Britches”

The Meters – “Sissy Strut”

De la Soul – “

Curtis Mayfield – “Move on Up”

24 Carrot Black – “Food Stamps”

– “St. Louis Boogie”

The Meters – “Tippi-Toes”