Catch Alice’s Restaurant on the 2023 radio dial. See our latest listening guide.
For many, tuning in to hear Arlo Guthrie’s epic tune Alice’s Restaurant on the radio is an annual Thanksgiving ritual. Inspired by events that transpired on Thanksgiving day in 1965, the 18+ minute “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” became a radio staple following multiple airings on WBAI in New York. Smithsonian did an excellent piece last year outlining the back story, explaining that,
…the song’s first true breakthrough…was ‘Alice’s’ February 1967 radio debut on New York City’s WBAI-FM. Said Arlo: ‘I’d been a big fan of WBAI. I’d been to their studios a few times and one night they asked me to perform live. I had no idea they were taping it, although it wouldn’t have stopped me from performing. I loved those guys.’
By May, the non-profit WBAI was receiving so many requests to play ‘Alice,’ it became a fund-raising gimmick. ‘WBAI…would play it after they’d been pledged enough money,’ recalled Guthrie, then quipped: ‘Eventually they were playing it so often, they took pledges to stop playing it, and…raised even more money.'”
Arlo Guthrie has been touring regularly in support of the 50th anniversary of “Alice’s Restaurant,” including celebrations of the song’s 1967 album appearance. Currently in the midst of a two-year tour to honor the forthcoming anniversary of the 1969 “Alice’s Restaurant” film, Guthrie tirelessly revisits his classic song.
For those seeking out the song this year, the following is a list of stations that have announced plans to play “Alice’s Restaurant” on Thanksgiving, 2018. Feel free to look at my posts from prior years, as that may offer clues to other radio stations that regularly participate. If you know of others, join the conversation in our Facebook group. I will continue to update the list.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Alice’s Restaurant on the Radio on Thanksgiving Day 2018 – November 22, 2018
Last updated on November 22, 2018 at 8:20am Pacific time
Terrestrial Radio:
WAMC 1400 AM and 90.3 FM (Albany, NY) will air “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon, followed by a discussion with Arlo Guthrie, when “At 1 p.m., WAMC’s Alan Chartock discusses the movie and the song with Arlo Guthrie before a live audience.”
92 KQRS (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” on Thanksgiving at 9am and 2pm
KQVN 100.1 FM (Thousand Oaks, CA) will air “Alice’s Restaurant” at 10am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm on Thanksgiving. As an added bonus, the station will play it again on Christmas.
100.7 KSLX (Phoenix, AZ) plans to play “Alice’s Restaurant” five times on Thanksgiving: 7am, 11am, 2pm, 6pm and 9pm.
KTYD 99.9 FM (Santa Barbara, CA): KTYD will play “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” at noon at 6pm on Thanksgiving. KTYD tweets: “At 3pm we’ll play the ‘Revisited’ 2009 version, and you’ll have a chance to win tix to see Arlo at the @LoberoTheatre March 19.”
WRHQ 105. 3 FM (Savannah, GA) plans to air “Alice’s Restaurant” at 9:30am, 12:30pm and 6:30pm on Thanksgiving.
WEXT 97.7 FM (Troy, NY) will air “Alice’s Restaurant” several times on Thanksgiving during the 6am, 9am, noon, and 7pm shows
WGXC 90.7 FM (Acra and Hudson, NY): WGXC tweets: “If you listen @WGXC on Thursday you’ll hear William Burroughs ‘Thanksgiving Prayer,’ Arlo Guthrie’s ‘Alice’s Restaurant,’ and Les Nessman’s flying turkeys.”
WZZZ 107.5 The Breeze (Portsmouth, OH) plans to air “Alice’s Restaurant” at 9am, noon and 5pm, tweeting, “Follow along as the story unfolds on Thanksgiving Day. It’s brought to you by Preston Family Funeral Home, Rt.5 in Ashland-Serving the community since 2002.”
95.5 FM KLOS (Culver City, CA): The station is running a poll on Facebook, asking, “We’ll play ‘Alice’s Restaurant‘ in its 18-minute entirety on Thanksgiving. What time should we spin it? Noon? 3pm? Both? Put it on in the background while you eat, it’s a #thanksgiving tradition.”
95.5 FM GLO (Peoria, IL): Will air “Alice’s Restaurant” at 6pm on Thanksgiving.
WXOX 97.1 FM (Louisville, KY) plans to air “Alice’s Restaurant” at 11 am EST on Thanksgiving.
KPIG 107.5 FM (Freedom, CA) and KPYG 94.9 FM (Cayucos/San Luis Obispo, CA) writes that it will have “Four seatings for Alice’s Restaurant Thanksgiving Day on the Pig -breakfast – 9a lunch – 12p
appetizers – 4p dessert – 8p.”
WAPJ 89.9 FM and 105.1 FM (Torrington, CT) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 8am on Thanksgiving.
WXPN 88.5 FM (Philadelphia, PA) will air “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon.
WDRV 97.1 FM The Drive (Chicago, IL) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 6am, noon, and 4pm.
KRVM 91.9 FM (Eugene, OR) will air “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon.
KMUN 91.9 FM (Astoria, OR) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 11am on Thanksgiving.
WNRN 91.9 FM (Charlottesville, VA), 94.7 FM Lovingston, 95.3 Lexington, 95.1 Harrisonburg, 101.1 Waynesboro, 89.9 Lynchburg, 88.5 Richmond and 101.1 Staunton will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 9am, noon, and 5pm on Thanksgiving.
KOZT 95.3 FM/95.9 FM The Coast (Ft. Bragg, CA) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 12 noon on Thanksgiving.
WBLM 102.9 FM (Portland, ME) will air “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon on Thanksgiving.
WFUV 90.7 FM (Bronx, NY) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon on Thanksgiving.
The Summit (Akron, OH) 91.3 WAPS Akron/Canton and 90.7 WKTL Youngstown/Warren/Struthers will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 6am, noon, and 6pm on Thanksgiving.
95.9 FM The Fox (Stamford/Norwalk, CT) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 9am and 3pm on Thanksgiving.
WXRT 93.1 FM (Chicago, IL) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon on Thanksgiving.
WXKR 94.5 FM (Toledo, OH) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon and 6pm on Thanksgiving.
WPLR 99.1 FM (New Haven, CT) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 6am, noon and 6pm.
WPNH 100.1 FM The Planet (Plymouth, NH) will air “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon.
WRKI 95.1 FM i-95 (Brookfield, CT) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 8am, noon, and 5pm on Thanksgiving.
KRCC 91. 5 FM (Colorado Springs, CO) will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 7pm on Thanksgiving.
Wyoming Public Radio will air “Alice’s Restaurant” at 11am during the “Wyoming Sounds Thanksgiving Special.”
WJPR 1640 AM (Highland Park/Edison, NJ): Airs “Alice’s Restaurant” every Thanksgiving at midnight, 4am, and noon.
Online Radio Stations:
The Big 8 CKLW plans to play “Alice’s Restaurant” on Thursday at 8am, Noon, 4pm and 8pm eastern time.
The Whip Radio will play “Alice’s Restaurant” four times on Thanksgiving: 8am, 12 noon, 5pm and 9pm Central time.
Charles Laquidara Radio will air “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon and 5pm Eastern time on Thanksgiving.
Totally 80s FM will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon Eastern time on Thanksgiving.
Classic70s80s.com will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon ET and 6pm ET on Thanksgiving.
REC-FM will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 11am Eastern time.
Time Capsule Audio Network will play “Alice’s Restaurant” at 6 am, 3 pm and 11 pm Eastern time.
