Viking Youth Power Hour
Encyclopedia
Viking Youth Power Hour is a podcast
originating from Chicago
, Illinois
.
As part of the first wave of podcasts to hit the internet, recording their first show shortly after New Years 2004, the Vikings, along with Madge Weinstein
's "Yeast Radio" became the Chicago media's focal point illustrating "podcasting is the ideal field to bring a real voice back to the people". Featured in Chicago
magazine, The Red Eye, a cover article on New City, and a feature interview on Ken Wilber's show "Integral Naked" the Vikings were lauded as keeping "a new trend interesting instead of participating in the inevitable fight to make it yesterday’s news" by New City editors when they were chosen as Chicago's Favorite Podcast by editors and readers in 2005. They were nominated for best adult podcast at PodCastAwards.com first annual awards and in 2008 they were reconfirmed as Chicago's Best Podcast being voted "Best Podcast" in the Chicago Reader's "Best Of Chicago 2008 Readers Poll" .
In 2005 the Viking Youth Power Hour became the first ever podcast
to record their show on the playa at the Burning Man
festival at Black Rock City, Nevada
. Returning in 2006, the Vikings drove a 1991 Ford-Thomas school bus converted to run on Waste Vegetable Oil
in order to raise awareness of alternative fuel sources. The Vikings also contributed to Burning Man Information Radio's first on-playa daily newscasts.
The Viking Youth Power Hour covers issues that mainstream media typically ignores. Some of these efforts have included helping disseminate information on detailing 'astro turf' organizations efforts to undermine net neutrality, and issuing information on surviving possible future influenza outbreaks.
Past guests have included Burning Man
Temple Artist David Best, author Cory Doctorow
on his book Little Brother
, Daniel Pinchbeck
discussing his book 2012 and the value and implications of drug induced possession states, Alex & Allyson Grey
, Paul Laffoley
, Glen E. Friedman
, Jim DeRogatis
on his book about The Flaming Lips
"Staring At Sound", Hunter S. Thompson
biographer Wayne Ewing, author Erik Davis
, Ken Goffman aka R.U. Sirius, Ken Gumbs on his documentary "Building Gods", Tom LaPorte presenting his interview with Abbie Hoffman
taken during the Chicago 7 Conspiracy Trial, and Disinfo
rmation's Jason Louv among others.
They have not made a podcast since February 5, 2009.
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
originating from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
As part of the first wave of podcasts to hit the internet, recording their first show shortly after New Years 2004, the Vikings, along with Madge Weinstein
Madge Weinstein
Madge Bertha Weinstein is a fictional Internet personality who maintains Yeast Radio, which has developed a cult following and is among the 50 most-subscribed-to podcasts...
's "Yeast Radio" became the Chicago media's focal point illustrating "podcasting is the ideal field to bring a real voice back to the people". Featured in Chicago
Chicago (magazine)
Chicago is a monthly magazine published by the Tribune Company. It concentrates on lifestyle and human interest stories, and on reviewing restaurants, travel, fashion, and theatre from or nearby Chicago. Its circulation in 2004 was 165,000, larger than People in its market...
magazine, The Red Eye, a cover article on New City, and a feature interview on Ken Wilber's show "Integral Naked" the Vikings were lauded as keeping "a new trend interesting instead of participating in the inevitable fight to make it yesterday’s news" by New City editors when they were chosen as Chicago's Favorite Podcast by editors and readers in 2005. They were nominated for best adult podcast at PodCastAwards.com first annual awards and in 2008 they were reconfirmed as Chicago's Best Podcast being voted "Best Podcast" in the Chicago Reader's "Best Of Chicago 2008 Readers Poll" .
In 2005 the Viking Youth Power Hour became the first ever podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
to record their show on the playa at the Burning Man
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
festival at Black Rock City, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. Returning in 2006, the Vikings drove a 1991 Ford-Thomas school bus converted to run on Waste Vegetable Oil
Vegetable oil used as fuel
Vegetable oil is an alternative fuel for diesel engines and for heating oil burners. For engines designed to burn diesel fuel, the viscosity of vegetable oil must be lowered to allow for proper atomization of the fuel, otherwise incomplete combustion and carbon build up will ultimately damage the...
in order to raise awareness of alternative fuel sources. The Vikings also contributed to Burning Man Information Radio's first on-playa daily newscasts.
The Viking Youth Power Hour covers issues that mainstream media typically ignores. Some of these efforts have included helping disseminate information on detailing 'astro turf' organizations efforts to undermine net neutrality, and issuing information on surviving possible future influenza outbreaks.
Past guests have included Burning Man
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
Temple Artist David Best, author Cory Doctorow
Cory Doctorow
Cory Efram Doctorow is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licences for his books...
on his book Little Brother
Little Brother (Cory Doctorow novel)
Little Brother is a novel by Cory Doctorow, published by Tor Books. It was released on April 29, 2008. The novel is about several teenagers in San Francisco who, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge and BART system, defend themselves against the...
, Daniel Pinchbeck
Daniel Pinchbeck
Daniel Pinchbeck is an author living in New York’s East Village, where he is editorial director of Reality Sandwich, a blog website centered around New Age philosophy and activism. He is the author of Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism and 2012:...
discussing his book 2012 and the value and implications of drug induced possession states, Alex & Allyson Grey
Alex Grey
Alex Grey is an American artist specializing in spiritual and psychedelic art that is sometimes associated with the New Age movement. Grey is a Vajrayana practitioner. His body of work spans a variety of forms including performance art, process art, installation art, sculpture, visionary art, and...
, Paul Laffoley
Paul Laffoley
Paul Laffoley is a U.S. artist and architect. As an architect working for Emery Roth & Sons, Laffoley worked for 18 months on design for the World Trade Center Tower II. As a painter, his work is usually classified as visionary art or outsider art...
, Glen E. Friedman
Glen E. Friedman
Glen E. Friedman is an American photographer and artist.Coming to prominence in the 1980s with his photography of skateboarders and musicians, Friedman is considered one of the most important photographers of his generation.He is perhaps best known for his work promoting rebellious artists such as...
, Jim DeRogatis
Jim DeRogatis
James "Jim" DeRogatis is an American music critic and co-host of Sound Opinions. DeRogatis has written articles for magazines such as Spin, Guitar World and Modern Drummer, and for fifteen years was the pop music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.He joined Columbia College Chicago as a full-time...
on his book about The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
"Staring At Sound", Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
biographer Wayne Ewing, author Erik Davis
Erik Davis
Erik Davis is a North American writer, social historian, cultural critic and lecturer.He is noted for his study of the history of technology and society and his essays about the fate of the individual in the dawning posthuman era...
, Ken Goffman aka R.U. Sirius, Ken Gumbs on his documentary "Building Gods", Tom LaPorte presenting his interview with Abbie Hoffman
Abbie Hoffman
Abbot Howard "Abbie" Hoffman was a political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party ....
taken during the Chicago 7 Conspiracy Trial, and Disinfo
Disinfo
The Disinformation Company is a privately held, limited American publishing company that focuses in current affairs titles and seeks to expose disinformation. It is headquartered in New York City, New York...
rmation's Jason Louv among others.
They have not made a podcast since February 5, 2009.