Heellllooooooooo TOM! -The Return of Tom Leykis

Heellllooooooooo TOM! -The Return of Tom Leykis

Today is an important day for Los Angeles history. Today, you see, or for what it's worth, listen to the return of Tom Leykis on our Los Angeles radio air waves.

Now I get into a lot of debates whenever this topic comes up that I really enjoy the Tom Leykis show. Let me get a couple things out of the way. I listen to NPR daily. One of my favorite shows is This American Life and while I do enjoy a nice glass of wine, I really enjoy a nice cold beer at a dive bar. It's the beauty of walking that line. Or for that matter, having some acceptance towards views that aren't your own.

I'll admit, The Tom Leykis Show was pretty intense in terms of his views. But you have to understand that it was a show that had some comical elements to it. Some of the subject matter or his expressed views were a bit over the top, but it was done so on purpose. I would relate it to watching day time talk shows. He expressed a shocking view point and callers chimed in their opinions and got berated by him. It was very entertaining. More to the point, I actually agreed with his opinion on current affairs and matters in politics.



It was open, honest and very brutally direct. It wasn't for everyone and his views towards marriage, given that he had four failed ones, as well as relationships in general were stuff that women hated. He likes to consider himself a feminist, in the same nature that I do - Everyone being equal. Which did question the whole "Who pays" and traditional roles that many women like to reap only the benefits of. Tom Leykis shells out real world advice. Yes, his relationship stuff can be a little extreme, but hey, he's a shock jock.

The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis was NOT the "Tom Leykis Show". You may have been angered by his Leykis 101 segments or educated by "Ask the atheist" or just entertained by his callers level of stupidity. The Tasting Room was not the same show by a mile. The Tasting Room, described like this on its website.

The first of its kind, The Tasting Room is a lifestyle themed program for men with a taste for the finer things in life. From fine wine, high-end spirits, & craft brews to first-rate dining & premium cigars, Leykis covers it all in this weekly two-hour, on-air ride through every man's wish list.

Leykis has proven to be a huge ratings draw with churning discussions that keep Americans listening every day on The Tom Leykis Show. His opinions are thought provoking and his unconventional perspective on dating, relationships and politics have made him one of America's top radio personalities.

It was something that you wouldn't normally hear on the FM dial. Especially not on a commercial radio station. Even if beer companies advertise heavily, it was a lifestyle program that wouldn't be found beyond your local public radio stations. It took the educational aspects of a KCRW/KPCC food show and applied it to wine/beer/food

Considering how much of a foodie I am, and while I'm sure I'm not in the "I have a problem" stage, I love to drink. Wine, Beer and all-ends(high and low) spirits. I like to get out there and try new food and drink all the time, and it's not just to review them. The Tasting Room was a show that had interviews with the makers and it was a good way to introduce you to something you might not have tried on your own. Let's face it, walking into a wine section of any reputable store can be a little daunting and intimidating.



The Tasting Room gave you that education on what different terms meant and how to actually taste and sample a little bit of that good life. I learned a lot from the show and I was introduced to a lot more wines because of it. I may not have had much respect for chardonnay prior, but after tasting GOOD chardonnay, I took trips up to the Russian River Valley to really get some good bottles and tastings.

When KLOS 97.1 changed formats to a top 40's station early last year, it killed the shows that were broadcasting out of there. Namely The Tom Leykis Show as well as The Tasting Room and we have been without Tom on the radio since then. The wait for new shows is over as you see, Tom Leykis is coming back to radio today!

Tom Leykis is returning to local radio. Starting Feb. 25, he will be on KGIL/1260 AM – “Retro 1260 AM” - from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursdays with his lifestyle program called “The Tasting Room.”

While it's not the shock program that the Tom Leykis Show is, I can easily say that I'm extremely happy for this news. It's a great way for you to learn about what you are drinking. And even if you're not a wine drinker, the beer talk that happened on the show as well as the mixology was always beyond educational. I'm sure anyone could walk away from a two hour program and be a better drinker.. and most of all, better bartender for their own little private gatherings at home.



I know I'll be listening in tonight, even if it's an AM station. I mean, when was the last time you even touched the AM dial on your radio? I'm sure most people actually forgot it existed. A little ironic because Tom did mention many times on his other show that AM is where radio host go to die. Considering that there is no FM commercial station that has a talk format, I guess it's the only option.

You know, now that I think about it, I know when the last time the AM dial had any sort of exciting news, it was this day in 1942 when an unidentified thing in the sky caused L.A. to go stir crazy and sound alarms. Yeah, we were in the middle of a war and we were sort of expecting a surprise attack by Japan like they pulled on Pearl Harbor, but in the end it turned out to be some weather balloon.



That may sound like some alien cover up bullshit, right? It's not. During the night of 24/25 February 1942, unidentified objects caused a succession of alerts in southern California. And while 1,440 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition were directed against what was suppose to be Japanese planes, they suffered no losses. Yeah, there may have been reports that four enemy planes had been shot down, and one "landed" in flames at a Hollywood intersection, but those were nothing more than smoke being blown, unlike with Tom, the only smoke blown there is from a nice Cuban Cigar.

So listen in tonight on your AM dial to the Tasting Room with Tom Leykis. You'll be surprised by how much you learn from it. It could be very ear opening.

Now to take myself out with a Lacey Peterson..