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One of the best parts about living in Kalamazoo—you might be surprised, but there are actual nice things about living there—is Western Michigan University’s radio station, WIDR. And one of the best things on WIDR is the long-running show SwaG!, an hour of high weirdness hosted by the enigmatic Bat Guano, a man obsessed with archaic kitsch, bizarre sonic oddities, psychedelic weirdness, noise, and surf guitars. The show’s blend of the insane and the inane makes an unsettling mixture that, depending on your mood and the quality of the broadcast, can be either the most interesting radio you’ve ever heard or else completely irritating on a level you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else on the dial—Christian rock radio included. Interested parties can find a small archive of past shows here. I recommend listening with friends.