It's a three-fer this week!

First, in the summer of 1970, you couldn't pass through the un-airconditioned parts of Los Angeles without hearing radios blaring "Viva Tirado," the groundbreaking hit from El Chicano ... an East LA band who were the first Latino group to play The Apollo. We get the story from band member Bobby Espinoza. 

Then, as KPCC's Adolfo Guzman Lopez works on his new podcast, The Forgotten Revolutionary - the new season of Imperfect Paradise from LAist Studios - we listen back to an early instance of Adolfo talking about his background on KPCC ... the occasion being the time he was name-checked on "The Simpsons." 

And finally, we listen to the trailer for The Forgotten Revolutionary, which is about Oscar Gomez, a tragic star of the Chicano rights movement, whose radio show used "Viva Tirado" as its theme song. It's also about Adolfo's history as an activist, which he is revealing for the first time as he explores what happened to Gomez.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

(Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.)

With Governor Newsom contemplating mandatory water restrictions - because we are actually using MORE water this year, despite his warnings - it seems like a good time to bring back the time Sanden Totten, now the host of Brains On, took a timed Navy shower back in 2015 ... on the radio.

The Navy shower is a strategy for getting clean when you're on a boat with limited freshwater, and lots of sweaty seafarers in line behind you. (People in the Navy apparently call landlubber showers "Hollywood showers.")

In this episode, Sanden also chats with an astronaut about how they use and reuse water in space. And drink what used to be pee. You have been warned.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

(Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.)

80-year old portrait artist Don Bachardy saw Angelina Jolie naked, Kevin Ferguson saw something disturbing in "Batman Returns," Jerry Siegel's daughter sees him in his Superman typewriter.

In 1968, KPCC editor Paul Glickman's mom wrote to Charles Schulz, asking him to integrate Peanuts. Franklin was born. Plus: a tribute to Chandler, Pierce College Farm Center, and the harpsichord.

Jim Tully, rescued from obscurity; Canadian v American Thanksgiving; Getty Research Institutes World War 1 exhibit; the big (art) heroes behind "Big Hero 6"

Let's all sing "Happy Birthday" to the Disney Organ, 10 years old; water witchery is debunked, but still popular; Merv Griffin interviews now memorialized on 12 DVDs.

A variety of vets weigh in on Veterans Day; Caitlin Doughty gives her cat The Meow a "good death;" DrinkLA saves you time, money, tastebuds; SCOTUS frees Sherlock Holmes

Hello Kitty turns 40; Skirball exhibit celebrates the enemies of the Nazis who changed Hollywood; Patt Morrison tells us about the devastating drought of the 1800s.

Remembering: Breakthrough TV with Norman Lear, Oscar de la Renta with a fashion design student, our loved ones with Caitlin Doughty and "the good death," James Brown and the TAMI concert

The Flesh Eaters reunite to tell the story of their album "A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die," Kevin Ferguson has lunch with Tommy Lasorda at his favorite restaurant, we meet the sole survivor of a disaster you probably haven't heard about.