Fred Toucher’s 50th Birthday Extravaganza: Podcasts and Video

We pulled out all the stops for Fred Toucher's 50th Birthday show. Because it's not every day you turn the big 5-0.

If you're new to Toucher & Hardy, today's show was a pretty good example of what we're all about. Plenty of sports talk, lots of laughs. And if you're a long-time listener, you were treated to birthday greetings from some friends of the show.

Below you'll find a brief rundown, complete with podcasts so you can listen (or revisit) hour by hour. You can also watch (or rewatch) the entire show on YouTube. We're live every day, by the way. Just head over here to YouTube.

The show started, oddly enough, with a bit on Mark Wahlberg's "Rise & Grind-set," after a birthday greeting from Guy From Machine. Then we recapped the Celtics loss to Toronto in What Happened Last Night before covering Drake Maye's engagement.

Sports Hub night host Joe Murray sent along a lengthy birthday greeting for Fred, as did old friend Adolfo. You get both of those, sandwiched around some talk about Tom Brady's conflict of interest as an NFL owner and Fox Sports broadcaster.

Birthday wishes from "Henry Rollins," Mike Gorman and more highlighted a full hour of the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan in studio. Andrew put together a special Fred's Birthday Edition of 2 Stats & 1 Lie, which ended with a big surprise.

Fred's big birthday gift from the show was a surprise call-in from Al Cole from CBS Radio, who we all adore. We wrapped up with Email, The Stack, and more birthday greetings, including a song from Esoteric of Czarface.

Watch the full show below.

The second in a series of Toucher & Hardy musical primers, this 90s alt playlist will bring you back to the days of Docs and flannel.

My name is Adam 12, Executive Producer of the Toucher & Hardy show, weekday mornings from 6-10 on 98.5 the Sports Hub. I have a handful of responsibilities that come along with that role. One of said responsibilities is the music.

I'm a music fan first and foremost, so I've been putting a lot of thought and effort into picking the songs that, for all intents and purposes, soundtrack the show every morning. Quite a few of you have noticed that effort and reached out.

Your reaching out has resulted in my most recent undertaking: posting playlists of the songs you hear on Toucher & Hardy. I started with this hip hop playlist, packed with Golden Age gems and some newer tracks you might not be wise to.

Next, we rock. Because that's something that Fred, Hardy and I all have in common. We three spent time in alternative rock radio in the 90s, so there's plenty of common ground and shared experiences there. Too many stories. Too many forgotten nights.

If my hip hop playlist leaned more Fred, this one leans more Hardy. Sure, there's stuff we all dig here. But as I've mentioned before, the name of the game is using tunes to put my hosts in the right headspace. And I know what my guy Hardy likes.

I hope you like it, too. I'm starting with 12 songs, of course. Maybe I'll come back with another 12 another time. It's 90s alt rock, after all; I could easily drop 1200 on you. I do have quite a bit of expertise.

A Boston rock radio staple. First FNX, then BCN. Long live Buffalo Tom. They're still playing live, too. See them if you're able.

I threw this one on the day after I saw Dino Jr open for Weezer at the Garden. I'd forgotten how good it is; now it's part of the rotation.

Hey, were you at that Gin Blossoms show at Cary Hall in Lexington a few years back? Did you see the guy in the Titleist hat and three-quarter zip singing along to every lyric of every song? Yeah, that was Hardy.

The intro and outro from this non-hit single from the band's 1998 album Clarity is just begging to be used as a music bed.

I could've done an entire Alt Country playlist, to be honest. Hardy and I have a lot of love for that particular genre. Maybe somewhere down the road.

A listener suggestion that has now made the regular rotation. Nicholas loves when I throw this one on.

This one was in the system when I took over as Executive Producer and was scouring the database for decent music beds. 90s one-hit wonder in effect.

Another listener request, but one I would've gotten around to eventually. The Pumpkins are one of my all-time faves and the intro here is perfect for what we need it to be.

Remember that song "Super Bon Bon?" Well, those guys did this song, too. This drum beat pops up in my head from time to time on a loop. It's catchy like that.

Fred's one of the few music fan friends I know that backs me on this take: Sugar is better than Husker Du and solo Bob Mould.

Another fave of both Hardy's and mine. Urge Overkill's Saturation and Exit The Dragon are criminally underrated in the 90s alt rock cannon.

One more for Hardy, one more for the road.