Episode 461: Billiken Blues LIVE at Institute 193 (w/ special guests Jesse Montgomery and Devin Thomas O'Shea)
Summary
This live episode of Trillbilly Worker's Party features a discussion of the Kentucky bobcat hunting bill and a humorous crowd vote on potential new Lexington murals to replace a removed Jelly Roll artwork. The show then transitions to an interview with author Jesse Montgomery, who discusses his book on the Young Patriots, a radical Appalachian organization in 1960s Chicago that utilized country music and the confederate flag to build working-class solidarity. Finally, the hosts speak with Devin about his book on the Veiled Prophet Society, exploring its KKK origins and its confrontation by …
Topics discussed
Caller comments on UK mascot and Iran-US tensions
Caller on Todd Blanche, IRS audits, and show feedback
Live show introduction and rust-knocking
Safety planning for live show: mass shooter protocols
Lexington local news and art gallery updates
Discussion on mural removal and martyr iconography
Audience vote on new mural subjects: Kirk, Thompson, OceanGate
Introduction of guests Jesse and Devin and their books
Jesse's book: Young Patriots and Appalachian migration
Young Patriots as radical community organizers in Chicago
Role of country music and bars in Young Patriots identity
Reappropriation of the Confederate flag by the Panthers
Legacy of Young Patriots and white working-class organizing
Devin's book: Introduction to the Veiled Prophet of Khoran
Veiled Prophet origins: 1877 strike and KKK connections
Veiled Prophet and post-WWII world order construction
Percy Green and civil rights protests at VP events
1972 debutante ball protest and Monsanto connection
Modern Veiled Prophet society and rebranding efforts
Billiken segment: Origins and Inuit ivory hoax
Billiken context: Economic panic and spiritualism craze
Florence Pretz and the creation of the Billiken doll
Billiken as amateur psychiatrist and SLU mascot
Billiken legacy, royalties, and economic impact
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