KANU

On air

Schedule details coming soon.

KANU · KS

Bluegrass

About the show

Bob McWilliams is a monumental figure in the Midwestern roots music community and an acclaimed, multi-genre broadcaster. Holding a Bachelor's and Master's degree in history from the University of Kansas and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Harvard Law School, Bob famously realized he far preferred the radio console to the courtroom. He joined the airwaves at KANU in 1983 and went on to launch his signature weekend roots program, Trail Mix, in 1994 on Kansas Public Radio (KPR). Bob’s massive impact on the cultural landscape stretches far beyond the microphone. For over two decades, he served as the founder and director of West Side Folk, a highly successful acoustic concert series that brought top-tier roots talent directly to Lawrence, Kansas. His legendary, multi-decade dedication to broadcasting and community arts culminated in April 2025, when the Kansas Arts Commission officially presented him with the prestigious Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Artistic Achievement. On-Air Style & Sound A Curated Potpourri: True to the show's title, Trail Mix is a beautifully balanced, acoustic potpourri blending Americana, singer-songwriter folk, alternative country, bluegrass, traditional folk, and Celtic music. Meticulous Song Stitching: Because the playlist features a heavy predominance of vocal tracks, Bob spends a tremendous amount of time carefully crafting his sets so that the tracks seamlessly connect in terms of themes, topics, and tempos. The Grassroots Search: Operating on Bob's philosophy that the best acoustic music lives on miniscule or self-released indie labels, he proactively hunts down obscure musical gems to share alongside roots icons like Doc Watson and Alison Krauss. The Vinyl Vault: Bob frequently digs deep into KPR's massive, historic physical vinyl collection to spin rare, hard-to-find archival tracks that aren't available anywhere on modern streaming platforms. National Chart Authority: Bob serves as an official national chart reporting DJ for the Americana Music Association and the NACC Folk Charts, submitting his weekly broadcast data to help calculate the top roots recordings in the country.