“Psychedelic Rick” Shafrick, …gone too soon.
The WESU community is in shock by the sudden loss of one our own. Rick Shafrick aka ‘Psychedelic Rick’ was the quintessential community radio DJ. Anyone who was lucky enough to befriend Rick knows that he was the real McCoy. Equally eager and able to cover airtime for his fellow WESU DJs (no matter the genre), Rick’s audience was much larger than those who dutifully listened to his 16 year running Sunday night WESU cornerstone program, The Psychedelicatessen. Beyond hosting his own show and assisting so many others at WESU, for many years on and off, Rick also put his cavernous collection of live bootleg recording archives to work producing The WESU Late Night Concert Series, which was always a treat to hear.
Rick loved being a WESU DJ and was always excited welcome new students and community volunteers to our team, alike – he probably hosted more DJ interns than any other WESU staff member. Rick also loved hosting live performances in our studios and was happy to help fellow DJs engineer their live studio gigs on many occasions. For this, he was respected and admired by his peers and the artists that he helped bring to the airwaves. Listeners revered Rick for playing those long deep cuts that corporate FM radio never even considered – heck, he’d play the full album (and often did)! A friend to all who crossed his path, Psychedelic Rick was the king of kind gestures, concerts, road trips, and caffeine.
This is certainly not the first time we’ve lost a member of the WESU community but it’s particularly painful to lose such a prominent figure so suddenly. I’ll miss his enthusiasm, the amazing stories of who he was connecting with (across the globe) through the Psychedelicatessen, and like so many of you – I’ll really miss his friendship. Most of all, I will miss hearing Psychedelic Rick on air. Sunday nights will never be the same at WESU. On behalf of Wesleyan University and the entire WESU family, we send love and condolences to all grieving the loss of our great friend.
Here’s a link to Rick’s Obituary
Click the links below, for some great radio tributes!
R I P Rick . I always ( unless severely altered state and away from a radio ) made sure on Sunday night to listen to the psychedelicatessen . I guess it was kinda like church , the only thing I did religiously. There’s was really no one except you Rick that spun the album cuts I grew up with. I turned so many onto you. No disappointments. Your leaving has left a void for many I’m sure. This sucks. I’m know your now partying with friends who went forth before you . Gone but never forgotten. Stay cool man.
miss ya man.
Wild Bill
A true Legend at WESU and beyond. Rick was the real deal, no false facades or bullshit. Rick was a friend to everyone he met and basically too good for this World. Our own lives were enriched by Rick’s gentile and wide-eyed approach to life.
It is terribly sad to see a closed sign hanging on the door of the Psychedelicatessan.
Rick may have physically left us, but his spirit remains in WESU’s Studios A and B. His was a kindred spirit we should openly connect to in order to live a full life.
If Radio is truly Theater of the Mind, than Rick will live forever in our hearts and minds at WESU.