This hour: Listening to the night. 

Lights Out
by Delaney Hall (In the Dark, 2011)
On the night of July 13, 1977, a complete blackout spread through all five boroughs of New York City.  Right before the chaos and mayhem of that night began, two young DJs - Disco Wiz and Grandmaster Cassanova Fly - were spinning records in a duel on a busy corner in the Bronx. Then, everything went dark and some say hip-hop was born.

Conversations in the Dark
by Colette Kinsella (RTE, 2011)
During the day, zoos are bustling. At night, when the people leave and the animals get a bit of privacy, naturally, it quiets down (a bit). But, as it turns out, some conversations are just beginning.

Twenty-four Hour Pawn 
by Mary Beth Kirchner (All Things Considered, 2003)
Certain places are magnets for night owls - clubs, theaters, casinos, and near one Las Vegas casino, a 24-hour pawn shop. 

Nocturne
by Cathy Fitzgerald and Neville Edwards (The National Gallery Podcast, 2009)
Who can say what goes on inside a museum at night? Plenty of movie makers have imagined fantastic ideas of inanimate objects coming to life once the doors are locked. But really, isn’t it all just art on the walls and drowsy security guards?  Maybe. But then again, maybe not.  

Singing Sanitation Worker
by George Bodarky (WFUV, 2004)
In the wee hours of the morning the insomniacs are finally falling asleep, the donuts are being made, a few early birds are heading to work. In New York, garbage men are finishing up their shift.