Alternative Famous Firsts
Kevin Mays
Program Director
WBTZ (99.9 The Buzz) & Classic Rock 106.7 WIZN/Burlington, VT
I was a senior in high school working at a Country station in Richmond, VA, WTVR-FM doing automated weekend overnights, Midnight-8am.
I think it was Duran Duran at Hampton Coliseum in maybe 83, I'm sure my parents dragged me to others but I remember asking to go to this one.
Was an 8-Track – Cars "Panorama"
Phone interview with Mike D from Beastie Boys while in college at Virginia Commonwealth University, that was real a mess.
Working overnights at that first gig in Richmond, it was reel to reel automated with live assist, so I had plenty of time to run to 7-11 on the corner during sweeps until one of the reels stopped while I was out. Had dead air for about 15 minutes, it was 3am so no one ever noticed, but I swore I would get fired for that one.
Dallas Osborn
On-Air & Audacy Alternative Social Captain
KKDO/Sacramento, WDZH/Detroit, WSFS/Miami, KITS (LIVE 105)/San Francisco
September 2007: Street Team ("Action Team") at LIVE 105
Metallica in Austin, TX at 3 years old. Remember being on my mom's shoulders and beer being spilled on me from a deck above.
Bought Fountains of Wayne “Welcome Interstate Managers” & Maroon 5's “Harder To Breathe” together in June 2003.
Janelle Monae came into my college radio station at San Francisco State in March 2010 ahead of a show at 320-cap SF venue Cafe Du Nord. We talked about Star Wars.
Audio Vault freezing on a weekend shift at LIVE 105 in the early 2010s led to frantically running around the station for CDs to play until an engineer called back. The Killers' “Hot Fuss” got some extra love that day.
Mike Jones
Tour Guide for the Afternoon Adventure
WWDC (DC101)/Washington
Board Op for CBS Radio in Baltimore. Weekend overnights running the board for ESPN Radio / babysitting the other stations but I got to learn a lot quickly about everything with so much time on my hands!
My family went to Carowinds Amusement Park and, after a day of roller coasters and fun, we took in the Robert Palmer concert. I was too young to appreciate the whole show but I do remember singing along to “Simply Irresistible”!
I got Metallica’s Black Album and Rush’s greatest hits collection Chronicles on the same day and they’re still two of my favorite things to listen to.
Aside from a few local musicians for college radio, my first for commercial radio interview was Matt Sharp from The Rentals / former bassist for Weezer. It ended up being a good chat but I was nervous as a hooker in church!
Oh it still haunts me! I accidentally took Jack-FM in Baltimore off the air by shutting the wrong computer down. There wasn’t much dead air, because we had the CDs and the printed log to follow, but one of the engineers had to come in to fix things. On a Saturday. CHRISTMAS EVE Saturday. I felt terrible and I hope the guy doesn’t hate me because he did not have a pleasant attitude about it. SORRY!
