1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: Podcast, Play Around Well on Buddsnight, the host of the 2 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk podcast, Music History on Foot. Follow us 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. 4 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: And today we have a member of Boston Radio Royalty 5 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: as our guest, and it's so much fun too that 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: we're actually taking a walk. It's still winter, but it's 7 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: almost spring in the beautiful town of Lemonster. Our guest 8 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: is a proud military wife entrepreneur and she also has 9 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: recreated her career in a really big way. Mistress Carrie, 10 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast. What's up, Blabs? 11 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: You really do walk on this thing? This is awesome. 12 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: We prefer that we sort of defer to the weather 13 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: elements from the time, and sometimes it's a saunter, but 14 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: that's okay too. This is nice. It's beautiful out today. 15 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: Your hair looks beautiful, purple, very purply in the sun. Yeah, 16 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: it doesn't blend well, that's for sure. It's awesome. So 17 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:15,839 Speaker 1: it's so nice to meet you. I feel like I've 18 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: known you without meeting you, but now in person this 19 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: is even better. Yeah, right back at you. So, how 20 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: did you get hooked on music? When did you know 21 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: you were hooked on music. I tell people it's the 22 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: greatest gift my mom ever gave me. My mom is 23 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: one of those music lovers with no musical talent, but 24 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: loved music and it was such a huge part of 25 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: her life that like, she would determine parts and eras 26 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: of her life based on the music that she was 27 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: listening to. And she was always that person that could 28 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: name that tune on the radio and you know, five seconds. 29 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: And so she really gifted me with this passion of music. 30 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: And my parents one of their first dates was to 31 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: go see Chicago and I think it was the Beach Boys, 32 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: like way back in the day. And my mom's greatest love, 33 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: her favorite band is the Beatles, and so for me, 34 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: that's the soundtrack. I call it the soundtrack to your childhood, 35 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 1: the music that's around you as you grow up, and 36 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: the Beatles for me, that was that was it. So 37 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: when did you like have this radio dream? I never 38 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: dreamed about the radio. I always grew up listening to 39 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: WAF because I grew up in the suburbs. So for me, 40 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: you know, BCN was the city station and AAF was 41 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: the station that made it okay to be from the 42 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: urbs and I always dreamed growing up, you know, those 43 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: formative high school years in the eighties, that I was 44 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: going to work in a recording studio. That I looked 45 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: at the big control old board with all the buttons, 46 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: and I was like, I want to be the person 47 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: that knows what all of that does, and to be 48 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: kind of in the middle of the music. Because my 49 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: musical ability came and went with the marching band and 50 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: my clarinet in high school. And so after my freshman 51 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: year of college, I did an internship at a recording 52 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: studio and rather than it being Motley Crue, it was 53 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: a mariachi band in there, and I spent the summer 54 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: adjusting microphones for maroccas and I was like, this is 55 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: not what I kind of thought it was going to be. 56 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: And right around the corner was WAF and I had 57 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: to deliver some commercials that the studio had produced, and 58 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: I met the production director back then, Mitch Todd, and 59 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: he asked me how I liked my internship, and I 60 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: was kind of canned in with him and said not 61 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: so much. And he was like, what are you doing 62 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: for the rest of the summer. You should you should 63 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: intern for me, And so my first day in radio, 64 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: and I've got the T shirt to remember it by 65 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: was July one, nineteen ninety one, when Extreme played the 66 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: wafdjs in a game of celebrities softball. But I still 67 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: have the shirt. Sarah and Deputy though, right, what would 68 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: have happened if Mitch didn't reach out, you know, have 69 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: his moment of goodwill? I don't know, I mean it changed. 70 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 1: It changed my whole life. And there have been those 71 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: instances where opportunities have kind of come flippantly and I 72 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: look back and I'm like, man, that moment really changed 73 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: a lot of things. And that moment with Mitch really did. 74 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: Because once I saw the inside of a radio station, 75 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: you know, saw Bill Whiteman putting out his newport lights 76 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: on the old board of the AAF studio, and like 77 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: I bumped into Joan Jet in the hallway. She's the 78 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: first rock star I ever met, and I was like, 79 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: oh my god, this is where I belong, this is 80 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: what I should be doing leg home. Yeah, but I 81 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: never I always thought it was going to be a producer. 82 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: Like I never imagined I'd be the one on the 83 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: air that happened, you know, another chance offer that Thankfully, 84 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: I said yes to. But I think if you hadn't 85 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 1: had the Mitch encounter, there would have been some other 86 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 1: electricity moment that would have forced you into the business, 87 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: I would hope. So, I mean, I think that people 88 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 1: are kind of, you know, doing what they're supposed to 89 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 1: be doing, or at least end up doing what they 90 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: were supposed to do, and so I would like to 91 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: think that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. 92 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: And but you know, there were those moments that it 93 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: was like okay, wow, that literally changed the direction of 94 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: my whole life. So who that you had listened to 95 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: influenced you as you sort of shaped your own, you know, 96 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: voice yourself. I've had this really weird radio career where obviously, 97 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: up until recently, all of my radio exposure was WAF 98 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: literally everything. It's the station I grew up listening to, 99 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,799 Speaker 1: the station who's bumper stickers were on all my stuff 100 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: in high school because I used to grab them coming 101 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: out of the old Wister Centrum after I went and 102 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: saw bon Jovi or whatever. And so the only DJs 103 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: that I ever really listened to were on AF. The 104 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: only DJs I ever met worked for was able to 105 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: observe they were all of the DJs at WAFF, so 106 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: everyone from Mark Rez and Greg Hill and Liz Wild 107 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: and John australand and Opie and Anthony and Rocco, like, 108 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: these were the people that I was around all the time, 109 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: and so, I mean that was all I kind of knew. 110 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: I was born here, raised here, and worked at the 111 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 1: station for twenty nine years that I listened to while 112 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: I was in high school. Like, doesn't get any more 113 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: sheltered than that. It's a pretty killer story there when 114 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: you come down to it. And a great bunch of 115 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: people that you mentioned obviously at a time where you know, 116 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: radio was certainly different than it is now. Yeah, And 117 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: I got really lucky working for some of the greatest 118 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: program directors in rock I mean real visionaries, guys like 119 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: Ron Valeri and Dave Douglas and Keith Hastings and Ron 120 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: Valery again and most recently before AF went off the air, 121 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: Joe Calgaro. They were all people that lived the format, 122 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: loved the music, really believed in the station, and gave 123 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: you just enough room on the leash to either hang 124 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: yourself or make magic. And you never really knew which 125 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: one it was going to be, but it was fun. 126 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: It really is a delicate balance, isn't it. It really is, 127 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: especially in this format, I think more so than anything else, 128 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: is that you really can't go in those rooms and 129 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: fake it. In rock, the audience knows if you're one 130 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: of them or not, and if you're not, as soon 131 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: as you stepped foot out of the studio, you might 132 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: sound like one of them in the studio. If you're 133 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: able to fake it enough, you can't leave. And especially 134 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: now with the Internet and everything, it's really hard to 135 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: hide if you're not a real true rock fan. And 136 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: so to be able to live that lifestyle and to 137 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: be one with the audience and to be in the 138 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: middle of that F five tornado, you are on a 139 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: razor's edge all the time. You have to be. So 140 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: what made AAF so special? AAF? Excuse me WAAF? The 141 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: way I explain AAF to people that don't know the 142 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: Boston media market is that it's like the Boston New 143 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:47,559 Speaker 1: York rivalry. There's the big city, the international city that 144 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: everybody thinks of New York with all of its teams 145 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 1: and superstars and celebrities, and then there's the scrappy little 146 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: brother that's like one day I'm going to be bigger 147 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: than you and kick your ass, Bros. Boston, And the 148 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 1: same thing happened with rock radio in Boston between WBCN 149 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: and WAF is that AF was painted the Wister station, 150 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: the suburb station, the black t shirt station that played 151 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 1: the medal, And so we were always kind of a 152 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: little on the outside. And like Tom Brady getting drafted 153 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: at one ninety nine, that comes with a chip, and 154 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: that chip can either crush you or inspire you. And 155 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: for everybody that worked at WAF, regardless of what part 156 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: of the fifty year history of the station you had, 157 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: you wore that chip with pride and it pushed you 158 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: to be creative because we didn't have the budget that 159 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 1: the big stations did, and we didn't have the signal 160 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: that the big station in Boston did, and so we 161 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 1: had to claw our way from Wicester to Westboro to 162 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: downtown Boston and figure out a way to be magiver 163 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: and to be creative and to get scrappy and get 164 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,719 Speaker 1: our hands dirty and dive in with the audience. And 165 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: that works. It just works well. And I think also 166 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: the fact that when you are in that position in 167 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: your budget's lower, you just think wilder and bigger. You 168 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 1: have to when you have to have a staff that 169 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: believes in the mission that it's got to go straight 170 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: from the top down, from ownership to the GM, to 171 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 1: the PD, to the sales department, the engineers, the people 172 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: in accounting and payroll. Everyone has to be focused on 173 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: the same thing. And no matter what your job was 174 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: at a part time, full time, nights, weekends, after, it 175 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: didn't matter. Everyone had this focus that we are going 176 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: there and someday you're going to be the biggest rock 177 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: station in Boston and we are going to do it 178 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: in a way that puts everybody else out of business 179 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: and fuck the world. Pardon my French, but that was 180 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: just it. It was reckless, abandoned, blueface, brave heart, swords, 181 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: all of it, and we were all in, all of us. 182 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: But there was also the white glove aspect of things 183 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: that worked pretty well. Greg Hill and I talked about 184 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: this on his episode of the podcast. So you could 185 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 1: be bad ass, but you could also do great things 186 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: to help the community and to really be there when 187 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: the community needed you. I think that was important. It's 188 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: always been important, and I think that badass people do that. 189 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 1: I think you know, I'm a motorcycle rider, and the 190 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: motorcycle community, you know, while people might you know, raise 191 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: their nose at it or some of the most generous 192 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: and charitable people in that community is loyal and driven 193 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: and they take care of their own and so that 194 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: was always something that we were encouraged to do. That 195 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 1: everyone at WAF had a passion for a project that 196 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: benefited part of our community, and we were all encouraged 197 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: to pursue that and to be able to help and 198 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: to use the airwaves for more than just you know, 199 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: the goofy stuff. But the goofy stuff made the rest 200 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: of it possible, right, So what one thing could have 201 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: saved the station? You know, if possible, one thing, maybe 202 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: two things. I'll give you. I have been raked over 203 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: the coals for my less than subtle opinions over the 204 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: last few years. And it's not a it's not a 205 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: blame thing, and it's not an anger thing. I'll preface 206 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:59,359 Speaker 1: this by saying that I am forever grateful that entercom 207 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 1: or now allowed us the honor and huge thanks to 208 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: Mark Hannon for allowing us to send the station off 209 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: with grace the way, because that's not normal. So I 210 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: don't have any ill will towards anyone, but I think 211 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: rock more than any other format, requires a little bit 212 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: more commitment and passion, and I think, like I said before, 213 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 1: it has to be in every department. So you've got 214 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:33,200 Speaker 1: to have a sales department that understands the lifestyle of 215 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: the station and lives that brand along with the jocks 216 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: and everyone that are the face of the format. You've 217 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: got to have ownership that understands that, Okay, maybe dollar 218 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 1: for dollar the rock station in the building isn't going 219 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 1: to outperform the sports station in dollars or ratings, but 220 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: that it's an important piece of the overall puzzle of 221 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,960 Speaker 1: a radio cluster to have that audience. And I think 222 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 1: we see with rock bands with classic rock as a format. 223 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,960 Speaker 1: Rock fans are loyal almost to a fault. Once they 224 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: love you, they love you, and so for a station 225 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: like aaf buying and selling based on just people meter 226 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: doesn't really do the station justice. Because we were always 227 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: able to put money on the books based on the 228 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: passion of the audience. And one of the things that 229 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: we were really ahead of the curve on is viral content. 230 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 1: I mean, we had a television show on Univision at 231 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: midnight on Saturday nights, generating what would now be considered 232 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:53,320 Speaker 1: viral YouTube content in the mid nineties. And so I 233 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: think if anything, looking at the rock format nationally is 234 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: that I think you've got to have a singular vision, 235 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: and you've got to have a clear definition of success 236 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: for revenue and ratings, and you've got to have a 237 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 1: complete staff of people that just get it. And if 238 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: you have all of those things, I think you can 239 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: still be successful in rock. And if you don't have 240 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: all of those things, I think, you know, it just 241 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: doesn't It doesn't work. And you know, the post mortem 242 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: on this thing is three years in counting, and I still, 243 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: you know, wonder, you know, if we had done this 244 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: maybe or in post mortems are you know, sometimes useful 245 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: and sometimes useless. So yeah, I mean there's nothing that 246 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: can change it, That's right. I have gone from sad 247 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: it's gone to happy that I had it for so long. 248 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: I'm so fortunate that I was able to start my 249 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: career there and be the last one, you know, to 250 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: say anything on those airwaves. Mike she and I along 251 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: with our PD Joe Calgaro, or the three people in 252 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: the room when the station signed off at midnight, and 253 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: you know, I was just so lucky to be part 254 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: of something so special for so long. So as part 255 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: of your brand, and we'll get to what you're doing, 256 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: which I think is so fantastic, but as part of 257 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 1: your brand for so long, interviews have been a part 258 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: of what has been part of who you are and 259 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: great interviews. So who are some of your favorite folks 260 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: you've interviewed man over the years, And I know there's 261 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: a long list. Probably there is a long list, and 262 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: it I think starting at night on a rock station, 263 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: that's usually where they started all the new music. So 264 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: I was able to befriend a lot of bands when 265 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: they were still new and become friends with them. And 266 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: because AAF was such an influential station, we were able 267 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: to to make careers for bands that if you got 268 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 1: on the air at a yeah, it's just started the 269 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: ball rolling for you. And so you know, just over 270 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: the years, I mean, oh my god, the list of 271 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: bands that I haven't interviewed is way shorter than the 272 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: list of bands that I have. I mean, sitting down 273 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 1: with guys like Ozzy Osbourne, like you grow up listening 274 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:28,159 Speaker 1: to this guy and you're like wait, wait, what, like 275 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: I mean, just I don't know. I can't even I 276 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,639 Speaker 1: have an interviewed a Beatle that would probably be the 277 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:39,360 Speaker 1: career cap for me is to sit down. There's only 278 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 1: two of them left, so Paul Ringo if for listening. 279 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: I don't know. It's just there have been so many 280 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: over the years, like crazy interviews and crazy places, and 281 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 1: I'm still trying to digitize my archives because there's just 282 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,679 Speaker 1: I've got stuff on cassettes. I got stuff I forgot 283 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 1: that I did a lot of the stuff that. But 284 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: I think I remember the people that we lost to soon. 285 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 1: I think those are some of the most memorable. Just 286 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: be memorable just because they're not here anymore. So you 287 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: look at people like Scott Wiland or Chris Cornell or 288 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:14,360 Speaker 1: Dimebag Daryl or Chester Bennington. I just found an old 289 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,920 Speaker 1: Lincoln Park interview that I did when Chester and Mike 290 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 1: Shinoda were like eighteen years old in Hybrid Theory had 291 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: just come out, and all three of us sound like 292 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: Alvin and the Chipmunks, like we sound so young, And 293 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 1: to go back now and listen to the naivete of 294 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: all of us, and to see where all of those 295 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 1: bands ended up a legendary band. I mean Soundgarden might 296 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:39,880 Speaker 1: get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 297 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: this year. Like it's those are the moments that I think, 298 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: and it's sad because those are the artists that we 299 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: miss because they're not here anymore. Yeah, those are touch points. Yeah, 300 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:52,640 Speaker 1: I mean everybody else it's like, Okay, they're still around, 301 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 1: so there's still hope. I'm going to get another interview 302 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 1: out of them with another crazy story. But I think 303 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 1: the ones that mean so much now are the ones 304 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 1: that are this moment in time that are captured that 305 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 1: can't be duplicated again. Besides Beatles remaining Beatles, who else 306 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 1: is on your list to be your hit list? To guess? 307 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,399 Speaker 1: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page. I've only talked to Jimmy Page 308 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:20,959 Speaker 1: on the phone once, but I've never talked to Robert Plant. 309 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,359 Speaker 1: Believe it or not. John bon Jovi, who is literally 310 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: my high school idol, my first rock concert. I've never 311 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: been able to get a picture with him or do 312 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: an interview with him, and it was supposed to happen 313 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: in the pandemic screwed it up. So he is on 314 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 1: my very short list just because I spent so many 315 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:45,639 Speaker 1: years of my life like praying in the Church of 316 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: bon Jovi, that it's like I just want to meet 317 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: the God just once. But the list, like I said, 318 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: the list of artists that I haven't talked to is 319 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: pretty short. I've had a really fortunate thirty two years 320 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: your career in the business so far that I mean, 321 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: you know, when the first person you meet is Joan 322 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:12,920 Speaker 1: Jet and the first ever live radio interview you ever 323 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,400 Speaker 1: do in your career is Joe Perry and Stephen Tyler, 324 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 1: it's been a pretty magical career so far. Did you 325 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:25,359 Speaker 1: ever upset somebody with an interview question that you maybe 326 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: surprised you that they get upset? The only person that 327 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: I ever upset in an interview was Scott Wiland, and 328 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 1: I think it was more of it was a bad 329 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: day for him, but we ended up. I had just 330 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: recently he was out on tour with Velvet Revolver, and 331 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 1: I had just recently come home from one of my 332 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: trips embedded with the military overseas, and we started getting 333 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: into a debate about our troops and the war in Iraq, 334 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 1: And because I had just come home, I was and 335 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 1: I'm Sicilian and Portuguese that I was looking for a fight, 336 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: and I don't think he was in a mindset where 337 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,479 Speaker 1: he should have been fighting anybody either. So that was 338 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: really the only time that I had and I had 339 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: had interactions with him previously that were fantastic, so I 340 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 1: think it was just a bad day. But otherwise, no, 341 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: I've never you know, I try really hard to respect 342 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:25,919 Speaker 1: the artists and to find ways to talk about serious 343 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: things in a tasteful way because I'm not coming for 344 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 1: the gotcha thing. My whole mindset going into interviews is 345 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: I'm fortunate enough to be the one backstage. The people 346 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: listening wonder what that's like, and they wonder what their 347 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:45,920 Speaker 1: favorite rock stars are like when they're not on the stage, 348 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,720 Speaker 1: and I'm in a position to be able to show 349 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: them what that is, and so I want to. It's 350 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: personal for me. I want to get to know the 351 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: artists I love as people. Yeah, And you do make 352 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: them comfortable just by them, like realizing how authentic you are. Yeah. 353 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,200 Speaker 1: And it's coming from a real, genuine place. I love music. 354 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:10,919 Speaker 1: I love what I do. When the hardest thing for 355 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: me is interviewing people that I'm really good friends with 356 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: because I know stuff that I shouldn't know doing what 357 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: I do for a living. And so sometimes you know, 358 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: there's personal things that it's like, oh, I wish you 359 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: could ask them about that, but you don't because it's like, no, 360 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: that's their personal life, and I wouldn't even know to 361 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: ask the question if I wasn't friends with them. So 362 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 1: I just kind of leave that stuff off to the side. 363 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: But it's it's wanting to really get to know the 364 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:45,679 Speaker 1: people and the emotions and the experiences that get filtered 365 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 1: through them and into the music that's literally the soundtrack 366 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 1: for our lives. So I am so amazed at how 367 00:22:55,520 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: you've recreated life after WAAF and so happy for So 368 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 1: let's talk about this. The AAF ends and you're looking 369 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: around going what am I going to do? Yeah? What 370 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: am I going to do with my life? Well? First 371 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:12,479 Speaker 1: I went to Vegas because I was set to go 372 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 1: to Vegas for a radio convention anyway, and because the 373 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: company had already paid for the trip, they were like, 374 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 1: just go. So I had to scramble and get business 375 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:24,359 Speaker 1: cards made because every business card I had had the 376 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:26,919 Speaker 1: AAF phone numbers, the AF email, and the AF call 377 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: letters on it. So I was at staples, like the 378 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,400 Speaker 1: night before, trying to get business cards made and registering 379 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: an email address for myself. And I went to Vegas 380 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: and met a lot of people. And this was the 381 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: last week of February of twenty twenty. And then I 382 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,919 Speaker 1: came home to Boston and had some job interviews that 383 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: I thought went really, really well, and I thought, okay, 384 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: like I'm going to be okay. You know, I was 385 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,400 Speaker 1: scared to death. Like I said, I was fortunate enough 386 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: to twenty nine years in the same building and then 387 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: you wake up one day the station's gone. And I 388 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:03,360 Speaker 1: was like, Okay, it's gonna be different, but it's gonna 389 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:07,120 Speaker 1: be okay. And then COVID hit and all the stations 390 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 1: had hiring freezes and they started sending people home and 391 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: laying people off, and I was like, oh my god, 392 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: I don't know what to do now. And so I 393 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:23,479 Speaker 1: thought about it and I just said, you know, if 394 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: I don't have a place to work, I can't work 395 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:32,159 Speaker 1: this job. This business, this industry requires a place. And 396 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 1: so I thought, you know what I'm gonna I'm gonna 397 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: build my own studio. You know, I have the room 398 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: in the house. I'm gonna build my own studio, and 399 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: then I was like, well, if I'm gonna build a studio, 400 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: I gotta start a company because I want the text 401 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: write offs. So then I started my company and one 402 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:49,880 Speaker 1: of the guys that I worked with at AFR imaging, 403 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: guy Kaiser, gave me again some really life altering advice. 404 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,920 Speaker 1: And I didn't realize it was that life altering when 405 00:24:57,920 --> 00:24:59,399 Speaker 1: he gave it to me. And he was like, you 406 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: should go on Instagram or Facebook or something and just 407 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: let like people know how you're doing. Because I had 408 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 1: been posting up on social media and stuff, but I 409 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: hadn't gone live or anything. And I was like, all right, 410 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: and there's a room in my house where the bar 411 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:14,239 Speaker 1: is that we call the war Room. It's where all 412 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 1: my military stuff from my family is and the stuff 413 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: I've brought back from Iraq and Afghanistan. And so I 414 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 1: just tweeted out and put up on Facebook, Hey, get 415 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: a cocktail? Ready, Join me for a cocktail in the 416 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 1: war room. The room's been called the war Room since 417 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:29,119 Speaker 1: I bought the house. And I went live and like 418 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: eleven thousand people went live with me on Facebook and 419 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:35,200 Speaker 1: I was like, what the hell? And that was March 420 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 1: fourteenth of twenty twenty, and people were like, it's so 421 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 1: nice to see you. It's nice to hear you. You know, 422 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: we're going to get through this. I mean it was, 423 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 1: you know it was. They had just canceled the Saint 424 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 1: Patrick's Day parade. You know, Tom Brady was getting traded 425 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,479 Speaker 1: in the buccaneers. Like the world was literally falling apart 426 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 1: and AAF was gone. And so after about seventeen minutes, 427 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: I was like, all right, guys, I'm gonna let you go. 428 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 1: And everybody was like, will you come back tomorrow. Let's 429 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 1: do this again. So I did that for eighty nights 430 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 1: in a row to ride out the height of the pandemic, 431 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 1: and it became a show Cocktails in the Warroom, and 432 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: it was eighty nights in a row. I had logos made, 433 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: we made t shirts that we sold for charity off 434 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: my dining room table, and then I was able to 435 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:25,640 Speaker 1: keep that connection with the audience long enough to get 436 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,680 Speaker 1: the podcast lined up, to get the studio built, to 437 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:33,679 Speaker 1: get my website built, to get logos made, and I 438 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: used Cocktails in the war Room and they call themselves 439 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 1: the Warroom Family. I used the Warroom Family as the 440 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,880 Speaker 1: launch pad for the podcast. And so the podcast went 441 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,400 Speaker 1: live on June tenth of twenty twenty, and that's when 442 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 1: Cocktails in the war Room became the weekly show that 443 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: it is now two hundred and twenty four episodes later. 444 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:55,480 Speaker 1: So every Tuesday night at eight thirty Eastern, I go 445 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 1: live on Facebook to talk about whatever's going on music, 446 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: you know, the crazy world we live in, whatever, and 447 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 1: to talk about the podcast guest and to talk about 448 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,680 Speaker 1: the show, concerts that are coming around, tours that got announced, 449 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 1: and it's interactive so the fans can leave comments and 450 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,200 Speaker 1: let me know what they're doing. And then we started 451 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 1: taking the show out on the road, so call it 452 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: on deployment. I got another one coming up May sixth 453 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 1: or we're going to take the show out so people 454 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: can come and hang out and do it live. And 455 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:28,640 Speaker 1: when the podcast took off, everything changed. So talk about 456 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: the podcast. So I had always done my radio career 457 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:36,399 Speaker 1: was always an AF so it was always I was 458 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: known for active rock as a format, and I wanted 459 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: to be able to stretch my wings a little bit 460 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:45,760 Speaker 1: and have it be more of a rock lifestyle because, 461 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: like I said earlier, rock is a lifestyle. It's a 462 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: community that is close knit but welcoming, and if you 463 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 1: love the music, you love all the other things that 464 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: come along with it, the horror movies, the tattoos, the motorcycles, sports, 465 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: all of those things. And so when I was coming up, 466 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,920 Speaker 1: I think when you're launching a podcast, you have to 467 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:11,159 Speaker 1: kind of find a lane or a reason that yours 468 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: is different. And so I wanted Mind to be more 469 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 1: of a rock lifestyle podcast, because there's no rock station 470 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 1: in Boston that plays new music anymore. I wanted to 471 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:23,439 Speaker 1: have a place for new bands to be able to 472 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 1: come to find an audience. But I also wanted to 473 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 1: keep in touch with all the bands that I knew 474 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:33,000 Speaker 1: over the decades from my career. But I also know 475 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,920 Speaker 1: I was a roadie before I started on the air 476 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: at AAF. In those years of interning and working on 477 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:42,400 Speaker 1: the street team at AAF, so I was building stages 478 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: and rigging lights, and I know the roadies and the 479 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: text are the ones with all the stories. So I 480 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 1: wanted there to be a place for those guys to 481 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: come in and talk about the crazy, behind the scenes stuff. 482 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 1: And then I wanted to talk to the people that 483 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 1: make the instruments to understand what it's like to design 484 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: a guitar for a specific guitar player, or drumstakes for 485 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 1: a specific drummer. And then it was like, okay, well, 486 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 1: I know a bunch of music producers too, and I 487 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: want to be able to talk to them about being 488 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 1: that outside voice working with a band in the studio 489 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: and so all of those things. With the added work 490 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: that I do with the veterans community in the military, 491 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 1: which is rock lifestyle as well, that's kind of all 492 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: the umbrella of what I consider to be a rock 493 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,719 Speaker 1: lifestyle podcast. So that's what the Mistress Carry podcast is. 494 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 1: And you could find it everywhere. You get your podcast 495 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: literally everywhere. There are websites that are only available in 496 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 1: India and you can get the podcast and there's people listening. 497 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: What you've done is really a you know, I think 498 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: in my mind a textbook way that someone who has 499 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:52,479 Speaker 1: come out of a radio career the ted success and 500 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 1: then has had a new challenge put forth. You've done 501 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: this in a textbook way. I don't know if you 502 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: and tended it to be textbook, but you've added to 503 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: your brand. It's nothing has detracted, You've only added to 504 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 1: an already great brand. I got really lucky to be 505 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: in radio and rock radio, specifically active rock radio at 506 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 1: a time where it was at its height. You know, 507 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: my first day on the air was April, or my 508 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: first full time day on the air, it was April seventeenth, 509 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety eight, and AF was firing on all cylinders, 510 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:34,719 Speaker 1: you know, breaking bands like Corn and Godsmack and you know, 511 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 1: bands that we're all over rock radio and you know, 512 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:43,440 Speaker 1: are still touring and playing amphitheaters and arenas now. And 513 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 1: I was able, because of the time, at the early 514 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:51,120 Speaker 1: stages of the internet, to be able to ride the 515 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: wave to build a name for myself, which I think 516 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: people that get into the industry now it's a lot 517 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 1: harder to build a brand. And I'm so fortunate that 518 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: I was able to take that brand with me and 519 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: that audience with me and have that to launch from, 520 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 1: because I can't imagine just trying to launch a podcast 521 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:23,719 Speaker 1: out of nothing now. I can't. Yeah, but you're but 522 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 1: you have this whole radio career that you're launching it 523 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:29,240 Speaker 1: from too, and all the people. You know, I'm talking 524 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:32,080 Speaker 1: about somebody that just during the pandemic was like, I'm 525 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 1: gonna buy a microphone and launch a podcast just for fun. 526 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 1: And like, I was really lucky that I got out 527 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 1: of AAF having made a name for myself. That meant something. 528 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 1: What it means I still don't know, but it meant 529 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: something to somebody. And so for me being able for 530 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: the first time to make decisions based on just what 531 00:31:55,920 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 1: I wanted, that was really scary because if you make 532 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 1: good decisions, you get all the credit. But if you 533 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: make bad decisions, all the blame is on your shoulders. 534 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: There's nobody to point a finger out but you. So 535 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:11,600 Speaker 1: I've tried to be really careful to grow at a 536 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 1: pace that I could maintain a level of quality, because 537 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,560 Speaker 1: I think anybody that starts a company, if it grows 538 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: too fast, things fall off that you don't want to 539 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:25,200 Speaker 1: fall off. So I've really tried hard to grow at 540 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: a manageable rate and to bring everybody that wants to 541 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:36,080 Speaker 1: be with me with me. But it's not easy. Well, 542 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 1: but it's you know, no one was going to hand 543 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 1: the tia, so you had to take it upon yourself, 544 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: as they say, right, yeah, I mean it's uncharted territory 545 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 1: for me. The industry is changing, technology is changing things. 546 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:54,240 Speaker 1: The world is different because of COVID, Like everything happened 547 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 1: all at once, and so I think that people are 548 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:01,440 Speaker 1: still kind of trying to figure out where things are going, 549 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: you know, with streaming and podcasting and the way people 550 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:13,719 Speaker 1: consume content now, and it's just so different, and you know, 551 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: I know the radio part, and I'm still not an expert, 552 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:21,120 Speaker 1: still learning stuff every day, so I'm just trying to 553 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 1: figure it out. So we talk about music on this 554 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:29,520 Speaker 1: podcast all the time. Why music is so important, what 555 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: it means. So, in your point of view, why is 556 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:39,479 Speaker 1: music such an important even saving grace at times for 557 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 1: us and our lives. I think it's literally tribal. I mean, 558 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 1: I think music is an evolutionary art form that has 559 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 1: been part of the human experience for as long as 560 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: they can trace, as long as archaeologists can trace back, 561 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 1: there was music, and I think that it's a way 562 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: of telling stories. I think it's a way of people 563 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:07,920 Speaker 1: communing together, especially in rock. We talk about it a 564 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,240 Speaker 1: lot on the podcast that when we couldn't go to concerts, 565 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 1: the rock community felt like they didn't have a home anymore, 566 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:15,520 Speaker 1: because that's where we go to get together, and so 567 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:19,840 Speaker 1: it's something we experience together. It makes you feel not 568 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:22,719 Speaker 1: alone in a world that's more connected than ever and 569 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:26,600 Speaker 1: more isolating than ever. That music kind of reminds you that, 570 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:28,920 Speaker 1: oh wait, I'm not the only one that feels that way. 571 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:35,040 Speaker 1: And music there's a song for literally everything. Your best day, 572 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:38,400 Speaker 1: your worst day, the birth of your child, the death 573 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 1: of a parent. Literally there is a song for everything. 574 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 1: And so for me being someone that can't create it, 575 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:49,280 Speaker 1: but someone that loves it so much that it literally 576 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:51,840 Speaker 1: dictates everything in my life. And I know people that 577 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 1: aren't like that, and I don't get that because it's everything. 578 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 1: It's on all the time. I'm constant only looking for 579 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:04,279 Speaker 1: new bands and going to see shows. And you know, 580 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:07,359 Speaker 1: I love music, Country music not so much, but most 581 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:11,360 Speaker 1: music I love, and I just think that it's something 582 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: that we all have in common. Mistress Carrie, it's so 583 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:19,080 Speaker 1: great to have you taken a walk. Kays for having me. 584 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:21,000 Speaker 1: This is really cool. I wish I had come up 585 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 1: with this idea. You would have gotten me out of 586 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:26,879 Speaker 1: the studio. The fresh air is nice. Thanks for having me. 587 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:32,799 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk with Buzznight is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 588 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:35,400 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.