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Singer/songwriter/guitarist Timothy Joseph never imagined his band playing the Sports Arena, which over 50 years has also hosted everyone from Bowie to Zeppelin. @media screen and (max-width:479px) { .image-float.half-width, .image-float.third-width, …
For the first time, two key San Diego FM music stations are giving up part of their Sundays for out-of-town NFL teams. Radio insiders say there’s a master plan behind …
After five years of radio silence, Mike Esparza, namesake of The Mikey Show, is set to return to the airwaves Thursday, July 27, where he will hold down an afternoon …
Insiders confirm longtime local rock jock Chris Cantore is replacing Kevin Acee as host of the weekday 6 to 9 p.m. time slot on Mighty 1090 beginning April 3. Kevin …
Yo DJ!
Few locals have more music biz experience than Lou Niles. As the host of 91X’s all local Loudspeaker show when San Diego was considered the next Seattle (1988–1996), Niles was the first to play Jewel, …
Next month will mark 20 years in San Diego radio for Hilary Chambers. Now holding down the midday DJ gig on 91X, she is also that station’s music director. Since you are responsible for what …
The Stanley Clarke Band plays the Belly Up Tavern on Sunday, January 24. I was first exposed to Stanley Clarke from my dad’s [records] when I was about six or seven. One particular album cover …
Little Feat plays the Belly Up Tavern on October 6. When I grew up in northern Virginia during the ’70s, I thought that Little Feat were a local D.C. band. In a way, I guess …
The Esperanza Spalding Quartet plays at Birch North Park Theatre on September 13. I wanted to hire this kid for a jazz festival in Indiana in the mid ’90s. The committee looked at me like …
Method Man and Redman play Canes on Friday, August 14. Jamar: I actually did security for Method Man last time he was at Canes. I walked him to the limo twice.... He’s one of the …
The John Corbett Band plays Brick by Brick on Saturday, July 18. I really didn’t think I would be impressed with John Corbett, musician. As an actor, I think he is appealing. He has a …
Back in November of ’97, I was doing a live broadcast from Nashville. It was the day before the Country Music Awards. It is a crazy and massively fun, long day — a cattle-call of …
There was a time when I was an ambitious, snot-nosed, obnoxious young dude just getting into the radio business. Not much has changed, but I digress. Around that time, I became interested in finding out …
One would hope that the susceptibility to peer pressure dies off somewhere around 11th grade, and maybe it does for those a little more evolved than myself. But every once in a while, I’m so …
I remember hearing “Brass in Pocket” and “Kid” all over the radio, and that was when I was in school at the University of Kansas. My friends and I wanted to be and look just …
The Reverend Horton Heat, or “Jim,” as I like to call him, is a true rock ’n’ roller harking back to the good ol’ days of the era. Some call him psychobilly and some say …
I’ve liked Ozomatli from the start. They’re a very politically conscious band. The name of the band stands for the Aztec god of music and dance, and that kind of drew me to them in …
A couple years ago, when I was living back in Albany, NY, my girls and I were chilling at my place after leaving the bars around 4:00 a.m. (one of the perks of living in …
I was living in Seattle [in 2005], across the street from the Space Needle...in the shadow of the Space Needle, really — no sunlight, and rain to boot; it made me want to sleep a …
As a recovering stand-up comic, I have had the opportunity to open for many national acts. Sadly, this is more a reflection of a concert promoter’s frugality than an indication of my amazing comedic talents. …
I met Patti LaBelle after a concert in the late ’80s here in San Diego at the Sports Arena. She was playing with Luther Vandross. Her hair was mindblowing: it swept straight up and flared …
The Tiki House in Pacific Beach is a very surf-friendly venue. I’ve seen surf bands from around the world tear it up behind the pool table and on the stage built for a one-man band. …
Dave Koz plays the Gaslamp Jazz Festival this Saturday, May 24 One of the most versatile musicians of the smooth jazz format these days has to be saxophonist Dave Koz. His latest CD, At the …
I remember the band Mickey Ratt back in high school, in 1970-something. They were the big local band around town. I was at some parties they were at. It’s all kinda hazy for me right …
This isn’t the first time I’ve been on during the daytime at a rock station. I began cracking the mic back in the late ’80s. A lot of the music from that era was disposable. …
One of my favorite memories takes me back to my years on the high school varsity tennis team and turning our school’s losing record into one of the best for the girls’ tennis team. Believe …
We had a private listener concert on January 31 with Shawn Mullins at the Hard Rock Café downtown. It was 10:30 p.m., and we decided to go get something to eat. He was with Kip, …
Considering they’ve been making noise and upsetting parental status-quo sensibilities since 1980, it’s not only a pleasure to be on the receiving end of fresh Bad Religion albums every 24 months or so, it’s also …
It was the night I became a man. It was Ocean Beach, California. It was a Halloween party in 1999 and I was dressed as a P.E. teacher. You should have seen my outfit: tiny …
I saw Queensrÿche at the Sports Arena in the early ’90s, when Operation: Mindcrime came out. I wasn’t even in radio back then. There were two things I noticed about the crowd: a lot of …
The year was 1983, and as always on a Saturday morning, my best friend and I get into my mom’s van and head downtown to the local roller-skating rink. I couldn’t tell you the exact …
Seeing Wyclef live will turn any fan into a fanatic. I have seen him break out into a tightrope walk on a wooden fence while rapping. I’ve seen him grab and play every instrument on …
I’ve had the pleasure of having dinner several times with Fourplay’s keyboardist Bob James. One funny time, at Croce’s, Fourplay had a new release out [in 1994]. We were talking about the guest artists featured …
I took this girl out on a few dates and things seemed to go really well. And, it got to that point where you aren't sure if you're a couple or not. All indications were …
DJ: Astra Kelly Station: 102.1 KPRI FM SHIFT: Saturday nights, 9·10 p.m. I was working the front desk at KPRI just after moving to San Diego earlier this year. This was before taking on DJ …
DJ: Rick Station: Star 94.1 Shift:Monday·Friday, 3:00·7:00 p.m. Adam Levine is the lead singer for the group Maroon 5. Adam Levine is cool. It is a warm summer afternoon on a Wednesday [in 2002], and …
DJ:Madison Station:KPRI/102.1 Shift:5:00-10:00 a.m., Monday-Friday; 6:00-10:00 a.m. on Saturdays I saw the Stray Cats for the first time, like everyone else, on MTV. I liked rockabilly. It wasn't a popular genre of music and was …
DJ: Marco Collins Station: 91X Shift: 2:00-7:00 p.m. Saturday; 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Sunday I've seen Jane's Addiction probably 15 times, and I definitely remember the early shows as being completely out of control. That was …
I remember my friend had the album Grand Illusion when I was around 17. I hadn't been a Styx fan before that. I heard that song and a few of the intros on the other …
DJ: Hilary Station: Star94.1 FM Shift: 10:00 a.m.·3:00 p.m., Monday· Friday Seeing the Dave Matthews Band at Coors Amphitheatre has become a summer ritual in San Diego. At least for meat least it was for …
DJ: Xavier,the X man Station: Magic 92.5 FM Shift: 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. weekdays; 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Sunday (oldies show). I was a freshman in college, in the Bay Area [in the early '90s]. …
"This is the operator. Can I help you?" "Yes, Operator, I'm having trouble getting 570-1800. Before I finish dialing, I hear busy signals," "Oh. that's the Magic 91 contest line. It's always busy." "How do …
Why should the three letters, A R B, evoke such diverse and intense comments from the powers-that-be at these local rock radio stations? Because ARBs are the radio stations ratings; that's why. In radio, ARBs …