Getting to Know Your Local DJ With:

Everyone knows about the new format over at 102.9 The Buzz ROCKS. This format shift was a welcome change amongst our readers/musicians. Since the change, we (along with our bands) have received overwhelming support from 102.9. We, here at NashvilleRock.net, truly appreciate the work that the crew at The Buzz is doing. On that note, I recently discussed all sorts of things, music related & not, with 102.9 evening d.j., Doogie. Doogie works the 7pm-12am shift on the Buzz. He hosts the weekly Monday Night Football party at Buffalo Billiards as well as “The Buzz Around Town”. So sit back, relax, and get to know Doogie!

1. You are originally from Michigan. How did you wind up in Nashville and what brought you to 102.9 the Buzz?

I was born on an Air Force Base in Marquette, Michigan, but didn’t stay for very long. We moved around a little bit when I was a kid, but settled finally for a while in Paducah, Kentucky. I went to high school there. After that was over, it was time to get THE HELL OUT of Paducah. My Dad had already moved down here, so I came to the “big city”, and got my first radio job with George Plaster and his sports show while it was on WTN.

I worked for almost 11 years in radio before I got to The Buzz…usually doing something involving sports. I did a lot of baseball and basketball play-by-play, and then I was sort of a sports anchor for a radio network. I did some djing here and there all that time, but I didn’t really think at the time I was going to be a full-time dj. I took a job doing sports and traffic reports for Metro Networks, and they kind of placed me on The Buzz. From there I started filling in and doing weekends, and eventually they asked me to do the midday shift between my traffic times, and then eventually to stop doing traffic altogether and take over the nights.

HARD AT WORK

2. After reading your myspace.com profile, it seems as though you are interested in a wide array of rock music but mostly lean to the lighter side of the genre. What is your opinion of the slight format change that The Buzz has recently made to more heavy and retro-heavy songs?

Well, first, let me say that if I do “lean to the lighter side” it’s really not very much. I like the heavy stuff more than some people seem to think. I know some people that will read this and back me up on it too. I just kind of like it ALL. That’s the thing about those lists on profiles and stuff. I don’t have the patience to sit there and list EVERY band I can think of. That list was just probably my mood that day...but anyway...

The format change I like a LOT. I have to say, there are a lot of songs that I miss playing from before “The Change”, but there are also songs that I’m glad I’ll never have to play again. There are songs that I LOVE that I get to play SINCE “The Change”, and there are songs that make my teeth hurt every time I hear them. You can’t like all the songs…it’s just impossible. I mean, I play somewhere between 11 and 14 songs an hour…in a five hour shift, that means I play between 55 and 70 songs! How can ANYONE like 55 to 70 songs that play on the radio IN A ROW? But overall, I really like what we’re doing now more than what we were doing before. I don’t think there’s any doubt we’re going to have more listeners, and that’s the most important thing, obviously.

3. An integral resource for our local music scene is The Local Buzz, hosted by Aljon. It’s been an invaluable tool for local bands. What are the reasons for local bands not getting airplay in regular rotation on the air (i.e. daytime and primetime hours)? What could be done to make that possible?

Well, the reason is actually pretty easy to explain. When you play a new song by anyone, it’s a risk. Most people when they listen to the radio want familiarity. If they hear something that they don’t know they MAY give it a chance, especially if it's something new by a band they are familiar with, but otherwise the odds have it that they’re going to change the channel and see if they can find something they KNOW they like. If they don’t they’ll come back…if they do…well, they’re gone for who knows how long? That’s why the 10 O’clock News was scaled back from a full hour of new stuff to just two songs in the past few months. Now, those were national acts, and were songs that were “going for ads” on our station and others like it across the country. An hour of unfamiliar songs was just too much. So, it’s not like we have some kind of thing against local acts per se…it’s against songs that people are not going to stick around to listen to.

Now, I personally do think we could play some local stuff if we placed them smartly and carefully...and ALL of “The Suits” at The Buzz know how I feel about it. I’ve brought it up to them SEVERAL times…and I’ll continue to do so. I've pushed for local acts to be played...and I'm not the only one there at the station, either.

I don’t know if a local song can (or should, for the band’s own good sometimes) be just thrown into heavy rotation, but I do think some can be given a chance to get a response from our listeners at other times than The Local Buzz. I don’t think there’s anything that can necessarily be done to make it happen…I think it is just timing. Do know that it’s been talked about though…and at length. I promise that.

HANGING WITH SOME OF THE GUYS FROM DEADSUN

4. What local Nashville rock groups are you a fan of?

Ok…I don’t want to piss anyone off…so this is in no particular order, and it’s not a complete list, ok? I really like Return To Self. I think they’ve got their stuff together and a great sound. Atomic Blonde is a band that just seems to have everything going right, and they’re great girls, too. Deadsun rocks. Ligion is so talented, and their stage presence is just fantastic. I’ve been a fan of Medicine Mann for a long, long time. I finally got to see Pilot’s Lounge at Stomp Club and they were really good. Let’s see…also 100 Watt Opera, The Clutters, Big Jim Slade, Vulpine…there’s a LOT more I’m a fan of.

INTRODUCING PILOT'S LOUNGE AT STOMPCLUB (11/5/2005)

5. How did you wind up with the job of doing “The Buzz Around Town” which lists show dates for local music? How does a band go about getting a show listed on “The Buzz Around Town”?

I…don’t remember. It was just kind of dropped in my lap…but I’m glad to do it. I like helping out that way, to be honest. Plus, I’ve met a LOT of great people ONLY because I do that Buzz Around Town…so it’s pretty cool for me.

I think it’s just a great tool for bands to use…I do have some people tell me it helps quite a bit. All anyone’s gotta do is send me an email with the details to doogie@1029thebuzz.com . I can’t list them ALL, but I can list most of them. Oh…and by the way…I do NOT check MySpace or anywhere else for shows…putting that thing together EVERY DAY is already enough work…I don’t want to have to go looking in like 13 different places for shows. I’ll gladly promote a show that a band takes the time to send to me at my email as long as the station will let me. I really don't think it's too much to ask.

6. The Last of Doogie:
a. CD you purchased: The Gorillaz - “Demon Days” ...now that's not necessarily the last album that I took OWNERSHIP of...but it's the last one I bought. One of the perks of working at a radio station...free cds!)
b. Movie you watched: I am NOT a big movie watcher…the last new one I watched was “Team America: World Police”, and that was for like the 6th time. How do people take time to watch movies when there’s ESPN News and Simpsons DVDs???
c. Time you knocked back shots: That would be last night (11/05/05) at Stomp Club. Maker’s Mark is the liquor of choice, by the way.
d. Song you had to play but out-and-out despise: “Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day. I’d rather be punched in the stomach than listen to that.
e. Time you had to cover for McFly being late to the studio: Hm…It’s been a pretty long while since he’s been LATE late…but the boy’s not afraid of rolling up RIGHT AT MIDNIGHT, I’ll tell you that!
f. Fast food you ate: Jeez…that’s every day. The last was Jack In The Box sourdough burger. No goddam tomatoes. I hate tomatoes like nothing else.
g. Drug you took: It is ALWAYS 420. Always.
h. Local rock show you attended: Stomp Club 5 last night (11/05/05).

7. Rate-a-band. Rate the following bands on a scale of 1-10; 10 being the best band your ears have ever heard and 1 being a group of guys that doesn’t have any business playing the local Moose Lodge:
a. Metallica: 7 (9 for everything from “Kill ‘Em All” to “…And Justice For All”, and a 5 for everything since.)
b. Blink 182: 3
c. KISS: 5 (again…the later stuff brings down the total score. “Let’s put the X in Sex”? I am not a fan of that era…)
d. Fuel: 2 (Just not my style, to say the least.)
e. Duran Duran: 8 (Laugh if you want, but their first single was in ’82, and they’re still making great music. There just aren’t many bands that can say they’ve been that good for that long…on a GLOBAL scale...EVER!)
f. Sex Pistols: 4 (The Clash was the “Only Band That Mattered” at the time…they get a 9…the Sex Pistols were more of a freak show.)
g. Cannibal Corpse: 5
h. Queensryche: 7

(by the way…there is only one band that gets a “10” I can think of, and that’s Faith No More. Peter Gabriel gets one as a solo artist.)

8. What album do you consider the worst crime against humanity ever released on the general music listening population?

Oh wow. What was that Coheed and Cambria album? The one that had “A Favor House Atlantic” on it? It was really, really bad. Oh…and “Francis the Mute” by The Mars Volta was just…indescribable. But, if you include all genres, then you have to talk about stuff like the new Gwen Stephani disc that is so bad it’s amazing it stuck to tape. Tough question.

9. Nashville’s rock scene seems to be seriously overshadowed by the dominant country music scene and reputation. Do you think that we have a shot at establishing something on a national level or should we all start shopping for banjos and overalls?

It is just a given that Nashville is going to be associated with country music and that’s that. That was established a LONG time ago. I don’t think that fact “holds down” the rock scene though. I really don’t. I think if someone heard something from a Nashville rock band and were told where they were from it would seem like a bit of a novelty for them. A reason to be talked about, you know? “Really…? A rock band from Nashville…?” Any reason to be talked about…

Do I think Nashville could establish something on a national level? I KNOW there is enough talent in this town that there could be successful rock bands that come out of here, but to be honest, I just don’t know with the way things are going now if there’s ever going to be another deal like the “Seattle Scene”. With the way bands can record and market themselves now via the Internet…the “World Community” mentality has kind of taken over. It’s not like we’ve been talking about this city or that city putting out a ton of great bands, you know? That having been said, if a band hits out of here, there’s no doubt that they can (if they want to, I guess) “hold the door open” a little bit for other bands around here to get at least heard by the right people. Give them a little “rub”.

10. If you could change one thing about Nashville, music related or otherwise, what would it be and why?

If we’re talking ANYTHING, then it would DEFINITELY be the bad drivers. It’s truly remarkable how stupid an astounding number of people in this city become when they get behind the wheel. I’ve driven in a LOT of cities in this country: L.A., Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Detroit…and it’s not even CLOSE how much worse Nashville is than any place I’ve ever been. Bad drivers suck. I truly hate them.

BUT if we’re talking music around here still…it would be that more bands around here would play Saturday night shows so I could friggin’ go to more of them!!! This 7 to midnight shift cut back on my show attendance…

I want to thank Doogie for taking the time to share his views and opinions with our readers. If your band wants to get mentioned on “Buzz Around Town” you’ve got to send an e-mail to Doogie at doogie@1029thebuzz.com.

Until Next Time, I’m out like the Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff chances.

Chris “Uncle Daddy Longlegs” Czynszak

Message from Uncle Daddy: Remember, only YOU can prevent a lame local music scene.

To reach Chris “Uncle Daddy Longlegs” Czynszak, email at:

cczynszak@nashvillerock.net