97X - Rumblings from the Big Bush

In 1991, Randy Malloy started as an unpaid college intern at WWCD-FM in Columbus, an independent, alternative rock radio station cut from the same cloth as 97X. He held a variety of positions at the station, including promotions director, marketing director, and operations director, before buying the station in 2011. Together with a dedicated band of staffers, they kept the independent/alternative flame alive for 33 years as the station moved around the radio dial from 101.1 ("CD101") to 102.5 to 92.9 before eventually signing off on February 1st of this year.  We talked to Randy about the"Ran-sanity" of his radio career, how WWCD looked up to 97X, how they programmed the music to let the listeners "pass through them" and why being part of the community was so important to them.

Friends, we're gathered together today for a very special episode of "97X Rumblings from the Big Bush" as we pay tribute to the man who saw Jesus at McDonald's at midnight. The man who impregnated Debbie Gibson. The man whose antipathy for Don Henley knows no bounds, and whose love for Martha Quinn is eternal. The man, the myth, the Mojo-est MoFo of them all. The Bo-Day-Shus Mr. Mojo Nixon!  Dave "The Dick Cavett of Modern Rock" interviewed Mojo in 1990, and that interview clip is part of this episode - and stick around for his live in-studio performance of "I'm in love with Oprah" from 97X back in 1986. 

After nearly 100 episodes, and a gazillion great memories, it's time for "97X Rumblings from the Big Bush" to rumble off into the sunset (or be devoured by the Big Bush in the station's old parking lot). Dave & Damian reflect on the podcast and "the voice" of 97X returns to bring it home. Thanks so much for listening! 

It sounds like the setup to a joke: "A punk rock guitarist and a preacher's daughter walk into a theater..." But when Billy Alletzhauser and Beth Harris starting singing songs together in 2004, the result was pure magic. Their band, The Hiders, is the Kevin Bacon of music, with connections to Ass Ponys, The Afghan Whigs, Throneberry, Wussy, Heartless Bastards, Band of Horses, Plow On Boy, Comet Bluegrass All-Stars, Pearlene and more. And their sound is an amazing amalgamation of folk, country, rock, psychedelia, bluegrass, and indie rock. We talked to B & B about their start, the band's evolution, Billy's Ass Ponys tenure, Beth's harmony vocal work with Erika Wennerstrom and Heartless Bastards, the Hiders most recent album (2021's Forever at the End) and their plans for the year ahead.

On May 11th, author Robin James discussed her new book The Future of Rock & Roll: 97X and the Fight for True Independence at The Mercantile Library, with your friendly neighborhood podcast hosts Dave and Damian. The event was streamed via Crowdcast, but due to the dreaded technical difficulties, the first 10 minutes of the discussion have been lost to the ether. However, we reconnected with Amy Hunter from the Mercantile Library staff so she could reprise her intro and then this episode picks up the discussion when the audio came onto the Crowdcast feed.