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10 Questions with ... Mike Osegueda "Mike Oz"
June 6, 2017
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I've hosted Ozmosis on New Rock 104.1 since January 2012. Before that my only radio experience was in college, at KSJS at San Jose State. I've been a journalist since 2002, first for The Fresno Bee and now for Yahoo Sports.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
I was interested in radio as long as I can remember. It was my lifeline to both music and sports growing up, both of which are my favorite things. I was really into hip-hop when I was a kid, so growing up in the Bay Area, I was a faithful listener of 106.1 KMEL and enjoyed how it reflected the community, educated listeners and played new music to keep its audience ahead of the curve. I felt a genuine connection to the station, and I think that informs both how I approach my show and how I approach music in general.
2. Explain how you hooked up with KFRR to launch your radio show, "Ozmosis" while covering music for The Fresno Bee.
I'd known Jason Squires, the New Rock PD, long before we ever talked about doing Ozmosis. We'd just been in touch about music stuff throughout the years. I joined the newspaper in 2002 as the music writer. I asked New Rock jocks to be involved in our year-end lists and things like that. Once, I came into the station to promote a concert our blog was co-promoting. It was for Foster The People and "Pumped Up Kicks" wasn't quite hitting the mainstream yet. I kept telling Jason that song was gonna be big. Not long after that, he asked me if I'd be interested in doing radio. I certainly was. I was already covering the local scene and getting music from bands coming into town, so I figured it was a great extension of my job.
3. How would you describe your weekly specialty show?
One of the taglines I use is "Elevate Your Taste." In general, Fresno is a little more reactive to what happens in L.A. and S.F., whether we're talking about music, fashion or any other trends. But I want Ozmosis to be more on the cutting edge. I'm not waiting around to see what other stations are playing songs. If I like something and if I think it's cool, I'm going to play it. My only requirement when we started Ozmosis was that I got to play whatever I wanted. Five years in, that's been 100 percent the case. (Credit to Jason Squires for being a man of his word). So sometimes I'll drop in hip-hop songs, if I want. Or I'll play some band that's coming to town and has 250 likes on Facebook. If I dig it, I'll play it.
4. What is your new music discovery process for putting together your Sunday night show?
It's changed now that I'm looped into the industry more. I get all the e-blasts and I really try to listen to everything that comes my way. But I keep an eye on blogs I like, look for recommendations on social media and watch for who's coming to town, in addition to who's making noise in our local scene. I've had more than a few instances where I'll play a song before a promoter is pushing it to alternative specialty because I found it and liked it. A couple times the promoters have gotten mad at me for that. But I'd rather give the people fresh music than wait for what the e-blasts say, especially if they've already got buzz online.
5. What keeps you driven and motivated to do the show each week?
Two things I've promised myself: I never want to be that older dad who's completely out of touch with what's cool in music and only listens to the same old artists. So selfishly, doing Ozmosis keeps me more in tune with the world of music around me. Second, I want to be part of my community. Doing Ozmosis not only gives me a platform to share music with them, but talk to people about things happening in our city and, hopefully, get them out to some of the things I'm organizing.
6. You also host Taco's, Brews & Jams For New Rock 104.1. Tell us about this monthly station event.
My show is sponsored by Tioga-Sequoia Co., which is the leading brewery here in the Central Valley, so part of our partnership is putting together an event at their beer garden every month. We've had a few different incarnations of the event at this point - it was called Ozmosis Happy Hour at one point - but we switched it over to Tacos, Brews & Jams at the start of 2016 and it's been a big hit. (I also co-founded the Taco Truck Throwdown here in Fresno, but that pre-dates my radio show). TB&J features different local taco trucks each month, beer and live music. It's built a pretty great following and the vibe is always fantastic. We've had a mixture of local bands and out of towners play. We've had on-the-rise acts like Trapdoor Social, The Rebel Light and Grizfolk out for our events and I'm always looking for cool, new bands to showcase.
7. What new artists are you most excited about right now?
On my show, if you get played more than once, that's a good thing. Some of the bands/artists that I've played a lot and, thus, really championed on the show the past year include Sylvan Esso, Aquilo, Gallant, Elohim, Dreamers and The Georgia Flood. A few artists that I'm really interested in the past month or two and have an eye on: Magic Giant, Blond Ambition, Bay Ledges, Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Tara Carosielli and Shy Girls.
8. Tell us about your day job with Yahoo! Sports.
I write for and am in charge of the Big League Stew blog on Yahoo Sports, which covers Major League Baseball. I've been there since 2013, so this is my fifth season. Can't lie - it's a pretty rad job. We cover the entire league, looking for fun stories, must-see highlights and news that will get people talking. In my job, I've been able to cover four World Series, including being in the clubhouse when the Cubs were celebrating last year. I also do some fun video segments. One that might appeal to your audience is "Relief Pitcher or Dude in a Band?" where we see if baseball fans can tell the difference between MLB relief pitchers and dudes in bands. My favorite project that I do is 25-Year-Old Baseball Cards, where I open packs of baseball cards from 25 years ago with baseball people and the occasional celebrity. We've done that one with A-Rod, Clayton Kershaw, Noah Syndergaard, a bunch of managers including Dusty Baker, Joe Maddon and Terry Francona, past players like Eric Davis and even comedian Hank Azaria recently. I'd love if my worlds were to collide and we could start involving musicians in that. (Hint, hint).
9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Music. It's probably cliché to say, but music is my go-to in so many situations. I write best when I have music on, so it's always part of the daily routine of my day job. And I'm always on the hunt for Ozmosis music.
10. What would surprise people most about you?
I hate coffee.
Bonus Questions
What are weekends like for you and your family?
Pretty busy. I have two young kids, so it's often trying to balance keeping them happy and my own need to relax. Kids and chores usually win out. My wife and I still have family in the Bay Area, so we visit there occasionally too.
What are your hobbies?
I'm pretty lucky that most of my hobbies are things that I've made into my career. Watching sports, listening to music, drinking beer and hunting for new taco trucks are all part of my professional life at this point, but those are the things I'd be doing if they weren't. Beyond that, I hope one day to get caught up with all the stuff I want to watch on my DVR, but that's probably never going to happen.
Since I'm a longtime suffering die-hard Mets fan, I have to ask about your experience Opening 25-Year Old Baseball Cards with Noah Syndergaard? Do you have a fun off camera story?
Besides him being so much taller than me? It almost didn't happen, for one. I was in the Yahoo studios in NYC and Noah was coming to see us. We were filming three bits with him, but the first two ran a little long and he and his crew almost left for their next commitment. But the traffic was so bad that they weren't going to get there on time, so they hung back. I got more time to talk to Noah before the segment. He's not usually the type of guy we do that segment with, since he's not even 25 himself. So we talked a little bit about what baseball players he liked growing up before we started to film. Luckily, he pulled some people related to the Mets, so that made the segment pretty cool.
First record ever purchased?
The first CD I ever bought with my own money was Redman's "Whut Thee Album," which is something I'm actually pretty proud of. Great for my hip-hop cred. On the side of less credibility: I remember asking for (and getting) tapes of Vanilla Ice, Wilson Phillips and "The Simpsons Sing the Blues" when I was 12. Those were the start of my music collection.
First concert?
It was a radio station concert, actually. I saw Boyz II Men at Great America (an amusement in the Bay Area) right after "Motownphilly" came out. Digable Planets and a bunch of other acts I can't remember were also there. I think Taylor Dayne might have played too.
Favorite concert over the past year?
Would you believe Garth Brooks? I went with my wife last year. She's wanted to see him forever. He totally impressed me. I came away with a lot of respect for Garth and his gusto as a performer. I also have to give a shout to Fresno's Grizzly Fest, which just happened last month and had a cool lineup featuring Dr. Dog, E-40, Lupe Fiasco, Rebelution and Fashawn. It happened at our Triple-A baseball stadium and drew a HUGE crowd. It was a great achievement for our city and a great experience for all of us who attended.
Favorite band of all-time?
OutKast. I love Andre 3000 more than pretty much any other human being who makes music.
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