10 Questions with ... Jordan Alamat

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I'm a product of the farm system. Went from intern to on-air personality at KDWB (with a promotions stop at KFXN in between) then made the switch to Go Media in May of 2016.

1. How did you become interested in radio?

Honestly, I didn't know I was interested in radio until I was in college and started working at the Minneapolis iHeart cluster as an intern. Working in radio was one of those things that I thought was cool, but could never pursue as a career because it's not a "traditional job." It took a few months of waking up at 4am to work on the morning show, being back on campus at 11:10 for classes and then working an event planning job until midnight just to do it again the next day for me to realize that I had a passion for it. It combined all aspects of my interests: marketing, event planning, and music.

2. Congrats on your recent move from nights to middays. Tell us about The Day Show With Jordan Live Every Weekday From 10a-3p

Thanks! The Day Show has been an incredible opportunity thus far. My whole objective with the Day Show is to bring the same energy I did at night to people's offices, cubicles, headphones, etc. I'm inherently an energetic person, so I want people to get that from the Show in order to benefit their workday, as opposed to coffee, a giant Diet Coke, etc. It's incredible to have the opportunity to do that and make a difference in people's days, also, it doesn't hurt that a lot of bands and artists release new music during my shows that I can premiere before anyone else. I'm a music nerd. I produce for some rappers in the Minnesota hip hop scene, DJ, and was a band geek growing up, so if I recognize any cool music theory/production concepts in a song, I try to break them down in ways that everyone can understand.

I was born in raised in Minnesota, and we're definitely a weird state with a lot of nuance. I love it. It's the best state in the union. The Day Show will always reflect that and ride or die for flyover country.

3. How would you describe your on-air style?

I would say it's pretty random, when I crack the mic, you don't know what's going to happen. Sheesh, I don't really know what's going to happen. Like I said, being positive and looking on the humorous side of things has always been who I am, so that's definitely reflected on my show.

4. What is your show prep routine?

Don't ever give me login info for a prep site; I'm not going to touch that nonsense. I get all my pop culture/current events/music content from Twitter, but I'm always mentally taking notes about things to talk about. If I'm out with my friends I make mental notes about what people are doing or a perspective on the situation that hasn't been examined before. I also read a lot of books about marketing, music history, and the human condition as a whole, so those ideas manifest themselves on air in one way or the other as well. I'm inspired by Dave Chappelle, Chuck Klosterman, and Aziz Ansari in that regard.

5. What do you love most about being on-air?

100% it's the connection I make with listeners. Getting to play new music as soon as it drops is a sweet perk, but when I meet someone that rocks with my show, who gets the humor, and who is positively affected by it, that's the best feeling in the world. When that happens, it lets me know that I'm doing the right thing and that I'm supposed to be in the position, in Minneapolis, doing the show the way I do it.

6. What is your favorite part of the show?

Playing new music the second it comes is up there, but again, when the phone lines, text line, and social media are popping off, that's the best. Every day, my goal is to bring the whole city out and engage with my show.

7. What is it like working for Go Media, the flagship station of the surprising Minnesota Twins Baseball?

Granted, my time on Earth has been shorter than a quarter century, but working for Go Media is in the top 3 dopest things to ever happen to me. Working here is incredible. I played baseball growing up (Right field, because I sucked), so the Twins connection is awesome. The creative flexibility we're allowed and the support we get from management is unparalleled, and I'm surrounded by people who push me every day to get better at my craft. From on-air, our graphic designer (s/o Kush), news team, promotions, digital sales, I'm working with the most gifted and hardworking people in the city, and maybe even the country. I'd put a student loan payment down on that.

8. Who is your favorite on-air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?

Charlamagne tha God will always be my guy because of his willingness to always speak his truth and not compromise who he is for "success" (whatever that is, its relative). Locally, I'm a big fan of Raven from KDWB, not just because she's my friend, but because she understands the landscape of modern media.

9. What would surprise people most about you?

I can play both the piano and harmonica parts of Billy Joel's "Piano Man" at the same time, which is a sweet party trick.

10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?

Listening to a Kanye West song

What are weekends like for you?

You can find me DJing weddings around the Twin Cities in an attempt to control my suffocating student debt. On Sundays, you'll find me back at the radio station holding down on our Hip Hop channel, Go 95.3 discussing why Yeezus is probably Kanye's best and most groundbreaking album.

What are your hobbies?

I love making beats and producing instrumentals. I started out making hip hop, but have gone in a more electronic/house direction as of late.

First record ever purchased?

Big Boi and Dre Present... Outkast. I was in fourth grade and hid the parental advisory sticker from my mom when I went to buy it at Target.

First concert?

*NSYNC's No Strings Attached Tour. That was lit

Favorite band of all-time?

311 is technically my favorite band of all time because they were the first rock band I was OBSESSED with, but if I'm being honest with myself, N*E*R*D*, overthrew them a while ago. Also, Child Rebel Solider is up there, but I'm not sure if that counts.