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10 Questions with ... Andy Hall
November 5, 2019
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
- 1999-2000: WRFW (Pure Radio 88.7)/River Falls, WI (College)
- 1999-2000: KXXR (93X)/ Minneapolis, MN
- July 2000-September 2003: KAZR-FM (Lazer 103.3)/Des Moines, IA
- September 2003-May 2004: KQWB-FM (Q98)/ Fargo, ND
- May 2004-Present: KAZR-FM (Lazer 103.3)/ Des Moines, IA
1) What was your first job in radio?
While I was doing college radio at WRFW in River Falls, Wisconsin, I was allowed the opportunity to sit in on, and answer phones for the great Remy Maxwell, who at the time was rockin' afternoons at KXXR (93X) in Minneapolis. Rough gig, I know...getting to watch the "long haired, tattooed, biker freak" work on a daily basis and learn from one of the absolute best. To this day, I give Remy a lot of credit for taking a chance on me. Without his guidance and inspiration, I'm not sure I'd be where I am today.
2) What led you to a career in radio?
Growing up, I had an uncle that worked for a couple of radio stations in Minneapolis - KQRS (KQ92) and KTCZ (Cities' 97). When I was about 8 years old, he invited me to hang out and watch him work on a weeknight. I knew immediately that I wanted to be on the radio after that experience - I even used to stack records in the order I wanted to play them at home, and crafted a makeshift microphone out of my mom's old mixing spoon and some tinfoil.
3) How long have you been at KAZR (Lazer 103.3) and what makes this station so unique?
I was originally hired in July of 2000, thanks to my friend Ryan Castle (KISW/Seattle), who at the time was MD at KXXR in Minneapolis, and put in a good word for me with then PD Sean Elliott. Took a PD gig myself in Fargo circa September of 2003. I returned "home" to Lazer in May of 2004, this time as Music Director in place of Jo Michaels, who had just left Des Moines for KISW/Seattle. All told, I've been part of this family for nearly 20 years. It's difficult to pinpoint just one thing that makes our brand so unique - perhaps that's a good thing - it's the music, the promotions, the events...but most importantly, it's the people! From management to the air staff to our incredible support team, and of course the listeners - we are who we are because we're all invested and want nothing but the best for Lazer. Nobody sounds like we do, and there's great pride in that fact, not only among us staffers - it extends to our community as well.
4) I'm sure with 20 plus years of Rock history for Lazer, there are a few choice stories to report. Any great "Rock Star" stories you care to share?
Corey Taylor mooned my mom. This was more than 15 years ago now, but all the parties involved remember the incident like it was yesterday. Mom and my youngest brother Nick were in town visiting - they didn't know it at the time, but Corey and I had become really good friends. So I decided to swing by his house. I got within a couple blocks, and called Corey to let him know I was in the neighborhood. "Let me know when you're out front," he said. "OK, I'm driving up now," I replied. Just as we caught sight of his front door, a bright white figure appeared in the doorway. It was Corey...or, more specifically...Corey's naked ass. Mom screamed "OH MY GOD!" Corey heard the commotion and yelled into the phone "WHO IS THAT??" "That's my mom, Corey." I should write a book.
5) Beyond the Rock Stars, what are some of the best Lazer 103.3 on-air personality stories you can share, including your own?
I'm blessed to have experienced all that I have over the course of this incredible career thus far. My forte and my passion are interviews - and I've shared the airwaves with numerous actors, athletes, comedians, musicians and other assorted characters over my 20+ years - an exercise I take great pride in at least once a week with a feature I call the "Hall Pass" - but the work I'm most proud of at this point in my career is the work I've done with Metallica. 13-year old me would never have believed it.
6) Now let's talk about the music. How would you best describe the type of Active Rock you play on KAZR?
It's an interesting question, because I think all programmers in the genre have a different definition of what "Rock" is. But I don't think the majority of our listeners look at it that way. I like to describe our playlist as individual plots of real estate - no two are exactly the same. We add great songs that help give our 'neighborhood' character and give Lazer Listeners a variety of Rock sounds, without super-serving one type of Rock fan over another. Balance is key.
7) What's your take on current Active Rock music and the Rock format overall?
I'm very excited about the direction we seem to be headed. The recent influx of blues-based guitar bands offering a nod to a time and place when Rock & Roll was king happens to be a personal favorite - bands like Rival Sons, Dirty Honey, Whiskey Myers, The Blue Stones and of course, the great Greta Van Fleet are a few examples. Them, coupled with the established "tried-and-true" torch-bearers, are what make me an eternal optimist when it comes to the health and future of Rock.
8) Who are your three favorite artists or songs of this past year and why?
The re-emergence of "The Baddest Band In The Land" - Tool - has to be mentioned right off the top. Next, some of the cool and unexpected collaborations that have resulted in some surprises at the format, including Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars' "Blow," and Post Malone's recent single with Ozzy Osbourne "Take What You Want." And finally, from a local and personal standpoint, I love having "The Pride of the 515," Slipknot, back from dormancy. "We Are Not Your Kind" is my favorite album of the year in 2019.
9) Besides your Rock duties at Lazer, I understand you do a Fantasy Football show in the market and have a web site dedicated to Fantasy Football as well.
That's true! Fantasy Football has been a passion of mine going back to 1993, when we used to figure out final scores by looking at stats in a newspaper, and having to call our league's commissioner with adds/drops/trades each and every week. In the past few years, I've turned that passion into programming, both as a podcaster and, for a time, hosted my own show on our ESPN affiliate here in Des Moines. I'm also an active participant in several "experts" leagues, competing against some of the most notable names in the business, and have my weekly projections measured by FantasyNation.com. Yeah, I'm a geek for this stuff. Hit me up if you need help with your fantasy squad!
10) Finally, with all of this on your plate, what do you like to do for fun and relaxation when you're not in "radio" mode?
Relaxation...what's that?? I'm a father of three amazing children under the age of 10 that keep me plenty busy when I'm not in "Radio Mode." Aside from that, I do Public Address Announcing on the side for our local USHL team the Des Moines Buccaneers, and am also an avid guitarist that plays any chance I can get. It's a wonderful life, one that I never take for granted. Making my wife, my kids and my mom proud is ultimately what keeps me focused and driven to be great day-in-and-day-out.
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