10 Questions with ... Mistress Carrie & Mike Hsu

1. What was your first job in radio and early influences?

Carrie- WAAF was my first job. I started in 1991 as an intern where I fetched coffee, made copies, filed the mail, and dubbed cassettes. I did whatever they needed. I was lucky enough to learn under people like Mark Razz, Opie & Anthony, John Osterlind, and Greg Hill, people who have had long and successful careers and who were willing to teach me and give me great advice. I paid attention. I got on the Street Team in 1994 when I graduated from college, thanks to Ron Valeri, and got a shot on the air in 1998 where I was until last Friday.

Mike- My first real radio experience started the day after I graduated high school in 1986 from Natick, Massachusetts. I was up at 3:30 the next morning for my internship with Charles Laquidara and The Big Mattress on WBCN in Boston. It was exciting because BCN was one of the stations I grew up listening to. That was like boot camp. I learned a great deal about the business of radio. I was also lucky to work with some amazingly talented people like Billy West, Bob Homecranz, Tom Sandman, Albert O, Tank, and many others that were part of the classic 80’s BCN line up. I did that for two summers while attending North Adams State College and working at their excellent campus station, WJJW. My first paying job was at AC WUPE in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Their station manager at the time, Chris Rolando, was impressed that I had a letter of recommendation from Laquidara so he gave me the Saturday 2-7 shift and the dreaded Sunday morning 5am-noon public service programming shift. From 5-9 it was Commonwealth Club of California and Ask the Professor and local shows. I lived in a house with five other guys so getting up, getting there, and staying awake was a challenge.

2. What led you to a career in radio and was there a defining moment, which made you realize “this is it”?

Carrie- I had been around WAAF for almost eight years, both as an intern and as a Street Teamer. I applied for every job, and I applied to be O&A’s producer, so I made a demo. I didn’t get the job, but then PD Dave Douglas asked me if I ever thought about being a jock? I said no, and walked out of the room. When I told Opie the story, he called me an idiot, told me that I was stupid, and said that I was just “offered a job by one of the most influential Rock stations in the country, in one of the biggest markets, and that I should turn around, go back to Dave’s office, apologize for being an idiot and say YES!” I told you they were there for great advice, and that I listened. Soon after that, O&A got fired and I was the night jock at WAAF. I think all of our careers are doing just fine. Had I not taken Opie’s advice that day, who knows where I would have ended up…

Mike- My family took a lot of long car trips all over the region most of which were done in a ‘77 Datsun with a stock AM radio. As we crossed state lines we would search for the radio stations that had something interesting going on. The one I remember the most is WABC in New York. The announcers had these gigantic voices and made it sound like fun. Locally, before I became rock radio loving teenager, I was waking up with Jesse Cain on WHDH and listening to WRKO which was playing Rock and Top 40 back then. Around 6th grade I was discovering Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin and started listening to WAAF, and BCN, COZ, CGY, and the myriad of college stations in this area. It sounded like the DJ’s were having a blast working with something I loved. I knew back then I needed to get into it. I attended The Connecticut School of Broadcasting while in High School and did everything I could to suck up as much as I could about it. When I found out you could get free records and tickets it sealed the deal.

3. Before we talk about the final days of WAAF, how long were you at WAAF and what made this station so unique?

Carrie- I spent 29 years at WAAF as of this July, 22 of them on the air, and two things made it special, the city and the staff. Boston is unlike any other city, and the staff members of WAAF were a product of the city. We were so interconnected with the area and the audience. It’s a very special relationship, and I was very lucky to be a part of such a great team, in such an amazing city. And if you were a transplant like our PD Joe Calgaro, we made you a Bostonian pretty quick. It’s an intensive program that includes learning to love Tom Brady, and the Red Sox. We were still working on that with Joe when we left.

Mike- I have been fortunate to work here for a little over 20 years. I know a lot of people who have had to go across the country for jobs in this business. I have been very lucky. There are two things that separated WAAF from the rest. The gang-like environment the staff created made everyone closer than usual. WAAF was always the scrappy, unruly station that was always fighting against the well-established radio institutions. WAAF took a lot of risks with music and content. Also, people in the immediate Boston area always had a condescending attitude towards the rest of the state. We were constantly trying to give it back to them which leads me to the second factor. WAAF listeners took that gang attitude the staff conveyed and ran with it. When I first started working here in late 1998, I was actually afraid of our listeners. The passion and intensity shocked me. I came back from working in Richmond, Virginia, to full on Masshole attitude and went through a little culture shock. We felt like the listeners always had our backs. We were the misfits and outsiders. They were ready to battle right next to us. At the same time, their generosity was always overwhelming. Whenever we put out the call that someone needed help they delivered tenfold.

4. When and how did you first hear about the impending sale to EMF and the eventual final days of WAAF?

Carrie- I found out, when Mike found out, after my show on Tuesday. We did our crossover break, and Joe asked us to come into his office. I cracked a smartass joke and said “I didn’t do it” and when Joe didn’t laugh, I knew something was wrong. Then I turned the corner and saw Mark Hannon our GM sitting there, and I got a pit in my stomach. Mark told us straight up what happened. We agreed to take the next day off the air, so we could come up with a plan to say goodbye on Thursday and Friday. I thought for sure, they were going to escort us out of the building that day, with the cops as I have threatened over the years. I was in such shock that they agreed to let us say goodbye so publicly. We found out at 3pm, and the press release went out at 5. All hell broke loose.

Mike- We were all informed the Tuesday before we signed off.

5. When you realized you had only a few days to say goodbye to Boston and your listeners, tell us the plan you put in motion for the final days?

Carrie- We sat down on Wednesday afternoon and talked about how to do it. How do you take 50 years of history and boil it down into two days? Joe and Mark told us it was our station, and to do what we wanted. We started reaching out to labels and bands. We also started calling all of the old staff, looking for former WAAF jocks that have scattered like the wind. Since it had hit the news, our phones were blowing up. People thought it was a prank and some still do. I guess we deserve the skepticism, after some of the things we’ve pulled off over the years. I describe it like this. Imagine your best friend in the world is killed suddenly in a car crash, and you are asked to deliver the eulogy. Your entire world is a wreck, but you owe it to your friend to hold it together, and send them off properly. That’s what we did. There will always be time to fall apart later. We hit the air Thursday morning at 10am with Sevendust ‘Black’ and we opened the phone lines. Thursday was more for the fans to hear what happened from us, and voice their thoughts. Friday was the day with all the moving parts. The wake always comes before the funeral.

Mike- Carrie and I were shocked to say the least. But we knew we had to get listeners on the air, as well as former staff members and the bands we had strong relationships with. It was important to try to include everyone involved. A lot of people put a lot of blood and sweat into WAAF and we were very fortunate that OM Joe Calgaro and GM Mark Hannon trusted us to do that.

Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith visits Carrie and WAAF on its final day!

6. You had a stellar list of musicians that called or made appearances over the last two days. That must have been very gratifying to hear from all the rockers you supported over the years. Give us the scoop on who you spoke with.

Carrie- Morgan and LJ from Sevendust, Sully from Godsmack, Mike Mushok from Staind, Gary & Nuno from Extreme, Brent from Shinedown, Tyler from Theory, and Tom Hamilton from Aerosmith even surprised us in studio. The hotline just kept ringing as we had former producers screening the calls, and running around collecting audio for the website. It was like being in a hornets nest. Listeners waited on hold for hours to get through to us.

Mike- When I first started here in 98, AAF was playing a lot of new music. They were taking risks on bands like Staind, Shinedown, Sevendust, Disturbed, Korn, and Slipknot. Godsmack is the best example. They were local guys making good with the full support from their local Rock station. Whenever these bands came to town we and the listeners made a big scene. During those last two days we heard from Morgan Rose and Lajon Witherspoon and from Sully Erna from Godsmack, Sevendust, Mike Mushok from Staind and Saint Asonia, and Brent Smith from Shinedown. It was nice to hear how much the station meant to those guys. It really meant a lot to us to have Tom Hamilton from Aerosmith stop by and tell us about when he first heard the band’s music on AAF. Those guys have always been good to us.

7. You also had many former WAAF air staffers who paid their respects to the station. Who were some of the AAF air staff that you had on the final days

Carrie- We went OLD SCHOOL. Rob Barnett, Bob & Zip, John Osterlind “Ozone”, Mark Razz, Liz Wild, a reunited Hill-Man Morning show, Bob Hannah, and Mike Wilde came on. We turned over every rock we could because the whole gang needed to be represented. We all played our part in building this monster, so we all had to have a chance to take the blame for the path of destruction it left behind.

Mike- We had former employees from all the way back to the 70’s call in like Rob Barnett who helped organize the famous Rolling Stones gig at a tiny club in Worcester called Sir Morgan’s Cove. Mark Razz, Glen Shuck, and Mike Wilde all called or stopped by. My idol, John “Ozone” Osterlind called in from New Orleans. I was always amazed at how easy he made it sound. His humor and delivery are the best. I felt like I was 15 again having former AAF morning show Bob (Rivers) and Zip (Peter Zipfeld) in the studio. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think I’d be on the air with them. One of the best moments was Liz Wilde (The Cream Cheese Bitch) calling in and talking with Carrie (The Baddest Bitch In Boston) about sometimes being the lone female voice in a male dominated genre.

8. Besides the musicians and WAAF staff who called in or came by the station, I would imagine the emotions of your longtime faithful listeners had to be very raw and real. What were some of the most memorable calls from listeners in the final days of WAAF?

Carrie- There were so many stories that it’s hard to choose. There are people who met at our shows, and are married with kids now. There were requests for loved ones who have passed that loved our station. Stories of fathers and sons who found WAAF as the only thing they had in common. A woman who requested Silent Lucidity made everyone cry, and of course I cried the entire time. Especially talking to old friends like Sully Erna of Godsmack and Brent Smith of Shinedown about all of the times we’ve had over the years, and when military guys called in and talked about the care packages I sent them, or how I visited them overseas. There is a tissue shortage in this building still.

Mike- It was great hearing so many listeners saying that AAF was the soundtrack to their lives. Some told us listening helped them get through some tough times. There was one woman who lost her husband and said we helped her get through that. Later she lost her daughter and we were there for her then too. We had a truck driver call in and tell us we helped him get through the thousands of miles he had to drive. Most said that we made them feel like they were part of the gang and they most definitely were.

9. Can you give us the rundown on the final hours of WAAF and the last song you played (and why) before the switch to the EMF Contemporary Christian format at Midnight on Friday, February 21st?

Carrie- The final hours are a blur to me. We had a sign-up sheet for all of the former employees that showed up at the station, and we gave everyone a few minutes to give their “WAAF Confession” which was something they got away with while they were here, that should have gotten them fired. Those stories were hilarious. We agreed that the studio would be cleared at 11pm, to give Mike, Joe and I some time to say everything we wanted to say. After all the years we spent there, and all the hours holding it together, we earned our last stand. Joe wanted to address the sacrifices of his family for relocating to Boston the year before, and to talk about what Mike Hsu and I meant to him. Mike and I wanted to thank our loved ones for always supporting us, even through the late nights and crazy times. We sang the praises of each other’s significant others, as it’s not easy to be with people who prioritize work the way we did for so many years. As it got closer to midnight, the air in the room got heavy, and the crowd in the halls, and outside in the parking lot got bigger. There was so much food and booze around.

Listeners were dropping cases of beer and bottles of booze on the front steps like offerings to a God. Joe, Mike and I had agreed on the last song the day before, but we said we would all sleep on it, knowing that it would be scrutinized by everyone if we got it wrong. Black Sabbath “Black Sabbath” was the only choice. The album came out weeks before we signed on the air, and Ozzy released a new album the day we signed off, and is the only artist to stay currant for all 50 years of our history, and well… SATAN. If EMF was going to take our beloved signal, they were going to have to endure Satan first. Mike Hsu told me to say the final words, and after we thanked the audience one final time, and told everyone we loved them, I opted for the ever present “AAF…AAF…AAF…” chant we have led for decades. That’s what you heard under the rain of the start of the song… and then it was gone, my WAAF was gone.

Mike- During the final few hours we actually played very little music and gave former staff members a chance to tell stories and say goodbye. We made most of them confess to things they did while employees they were never busted for. It made me happy we were able to get some of the promotions people on from the BCN wars. Those street teasers and promo directors were at times literally battling with their BCN counterparts. Part of the reason we beat BCN was our street presence. They all put in a huge effort to win. As far as the last song we played, that was not something we took lightly. 50 years as a Rock station can’t end with a lame song. We had a few meetings going through several ideas we had and the thousands of requests from our listeners. We decided on “Black Sabbath” by Black Sabbath for a few different reasons. It came out in 1970, the same year AAF signed on as a rock station. Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne have been a constant presence on AAF since then. And, I can only speak for myself here but it was an appropriate segue into the new format. I was hoping they had to throw some holy water on the stick when it turned.

Mike and Carrie embrace during the final moments of WAAF!

10. Finally, I know that the final days of a legendary station like WAAF is another death in the Rock radio family, but ultimately more personal for you guys. How do you want WAAF to be remembered?

Carrie- I want WAAF to be remembered for taking chances and for being rebellious. We stepped out on so many bands and songs….and some worked some didn’t. WAAF was a place where a purple haired truck driver found her way to the airwaves in one of the most passionate Rock markets in the country and stayed for decades. We were a family, an underdog, a vile beast that couldn’t be tamed. We were an angry hoard marching to battle against every other station in town, during the most infamous Rock radio rivalry ever. But, at the same time, we were there to help anyone who needed it, and when things went bad on 9/11, or the marathon bombing, or tragic fires, and the deaths of some of our Rock heroes, we stuck together like family does. Our listeners are part of that family, those call letters are a badge of honor, and if you were lucky enough to spend some time here with us, you know what I mean. I am so lucky to have spent 29 years wearing those call letters, and I would give anything for 29 more. I will forever have a hole in my soul now that this place is gone. It would be easier to have been fired, and still be able to listen to the station that I grew up with, that I was a fan of before I stepped through the door. But now, my preset is empty, and the place I spent my entire adult life building, is just a memory. It’s heart breaking. “Head Up, shoulders back, horns up, we are going out proud, because we were all part of something special!”

Mike- When someone mentions WAAF I want people to say a wide eyed “Oh yeah…” Kind of a knowing acknowledgment that those call letters are synonymous with Loud Ass Rock music, crazy big events that inspired several stories that can only be told in secret or to a therapist, and the love between the listeners and the staff. We were always truly “The Only Station That Really Rocked.

The WAAF Air staff and friends after the sign off!