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10 Questions with ... Max Volume
August 18, 2020
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. I have a lot of rejection letters, like the one that you wrote me Ken Anthony that said ‘although your qualifications meet our criteria, we do not feel you are a good fit for us at this time’.
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1. Let’s start at the beginning…I heard you were attending UNR (Univ Nevada Reno) and got an internship at KOZZ?
Yes, it was the fall of ‘81. It was a magical time in rock and radio. By December I was doing “fill in” shifts and working with the Engineer on projects. In March I got hired to do the overnight shift as a full timer. The General Manager, Dave Newman and the owner of the company, Howard Kalmenson met with me personally. Howard said he hired me because I was going to college, which was something I didn’t have to do, and I if I was coming to work for him, he wanted someone who would do things they didn’t have to do. In June of ‘82 I was moved up to the 6 pm to Midnight slot. That’s when it all blew up.
2. When did you first start buying records?
I used to buy 45’s as a kid. Then about 7th grade I got into albums. I would sell lemons and avocados off our trees door to door to get money. One day, I had to have the just released “Houses of the Holy” from Led Zeppelin. I went down to the market and took a shopping cart around back, filled it up with the returnable bottles they’d already taken in, took them back in to the store and got enough money to buy it. That trick worked several times.
3. What was it like growing up in Los Angeles in the late 60s and 70s?
It was incredible. Everything was happening in L.A. All the TV shows were being filmed there. Mattel and Wham O were there. Love-ins were happening at Griffith Park. The Doors and Buffalo Springfield were playing local High Schools. I was a skateboarder, and I learned to surf. I saw Queen’s “Day At The Races” and “Night At The Opera” tours. I saw Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”, “Animals”, and “The Wall” as well.
4. I understand you had a major label deal at 21 as a singer songwriter, what happened?
Yeah, it came down to not wanting to be this A&R guy’s “Lap Dog”. One night late at the offices he says to me “How bad do you want this?” “Really bad” I said. He stood up and dropped his trousers and told me to get on my knees. I told him to F*** Off. I got a lot of calls trying to patch things up from his superiors. I moved on. #metoo
5. In the early 80s, when you started in radio, you played records and carts right?
It was hard work! I did a 6 hour shift playing each song and each commercial by hand! I learned to get there early, to do production, and hand wash all the 12” singles and currents. I’d use dish soap and warm water to clean all the paw prints, pizza, and sticky crap off the vinyl. We had carts that you’d have to shake and slap to get them to play!
Max's girlfriend Carina and Max Volume at Emigrant Gap in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range!6. The town of Winnemucca, Nevada, petitioned the F.C.C. to fast track a translator to bring KOZZ to their town for safety reasons. What’s up with that?
In the summer of 1983 I was playing some great records. Joan Jett, Quiet Riot, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, etc. etc. The town of Winnemucca (by virtue of line of sight) was devoid of rock radio. The town is 170 miles up I-80 and its on the other side of a giant mountain. All the kids were going up to the top of that mountain to hear KOZZ. Kids were drinking, smoking pot, bras were coming off, and panties were getting lost. I was on the air in Reno and there were hundreds of kids on top of this mountain with KOZZ blasting out of their pickup trucks. It would make a great movie, kind of like ”Footloose”. The townsfolk brought KOZZ to town before somebody got hurt.
7. You were voted “Best Ears In America” 3 times and small town P.D. of the year twice. What’s it like having PD Jave Patterson to do all the heavy lifting?
I had 27 record companies trying to build condominiums up my rear. Then there were lunches and dinners and conventions and all I wanted to do was work on the sound of my station and coach my talent. I almost took a few label gigs but stayed in radio and spent more time with my family. Jave and I are like Romulus and Remus. We’re bound by the same ethics and principles. A promotion should have 3 prongs on the spear; it should benefit the listener, the band and the station. I used to do a lot of bumper stickers and t shirt promotions.
8. You’ve only worked in two markets; Reno and Sacramento, why?
I have a lot of rejection letters. Like the one you wrote Ken Anthony that said “although your qualifications meet our criteria, we do not feel you are a good fit for us at this time”. I went to a lot of cities for the final interview and looked around wondering how close I could live to work. If it was farther than the drive to Tahoe from Reno, I was out. I built a huge audience and stayed in Reno. Today …four generations of Nevadans listen to me. Working with Pat Martin at 98 Rock was really, really cool as well. I loved Sacramento, but I’m a Reno boy.
9. You broadcasted live from your house while in quarantine for 3 ½ months! What was that like?
Well, the commute was sweet. It took a lot of discipline and structure. It was lonesome. We, as a nation, were thrust into this pandemic and I went into “Public Servant/ Newscaster” mode. I worked 6 days/ 50 hours a week. There was something about being there to hold America’s hand and tell her we’re going to be all right. People will remember that long after I’m gone. It’s not about how cool you are, it’s all about how cool you can be. How much you can give.
10. You know everyone. You’re an accomplished musician. You’ve toured and opened for everyone from Edgar Winter to Aerosmith. So who’s your favorite rock star you’ve jammed with?
I’m gonna lay the Jimmy Page card out on the table. Sweetest guy, and very funny. Thats all thanks to David Coverdale (Whitesnake) who has included me on so many of his albums.
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