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10 Questions with ... Andy Hall
September 22, 2020
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. 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.
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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. Before we talk about your new role as station PD, can you please share your “famous” Corey Taylor “Rock Star” story?
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. Congrats on your recent appointment as PD for Lazer. Having been in the market for 20 plus years, this must be a very special promotion for you.
Thanks, it most certainly is! I’ve built up a lot of positive equity in this market, not only with listeners and local musicians, but clients as well. And I believe that’s “on-brand” for me in terms of the relationships I’ve cultivated within the record industry over the course of 20 years as well. I have lived and breathed Lazer since the day I set foot in this place, and theres no doubt that what you see with me is what you get. That level of authenticity is something I believe everybody in radio should strive for – because, when people trust and believe you, it translates to positive results – not only in the ratings, but revenue potential.
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 think we’re in a really interesting place as a format. Depending on the competitive situation one finds him or herself within any given market, there are opportunities to grow your audience beyond your P1s. When one of the biggest names in pop teams up with one of rock’s biggest heritage artists, it’s a gift. And there’s been more than just Post Malone and Ozzy over the past year or so, but that was a big one – for Post to essentially “endorse” rock gives us a chance to welcome some new ears into the tent. Elsewhere, core artists are continually putting out good stuff, and there’s plenty of new and exciting sounds worth taking a shot on as well.
8. Who are your three favorite artists or songs of this past year and why?
Well, my first choice probably seems obvious, considering my relationship with the mighty, mighty Metallica...but S&M2 was all kinds of incredible. Their first collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony over 20 years ago remains one of my favorite “surprise” moments of that band’s career. And the 2nd iteration definitely did not disappoint. Next, I’ll mention my buddy Corey Taylor, who finally found time to put out a solo album I know he’s been dying to release. Can’t wait for everybody to hear “CMFT.” As I shared with Corey, it’s the perfect showcase for the versatility he’s never really been able to fully share with the world. I think fans will be pleasantly surprised by what Corey’s capable of. Finally, I’d like to mention perhaps the most unique new artist to our format, The Hu. Between the vocal stylings, the unique instrumentation, and infectious cadence to their stuff, I’ve become a huge fan of theirs over the past year or so.
9. 2020 has been an unprecedented year with Covid-19. Now that you are in the PD chair, how is Lazer handling the pandemic both on and off the air?
Like everyone else, we’ve taken precautions to protect our staff and families. On-air, it’s now more important than ever to share your experience with the listeners that, most likely, can identify with the same struggles and frustrations we’re dealing with. Being local to my market is a luxury that, unfortunately, not everyone has in this business these days. Besides that emphasis on being “local,” it’s also been an interesting exercise to produce content unique to the times we’re living. For several months, we hosted the “Living Room Live” series on the station’s Facebook page – unique performances, from both local and national artists, in lieu of concerts. Our listeners loved them, and many of the artists helped grow those audiences via social media, which is always nice to see.
10. Finally, 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!
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