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10 Questions with ... Meltdown
November 17, 2020
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. I love some of these bands! Greta Van Fleet is awesome, Corey Taylor, the new Zombie kills, new Royal Blood. It's so killer to be able to play some classics, but also bring newer music to people, too. I get pretty fired up when I'm playing a new song on the air, as I suspect most radio guys do.”
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1. What led you to a career in radio?
It was one of those moments. I was cleaning a bar in my town on Monday and Tuesdays my senior year of high school, when I heard a guy on the radio, around 2 or 3 am. He was so was so bad, I immediately thought to myself "That's what I'm going to do!" I started networking and one thing led to another before I got my foot in the building at the end of 1989. Ted Shredd at 103.3 in Buffalo, NY was a HUGE help.
2. Can you give us the highlights of your radio career BEFORE you joined WRIF on November 1, 1995?
Doing stagers before concerts has always been fun. I remember one night I did an announcement before an Ozzy show at the old Auditorium in Buffalo. Something happened where they were trying to stall, so I was told to go onstage and talk as long as I could. No one ever says that! I was also the first person in the country to play "The Lumberjack" from Jackyl on the radio. I've been friends with Jesse James DuPree ever since. Just doing my first shift on the radio on February 10, 1990. That shift was terrible, but it was a start! Looking back, working for Bob Richards was a real learning lesson. Also, John Hagar. I'm still friends with him to this day. I love talking radio with John. He's one of the smartest guys I know.
3. Congrats on 25 years on WRIF. That’s quite an accomplishment. I know you started out in overnights back then. How did you get that first job at the station?
I owe it all to Fred Jacobs. After I had lost my job in Buffalo, he told me something was going to break, but he couldn't tell me when or where. I'm the kind of person who takes responsibility for myself, so while Fred said that to me, I still tried to find a gig. I sent out about 50 tapes and resumes. I recall I had a job somewhat lined up in mid-state New York, but for some reason I wasn't crazy about that gig. I was contemplating that job when I got a call from Doug Podell. He asked me if I wanted to come to Detroit. I told him I wasn't doing anything now, so sure!
4. You eventually moved from overnights to nights and then in February 2009 you followed the legendary Arthur Penhallow in afternoon drive. How was it following an iconic personality like that on WRIF?
Well, I did 7-Midnight for the previous 11-12 years, so I was a familiar with the shift and I feel like the listeners knew me pretty well. Following a legend of that magnitude was daunting. For the first little while I really just felt like I was keeping the seat warm for Art. After a while I told myself that I had two choices, I could either feel like that, or make it my own shift. It wasn't easy but I think I did. Just to be totally honest, Arthur may be the biggest air-personality I've ever known or worked with, so it was a grind that I took one day at a time. No one ever replaces a guy like that, you just have to do YOUR thing.
5. Do you do any special music or content features in afternoon drive on WRIF?
I do the FourPlay At 4 where the listeners respond on my socials with songs around a daily theme. It's pretty much all picked by listeners. The Hard Drive at 5 is a little heavier part of the show. I do play clips from my Talkin' Rock podcast periodically to give more content and plug the podcast.
6. Now let’s talk about some of your Rock Star interviews. I know you’ve talked with most of Rock’s elite, but who and what are some of your more memorable interviews?
For me, talking with guys who have been around and seen it all are the best interviews. You'll never take them be surprise. Gene Simons, Alice Cooper, David Coverdale and Rob Halford are some of my favorites to talk to. I did three interviews in 2019 that I'll never forget. Talking with Geddy Lee of Rush was a first and so great. He was engaged, on a great phone line and very prompt. Slash from GNR told me that they were working on new music. No one had said that out loud up until that point. I remember getting a rental car for a family vacation in Florida, and after driving for about ten minutes, the girl on the radio started talking about my Slash interview on her show! It was pretty cool. But the one for me was David Lee Roth. Obviously, we all know what happened recently. In September of 2019 he told me that Van Halen was done and that he had somewhat inherited the band and that "Eddie had his own story to tell, it wasn't his (Dave's) to tell it". That interview ended up on Rolling Stone about four hours after I posted it. Talking to DLR is like herding cats, but I managed to get some great stuff out of him.
7. Let’s talk about the music you play in the afternoon on WRIF. Being this is a heritage Rock station; I’m sure keeping the long- time upper demo listeners happy is important, but how do you do that and also engage the younger WRIF listeners?
That's the trick, right? Thankfully I've been lucky to work with some solid programmers. Mark Pennington always had a knack for finding some great bands to complement what core bands we played. That's carried on through to Jade Springart and Scott Jameson. There are some great "bands" out right now. The Greta Van Fleets, to the Dirty Honeys and Rival Sons. Bands like Shinedown, Five Finger, Halestorm and others seem to resonate with the younger and older rock fans. When these kinds of bands play our RIFF fest you see all kinds of people and all ages at the show.
8. What's your take on current music in the Active Rock format and who are some of your favorite new artists that WRIF is playing?
I love some of these bands! Greta Van Fleet is awesome, Corey Taylor, the new Zombie kills, new Royal Blood. It's so killer to be able to play some classics, but also bring newer music to people, too. I get pretty fired up when I'm playing a new song on the air, as I suspect most radio guys do.
9. Tell us about your weekly “Talkin’ Rock” podcast. When did that start and how can we listen to it?
I can't tell you how much I love doing it. It started about 5-6 years ago with the goal to do one interview a week. I called in some favors and the next thing I knew; bands and publicists were searching me out. Now I do about 80-100 episodes a year, some hosting multiple interviews. I love trying to find that hidden gem in each interview that they may not have told anyone else. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but it's always a challenge that I really like. Some of these guys have become friends. I have two goals when I do these....to get content and make the artist look good. I never try to ambush them, but I have to get some good stuff from them. You can listen to it wherever you listen to podcasts and of course on wrif.com.
10. Finally…Detroit is a legendary rock n roll town. What is unique about WRIF that reflects your listeners passion for Rock?
WRIF is an institution in Detroit. When I found out I had the job, my first thought was "That's where they build all the cars." Since I've been here it's also become "That's where tons of great music come from." Think about all the classic rock bands, then think about what's come in the past 25 years since I got here. Kid Rock, Eminem, White Stripes and more. To answer your question, other stations come and go, but WRIF remains. It's always been the pulse of the working person and remains that to this day. This town is pretty blue-collar and can spot a fake from a mile away. WRIF is real. We haven't gone anywhere or left and returned. People always know RIFF will be there.
Bonus Questions
What do you do for fun away from your Rock and Work life?
I play tons of hockey, ride my Harley & street bicycle and collect vinyl. I love watching my son's hockey and baseball games. Family trips are fun, but we couldn't do that this year.
Who is your Favorite artist you have met and why?
I would have to say Kid Rock. I met him about 22 years ago and we've remained friends ever since. I just went down to Nashville and spent a couple days with him and John Daly. What a 25th anniversary weekend! He's a great guy and very giving. James Hetfield is also one of my faves, but I'm not going to say I know him. He's always been great to me though. Most the artists I've met have all been very nice to me, with very few exceptions.
How did you get the name “Meltdown?’
When I was a kid in high school, there was a character on Snortin Norton's morning show named Meltdown Mitch. A stoner dude of sorts. My friends started calling me the "Meltdown One,” I guess because I was so much into rock music. After I graduated, I worked overnights doing custodial work at the local school. That's when I would call the local DJ's and they would put me on the air. First it was Norton and when he started blowing me off, Ted Shredd would put me on his overnight show, both calling me the Meltdown One. When I got into radio and they signed on a 24-hour heavy metal station on AM called 14X, the boss, Art Wander, said "Just call yourself Meltdown.”
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