97X - Rumblings from the Big Bush
Two former 97X DJs reminisce about the independent music and the dedicated people that made the station one-of-a-kind.
Episodes
Hot on the heels of the release of The Afghan Whigs critically acclaimed new album Soft Control (see the reviews below), let's revisit our interview with the band's John Curley. This episode originally was posted in the spring of 2020.
The album has been highly praised by publications including Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Stereogum, Pollstar, Consequence, Parade, Brooklyn Vegan and...
John Fox served as the editor at Everybody's News in the late 80s and early 90s, then co-founded CityBeat, and now is the editor of Cincinnati Magazine. Everybody's News and CityBeat were strong supporters of 97X - John and music editor Mike Breen would make the trek to Oxford once a week to highlight local music and arts events on the airwaves. John talks about the symbiotic relationship, our shared "weird" audience (spoiler: they...
Aaron Yonka tuned in to 97X back in high school, then got a full-blown fever for the station and the music the summer before he started at Miami University in 1991. He became an around-the-clock listener... other than when he was co-hosting a music show on Miami's student radio station. And after he graduated, he still tuned in, especially to catch his college friend Matt Sledge, and joined the 97X message boards to keep a sense of...
It's been 43 years since 97X first started airing "modern rock for Cincinnati and Dayton" from a nondescript building in Oxford, Ohio. And it's been 22 years since it signed off - and 16 years since woxy.com went silent. Time flies... and the Butler County Historical Society wants to celebrate the station in a fundraising event on June 27, with THE Voice of 97X, Steve "Bakerman" Baker, Jen Dalton, co-host of Good Morning Cincinnati...
Jae Forman just couldn't quit radio - although she did take a 23-year "gap year" after her long stint at 97X back in the 90s and a few stops at other stations in Nashville and Albuquerque. Now she shares her energy, enthusiasm, and golden ear for great tunes on the air Tuesday afternoons (3-7 p.m. Eastern) on Inhailer Radio. We talk to her about Boston, Beastie Boys, boxcutters, music festivals, the grunge-splosion, and... reptiles...
After discovering 97X as a Miami University student and interning for Barb Abney, Rob Mason channeled his love of music into founding and running a record label. Old Flame Records featured releases from a slew of bands, including Cloud Nothings, Twin Tigers, and Cincinnati artists such as Carriers, Moonbeau, Frontier Folk Nebraska, and Dawg Yawp. And he's our only guest (so far) to have released music from a group that won a Norweg...
Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker of the band Wussy are two of the best songwriters in the known universe. They're also an absolute blast to talk to about (in no particular order): music, their Forever Sounds radio show, bad movies, Swedish Eagle, the Eagles, TV show filling station characters, ball peen hammers, ascots, super-glued teeth, and other important matters. Oh, and fecal matter too - because we're erudite!
97X superfan (and self-professed "data nerd") David Groff crunched the numbers on all* the Modern Rock 500s from 1989-2009 and in this episode, he quizzes Dave and Damian about it. How many different songs were #1? What band had the most different songs on the MR500 through the years? How many songs made the countdown every single year? How can Damian be so dense? Find all the answers --and a listener quiz too!
DJs in PJs. Wiener dogs in chariots. Bowling in a pool. A surprise birthday party. Crab crawl contests. Jart dangers. A bogus wedding. And of course, Rictile in a Speedo. The 97X Breakfast Club "Home Invasion" live broadcasts were a way to take the insanity of the 97X DJs out of the studio and onto the road. Havoc and hilarity always ensued. We talk to former 97Xer Rictile -- who originated the Home Invasion idea at the station -- ...
Chris DeVille is the managing editor of Stereogum and the author of a new book called Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion. He joins us to talk about his book, aptly billed as "the definitive history of 21st century indie rock—from Iron & Wine and Death Cab for Cutie to Phoebe Bridgers and St. Vincent—and how the genre shifted the musical landscape and shaped a generatio...
The Undertow Collective helps people make music and tour in a very indie way. They manage artists like David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), Will Johnson (Centro-matic), and Bad Bad Hats, and promote house concert tours for folks like Wussy, The Mynabirds, and Kevin Devine. Undertow partners Bob Andrews and Jayne Ballentyne join us to talk about how they got started (Uncle Tupelo was involved), how house shows happen, and why their model f...
Legendary musician Freekbass got his start in Cincinnati bands like Sleep Theater and Shag. Both got airplay on 97X, and Sleep Theater played the 97X 10th Year concert at Bogart's with Barenaked Ladies, Too Much Joy and the Royal Crescent Mob. We talked to Chris about his roots (and The Roots), his friendship with Bootsy Collins, his Times Square billboard, the freek-y way that Jimmy Fallon wound up impersonating him on The Tonight...
Howard Cohen, lead singer of the "Rumblings from the Big Bush" house band Cereal Killers, joins to talk about a fun gig the night before Thanksgiving, when he and his bandmates will be covering Elvis Costello & the Attractions songs as "The Distractions." And they'll be joined on the bill by the band Dot.Dot.Dot. covering R.E.M. tunes, and Chalk Eye. Howard also talks about 97Xposure and why he and his bandmates keep on keepin'...
Tim Quirk and Jay Blumenfield of Too Much Joy also perform as Wonderlick, and Wonderlick's songs as just as catchy, witty, and entertaining as TMJ songs are. And Tim and Jay clearly still enjoy engaging with fans - in fact, they see many advantages to the house concert shows they've done of late. Tim and Jay joined Dave and Damian to talk about Wonderlick's new release Wonderlick Goes to War, share road stories, and reminisce about...
Dave and Damian were excited to chat with Seinfeld star Jason Alexander... but they had to settle for Jayson Alexander, a longtime 97X listener, and perhaps the only person who has listened to every single one of our podcast episodes (although he's reluctant to admit it). Find out what old-time baseball, Ozomatli, and Swedish newscasts have in common when Jayson shares tales of his 97Xplorations.
Julie Maxwell worked at 97X from 1988 through 1999, including a long stint as the co-host of the Breakfast Club. But after she moved from on-air to promotions manager, she really elevated 97X's game with all sorts of great giveaways and fun contests and promotions... all on a shoestring budget. If you ever scored concert tickets, prizes or station swag, Julie probably had a hand in it. She also spearheaded 97X's charity efforts thr...
Your affable (and somewhat addled) co-hosts Dave and Damian have been trapped inside the Big Bush for many moons (and a few Moonpies) but we broke free to chat with Nils Illokken, Music Director and DJ for Inhailer Radio, about the upcoming Inhailer Indie 500. If you remember the 97X Modern Rock 500, Inhailer's Indie 500 is an updated version of that annual Memorial Day Weekend countdown.
We chatted with Nils about process for sele...
In 1991, Randy Malloy started as an unpaid college intern at WWCD-FM in Columbus, an independent, alternative rock radio station cut from the same cloth as 97X. He held a variety of positions at the station, including promotions director, marketing director, and operations director, before buying the station in 2011. Together with a dedicated band of staffers, they kept the independent/alternative flame alive for 33 years as the st...
Friends, we're gathered together today for a very special episode of "97X Rumblings from the Big Bush" as we pay tribute to the man who saw Jesus at McDonald's at midnight. The man who impregnated Debbie Gibson. The man whose antipathy for Don Henley knows no bounds, and whose love for Martha Quinn is eternal. The man, the myth, the Mojo-est MoFo of them all. The Bo-Day-Shus Mr. Mojo Nixon!
Dave "The Dick Cavett of Modern Roc...
After nearly 100 episodes, and a gazillion great memories, it's time for "97X Rumblings from the Big Bush" to rumble off into the sunset (or be devoured by the Big Bush in the station's old parking lot). Dave & Damian reflect on the podcast and "the voice" of 97X returns to bring it home. Thanks so much for listening!
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