I think Joan said it best. I love rock and roll. Listening to it, playing it on the radio, seeing it live, or getting to make it. Today I get to do a little of all of the above - as I've (foolishly? courageously? stupidly? geniusly?) decided to go out on the road for a few days, driving my van to Cleveland to hook up with my friend Mcgowan and his tour with Zack Hexum (brother of 311's Nick) and Robert Gomez. They've been going at it for weeks, thrashing about the country from LA to Texas to the midwest and are now headed east (playing the North Star in Philly on Sunday, 7/31, and New York at Rockwood Music Hall on 8/3). And being that I am Mcgowan's friend and somehow seem to be without gainful employment (ahem!), I willingly volunteered for roadie / driver / tour manager / guitar tuner / and occasional lapsteel and mandolin player duties (don't blink or you will miss my song or two!). It's only a few days, but there is nothing quite like the experience of being on a tour... you build this little ecosystem and society - you and the rest of the occupants of the van - a temporary family, a team - and you roll with whatever comes your way. I've only done a few weeks in my life, and already seen more from doing it (especially at this ground level stylee - not in a bus or bigtime version, where you have people that isolate the musicians away from changing flat tires!) - of the country, of roadside weirdness, of repair shops in Joplin, Missouri - than I ever expected to see in my lifetime. As anyone that's ever strummed a guitar knows... this is why you do it - and I'm excited to get to do it again.

I'll only be gone for a few days, but things are happenin' in Y100rocks.com land while I'm gone! We've got a new group of people training to be DJs - you can already hear the new energy on the air as new voices and ideas are joining us for the ride! Soon, an open house at the new plush, extravagent SoPhil space, maybe some live broadcasts, and more interviews (Ben Lee, Mcgowan's old bandmate, shows up on Friday to play live and 'christen' the new bunker / non-bunker)... AND - we've just passed 500,000 streams launched - that's amazing... half a million! Thx to all - now I gotta go load the van...

Jim

Okay, I'll make this a relatively quick one - Jim's post is far more interesting than what I'm about to spew off about.

Long story short: En route to the Poconos for the weekend, my alternator goes, the battery dies, and, about 19 volts (as opposed to the usual 12 volts) of electricity shoot through my car. The fuse on my radio (apparently) goes - electrical smoke and all comes pouring out.

So, $520 later, I have a new alternator, battery, and the radio works... except I can't tune in AM or FM. I think maybe the antenna is disconnected. Funny thing is, I don't seem to miss either. I'd like to listen to KYW so I can hear how the commercials sound (and get traffic & transit on the 2's!) - but, with no disrespect meant to the folks downstairs from me at work, or any other of my fellow professional broadcasters ... I'm not finding myself wanting to turn on the actual radio here in town.

I do subscribe to one of the satellite services, and of course, I've got a bunch of CD's. So, with Y100Rocks.com at home, and those in the car ... what more do I need?
It's sad for me to say that - I was such a radio geek, which is why I got into it in the first place - but I don't miss the radio. I really don't.

Imagine if a few thousand people felt the same way I did... what would happen to radio? Especially considering that I used to be PASSIONATE about radio ... what about the many people who aren't?
Food for thought ... Long live Y100Rocks.Com!

- Zack
(who misses everyone very much, but is still swamped with work!)