8/13/2006
Classic Rock DJ Irked That No One Understands His Mixes
Left: "Unappreciated" radio host Merriwether
(Portland, OR) Late nite host Mark Merriwether of KGON-FM grows weary of creating "masterful mixes" that seem to fall on deaf ears.
"The other day I followed Chicago's "Beginnings" with The Doors' 'The End,' but not a single listener called in or emailed to let me know they made the connection," he said, scratching his neck. "It's like I am playing records to an audience of mind-numbed zombies or something. Even my pothead cousin Henry smoking a fat Blunt would have figured that one out."
Merriwether admits that his 7 pm to 12 am shift "ain't exactly morning drive," but notes that there are anywhere from eight to twelve thousand listeners at any moment on the classic rock station.
"Sure, they'll call in for Skynyrd's 'Free Bird' or Aerosmith's 'Dream On,' so I know they are out there," he mused, loading a series of commercials. "But can they put a little thought into what I am doing? No freaking way."
Left: The sound of...nothing
A recent experiment convinced Merriwether of his audience's "collective imbecility."
"I thought to myself: 'Mark, let's make it easy for them,' so I played AC-DC's 'Highway to Hell' right after Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven,'" he said, sipping his coffee and starting a 10-song Music Marathon. "But no. Complete silence. Finally the phone rings, and it's some fucking asswipe asking for BOC's 'Don't Fear the Reeefer.' Dear God, just put a bullet in my head. Right now. Please?"
(Portland, OR) Late nite host Mark Merriwether of KGON-FM grows weary of creating "masterful mixes" that seem to fall on deaf ears.
"The other day I followed Chicago's "Beginnings" with The Doors' 'The End,' but not a single listener called in or emailed to let me know they made the connection," he said, scratching his neck. "It's like I am playing records to an audience of mind-numbed zombies or something. Even my pothead cousin Henry smoking a fat Blunt would have figured that one out."
Merriwether admits that his 7 pm to 12 am shift "ain't exactly morning drive," but notes that there are anywhere from eight to twelve thousand listeners at any moment on the classic rock station.
"Sure, they'll call in for Skynyrd's 'Free Bird' or Aerosmith's 'Dream On,' so I know they are out there," he mused, loading a series of commercials. "But can they put a little thought into what I am doing? No freaking way."
Left: The sound of...nothing
A recent experiment convinced Merriwether of his audience's "collective imbecility."
"I thought to myself: 'Mark, let's make it easy for them,' so I played AC-DC's 'Highway to Hell' right after Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven,'" he said, sipping his coffee and starting a 10-song Music Marathon. "But no. Complete silence. Finally the phone rings, and it's some fucking asswipe asking for BOC's 'Don't Fear the Reeefer.' Dear God, just put a bullet in my head. Right now. Please?"