Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

And the alt-rock-radio war raged on

Big shows, longtime DJs, and Art Laboe cram into the 94/9 vs. 91X picture frame

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Timothy Joseph never imagined his band playing the Sports Arena, which over 50 years has also hosted everyone from Bowie to Zeppelin.

Buckfast Superbee gets back together

The Buckfast Superbee indie-rock quartet launched in 1997 and went dormant eight years ago. Of the band’s decision to regroup earlier this year: “We were surprised anyone even cared,” Joseph said by phone from Rome last week.

Now comes the announcement that Buckfast gets to play the Sports Arena December 8 as the only local band to play on the first of the two-night Wrex the Halls multi-band concert series promoted by 91X. Joseph also says 91X programmer Garett Michaels told him that a yet-to-be recorded Buckfast song would get an entire month of airplay as the 91X “Local Break” artist for December.

The heaps of 91X love may seem odd since Joseph is the primary host of The Local 94/9, the Sunday-night local-music show on FM 94/9, 91X’s primary competitor. Then again, maybe not.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Garett Michaels gets revenge?

“I guarantee this was a big F-U from Garett who was fired by FM 94/9 [in 2012],” claims a local radio DJ who opted not to be identified.

The competition to put on the biggest live shows has become more important as both stations fight to split the alternative audience (hard rockin’ Rock 105.3 usually tops both stations). 91X was connected with Beer-X in August, Ye Skallywag last month, and the Wrex the Halls shows are December 8 and 9. FM 94/9 has no shows announced for the holiday season. Their last one was the SPF festival at the Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre in June.

Past Event

CANCELED:

Wrex the Halls: Rise Against, more

When radio stations put on big shows like Wrex the Halls, they often hold contests to create a spectacle over which local band gets to open; Michaels simply asked Buckfast Superbee to play it with no fanfare. Chatter suggests 91X/Michaels may want to entice Joseph to jump ship and join 91X in some capacity. (Joseph is co-owner of the Phaser Control recording studio, which could be used to host live sets by bands who drop by 91X.)

Possibly adding to the drama was the fact that the October 22 edition of The Local 94/9 (pre-recorded to allow for Joseph’s Italy trip) never made it to air. Cohost Dan Brozo admitted on-air that the pre-recorded show had been “somehow erased,” and then played local artists without announcing who they were or their song titles.

Was the booking of Buckfast Superbee part of a snub? 91X’s Michaels would not respond.

Was the erasing of The Local 94/9 show a kind of tit for tat? FM 94/9 program director Kevin Callahan did not respond to a request for comment.

Whatever behind-the-scene issues the radio higher-ups may have, the hosts of 91X’s Loudspeaker and The Local 94/9 are always friendly to each other on the air.

Art Laboe gets the ratings

Joseph said he is sure it was an honest mistake and that there was no skulduggery.

If there are any bad feelings between the two local alt-rock stations and their local music shows, it is not because either show is a big ratings winner. According to Nielsen ratings for the past three months, among all local listeners aged 18-49, 91X’s Loudspeaker has 1700 listeners for its first hour (7 p.m.) and by its third 9 p.m. hour, that figure drops to 500. Ratings for The Local 94/9, which follows from 10 p.m. to midnight, doesn’t show more than 300 listeners.

Who gets the big Sunday-night ratings? It’s 92-year-old DJ Art Laboe playing 50- and 60-year-old oldies on Magic 92.5. Nielsen says Laboe averages 3100 listeners aged 18-49 from 8 to 9 p.m (period from July through September).

Buckfast Superbee appears December 8 at Wrex the Halls with Rise Against, Run the Jewels, and The Used.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Big kited bluefin on the Red Rooster III

Lake fishing heating up as the weather cools

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Timothy Joseph never imagined his band playing the Sports Arena, which over 50 years has also hosted everyone from Bowie to Zeppelin.

Buckfast Superbee gets back together

The Buckfast Superbee indie-rock quartet launched in 1997 and went dormant eight years ago. Of the band’s decision to regroup earlier this year: “We were surprised anyone even cared,” Joseph said by phone from Rome last week.

Now comes the announcement that Buckfast gets to play the Sports Arena December 8 as the only local band to play on the first of the two-night Wrex the Halls multi-band concert series promoted by 91X. Joseph also says 91X programmer Garett Michaels told him that a yet-to-be recorded Buckfast song would get an entire month of airplay as the 91X “Local Break” artist for December.

The heaps of 91X love may seem odd since Joseph is the primary host of The Local 94/9, the Sunday-night local-music show on FM 94/9, 91X’s primary competitor. Then again, maybe not.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Garett Michaels gets revenge?

“I guarantee this was a big F-U from Garett who was fired by FM 94/9 [in 2012],” claims a local radio DJ who opted not to be identified.

The competition to put on the biggest live shows has become more important as both stations fight to split the alternative audience (hard rockin’ Rock 105.3 usually tops both stations). 91X was connected with Beer-X in August, Ye Skallywag last month, and the Wrex the Halls shows are December 8 and 9. FM 94/9 has no shows announced for the holiday season. Their last one was the SPF festival at the Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre in June.

Past Event

CANCELED:

Wrex the Halls: Rise Against, more

When radio stations put on big shows like Wrex the Halls, they often hold contests to create a spectacle over which local band gets to open; Michaels simply asked Buckfast Superbee to play it with no fanfare. Chatter suggests 91X/Michaels may want to entice Joseph to jump ship and join 91X in some capacity. (Joseph is co-owner of the Phaser Control recording studio, which could be used to host live sets by bands who drop by 91X.)

Possibly adding to the drama was the fact that the October 22 edition of The Local 94/9 (pre-recorded to allow for Joseph’s Italy trip) never made it to air. Cohost Dan Brozo admitted on-air that the pre-recorded show had been “somehow erased,” and then played local artists without announcing who they were or their song titles.

Was the booking of Buckfast Superbee part of a snub? 91X’s Michaels would not respond.

Was the erasing of The Local 94/9 show a kind of tit for tat? FM 94/9 program director Kevin Callahan did not respond to a request for comment.

Whatever behind-the-scene issues the radio higher-ups may have, the hosts of 91X’s Loudspeaker and The Local 94/9 are always friendly to each other on the air.

Art Laboe gets the ratings

Joseph said he is sure it was an honest mistake and that there was no skulduggery.

If there are any bad feelings between the two local alt-rock stations and their local music shows, it is not because either show is a big ratings winner. According to Nielsen ratings for the past three months, among all local listeners aged 18-49, 91X’s Loudspeaker has 1700 listeners for its first hour (7 p.m.) and by its third 9 p.m. hour, that figure drops to 500. Ratings for The Local 94/9, which follows from 10 p.m. to midnight, doesn’t show more than 300 listeners.

Who gets the big Sunday-night ratings? It’s 92-year-old DJ Art Laboe playing 50- and 60-year-old oldies on Magic 92.5. Nielsen says Laboe averages 3100 listeners aged 18-49 from 8 to 9 p.m (period from July through September).

Buckfast Superbee appears December 8 at Wrex the Halls with Rise Against, Run the Jewels, and The Used.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

3 Tips for Creating a Cozy and Inviting Living Room in San Diego

Next Article

Secrets of Resilience in May's Unforgettable Memoir

Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader