Drew's take on the Staff Survey...
1. When did you first come to San Diego?
My first visit to San Diego came in Summer 1981, after which I bailed out of the private school in Seattle I’d been trapped in and wound up at a public high school with a radio station. Fast forward twenty one years, and my second visit to San Diego is my move from Seattle the same week FM94/9 comes on the air.
2. What is your favorite thing/attribute/place in or about San Diego?
It’s like Seattle with sun. =)
3. What is your favorite place to eat in San Diego?
El Zarape in University Heights- Lobster/Scallop/Salmon tacos, mmm
4. What are your top 5 shows/concerts that you’ve been to?
1] Nirvana @ Seattle Coliseum Sept 11 1992 – The homecoming concert after Nirvana & Seattle conquered the world. Kurt looked healthy with short, blonde hair while holding his new child Francis Bean during an MTV interview shot the afternoon before the show. It was a great night of vindication for every Seattle musician who toiled in damp obscurity through the late 80s.
2] Pearl Jam’s “Drop In The Park” @ Seattle’s Magnuson Park Sept 20, 1992 – Two days after the film SINGLES was released in theaters, Pearl Jam came home as they were conquering the world with a free homecoming concert at Stone Gossard’s childhood soccer park. Required free tickets were given out the week before the event on a Saturday morning at the same Coliseum venue Nirvana played the Friday night before. PJ paid for the Metro Transit busses that smoothly took 30,000 Seattle youth to the isolated venue. A near riot ensued after the show when all 30K kids tried to load onto the same bus at the same time. =[p
3] MUSE @ FM94/9’s 2004 Independence Jam, Open Air Theater SDSU – First time I saw Matthew Bellamy and MUSE in action, only catching the last two songs of their set at OAT. So blown away by ‘Butterflies & Hurricanes’, I was caught unguarded by Mike Aitken’s on-air question ‘What did you think of MUSE?’ My response was something like ‘I think I just had an audio orgasm,’ much to the consternation of boss Garett Michaels standing close by.
4] Beck/No Doubt/Eurythmics/Alanis Morissette June 25 2000 @ Seattle’s EMP Opening Concert – Beck during his first Mr. Funk phase, No Doubt at the height of their powers, the triumphant return of Eurythmics were all fantastic, but the reason for this concert on my Top 5 is simple: Alanis Morissette. I now understand why women in the 60s threw their underwear at Tom Jones while screaming ‘I Want To Bear Your Children!!’ After hearing Ms. Morissette’s voice in person, I was overcome by the visceral sensation of wanting to BEAR her children. I still do.
5] Depeche Mode “The Devotional Tour” November 7 1993 @ Seattle Coliseum – The album was a dysfunctional masterpiece, as was the band on this tour. Dave Gahan was toying with his heroin needles, Andrew Fletcher had his traditional mental breakdown every tour, and Martin Gore had just been arrested in Denver five nights before for refusing to turn the music down in his downtown hotel room at three in the morning. The show itself was uneventfully amazing, but the band’s late night visit to an after hours party hosted by yours Drewly turned into at least one likely reason why Alan Wilder- the only sane member in the band- left Depeche Mode at the conclusion of The Devotional tour. Sorry, this guy does NOT kiss and tell. Much.
5. What are the 20 albums that you can’t live without?
Elton John – Greatest Hits I & II
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin IV
MUSE – Black Holes & Revelations
The Beatles – Love [Soundtrack]
Pink Floyd – Animals
Nirvana – Nevermind
Depeche Mode – Violator
Depeche Mode – Songs Of Faith And Devotion
Rammstein – Reise Reise
Killing Joke – Killing Joke [2003]
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Metallica – Symphony & Metallica
Superman The Movie – Soundtrack [John Williams]
Electric Light Orchestra – Out Of The Blue
The Essential Alice In Chains
Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes
U2 – The Unforgettable Fire
Michael Jackson – Thriller
Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon
Silversun Pickups- Swoon
6. If you could be one rock star for a day, who would it be (name and era)?
Kurt 92-94. My fellow Seattleite who spearheaded the Revenge Of The Musician. Broke the baby boomer glass ceiling in 92, came home one of the Gen X heroes, had a kid with his wise but whacked out partner, overcame inferior musicianship and his own insecurities about success and achievement through an amazing In Utero tour and his final two MTV performances as Nirvana: Unplugged & NYE Ball, which was to be their only show with Pearl Jam until Eddie’s voice gave out the day before – Nirvana played an amazing two hour set. I’d be there the day he lost his head, maybe be that voice in said head to keep him here. “Dude, you don’t want to miss everything cool that’s to come. Except maybe Sublime.”
7. Who is the most intimidating person you’ve ever met?
Billy Corgan. –oh, I’m sorry. I thought you said ‘most irritating, egocentric person’.
8. If you went into the witness protection program and had to rename yourself, what would it be?
Brunswick Fudge
9. If you had to create a burrito, what would be in it and what would its name be?
Brunswick Fudge
10. What book would you recommend that everyone read?
Brunswick Fud—er, THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON MUSIC by Daniel Levitin