Skip Happens Podcast - Every Boot Has a Story!
🎙️ Welcome to the Skip Happens Podcast – Your Backstage Pass to Country Music 🎶
Join veteran radio host Skip Clark as he dives deep into the heart of country music, where every episode tells a story worth hearing. From legendary country artists to rising Nashville stars, Skip Happens brings you raw, real, and revealing conversations you won’t find anywhere else.
🌟 Go beyond the spotlight as Skip connects with the people behind the music — exploring their journeys, their struggles, and the moments that shaped their careers. Whether it's laughter, inspiration, or a behind-the-scenes scoop, this podcast captures the true essence of country life.
🎧 Perfect for fans of authentic storytelling, Nashville culture, and anyone who loves the rhythm of a good conversation. Subscribe now and join us on this unforgettable ride through the world of country music and more.
👉 New episodes weekly! Don’t miss a beat – because when Skip happens, stories unfold.
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www.youtube.com/@skiphappenspodcast
Skip Happens Podcast - Every Boot Has a Story!
Radio Lessons From A Country Voice
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Welcome And Studio Catch-Up
SPEAKER_00Perfect. Welcome back to another episode of Best Radio. This week's guest, you've most definitely seen, or should I say, definitely heard his voice on the radio in Central New York, especially if you listen to 92.1 The Wolf. He has his own podcast, Skip Skip Happens. I do, where he talks to rising country stars and current stars. And if you ever attended a Syracuse Mets game, you might have heard him as the public address announcer.
SPEAKER_01He is Skip Clark. I by the way, I am at every game. I am at every game. I may not be announcing every game, but uh if you with the video board and a lot of all those recorded announcements, yeah, it's like I'm the voice of the Mets. But regardless, regardless. Andrew, it's good to see you, buddy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, hey, Skip, I appreciate you uh hosting me. Yeah, why host you on my podcast? I'm like getting the host chair though.
SPEAKER_01So I'm not this is awesome. It's so good to see you. It's been uh because you did work with us 2016 to 21.
SPEAKER_00Really?
SPEAKER_01That long five years. Yeah, but no, that's great. You were with us for five years, but I can't believe that time has gone by. It's already here. We are what 2026. So it's it's crazy.
SPEAKER_00I know another five years. It really is now it's time, time certainly does fly. It is crazy, but it's good to see you, yeah. And uh, like I said, it's been a while, so it's awesome catching up with you. Yeah, I I gotta say, man, this freaking studio is amazing. Hosting hosting my podcast at Skip Clark's house with his sweet studio. It's it's awesome.
SPEAKER_01Well, thank you. That's that's nice of you to say, but it's it's a lot of time, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. And and like you, it's something that um you know, we love. We love this, yeah. And and I know you loved radio, and we always teased you about this, and you know, Andrew Best and Best Radio, and now you're doing it. Like I'm so proud to see you doing that. Thank you. You know, I mean, just this is the way things are going. Uh, the digital side of things, and being able to connect, um, doing it this way is just it's the way to go. It really is. It is a lot of fun, yeah. It really is, and you don't never know who you're gonna meet, right?
SPEAKER_00I've met some pretty cool people so far doing this, which I mean, uh let's see, I'm gonna be 19. This is probably gonna be around 2021 episodes. Already, so yeah, that's great.
Fathers And Finding Your Why
SPEAKER_00You wanna what it's honestly. I uh everything happened with my dad, and this was that that was a breaking point where I was like, you know what? Because I've always had this bottled up, even when you started your podcast when I was still at the radio station. I was like, Man, I I just gotta make this happen. And that was you know, it's funny. I mean, can I when can I can I stop you for a second?
SPEAKER_01Tell me about your dad.
SPEAKER_00Oh, my dad was the greatest, my dad, greatest sense of humor. Um, life of the party, so many pictures. Life of the party. Yeah. Uh, for example, I'll give you my one of my favorite stories is uh the fourth of July. The last fourth of July out at my grandma's house in Fair Haven. Um had a huge rager right on the bay. My friends were over. Yeah, we were playing uh we were playing some games and you know uh Dizzy Bad. I don't know. Do you know what Dizzy Bad is?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Oh, that's crazy. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Cut the knob out, put the beer in, yeah, yeah. Chug down the beer however many seconds it takes. That's how many spins you have to do. And oh, he he got like six or seven seconds, and I think after the fourth spin, after the fourth spin, he went down, he went down hard, broke his ankle.
SPEAKER_01So oh, dude, yeah, but you know, there's a memory though. There's a memory, right? I mean, uh, but I bet you he laughed. Oh, absolutely. You know what I mean? The wife of the party, man. And and I I wanted you to explain about your dad because it just, I mean, I'm not taking this interview over. No, no, no, you're good, but still, um, I wanted you to tell me about your dad because I think he's a lot, you're a lot of him. Oh, and by by doing what you're doing with your podcast, best radio. Um I mean, I'm sure dad is looking down going, yeah, that's my son, and rightfully so. And it's the same thing with my mom. I wouldn't have this studio if it wasn't for my my mother. Um, my dad was my best friend, but my dad passed many, many years ago. Uh, mama wasn't all that long ago. But um, you know, that's and then that's why you look at this studio and you go, Yeah, but you know what? I wouldn't have it if it wasn't for my mom. Oh, or my dad, for that matter. So yeah, it's cool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Very I was I'm just very lucky and blessed to have had uh the parents that I've had. Absolutely. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01You know, you might have been pissed off at them growing up. Oh, once or twice here and there. Three or four, come on. And maybe you've had your mouth washed out with soap. I know when I was growing up, my mom used to do that with us. Oh, yeah. I don't know how it was with you, but still, I they probably could have done a lot more than what they did. Tell you that. Oh, yeah, oh yeah. I've had my ass kicked and I've had the belt, I've had the the paddle. I've uh yeah, I mean, all those things uh yeah, I grew up at a different time, but still, yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's what makes you you, though. It does exactly right, and that's what makes you you, exactly, I guess, exactly.
From Shy Kid To Mic
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but Skip, I guess I'm so happy I got you on. Uh glad to be here. I this is gonna be a fun interview because we both know each other. See, so we do our own thing, different podcasts. We do. My my niche, I I really don't have a niche. You do, you're all country music for the most part, but then I do uh change it up once in a while.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, you know, it's good to have some other conversations, and it's more than just country music, but yeah, for the most part it is, I guess. All right, all right, you win.
SPEAKER_00So I got I gotta ask you. Ask me. You grew up, let's see, right. I mean, right here, you went to uh what West Genesee?
SPEAKER_01I went to West Genesee, uh, graduated a long time ago. Um, well, 74. I mean, I'm not afraid to say my age. A lot of people don't, you know, I I think I'm very young for my age, so to speak, if you know what I mean. Uh, still like to go out and have fun and uh maybe tie one out every once in a while, and I've been known to you know, raise a little hell. But uh, I think very fortunate uh that I don't look my age. I'm definitely not gonna act my age, and uh yeah, born and raised right here in Camillas. And then uh, you know, I went, I had a lot of changes in my life, and uh here I am in the you know, now we're in North Saragua.
SPEAKER_00Well let's talk about it.
SPEAKER_01So okay, shoot. Let's talk about it.
SPEAKER_00I'm ready. So Skip Clark. That's me. Who was Skip Clark uh in school growing up in high school? Tell me a little bit about your younger self.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god. I was a geek, I was a nerd, I was the guy that uh yeah, you know what? I was you know, to be honest with you, you would never know this now, but I was the quiet one, and I was not the smartest, still not, but still that's the type of person I was. I was a geek. I played trumpet, I was in the band, I uh man, I just I was that person, just very shy, very quiet, and um yeah. Then uh, you know, went through life, of course, uh a couple of divorces, and uh yeah, it's kind of you know, I've learned a lot, I've learned a lot in life. I've learned a lot. Um I I've learned a lot not to open my mouth sometimes. Let it go. Um, let it go. Um, but that my my down, I'll tell you right now, my downfall. I don't know if this is I'm kind of I go, I'm all over the place. Let it go. But I feel that uh until recently that I was always the one that had to justify everything about me. Somebody asked, you know, I always had to explain. I've I felt like I needed to be validated. I I feel that all that, but I've learned that you don't have to do that. And I mean, it's I I wish I had known that earlier in life, but you don't have to do that. You are you, and just do what you do and do it well. Um, yeah, but you know, with I say that, but I I think I've learned a lot out of a lot of those mistakes and saying this and saying that, and uh, you know, not uh not thinking before I speak sometimes. We've all done there, yeah, yeah. Uh, you know, and I've learned to care, I've learned to just through school and just being quiet, and it just but I I cared, and I still I've learned to care about everything and and people, and we're all human, and there's a lot of things in life, especially right now. Everybody has their opinions about this and that, and you know what? I don't care, right? I care about you as a person, as long as you're healthy and you're you're doing your thing, your opinions, your that is all you, dude. Doesn't matter. I'm not gonna pick sides because of that. I I it's the last thing I ever want.
SPEAKER_00So as one of my uh past guests said, if everyone in the world agreed on everything, life would be pretty boring.
SPEAKER_01It would just be boring, it would be boring, and if you let if somebody does disagree with you, you should learn from that. Oh, 100%, you know what I mean? Yeah, stay open-minded, yeah, exactly. Uh yeah, exactly. That's how you learn. Don't be so stubborn in your ways, open up, open up your ears and listen to what they're saying, right? And whether you agree or disagree, fine, it doesn't matter. It's but you learn from that. 100%, 100%.
SPEAKER_00So you say you're a shy kid, I was and radio, you can't really be shy. So what was the uh what was the spark that was like, I want to go into radio, you know.
The Tower Lights That Hooked Him
SPEAKER_01Yeah, being a kid and uh growing up in Camilla, so we grew up, I grew up on uh a road called Monte Vista Drive, and Monte Vista is Mountain View. And um, I used to sit there at night, and as a matter of fact, it's the building where I am now, Wolf Radio, which is a good wind comes by, it could blow it down. It's which by the way, there's so much I oh so much history. Oh oh my god, so much history. You can go to the 1490 tribute site and find out who has actually walked through those doors, you know, and that's the cool thing because and you know you were in that building for a little bit, just when you hear about that, or if you're you know, were you there when they brought the um the ghost hunters in? Were you there? I don't know, yeah. I don't think so, and because everybody said the place was haunted, and they swear they saw somebody walking out of my office. Oh my great, but uh yeah, but the office where you're at right now? Yeah, well, the same office, yeah. The same office. Actually, I moved out of that office, I moved into the studio. Oh, really? Because I didn't want to be bothered anymore. I was I was in a I was I know exactly. I was in a spot where um everybody had to walk by to go to the ladies' room or go to the kitchen, and anytime somebody walked by, they would stop and want to start a conversation. But you know, my position there was his name wasn't Steve Hurwood, was it? Well, when Steve stops, he doesn't leave. So you know, that has not changed. And when he sees or hears this, he'll laugh. Absolutely. No, he's uh yeah, I could be here's Steve Hurwood, I could be on the air doing my thing. The door opens, he walks in and he stands there. And I'm like, dude, I you know, I get done doing whatever I'm doing. I'm like, can I help you? Well, we'll check with the Mets. Are they playing to you know, it's like Steve, seriously, you saw the light was on, it said on the air, and you still walk in, but uh no. Um, but getting back to the radio thing, I could see the tower, and I used to like lay in my bed and look and see the red lights flashing, even though it was off in the distance. And I go, you know, that is so freaking cool that somebody is at the bottom of that tower in that building that we talk about on the radio, talking, playing music. I was like, damn, that's so freaking cool. And then um I was in a program called Junior Achievement, and um, you know, and we're I guess I was like I said, I was a nerd, I was a geek, and um, I love doing that though. So I signed up for that. And after school, I think once or twice a week, we would go to the television radio studio, which at that time, way back in the day, television and radio were in the same building. For example, WSYR was W S Y R television and W S Y R Radio. Okay, and then you had WHEN, which was channel five back in the day, W H E N Television, W H E N radio, which was 620. So, you know, I mean, I did both of those with junior achievement and um so that was still in high school? That was in high school, yeah. I used to get out and uh I ended up taking a bus and uh I'd go right there and uh spend a few hours up there. They had like they'd had uh maybe a mentor or somebody, somebody from the staff would be there and they take you in and say, All right, this week we're gonna learn how to splice tape. Not that we do that anymore, or this week we're gonna work on this, or this week we're gonna let you engineer this show, uh things like that. So you were learning different aspects of the broadcasting industry, and I just I absolutely loved it, absolutely loved it, and uh yeah, so that's I knew that's what I wanted to do, and I actually took some courses at OCC. You went there, right?
SPEAKER_00I went to OCC as well. OCC first two years, and then Rob Gagner. Was it Rob Gagnier?
SPEAKER_01Was he uh no, no, uh uh Vince manjurr.
SPEAKER_00Vince uh actually, I I will say I actually didn't do any broadcasting classes. Oh, okay. OCD actually, I did I did one, I think it was like the introduction, and then everything else was at uh a swiggo.
Junior Achievement And Learning The Craft
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's right, that's right. You did say that. That's cool, that's cool. But um, and then you you went to Syracuse. Yeah, I did a little bit, uh I dropped out though. I never knew that. I'm like, screw this shit. And I drew I you know, I'm gonna be honest with you. I think it was for me, it was the smartest thing I could do, yeah. Because I got a job working full-time in radio. Well, yeah, I mean, so if that's what you wanted to do to begin with, then you landed a full-time job. I did. I landed a full-time job, but it was midnight till six, so I was uh I started out. The graveyard shift, the best shift there ever was. And boy, could I tell you stories, and we want to talk about that later on? Oh, we can, um, for sure. But um, so I ended up working a midnight to six shift. I absolutely loved it. Um, even though the first year or so I was like engineering or just pushing buttons for an overnight show, but then they got what was the overnight show? Long John Nebel and Candy Jones. You have no idea, no idea. You're showing your age. I know, I know, it'd be like this is the mutual broadcasting network. Then I would have to hit the commercials, and we but that's you know what? I was working, yeah, I was in a radio station, I was there alone, they trusted me. So it was like, this is crazy, but it was so cool because I used to turn all the lights off and just have the lights on the transmitter, which was right there in the same location. It was uh WFBL back in the day, and um, I think it was AM 1390, maybe I don't know, it's not like that, but um oh yeah, so I ended up working the overnights, but then we got rid of that show. I still I was on overnights, but I did the overnight show on midnight till six. I was on live every night, going and do my thing, playing to get this. We had records. Oh, yeah, used to queue them up on the turntables, not the digital way like it is today. No, I know, I know that little thing you earned that paycheck back then. You did, you did, and uh you know the overnights, and we don't have that shift anymore, as you know, right? It's everything's automated nowadays. There's a good and a bad to that, but uh that used to be that overnight shift was the shift that that's where you learned. That's how if you if you messed up, no one was listening. Well, well, I shouldn't say no one, but there were people listening, but you know what? It wasn't a big deal, right? It wasn't a big deal, and if you messed up, you messed up. It only made you better down the road. But uh, oh yeah, I fell asleep once. Did you really? I did, and uh, I remember um what time did you fall asleep was early in on the show. So so this radio station, uh, back in the day, and it was on old Colomber Road, it was part trailer, part building. It was one of the, I don't know, but it was very old. And uh they had this huge, shouldn't say huge, but this really thick shag carpet, like in the lobby area, and they had this big oil heater. And um, you know what? I I forgot what I was. I had I put on a long record, a long record, could have been Inagata Davido or Get Ready by Rare Earth back in the day, I think, which went like for like 23 minutes, but um put the record on and I went out and I started reading uh Radio and Records, which was a very popular magazine for radio back in the day. And I remember the Lord's comfortable, I'm gonna sit here. Next thing I know, it's like four hours later. I fell asleep. I'm like, holy shit, what's good? What's gonna happen now? Dude, the record's going tick tick, you know, like the needle at the end of the record. Right. So I'm going, holy shit, the news guy's gonna be here any minute, it's almost five o'clock. Nobody ever said a word. No one no one, no one noticed, huh? No one noticed, but it was like that's a a point, uh, something in my career that I will never ever forget. And if anybody working that shift says they never fell asleep, they're they're lying to you. It's sometimes it's not the easiest thing to do.
SPEAKER_00Hey, sometimes I fell asleep in the morning.
SPEAKER_01Well, that that was tough. I know. Well, yeah, I totally get that though. You know, yeah, yeah. You had to come in like at some oh I the worst was the winner. I was oh dude, dude, absolutely. The that was the worst, and you were coming in from what no Hannibal Hannibal, that's I knew it was yep, Hannibal. Yeah, oof, oof, dude, yeah, that was that was rough sometimes. Yeah, the roads weren't plowed. Yeah, you used to come in and do what I was doing overnights, pushing buttons for a show. Yeah. Because we had Big D and Bubba, yeah, who are still with us, and uh, but it's all different now, but uh still, you know, making sure that show ran and we got the feed and the commercials and the weather and all that crap. So yeah, but then I I um did uh the overnights there.
Overnight Radio Stories And First Jobs
SPEAKER_01Then what did I do after that? Oh, I think I went to uh ended up going to um Y94. No, I went to WHEN Radio. I'm sorry, went to WHEN Radio, did part-time on the weekends, uh myself and a lot of other big jocks back then. I used to fill in during the week and I would do a weekend shift. Uh, I did a show called the Super Hits of the 70s, uh, which was huge. Uh, then I went over to Y94, and uh, which was at the time was like the radio station. When I got hired at Y-94, and I'm going from a building that's ready to fall down. And I got hired at Y94, and it was all glass and brass and the equipment. That was uh it was just uh it ended up being clear channel, then it went to iHeart, but still way back in the day. I mean, that that was the place to work. It was, I mean, all glass and brass, like I said, and the equipment, and it's like wow, I walk in this building and it's like this place is beautiful, yeah. You know, it's like wow, dude. And I was so happy to be there. So then I did 194, went to B104, back to 194, and um what were the the amount of years that you worked at each station? Oh my god, I don't like was there a gap, a short gap? No, there were a little short gaps, but um, I want to say I spent at least 16 years at Clear Channel, so okay. That's a combination of uh Y94, B104. Um, it was 16 years, probably a little bit more. And then I went over, I did mornings um at WSCN, which was what they call oldies back in the day, 92.1. It's kind of funny. I'm on the same frequency now, but um, I did mornings at WSCN. It was Skip Clark, Barb Gibbons, and the morning crew, and uh that was an experience. But like you, I was up at 3:30 in the morning and driving to work. But I gotta be honest with you, I thought that was the best time of the day because you would see the sun come up, it's like the start of a new day. You know, my day ended 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock. Yeah, I'm going home. I'm gonna take a nap. I'm gonna be good.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, that's what I liked about working at the wolf was uh getting in early, like 5 30, and then bouncing at two. It's like perfect, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And you know what? I mean, they were really for the wolf, and it's like this now, and shh, but um, you know, if you do your job, I mean when I when I did mornings at SCN, if I had to leave at 10 o'clock, I was out of there. Nobody ever said anything, yeah. But there were other days. Where I was there till one or two o'clock because I had what we would call production, or they needed me to go do an appearance or something like that, you know. But um, yeah. So, but uh, you know, where we are now, it's like, okay, you came in, you gotta work your eight hours, and you know, don't leave early.
SPEAKER_00So what's um when you came over to where you are now at Inner Harbor Media, right?
SPEAKER_01It's not really, you know, that's not it. We made that name up. We don't really have that. Never mind, I shouldn't even say this. Never mind.
SPEAKER_00Well you were you were you were on uh the morning show for moving, right?
SPEAKER_01I did mornings on moving, yes. Uh it was uh a whole new experience for me because I had come from B104. No, I did I come from B. No, I might have come from the oldies channel, but uh nope, nope, I take it back. I came from B104 at that point. It's one of the other stints at B. And um, because doing country, and then all of a sudden I'm like doing pop. Yeah, right. It's like okay. I was hired actually for moving, I was hired to do middays. Okay. Uh I was hired to do middays, then uh things changed, and they moved me into mornings, which I thought was a great opportunity. Why not? Uh, and Heather came on board and Heather was great. Uh loved working with her.
SPEAKER_00Um, you know, I gotta I gotta say, Heather is the bass. I love that girl, she's so great. Yeah, you know, the it's funny because the first time, well, first of all, let's let's get in the story how we met. How did we meet? Do you do you remember? How did we meet? So my good friend Ron Costanza, shout out Ron. He got me a job at the ballpark, Syracuse Chiefs, real time. Why don't I and then uh working DAX stats, and some guy comes up and he's a public public address announcer for this game. Was it me? Yeah, it was you. No shit. Yeah, we got talking, and uh you know why don't oh my god, I remember it's coming back to me.
SPEAKER_01I totally because I was like, you asked me what I did.
SPEAKER_00I'm like, oh right now I'm just volunteering at WCNY. Do you want to work radio?
SPEAKER_01Yep, those are probably my exact words, it really was, and you said, Yeah, and when we we exchanged numbers, or I got your number because you said the guy that was leaving for uh producing Big D and Bubba.
SPEAKER_00I forget what his name was.
SPEAKER_01Brian, was it Brian?
SPEAKER_00The weather guy. No, no, it was after. Oh, it was a younger guy. I think he was going to like LA or something. Oh, maybe it was it Jeremy.
SPEAKER_01I can't remember his name, dude. You're talking to an old man here.
SPEAKER_00I don't remember what Heather was the first person to greet me when I came in, and I was like, This this chick is pretty cool. I already, I already knew, I already knew that we're gonna get along.
SPEAKER_01And she she worked at uh clear channel for a while. I was actually at Clear Channel and she was there for a little bit, and then um she went to work for these guys in the other side of town, which you know, where we work now, where I work now, uh, even when Heather was there. I mean, we're locally owned and operated, and you know, we see uh the owner every day, every
Station Hops And Building A Career
SPEAKER_01afternoon. He comes wandering in about five minutes to five when everybody's waiting to leave. Uh, but um yeah, so and that's the good thing about where I am, is you know, I can tell you this that I know I'm not gonna get shit canned tomorrow. I know, you know what if I do something, they it's you know, right, it's not gonna happen. Well, that that's the kind of thing. Never say never, I guess. Don't get me wrong, you should never say never because anything can happen at any time.
SPEAKER_00These big chances, these big um, these big companies, yeah, big big big corporations. It's it's wild.
Corporate Layoffs And The Local Difference
SPEAKER_00What I've seen happen in like the last year or two years, uh cutting positions, like K R you know what with those, and I guess it doesn't matter what I say at this point in my career, but um, it's bullshit because all they're looking at is the bottom line.
SPEAKER_01All they're you don't have a name, you have a number, and they know what you make. And they're saying, Well, we need to cut hair. I don't care how good this dude is. He we're not gonna pay him this much anymore. He's gone. Get rid of him. I want him gone, you know, and and that the most recent round of layoffs. I mean, I know a lot of those people, and a lot of those individuals are some of the best broadcasters I've ever ever met. And now they're out. Yeah, and when you think about this, where are they gonna go? Because the way radio is right now, with all the cuts, there are not jobs there, right? So now there's things things like you know, they're helping them start a new career, and uh you maybe you've been doing this for 35, 40 years, and then all of a sudden, okay, now what do I do? Yeah, you know, that's what's happening, and it's not fair. They just, you know, on the other hand, it is iHeart that I'm talking about, and uh now you've got Odyssey, you've got Cumulus, and I think some of these other bigger companies are gonna follow suit to what to what degree, I really don't know, but I think you're gonna see a lot of that happen.
SPEAKER_00I it could happen right here in Syracuse because we do have humor cumulus, and uh, you know, there's gonna be a lot of good people that are gonna be looking, but um that's the one thing I loved about working at the wolf was because it was it was local, like it was 100 local, yeah, yeah, through and through and through.
SPEAKER_01Um, you know, we were on the air live, we were it's the way it was, and it was cool. I think Heather did middays for a little bit. Uh, we had other people come in and do middays. I've been doing afternoons since we put the wolf on in 2009.
SPEAKER_00Um, was it 2009 that long?
SPEAKER_01I know it's it's a scary thought. Uh, but uh we are proud of our product, we're proud to be doing what we're doing, and we're proud to have an owner that lets us continue to do it. Yeah, because I got times are not good right now, as we're just talking about. And you know, I can say this, uh I can't give out numbers, but I can tell you we are okay, and we're just hoping that's gonna last. And in order for that to last, and you made this comment before you went out with the microphone, that uh, you know, our social media is good. Social media social media is where we need to go, and you're doing this podcast right now. Yep. So this is a part of that digital side of things, and this is where it's all going. We need to embrace that, we need to do more of this, we need to just whatever we can do online, whatever we can do so people can bring it up on their phones or listen on their computers, and you know, it's more than just radio will never go away, no, but people have different avenues of listening and watching and and getting their information. You're gonna have somebody listen to this podcast that probably is you know, just this is what they listen to. I listen to podcasts, I love it. So what podcast do you listen to? Can you guess? Joe Rogan. Yeah, I know, I know, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, oh yeah, I listen, and he's like the highest paid podcast guy. Oh, yeah, come on, and he's got a pretty cool studio. You see, when I watch these guys, because uh you know, I do a lot with the cameras and stuff, and I'm always checking out their studios. Oh my god, oh Rogan, Rogan studio is topan notch, yeah, but he also gets all the top notch, right? Yeah, you get uh the big stars that stop, and I mean, come on, the president was there. It's like, dude, seriously, what would I do if he came in here? I'd probably ship my pants. I mean, it'd be like, dude, I don't even know what to ask you, right? You know what I'm saying, though.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, 100%.
Nashville Trips And Meeting Stars
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I want to ask you is like some of the things that you've gotten to do in radio, like can you list off like a top five like list of like coolest, like go to Nashville. Can't believe that happened.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, go to Nashville on somebody else's dime, yeah. Um the good old country radio seminar. Country radio seminar. I think that's a great opportunity, and it's just it's on the top of my list of things that I do. Uh, I'm given the opportunity to do. Um, you know, you meet the stars, and you know, you get to know these people and realize they're no different than you and I. Oh, 100%. You know, I mean, and eventually I want to take my Skip Happens podcast out there. Maybe I'll have uh maybe I'll have Andrew Best come along with Best Radio and be my co-host for this. But um yeah, that uh I just I don't know if there the the top five, oh my god, you know, I don't know if there's a top five. There's a a top a lot, um being, you know, the opportunity to introduce some of these big acts, um, the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with some of these people, uh jelly roll, um, people like that. Um just trying to think. You know, and it's I don't look at it as a job, I look at it as, you know what, we're just gonna sit down and have a conversation. Yeah, I don't, I you know, and there's so many where you it's like, oh my god, that's that's jelly roll. Oh my god, what am I gonna say? You know what? Hey, dude, what's going on? You know, and you shake hands, yeah, it's good, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, uh Bonnie fucked me over, but everything's good.
SPEAKER_02Um, no, I don't, please.
SPEAKER_01No, I'm just kidding. But uh I don't know what happened, but I do know that jelly roll is taking two years, one to two years off now after this tour. Oh, really? Yeah, no, yeah. He says he's um he's got to get some things in order. Yeah, that's fair. That's fair enough. No, exactly. And you know what? When you look at um, here's somebody that I had a chance to chat with him at CRS, the country radio seminar. Uh, I've listened to him talk in front of people, and his his life is amazing. This is a guy that uh from the drugs to being a criminal to spending time in prison. And you know what? He learned from all that. And when we saw him at CRS this just this past March, the guy that was on stage with him was the guy that didn't uh put him in prison.
SPEAKER_00Oh, really?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and now they're hugging and shaking hands, and you know, it just it's it was a moment like, are you kidding me? This is so freaking awesome. Interesting, yeah, yeah. It's just you know, because I'm yeah, he turned his life around, yeah, and it's amazing, and it's amazing. The weight loss, too. Oh my god, oh my god, he lost three what 350 pounds, easy, easy, insane, and he did it the right way, yeah. He did, which I did not do it the right way, right? But no, I look at that, and um the only the only thing is is when you lose that much weight, what happens to all the yeah, you know what I mean? Like I the reason I say I gotta be careful here, but I saw a picture or a video online, I think it was just yesterday of Jelly Without a shirt on. For whatever reason, there was something online, and I'm going, dude, all right, now what are you gonna do with all that? Right, you know what I mean? Yeah, it's it you can cover it up with a shirt, but still, yeah, you know what I mean. But no, I you you're asking me what my top five are. Uh not even a top five, just like uh it's just I mean, the people that you meet yeah is awesome. It is, and I I can't think of one person that where it didn't go well, yeah. You know what I mean? There's some people I interview where it's like, all right, if it's a newer artist, they're still they got a lot to learn when it comes to interviews. And here's the other thing when you become an artist and somebody takes you under their wing, you go maybe you sign on with a major label, they put you through training how to handle interviews, how to handle yourself in front of people, how to, you know, if you're gonna use the restroom, you don't go alone, you know what I mean? Because there's all sorts of stuff going on, but uh, that's what they teach you. But you could tell some of those that I do interview, it's um, you know, that they still need a little work, but I I feel that I can pull stuff out of them if they're quiet with me. I can usually find out what they're interested in, maybe it's not even music, and go down that road for a little bit, and then you'd be amazed how they just start opening up. Yeah, you know, like what do you do? You know, oh, I'd love to hunt. What do you hunt for? Oh my god, you know, I go out for moose. You go for freaking moose. How do you get a moose out of the woods? And now it's that you know, you broke that ice and then you start laughing. Or, like I told you before, one of my questions would be So, uh Andrew, uh, tell me about your hometown. Where are you from? I'm from blah, blah, blah. Population of 10,000. Wow, small town. Tell me, what's the first thing I'm gonna see if I was to drive into your town coming from the north on the main drag? And then it'd be like, Well, we do have a Walmart and we have you know, Jack's liquor store and Billy Bob's gas station. So it's it's it's interesting though, but that's how yeah, that's what I do.
SPEAKER_00No, for sure. Yeah, um, you know, starting this podcast thing.
Interview Skills That Get Guests Talking
SPEAKER_00Am I talking too much? No, you're you're good, you're doing good. I don't know. Starting this podcast thing, I don't know. When you first uh started doing interviews, I feel like I kind of get in my head sometimes where I'm like, oh my god, I gotta come up with something if he stops right here. Like, did you ever have that time?
SPEAKER_01I get I have a brain fart. Yeah, but I told you I cheat a little bit and do a little homework ahead of time, and I have some notes because I don't know what it is with me, but it happens quite often where all the I know what I was gonna say, or I want to say this, then I forget. Yeah, and it's like, what the frick was I? I I know I'm thinking of myself, you know, and but I have a cheat sheet, so right that's one thing you can do and keep it in front of you, and uh you don't have to go buy it. You know, if you're on a roll, I usually don't go in.
SPEAKER_00I usually have it just in case, exactly, exactly. But you know, I like I like that authenticity of you know, just going going with the flow. That it's like you and I chatting here, we're having a conversation.
SPEAKER_01We could be we should be having a beer. And I should have offered you one when you came in the house. I got a refrigerator full, but uh you'll definitely get one of my skip happens. So that one can be yours. Perfect. Love that, but uh yeah, absolutely. And that's the other thing I do. I you know, I I'm constantly designing different things and mugs. I've got like six different different variations of coffee mugs.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, so let's talk about your podcast because you've had some big artists on. Sure.
SPEAKER_01You've had Jimmy Allen on, you've had Jimmy has um Jimmy Allen is a it could be debatable depending on who you ask. I know there's been a lot of people, you know, he went through a tough time, lost his label. The guy was on his way to superstar. Um, he's the nicest guy. I talked to him, he's the nicest guy in the world. I could text him right now and say, hey, do you want to chime in? He'd probably call me and do it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um great, great, great guy. You're right, Jimmy Allen. Um, but you know, here's something happened and he lost everything he had going on. And you know, he's had a rough go. And you talk to him, I'm sure I'm there's two sides to every story, right? But still, I I do kind of I just hope nobody takes this wrong way. I do kind of feel for him. Was he if it if what happened really happened, then I have no use for you. Right. But something tells me maybe all that did not happen, maybe some, but still not to the extent of what they're making it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, that's yeah, that's the world that we're in, you know. It is, you know, you don't know what's true, what's not true. Yep, exactly. Exactly. Yeah, no, I've had a lot of uh I've been very fortunate. But you've had on like Florida George, like uh Tyler Tyler Robert, yep, yep.
SPEAKER_01We met up at the fair, did that. Yeah, um, that was cool. That was cool. Um Brett Young, Brett uh did I have maybe bet yes. I had Brett Young. That was a while ago. That was Laney Wilson. Uh I've had Martina McBride. Um, we can go back a little bit. Pam Tillis has been on. Um, oh my god, it's just so many people. William Shatner. Yeah, that's right. I forgot about that. Yeah, yeah. You know, here's a guy that's in his middle 90s now, yeah. And he is amazing. It's like, dude, yeah, I want to be like you when I'm 95. Oh, hell yeah. Tell me the truth. I probably won't be here when I'm 95. You know, we laugh about it, but no, if I feel good, but you never know what's gonna happen. You never know.
SPEAKER_00You never know. So I what's like what's an interview that really sticks out when you've been doing this for Laney Wilson.
Lainey Wilson And Real Backstage Moments
SPEAKER_00Laney Wilson? Laney Wilson.
SPEAKER_01What was what was so special about Laney Wilson really like sitting at her kitchen table when we did the interview and she had just gotten back from tour, and this is this had to be a couple of years ago now, but still she was so authentic, real, just a great conversation telling me about you know how she first went to Nashville in this beat-up trailer and lived in the trailer, and the floor is falling out, and the plumbing sucked, and you know, really stuff like that. And to hear just it just she was real, she's just real. And the thing is, the country artists, for example, that was a few years ago, a couple of years ago at least. Then she played at the amp a couple of years. No, maybe so, maybe it was even longer ago, longer ago than that. I don't know. Well, she played at the amp a few years ago, and uh she still remembers you. Yeah, you know, that's special. And here's the deal. Oh, then she played the fair, she played the fair after that, and um because she first came around at kegs, right? Yes, well, she did a show at kegs, was it two years ago? It was amazing because they booked her before she got and uh yeah, before she really took off. And um, yeah, that was great, but still I had given her some of my coffee mugs, and um I'm trying to think where I did that. But, anyways, when she showed up at the fair a couple of years ago, one of the biggest shows they've had at Suburban Park, right? First of all, I got out on stage to introduce her, and when you walk out on that stage, you're well, you should do it. What was that like, dude? Because that was a big show. There was over 55,000 people in that crowd at Suburban. I would be shitting my pants, Skip. I pretty much was. They're like, What stinks? It's not me. No, it probably was. Um, but uh, you get you walk out on stage, you're speechless because when you look out at that crowd and you could walk on heads as far as you can see, right? It's wow, it's just like those are the first words out of my mouth with wow, yeah. And then that crowd goes nuts, you know. The minute you open your mouth to go nuts. But that that was wild. But to get to that point, we we were talking with Laney backstage, and she goes, Skip, oh my god, I got your coffee mugs on my bus. I we use them all the time, you know. She's she says they're a permanent fixture on her bus. That's awesome. So whenever she's on the road, she goes, she has coffee out of the skip happens mugs. That's freaking awesome. That's fucking cool. That is fucking cool, you know. I mean, it's just it's like wow, you don't have to be like that. You don't just but to me, that means something. Yeah. Oh yeah, 100%. Yeah, and um, a group we just had in town, uh, just recently called 615 Collective. They're made, they're they're four musicians and they're all stars in their own right. Uh, one guy is a superstar in Canada. Uh Sarah Darling has put out like five albums, had songs on the radio. Nicole Witt is another one. She's a songwriter, and you got Michael, um Michael Lang? Michael, oh my god, I can't think of his lane, anyways. So all of a sudden I see this video online, and they're all my skip happens. I did see that too. This is freaking cool. Yeah, you know, but uh that's what I'm saying. Country artists are so cool, so down to earth.
SPEAKER_00And um, yeah, a lot of the big ones are better. That's the thing I like country music, like, no wonder why it's the number one format in America. Because, first of all, you can relate to pretty much every single thing.
SPEAKER_01You drive down the road and go, maybe you're having a bad day. Maybe you got uh you're having a fight with the old lady or something. Yeah, I mean, hey, we're all human, it happens. Yeah, and this song comes on, and you go, how does he know? Yeah, or she knows exactly. That's what I'm going through right now. But that's country music, yeah. We call it the soundtrack to your life, more or less, because it's real. Yeah, and when they sit down and write a song, and I've interviewed a lot of songwriters, most of them uh they're writing about real life experiences, you know, they've either been through a breakup or something along those lines, or something happened to them, and they're right about it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so yeah, I know I can't wait to uh I gotta well when you had Stephen Cali on. I didn't I did not realize he's a Cato guy, he's a neighbor, dude. He really next town over. Are you did you have him on or you're gonna have him on? So I'm gonna have him on. Uh, I went to his show at the Hannibal Field Days. Yes, I should have gone. And let me tell you, Skip, I was blown away uh that night. Well, he came off the stage after he was done. I just introduced myself. I'm like, this Skip was the one that gave me a shout out, which I appreciate. And I was like, love to have you on.
SPEAKER_01He's like, let's do it. He's just messing with so cool. And Chad Mack, his guitar player, one of the best in the business. Yeah. But there's a lot of great guitar players. I get that. But if you've ever seen and listened to Chad Mac, just what he does with that guitar. Oh, yeah. He's fucking amazing. He was yeah. Yeah. Definitely. One of his I I recorded one of his solos. Very cool. You know, he's been to Nashville. That's why you need to talk to him. He he has performed at Nashville. He has written with some very famous writers. Yeah. So you can get that all out of them. Check that out on the best podcast when it has that's right.
SPEAKER_00But that's radio. No, but we I went home with my wife that night, sat out on the back porch, and I looked up Steven on Spotify. I've been listening to his songs nonstop since he is so talented. Super talented. And I'm not just saying that just because, but no, I hear you. I totally agree. And he's local. And I had no idea until I saw your podcast one day.
SPEAKER_01I was like, oh, let me listen to he built a house, he's got a brand new house, Cato. Um, he's got a wife, some kids, and uh he's
Local Artists And Central New York Talent
SPEAKER_01got his priorities where he wants them. Yeah, he knows that he can do do what he's doing, right? But he's also he's a Mason and he lays bricks and all that. Um I forgot what he was talking about.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, on the podcast. Something cock I the horse cock, yeah.
SPEAKER_01The horse cock. So he's talking about the horse cock. I'm like, well, he didn't want to talk about it. He goes, I can't say what we call it, blah blah blah. I go, go ahead, it's a podcast. What the hell? He goes, All right, horse cock. So it's it's like, oh, wait, what's that? He goes, Well, that's when you lay the brick, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, or whatever. You know, I'm like, okay, but no, he's he's a fun guy, he's a good guy, and he's got his priorities where they need to be. He knows his wife is here, he's got a beautiful home, and he's got kids, and he's just trying to make a go.
SPEAKER_00And his music is oh my god, it's like if you if you would have just been playing it in your car, I'm riding along with you. I would say, Oh, that's who is this? Like, right, you would go, I like this guy. Who is this? Yeah, that exactly that exactly all of his songs belong on radio, they do 100, 100, you know, and it's Steve is the best of the best.
SPEAKER_01Uh, him and his band, when they get together, man, I'll tell you, like you said, you saw him at the uh Hannibal Field Days, but there's a lot of great talent here in central New York, and you don't realize it till you go, like for example, we go to Nashville for the country radio seminar, and it's like, all right, this band sucks. I know so-and-so back in town is a lot better than you know, yeah. But it's the way it is. I mean, we have such great talent here locally, so no, for real.
SPEAKER_00I've I've noticed that a lot. Um, when you sent me that uh alienable oh, yeah, yeah email. Yeah, so I've been I've been checking that out lately, trying to connect with you know businesses. Dude, you should absolutely musicians. So that's that's been pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01You know, if you're you're on the right track, in my opinion. What you're doing is great. Yeah, I just plus having the name best. I mean, come on, yeah. That house I hate that you have that name. What do I use? Skip happens because skip happens.
SPEAKER_00If you know me, skip happens. The the thing, right? I mean, I'm just I got the training wheels still on, which you gotta start somewhere. But um, once the video comes and I can like throw clips on the internet and not just audio, um, that I feel like that's when it'll really start because you're in my studio here tonight.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, this is unreal. This is, and you'll have this video. So if you want to take clips, I mean do what you want, dude. I mean, hey, it is what it is, but I know it's crazy. It is crazy, it is crazy, and uh my door's always open, dude, because we have the same interest, and oh yeah, you're always welcome. Maybe I might just say, Hey, I'm interviewing somebody tonight. You want to come over and join me? So I love that. I would definitely do it. Yeah, sometimes again, you know, I want to do I want to before the ball season is over, I want to do a few from the ballpark.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, yeah. I know I haven't I haven't been to a Mets game and well, the Mets song.
SPEAKER_01But it's still no, no, no. Now that you know it's been a rough season, but uh I mean attention to circus Mets. We love it. I those are record band. Uh it's not good. You have to ask my son Zach, he'll tell you exactly.
SPEAKER_00But that first year of the Mets, that was fun when we were working at the ballpark. Yep, with Rajay Davis.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, yeah, Raj Tim T bow. Yeah, oh yeah, Tim, Tim, Tim Tebow. That's right. So that was 2019. Yeah, that was the first year that we were uh the New York Mets AAA affiliate, yep, which was cool. And then the Mets have invested a lot into that stadium. And uh, I'm I'm kind of kidding around about the team, but the we're so fortunate enough to have a team like that here in Syracuse. And I am very lucky to be involved. Yeah, you know, my wife retired, she now works in the front office. My son Zach, who's Down syndrome, who you know, uh he works in the press box too. So still work in the press box. I love that. Oh, yeah. And he's is Anthony still there? Anthony is the man. Anthony is the man. Anthony is the man. I will uh everyone in the press box. He loves Florida Georgia line. He was heartbroken when they went their own ways.
SPEAKER_00Although now he's like, they're getting back together. They're getting back together. I was gonna ask you, are they getting back together? What's the deal with that?
Florida Georgia Line Reunion Talk
SPEAKER_01You're gonna pull it out of me. So here's what I found. Seriously, because I for I've heard I'm not just making this up. Spill the teeth. So they've worked out their differences, they had political differences.
SPEAKER_00That's what I heard.
SPEAKER_01Okay, which, you know, it is what it is, but they've worked out their differences. Um, they are getting back together for a tour. They have not agreed to do an album or release a song as the two of them.
SPEAKER_00Um heading in the right direction, though.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. So chances are there will be a tour next year, okay. Florida, Georgia line reunion or whatever they're gonna call it. I have no idea. But uh, I because I I'm in the position where I have a lot of contacts in Nashville, and I talk to these record labels every week. Right. I mean, that's what I do. That's how we get the music on the wolf. Uh, you know, what is it?
SPEAKER_00Let's talk about
How Songs Get Added To Radio
SPEAKER_00that. For someone that might not know, like, how does that all work? How do you how do you well choose like I'm gonna play this song?
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna play this song at six, eight songs, you know, they get placed in different categories. Um, we have A's, B's, C's, D's, E's, and for example, the A's would be the most popular songs right now. Uh, and those are the songs where I get people that complain. I hear Ella Langley every hour. Well, Ella's got two songs that are huge, right? Choose in Texas, as of today, the day uh we're recording this, um 16 weeks at number one in Billboard. So that's crazy. Yeah, so you know, you may be getting tired of it, but people are still loving it. Yeah, and it comes on, and people sing along to it and they listen to it. Well, A's are there's like five of those, and then we have nine Bs, which are those that are kind of not really new, new, but they've been out a while and doing really well. Chances are they're gonna move into the power category, which would be an A, and rather quickly or every once in a while, if something wants to move up to an A, I'll take an A and move it back to a B just to back off on it a little bit. And after that, they go to, you know, like what we call in the business, uh recurrence, and we have power recurrence. But to get a song on the radio nowadays, what I do and let the secret out of the bag is um, of course, I talk to the labels and they say, Hey, I got this new song, blah, blah, blah, blah. Certain songs will, you know, if I like it, I I kind of make that decision. Um, although I I look at the streaming charts because they will tell you a lot. Um, and I get them sent to me. I can pretty much look at what people are listening to in Syracuse, and you'd be really surprised, the mixture on that of country rock and everything. Um, so I know they're loving Ella, I know they're loving uh Luke Combs. I can I see that on there. So those are the songs I'm gonna keep an eye on. Ella's got another brand new song out, and already it's almost at the top of the streaming charts. So I I put that not a I just don't play it once in a while. I play it in a medium because I know people are loving that. I'm seeing where it's gonna go, and if it continues to do well, eventually it's gonna go into the power. So you hear it a lot more. But Luke Combs, uh Riley Green. Oh my god. But uh, it's it's it's a game sometimes with a label. Yeah, you know, a label is like let's say you get a food salesman goes to a grocery store and he sells their product to the store and wants to put it like at the end cap or something like that, so people see it. He's got a he's got a wheel and deal for that position, right? And the labels, I can't say they wheel and deal, but they don't do any what they they try to push that.
SPEAKER_00Like, hey, uh, we're gonna give you backstage passes for a listener or something, right? Yeah, they uh do they do that? Come on, be honest.
SPEAKER_01Well, give me the inside baseline. But all that is not based on whether or not their their music gets added. They know we are what they call a media base radio station, which means we report to media base, which controls the number one songs and all that. It's it's amazing. It's it's sometimes it's a game within the labels, but um what uh I forgot what I was gonna say here. Media base. So what they do is because we're a media-based station, and B104 is a media-based station, so there's two media-based stations in the market. The difference, we have people there that answer the phone, we play the music. B104. Sorry, I'm gonna give you a fact. Um, they're not they're not local anymore. They have one guy in the building, one guy, and you know, I don't know how he does it. I have a lot of respect for him. Um, but they will come to us and say, you know what? Uh, one of our big art, Riley Green's coming to town, even though he's not. Um, Riley Green's coming to town. You know what? Uh how many tickets do you need? And uh, you know, uh, would you, you know, we have a what we call a radio room, and uh you can go in there and get some booze or soda or whatever, get something to eat, you know, and hang out, and the artist comes in and sits with you and talks to you. I mean, you know, that's how all that works. But it it's not based on whether or not we're playing their song, they just want to treat us good, maybe for down the road that if we, you know, they hey dude, I need you know, whatever. But uh yeah, I don't know. I don't want to, yeah, that's kind of a tricky subject. Yeah, I get it. I get it. It's you know, when you get down to when you it comes right down to it, it's a game.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh, and there's a lot of artists that don't get what they deserve. Because there are, as you notice with my podcast, I talk to a lot of independent artists who are better than some of those that are signed by the major ladies.
SPEAKER_00No, I was gonna say, after uh, you know, listening through Steven's uh playlist on Spotify, I've listened to a lot of people that you've had on. A lot of a lot of different artists really good. Yeah, so good. And you that and some of those songs, it's like, how are these not on the radio?
SPEAKER_01Exactly. There's one artist, um, Jacob Hackworth. He actually sat right where you're sitting. He was in town, I don't know, a couple of months ago now, but he has written so many number one songs, and we had them in for a showcase, but he came through what they call a radio tour, and because he was coming through late in the day, I said, Why don't you come over? We'll get some beer, pizza, wings, whatever, and we'll hang out and we'll do a podcast. He agreed to do that. So I yeah, I had a major artist right here, songwriter. Yeah, um, but you know, now his song is struggling just because because, but although he has he's got number one songs he wrote for Corey Kent and somebody else. Um, I can't think of who it is right now, but that those songs went to number one, yeah. So he smiles every time he goes in the mailbox, if you know what I mean. Oh, yeah, you know, and the people like him, the songwriters, those are the unsung heroes. Oh because you know what I mean. You hear a song, for example, Tim McGraw does a song, but you know what? Tim didn't write that song, right? Look at who the song he maybe he was a co-writer on some of them, but look read the fine print.
SPEAKER_00That's what I love about listening to Big D and Bubba every day. Yeah, was you got that inside scoop, like, oh, this this artist actually wrote this song for Luke Bryan or whoever, right? Right, exactly.
SPEAKER_01Exactly, interesting, yeah, exactly. It's so interesting. Yeah, it's crazy. It's you know, it's a crazy business.
On-Air Mistakes And DJ Burnout
SPEAKER_01It's a crazy business. What I I don't know how much longer I can do it, but I love doing it. I love being on the air every day, two till seven. You know, I just to me, that's my that's your thing, my thing, but it's everything that surrounds it. It's it's like a work day. It's like I just don't go in and jump on the air at two o'clock. I'm there by 10 o'clock every day, right? You know, take calls, take calls and music scheduling and answer emails, and you know, somebody doesn't like the fact we're playing Taylor Swift, and uh, you know, it's like you know, it's I remember getting those calls. Oh my god, you play Thomas Ratt t-shirts so many times. I know, but it could have been the you know, maybe that's just one person's opinion. They're the minority, and they're not the majority. Exactly. So you have sometimes you gotta be careful, you you know, yeah. It's it's a balance, it's a balance, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I gotta ask. Ask. Worst on air blooper.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god, yeah, it is. Well, I don't know why this has happened, and it's happened more than once, where I will crack the mic and go, even though I'm on 92.1 the wolf of the B104 points. I mean, I've done that more than once, and it's like, holy crap, you know, now what? You know, but I can remember you talk about bloopers though. How about our friend Heather? Were you there? Oh, I I remember F F F F F F F F. And you know what I'm saying. It's like I remember the ratings went sky high that day.
SPEAKER_00I was the next day after that happened, I didn't realize that happened. She comes into the studio and she's like, Did you hear what happened to me? I'm like, no, what happened? She's like, I thought the mic was off. Something pissed me off. Dropping F pounds. She said that her mom texted her and was like, Heather, is everything okay? Because she could hear her over there.
SPEAKER_01I know.
SPEAKER_00She was so worried.
SPEAKER_01She was like, I think I'm getting fired today. I'm like, nah, no. You know what? It it wasn't in intentional. If you know what there's there's two different ways of looking at that. If you came on and just started talking like that, yeah, that's a problem. But the way she did it, it was off the mic. It was like just I don't know. It wasn't like she did it on purpose. So I'm gonna have her on here shortly. Yeah, yeah. We should do it together. And uh, you know, I haven't seen Heather in a while. I I I was talking about um getting together for lunch, but uh I don't know what's going on with that. So, anyways, I know I saw her at her mom's wake. And uh, you know, just that was about the last time I saw her. So we could go down and bang on her dad's door. Oh, really? Yeah, did you know that? She lived right around the corner.
SPEAKER_00I guess I didn't know that at one point.
SPEAKER_01When I first started working there back in 2007, she was still she was living. Oh, okay. She ran off and got married to Sean. I DJ'd the wedding.
SPEAKER_00And you're you're completely done with DJing weddings, are you? Yes. No. Yes and no. Only the certain ones.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, if somebody, you know, I just I did that for a lot of years. I have all the equipment, I've got top-notch equipment. I mean, I'll go out and do some charity stuff, or but I don't want to do the weddings anymore. It was like every weekend, and it's a lot, it's a lot, and you know, our son is getting older, and it just got to be a lot. Uh, sure, the money's good, you can have fun, but um, then again, you gotta deal with people, right? And yeah, you know, and when people, you know, it's the biggest day in their life, yeah, and you want it to be perfect, and they want it to be perfect, and there's a lot of pressure, a lot of pressure, 100%. Really, really, but yeah, I don't I don't really do it much anymore.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I know it's just you know, it's the way it is, but it's something you'd rather have that family time anyway.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I would. And we do the ball games and stuff, which you know, so yeah. All right, best uh best concert memory with the wolf. Oh my god, you're asking me these. That's a great question, but best concert.
SPEAKER_01Is there a concert that stuck out? No, you know, I don't know if one really stuck out. They're all up there. We get these, as you know, as we've talked, we get these opportunities that a lot of people don't get. And it's because we play the music. And you know, they want to come and say hello, or you know, to the program director, the music director, because we're playing their songs. So, I mean, you know, doing the jelly roll thing.
Reba Memories And Star Encounters
SPEAKER_01Um oh my god, I'll tell you my first concert memory, which I was scared shitless, um, was at the New York State Fair, Reba McIntyre was playing the grandstand. Reba is the reason I got into country. Really? I never I thought I was uh I was I I could care less about country, didn't want anything to do with it, but I don't know what it was about Reba. I don't know. But uh she got me into country, and she was appearing at the New York State Fair. I was on B at the time, B104, and uh she was doing the grandstand, and they surprised me with a backstage meet and greet because they knew I loved Reba. I'll never forget this as long as I live. So I went down and uh I did the meet and greet. I walk in this room, standing there, like shaking, not knowing. I was so like, oh god, I didn't even know how I was gonna handle it at that time. You know, she walked in the room. I was so starstruck. I was just like, I I couldn't speak. Um seriously. I'm like, oh my god, Reba, yeah, nice to meet you. Uh yeah, and it's just like, you know, I felt like uh don't open the door, I'll go under it when I leave because that's how I felt like, okay, I just messed that up. I said, Oh, so I we had a yellow lab at the time, and I said, you know, um, we named our dog after you. That's what I said. Don't bother opening the door, I'll just go under it when I leave. But it's so true. We had a dog Reba. And uh what'd she say to that? She'd oh, that's nice. I know I can't do that, but uh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, it's like okay, open mouth, insert foot, and I just fucked that up. You know, it was it was crazy, but that's one moment I'll never forget. But you know, over the years, though, like I say, with going to Nashville as many years as as I've gone, whether it was on B104 or where I am now, uh, you know, it's well, it's probably around 25 years or more. But you you learn to realize, as I mentioned before, that they're just people and they're out doing what they love. I'm doing what I love. We have a conversation, everything is cool. Yeah, and they will never forget you. Um, I met Dirk Spentley. I did too.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Dirk's is a great dude.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, great dude.
SPEAKER_00We just talked about how I told them how bad the weather was in Syracuse in the wintertime.
SPEAKER_01That's pretty much what we talked about. I live in Hannibal. Um, but um with Dirk's, I met him in a bar called the Station Inn in Nashville, which is on the outskirts. And uh he was playing there with his bluegrass band before he was as big as he is or was. And uh it's just he came right over, introduced himself, sat there. We sat at the table, drank a pitcher of beer, just shot the shit. Coolest guy in the world, just whatever. You know, since that day, God knows how many years ago it was. If I was to go and see him now, he'll go, Skip, oh my god, how are you? How's the life? How's this? How's that? You know what I mean? So they they're they're true, they're real. Um, they don't forget you, yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, they do not forget you. The thing that I loved, uh pre-COVID was uh the comedians coming in on Fridays. Oh, yeah, that was good. I always got a kick of that Steve O, Robert Kelly, dude.
SPEAKER_01Oh no, was it Polly Shore? Who were you? You must have been bored opping on the wolf for big D and Bubba. But didn't they have a comedian come in and they roasted or they he was great on moving, then he had to go across the hall to the old guy across the hall. Oh, Joey. Joey was there for that. Oh, I I missed I missed out on Joey. Yeah, well, they set the comedian up because they knew that he was going across the hall to talk to the old guy, Nick. And uh they set him up and said, This is what he's gonna do, this is what he's gonna ask you. This is you know, he says he slept with Stevie Nicks, he did this, he did that. So they had set him up and he went across the hall and just it was I never knew that. Oh, yeah. There's a recording of it somewhere, and it was one of the greatest, greatest bits. Oh do you remember who the comedian was? I don't, but I'm sure somebody I would love to hear that. Somebody at work would. Oh yeah. I'd love to hear that. Or Heather would. I mean, if you talk to Heather, she would definitely know.
SPEAKER_00I'll have to ask her.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00All right. If you could only play five country songs for the rest of your life. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_01Don't do this.
SPEAKER_00Give me three.
SPEAKER_01Three. But for the rest of my life? Oh man. I was a big fan of Lady A, Lady Antoine Lady A. Um, Need You Know. I love that song. Love that song. Um Ribba McIntyre, He Don't Love You, which was a great song about somebody cheating on somebody and the boat blows up. I don't know why I loved it so much. Um just, oh my god, there's so much in the way of great music, though. God, you know what? I like uh Jake Owen, uh Barefoot Blue, I think it's Barefoot Blue Jean night. There's something about that. Um yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00I would have to say friends in low places, country roads. Oh, yeah, country roads, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And oh did you ever get sick of friends in low places? No, god, no.
SPEAKER_00I every wedding I go to, I always request that to be the last song, and it's awesome, right? It's awesome, it's awesome. Yeah, I think Garth is uh going out on tour. Really? I don't know where. His show in Pittsburgh 2018 at Heinz Field out. Oh yeah, oh yeah, he's an entertainer. Oh my god, the best concert I've ever been to, and he is down here again.
SPEAKER_01He's the greatest guy. I saw him in Nashville, you know, in the hotel. It's like, hey, how you doing? I'm good. How are you? Garth. Oh my god, it's freaking Garth. Did you ever hear the conspiracy theory with Garth Brooks?
SPEAKER_00No, tell me. Oh, well, he had uh uh alter ego. So I guess there's um the thing where these wherever he had his concerts, there's always like one missing person.
SPEAKER_02Really?
SPEAKER_01They somebody from like a fan or somebody would come up missing. Is that what you're saying? Somebody from the audience, yeah, dude.
SPEAKER_00I think uh teach their own, but oh it's a it's a funny conspiracy, but um I forget which comedian was it, Tom Segura, maybe? Yeah, he's got a great podcast, he's got yeah, he's got a clip on it. You should check it out.
SPEAKER_01I'm definitely gonna check that out. I had no idea. I kind of, you know, unlike you, all due respect, I kind of keep away from the conspiracy theories a little bit. See, you know, teach their own. I'm all I'm all for it. I'm all for a good thing. But then, you know, it's no, but like sometimes it makes me wonder. Yeah, and I do scratch my head going, you know, that could happen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. No, I I always enjoy, I always enjoy when Rogan goes into some conspiracy. And there's some good stuff. No doubt. No doubt. I get you.
The Future Of Skip Happens
SPEAKER_00I got you. So skip.
SPEAKER_01Yes, Andrew.
SPEAKER_00Skip happens.
SPEAKER_01It does.
SPEAKER_00What's what do you I mean what do you want the future of Skip Happens to be?
SPEAKER_01I want this to be my retirement gig. I want this to be well known. Uh, and I think I'm on a good road for that with Nashville, and to know that I support the artist. I want it to be well known here locally as well, because I do support, as you know, I do support our local artists, Stephen Kelly, and and any of those artists. Um and I I love the uh listener showcases. So yeah, yeah, yep. But um, you know, just with the local artists, and then in speaking of that, for example, Stephen Kelly was there last night. Right, I saw that. My my goal not only with Skip Happens, but even with those shows, I think everybody needs to be heard. And I will reach out to a local artist and say, Hey, do you want to play for 30 minutes before the main act? Yeah, that's awesome. And and it's great because they get to meet the main act, they get to talk to the label people because they're always in town with their artist. Uh, it's just a great you never know. And and is a good example of that. Stephen Kelly did one a while ago, and the label was like, Holy shit, who is this guy? Yeah, is you know, and they went out and talked to him, they exchanged information. I go, Holy crap, maybe uh we just started something. I don't know whatever became of it, but then again, I know Steve has his priorities, so yeah, yeah, you know. Uh, but Skip Happens is uh, yeah, as you can see, I'm not messing around. No, that's awesome. I want it to grow. Um, I don't think I'm gonna be a Joe Rogan, I'm not that type of an interview person, I'm more like a late night show host, yeah. I guess you know, I'm gonna talk like you and I are chatting here and talking about our lives and stuff, right? And uh, you know, I do a lot of things virtual or in the studio, and I just want to be the guy that interview somebody and finds out about them. And how did you get to where you're where you are today and where do you want to go and and stuff like that, you know? Now I've actually because I do I can take this on the road, as you've seen me go out. I I know we went to the Wildcat, and that was an experiment. It worked well. You're at the rodeo. I was at the rodeo. I was, and my co-host didn't show. No, she told me ahead of time she couldn't make it, but I didn't know what I was gonna do. But the rodeo was cool, yeah. That was another experiment. I love that. And I should just call you and say, Hey, this is what I'm doing. Do you want to join me? Let me know. You got that deal, but uh no, you know, I need to get some sponsors, and I haven't really tried. I you know, I've got all the paperwork for that, and I've got ideas who I could call on, and uh, but I haven't done that part of it yet. Um, I am lucky enough where what you see here in front of you is paid for. Yeah, this is you know, so and that's freaking awesome. So well, thank you. But no, I enjoy I enjoy this. This is what I want to do, and I enjoy talking to people. You'd never know it years ago when I said I was shy and quiet, right? Yeah, just you know, kept to myself, and but uh, you know, it's I love doing this, and one thing I do is, and I don't know if you do this or not, or I don't know how late you're up at night, but uh when the late like late night Jimmy Fallon or though they come on, I watch these people as to how they interview their guests. You know, what questions are they asking? Where are they going with this interview? That's what I watch. Yeah, even you know, I hate why as you know, I I don't like watching the news, but yet I will watch for the purpose of okay, they're interviewing somebody. How are they handling this interview? Yeah, right or wrong, indifferent, whatever. But I want to know what kind of questions are they asking? How do they react? How do I watch that stuff because that's how I learn, you know, and I like the entertainment side, whether I don't know, you know, if you're not a fan of Jimmy Fallon or um the other Jimmy, uh, all that, you know, that's one thing, but but just to watch the way they interview their guests, yeah.
SPEAKER_00The that's what's always I'm always calculating at work when I'm listening to whatever, especially like I just like comedy podcasts too. Yeah, Kill Tony. Yes, I watch Kill Tony all the time, and just seeing how he conducts the one the interview after the one minute. It's I I love that. I'm always see that's it, those are yes, exactly. You know, you you got the wheels turning, but you know, the thing is just starting out. I mean, this is kind of like the first time I'm interviewing. I've done what 20 episodes now, and dude, this is great. It's it's just trying to get to that comfort spot, but you're getting there. I think you're I don't know. Do you get nervous? Do you not really see that's that's the game, right? There the only thing I get in my head about is like, oh my god, what am I gonna ask next? I kind of put too much pressure on myself.
SPEAKER_01I do too, yeah. I do too, and that's natural. But if you said you didn't do that, I'd be saying, dude, you're not doing something right, yeah. Because it I've been doing this a long time, and I still, yeah. Do I get really nervous? No, but still, when I those moments happen, I have something to fall back on, right? So exactly, yeah. I make it work, but uh, it's so cool, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Man, I I love what you're doing. Thank you. Skip happens, follow them on Facebook, YouTube, where else?
SPEAKER_01Uh anywhere stuff, yeah. No, no, you can go on YouTube and and follow or subscribe to Skip Happens on YouTube, wherever you get your podcast from, there's audio out there as well. And uh, you know, it's everywhere, you know how it goes. And when I do skip happens, we're also live on Facebook. I do it on my uh Skip Happens page and my personal page, so it's you know, it's all there. Plus, if you got questions or whatever, you can go on board with get online with the chat and we talk to you. I give you shout-outs. I know, I know. I appreciate it too.
SPEAKER_00Yes. No, I when I see you're on, I'm like, all right, I'm definitely gonna hop in, see what's going on. So cool. Yeah, awesome. Skip, I appreciate your time. And man, this has been awesome to catch up with you. I appreciate it. Right back at you. And the studio's awesome.
SPEAKER_01Well, thank you. Best radio right there. Make sure you uh you check him out. He's over there. All right.
SPEAKER_00Awesome. Thanks.
