Pre-party!

My Saturday radio shift is from 3-8PM, which means I was the DJ playing the tunes prior to this weekend's Phil Vassar/Tracy Lawrence concert. I asked my program director if I could play an hour's worth of JUST their songs prior to the show (which started at 7:30)... Here's what he had to say:

"NO.... it ruins the show for people who have paid to go in to see them perform
live. Sorry. Pump it with your VT's."

I strongly disagree with his way of thinking on this issue. Now I know it's a different market, but one of my favorite parts of going to Pittsburgh and Cleveland shows is listening to the artist I'm going to see on my way to the concert -- or while I'm in the parking lot tailgating. It get's me (and others -- oh, I've seen it!) pumped for the show!

About a month ago in Pittsburgh for the big Kenny Chesney "Somewhere in the Sun" Tour, Froggy made a huge deal of pumping listeners/fans up for the show -- playing songs only by the artists performing that night, promos, contests, a live remote (where they even talked about how Kenny was riding past tailgaters in the parking lot!). Y-108 just went along with their regular programming, occassionally mentioning the show. Froggy was played THROUGHOUT the *who knows how many* parking lots surrounding Heinz Field.

Note: Froggy & Y-108 in Pittsburgh is a lot like Bud Light & Miller Lite anywhere -- most people feel strongly about one of the other, but not both. I bet a lot of Y-108 fans were listening to Froggy that day, though. So there's my little rant about my programming disappointment this weekend.

In other news... Go Steelers!