Austin Orientation: WOXY DJ Joe Long
Internet jock misses his hometown's signature chili, looks forward to unpacking.
Erik Adams
Long (right) with WOXY general manager Bryan Jay Miller and the wall of autographs that made the trip from Cincinnati.
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The A.V. Club has been conducting "exit interviews" for individuals leaving town or dropping out of the scene, so we thought it only appropriate to start holding brief orientation sessions with recent additions to our "company." Before superb Internet radio station WOXY launched its first broadcast from the ME Television studios (or, if you've lived here long enough, the old porn-house) on South Congress today, we checked in with DJ Joe Long to see how he and his fellow immigrants are doing after pulling up their roots in Cincinnati to bring WOXY and its massive library of modern rock to Austin.
The A.V. Club: How are you adjusting to your new surroundings?
Joe Long: So far, so good. Where we were before, it was in downtown Cincinnati, but it was a bit dislocated from restaurants, bars, and everything else that's going on. This location seems great—it has a city feel, but not a "busy" feel to it. And I really love this building. It has a ton of potential for us. Right now it's kind of a mess, because we've got all of our stuff displaced.
AVC: Is there anything Austin can do to make your transition easier?
JL: We just want to feel like we're a good addition to an already-vibrant scene and an already-growing city when it comes to independent culture. Just inviting us in and letting us become a part of what Austin is and what Austin does, and not looking at us like Ohioans. Even though we pretty much are.
AVC: What kind of benefits and services can Austin offer that Cincinnati can't?
JL: I've got to be careful on this one. I'll tell you one thing: There's definitely some exceptional food in the area that Cincinnati does not have. Also, the warmer weather is something that Cincinnati can only do some times of the year. You know what else is great that Austin offers us? A really heavily trafficked tour-routing schedule. Lots of bands coming through is one of the main reasons we wanted to be here. To be right in the center of it for all of the different festivals that go on: SXSW, ACL. We like to be in the epicenter of things, and being here offers us that.
AVC: Is there anything that Cincinnati offers that Austin can't?
JL: One of the things that we got there that we'll be able to do here on a different level is to just invite local artists in for live sessions. I think some of our friends from back home might end up making a trek down here to see us and perform. But that was the one thing I was bummed about leaving, because it was easy to call a local band up and say, "Hey guys, we'd love to have you in." Also, I'm a big Cincinnati chili fan. I kind of grew up on Cincinnati chili, so I'm definitely going to miss it and have it shipped here via can at some point.
AVC: Just wait until you try a bowl of Texas red chili at the Texas Chili Parlor.
JL: I'm positive I will love it, but there's something about Cincinnati chili. It's incredibly unique. If you didn't grow up there you'd probably hate it—it's got no beans, and there's hints of cinnamon and chocolate. And it's done on Coneys: hot dog, the cheese, the chili, the onions, mustard. It's weird if you've not done it before, but some people get hooked on it. I got Bryan [Jay Miller], our general manager, hooked on it.
AVC: You threw a party at Scoot Inn this past Saturday. How else do you plan to make your presence known in Austin?
JL: Through what we've already been doing, just in a more "up close and personal way" with people around here. People are going to see us at shows, they're going to see our name on shows. Occasionally you're going to see us at festivals—and associated with them as well. I think a lot of people, from what I understand, have not really seen the inside of [the studios], so hopefully we can give them a closer look. I've already been doing some videos with my little flip cam, just "moving in" videos. We're super-regular folks, so hopefully we can make our presence known in a good ol' Midwestern way. [Laughs.] Nice and warm and open.
AVC: So we can look forward to seeing you at after-hours, extracurricular activities?
JL: Absolutely, though probably not right away. I love to go out to shows—it's just part of what I do. And being in Cincinnati was great, but it was real hit-or-miss. It's just not a destination for live music the way Austin is. So I'm really excited about being able to go and check out a bunch of shows, a bunch of bars, a bunch of food. It seems to be the thing that's the easiest adjustment for guys like us. It's our heartbeat already, so I'm excited.
AVC: Have you begun to reaching out to local artists and venues?
JL: Luckily, we've come down the past three years during SXSW and done sessions for a whole week over on the east side of town, so we've been able to form some relationships with some local bands there. That, and hiring Paige Maguire. She's definitely got her finger on the pulse out here with local music.
AVC: Did all of your necessary work materials arrive intact? No busted CDs or mixing boards or anything?
JL: That is to be determined. We haven't unpacked yet. I'd imagine the worst of it is going to be a handful of CD jewel cases got busted, which we can replace. Some of the shelving needs to be prettied up a little after sitting in the moving truck that Bryan and I drove down with. Hopefully the main cogs are fully operational, but we'll find out real soon. [Laughs.]
AVC: Being web-based, you could have taken WOXY anywhere. How will your programming reflect being broadcasted out of Austin?
JL: It's a little bit about some of things we talked about before—getting good relationships going with local bands, local venues, festivals, things that are going on here. Not only are we a business coming into this area, but we're individuals relocating here as well, so we want to be part of the community. Maybe one of the things we can do is fill a void for folks who are into the indie music scene. The bands all play here already, but the radio options are hit or miss. With the way that Internet radio is pushing out, thanks to stuff like iPhones. I used to tell people, "Well, you can't listen to it in your car, but you can listen in Japan. Come on, it's not that bad." But now you can listen in your car with the iPhone or other smartphones. It's just slowly creeping out into the fringes of people's lives, and hopefully we can continue to push that forward.
AVC: Can we come by some time and dip into the "largest modern rock library in the world"?
JL: That is a benefit of being an intern here. We're always looking for good interns—people willing to dedicate their time and energy, and be a part of what we think beats working. [Laughs.] That's what I always say to people who ask, "Hey, how's it going at the station?" "Beats working a real job. I get to play music for people for a living."
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