"Nine FM" Test Drive, Part 2

Wednesday, 8/11/04 2:00pm Well...I wasn't too impressed with "Nine" during the morning hours, but I was optimistic because afternoons belong to the program director, Sky Daniels. I have listened to "Nine" a few times before today's test drive, and it seemed like he "brought the rock" more during his shift than when I've listened at other times. 2:10pm "When I Come Around" by Green Day..."Talk Dirty to Me" by Poison..."Who Can it Be Now" by Men Without Hats... I'll forget the fact that I heard Green Day and Poison...but you've got to love Men At Work 2:30pm "All-Star" by Smash Mouth Who likes this song, besides 8 year olds?? 2:35pm Some song by Staind comes on... OK, I sat through the damn "All-Star" song...now this is just too much. 2:36pm Abort mission... Sky wasn't on the air yet anyway, so I decided to take a break and check back in after 3 3:00pm Can barely pick up a signal...a bird must be sitting on their tower on their tower or something. (actually, more like some clouds or poor atmospheric conditions...I am listening in the South Loop after all, the extreme northern fringe of their broadcast range) 3:20pm Suddenly the reception's fine again...maybe it really was a bird on the tower?? 3:23 -3:34pm "In the Name of Love" by U2..."Hate to Say I Told You So" by The Hives..."Something So Strong" by Crowded House Not bad...not bad...maybe Sky can get a good set going for a while??? 3:35pm Second song of the day by Barenaked Ladies Doh!!! 3:38pm "Go Insane" by Lindsay Buckingham Take out the Barenaked Ladies and this actually isn't a bad set... 3:48pm Instrumental song by guitar hero Joe Satriani Umm...at least it's different?? 4:00pm "Don't Know Why" by Nora Jones I'm really starting to lose interest at this point... 4:08pm "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne Raaawwwk! I haven't been this stoked to hear Ozzy since I was twelve...the standard adult contemporary fare that Nine plays really puts me to sleep 4:13-4:30pm My indifference toward Nine is getting worse...I'm starting to slack off on taking notes and I'm not keeping up with the music log 4:34pm "Celebration" by Kool in the Gang C'mon..."Celebration???" is it not enough that you have to hear this song at every god damn wedding reception throughout your entire life?? I didn't want to say it...but much like your cousin's wedding reception, this station is sooooo suburban 4:37-4:45pm "Celebration" is followed by songs from Matchbox 20, Collective Soul Yes, I am in suburban hell...who wants to go the strip mall? 4:56pm Whoa!!! I think I just heard the first commercial of the day??? I hadn't even noticed...but this is the first break I've heard since tuning in at 8:30 in the morning! 5:05pm "Bandages" by Hot Hot Heat..."Round and Round" by Ratt Alright...after 5, it's the drive home...this is going to be the one...the set that rocks for like an hour without interruption... 5:12pm "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton Nooooooooooo!!!!! DAMMIT! This station is just like 'XRT...they play two or three really great old tunes, (like some great deep album cuts or a few old college radio favorites) then just when you think they've got their act together and they've finally thrown out all of their lite rock Jewel and Sheryl Crow records out onto Belmont Ave.... BAM!! they drop in some lame-ass, board-room approved lite rock rubbish. Wait a minute...come to think of it, both XRT and Nine are just like...the Cubs!. You really want to like them, they have a lot of potential and they even show glimpses of brilliance at times. But then just as soon as you get hyped up because things are going great...well, you know the story. Nothing but disappointment in the end. Come to think of it...XRT does always hype the Cubs, and Nine's vice president used to work for XRT... hmmm... Coming up Monday on RFC, the final word on "Nine FM"