A regular Riot, Las Vegas Sun, July 23, 1996

A regular Riot Lisa Sciortino Tuesday, July 23, 1996 | 11:59 a.m. Whatever could go wrong, did. At least that's how it seemed during Kevin DuBrow's maiden shift as KOMP 92.3-FM's new morning man recently. Of all the steamy, 100-plus degree days, the station's air conditioner chose that one to fizzle out. Add to that co-host Craig Williams' less-than surefootedness operating the soundboard and a power surge that temporarily zapped the studio's juice, sending the place into a panic. Coincidence? In any case, it wasn't enough to make DuBrow, lead singer for metal band Quiet Riot, want to bang his head against a wall. The admitted "loudmouth," who has fronted the band for 21 years, was too pumped about his new job to fret. "It's a testosterone festival in here," he said. What else would you expect with a boys club like this one -- DuBrow, Williams and sidekick "Sweet Al" Miller -- running the four-hour "Rock 'n' Roll Morning Show"? The humor is racy, the gags (barfing sound effects and such) sometimes gross. But the unexpected guests are a hoot. Like Mac, "the computer with an attitude," that DuBrow programmed to quip on cue -- "Hubba hubba" and "Led Zeppelin ... very cool" -- in its electronic monotone. Then, an incarnation of the Godfather of Soul boogied in for a "James Brown Poetry Medley" bit, reciting rock classics, like Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," in his unmistakable hit meh! style. Just a taste of things to come, DuBrow said. "This is just a starting point. We're gonna see how far we can push the envelope. It's a matter of being constantly creative." Howard Stern, take notice. The trio, aided by news reporter Karen Lynne, thinks their wild on-air style could give the shock jock's nationally syndicated show (featured on KFBI 107.5-FM) a run for its ratings in the local Arbitron. During the last ratings period, the KOMP morning show ranked eighth to Stern's second in the drive-time market for adults ages 25-54. But KOMP's program director, Mike Culotta, is optimistic that the numbers will show a dramatic increase from the new and improved show when the next ratings period begins in early fall. Funny thing, though: DuBrow, with his tousled 'do and lanky build, even looks a bit like the "King of All Media." But differences between the two shows are obvious. "We're not venomous, we don't want to be mean. What's the point?" DuBrow said. "I'm not gonna go on the radio and be mad. That would be defeating the whole purpose. This is supposed to be fun." Good thing the 30-something DuBrow is already at home behind the mike. He started with KOMP earlier this year, hosting the occasional "80s at 8" show before landing his own weekly rock fest, "The Saturday Night Riot," about a month ago, with Miller riding shotgun. Shortly after, the duo was asked to fill in for Williams and former morning morning co-host Garry O'Neil for a week. It was as much a test of DuBrow's alarm clock as his on-air capabilities. "They were actually making bets to see if I'd make it on time," he said of the shift that starts at 6 a.m. "Everybody lost, because I was here." Next thing he knew, he was being offered his first real job. "I never worked for anybody. I was always my own boss," he said. Now, "I get up at 4:30 and I drive myself to work. Whoa, what a concept!" The decision to bring DuBrow aboard "The Rock 'n' Roll Morning Show" was an effort "to take the show in a new direction," Culotta said. With the "Riot," "He was basically doing a morning show at night. He was entertaining, had a lot of energy. The upper management felt that he was a natural morning personality," Culotta said. If you ask Williams, it was a much-needed wake-up call for the morning show. "The last show wasn't very listener-friendly," he said. Williams has co-hosted the show for several years, with Lark Williams (now at KXPT 97.1-FM) before sharing the table with O'Neil this past year. "It wasn't as entertaining as I think this show is gonna be," he said. The opportunity for a regular gig couldn't have come at a better time for DuBrow. The long-haired rocker realized that Quiet Riot had probably reached its peak a while back, with hit songs such as "Come on, Feel the Noise" and "Bang Your Head." Long gone are the days of playing to packed arenas and partying till dawn. Meanwhile, he's grown weary of touring the club scene. "We sort of started at the top and worked our way down to the bottom," he said. "We don't play the places we played when we were really big. Whether or not that's ever going to come back, I don't know, but I don't want to wait. "I could see the writing on the wall, career-wise, that I really needed to start thinking about my future as a human being. If I'm ever going to have a family or get married, this is the way I can perpetuate it for years to come. "Quiet Riot is something that's considered a nostalgic band from the '80s and I'm totally aware of our status. Singing 'Come on, Feel the Noise' for the ten-thousandth time isn't the greatest, either." Don't get him wrong. He's not abandoning the band altogether -- just making it his "part-time" job. They've already got weekend gigs lined up and plan to cut a new album this fall. "I like Quiet Riot, but I don't like touring anymore and I don't see it being a future for me in my 50s. Most rock musicians don't have an option. I was blessed to be given this offer." Besides, he was probably destined to be a DJ all along. During the band's heyday, DuBrow guest-hosted countless radio shows around the country, so the transition from making records to spinning them was pretty easy. "This is all part of entertainment," he said. "I don't feel any pressure because ... there's no audience to see. To me, it's just like I'm talking to Craig and Al." Unlike most of his colleagues, DuBrow's rock-star status enabled him to bypass the usual slow climb up the radio ladder and land in the coveted drive-time slot. "I didn't have to pay my dues in radio but I certainly paid my dues at another level," he said, "and I don't think anyone here begrudges me that. I don't look at it as coming in and being given the silver spoon." But success on the airwaves is inevitable for DuBrow, Williams said. "He's been an entertainer all his life and it's a natural thing to make him an entertainer on the radio. He's gonna be a huge radio talent. We're lucky to have him in Las Vegas. And then he'll be moving on to a big, big market." Not likely, said DuBrow, a Hollywood native who moved to Las Vegas last year. Local listeners have been treating him like "rock royalty, and I love that." "It's like Quiet Riot was something that people really respected instead of just a band from the past. I worked a long time to get whatever success we achieved." archive