Friends that drink together, stay together

Photo Credit: Jason Ruiz

Hosts Jerry Brandt (left) and Chris Adams (right) entertain an in studio guests

during their hour long session of drink talk.

     Don't let the name fool you, Jerry Brandt and Chris Adams don't actually drink on the air. But the "Drinking Buddies", both aspiring stand up comedians, do discuss all the super important topics that arise when one drink turns into a 11 or 12.

"Most comics after the show will sit down, have a few drinks, talk shit and so on," Brandt said. "The point of the show was to be like, these are the types of conversations that comics have, but only on a radio show now."

"There's a lot of alcohol in comedy," Adams chimed in. 

     Adams and Brandt met while performing at local open mic nights and befriended each other after an initial standoffish stage that is a self proclaimed trait of the comedian lifestyle. Jerry, a 32-year-old military veteran and cancer survivor and Adams, 27, have a chemistry that has vaulted them to be one of the most listened to shows in KBeach's lineup.

     Their show got off to a fast start with an interview with comedy and radio veteran Adam Carolla calling in as a guest during the first 5 minutes of their first show.

"It was like, Adam Carolla is calling during your first show, it was really nerve wracking," Adams said."

"Luckily he's such a radio pro he was able to carry us for a few minutes and we made it through," Brandt said. 

     In addition to trying to get people to laugh, the duo hope to spread awareness of stand up comedy because they feel that it is an under-appreciated art form that most students would enjoy if they were to experience it live. Their show often features comedians performing in Long Beach area who either call in or occasionally stop by for in studio interviews to talk about the art of comedy and plug their tour dates. Adams and Brant have interviewed the likes of Steve-O from Jackass and Kevin Hart along with many other traveling comics.

"There's something about being there live that you just cant get on CD," said Adams. "A good comic makes you think they're talking to me, makes me laugh, makes me think and that's just really hard to capture on a recording."

     In addition to performing locally, Adams and Brandt also host events in the Long Beach area. Beginning in May, they'll start to host a monthly stand up show at the Art Theatre on 4th Street in Long Beach and in June, the two will perform monthly under their "Drinking Buddies" title at the Improv. On May 19th, Steve Mazan will be performing at the Art Theatre for a benefit for the American Cancer Society. The $9.00 ticket charge will go toward the society to aid in research for a cure.

 

Jazzy Jam Sessions

Photo Credit: Steamers Cafe website 

The entrance to Steamers Cafe.

     Steamer's Jazz Club and Cafe, a fixture of downtown Fullerton and home to many contemporary artists played on KJazz's rotation has announced an open invitation to all musicians for a weekly jam session to be held on Sunday evenings.

     Participants will be able to play with the house band which includes band leader Evan Stone on drums, David Miller on bass and Matt Politano on piano. The concept of the weekly jam sessions is to get all aspiring musicians, who are interested, on stage to perform with professional musicians in the effort to unite jazz musicians of all ages.

 "It's a great idea, especially since Steamer's is a pretty reputable place," said Curtis Cleveland, a junior music major at CSULB. "I just really like that we're being given the chance to get up on stage and perform with known musicians at a popular venue."

     Steamer's holds nightly concerts showcasing both local and touring jazz acts with an all ages environment that opens up the largely considered "adult world" of jazz to be opened to a larger audience. Their modest prices for both entry and food and drink make it an affordable way for people to broaden their musical horizons while taking in the smooth sounds of jazz music in a very intimate setting.

     "The interaction that it's going to provide is really important, especially for a genre of music that has kinda been kicked to the side," said Chris Williams, lead singer of the Chris Williams Quartet, a constant player at Steamer's. "Hopefully this will bring in a different demographic that might not otherwise have been interested in our music scene."

    The open jam sessions will provide all musicians, most importantly, aspiring CSULB jazz musicians an opportunity to showcase their abilities while at the same time having fun performing with professionals.

Spreading Diversity With Respect

Photo Credit: Jason Ruiz

Students can win a free membership to the SRWC if they correctly 

identify the gay member of the panel.

     The inaugural "Respect Week" at CSULB begins Monday April 25 with a week full of scheduled activities to help students confront stereotypes and generalizations in an effort to build a stronger sense of respect for all fellow students regardless of culture, religion or sexual orientation.

     CSULB is an eclectic campus when it comes to cultural diversity with transfer students from Australia to Thailand electing to pursue their degree at Long Beach. That is exactly why the idea of "Respect Week" is both necessary and practical, to help students gain insights on their ever diversifying classmates.

     James Sauceda, the director of the Multicultural Center on campus hopes that a lot of good will come out of these events as students will be exposed to new things and hopefully gain an understanding of their classmates' differences. Sauceda commented on the matter in the student newspaper, the Daily 49er:

      "We want you to leave having dispelled stereotypes of another culture, having learned something, having left out the easy cover for the bigger challenge, having sat down with other people of different cultures and introduced yourself," Sauceda said

      Among the scheduled events which include a capoeira demonstration (Braziliain art of dance fighting) and a movie night with free popcorn is a contest hosted by KBeach where contestants will be asked to test their gaydar for a chance to win a free summer member ship to the Recreation and Wellness Center.

     In the game, titled "Guess Who's Gay", students will be asked to identify the secret panelist that is gay after reviewing the answers to 20 questions answered by members of the panel. The point of the game is to demonstrate how stereotypes aren't always accurate. After the contest, the gay member of the panel will speak to the crowd about how hate speech has affected them and their lives.
   
     The game will take place Wednesday April 27 in front of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center from 12:00-3:00 p.m. .

Psych Your Mind

 

    KBeach Global Radio boasts an eclectic collection of radio shows that reflect the diversity of the awesome campus at California State University Long Beach. However, no show might be more intriguing than Aftermath, the weekly dive into the minds of psychopaths with your tour guide Dr. Robert Schug.

      Dr. Schug is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology as well as a research psychologists with a doctorate from the University of Southern California in Clinical Neuroscience.His aim for his show is to help the victims of psychopaths who according to Schug, make up about 1-4% of the general population.

"People often associate psychopaths with serial killers, " Schug said. "That's not always the true but they do victimize people and those people need help in their recovery."

     Dr. Schug is in his second full semester of producing the show that allows people who have been the victims of psychopaths to call in and find help and comfort in knowing that they're not alone in their struggles. Dr. Schug often has professionals in the field of psychology on his show to share their insights on the inner workings of a psychotic mind with his listeners. For anyone interested in reading more about the mind of a psychopath, Dr. Schug recommends "Without Conscience" by Robert D. Hare.

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

     So far, people are listening and grateful for Dr. Schug's efforts. Schug says that he has listeners from all over the globe and often gets letters of appreciation from people that have heard his show, either live or on podcast, and have found strength in his words and insights.

"I think the most satisfying part of doing this show is when I get those letters or phone calls from people thanking me for doing this and that I've helped them out and that they don't feel alone anymore," Schug said.

     Dr. Schug hopes that his listener-ship on the campus will grow, especially with the transition to an HD signal later on this year that will allow KBeach radio shows to be broadcast to car radios rather than just by internet and smart phone applications.

     Schug's organization, Aftermath, works to inform the public about psychopaths and offers online support to the victims of these troubled people. There are professionals opinions available as well as a blog and chat-room where victims can connect and share stories of their experiences.

     Although Schug carries a busy work schedule like most professors on campus, he shows no signs of slowing down, with either his work for Aftermath or his growing radio show on Kbeach. 

   "Hopefully one day this will turn into something spontaneous and interactive," Schug said. "It's easy to do, I love doing this and I intend to continue to do the show for as long as I can.

 

Rockin the Beach

 

Photo Credit: Isabelle Noack

 Isabelle Noack (left) and Lady Vajayjay (right) who was a guest on 

her show to promote LBGT awareness and promote his/her events.

     Isabelle Noack is epitome of how diverse of a campus California State University Long Beach is. She is of African decent, grew up in Germany, lived in Paris all before discovering she was a California girl at heart while studying abroad in Sacramento during high school.

     Her show, "Rock the Beach" aims at capturing all the diversity that walks our campus and conveying it through the radio medium.

"I just try to go with the flow when picking my topics, this campus has so many resources," Noack said. " I'm always walking around, looking for my next story idea. Although I'm a student journalist, I take it very seriously. Being a reporter isn't a job, it's a lifestyle and you have to always be in that frame of mind."

     Noack tries to stay current with her topics, choosing her guests accordingly with what's happening on and around campus and in conjunction with the world outside of CSULB. She also incorporates a wide array of music into her show, again, demonstrating both the diversity present in her and on the campus.

     "I think the most rewarding part of doing my radio show is the freedom that my show allows me to have," Noack said. "All the different topics that I cover allow me to be so creative because I have no restraints on what I can talk about from week to week."

     In addition to her weekly show, Noack, who is a broadcast journalism major, also teaches as a supplement instructor on campus. As part of the campus' effort to help students that are struggling, SI instructors maintain office hours much like normal professors and work in conjunction with the core class to help students succeed.

      Noack, who will graduate next spring, is a strong advocate for KBeach and for all the opportunities that the station offers to aspiring broadcast journalists or just students who want to do something fun in their down time.

"When I first came to this campus, I heard about the station and I thought it was a really cool thing because it was right in line with what I'm trying to do with my education," Noack said. "I just couldn't pass it up and now that I've been doing it for two semesters I'm grateful for the experience in the field that it has provided for me."

     

 

Broadcast yourself

 

Photo Credit: Kbeach.org website

Student DJ manning the controls during a morning talk show. 

     With the semester nearing the end KBeach radio is looking for student voices to fill the voids created by students returning home for the summer or being forced to leave the dorms while school is out of session. 

     KBeach runs year round with over 45 shows fueled by the voice and ideas of students. However, the summer break and graduation tends to leave the station short handed while students go home to visit family or move on to the next phase of their lives. The process of getting involved with the station is a fairly simple process. Students must first pitch a show idea to the general manager of the station, John Trapper. After that, it's a matter of being trained and groomed by the staff as their show takes shape. 

     "We try to make it as easy as possible recognizing this is a commuter school and people don't have that much time," Trapper said. "You can be up in like four training sessions and we assess your capabilities. Everyone is welcome to have a show as long as they meet those criteria. It's not like we're going to reject anyone, we're going to make you work, and when you get on the air we're going to make you work some more."  

      This resource is especially useful to students seeking a career in broadcast as real world experience is gained through hands on interaction with the technology employed by professionals in the field. Although KBeach runs on a limited budget of about $40,000 a year, their facilities are comparable to that of most radio stations in the area with all the capabilities of a professional station readily available to CSULB students.

    

  "We crank out real entertainment industry professionals at this station and I love that," Trapper said.  I mean I have a former student and she's the vice president at Interscope Records right now we have people in television that got their foundation here, a little of everything out there is represented by us.You can't get the kind of experience that you can get here in the real world, if you get an internship somewhere most likely you're going to be getting somebody coffee. But here you get to do all the things that you actually do at a real radio station. And i don't like to say that we're not a real radio station but we're a training ground."

Keeping it Metal

Photo Credit: Eric Bryan

    Main host, Eric Bryan, playing bass at The Nugget.

     When Eric Bryan and Meme Mejia met for the first time in their freshmen dorms, neither envisioned broadcasting a metal show on the campus radio station together. In fact, Meme had hardly listened to the genre before meeting Eric. But now, after five years of diving deeper into this marginalized category of music. Mejia and Brian channel the intensity, passion and honesty that is inherant in the metal scene into their radio show, "The Catharsis".

     Metal has a very particular connotation for the average person. Loud, abrasive and to most, not worth a second listen. Although Mejia and Bryan aren't out to change people's views of the music, they do hope that their exposure of metal through KBeach will open up some ears and possibly some minds.

"Most people's notions of metalare totally inaccurate," Bryan said. "I just try to present knowledge, try to present equality and in the hour that I have, talk about the music that I love."

"If they don't like the things that I like, I'm not out to change anyone's mind," Mejia said. "But if they're open to it, I'll be here ready to talk to them about it.

     Bryan, who also writes for Bulldozer Magazine, a metal outlet based out of Los Angeles also works as  a pre-school teacher outside of attending school at CSULB. His passion for the music that he lives is evident in the way that he pours himself into his show and his carefully selected playlists for their weekly show.

     The duo have interveiwed members of metal royalty in the forms of Megadeth and Motorhead as well as many other smaller acts that play locally. Aside from the music, though, Mejia and Bryan also tackle relevant social issues between the shredding riffs that they broadcast over their hour on air.

"Yeah, we're a heavy metal show," Bryan said. "But we also tackle issues in and around the campus. We broadcast with an angry ear to the community and offer a lot of social commentary."

     In trying to expose the campus to a more in depth persepective and selection of heavy metal, Mejia and Bryan are thoughtful in their selections of music. They play the heavy hitters like Metallica, but also try to give airplay to those bands that maybe didn't get their deserved time in the rotation during their eras. They strive to give a "thoughtful and entertaining introduction to the genre" for anyone that is willing to listen.

     As far as what the two enjoy most about their work at KBeach, Bryan somes it up in one thought:

"Have you ever had the feeling like I have no mouth and I need to scream?", Bryan asked. "This show is that mouth."

K-Jazz celebrates Jazz appreciation month

     Jazz, considered to be one of America's few true art forms, will have its history on display this month as KJazz celebrates the tenth anniversary of Jazz Appreciation Month.
    The initiative to inform and teach the foundations of this music was originated by The Smithsonian Institute in an effort to keep alive one of America's past times. Their goal is to "draw public attention to the glories of jazz as both a historical and living treasure."
     The station will play music from legendary acts like Duke Ellington and Ella Fitgerald thougout the month of April in an effort to better educate the public of the roots of the music. Weekly spotlihgts on jazz stalwarts are planned to be showcased by the Living Legends as well.
     In an effort to get listeners involved and to raise money to keep jazz music on the airwaves, KJazz has a special promotion this month. Anyone who donates $40 or more during the month of April will recieve a Jazz Appreciation Month poster that depicts Mary Lou Williams, a legendary jazz pianist who played with the likes of Duke Ellington and Andy Kirk.

     In addition to the poster, people who pledge $40 or more will also be entered into a sweepstakes with the chance to win a weeklong jazz getaway in Fiji to see the International Jazz and Blues Festival which willl take place May 12-15. In addition to a four-day music pass to the festival, the winner will recieve a five night stay at the luxurious Sofitel Fiji on the island of Danaru.

Yeah, there's an App for that

                                                          Photo Credit: iTunes app store

K-Beach Global Radio, the campus station is now part of the countless entities that are floating around Apple's app store. With the introduction of the K-Beach application to both the smart phone and android markets, the student voice of Cal State Long Beach can now be heard virtually anywhere.
The station, which is internet based, has lifted many of the limitations that were previously tied to its computer based medium. With the implementation of the K-Beach application, the number of students as well as the frequency with which they tune in has been greatly increased.
“Many of our students are on the freeways a great part of their day, traveling between school, work, internships and social activities,” said K-Beach General Manager John Trapper. “It’s great to know they can tune in, hear a favorite song and then find out that the parking structure will be closed for the day, or that there’s a free event in the USU or Theatre Department that evening. Or, of course, that The Beach won its latest athletic competition!”
K-Beach's wide array of shows offer a little something for everyone to tune into during those arduous trips to school while stuck in traffic. Talk shows like "Mornings on the Beach" hosted by Danny Lemos and "Drinking Buddies", co-hosted by Chris Adams and Jerry Brandt, provide the talk radio fix for the am junkies. The station also offers a musical pallet ranging from indie rock to hip hop to satisfy the eclectic tastes that reside on our campus.
The app has many features, including live streaming of every K-Beach radio show, the ability to message or call the station directly from the app and links to both the Facebook and Twitter pages for the station. Listeners are also afforded the ability to seek out highlights from previous days in case they missed their favorite show. 
"I like listening to the K-Beach app when I'm between classes," said Daraious Bhot, a fifth-year senior."They have a good mix of music and every hour offers something different. I'm into it."
The app is compatible with the iPhone, iTouch and iPad devices as well as an array of android devices that employ the 3G and 4G technologies.