The Story Behind Matt The Hammer & Dj Danny D

[00:00:00] You guys are f***ing legends, Matt DeHammert, Danny D. You guys have blessed a lot of people. Just to be were just had this video about him playing the guitar somehow we found this and we're like hey let's book this guy for some Russian beat him $1500.

[00:00:11] We started doing the gigs with Miami together, we started doing the mix show then we started doing all the clubs and we did paparazzi together, we did the docks, we did Pilots so lady guy guys walking around like who's this girl? We were playing just dance on the radio. I mean if you look at all the DJs that have been by the station from T.S. or Armour van Buren to David Gettin.

[00:00:27] We had T.S. though and there was a guy he had his baby named his kid T.S. though. T.S. also still remembers that story.

[00:00:33] What's popping everybody? Welcome back to What Would It Cost, today I am sitting down with DJ Danny D. and Matt DeHammert.

[00:00:41] These two absolute legends from Z1035 guys. I don't think I got to intro them more than that. You guys know what's good. How awesome these guys are.

[00:00:53] We're going to go and we're going to have an awesome conversation. We're going to take you through a journey from when they started to where they're at right now and everything that happened in between so welcome to the podcast.

[00:01:05] Thank you so much for having us. Yes, we're ready.

[00:01:08] We were really, really excited and pumped up to see the names on this for today's session for What Would It Cost.

[00:01:19] This is definitely something that is really outside of what we do on a regular basis right. We usually have industry professionals that are involved in the real estate space.

[00:01:30] So opposite of us.

[00:01:31] You guys are fucking legends. Matt DeHammert, Danny D. Who wouldn't want to listen to this podcast? It's an honor to have you start our headquarters. Thank you for giving us your time today.

[00:01:44] It's an honor to be here. Thank you for having us.

[00:01:47] So many stories that we have together. So many parties that we did. So many last that we've had so many times that you know, we were at the station and you guys were at the clubs or you know just taking it back.

[00:02:00] I don't even know where to start.

[00:02:02] What I want to get into today is I want to get into not where our way back.

[00:02:08] You want to take away back?

[00:02:11] I don't want to get into where our our relationship started. I want to take it back to when Danny D and Matt first got into the scene, right?

[00:02:20] And I want to take it all the way up until today.

[00:02:24] Okay. So yeah, in a shortened form obviously.

[00:02:26] In a shortened form, right? Hit us with all the bangers.

[00:02:29] Wow.

[00:02:30] I love the highs, the lows, everything in between and how you guys have evolved into legends and this city.

[00:02:38] I appreciate that.

[00:02:39] Everybody knows that everybody respects that everyone likes to see you guys walk into a room.

[00:02:43] You guys like rooms up when you walk in.

[00:02:45] And you could tell the reaction on people's faces and the body language when you guys are there.

[00:02:50] You guys like local celebrities.

[00:02:51] Thank you.

[00:02:52] So yeah, yeah.

[00:02:53] And you guys are, you know, in my experience working with you guys always just, you know, optimistic, amazing at what you do.

[00:03:02] Right? And putting a lot of guys on in the city too, right?

[00:03:06] And having their music.

[00:03:07] And having it be that these guys went on to blow up and are now globally recognized, right?

[00:03:14] And the DJs that you guys have had on the station and like you guys have blessed a lot of people, right?

[00:03:19] In regards to the come up and helping them through their careers.

[00:03:22] So yeah, there's so much to get into today.

[00:03:24] But I'm gonna let you guys take it.

[00:03:26] Take it from the beginning.

[00:03:27] I didn't have it mad and then again in 3DO.

[00:03:29] How did you get into DJ?

[00:03:30] How do you get into M.C.?

[00:03:31] Okay.

[00:03:32] Well, where do I start here?

[00:03:34] I've been there a long time 27 years, I think.

[00:03:36] So I started from the bottom wash and vehicles for seven bucks an hour making sure when I did it I'd make sure that the light we used to have lights on the top.

[00:03:44] They used to spin around like a tow trucker.

[00:03:46] So washing the cars at Z.

[00:03:47] Yeah.

[00:03:48] Okay. Wow.

[00:03:49] Yeah, okay.

[00:03:50] Literally for the other.

[00:03:51] Yeah.

[00:03:52] So yeah, this is great from the bottom here.

[00:03:53] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:03:54] So I'd windex the lights to make him shine brighter.

[00:03:56] The trucks will go out with like armor all tires and it would be the best looking truck.

[00:04:00] You know, if there's all the stations there Z.

[00:04:01] Well, three or hot one or three back then would be the best looking ones.

[00:04:04] So I quickly got one to get out of that.

[00:04:07] It was like, I can't be doing this forever wanting to do next.

[00:04:09] So I was like, I came out of school by the way for radio.

[00:04:12] I went to school for radio for two years.

[00:04:15] And then I started doing production, learn production, mastered that became production manager.

[00:04:21] And then from there it became operations manager.

[00:04:23] So I was charging a lot of different things.

[00:04:25] And then I wanted to be on the radio.

[00:04:26] I was like, man, I got to be on the radio.

[00:04:28] What happened was I was in Wisega Beach.

[00:04:30] And I remember we used to do the Dart or bananas on the Saturday and the rocks and bury on Sunday.

[00:04:36] So it was like a long weekend thing.

[00:04:38] So I'd go up there and Monica would be throwing t-shirts off the top of this railing and drinking for free

[00:04:42] and walked out with all this money.

[00:04:44] And I was like, you actually get paid?

[00:04:47] I'm not even making that up.

[00:04:49] I was like, what?

[00:04:50] I'm washing cars and you're doing that.

[00:04:51] There's no way this is happening.

[00:04:52] So I was like, I got to get on the radio.

[00:04:54] So a long story short, Dane knows this.

[00:04:56] They threw me on Friday overnight from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.

[00:04:59] It was called the All Request, the All Night Dance Party back in the day.

[00:05:02] And people used to leave the clubs and listen to that.

[00:05:04] And there was this system called Mobile Track.

[00:05:06] That could track what cars are listening to what radio station on the highway.

[00:05:09] And you get a line graph of the other day.

[00:05:11] So if you did a cool promo, the graph would go up or whatever.

[00:05:13] And the only time that Hot 103 was number one in Mobile Track was Friday overnight

[00:05:18] 1 to 4 in the morning, which is crazy.

[00:05:20] It was like me with like a 26 year in the next station with a 9.

[00:05:24] That's how big the gap was.

[00:05:26] Now it wasn't a ton of people listening but it was cool to see that.

[00:05:28] So you see a line graph just shoot up like that.

[00:05:30] So I'd throw that out into the program director's door saying, let me on the air more, let me on the air more.

[00:05:34] So then they finally put me on evenings.

[00:05:36] Something Mike Devine, the party dog was doing evenings at the time.

[00:05:39] And I did evenings for a bit, rains went through the roof.

[00:05:42] And then Monaco is doing the drive.

[00:05:44] And it was like, wow, what's going to happen now?

[00:05:46] So they offered me the afternoon drive.

[00:05:48] So Monaco didn't talk to me for a couple years.

[00:05:51] But I was just doing my best I could, right?

[00:05:54] I mean we're great buddies now.

[00:05:55] But back then he was like a little bit upset.

[00:05:57] But I'm not sorry man, I'm just trying my hardest.

[00:05:59] You know, I just want to be on the afternoon.

[00:06:01] But so they moved into evenings or whatever they did.

[00:06:03] And not that Monaco's, you know, not good Monaco is led more legendary than two of us.

[00:06:07] But that's how it all happened.

[00:06:08] I was doing afternoon drive.

[00:06:09] Went to Miami at ultra one year and I was listening to a radio station that had a mixture on.

[00:06:14] Five o'clock was always in there one hour of the station.

[00:06:16] I hired Danny and I said I'm going to put you on the number one hour of my show.

[00:06:20] And I want you to make it bigger.

[00:06:21] That's exactly what he did.

[00:06:22] Wow.

[00:06:23] So yeah.

[00:06:24] And then I can go on where?

[00:06:25] Well, you want to go on where I then became.

[00:06:29] So I'm on the afternoon drive kind of doing some other things.

[00:06:34] The music director left one day they said, hey do you want to try music?

[00:06:36] And I was like give it to me.

[00:06:38] I'll learn it.

[00:06:39] So I learned that music system became music director.

[00:06:41] So and then I was assistant program director so kind of you know this.

[00:06:45] The program director runs the whole company.

[00:06:47] The assistant does all the work.

[00:06:49] So I was doing a ton of work.

[00:06:52] And then I became program director.

[00:06:55] I was just an on program director, music director and on the radio.

[00:06:59] And this is one of my assistants Danny.

[00:07:01] He assisted me the ton of music.

[00:07:02] He helps me out from a program standpoint.

[00:07:04] And we've been together for what 20 years now.

[00:07:06] More than 20 years now.

[00:07:07] And I hired Danny in a donut shop like down the road from the radio station for minimal money.

[00:07:12] And I said to him stick with me we're going to do stuff together.

[00:07:16] And I guarantee I'll make you some money.

[00:07:18] And I think that's what we did.

[00:07:19] Wow.

[00:07:20] So yeah, that's a short version of it.

[00:07:22] But it's yeah.

[00:07:23] And that's where we are today.

[00:07:24] So you've literally played every role in a nutshell.

[00:07:27] Yeah, and I can write scripts like a producer commercial.

[00:07:29] I can go on the radio.

[00:07:30] I can do a club.

[00:07:31] I can program music.

[00:07:32] I can program a radio station.

[00:07:34] I can do it all more or less.

[00:07:35] But that's after 27 years.

[00:07:37] But I figured that's the way to do things is learn everything.

[00:07:40] And you know it can go so far.

[00:07:41] I mean, I don't know what's next for me.

[00:07:42] Maybe the CEO but we'll see.

[00:07:44] But yeah, so I'm up here and I've had a great career.

[00:07:47] I got to travel a lot.

[00:07:48] Obviously I do some cool things.

[00:07:49] And we'll get into some of the artists that I've broken too.

[00:07:52] Justin Bieber and all these artists that we got for $1,500 paying them at.

[00:07:56] What would it cost as a good one here is that Justin Bieber was just coming out.

[00:07:59] We were doing some rush of the docs.

[00:08:01] I think we had like, you know, 5,000 tickets sold.

[00:08:04] Justin Bieber just had this video about him playing the guitar.

[00:08:07] So somehow we found this and we're like, hey, let's book this guy for some

[00:08:10] rush to be at $1,500.

[00:08:12] And he sold us 6,000 tickets in one day.

[00:08:15] And then we've called him back a year later.

[00:08:18] $1,500.

[00:08:19] And $1,500.

[00:08:20] He was asking us for more ride tickets so we wouldn't even give him a tour.

[00:08:23] Like that's enough kid.

[00:08:24] That's enough.

[00:08:25] Yeah, you had enough rides.

[00:08:27] No, that's a true story too.

[00:08:30] And then I think we called him back a year later and he wanted 100 grand.

[00:08:33] We called him back a year after that he wanted a million.

[00:08:35] Something like that close to those numbers where it was like that big, that fast.

[00:08:38] Crazy.

[00:08:39] Stay with Lady Gaga.

[00:08:41] Lady Gaga is walking around.

[00:08:43] Who's this girl?

[00:08:44] We were playing just dance on the radio.

[00:08:46] And we got her, I think for free to be honest with you.

[00:08:49] I think so, yeah.

[00:08:50] And look where she is now.

[00:08:51] So there's a ton of artists that we've had at like some rush or artists that we've broken

[00:08:55] Toronto and DJs that we've learned on the radio that become big.

[00:08:58] I mean if you look at all the DJs that have been by the station,

[00:09:00] I don't think there's one DJ that hasn't.

[00:09:02] That's massive from TS to our Van Buren to David Gett.

[00:09:05] They've all been there.

[00:09:07] The network we've done over the years they always come back.

[00:09:09] We're not paying these DJs.

[00:09:10] What would it cost to get our Van Buren to come in and do the drive of $5?

[00:09:13] Zero dollars because the relationship we have with them, the networking we did,

[00:09:17] the support we gave all over all the years.

[00:09:19] There's a lot of guys that remember that and now they come through when they're in Toronto

[00:09:22] before they do their gig at a level or whatever.

[00:09:24] Yeah, because you guys have all the big hitters in on the steady, right?

[00:09:27] Especially on the day.

[00:09:28] We got Danny.

[00:09:29] No Danny.

[00:09:30] So he needs Danny.

[00:09:31] 100%

[00:09:32] There was all those guys.

[00:09:33] So you go ahead and I mean start, I guess how you want to get in.

[00:09:36] Because you're at a donut shop.

[00:09:38] Wow.

[00:09:39] I'm actually taking a hammer walk.

[00:09:41] That's a fucking wolf walk.

[00:09:43] Yeah, that's hilarious.

[00:09:44] I think you're so fucking funny.

[00:09:47] There's a little bit of background before.

[00:09:49] Oh yeah.

[00:09:50] I'll call you back.

[00:09:51] Yeah, yeah.

[00:09:52] I'll call you back.

[00:09:53] No, I just want to take it back to how I started DJing.

[00:09:55] So I was actually an after school party.

[00:09:57] The school didn't have in high school.

[00:09:59] They didn't have a budget for DJs.

[00:10:00] So I mean a couple of buddies got together and I remember run away.

[00:10:04] Real McCoy was a big track at the time and we were just so we just had some CDs

[00:10:08] whatever.

[00:10:09] I dropped that track and the police went nuts.

[00:10:11] So I fell in love instantly.

[00:10:13] I said, you know what?

[00:10:14] This is what I want to do.

[00:10:15] Yeah.

[00:10:16] So then anyways, I started DJing.

[00:10:17] I'm full of a coin.

[00:10:18] That's hilarious.

[00:10:19] Yeah.

[00:10:20] And then I started DJing small parties.

[00:10:21] Whatever my first big club gig was paparazzi on Thursdays.

[00:10:25] And then they were going live there on Saturdays with a zero and a three.

[00:10:29] Well hits one or three at the time.

[00:10:31] Sure.

[00:10:32] But I was working, I was doing a mix show on competitive station.

[00:10:35] Power 808.5.

[00:10:37] Which we now we own.

[00:10:39] Yeah.

[00:10:40] But at the time we didn't.

[00:10:41] So, but the owner of paparazzi, he wanted me to DJ in the Saturday.

[00:10:45] He's like, he loved what I was doing on the Thursday.

[00:10:47] He's like, you're DJing Saturday.

[00:10:49] I don't care what anybody says.

[00:10:50] You're DJing.

[00:10:51] So anyways, this guy took exception to it.

[00:10:54] This is like, he was like, so I remember going into the station.

[00:10:56] I had to go in for a meeting for the live terror and I could hear him in his office.

[00:11:00] Get that 8085 guy out of here!

[00:11:03] Oh, it was competitive back in the day.

[00:11:06] It was competitive back in the day.

[00:11:07] But I mean like he leads zero and a three.

[00:11:09] So like, I mean, I don't blame him for it.

[00:11:11] Like he wasn't...

[00:11:12] I was not being racial.

[00:11:13] No, I heard it.

[00:11:14] So anyways, why did you do it?

[00:11:16] So I was actually doing commercials for paparazzi too at the time in my home studio.

[00:11:22] So then he was looking for a producer.

[00:11:24] So then that's when this all came about.

[00:11:26] He said, meet me.

[00:11:27] We went to the donut shop.

[00:11:28] We had that conversation.

[00:11:29] So he hired me for production.

[00:11:30] I started a production, moved to production manager.

[00:11:33] We started doing the gigs.

[00:11:34] We went to Miami together.

[00:11:35] We started doing the mix show.

[00:11:36] Then we started doing all the clubs.

[00:11:38] We did paparazzi together.

[00:11:39] We did the docs.

[00:11:40] We did Palazzo.

[00:11:41] I remember back in the day we were like sweating when it was like 3,000 people.

[00:11:45] Oh my god, what are we doing?

[00:11:46] A drop from 3,500, 4,000.

[00:11:48] Back in the day.

[00:11:50] It was like 3,000 people with a slow night.

[00:11:52] But here's back in the day, splashing all these clubs.

[00:11:56] We could actually move, like if we didn't say the owner day wanted to pay me an extra 50 bucks.

[00:12:00] I could actually move the two of us down the road and we could take everybody with us in a week.

[00:12:04] And close could be closed.

[00:12:06] It was crazy.

[00:12:07] We moved from paparazzi to Palazzo.

[00:12:09] Palazzo was not really popping up that time.

[00:12:12] And man, I remember coming off the 407 the first week.

[00:12:14] I didn't live in Marcom.

[00:12:15] I couldn't, you know, the exit game.

[00:12:17] The lineup of cars went all the way to 407.

[00:12:19] We went for the first night.

[00:12:21] We went for the first night.

[00:12:22] From like 15,500 people they were getting to, because that's how big Palazzo was.

[00:12:28] Yeah.

[00:12:29] To 3,500 in two weeks.

[00:12:31] That's how powerful a radio was and probably still is.

[00:12:34] We'll have to see.

[00:12:35] But I mean it's a look back at how, how proud it was.

[00:12:38] The clients used to have to spend X amount of dollars to get Danny and I or they wouldn't let us go.

[00:12:42] So the station had to make money and then we had to make more arm money on top of that too.

[00:12:45] So it was like, but if we were packing clubs that easily guys didn't have a problem paying us.

[00:12:49] But just to put it there for sure.

[00:12:51] Put it in perspective.

[00:12:52] I was playing Thursday's Times Square, which is the old early Hollywood 2000 people.

[00:12:57] Friday we're at Thursday.

[00:12:58] Yeah.

[00:12:59] Thursday's the day I know.

[00:13:00] Yeah, 500 people I know now.

[00:13:02] Friday's flash 1500 we had.

[00:13:06] Yeah.

[00:13:07] Saturday, Palazzo 3500.

[00:13:08] So what is that?

[00:13:09] That's like 7,000 people a week.

[00:13:11] Yeah.

[00:13:12] We're playing for.

[00:13:13] And we used to do like four gigs a week too.

[00:13:15] The biggest one.

[00:13:16] I mean some rush we had 16,000 but the biggest Saturday night party.

[00:13:18] I think that we ever did every Saturday and I remember his indie weekend at the docs.

[00:13:22] Yeah, the docs when 10,000 people bounced as a whole.

[00:13:25] That was the commercial.

[00:13:26] It was 13,000 people.

[00:13:28] And it was just me as the DJ for the whole property and him is the MC for the whole property.

[00:13:35] And the commercial was a doc when 10,000 people bounced as a whole city shake.

[00:13:40] The docs Saturday night.

[00:13:41] Yeah, find out Saturday night at the docs.

[00:13:44] So what would happen is that back in the day, these guys you know how those charles and all these guys were like when they have the equipment and the top of life stuff.

[00:13:51] Even going back to their docs.

[00:13:52] So what would happen is they'd have an intro and the lights would correspond with the intro.

[00:13:57] And then all of a sudden these screens would come down throughout the docs like maybe 20 screens.

[00:14:02] And the guy would throw the camera on the video.

[00:14:04] I mean the camera would be me on all the screens doing the intro with Danny on the stage.

[00:14:07] It was crazy.

[00:14:08] So I'd get nervous and I'd be like, oh my god.

[00:14:11] But anyway.

[00:14:13] Because I was used to be in our camera radio and TV is a little different.

[00:14:18] Yeah, sure.

[00:14:19] Even this is kind of different for me because I'm not usually being recorded unless I have some big name DJ.

[00:14:24] And but I'm saying when all the cameras are on you at a big bright light turns on and you know that you're on 20 screens.

[00:14:28] And everybody's looking at the screen because the music score is wanting with the lights.

[00:14:31] You got to make sure you know what you're doing the first week.

[00:14:33] I didn't know.

[00:14:34] But it usually just came to me.

[00:14:36] I mean even this whole radio thing, I'm so busy throughout the day that realistically.

[00:14:41] I jump on the radio at three o'clock and I'm not sure what's going to happen.

[00:14:45] But it all happens for me and it's been the biggest show on the radio for years.

[00:14:50] And lately I've been with the world the way it is now.

[00:14:53] I spread a lot of positivity.

[00:14:54] I've been doing some quotes of the day and the reaction has been overwhelming.

[00:14:57] So it's been cool this last little while of like spreading positivity and getting everybody in a good mood and stuff like that.

[00:15:02] And playing music that sort of corresponds with the day.

[00:15:04] If it's a sunny day, I'm not playing slow songs.

[00:15:07] If it's a long weekend Friday, you might hear guns and roses.

[00:15:11] You know, and that's I think why the station is doing the best is ever done in the history of the company.

[00:15:15] Because we sort of play to what the people want.

[00:15:18] Not just a playlist that you can get on Spotify or Apple Music.

[00:15:22] That's a top 40 playlist some of the other guys and tell me we do that.

[00:15:25] But we kind of you know every song has to match the every song has to go with the next song.

[00:15:29] If it's a if it's raining, it's a Monday.

[00:15:32] You might hear purple rain by Prince or you for you listen to the rain or what see I just one is MC.

[00:15:37] It's a rainy day stuff like that.

[00:15:39] So music corresponds with the mood.

[00:15:41] If people are in a good mood and they're I get all these texts.

[00:15:44] I mean we get tons of people that request songs throughout the day.

[00:15:47] So I'll jump on a three clock and see you know 50 requests coming through saying I want to hear this.

[00:15:52] I take the best three say hi to people they still love hearing their names of the radio and just kind of roll with it.

[00:15:57] And it seems to be working out for us.

[00:15:59] So we're doing the best we've ever done this congratulations to this guy and the rest of the Z135 staff.

[00:16:03] It's cool to see that because we're the last independent owner left you remember that.

[00:16:07] So we're battling the big boys like Belon Rogers and to see the independent kind of winning and doing really well is pretty cool.

[00:16:14] Okay so talk a little bit more about that because like I didn't know that and I'm sure a lot of other people don't either.

[00:16:21] So independent in regards to Evan off radio group being independent private group right houses X amount of radio stations.

[00:16:28] And outside of Belon Rogers that's the only.

[00:16:31] No there's course and there's some other big guys too but there's other one with the last independence left I guess you say.

[00:16:38] There's not many independence.

[00:16:39] I mean most of the big corporations control like a like you know the big stations.

[00:16:44] Wow.

[00:16:45] Oh wow I had no idea.

[00:16:47] So I mean the cool thing is that like you know because we're independent we just like if I hear a cool track or Matt here's a cool track.

[00:16:53] We can put it on right away.

[00:16:54] Yeah yeah yeah yeah.

[00:16:55] You know no it happens a lot you go to Miami and you see Armin play this.

[00:16:59] I mean I got a quick story for you there was the you had the record company from ultra records gave me a USB stick or whatever I stuck it in the hotel room.

[00:17:06] And they give me 10 songs are like you know pick your best ones whatever you think is going to work on the radio.

[00:17:11] I remember this is going wrong story but I picked Armin van Buren going wrong.

[00:17:14] Yeah I played my hotel room and people were knocking the door like crazy.

[00:17:17] What is that?

[00:17:18] Anyway we come back we play that doing event with Armin and all works out but there's songs I've been to Greece for example.

[00:17:24] And a year of song the radio in Greece I'm able to take that song come try it on the radio in Toronto there's not many people that'll be able to do that especially as big corporations.

[00:17:32] They kind of got to go to Florence if it's on a charter whatever but I think that's why we do so well is because we're able to break music and we're able to grab music from around the world.

[00:17:40] And to see if it works in Toronto and most of the time it works on the ones we pick.

[00:17:44] I mean there's so many examples to that but like for example for me I was in Vegas on vacation and in the clothing store or something and I heard kid cutie day and night.

[00:17:52] And that became a massive hit like across all this radio stations in Toronto actually.

[00:17:57] Yeah but it was just like I brought it back I'm like we got to start playing this track and and blew up like that's how it started.

[00:18:03] Like I'm just saying from Toronto radio that's how it is because that remix the crookers remix for the guys from Italy remix that track.

[00:18:10] And that's how it all came about it was just like something like you know it's an opportunity right?

[00:18:17] Right place at the right time.

[00:18:19] Well there's songs still today cool stuff that I just picked this Van her Lux track.

[00:18:23] I think I sent it to you actually I feel better than I do.

[00:18:26] I never felt as good as I do right now.

[00:18:28] And to me lyrics and a song make a difference and that song sort of fit it was dance music and I was going through stuff at the time

[00:18:34] and I was like I've never felt as good as I do right now and that's a fact because I mean I go to the gym at least four days a week.

[00:18:39] I'm going to church now on Sundays and stuff like that and things.

[00:18:42] I don't know why yeah yeah right bless up good things are happening to me so another quick story here as they played me you know 10 tracks.

[00:18:51] I got out of the blue and and to see that song go actually told the guys and you know what's going to happen.

[00:18:56] He says what some DJ from Vancouver and Vander Lux so never knew who he was before.

[00:19:01] So I said to the record company is here's gonna happen to play the songs going to Shizam in Toronto at least top 20.

[00:19:07] And so no it's just am all the way number six.

[00:19:09] It was up there with like Taylor Swift and all that so this kid from Vancouver is freaking out since I can't believe I'm on the radio now.

[00:19:14] Shizam in Toronto number six and now we're starting to do this cool promo where I'm going to go see Vander Lux in Bon A Roux.

[00:19:22] There's South in Nashville and he's playing with Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Diplo.

[00:19:27] Probably one of the biggest festivals of this summer.

[00:19:30] And so we're gonna send winners down with the hammer to go check out this Vander Lux kid that I just started playing how the blue and he's playing with all these guys in Bon A Roux.

[00:19:38] You guys are literally changing lives man.

[00:19:40] Well, in regards to like all these artists second you've been doing that for a long time right?

[00:19:45] Yeah more than any other station.

[00:19:46] Yeah well look at the weekend for example he labeled his last album Don 103 5 right because after us and he actually credited because we were the first radio station to play his music.

[00:20:00] That's huge.

[00:20:01] I mean you know like obviously he had a huge internet following or whatever like at the time he went viral.

[00:20:07] I remember there was all those artists I wanted to work with them like every like all the heavy hitters wanted to be with the weekend.

[00:20:13] And you know we were he's a relatively unknown and we're playing his music because again like we were like this is cool music.

[00:20:19] Let's play it and then like look I just went to blow up you know.

[00:20:23] And because the network that we've done over the years where we knew who the weekends manager was he played a song before anyone else and I remember he actually playing nine.

[00:20:29] I was like I sounds like Michael Jackson and this is going to be massive.

[00:20:32] And he told me I'm going to be living LA LA in a year and in two years the weekend will sell out two shows at the air canister at the time.

[00:20:41] And I know that'll be a live in LA making this huge record company and then doing big things and that's exactly what happened that we can came two years later sold out two shows of the air canister.

[00:20:50] Crazy.

[00:20:51] Crazy.

[00:20:52] Because so you could you guys influence these DJs or these artists in regards to like their lyrics or things that they've done like have you been like in conversations with them where they said hey you want me to say something on a track for your

[00:21:07] You want me to spend some like maybe like belly back in the days you know do it a hip hop with me and daddy's name in the drive five in it but that was like a doubly.

[00:21:15] Yeah it wasn't really like an actual release like no no they basically do their thing and then they bring the music to us yeah yeah yeah okay that's cool yeah wow some artists.

[00:21:25] And you guys obviously have personal relationships with all these guys right that you put on that you've helped that you know you can play their music that.

[00:21:35] Well actually we're nothing at the beginning and now yeah they're globally recognized right massive well a lot of the networking happens through the record companies because you know you have to go through proper channels and stuff like that but I mean like when Armin we just had him at the end of January yeah he came and he remembered us like in such a nice guy yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.

[00:21:53] Like it was a we hadn't had him in for years so I know it's been a while and he like it was like yesterday he remembers cool man you know TSTO the same thing every time you know he C.

[00:22:03] If he sees a set of an event or whatever it's like hey what's going on like these guys remember because like you know there were people like at their old radio station when we had them like there was like crowd control outside yeah like we had TSTO in like back in like 2005 I think it was and there was a guy he had his baby he named his kid TSTO he got he got TSTO to sign his help.

[00:22:26] Yeah. Yeah.

[00:22:27] Come on.

[00:22:28] Yeah.

[00:22:29] And TSTO still remembers that story because he tells me every single time I see him.

[00:22:33] Oh that guy named his son TSTO.

[00:22:35] That's crazy.

[00:22:37] Yeah that's a true story.

[00:22:39] That's crazy.

[00:22:40] That's awesome.

[00:22:41] So I'm saying these are memories man and you know this is what shaped us and what built us in where we are today.

[00:22:46] Yeah and you've opened and closed and played with a lot of these guys.

[00:22:50] Yeah yeah I mean the summer rush was a big one because we had more of the artists and stuff like that DJ's I mean it depends where they kind of have their own tour they have their own openers

[00:23:00] and stuff like that but I mean we played a lot but the summer rush yeah I go taking it back to like the lady Gaga we had her in how we did Halifax Antrono.

[00:23:08] That's right.

[00:23:09] Back-to-back and we had her and she was she just had the one song and like Matt said we just did she came for free because she was just trying to you know break her music.

[00:23:18] And she was in this like black robe and it was like everybody was like you know who's that who's who's this girl like because nobody knew she was.

[00:23:26] And then I remember I think she was on just before me and then I dropped zombie.

[00:23:32] You were on after lady Gaga.

[00:23:34] Well yeah that's it.

[00:23:35] No but it's the time I'm just kidding.

[00:23:37] I don't know.

[00:23:38] Anyways and then and so then I went back into the dressing room after and she's like are you the DJ that played zombie nation?

[00:23:44] And I'm like yeah and she's like well that was so cool.

[00:23:48] But again this you see this lady here with like black dark like very goth looking and I was just like thanks.

[00:23:54] Wow what would it cost to go back to back?

[00:23:57] Yeah yeah yeah yeah do a remix of a song.

[00:24:00] Please take me back and back and I wish I had chatted her up at the time but yeah.

[00:24:04] It is what it is man you know but again you know like it's just it's experiences like there's so many artists like even Rihanna.

[00:24:11] No yeah we had her at Summer Rush.

[00:24:13] I think what was that maybe $5,000 or something cost?

[00:24:17] Yeah it was an MTV we had and Joey.

[00:24:21] So Summer Rush let's talk a little bit about that.

[00:24:26] Let's talk like when did that start?

[00:24:29] When did it end?

[00:24:30] What happened in between?

[00:24:31] That was a legendary to a festival before there were any other festivals that were playing.

[00:24:37] You want to talk about other things?

[00:24:38] Well I mean you should talk about because you were there for the island.

[00:24:42] When originally we were on Toronto Island originally yeah.

[00:24:46] And then we moved to the...

[00:24:48] No no that's right.

[00:24:50] No no the dark there was something we moved remember we did the one year?

[00:24:53] No we did Wonderland went to Wonderland.

[00:24:56] Then we did the one year amphitheater and then we went back to...

[00:25:00] No then we didn't do the docks and then back to Wonderland.

[00:25:03] If you remember anything this guy remembers everything all the years ago.

[00:25:06] That's the order.

[00:25:07] I remember the posters but even then we had Destiny's Child.

[00:25:11] Yeah.

[00:25:12] We had Beyonce.

[00:25:13] Wild Orchid which was furry.

[00:25:16] Yeah it is.

[00:25:17] Like I said for you as well part of Wild Orchid back in the days just two amazing looking girls

[00:25:22] that were singing the song that we thought was cool and then no look at Furgy right?

[00:25:26] But where did it end do you think?

[00:25:28] I mean the last one was Wonderland.

[00:25:31] Yeah but what happened through why it ended and maybe we'll start it again.

[00:25:37] We still own the name Summer Rush so maybe we'll do some like spark financial and...

[00:25:42] The spark financial back summer rush.

[00:25:45] Imagine that.

[00:25:46] It's got a good bottom line that's like an end.

[00:25:48] We do need investors.

[00:25:51] But the thing is you went to I mean the best of not the hardest thing would be to find something

[00:25:55] that's up and coming like Adjust and Bieber or Lady Gaga or something like that

[00:25:58] that we could pay minimal amounts of money to that's a pretty big following or that's

[00:26:01] going to have a following in six months.

[00:26:03] It was almost like so it seems like it was easier to do that back in the day and most these

[00:26:08] big artists now they're signed a live nation and stuff like that so it's hard to book

[00:26:12] like an Adjust and Bieber or re-enter someone big.

[00:26:15] It's not as easy as used to be back in the day back in the day there was many rules

[00:26:18] up most of the artists weren't signed a live nation they kind of had their own thing going on right?

[00:26:21] I think that was part of the issue.

[00:26:23] Well the thing is too is that you these artists now are commanding big money either to win their own tours.

[00:26:28] So even if you were to pay big money you have to charge that back in the ticket prices.

[00:26:31] It doesn't make sense people you can't ask people to pay that money right?

[00:26:34] And we're doing a lineup with like several heavy hitters like Pippa we had two Snoop Dogg.

[00:26:41] We've had some big heavy hitters but again it all worked within the budget and to make

[00:26:46] the ticket price what can you charge for that?

[00:26:49] Wonderland for example you have to pay your entrance, you have to pay for the concert.

[00:26:53] It's not cheap right?

[00:26:55] So you can't be asking people to spend a thousand bucks of ticket like it's not going to happen.

[00:26:59] I think back then tickets with the Wonderland entrance I think were like a hundred bucks or something

[00:27:03] that was reasonable but you got to see like you know 10-15 acts.

[00:27:07] Yeah no and I remember too when I was getting out of the industry like

[00:27:11] when you're looking at these big scale events the bottom line wasn't there

[00:27:15] and if it was it was razor thin and there was a lot of risk and liability that came with it.

[00:27:20] It's like okay what am I doing this all for at the end of the day?

[00:27:23] Is it juice worth a squeeze?

[00:27:25] Well I don't know that's where it's like okay I get it right doesn't make sense.

[00:27:29] I don't want to be the one asking you the questions but one of the ones that I remember was

[00:27:33] at her nightclub rewind series and we jammed the place.

[00:27:37] But I mean you had some I can't remember the lineup back then but it was just before the pandemic

[00:27:41] because it was December it was Christmas time just before Christmas 2019.

[00:27:46] Yeah and was it Max a million I can't remember who it was.

[00:27:52] Yeah we had the Bush we had Max a million we had Joey we had who knows we had

[00:27:59] we had one one other like really cool Euro act that wasn't too common right

[00:28:05] because like the Joey's the Alisa's right like you'll see them around locally

[00:28:09] but yeah in the Bush too like and I remember Max a million he was a cool dude too

[00:28:14] man yeah the place was jammed yeah yeah never then but I mean again but that

[00:28:19] the expense to bring them out of here I mean I like again I don't know how much you do it.

[00:28:24] No listen to go to your point every rewind series that we did there wasn't a

[00:28:29] profit made we were in the red but what we were doing it for was to build the

[00:28:33] brand to then take it to a bigger stage and offset expenses with sponsorship

[00:28:39] at that point right because it would have had its proof and concept right and

[00:28:44] as we got you know bigger and bigger and bigger crowd made more and more noise and

[00:28:48] built the brand equity then we could leverage that with a sponsor that would

[00:28:52] then offset the expenses and it would make it all worthwhile right so that was the

[00:28:56] plan where it's like let's burn will burn for a couple years building it but then

[00:29:00] when we take it to the big stage we'll be able to profit off of it because of

[00:29:05] that right but to go to your point right it was extremely hard to make a buck even

[00:29:10] with a rambled venue that's what I mean like we're talking like well over a thousand

[00:29:13] people for that that event yeah and you would think like you see this place jam bottles

[00:29:18] are flying yeah but these are all these artists that you got to bring in Max a

[00:29:22] million you got to fly them in from wherever LaBouche from Europe yeah they want

[00:29:26] your old conversions yeah it's it's not cheap yeah you know like that overhead

[00:29:31] and then is the and I heard this so many times with people who start festivals

[00:29:36] first two three years you're in the red oh yeah you know you're you're looking

[00:29:41] it's a long term vision yeah yeah they say it's five years right where you start

[00:29:45] to see a profit from it and pay back the losses and whatnot so yeah but and then

[00:29:50] even to go to that right like you got these bigger these big boys like live

[00:29:54] nation and like ink that are putting together these world renowned festivals

[00:29:58] that have amazing amazing talent lineups the layered entertainment they have

[00:30:03] built into them the three day experience so to compete with that it's just like

[00:30:08] you know the festival and larger scale events have a sophistication level of

[00:30:13] their own that needs to be respected and almost left for you know the festival

[00:30:18] owners and the big boys to play with right or else it just it doesn't make sense

[00:30:23] well that's the thing is I you need that money you need that capital like

[00:30:27] live nation has it in case yeah in order to to fund it because like I mean I don't

[00:30:32] know if you can even do it just with investors it's like you need and you need

[00:30:36] all obviously the relationships too because then when you're booking like for

[00:30:40] example ink they book an arm and they endure and they have them exclusively

[00:30:43] because they book them three three times they they brought them to they booked

[00:30:47] them from the beginning that's the problem yeah so that's it but Charles doesn't even

[00:30:50] don't even they wouldn't even let me go on the outskirts or whatever they're saying

[00:30:53] yeah no there's like a kilometer restriction within 250 kilometers or

[00:30:58] something or whatever and you can't do a show within this amount of time but they

[00:31:03] also too like credit to them kind of sidebarred all this they built a

[00:31:07] relationship with his label they developed loud luxury signed them through

[00:31:11] Armada and together blew those kids up like those guys are like killing it

[00:31:16] yeah massive and they're local boys and you know what it's it's one of those things

[00:31:21] two words like you want to go to an ink show that is putting on that caliber of

[00:31:27] talent because you know they're gonna do it right right whereas if like a one-off

[00:31:30] promoter or a ventilator isn't going to provide the same level of experience so

[00:31:36] it's not only you're not doing the consumer right you're not really doing the

[00:31:40] artist right right right right I mean like in a nutshell so yeah no definitely

[00:31:44] definitely but so getting back to the what's going on with the radio now

[00:31:50] let's talk a little bit about these other platforms like like Apple Music

[00:31:54] like Spotify and all the other options that people have to listen to what they want

[00:31:59] when they want yeah how they want to right and how you guys you know are

[00:32:04] really continuing to maintain sustain even having your best year yet is right

[00:32:10] you're saying yeah with the FM channel right so what have you what have you had to

[00:32:15] do to battle adversity and to jump over these hurdles that have been put in front

[00:32:19] of you because right now it's almost like you guys are going against the

[00:32:22] grain yeah crushing it tough to do though right me so what does that look like

[00:32:28] how does that whole landscape I get it you're right but here's the thing so

[00:32:32] what we have to do as a radio station or I believe is we want to play music

[00:32:38] that people can come to the radio and hear music that they can curate their own

[00:32:43] playlists so if I can curate a better playlist than you can then I believe

[00:32:49] what's happening is and I can see it happening because I can see all the data

[00:32:52] is I believe people are coming to the radio finding out what cool songs are

[00:32:57] playing and then maybe putting on their playlist but they're still coming

[00:33:00] to the radio to hear it right so like that Vanderlux thing I just mentioned

[00:33:03] was he's number six Shazam Toronto well that's people listen to radio

[00:33:07] Shazam and it figured out what song that is and then maybe putting on their own

[00:33:11] playlist yeah so in this day and age if we can curate a better playlist than

[00:33:16] people can curate on their own I think that's where the key is interesting okay

[00:33:21] yeah yeah yeah right because then we see that you see the Shazam charts

[00:33:25] every time we pick a cool song we know people are Shazam and it so we know people

[00:33:29] are listening to radio a we know a lot of people listen to radio especially the older

[00:33:32] end of 30 plus say the younger kids are starting to get it now but we're so

[00:33:36] much of things that we got to think of on our end like how do we get the younger

[00:33:39] generation to listen to radio well let's do something that money can't buy

[00:33:43] let's send them to Taylor Swift and they get to pick their city that they want

[00:33:46] to go to their country they go Portugal Italy another lens or was the last one

[00:33:51] UK or something London yeah let's put a cool promo together we'll try to get the

[00:33:56] new mothers and daughters or their fathers and daughters to listen to try to get this

[00:33:59] European vacation that they get to pick where they want to go so what we've been

[00:34:02] lately is trying to come up with experiences that sort of you know relate to the

[00:34:07] younger demo and older demo and experiences that money can't buy like I'm

[00:34:11] going to be doing some cool stuff with some DJs that I just met recently called

[00:34:15] the banker boys these guys have bank apparently so they're like we want to be DJs

[00:34:19] so we're gonna car sales of banker boys so fact so I go see them at event

[00:34:23] they're like we want to be on the radio I'm like well have a good song I'll

[00:34:26] put you on the radio so we put him on the radio whatever but I'm going to do this

[00:34:28] cool event now where their song was played on the radio it reacted well but then I'm

[00:34:33] like what's next okay well as these guys want to be known as artists what can we do

[00:34:38] as a radio station to you know help them out and do a cool promo at the same time

[00:34:42] well what's might what's gonna happen is that I'm going to be going to Bahamas

[00:34:46] they're gonna rent a yacht we're gonna do the drive five live with the banker boys

[00:34:50] on a yacht in Bahamas and we'll bring some winners down with us so it's like yeah

[00:34:54] experiences that money can't buy our key and playing music that the other radio

[00:34:58] stations won't play like I'm not copying anybody if anything they're copying us

[00:35:01] because we're coming up with all we're still a radio station that plays new

[00:35:04] music where the other guys will kind of wait for it to be a hit we kind of break

[00:35:08] it we sort of break a lot of artists and stuff like that but now when we break

[00:35:11] these artists what can we do to help them be known and what can we do to

[00:35:14] help the radio station and you know get listeners to react to you know cool

[00:35:18] problems that we've been doing like like the the tailors we have to the vendor

[00:35:21] we're the vendor locks for all know Bonnery where at Bahamas with the banker boys or

[00:35:25] whatever it is so we're gonna have a lot of fun this summer we're coming up with a lot

[00:35:28] of cool promos and hopefully you know stuff that money can't buy I said to these

[00:35:32] banker boys I'm like you know it would be really cool and they're like what I said

[00:35:35] yeah go to Bahamas with the bank boy spin on the yacht again that's cool but

[00:35:38] want to have the last day where you teach him on how to make money right and go

[00:35:42] radio say hey you want to go to Bahamas with the hammer banker boys on a yacht

[00:35:46] last day we go to a seminar and figure out how to make money brought you by

[00:35:50] spark financial yeah you can always that's why man number one salesman

[00:35:56] yeah I'm a sales guy two right I do that time when the sound cool

[00:36:03] you're in no oh no that cool promos brought to you by you know spark

[00:36:07] financial yeah let's talk yeah I think it's a cubicle hammer's name on it though

[00:36:11] the best was we were talking about a campaign right and it was like

[00:36:18] we were going back and forth on emails we had our teams involved in it

[00:36:23] and fucking I'd be in these meetings and my phone's blowing up left right in

[00:36:28] center calls messages and like I'm a busy guy but like crazy you know

[00:36:33] like there was non stop right so I have to walk in and be like hey look what's

[00:36:37] up right like the same person would be calling three times like my uncle is like

[00:36:42] what's up I'm worried I'm genuinely worried now right all he's like bro

[00:36:46] hammer's just like calling you hold on there anything on you remember

[00:36:50] what I did he's like they're gonna call him bro like what yeah

[00:36:56] I've never heard of anything like I'm like okay whatever like I hang up

[00:37:00] and then I'd go in like I literally I'm not even exaggerating I have like

[00:37:03] 20 messages right hammers calling you hold on the hammers calling you Nick you

[00:37:07] gotta call hammer I'm like what the fuck is happening let me tell you let me tell

[00:37:11] you I did that you think I have videos not relevant anymore you know how many

[00:37:16] people are listening yeah yeah I get where he's going yeah yeah

[00:37:23] yeah and it kept happening for two three because I go fuck this is the coolest

[00:37:28] thing ever yeah that's what I gotta get I gotta go forward with this campaign

[00:37:32] great quick story about that is I've been doing that a little bit now so guys

[00:37:36] are like you know that are like just on the cusses deciding if they want to

[00:37:40] advertise yeah I'll be like yeah and if they're well known if they're well known

[00:37:45] in the industry say some guy wheels they guy from Climberg everybody knows who

[00:37:49] this guy is yeah you know I've done it to a couple I've done it to like five

[00:37:52] guys you've been one of them but what I'll do is I'll say something like what I

[00:37:55] did for you was like because I think you were sort on the cuffs too which is

[00:38:00] like I was like oh come on man Nick we got to do something together so I went

[00:38:03] in the radio and I just said I'm looking for Nick Regina if anybody knows this guy

[00:38:06] he used to do clubs back in the day you know this company called NRG and then now

[00:38:10] he owns a spark financial group I think it is you know just pretend I don't really

[00:38:15] know and then I'm like can you please get him to call me I need you to hit him

[00:38:19] up I don't care how you hit him up its Instagram or Facebook or call him or

[00:38:22] text them but let him know I'm looking for him I really gotta talk to him and

[00:38:25] I'd be so serious if people would just be like texting the station does he owe you

[00:38:29] money

[00:38:32] I'm like yes he does anyway so I did do a whole bunch of guys same thing happen

[00:38:37] some guys in a seminar doing a seminar goes my thing wouldn't stop by

[00:38:40] the whole thing it's told me off I'm trying to speak wow so it's cool to see

[00:38:46] that that many people will you know we still call somebody and not many

[00:38:49] people still listen to radio which I still believe I mean the ratings are

[00:38:53] ratings but if you actually look at what we want to do is first you want

[00:38:58] three five is sort of making a worldwide brand at this point we get Toronto now

[00:39:01] we understand Toronto we're doing the best we've ever done in Toronto well

[00:39:04] what's next for the radio station is like you know when we have a guest DJ

[00:39:08] like T.S. so we want people listening around the world to T.S. so not just in

[00:39:11] Toronto I mean it does happen now where I can sit in my office and look at a map

[00:39:15] of the world and I could see where people are listening from what device they're

[00:39:20] listening on and how long they're listening so we've got we've got people

[00:39:24] listening in Toronto but we've got people right now listening around the world

[00:39:27] of the radio station which is cool and if we can kind of you know excel and

[00:39:30] elevate the radio station to be a worldwide brand the next five years I think

[00:39:34] will be excellent so I just want to add to what Matt said like I may agree

[00:39:39] with everything he said but from our perspective like yeah you like the

[00:39:42] starts my perspective you have Spotify Apple music all those are before it was

[00:39:48] just radio stations are competing now you're competing for everyone's attention

[00:39:51] from from the internet from social media from you know those those music

[00:39:57] playlists other radio stations so obviously there's much more competition

[00:40:01] these days yeah but the thing is what those don't offer is personality so

[00:40:06] things like you know when Matt's talking about he's talking about on the radio

[00:40:09] or me like we talk to people like people tell us like we feel like you're our

[00:40:13] friend yeah you know you guys are amazing at building communities so that's

[00:40:17] what it that's what it is and you know and the thing is we played tracks and

[00:40:20] you know that the pandemic changed everything yeah the pandemic like you know

[00:40:24] people were locked down people they you know like the space it people were

[00:40:28] depressed yeah but you know people we brought back people to a time with the

[00:40:33] music that where it was a good time happy memory and that's what people

[00:40:37] connect with that and that makes a big difference yeah and we are live through

[00:40:40] the pandemic to there's a lot of radio stations that you know they got to be

[00:40:43] broadcasting live from home well how do you do that like you're not answering

[00:40:48] phone calls you're kind of not getting the vibe you're not in front of a board

[00:40:50] it's like totally different like if I broadcast live from your house today

[00:40:53] that'd be way different show and let me be not actually probably be a good idea

[00:40:56] but I'm saying like you know if I was at home by myself and like in the studio

[00:41:00] with no phones going you can't really see much text messages and just kind of

[00:41:03] doing a radio show we're one of the few stations that during the pandemic

[00:41:07] were live I was going in every day I was loving it you know what I mean and

[00:41:11] and I think that helped us out that's where we started you know taking off

[00:41:14] really like from you know one point to another was the pandemic and the guy

[00:41:17] said yesterday was like last night we were at an event he's like man you guys

[00:41:20] brought me through the pandemic and you guys were you know always there in

[00:41:23] the music you guys playing the things you were saying I was like you guys helped

[00:41:25] me in my family and my kids listen there's awesome so I think that's where

[00:41:29] we started the upward trend here with the with the radio station is being

[00:41:31] live during the pandemic and and doing cool like videos with artists we're doing

[00:41:36] like the the Instagram live stuff like you know with all the DJs and stuff like that

[00:41:40] so it's kind of you know we try to help people through the pandemic and see

[00:41:43] the work that's amazing bro that's sick dude no you guys are you guys have like

[00:41:48] now thinking about it right you guys have really built up a solid community

[00:41:53] where not only do they know you guys or feel like they know you guys

[00:41:56] personally right but it's just like you brought the city together in a big

[00:42:01] big way and and Z103 is so legendary but hammer and Danny D are such a massive

[00:42:07] part of that right that you know that that's special bro and tough to do

[00:42:11] and I love what you were saying to there in regards to engaging the whole

[00:42:15] community to partake in this competition that's gonna lead to an

[00:42:19] experience in which money can buy right but hammer and Danny D can put together

[00:42:25] yeah yeah yeah totally but just just a creative like look at look at the

[00:42:31] creativity that has to happen there for right that's how deep and for you guys

[00:42:35] have to go to be different right to continue to attract listeners right to

[00:42:41] compete with these bigger platforms out there right like that so again tip my

[00:42:45] hat to you guys on the extent that you have to go do because it's not just a

[00:42:49] bow you know people are turning on the radio now that's the only option and

[00:42:52] you know the listeners ship is up and you guys are the ones are listening to

[00:42:56] right it's it's not that and you guys are grinding you're getting creative

[00:42:59] you're looking at up and coming artists and you know you're listening to their

[00:43:03] music you got to have a good ear for what's good and what's not again let's

[00:43:08] not let's not just talk about it like it's easy too to lie okay let's put

[00:43:11] your track on the whole alone you need to know what's trending right yeah what

[00:43:16] the you know crowd wants to listen to and wants to hear and yeah and you taking

[00:43:21] the shot at putting that on the radio is a bit of a gamble yeah right like

[00:43:25] that I'm fucking my that kind of nerve-racking right yeah this is gonna go

[00:43:29] good yeah I know yeah you guys are breaking that music in right leading by the

[00:43:35] way of the pioneers and then everyone else follows it's easy to follow me

[00:43:38] like yeah that track everyone loves their kids play it yeah you guys are the

[00:43:41] ones testing it totally so it's like these are like balls he moves right and

[00:43:47] and and unconventional and unorthodox ways that you've had to you know do put

[00:43:53] together maintain to stay at the top of the game right that's not you

[00:43:57] yeah thank you but everyone's like oh I can carry my song away you're

[00:44:02] gonna get my song already was not about yeah it's your song good so what we

[00:44:05] know after being together for 20 years or being out of that long is that I

[00:44:10] just kind of we both have an ear for what's gonna work most of the time we

[00:44:13] pick a song that it's the radio we're like oh I'm not sure if it's gonna work no

[00:44:17] we know it's gonna work it's like when yeah when I pick a song I'm like I know

[00:44:21] the audience at this point where I know what's what Toronto's all about and what

[00:44:24] they want from zero three five and I if I usually pick a song it's shazam

[00:44:28] or whatever it is top 20 and and it I mean there hasn't been many times you've

[00:44:32] been wrong no where it's like oh let's try this song and it just shit the

[00:44:35] bad no it's always been you know it always usually works I can't remember

[00:44:39] last time we picked a song that hasn't worked but yeah so it's harder than

[00:44:43] easier said than done so you're trying out a song yeah how do you know it

[00:44:46] worked if it's the first time that you played how do I know it'll work because

[00:44:49] you have a snow how do you know no you got it you got the air for it you guys

[00:44:53] know it Toronto watch sure but how do you know if it worked okay so you put it

[00:44:58] on the radio and then shazam's a big one because if they're shazam it

[00:45:01] they're not gonna shazam sit there and shazam a song they don't like oh what's

[00:45:05] this I don't like it let me shazam it not gonna happen so they're shazamming

[00:45:08] it because they like it so for the only radio station in Toronto playing this

[00:45:11] song and it ends up at numbers five on shazam Toronto then obviously you know

[00:45:16] it's working if you sit in the if you sit in the studio and people call the

[00:45:20] radio station to request a song then you know it's working if you sit in the

[00:45:24] studio and the text messages are coming through and five of them are for this

[00:45:28] new song that they heard yesterday then you know it's gonna work or we

[00:45:31] would there's some proof rate there I guess yeah yeah yeah yeah I have a new

[00:45:34] music feature called new of 422 so I'll test a lot of artists on that and the

[00:45:40] amount of votes that come through and the actually people that get engaged in

[00:45:42] it is crazy but what I say to the audience is like I'm the music director you're

[00:45:47] gonna play a system music director today and you're gonna let me know what you

[00:45:49] think of this song give me your honest opinion on the song should we play this

[00:45:52] song etc etc and the amount of text that I get with people actually engaging

[00:45:55] it is insane so that helps to where we get the listener to decide what they

[00:45:59] like you know if the songs good or not but then even if the song loses like

[00:46:03] we've had songs in the past that lose out a new music feature like Beyonce

[00:46:07] crazy and love back in the day that got killed 90% dumped and then also it

[00:46:11] becomes the biggest song in the world so you just kind of watch it and that's

[00:46:15] fun one more time was another one I remember what it got dumped or something

[00:46:17] yeah I was people heeded it at first and then it became yeah sometimes it

[00:46:21] takes a few lessons you know your first year song like yeah and then you go

[00:46:24] back to it you're like yeah a little bit and then the third time we're like

[00:46:27] I'm jamming I like this yeah cuz you take in the vocal or something happens

[00:46:31] where you actually realize that it's it's a good song so even a more recent

[00:46:35] example is the remake of Dito thank you that Demetri Vegas like Mike okay

[00:46:40] so you could put a clope of it right here we were playing that we're playing

[00:46:47] that on the radio yeah just we found it on our own whatever actually we're

[00:46:51] playing it I think we got a live version of it at first yeah we're playing a

[00:46:55] live version on the radio so you can hear the DJ saying everybody's

[00:46:58] screaming on the radio I remember there was no it reacted like crazy and even

[00:47:02] I don't even know if that one necessarily was it necessary a shazam

[00:47:06] reaction but I remember the record company they didn't even know they had it

[00:47:09] they were in a global meeting and Europe was telling them oh yeah that our

[00:47:13] track is reacting very well and up there in Canada and whatever and they're

[00:47:17] like what are you talking about so and it was from us like the record company

[00:47:21] didn't even know that they had a lot what what happens is we'll play music

[00:47:25] before the record company even knows they have it and like we'll do like hey

[00:47:29] Matt like three months later hey Matt can you check out this song like yeah

[00:47:32] did we play that for three months like it would be played like it's a way back

[00:47:34] now that's a way back now not how they got to record companies that's more when it comes

[00:47:39] to dance we're not talking about like pop music and stuff like that yeah yeah

[00:47:42] we're talking specifically about dance music because I mean that's the record labels

[00:47:46] maybe don't have somebody just specifically working dance they're working

[00:47:49] Beyonce and they're working all the big artists so the smaller ones kind of

[00:47:52] you know fall into the carpet or whatever but we'll play songs before the

[00:47:56] record company even knows they have them and then they'll come to us to say hey

[00:47:58] play this song like oh we've been playing that oh thank you you know and then

[00:48:02] there's other things like I'm gonna be honest record companies we see

[00:48:05] record companies Danny sees record companies every week

[00:48:08] universal music Sony music Warner music all them they come in they give us their

[00:48:11] priorities here's what we want you to listen to this week okay so they have a

[00:48:15] list of priorities that they'll pick like ten of their songs they like you guys

[00:48:18] pick one or whatever or which one you think is gonna work or it's can you play

[00:48:21] this the other stations playing this what about this just because the other

[00:48:24] station's playing doesn't mean we're gonna play it if the other station's playing

[00:48:27] it we got to feel if it would be good for our station

[00:48:29] um so there are songs that will play and the other station won't play

[00:48:33] advice for us so they'll come in nobody like oh yes though has this new song

[00:48:37] I think that the single they were working with uh way lower low what does it

[00:48:40] call me low lay low so we'll be like so I'll sit there and I'll listen to the

[00:48:45] T.S.O album and I'll be like yeah but I like this song better I'll pick another

[00:48:47] song off the album and I'll play that instead and the record company will

[00:48:50] be like yo what are you doing you can't you can't play that we're not working

[00:48:54] that single right now and I'm like well at this point I'm I'm I'm battling

[00:48:57] Spotify I'm battling Spotify and Apple music I'm gonna play which T.S.O

[00:49:01] song I think is the best right so we'll play this drifting song but we

[00:49:05] played drifting what happened it was just saying like crazy and Toronto the

[00:49:07] record company's like yo switch back to the other one I'm like there's no

[00:49:10] chance there's no chance so stuff like that happens a lot where you

[00:49:14] you know we'll do things like that where we're not supposed to do it but at this

[00:49:17] point we're gonna do it whatever's the best for the radio station what we

[00:49:20] think is gonna work I think and you can test it out as a as a

[00:49:23] business owner you gotta do what's best for your company

[00:49:26] yeah absolutely you gotta do what you gotta do you have to I mean it's cut

[00:49:29] throw it out there so if you don't you fall by the wayside

[00:49:33] you have to do whatever you can to excel 100% man that's awesome that's awesome

[00:49:38] so I want to end this off with talking about how you guys

[00:49:43] have single handedly kept the genre of Euro

[00:49:48] wow it's coming back bro it's coming back as the radio station coming back

[00:49:53] and and if it was not for Z1035 let's face it yeah the Euro would have died

[00:49:58] yeah they're going to be your own first of all hand of a

[00:50:01] point yeah yeah the boy's cut out to 20 more

[00:50:03] the crew look out

[00:50:09] where's Monica handedly keeping this genre alive yeah that is an

[00:50:14] accomplishment in itself right yeah but talk a bowl bring me through a

[00:50:18] little journey man of the Euro music where it started what happened

[00:50:22] why it's just so close to our hearts

[00:50:25] that you fork feeling that everyone has you still get that

[00:50:29] you're all oh my god what is your good feels bro what is your favorite Euro song

[00:50:33] I get all start favorite Euro song I like turn the time oh yeah so

[00:50:38] yeah I'll play today three o'clock and you did you bang the note when I told you

[00:50:42] that was of course I did well yeah we'll do it again today all right all right all

[00:50:46] so I guess I'll start on this one uh so like you know

[00:50:48] yeah

[00:50:50] okay okay go boy yeah because I mean you're

[00:50:53] five with the Euro yeah yeah yeah what I do

[00:50:56] absolutely yeah I know I'm gonna be start on this one

[00:51:00] yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

[00:51:04] all right take it away daddy take it away

[00:51:07] like going back to what I said about the pandemic

[00:51:09] like yeah you take those tracks yeah you're the only

[00:51:12] zero to three is the only place you're hearing it

[00:51:14] and what does that that music do

[00:51:16] exactly you just said it in your I don't even know if you

[00:51:18] realize you said it feel good yeah right so it takes you back to a time when

[00:51:22] things were good when you feel good yeah so I mean that's what it's all about

[00:51:26] and the thing is you won't hear it anywhere else and then now

[00:51:29] you have like getta with still one of the biggest tracks

[00:51:33] whenever you drop it at an event they would get a blue

[00:51:37] sampling uh i465 yeah and then they just start

[00:51:41] ripping through all these old tracks and remaking them

[00:51:44] like i mean better off alone has been done I don't know how many times yeah

[00:51:47] I've lost I've lost track it's actually getting crazy where they're all

[00:51:50] coming back all those you know it's right now it's coming

[00:51:54] like Euro music is coming but there's so much

[00:51:59] I don't know what a problem you think that's been

[00:52:02] better for us that's what I know yeah dance music is getting bigger but the

[00:52:06] Euro sound like it's coming back big time like there

[00:52:09] there's so many Euro tracks that have been remade

[00:52:11] uh that are continuing to be remade but now it's just like

[00:52:14] we're waiting for the next Euro artist like who's the new Euro artist

[00:52:17] like okay we can remake real McCoy run away a hundred times

[00:52:20] but where's the newest ones you know what I mean so we're on the lookout for

[00:52:23] that but the remixes are coming through we'll also play those because our

[00:52:26] audience digs it because they grew up with that stuff

[00:52:28] if you think if you can add a loft my orca but a better version of it

[00:52:32] I mean i'll take it all day i'll take it all day

[00:52:35] game over yeah yeah yeah yeah right so it's like cash cash taking the home

[00:52:39] they made that record better i feel like more hype than it ever was

[00:52:43] you know what i mean we mean tell them to my heart you know so i tell them

[00:52:45] yeah yeah yeah that one yeah but do you agree

[00:52:47] like i mean the original's here yeah but then the new versions up here you

[00:52:50] think it would you know real McCoy run away

[00:52:53] is here and then somebody else takes to the next level

[00:52:55] that's what's happening now like that music this summer

[00:52:58] i believe that that's the biggest music that's going to be around us

[00:53:00] you're on three five euro euro euro remixes and more

[00:53:04] more dance music than ever before that's huge and the reason is because people want

[00:53:07] positivity they want to feel good and stuff like that and

[00:53:10] i think that's the reason yeah i'll come back around but i mean music's in

[00:53:13] waves and there's just a wave where dance reasons coming back

[00:53:15] big time this summer well for us we've always stuck to our heritage

[00:53:18] so like you know that's always been a base of you know back from the dance

[00:53:22] 108 days you know mac and attest to that that was

[00:53:25] you're using way too much just kidding that's what like

[00:53:28] exploded the company basically was that dance when a

[00:53:31] weight and that euro sound so we've always stuck to our heritage always kept it

[00:53:34] in our playlist but then now like i said it's gone to a new level but you know

[00:53:39] what's amazing so we've seen over the years we've seen our audience grow

[00:53:42] with us because when we see the ratings we see the demographic breakdowns

[00:53:45] we see they grow with us but the thing that's amazing is

[00:53:49] is there so many younger kids who a lot of them don't even maybe listen to

[00:53:52] radio because they listen they're on these playlists or whatever

[00:53:56] but they're into the euro music like i can't believe how many

[00:53:59] i see like saying like you know like reposting stories of the drive

[00:54:03] the five on a Wednesday with waybacks or

[00:54:05] or the wayback lunch or whatever and they're like you know euro and they're

[00:54:08] loving it so it's so you're also exposing a new generation to it as well

[00:54:14] yeah that's amazing man that's good yeah it is good excellent that's a

[00:54:18] positive thing bro yeah like we were saying right it's

[00:54:21] feel good it's euphoric there's no like the lyrics aren't you know having

[00:54:26] it be that they're steering the younger generation in the wrong direction

[00:54:29] you know what i mean it's just i have a quick story for you i was doing a

[00:54:33] euro night at club 77 in hamilton years ago

[00:54:36] uh this is before the pandemic and it was like a euro night

[00:54:40] and there was a guy there he was one of the promoters and he was just like

[00:54:43] loving it and just jamming right you like hardcore

[00:54:47] and and people are coming up to him like yo dude what do you want man like

[00:54:51] he's like i'm no drugs he's like this music just makes me happy

[00:54:55] yeah exactly but that's what it does it it's like like honestly euro though

[00:54:59] no matter what if you love it or hate it there's people that you know hate

[00:55:02] but but they're secret listeners because at the end of the day

[00:55:05] I get guilty pleasure right and they but it makes you feel good

[00:55:11] it's uplifting yeah happy yeah yeah exactly yeah i want a bus one right now

[00:55:16] yeah i get going here oh that's funny all right boys

[00:55:22] awesome well before we go i want to congratulate you on everything that spark

[00:55:25] financial has done and and see a new back in the day and the clubs and all

[00:55:29] that and and how you've grinded your whole your whole life and

[00:55:32] and to see you here and have enough on your podcast kind of full circle but

[00:55:36] uh congratulations to your whole team congratulations to you niki on

[00:55:39] everything that you've done and um i actually look up to you sometimes i'm

[00:55:42] like you know all that nika he's actually really killing it and

[00:55:45] and uh yeah so congratulations to the team i wish you

[00:55:48] all the success in the world then uh you and i will be doing some together one day

[00:55:52] i'm sure spark financial or pammer dany d and z1 on three five coming soon

[00:55:56] and yeah there's my sales bitch anyway congratulations to on everything i'm

[00:56:00] pretty proud of you i mean really proud of you i i echo his sentiments i mean like

[00:56:03] we were talking uh before the podcast you know during the pandemic you just

[00:56:07] started the the spark financial business and and to see how it's grown

[00:56:12] exponentially like i you know open up instagram and uh we're we're opening a

[00:56:16] floor off here so i handled him uh ladies you got uh so you know what i mean so i'm

[00:56:20] gonna end off what would it cost the bicepark financial

[00:56:25] i'll partner with you guys

[00:56:29] okay right i you know what i really appreciate that and it means a lot coming from

[00:56:33] you guys because i've looked up to you guys even long before we got to know each other

[00:56:37] and and i was in the hospitality and nightlife scene i was a listener of z when i was a very

[00:56:43] young man i remember my mom driving us to school in the 90 i don't even know what year the old

[00:56:48] school tyled approve you know that's funny blowing it and it was as you guys were the coolest guys

[00:56:53] around town you still are and you know from listening to the station is it as a kid 12 13

[00:57:00] years old yeah it's grade eight i remember right i started listening to it

[00:57:05] idolizing you guys you guys being the coolest guys in the world then when i got to meet you guys

[00:57:10] and work with you guys it wasn't like that oh man i thought the world of them and then it wasn't

[00:57:16] what i thought it would be or they were dickheads or they were a little cocky or it was it

[00:57:22] it was it was everything that i dreamed it to be you guys your gentleman you guys never walked

[00:57:27] around like you had any bit of ego you guys are extremely humble if there was an opportunity to give

[00:57:33] where we could speak on the radio a little bit and get excited or be in the studio when you're

[00:57:38] hitting a set and just watch what's going on you guys always provided that and you never had

[00:57:43] it be that we felt any type of way other than total love you know so working with you you know

[00:57:49] listening to as as a kid then working with you hand in hand yeah and now again like you said

[00:57:54] it coming full circle and we're gonna do some awesome things with the advertising and just staying

[00:57:59] apart of each other's lives i really value our relationship but i tip my hat to you guys man because

[00:58:04] you guys are like i said you got you guys are a lot of people's heroes you know what i mean

[00:58:09] thank you man amazing at building community and family and we all love you here at spark and i

[00:58:14] know my friends and family outside of spark love you guys too so thank you just for being so

[00:58:19] fucking awesome thanks for being with me and with one thing you know how i'm doing all these things

[00:58:23] about you know money can't buy experiences and all that yeah i'll be real real with you i learned

[00:58:29] sort of learned a little bit that from the about that from you and doing and back in the day when you

[00:58:33] used to you know everybody could do a Friday night but what are you gonna do different than everybody

[00:58:37] else and you always have these concepts of like whenever you had to do you're bringing in curls or

[00:58:41] you're bringing doing this thing or doing that thing there was always something that nicky was up to

[00:58:44] it's like we can't just have a Friday night party live there on the radio we gotta do this and

[00:58:48] there's always something else to that so i mean just growing up together and watching you vibe out

[00:58:54] during the clubs and stuff like that i've kind of taken some of that and said okay how do i

[00:58:58] do that on the radio and that's kind of where these money can't buy experiences are doing what

[00:59:01] could we do that no one else is doing so congratulations you and sort of helping me out there but

[00:59:06] you've been a beauty your whole life and i look forward to doing stuff together nicky and

[00:59:09] uh... like why is this our spark fine intro group congrats boss thanks place awesome all right

[00:59:14] thank you for tuning into another session of what would it cost this was an absolute beautiful time

[00:59:20] that we spent here in the spark head quarters filming studio with these two gentlemen and tell them

[00:59:26] a little bit more about where they could find you guys and follow along in regards to your social

[00:59:30] media handles or your website yeah i'm at the real DJ Danny Dizzle no don't

[00:59:36] i'm at the real DJ Danny Dizzle i'm just kidding i do it on the radio we get so mad that's all

[00:59:43] i do because then people see the search for it i do it once without you singing it okay

[00:59:48] okay i'll find your head at the real DJ Danny D thank you go hey and i'm at the real DJ Danny Dizzle

[00:59:53] no i'm not i'm at uh at hammer on air so or i don't know why i say just hammer on air look for

[00:59:58] that and you'll find me somewhere uh we can be buddies um and you take a look at our lives

[01:00:02] and and we'll take a look at your lives and uh you know a lot of people look at the listen to the

[01:00:07] radio like oh i feel like i know you i feel like i know you so now with social media and all that

[01:00:11] and people watching everything we do it's like back in the day they never recognize us but they

[01:00:15] recognize us now because of social media so when we go out it's like that's a hammer i know i saw

[01:00:19] it on social media where back in the day in radio no one ever knew who you were because there's

[01:00:23] like there's no really websites or anything right unless they recognize your voice it's growing it's

[01:00:27] cool to see people out at the leaf game and they recognize us and stuff like that but hammer on air is

[01:00:31] mine uh let's become buddies yeah at the real DJ Danny D all right let's get it