How many years did you work at KISW? 1.5
What position(s) did you work at KISW? Weekend/fill in on air personality aka DJ
What are your three greatest memories at KISW?
1. Getting Beau Phillips on the phone to ask if I could send him my air check tape in consideration for an opening posted in Radio and Records.
2. I was mostly only allowed to work the late shift 2A to 6A, and idolized Langan and West (Those Dudes), the KISW morning show. The first morning they came in at 6A to relieve me and we did a crossover on air.
3. Steve Slaton naming me "Boy Wonder" due to my age (18), a name that stuck with me for about 20 years.
What’s a story you couldn’t tell people back in the day? The Police were playing the Tacoma Dome. I asked Beau Phillips if I could have tickets. He said sure, I could have his tickets as he wasn't going. I arrived at the ticket window day of show.
The concert was sold out. I gave Beau's name and got an envelope. Inside there were eight backstage passes and eight tickets! I was only working at the station part time and had very little money. People were coming up to me asking if I had any tickets to sell. I thought, wow I could make some money here. I should give them away, but hey, I could really use a little cash. I thought it would be wrong to charge more than face value. That was my decision. I wouldn't sell backstage passes. I knew better than to unleash random fans into the backstage area. I quickly sold all of the unused tickets. Moments later a large group of KISW air staff came toward me and said "Andy, Beau said you had our tickets." Heart stopped. Panic. Thinking immediately that my life as a KISW DJ was over, and then I said "I got backstage passes" waving them feverishly, and they grabbed them and we all went in together. That was a general admission show, so I dodged a bullet as the passes got us into the venue. First and last time I scalped a ticket.
What band were you most proud to bring to a bigger audience? Not "Men Without Hats"
How has Seattle changed the most? Transformation from working class port to sophisticated tech city known worldwide for innovation and the biggest brands. All that without losing its soul. And, all that without forgetting KISW.
What’s something you never thought you’d see? Most radio stations change formats many times, KISW hitting 50 is a sign of a truly special brand and voice of Seattle.
What’s your best memory of meeting a rock star? There isn't even a close second...meeting Robert Plant at Seattle Center.
Who was your best friend at the station back in the day? I would say probably Beau Phillips. An iconic figure in my life, and a great friend all these years later.
Name a KISW band you still love! AC/DC
Favorite concert from your time at KISW? U2 at The Paramount Theater on the War tour
What was your most memorable band interview? I was the last guy they would let interview a band during my time at KISW. I was essentially the entry level part-time fill in relief weekend DJ in a station filled with superstars.
What's Andy Schuon up to? After working for MTV, CBS, Warner Bros., Sony, Universal and Live Nation, he's now head of Loop Media Studios and REVOLT TV's co-founder.