The Gunz Show

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10.14.16

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the host of The Gunz Show

Mike Gunz of Idobi Radio’s The Gunz Show is a radio personality that outshines the sea of other voices on the airwaves. In his early teens, he was exposed to many emo and pop-punk artists that we’ve come to know and love over the years, and from there Gunz had the privilege to grow alongside that genre in the music industry. By interning with both big and small labels, working for Daily Download, and more, Gunz’s insight to the industry flourished, ultimately helping him develop into a great on-air personality; he knows how to connect the bands to the fans, and vice versa. Because of this, we sat down with Mike to discuss his rise and stature within the music scene.

INTERVIEW: Heather Glock PHOTO: Audrey Lew

You broadcast from MSG where both music and sports reign supreme. Thinking back to your first-ever sporting or concert event, did you ever think you would be working in such a venue?MIKE GUNZ: Part of me believes yes. I may sound a bit cocky, but I always said in life that I refuse to do something unless I want to put the full effort into it—which is why I always felt closely related to bands and musicians. I like supporting bands that really go out there and really make it happen for themselves, or put all of it on the line. I think that any time you settle for what you have, then it can lead to laziness and going through the motions and I am not the type of person who wants to go through the motions. I want to keep striving.

You worked on the Daily Download on Fuse, and at the time it was a very progressive show, where viewers, instead of watching the top 10 music videos, they would see the top 10

downloaded songs. Did working on this show help inspire your forward thinking initiative when looking at the evolution of the music industry?It probably did. The interaction was there; you had that live dialogue and feedback going on. In the end, that was huge. You had fans sending in their votes and comments on videos. Daily Download was one of the first to do that. I was able to bring that to The Gunz Show at Idobi, because I have live tweets and chat rooms going on during the show. It originally was all through instant messaging, where I ask my listeners to send me their requests via IM and we would have great dialogue going. We would throw questions and topics out with them, like, “If you were stuck in traffic for 20 hours and one truck broke down next to you, what food would it be?” [Laughs.] Things like that, or ongoing controversy like the Kesha lawsuit. I get to speak to thousands of people about these things on my show, who all have different viewpoints. It’s really cool.

In your time at Geffen Records, you spent your tenure working with up-and-coming bands on a label that contained acts that are now well-known. Did working with these young faces inspire you to scout newer acts as you do now for your show?I wouldn’t say that Geffen did. I had to fight for it, because I always hated people saying that I couldn’t do something because of my age. Age is just number, it doesn’t define my abilities. That’s why I like music so much, because you had these young bands who busted their ass to get to where they are. I started with Drive-Thru Records when I was 14 or 15 years old. At that age, my guitar teacher was in this band called Midtown. They got signed to Drive-Thru, and all of a sudden I had cassette tapes of the Starting Line and this little band called Finch that was two years ahead of their time. Getting that ear to the ground, Drive-Thru was the most important part of this screamo genre, and for me as well.

How do you go about cataloging what artists to bring onto your show? There is such a vast array of new singles, new EPs, new bands, etc. How do you keep up?What it comes down to is getting out there. I go to shows all the time and I listen to referrals from fans. There is so much out there, with the internet. How I keep up? It’s what I do. I have to do it. If I don’t I’m dead in the water. It’s finding out about bands from younger labels or managers. I do listen to every submission and I try to get back to everyone. It may not be what I am doing right now, but I do try to give constructive criticism. Even if it isn’t my cup of tea, I’ll listen to it. I’ll play anything on The Gunz Show... except country. It’s about being there. It’s about being at Warped Tour, at CMJ, talking to the fans, and branching out. Music is what I live for. S

2.1.16

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9.7.16

Radio personality Mike “Gunz” Gunzelman’s career started when he “became” a

member of Blink-182

Some kids grow up without a doubt in their minds as to what they are going to be when they get older: firefighters, teachers, dinosaurs, you name it. Other kids grow up just wanting to be heard. Equipped with an outgoing personality and an unmistakable fiery passion for music, Mike “Gunz” Gunzelman has made a name in the music industry just by being himself. As a broadcast personality, he graces the airwaves of major TV and radio channels during the day (everything from MTV to ESPN), hosting shows on ABC and FOX, but at night is when things get heavy. The Gunz Show frazzles the earbuds of hundreds of thousands of listeners Wednesday and Sunday nights on idobi Radio. After he spent a summer weekend hanging with Marianas Trench, watching Guns ‘N’ Roses and DJing Emo Night NYC with the Bayside boys, we were able to steal half an hour of Gunzelman’s time to find out what it takes to be yourself, professionally. How did you get into being a radio host and broadcast personality? I always had an outgoing personality and wanted my voice to be heard. There was an MTV show called Becoming: Blink-182, where you’d become a band member or whatever. I was a sophomore in high school and my mom dropped me off at this open casting call. I didn’t know anybody. I didn’t know anything. I had my Atticus shirt on, my Fender guitar I brought with me, my backwards Atticus hat and my Dickies shorts—I was a huge Tom Delonge Blink fan. I beat out like 350 other people, and I was only 15 years old. I ended up being one of the nine finalists then I actually ended up winning that, so that was my first taste of television or just media. I purposely went to school at Fordham University in New York City for broadcast journalism, with a double major in political science, and I was able to start doing stuff on Fuse as a freshman. I heard about this station called idobi and I wrote the program director, Tom Cheney, one day and he wrote back, “Hey Gunz, I’ve heard about you being around the scene and what not, I actually have an opening this Sunday at 8 p.m., that’s your one hour tryout, good luck.” [Laughs.] So the dream became a reality, and I went on air and I was horrible my first show, coming out one ear of the speakers and everything. At the time there was just a couple thousand listeners and now I average 180,000 five or six years later. I always knew I wanted to do something on air, and the

rest is history. It’s been such a positive and mind-blowing experience to get an international following all just from the love of music. It’s been fucking mental. It’s cliché to say that music saves lives, but the beauty about music is that there’s literally a song out there for whatever mood you’re in. What was the first concert you ever went to? [Laughs.] One of my first concerts that I can remember, unfortunately I saw NSYNC with my sister [on] the No Strings Attached Tour back in the day. I think P!nk opened for them or some shit, when P!nk had pink hair. One of my other first shows I remember was Semisonic opened for Soul Asylum opened for Matchbox Twenty way back. As far as the scene goes, I remember seeing Piebald open for New Found Glory open for Saves The Day one of New Found Glory’s first ever tours outside of Florida. I was very young, people were smoking cigarettes and I was like, “Oh my God, the devil!” Going to shows was my escape. Going to Midtown shows, Drive Thru shows, the old ska scene at the time was big in New Jersey, being able to see Thursday, Boysetsfire, Saves The Day and the Get Up Kids. I was very spoiled at a young age because New Jersey had one of the coolest scenes; if you wanted you could go to a show every other night, because people were flyering and throwing their own shows at fire halls. Unfortunately, that’s not really as prevalent anymore, but it was definitely a good era to grow up in. "... if I’m playing something and maybe I’ll go into Glass Jaw, and for some reason my audience that night doesn’t want to listen to Glass Jaw and I see like 10,000 people drop off, I’ll fade out the song and then kick it into something else. The beauty of internet radio is I get immediate feedback." With technology, music is becoming so much more interactive, where fans can actually reach out and speak with their favorite bands. In the same respect, how do you interact with and engage the fans of your show? I thrive with the audience. The beauty of my show is nobody is telling me what I can and can’t play. Unlike professional radio where the “DJ’s” don’t even get to set their own playlists, if I’m playing a new song and don’t feel it I’ll fade it out, or if I’m playing something and maybe I’ll go into Glass Jaw, and for some reason my audience that night doesn’t want to listen to Glass Jaw and I see like 10,000 people drop off, I’ll fade out the song and then kick it into something else. The beauty of internet radio is I get immediate feedback. I also get to take their requests, so if there’s a huge audience for the Maine—BAM! I’m playing the Maine! Hell yeah, I’ll support the Maine, that band has been around for a good amount of years and they’re still killing it, Warped Tour main stage this year and fucking killing it out there. The Gunz Show definitely thrives on fans and just that, interaction. Where do you see yourself going? Would you like to do this forever or move to a different section of the music industry? I definitely want to continue being on radio and television, as far as this element goes, I just want The Gunz Show to continue being a bigger brand than it is. Ryan Seacrest and Carson Daly both just started as DJs, Daly used to work out of K-Rock in California with like Bloodhound Gang and Goldfinger then made the move, and now he’s on the Today show everyday. I don’t want anything limiting me or hindering me at all. I’m going to continue getting music out there that I think kids need to learn about, or at least causes or people that are inspirational, or fun. Shout out to the people who are struggling, whether band-wise or personally, because it can only get better. Society and things are crazy as hell out there right now, so we need to come together. The struggle can be real at times, but just keep pushing through. One of the best ways to do that

is through music and escaping bullshit by going to a show and screaming your lungs out, and in the end hopefully we’ll all win that way. If a good band wins, we all win, because in the end it should always be about the music. Check out The Gunz Show every Wednesday at 9 p.m. on idobi, and long live the emo revival. http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/mike_gunz_gunzelman_spotlights_power_of_music_on_his_hit_radio_show

9.7.16

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6.30.16

Behind the Scene: Michael “Gunz” Gunzelman of the Gunz Show

Chances are that if you’re into any type of music within the broad “rock” genre, Michael “Gunz” Gunzelman has interviewed your favorite band. As host of idobi radio’s The Gunz Show, he has conducted hundreds of interviews and brings the latest and greatest of the scene’s music to over 120,000 listeners twice each week. Catch The Gunz Show streaming on idobi.com every Wednesday and Sunday at 9pm EST and keep on reading to take a look Behind the Scene. Going back to the start, Gunz said his

relationship with music began in the most cliché way and one many can relate to: “music saved my life.” From a very young age music meant the world to him, and it still does. His connections with music started at age six when he took up guitar. Flash-forward to middle school and music really began to take its hold. “Sure I was popular, but I started to go to shows all the time. It even got to the point where I would even be missing parties because of it.” As a bold and outgoing teenager Gunz would talk to anyone he could at concerts. “People at shows became my family” and a way to get away from the BS and fakeness of middle school and high school relationships. The bridge into the music industry came through Gunz’s father who was a high school teacher of Heath Scaraceno, guitarist of the band Midtown. After his father connected the two, Scarceno began teaching Gunz guitar, leading to a friendship with the band. Midtown’s signing to Drive Thru Records opened his eyes to the idea of music as an industry. Once he realized this was something he wanted to be a part of, Gunz began soaking up all the knowledge of the industry, taking up promoters, bands, and anyone else he could at concerts. Soon New York City called his name and that, along with the start of college, allowed for even more access to shows. It has been his larger than life personality that has led to Gunz’s rise to fame. “It all comes down to one thing. I’m real.” Gunz says that he’s always been “a weird dude and someone who overthinks things that matter.” His combination of both an outgoing and calculating personality leads him to learn as much as he can. This is invaluable in broadcasting, with his personal presentation as well as the conversations and interviews he conducts. Still, Gunz says, “idobi really took a chance on me.” When he expressed interested in doing a show, with no prior experience, they agreed to give him a one-shot, one hour Sunday slot. He was essentially told, “if it blows, you won’t get to do it again; if it’s okay, you’ll get to do some more.” Looking back, Gunz is sure that his show started out rough. But his passion clearly shone through and has allowed him to connect with people. Since his first show his audience has grown from 7,000 to over 120,000 today.

On his show, Gunz has conducted interviews with an incredibly wide range of acts, from being the first person to speak to a brand new band all the way up to big name celebrities, such as a conversation with Mike Tyson earlier this year. When asked how he handles going from one extreme to the other he said, “I don’t even get nervous anymore, I just want it to go well.” At this point Gunz knows that some of the major interviews won’t go as planned, while some of the less experienced interviewees speak openly and skillfully and vice versa. “It all comes down to preparation, having the right kind of energy, and being interested.” Many of the interviews are handpicked by him personally, but even when they’re not he will always research the person or band before speaking with them. This allows him to “skip the bullshit questions” that they have been asked and fans have heard a hundred times before in order to show off his personality and unique interviewing style. The way Gunz sees it, this is one of the major advantages he has over terrestrial radio. He is allowed the creative freedom to play whatever he wants and talk to whoever he wants, which is something not afforded to FM DJs. “How can you sell people on it if you don’t like it?” he asked, especially when it comes down to limited talk time sprinkled in between songs and advertisements. “The message gets tainted.” Additionally, Gunz has the ability to switch things up on the fly. Going into a show he’ll plan to play some of the songs that are popular at the moment or the new track of the week, but a lot of it really comes together on the go. Depending on his mood and how his day is going, he might play a heavier or lighter track. Or maybe a certain song will remind him that he hasn’t heard another band in a while so he’ll play something of theirs next. Gunz isn’t afraid to say why he’s playing that song, to tell the story behind his decision, and then invite the audience to call in. To him the important thing to remember is that it’s a show and that listeners are tuning in for entertainment. The goal is to always make it a fun time and bring something interesting to the table, while also keeping it real. All of this comes together to create something different. “It’s a show, it’s a product, it’s just what the Gunz Show is.” The Gunz Show has a proven track record for bringing attention to up and coming bands, getting people in on the ground level before they rise to fame. Gunz doesn’t take this challenge lightly, sifting through a continuous flow of submissions to make sure he gives his listeners the best of the best. He said that it’s exciting and rewarding to give bands coverage “when they’re nobodies and then watching them become somebody.” Classic examples include Cobra Starship and All Time Low, while Gunz is now looking at The Front Bottoms and State Champs to have huge years in 2016. As the person to give PVRIS one of their first ever interviews, he’s excited to watch them come into their own and believes that their fast-approaching tour with Fall Out Boy will catapult them to new levels. After nearly nine years, The Gunz Show is still looking for ways to improve. As a correspondent at Fox News, Gunz does a lot of work on TV, too, and loves being on camera. He’s interested in bringing that over to The Gunz Show by incorporating in more of a visual experience by experimenting with live video streams, especially for in-studio interviews. Right now everyone knows the name, but he wants to branch out to start having his face recognized more as well. In the end it all comes down to the “constant struggle to find the next big band. If I’m going to put my name on it, it has to be good.” Listen to The Gunz Show on idbio Radio, Wednesdays & Sundays at 9pm EST http://36vultures.net/interview/behind-the-scene-michael-gunz-gunzelman-of-the-gunz-show

12.8.15

Ballin’ with radio personality Mike Gunz

For someone who hasn’t yet turned 30, Mike Gunz has made more of himself than one might think. He’s a regular on ESPN New York, “Imus in the Morning,” Fox News, MTV and Fuse, as well as a smattering of other radio station productions. Most impressively, he’s the host of his own radio show, The Gunz Show, which airs out of Madison Square Garden twice a week. Gunz started the show way back when he was attending Fordham University as a double major in broadcast journalism and political science. WSN spoke with Gunz about his radio persona and how his college experience prepared him for this profession. WSN: What experiences at Fordham do you think most prepared you for your career after graduating? Mike Gunz: A lot of my friends now are in pretty big bands, and I’m not trying to sound like an asshole or cocky or whatever, but a lot of people are in like, big time bands like All Time Low or Cobra Starship or Fall Out Boy. Like, those are the bands that I grew up being friends with. So if anything, what I’ve learned about after college is that – I don’t want to use the word “mature,” but it’s like, you can always party, but I want to make this into a career. So I guess that’s what I learned the most. I went through my mistakes in high school and college. Not mistakes, but I was always — I learned the ropes younger rather than older, I guess. WSN: What’s it like being one of the youngest correspondents at idobi and Fox? MG: Awesome. I use the word “ballin’” a lot on my show. I love going to work every day. The Gunz Show started at Fordham. I wrote the idobi program director and I go, “Hey. My name’s Gunz, I’d love to be in your stream, I’m really close to my own broadcast, can I help out in any way?” Tom Cheny, the idobi program director and my boss, he goes, “Oh Gunz, of course I know who you are!” He goes, “I’ll give you a chance. This Sunday, 8 – 9 p.m., we’ll test you out…” The beginning was definitely rough, like, it was bad. But it went from one hour on Sundays, to getting better equipment, to two hours, and then three hours, and now doing twice a week… So it’s unbelievable. It’s literally a dream come true and I’ve worked my butt off for it, and I think that’s the greatest thing. WSN: So you’ve got a really distinct character on air — you’ve got the whole “baller” thing going. Do you think you had to earn the right to be that “baller,” or was it your persona that helped you get this far? MG: I think my persona separates me from anybody else out there, but it’s my drive and passion and perseverance… My big thing has always been credibility. Like, I read four newspapers a day. I try to learn as much as I can, all different viewpoints and everything. Someone can be like “Oh, he’s the funny one, he’s awesome,” but guess what, I play great music, and for the people that actually know me, it’s one of the best feelings in the world to have them say, “Wow, dude, you’re actually really driven.” WSN: What role do you think the fans have in the [music] industry right now? MG: The fans will ultimately win in the end. It’s so fickle, and people can change their opinions so much. They’ll turn on you in a second. That’s why I tell my friends that are in bands, “Don’t get too comfortable with anything.” You can sell out a huge venue and then in three months come back and you’ll have 250 people there. The Gunz Show broadcasts live every Sunday and Wednesday evening from 9 p.m. to midnight at http://ido.bi/player.

http://www.nyunews.com/2015/12/08/ballin-with-radio-personality-mike-gunz/

6.10.16

Kevin Lyman On The Gunz Show Tonight

Kevin Lyman of the Vans Warped Tour will be on The Gunz Show tonight to address critics of this year’s lineup, to tease more bands, and to talk about what fans can expect. Listen at 9 PM EST at idobi.

http://chorusfm.tumblr.com/post/76480938355/kevin-lyman-on-the-gunz-show-tonight

5.18.16

The Gunz Show Interviews Warped Tour’s Kevin Lyman

Mike Gunz, host of The Gunz Show recently interviewed Warped Tour founder, Kevin Lyman, ahead of this year’s shows. During the interview Kevin Lyman gives fans a sneak peak for what to expect of Warped Tour this year, including a more inclusive line-up, and shares some Blink 182 stories from Warped 1997. Take a look at what Kevin Lyman had to say about Warped Tour 2016.

“It’s back to kind of the basics. A good balance… Elder statesmen of the era – the Sum 41’s, the Yellowcard’s, New Found’s, Good Charlotte’s, and the new bands – the Issues’, the Sleeping with Sirens’… We are going to have 6 stages that kind of look like main stages. And you will also have a label stage that will hopefully show some future headliners!” Check out the full interview here. http://highlightmagazine.net/2016/05/18/the-gunz-show-interviews-warped-tours-kevin-lyman/

5.17.16

Kevin Lyman recently made an appearance on The Gunz Show. The interview is lead up to idobi’s Warped Radio, which will launch on June 20th.

https://hifinoise.com/2016/05/17/kevin-lyman-on-the-gunz-show/

5.13.16

Exclusive Interview with Warped Tour’s Kevin Lyman – only on idobi Radio’s The Gunz Show

May 12, 2016 – Mike Gunz, host of The Gunz Show, recently sat down with Vans Warped Tour founder, Kevin Lyman, for an exclusive preview. During the interview Kevin Lyman gives fans a sneak peak for what

to expect from this year’s shows, including a more inclusive line-up, and shares some fun Blink 182 stories from Warped 1997. During the in-depth discussion, Lyman also addressed criticisms from last year’s Warped Tour and how the team is working to solve these issues. Don’t miss this exclusive interview only on idobi Radio! Tune in here: http://idobi.com/audio/the-gunz-show-interview-w-kevin-lyman/ On Warped Tour 2016, Lyman shares: “It’s back to kind of the basics. A good balance… Elder statesmen of the era – the Sum 41’s, the Yellowcard’s, New Found’s, Good Charlotte’s, and the new bands – the Issues’, the Sleeping with Sirens’… We are going to have 6 stages that kind of look like main stages. And you will also have a label stage that will hopefully show some future headliners!” He also spoke candidly about working to solve problems from last year’s Tour, adding: “We addressed some of the things that weren’t even part of the Tour last year, but are part of the scene. That’s why I’m working with some of these organizations like Voice for the Innocent. I said I was going to design a course for artists to take… But I also think it comes down to the artist… We used to have the artists out there that kind of mentored the younger artists… bringing some of the older artists back, it’s kind of a mentoring thing and I am looking forward to it.” Don’t miss the full interview only with idobi Radio, here: http://idobi.com/audio/the-gunz-show-interview-w-kevin-lyman/ Kevin Lyman’s interview on The Gunz Show is part of idobi Radio’s ongoing Warped Tour coverage leading up to this summer’s idobi Warped Radio! idobi Warped Radio officially kicks off on June 20, 2016 with pre-interview week and airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4pm EST. Tune in at http://idobi.com/ all summer long! Keep updated with idobi Radio and all of their shows by visiting http://idobi.com/ and on social media: http://facebook.com/idobiradio http://twitter.com/idobiradio www.instagram.com/idobiradio/ http://xeonlive.com/2016/05/13/exclusive-interview-with-warped-tours-kevin-lyman-only-on-idobi-radios-the-gunz-show/

5.13.16

The Gunz Show Interview With Kevin Lyman

Mike Gunz, host of The Gunz Show, recently sat down with Vans Warped Tour founder, Kevin Lyman, for an exclusive preview. During the interview Kevin Lyman gives fans a sneak peak for what to expect from this year's shows, including a more inclusive line-up, and shares some fun

Blink 182 stories from Warped 1997. During the in-depth discussion, Lyman also addressed criticisms from last year's Warped Tour and how the team is working to solve these issues. Don't miss this exclusive interview only on idobi Radio! Tune in here. On Warped Tour 2016, Lyman shares: "It's back to kind of the basics. A good balance... Elder statesmen of the era - the Sum 41's, the

Yellowcard's, New Found's, Good Charlotte's, and the new bands - the Issues', the Sleeping with Sirens'... We are going to have 6 stages that kind of look like main stages. And you will also have a label stage that will hopefully show some future headliners!" He also spoke candidly about working to solve problems from last year's Tour, adding: "We addressed some of the things that weren't even part of the Tour last year, but are part of the scene. That's why I'm working with some of these organizations like Voice for the Innocent. I said I was going to design a course for artists to take... But I also think it comes down to the artist... We used to have the artists out there that kind of mentored the younger artists... bringing some of the older artists back, it's kind of a mentoring thing and I am looking forward to it." Don't miss the full interview only with idobi Radio, here. Kevin Lyman's interview on The Gunz Show is part of idobi Radio's ongoing Warped Tour coverage leading up to this summer's idobi Warped Radio! idobi Warped Radio officially kicks off on June 20, 2016 with pre-interview week and airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4pm EST. Tune in at http://idobi.com/ all summer long! Keep updated with idobi Radio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram https://stageunderground.com/blogs/news/124974019-the-gunz-show-interview-with-kevin-lyman

9.7.16

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