KNOW a KAOS DJ: Paul Pearson, The Music Show

What's your name?

Paul Pearson.

What's your show called?

The Music Show.

What's your show about?

It’s a freeform music show with a slight focus on recent music, though it covers literally all genres and time periods. It’s kind of a disciplined funhouse. The concept is based on a couple of other shows, including a late-night freeform show I did called Whatever Gets You Thru the Night and many of the shows I hear on WFMU in New Jersey. No genre is exempt.

When and how did you start at KAOS?

March 1994. I had just moved down from Seattle, where I was hoping to get a chance to volunteer at the major college radio station there, but the station went through management issues and I never got a show. Long story. So when I got accepted at Evergreen, I reached out to KAOS. 

My wife at the time had made friends with a few Olympians and KAOSians and it just came together. Diana Arens was the first Olympian I officially met, though I had met Ricardo Wang before when we both lived in Seattle. My show was named Shrug Festival, in all my typical mid-twenties orchestrated disaffectedness. It was the 1990s. We gobbled irony down like M&Ms.

Do you remember the first song you ever played on-air?

Not the first one ever, but the first song on The Music Show was Timothée Chalamet’s “A Hatful of Dreams” from the Wonka soundtrack. Believe it or not, it wasn’t played ironically or in jest.

What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had live on the air?

In general, that would be the first show from the experimental/art/accident band Wonder Woman, which I was in. It was really early in my KAOS tenure. That night I made two of the best friends I’ve ever had. (They can joust amongst themselves as to who they are.) On Shrug Festival, it might have been the night I decided to transform the show into a religious revival. I brought a gospel keyboard in and basically went off. There are some special things you can do on the radio at 2 in the morning.

How do you prepare for a show — or do you just wing it?

That’s the big difference between The Music Show and Shrug Festival: I’m not winging anything now! I spend a lot of time finding and researching the music. Mostly through Bandcamp, discogs.com, other stations’ playlists, new release lists, and going down rabbit holes. I like theshfl.com a lot – that’s a resource Domenica introduced to me. I like it when bands contact me, too.

The other big difference between The Music Show and any show I’ve ever done is that the new show is actually written. There’s a sort of “script” I work with, even if some asides are improvised. I mean, I improvise the transitions, but what I say about the music is largely written. Hope that doesn’t ruin it for anybody. But I like how the process has worked so far.

I put the show together at home using Audacity. I’ve been putting shows together since February, two months before The Music Show premiered, so I actually have a stockpile of new episodes that I just need to put voice-overs on. Sometimes I put a new show together specifically for the next episode just to keep things fresh. Sometimes it’ll be the middle of the weekend and I’ll just put a show together to amuse myself. There are currently about 20 episodes just waiting to get my mic breaks recorded.

What’s something you wish more people knew about community radio?

That it’s there, mainly. That it’s a resource anybody can use. That it can provide clarity and sanity, which are in short supply at the moment. And it’s a beautiful, blank canvas. It can be used for a whole lot of purposes. Most of them good.

What’s the last song you completely fell in love with?

It happens every day. Right now it’s “Invisible Thread” by the Divine Comedy. I’m basically a Divine Comedy stan, as anyone who looks at all my playlists will figure out.

What record made the biggest impact on your life?

Thanks for not asking what album “changed my life.” In either case, the answer would be Swordfishtrombones by Tom Waits. I wasn’t aware it was acceptable to make music like that album, and it broke down all the walls for me.

What was your first concert?

In general? Probably Kay Starr with my family in at Harrah’s Casino in Reno. My first rock show, also at Harrah’s, was Boz Scaggs. The first concert I went to on my own, without family members and with money I’d saved up, was The Police and Santana in Sacramento in 1982.

What music-related hill will you die on?

A few. The Divine Comedy, of course. But also Elvis Costello, the Beatles, Robyn Hitchcock, Randy Newman, XTC, Scott Walker, Philly soul (any soul, tbh). I’ve been having an Ethiopian jazz moment for about a year. Tune in to my show and you’ll hear about 20 new musical hills to die on every week.

What’s your favorite local music memory?

I was going to say Olypalooza, which I played in ’95, but my, errrr, “memory” of that show is fractured at best. One that I’m especially proud of is playing with King Dinosaur for a local dance company recital. I’d never been in anything like that before or since.

What’s your favorite local band or artist right now?

I’m not quite as tuned in to the local scene as I used to be. Are The Hard Way still around? I like the Mona Reels a lot. Arrington De Dionyso is one of the purest artists I’ve ever known.

What genre do you secretly know way too much about?

The two big ones are showtunes and yacht rock. I play showtunes all the time on The Music Show. Yacht rock, not so much. I’d like to figure out how to squeeze a yachty song in. It may be a yacht rock band called, and yes this was their real name, Airplay. David Foster was in it. 

What artist do you like that would surprise your audience and friends the most?

I like almost anything. I don’t believe in “guilty pleasures,” just pleasures. Most of my friends know of my almost lifelong devotion to Hall & Oates – I even have a T-shirt! As far as surprising… I don’t think there’s anyone who would surprise my friends. They know what they’re getting with me.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve become much less of a critic. I just want to hear all of it. I’m a greedy listener. The biggest objective of The Music Show is to play music I haven’t heard before. I leave my antenna up at all times. I don’t know any other way to find new music. I figure anyone who’s chosen the path of being a musician is okay by me. It’s easy to give them a chance. Hopefully they won’t mess it up!

What artist do you *not* like that would surprise your audience and friends the most?

Jane’s Addiction. Shrill and self-consciously degenerate. Some decadence is fine, but Jane’s felt overly orchestrated to me. In a tactical sense, not a musical sense. When band members start punching each other on stage, that’s a good indicator that the music might not be that good, unless it’s The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

If you could interview any musician—living or dead—on your show, who would it be?

Elvis Costello. He’s retweeted a couple of my articles about him, which sent me to the moon. And there’s a bunch of new artists I’ve played on the show that I would love to chat with. (Before you ask, I interviewed Neil of The Divine Comedy in 2022.)

What are a few of your desert island discs? (5 to 10)

·  Something/Anything?, Todd Rundgren

·  Get Happy!!, Elvis Costello & the Attractions

·  69 Love Songs, The Magnetic Fields

·  Innervisions, Stevie Wonder

·  London Calling, the Clash

·  Bringing It All Back Home, Bob Dylan

·  The Pretenders

·  Absent Friends, The Divine Comedy

·  The Specials

·  Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco

Finally, what do you imagine your show will look and sound like 5 years from now?

Much the same as now, hopefully not more asthmatic.

KNOW a KAOS DJ: DJ Remy, Type II Era

What's your name?

Jeremy “Remy” Newton

What's your show called? 

Type II Era – it airs every 1st and 3rd Wednesday from 8-10pm (pacific time), only on KAOS 89.3 FM!

What's your show about? 

I spend a lot of time thinking about contemporary and independent music since the 1950s. In practice that means that I spend a lot of time trying to live up to being a “college music” dj, with a focus on independent music. I’ve tried to make the show “genre-less,” but there’s definitely a ton of “college rock” sounding stuff on the show, with explorations into hiphop, r&b, and electronic music. I try to curate a radio show each month focused on new music, and that usually airs on the first Wednesday of the month.

Someone once called my radio show ‘avant-garde,’ but that’s a stretch. Another listener referred to my radio show as ‘the one that plays the forgotten indie rock from the mid-2000s.’ That’s more likely.

When and how did you start at KAOS?

I started in 2012 after hearing about new volunteer trainings while listening to the station at home. I had just moved to Olympia in 2011, so it didn’t take long for me to get involved. Former KAOS Music Directors Nicki Thompson and Anna Gordon helped with my training, and I’ve always been super grateful for their patience from my KAOS beginner days.

Do you remember the first song you ever played on-air?

What’s crazy is that our current spinitron show archives reveal my first song played at KAOS was Melt Banana’s “Surfin’ USA / You’re Welcome” mashup from a Beach Boys tribute CD called ‘Smiling Pets’ which is on brand- February 8, 2012!

What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had live on the air? 

There are many! But probably doing fundraiser shows with Roxy ‘Music’ Boggio (the Divine Unheard), Richard Sinclair (from Dancing in Circles), DJ Nobody and Afrosheen (from the Mixtape Club). Did you know that community radio stations like KAOS are not possible without the support of listeners like YOU?

How do you prepare for a show — or do you just wing it? 

I always prepare. I usually build mixes for myself to listen to and then I share those through my radio show. Sometimes they are built out of recent record store pickups. Sometimes they are thematic, and sadly lately, they have been legacy themed shows after the passing of an artist (like recent shows on Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, or Will Cullen Hart of the Olivia Tremor Control) I will occasionally review mixes I put together back when I first started DJ’ing and see if they have aged well (or not), and pull songs from those. And that KAOS library – so much recorded history there!

The new music show is made from checking blogs, reviews, favorite labels, and playlists at other favorite freeform community radio stations (KDVS and WFMU come to mind).

What’s something you wish more people knew about community radio? 

On the personal side - It has been a genuine ‘community’ for me. My best friends are from my experiences in community radio. I’ve dj’ed (at least) four fellow community radio dj weddings!

 On the more contemporary side of things, I have often hoped that people understand how community radio has been the vanguard of the “college radio” influence on popular music. There is no R.E.M. or Nirvana (or for that matter DJ Shadow) without community / college radio. ‘Alternative’ music as we know it would not exist without the founders of subpop or K records (or for that matter foundation members of Quannum Records) hanging out at KAOS and other Community/College radio stations like KDVS or WUOG. Our soundscape would be much more banal and meaningless without the impact of freeform community radio.

What’s the last song you completely fell in love with? 

Can I name two? I really like this song ‘Elderberry Wine’ by Wednesday, which I did not expect – it has a straight-ahead country pop feel to it, but the song is absolutely an earworm. I’ve also been listening to Open Mike Eagle a lot and his track ‘Almost Broke My Nucleus Accumbens’ stands out.

What record made the biggest impact on your life? 

Seriously? This is *not at all* a difficult question. Probably R.E.M.’s Green or Nirvana’s Nevermind. I grew up rural and I really needed a record to ‘break through’ for it find me. They played R.E.M. on the local classic rock station and being in Georgia, I heard a lot of people talk about their personal encounters with the band. I bought their ‘Stand’ single at the corporate big box store (you know, K-mart’s still existing competitor). I saw the small print on the back of Nirvana’s Nevermind record -  “Subpop” and that connected me to Sebadoh’s Bakesale. I really didn’t understand that it was their common record label but from there it was off to the races.

I’ve already mentioned DJ Shadow, but I should mention the record Endtroducing…? Should I mention Laurie Anderson’s Big Science? A Tribe Called Quest’s Low End Theory? Kimya Dawson’s Hidden Vagenda? My mom’s copy of the Everly Brother’s Greatist Hits? Devo’s Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!? Pet Sounds?

I think that ‘biggest impact,’ ‘most important,’ or ‘favorite’ are all different concepts, but those listed above were probably the most impactful records I could think of in this moment.

What was your first concert? 

I saw Live / Buffalo Tom / Big Audio Dynamite at the Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta, 1995. Earnest was my middle name.

What music-related hill will you die on? 

Other than feeling no shame about that first concert… There are elements of 90s popular country music that must be celebrated in the same way that classic and ‘outlaw’ country music are regularly heralded.

What’s your favorite local music memory from where you grew up? 

I’ve made my peace with the Allman Brothers band, but I drove from central rural Georgia north to Athens, Georgia to ‘find’ music that in those days, truly spoke to me. This was no small feat for a quiet teenager with a learner’s permit.

What’s your favorite local band or artist right now?

Genuinely? Probably whatever Roxy is playing on her show. Also – I’ve come to appreciate whatever is happening in Olympia right now, particularly around organized music “festivals” like Olympia Porch Fest, The free Sunday Concert Series outside Three Magnets Brewing, and the Northern Sky Festival, among others. Almost all of these (and others) have KAOS volunteers/DJs or KAOS adjacent folks involved. There’s your community in the radio… or is it radio in the community?

What genre do you secretly know way too much about? 

It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you it was 80s and 90s popular country. But I feel like I’ve told you this twice, already.

What artist do you like that would surprise your audience and friends the most?

Probably the Bee Gees and it’s not what you think (unless you’ve been paying attention).

Probably Drake, and it’s absolutely what you think.

What artist do you not like that would surprise your audience and friends the most? 

We’ve arrived at the ‘see above’ question. So yes – see the question above regarding ‘big impact’ records.

If you could interview any musician—living or dead—on your show, who would it be?

In the early days of Type II Era I was lucky enough to interview NeoBoys and I’ve always felt like that was a high point of the show – it’s certainly a moment I won’t soon forget. I’ve envied community radio djs who can make the musician interviews continuously happen on show after show – it’s a lot more work than people think! Anyway – Lonnie Holley comes to mind. Herbie Hancock. The aforementioned Laurie Anderson, Mark Mothersbaugh. Really though, I’d almost rather listen to another DJ who wouldn’t be so twitterpated do the interview.


What are a few of your desert island discs?

Again- I feel like this is different from the ‘biggest impact’ question – so maybe I’d want to have my favorites with me? And the technology would need to be full/foolproof given the environmental hazards and lack of resources that a ‘desert’ island would bring. So… maybe Archie Bell and the Drells? A few of those northern soul favorite singles that might be fun to spin? But what would happen to the vinyl in direct sunlight? Do you see the issue here? We need to consider how things would be going if we had the physical media, but no way to power the record player? And in the event that it did finally rain… what then? 

KNOW a KAOS DJ: Rift Revealer, Ever Present Threat

What's your name?
KC, or Rift Revealer

What's your show called? 
Ever Present Threat

What's your show about? 
Ever Present Threat is a concentrated outlet for complex and uncomfortable expressions of negativity. Ideally it's a place for uncompromising sounds and feelings. No one is trying to appeal to anyone. I feel like, given the nature and mission of KAOS, it's important to have a show that could not exist on commercial radio. And I'm happy to say Ever Present Threat absolutely could not exist on commercial radio.

When and how did you start at KAOS?
The show started in early 2025 along with many other great new shows. I was persistent about wanting to be involved and the KAOS community has been gracious and accepting.

Do you remember the first song you ever played on-air?
Overlord by Skinless

What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had live on the air? 
Someone called the studio during my show to let us know there might be something wrong with the signal because all they were hearing was noise.

How do you prepare for a show — or do you just wing it?
I prepare a playlist for every show, with a little room for improvising if I feel so inclined.

What’s something you wish more people knew about community radio?
You, the community, can get involved. Yes, you! 

What’s the last song you completely fell in love with?
Push Ups by Sextile

What record made the biggest impact on your life?
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F♯ A♯ ∞ because it got me to start listening to music that wasn't nu metal.

What was your first concert?
Randy Travis at the Central Washington State Fair

What music-related hill will you die on?
Clay Aiken should have won American Idol season two.

What’s your favorite local music memory from where you grew up?
I grew up in Yakima, WA in the late 90s and early 00s - so local music that was accessible to youth wasn't really prevalent. My favorite memories include getting physically thrown out of a free Credence Clearwater Revisited show at 17 for no discernable reason. Or maybe seeing a huge cardboard display for the Cannibal Corpse album Bloodthirst at Off the Record [RIP].

What’s your favorite local band or artist right now?
A few: Vitality Ritual, ZyphoniQ, Static Ghost, Prehensile Dataspike.

What genre do you secretly know way too much about? Neotraditional country

What artist do you like that would surprise your audience and friends the most?
I don't think anyone would be surprised by anything I listen to at this point - but maybe, Wang Chung? They're really good.

What artist do you not like that would surprise your audience and friends the most?
Megadeth

If you could interview any musician—living or dead—on your show, who would it be?
Lux Interior from the Cramps [RIP]

What are a few of your desert island discs?
The Church - Starfish; Whitehouse - Bird Seed; Napalm Death - Enemy of the Music Business; Wall of Voodoo - Dark Continent; Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil.

KNOW a KAOS DJ: DJ Petunia, Serenades for Sex Kittens

What's your name? Lorelei, or DJ Petunia.

What's your show called?  Serenades for Sex Kittens. Meow!!

What's your show about?  Bygone popular muzak from elsewhere a long, long time ago... 

When and how did you start at KAOS? Started as a community member volunteer back in October of 2024 - a few hours every week helping with reorganizing the CD library and whatnot. Eventually took up your DJ training course, as well as a bit of shadowing for some of the KAOS DJs. I was determined from the start to secure my own show - kind of underestimated how quickly the opportunity would hit me, honestly! Serenades for Sex Kittens is definitely in its state of infancy.

Do you remember the first song you ever played on-air? Spring is Coming with a Strawberry in the Mouth by Operating Theatre.

What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had live on the air?  Oh goddd. Besides the somewhat frequent bouts of dead air where I'm like literally clambering around the studio like a maniac because the next song just flat-out refuses to play, I'm pretty sure I accidentally let half of the f-word from a Disco Inferno song slip through during my last rookie session. Keeps me up at night, to be honest LOL. The FCC is scary girl.

How do you prepare for a show — or do you just wing it? A bit boring, but as of now, it starts off with a handful of first-listens and other songs in my current rotation, then it builds into a larger, cohesive setlist. I tend to expose myself to new music in somewhat vigorous but short-lived hyperfixations around certain genres - this week's was Eurobeat and Hi-NRG. I have so many plans for the show though. It'd be fun not only having to account for playing the songs correctly and not absolutely mucking up my forward announcements. 

What’s something you wish more people knew about community radio? I wish people just knew about their local stations point blank!

What’s the last song you completely fell in love with? The Mercury Girl by the Cleaners from Venus.

What record made the biggest impact on your life?  Flavoury Music by Ichiko Hashimoto. It can take a few listens for me to really warm up to full-length projects but this hit me like a brick wall on my first listen. Unimaginable impact on my life - I truly wasn't the same since LOL. Released only on cassette in 1987 as an image album for her novel Furebarīgāru wa ocha no jikan ni tabi o suru (Flavoury Girl Travels During Tea Time), it's just so brilliant. Wistful, and melancholic, and GORGEOUS. Unapologetically enchanted and romantic. It really is a dream come true. "Little Farewell" is my favorite song of all time.

What was your first concert? An Aquabats concert when I was less than ten-years-old in Portland. It was a blur. Also scorching hot. The opening act really tripped me up, I think. It was a blast, though.

What music-related hill will you die on? Appreciating and listening to music is intrinsically a personal experience and has everything to do with one's own ego. It honestly baffles me that people can think otherwise. 

What’s your favorite local music memory from where you grew up? Riding on my bike north of Olympia listening to Godsend by Beat Happening. I think that should count.

What’s your favorite local band or artist right now? FR34KY9U9 rocks.

What genre do you secretly know way too much about? So many. I'm an absolute genre geek. I could probably write a thesis on how 9/11 killed indie pop.

What artist do you like that would surprise your audience and friends the most? American Football, probably.
What artist do you not like that would surprise your audience and friends the most? The Smiths. Yucky. Rusholme Ruffians is freaking great, tho.

If you could interview any musician—living or dead—on your show, who would it be? Madonna

What are a few of your desert island discs?
Exile in Guyville by Liz Phair, Burning Farm by Shonen Knife, Retreat From the Sun by Thatdog, Yasimika by Djeli Moussa Diawara.

KNOW A KAOS DJ: MISS MELISSA, I’m Still Not Here To Make Friends

What's your name? Miss Melissa.

What's your show called? I’m Still Not Here To Make Friends with Cottleston Corner near the end.

What's your show about? What is it not about? JK, but it's eclectic music, live bands, a book review, and kids' music in the last 30 minutes.

When and how did you start at KAOS? In 2000? Michael Huntsburger asked me if I wanted a tour of the station. Somehow, I got roped into doing the news at first, and then I moved to the music office and got my own show from 1-3 am on Thursdays.

Do you remember the first song you ever played on-air? Ummmm, hmmm. No, but I remember the first Cottleston Pie song was "She's a Rainbow" by The Rolling Stones.

What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had live on the air? So many. I feel so blessed to have so many live bands throughout the years, and the support of the local community.

How do you prepare for a show — or do you just wing it? I prepare throughout the week and pick songs, and usually have a playlist ready for the show days before.

What’s something you wish more people knew about community radio? That's it’s for everyone!

What’s the last song you completely fell in love with? This is cheesy, but Teddy Swims’ "I Lose Control." It just really spoke to me.

What record made the biggest impact on your life? Too many. I can make a list. lol!

What was your first concert? The Monkees with Weird Al, but I like to say Bon Jovi New Jersey lol!

What music-related hill will you die on? I'm never dying but Blueberry lol!

What’s your favorite local music memory? Seeing Mirah downtown, and a bunch of moms were rocking and nursing their babies to sleep.

What’s your favorite local band or artist right now? Guideon Bear but I looove international band Kneecap right now!!

What genre do you secretly know way too much about? Hair rock, maybe not so secretly though?

What artist do you like that would surprise your audience and friends the most? Shaboozy.

What artist do you not like that would surprise your audience and friends the most? i don't know? i like so many different types of music.

If you could interview any musician—living or dead—on your show, who would it be? Johnny Cash.

What are a few of your desert island discs?

1. Mirah - You Think It's Like This, But It’s Really Like This

2. Counting Crows - August and Everything After

3. Harry Styles - Harry's House

4. Kurt Lindsay - everything he's ever recorded lol!

5. Blind Melon – self-titled