DJ ROSSSTAR - OCTOBER 2006

MusicBox interviewed DJ Rossstar of DJ Rossstar's Punk Rock ShowWe here at MusicBox have known DJ Rossstar since he had his radio show at AU and his early days on Idobi Radio. He has since moved on to LA and now enjoys a successful career spanning radio, TV and industry positions. With his impressive resume Ross is still the same down to earth guy we all know and love with just a few more famous friends.MBP-How did you get started in the music business? What first got you interested and how did you take things from an interest to a career?Ross-In 1994, when Green Day released Dookie, I was lucky enough to notice at the store that they had 2 albums prior to it. I bought all 3 and immediately fell in love with the band. From there I researched their old label, Lookout Records and bought a ton of CD's from other bands on that label. From there, I started to get into bands such as MXPX, Less Than Jake, Suicide Machines etc. However, there was no punk-esque magazines, radio or tv shows and thus I was not able to interact with my favorite artists or get my questions answered. It was especially hard to learn about all the other great punk bands that were out there. I tried to get the people around me (in a NY school that was mostly into hip hop and Top 40) and while some mocked me for wearing a Blink 182 shirt (until a few years later when they hit big) others would soon become as excited about a band as I was. I loved that feeling and thus wanted to create a show in which I could continue to introduce people to music I loved as well as ask the bands I liked "real" questions, whereas most interviews are just about the "obvious" That being said, once I got to college, I started the show I had dreamt about since 1994.MBP-Where did the idea for DJ Rossstar’s Punk Rock Show come from? How has the show developed over the years?Ross-See above!The show started out with mostly recorded interviews with well known bands and local bands in studio. I eventually started to get large bands to do live phone interviews and even managed to get a few well known bands in my studio when I was still in DC. It has definately exceeded all my dreams and I am sure I will add more about that in the next questions :)MBP-Can you share a little about your Green Day obsession and experiences? How did your love for this band influence your life choices?Ross-Green Day's music and lyrics played a major role in my upbringing. They helped me view myself in a way that I may not have realized if it wasn't for their lyrics. They inspired me to be an individual, to go against the norm, to be happy with who I was even if I was into things that people didn't find "cool." I have been doing this show for 4 years now and I am sure a large number of close minded people think it is crazy to take a "chance" to try something "new" but Green Day made me realize that it is worth following your dreams. It may sound cheesy but every song tells a story from a piece of my life.MBP-You got your start in DC tell us a little about your time here-who you worked for and any highlights from your days here in DC.Ross-DC was great because I was conducting this radio show and interviewing huge acts and having people listen worldwide, yet no one at my college seemed to know we even had a radio station. It made for less competition and I even became General Manager of the school station. After college ended, Tom from Idobi Radio asked me to be on his station, where I still am today. Being in DC gave me that opportunity since we were able to speak at different concerts and get to know each other. Then of course there was DDR MOM*, hosting Patti's* Party and the Flipside Festivals! (* of MusicBox Promotions)MBP-You are originally from NY and lived in and started your career in DC what promoted the move to LA?Ross-If you want to be in the entertainment business, you need to be in LA. Everything and everyone is here. Since moving here I have had over 100 guests come by the studio for my show (including yellowcard, fall out boy and cute is what we aim for to name a few) I have hosted 2 online TV shows, been asked to appear in some music videos, met 1000's of incredible people and now host 2 shows on real TV as well as my radio show!MBP-You have been quite successful since moving out west. What have been some of the highs and lows?Ross-See above! There aren't too many lows. Perhaps it is frustrating at times when new-music based shows come out and the hosts are actors/models. If they held auditions, I didn't know about it because I don't have an agent. However, things are working out now with the hosting gigs.MBP-Who have been some of your favorite bands to interview and why?Ross-My favorite bands to itnerview are the ones I grew up on. The ones who inspired me and helped shape who I am. MXPX, Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake are a few. It's great that these bands respect what I do and a lot of them have become my good friends.MBP-What gave you the idea to interview MySpace celebrity Jeffery Starr?Ross-Steve Ghost from I Am Ghost told me that Jeffree was a friend of hiss and had a CD coming out. Even though it isn't exactly punk, it is still music related and brough about a whole new audience. I am not just going to have "anyone" on because they have hype behind them, but Jeffree was cool and I liked what he was all about so I took a chance and it worked. I'd love to have him back on.MBP-What is the best thing about being DJ Rossstar? Do you have anything else you’d like to share with us?Ross-The best thing is being able to sit in my room 2 days a week with some of my/your favorite bands and just hang out with 10,000+ people listening in worldwide. I love that the fans get to ask the questins they want to know and that bands feel comfortable enough doing my show in a tiny apartment because they respect it!Find out more about DJ Rossstar via his MySpace and check him out every Wed and Thurs live on Idobi RadioAlso, check out The DJ Rossstar Show on Havoc - Video On Demand. 24/7 Go to your video on demand channel on cable (usually channel 1) click music, then Havoc, then alternative and search for DJ Rossstar. Havoctv.com has the videos as well. And look for Ross in December hosting Havoc chat Sun-Thurs nights on directv 101.