Jody Oehler has hosted Happy Hour With Jody Oehler for seven years, broadcast from 4 to 6 p.m., weekdays, on ESPN Radio Tucson, KFFN AM 1490/FM 104.9. A native of California, Oehler grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to Tucson in 1998, obtaining a degree in communication from the UA. Oehler takes his show on the road on Thursdays for the Buds, Burgers and Balls Tour. On Sept. 20, he'll be at Skybox, 5605 E. River Road, and next week, he'll broadcast from Fox and Hound, 7625 N. La Cholla Blvd.
What was the first concert you attended?
It's probably a Bob Dylan concert at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pa. It was the first of six times I've seen Dylan live, including once in Tucson with Bill Walton present. Epic.
What are you listening to these days?
I'm really into the new album by the Deadly Syndrome called All in Time. Other than that: Andrew Bird, Purity Ring and lots of Neil Young.
What was the first album you owned?
On cassette, Phil Collins, ... But Seriously. And on CD, Jewel, Pieces of You.
What artist, genre or musicaltrend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?
I think mainstream hip-hop and country today are no different than the Backstreet Boys or Jonas Brothers, just assembly-line music with no soul, but plenty of sales.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
The Traveling Wilburys after their first album. Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne together as one group.
Musically speaking, what isyour favorite guilty pleasure?
Blink-182. They were the soundtrack for my adolescence.
What song would you liketo have played at your funeral?
It's my funeral, so I should be allowed more than one song. Billy Joe Shaver, "Live Forever"; Bob Dylan, "Not Dark Yet"; Dire Straits, "Brothers in Arms"; and Tommy James and the Shondells, "Crimson and Clover."
What band or artistchanged your life, and how?
Bruce Springsteen. He's the double helix of my musical DNA.
Figurative gun to your head, whatis your favorite album of all time?
The National, Alligator.
