The Happy Monday Show

Start your week off with a thermos full of drive time independent alternative radio. Grant leans towards roots and pop punk with a dash of new wave.  Pat plays more beats and 60s music. Together they march lockstep to the sounds of Manchester, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee.

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Get to Know Your WMSE DJ Profile: Grant

How do you spend your days and nights when not hosting your radio show?

I spend my time with my family and friends and at work. I have a fantastic wife and two wonderful young children. I am an attorney in private practice, focusing on business litigation and health care disputes. I also do a bit of arts and entertainment law, including advising on some music law issues.

Do you remember what band, album or song took you from being a casual music listener to a passionate music lover? Is there a memory associated with that experience?

I always remember liking to listen to music. I was born in the 1960′s and grew up listening to a lot of music from that era that my parents played around the house, like Johnny Cash, Diana Ross and the Supremes and Bob Dylan, as well as artists from the prior era, such as Perry Como, Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis. I also was an avid listener to Casey Kasem’s weekly “American Top 40″ radio program, Staying up late on a school night with my radio turned down low so my mother wouldn’t hear it as I tried to stay awake through his entire countdown. I later went to a high school that had a small radio station, WGBP, 90.7 FM, and served as a volunteer DJ there.

But it was upon my arrival at college in St. Paul, Minnesota in the early 1980′s that I became a fervent music fan. The Twin Cities had a great music scene at that time, with Prince, Husker Du, The Replacements and The Suburbs all around and about. A ton of outstanding acts played regularly around town, including at First Avenue in Minneapolis. It was fantastic. I became a volunteer DJ at my college’s radio station, WMCN, 91.7 FM, and later became its Music Director and General Manager.

What band have you heard or discovered in the past six months that reminded you why you want to continue being a WMSE DJ?

One band I discovered late last year through WMSE was Beirut. Their album, The Rip Tide has a number of nice singles, including “Santa Fe”.

Who is your favorite non-you WMSE DJ and why?

My favorite WMSE DJ is, of course, my alternating co-host, Pat Buckley. But the WMSE DJ roster is consistently excellent  across the board. I have been a big fan of Paul Cebar forever. Rich Mars is excellent (even though he left the oh-so-hip WMSE early morning DJ crew). Dori and Melissa put on fantastic shows. Dr. Sushi’s show is one of a kind. And, of course, Dewey Gill’s Sunday morning big band show is an institution.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to spend more time with my family, travel more, get in shape and keep listening to as much music as possible.