KUTX Saturday overnight host Rick McNulty will be spinning the tunes for you from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays starting this weekend. Rick has been working overnights and fill-in shifts at the station for seven years and his energy and deep musical knowledge will be a great addition to Saturday middays.
Longtime Saturday host Kevin Connor is moving over to our friends over at KDPR in Dripping Springs. KUTX Program Director Matt Reilly says Kevin’s dedication to the Austin music scene and his excellent on-air work will be missed as he’s provided a great service to listeners for five years.
Saturday also sees an extra hour for one of our newest hosts, John Parsons, who will extend his 6 a.m. shift one hour to 10.
Soundcheck host Tyler Pratt picks up Rick’s Saturday overnight shift from 11 p.m. Saturdays to 3 a.m. Sundays.
Five Questions With Rick McNulty, music host 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays
1.What artist/album/musical experience most set you on a career in radio?
Introducing The Beatles. My mother had their first four albums, and I remember the quandary I felt at six years old: which should I play first — Introducing or Meet The Beatles? I decided on the former and by the time side two had finished, my life had been transformed and my future was determined to be centered around music. It took me another year to discover that they had grown beards and broken up, which in turn made me realize that there was a story behind every artist, song, or album.
By my early teens I was a pop music evangelist. I wanted to preach the gospel and radio was the best platform in which to do it — it was way more exciting that writing about it. I haven’t stopped since.
2. What’s your favorite Austin music experience so far?
Sitting in Studio 1A while Allen Toussaint was warming up on the piano. He was noodling around and since there were only a few of us in the room, I jokingly requested one of his more obscure songs. He playfully went along with it, and we went back and forth for five minutes. I nearly passed out with joy.
3. Most prized artist in your personal music collection and why?
No question: Los Beatles. They changed my life. They are my religion. They broke up for my sins. Nobody before or since accomplished what they did, not only in music, but in catalyzing a generation. A perfect cultural zeitgeist.
4. Why public rather than commercial radio?
For the very reasons I don’t listen to commercial radio: no creativity, no freedom to select music, and the same rotation of songs over and over. I’d rather dig ditches than work on commercial radio.
5. What do you like to do when you’re not spinning records on the air?
My wife and I run a production company — RubyRico Productions — where we combine live music and dance. She’s a choreographer and I’m a music director, which is an ideal match. We’ve produced a touring Tom Waits cabaret show (with his churlish permission), a Stax Records devotional, a celebration of Prince, and a Soul Train-styled massive dance party. Our motto is “Performances with depravity and style,” which is about all you need to know about our productions.
