One of These Rock Stations is Not Like the Others (A Guest Post)

This morning I received an email from "The King of I-Rock 93.5".  If you don't remember, this spring we held a competition to find our King and Queen.  Gabby took the crown of Queen, and Matt became King.

This morning (10/10/22) I received the below email from Matt.  It was an unprompted message from him after a trip.  And for me, it was cool to see and read.  I was grateful to have him send it.  So I decided to share it with you.

One of These Rock Stations is Not Like the Others

From Matt Kershner.

As your King of I-Rock 93.5 was getting ready to go with his mother to St. Louis for the Wild Card game on Saturday 10/8/22. We do what we always do pack up the car, get our drinks ready and tune the dial to I-Rock 93.5.

We got on the road and of course rock/metal out to I-Rock. Yes, my soon to be 65 years young mother loves metal/rock and especially I-Rock 93.5. Ryan was even in her birthday parade in the black tank to throw her swag during the Covid shutdown. Which made her even more of a fan and her dial never leaves it.

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We are jamming to the great music of I-Rock which included singing loudly, some air drums and I know for sure included some serious air guitar from us. As we are really getting into the killer music we hit the outskirts of Galesburg when we start to lose I-Rock as it goes in & out. (My mother says you're the king get on Ryan to bump up that antenna power so we can listen further down past Galesburg) Well since her vehicle is a 2010 it doesn't have Bluetooth and I forgot my aux cord.

What to listen to now?

So I know Galesburg has the Lazer so we tune in and listen to that station and hear a couple of good songs but they throw in some classic rock so it kills some of that vibe.

We continue to listen till we hit Peoria and have to listen to their rock station. I hit their dial and the first song is some kind of song they consider rock my mother was like "what's this" I'm like "I have no idea". I had to Shazam it just to see and it wasn't something I thought was considered rock. After that song, they went to commercials. After what seemed like 8 mins of commercials... finally back to rock/metal music which included Yen by Slipknot. They play exactly 4 songs and go right to commercials with the DJ chiming in afterward about their things that at least took another 8 mins. Finally back to music where they played some of the latest stuff out then classic GNR that you hear constantly on classic rock followed by another classic rock song by Bon Jovi. Just like their hockey team the Rivermen, Peoria SUCKS all around. So it finally fades away to where I can get to the Springfield Illinois rock station.

Springfield's rock station started out very strong with Motionless in White to Papa Roach. It all came to a screeching halt as some kiss came on followed by what mainstream media considers rock and then finally back to FFDP. It was up & down till it faded out where I quickly scanned for the St Louis rock station.

St. Louis was great with Alice in Chains, STP, the new Highly Suspect & Godsmack. Then it came to a crashing halt as the typical popular classic rock songs back to back. We finally hit our destination and turned off the radio.

The destination was a good time.

We enjoyed the Cardinals game and watched two legends play their last games ever. Stayed the night, got up headed back home where we endured everything I told you above but with different songs but the same concept. Finally, we hit the outskirts of Barstow on 74 and hear Ryan's voice for his happy hour commercial for Friday. After that was shut up and rock. And I mean the real rock & metal that's supposed to be played on a real rock station, not what mainstream radio rock, etc, etc., with a few classic rock songs thrown in. We enjoyed all of the fantastic rock till we got home.

The reason for this piece or whatever you want to call it is, us in the Quad Cities and the surrounding areas along with all the app users are very lucky to have a true rock station that stays true to what is real rock and metal. That this format that in the form of I-Rock 93.5 is very few and far between which means it is rare to do what the station is doing for us. Ryan plays true killer rock and hard-core metal with all of what people call "the hit rock" that is on the charts thrown in.

There's nothing like what we have here in at least a 4-state radius like I-Rock 93.5. Ryan shuts up and rocks as he says and lets the music do the talking. He wants us, the fans to be part of the radio and the music because he knows he's one of us, a true rocker/metalhead that gets us. He knows that listeners want great music to get us through our hard days at work as well as do what we love when we aren't working. I've always known this but till you actually leave this area and leave without your aux cord and adapter do you truly grasp what's really going on here at Townsquare Media and I-Rock 93.5.

They have brought what every true fan of rock and metal wants.  A station that plays a stellar mix of great rock & metal. Where the station, the DJ, and everyone involved really care about their listeners and want them to be part of the process and what is played by actually taking requests and playing them. Where the one putting the music on the radio wants the fans to come down and join them at events they hold along with concerts and interact with their listeners and actually get to know them. Where it's about the fans and the station being one and having a great time together because that's what this kind of genre of music is about.

In conclusion...

So some final notes here.  Be humble and thankful we have such an amazing radio station here with Ryan that cares for us and the music as much as we care for the music and him. So please share the I-Rock 93.5 Facebook page, the I-Rock app, and everything I-Rock with people that don't know or love this genre of music so they know what we have here and just how awesome it is. And to keep this amazing thing going.

Tell them to get hard and show them how to get hard and why getting Hard with I-Rock 93.5 is the only way to go in life.  It will make them see why we love to get HARD all day, all night, and wake up Hard every morning. So get hard with I-Rock 93.5.