WQSV Profile:
Joe Wislar
How did you come to be involved with WQSV? And how long have you been involved?
I thought the station had some incredible shows and hoped that I might be able to contribute, so I pitched some ideas to the station manager. Eventually, the station found itself needing a holiday music show in 2021 and they gave me a chance. That was the Jolly Old Elf Show. It went well, so I proposed some show ideas again, and A Glance into the Abyss landed in fertile soil.
When did you start DJing? Are there any DJs who influenced you? Or something/someone else who influenced you?
I started making non-traditional holiday mix tapes (yes tapes!) for my friends back in 1993. A few years later I found out that my biostatistics professor (Dr. “Dandy Don” Hedeker, also of the Polkaholics) did the same thing, and he invited me to co-DJ an annual holiday music night at this bar frequented by old punks in Chicago. We did that for around 20 years until I moved away. I’m still making those annual mixes for my friends and have never repeated a song. I also briefly DJ’d a punk & psychobilly night at another old punks club in Chicago.
Talk about your connection to music/the role music plays in your life?
I really latched onto music in high school. My brother got into hardcore punk, and I got into goth, post-punk and “college rock”. After that, there was always music playing, much to our parents’ chagrin. It was nearly a 2-hour drive to the nearest cool record store, but I went as often as I could trying to discover new music at the store and from ‘zines and labels. When I moved to Chicago, I spent all my free time and money going to shows and buying records. I saw a lot of iconic bands in small clubs. Later, I decided that I wanted to learn the upright bass. I played in a rockabilly band (Hot Rod Hucksters) for a long time. During that time, I also ran a big traditional hot rod show (Hunnert Car Pileup) and booked all the bands (rockabilly, surf, garage, country, bluegrass, punk, psychobilly, etc) for that event. So, music is a big part of my life and there is always some sort of soundtrack running in my head… sometimes it’s Christmas music… which can be a little annoying.
Describe your show.
“A Glance into the Abyss” is a post-punk show. “Post-punk” is a broad category, but I generally stick to the darker side of the genre. I play a lot of new and old post-punk, goth… new wave, cold wave, dark wave, no wave, anyway it’s still rock & roll to me. If you now have a Billy Joel hit from 1980 stuck in your head, you can hate me later. Not sure what post-punk is? Tune in and find out.
“The Jolly Old Elf Show” (see what I did there?) will hopefully rear its tinsel-covered head again this holiday season. For that show, I play non-traditional holiday songs, or traditional holiday songs done a little differently. That means a mix of punk, surf, hip-hop, goth, funk, ska, country (and Western!), garage, rockabilly, metal, post-punk, and good old rock & roll, but all holiday songs.
Who are some of your favorite musicians and why?
Mark Lanegan was a prolific songwriter who consistently put out great music. He never disappointed. His deep, mellow voice was captivating, especially when it floated through the psychedelic noise of early Screaming Trees records.
Sonic Youth had also put out consistently great albums, often comprised of feedback and odd tunings. They incorporated art, noise, politics, anxiety and angst like no one else could.
Nick Cave has mellowed lately, but his work with Roland S. Howard, The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds played a major role in establishing that moody side of post-punk early on. His early work expressed raw emotional energy while his later work has been deep and introspective.
The Chrome Cranks have a driving, growling bass, reverb laden guitar, pounding drums, and chaotic vocals howled into the mic. What’s not to like?
What is your first memory involving music?
I have vague memories of my parents playing classical, Christmas and folk music, but my strongest early musical memories are hearing Dr. Hook on my bedside clock radio and playing the “Star Wars” soundtrack (double vinyl with a poster!) which I still have.
What was the first concert you attended?
Aww, jeez. Air Supply, The Power of Love Tour. 1985. Fox Theater, St. Louis, MO. I still have the shirt (which may, or may not, still fit me). On the other hand, 2 years later I saw Hüsker Dü in a small club at their next-to-last show ever. So, I got better. A few years after that I watched the Replacements break up for good on stage, so maybe I shouldn’t see bands perform live.
How do you go about building your show?
I usually start by picking a few songs that I just want to hear that week. Then I try to add songs so that the music and mood flows throughout the hour. Sometimes I build a show around a theme, like non-English vocals, women’s voices, a political issue, transportation, cover songs, etc. Those shows are extra fun for me because of the added challenge.
Do you have any particular criteria when selecting music for your show?
It must be good, of course. I like to play a mix of original and new post-punk, but I also like playing with those boundaries, throwing in songs that are more punk, or dance-oriented, or otherwise postpunk-adjacent. Regardless, I try to avoid well-known songs.
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