2
The Battalion
STATE & LOCAL
Photo by Fredrick D. Joe
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© 1990 Orion Home Video.
All Rights Reserved.
a BOY OF THE YEAR Production JOHN LARROQUETTE KIRSTIE ALLEY “MADHOUSE"
ALISON La PLACA JOHN DIEHL JESSICA LUNDY BRADLEY GREGG DENNIS MILLER
.na ROBERT GINTY «"DALE” mu* By DAVID NEWMAN r*n t«o, MICHAEL JABLOW
Production Deslqncr DAN LEIGH Director of Ptrotography DENIS LEWISTON Co-Produced By DONALD C. KLUNE
MTh 10-9
F&St 10-11
Sun. 1-9
Located on the corner of Texas & SW Parkway
in the Winn Dixie Center, College Station
MAJOR CREDIT
CARDS
ACCEPTED
‘It hits you at the emotional level. ’
DJ spins 60s, 70s classics
By ISSELLE MCALLISTER
Of The Battalion Staff
“It’s only rock and roll, but I like
it. ’’— The Rolling Stones
D.A. McDowell is his name and
the evolution of classic rock ’n’ roll as
it spans the decades is his game.
This self-proclaimed “rock philo
sopher” hosts “East of Midnight,”
playing oldies from the ’60s and ’70s
on 1240 AM KTAM.
Although some say McDowell is
merely a rock historian, he insists
there is indeed a distinct philosophy
behind this music.
McDowell tries to communicate
the attitudes, ideas and ideals of that
period in his show by not only shar
ing bits of history with his audience,
but by showing how music and cul
ture mirror each other.
The Jefferson Airplane song “So
mebody to Love,” for example, was a
result of the 1967 Summer of Love
in San Lrancisco, just as “Money for
Nothing” by Dire Straits is areaction
to MTV, he explains.
Part of the appeal of classic rock is
that “it hits you at the emotional
level, at the gut level and at the intel
lectual level,” he says.
The Beatles, McDowell’s favorite
band, did this better than any others,
he says, and this reflects in many of
the song choices on his show.
“They were ahead of the times as
far as music reflecting culture,” he
says. “Through their evolution, they
actually were dictating music trends
and leading the music culture be
cause they were on a deeper, more
innovative, experimental level.”
He says the powerful influence of
John Lennon, his favorite member
of the group, made The Beatles
more experimental and innovative.
“John is my favorite because of his
cultural leadership to a whole gener
ation,” McDowell says. “More so
than Bob Dylan, Lennon trans
formed a generation’s thoughts. He
was the feel, guts and pulse of The
Beatles. Their pulse came from the
rhythm guitar, John’s instrumen-
t,and that flavor runs through their
music.”
The evolution of The Beatles co
incides with the evolution of the ’60s.
“Initially, The Beatles were
oriented toward teen-agers,” he says.
“Middle Beatles were laid back and
acoustic, then there was the psyche
delic phase with Sgt. Pepper’s. Later
Beatles was more segmented.”
In his show, he tries to capture the
spirit and emotion of the era by re
creating the context in which music
emerged for his listeners, many of
whom were too young to experience
it for themselves.
Among the rock philosopher’s
many fans are college students.
Citing author Timothy Leary, Mc
Dowell says many of today’s students
turn to classic rock because they feel
they might be missing some of the
excitement of the ’60s and ’70s.
But the times are different today,
he explains.
“Protesting for the sake of pro
testing is unproductive,” he says.
He believes this generation should
focus on solving society’s problems.
McDowell grew up in a musical
family and is an accomplished musi
cian himself.
His mother wanted him to be
come a concert pianist but McDowell
rebelled and turned to rock ’n’ roll.
McDowell was drawn to music be
cause of the spirit of adventure and
the freedom from conformity it of
fered, he says.
“It doesn’t mean be self-destructi
ve,” he says. “It just means be your
self.”
And he does just that.
The 6-foot-1 radio personality
sports a sandy blond Beatles “mop
top” hairstyle and has traveled
around the country in an old black
van that says “rock classic” in large,
bright letters.
In that van he carries several
books on music and philosophy that
he reads to enhance his own knowl
edge to share with his listeners.
Rock ’n’ roll and D. A. McDowell
almost are synonymous. He was “at
the hub of classic rock as this era was
forming,” he says.
The rock philosopher, who has a
B.A. in philosophy, was a recording
artist, a nightclub performer and a
published songwriter before trying
his hand at radio.
Photo by Fredrick D.Joe
McDowell browses through
KTAM’s CD library during his
show “East of Midnight.”
In the early 1970s, his song “S-
trawberry’s Tuesday” was on the
charts. He opened for groups like
Chicago, Steppenwolf and the Tur
tles.
“I really was there,” he says. “I can
express that firsthand.”
After a few years of working as a
performer, he tried his luck in the
business world, partly to appease his
parents and partly to see what else
life had to offer.
But his career as a stdckbrokei
was short lived.
“I hated it,” he says.
Turning back to music, his first
love, McDowell went “on the road,”
playing various clubs and hotels that
led him to College Station where he
has lived for three years.
McDowell has been hosting “East
of Midnight” for more than seven
months, and says he enjoys it.
Radio broadcasting is something
he always wanted to do, he says, bul
he still is experimenting.
“I’ve always been a player,” he
says. “This is the first job I’ve had in
over 10 years.”
Are you tired of the
juggling act?
Are you tired of fiuessinfi what ‘normal* is?
Is your family Governed by any of these rules?:
Don’t talk
Don’t feel
Don’t trust
Must control
YOU ARE NOT ALONEl
Come Join the weekly informal meetings of
Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families.
Call the Center for Drug Prevention and Education
at 845-0280 for time and location.
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