Like any good parent, Mike "Haze" Dejesus says that he'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite "child."
"From Collapse Into Reason and 30 Stones and Stone Coyotes to my 'babies that made it big time'—Staind, Killswitch, Shadows Fall—I was and still am proud to break a lot of these on the air," the former Lazer 99.3 FM jock says of the audio offspring he helped nurture with airtime and plugs during his nearly 12-year stint at the popular Valley rock station.
In addition to manning the afternoon drive slot for the better part of that tenure, Haze, who closed the mic for the final time at Lazer on Friday, April 17, had long-since endeared himself to the local music community courtesy of his two Sunday evening specialty shows.
"You know, there was a time when DJs had some say in the music and how their show was produced," the affable man of the airwaves explains, "but those days are long gone. So to have two shows like I did—Operation New Noise and the Big Bang Music Explosion—where I was literally able to select the entire content… it was the thrill of a lifetime—and undoubtedly what I'll miss most."
As one who has had some of his original musical masterpieces spun by Haze in years gone by, the Crawler can personally attest to the fact that said thrill is reciprocal, too.
"[There's] definitely nothing like hearing your tune on the airwaves," concurs local musician Eric Arena. "I remember Haze first hooked me up in 1999, with my high school band The Naked Tangerines. He announced us, and we all jumped around like giddy little school girls and felt like the coolest band in the world… at least for those three and a half minutes."
As for the future, Haze says he hopes to pursue a career in voiceover work—building upon a body of work that already includes several hundred commercials he has produced to date. Anyone with leads in that arena who wants to hook Haze up for change can email him at mhaze993@aol.com.
Meanwhile, over in Amherst, no less than the likes of Shokazoba, Fine & Dandy Trio, Primate Fiasco, PrideFalls and Limited Sight will lend their considerable talents to a free music fest aimed at bolstering the shared automotive experience. On May 2, these bands, all their fans, and a slew of guest speakers, vendors and more will consume Kendrick Park from noon till 6 p.m. for the Ridebuzz Music Festival, a free event in support—and celebration—of ride sharing. For more info on both the concert and the cause, kindly point your browser to ridebuzz.org.
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In a somewhat similar fashion, Noho-based singer-songwriter Carrie Ferguson is looking to create a buzz—as well as raise some funds—for her new studio effort.
"I'm trying to finally finish my first big record, and I'm nearly out of money," she explains.
Instead of giving in and crying in her milk about the way the cookie crumbled, however, Ferguson has planned a Music & Cookies Extravaganza—a multi-act show laden with dough that will feature performances by Rythea Lee, Plump, Span of Sunshine and others in addition to Ferguson at the Wildlife Sanctuary in Florence on May 2 from 3 till 6:30 p.m. Suggested donation is $10, and all proceeds go towards the completion of Ferguson's CD.
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Last up… how does Jason Bourgeois of Bourgeois Heroes celebrate director Wes Anderson's 40th birthday? With a shindig at the Elevens this Friday, May 1, wherein The Fawns, Dave Houghton, Sitting Next To Brian, Thane Thomsen and a host of the other assorted usual suspects will each perform one original, followed by a work from an Anderson soundtrack. "My Anderson fandom began when I was 16 and saw Rushmore," Bourgeois explains. "It instantly became my favorite film, and remains so today."
Send correspondence to: Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to: (860) 698-9373.
