KRTU Host Feature: Dominic Trevino and Noah Slavin of Vibes Live

This month we are featuring Dominic Trevino and Noah Slavin, the hosts of Vibes Live. Their show airs from midnight to 2am on Sunday night. Vibes Live consists of exclusive interviews with local, national, and international acts or music industry entrepreneurs, as well as the tunes they are currently vibing to.

Past guests have included:

- Amanda Fiore, the Chief Operating Officer for Sumerian Records

- Javier Reyes from Animals As Leaders

- Michael Graves from the Misfits

- Michael Mayo

- Los Angeles band, Fever The Ghost

- Los Angeles math-rock band, Standards

- Los Angeles electronic music producer, CK9C

- San Francisco math-rock band, Floral

- Oakland post-rock band, Wander

- New York band, Spud Cannon

- El Paso folk band, Mountain Vibes

- El Paso hip-hop producers, Stan Z and Chris Delucio

- Portland entertainment producers of Five Feet From Famous

- San Antonio Youth Orchestra Director, Troy Peters

- San Antonio record label, TIMEWHEEL

- San Antonio promoter, Ezra Hurd from Imagine Books and Records

- San Antonio local acts:

- Angel Cintron

- Wayne Holtz

- MC²

- Mirame

- St. Dukes

- Vintage Pictures

- Baldemar

- Jaime Ramirez

- Joshua Myles

- Something4Someone

- Noise Quota  

 - Brando

 The interviews are aired along with the music they make or are involved with. Dominic and Noah are looking forward to future shows with influential artists and entrepreneurs in the industry. Below we have included an individual feature on both of them.

    Dominic Trevino

Dominic Trevino is a musician, currently in a local San Antonio band called Mr. Pidge. They have been making music together for almost 6 years. Outside of that, he enjoys cooking, drawing, and watching YouTube.

Dominic’s first experience with indie music was through Neon Indian, Interpol, and the Gorillaz. He enjoys Indie rock and Jazz. Music is very special to him, “It can teach you a lot about the world we live in and make you feel so many wonderful emotions.” 

Right now, he is vibing with the album, Antiphon by Alfa Mist. https://youtu.be/BVO_R8uvMhE

 He first started listening to KRTU in 2012. He would listen to the station during the day during the jazz hours. Then, one Tuesday, he heard Nujabes playing at 2am and he was hooked. 

Dominic and Noah wanted to get involved because they believed they could add to KRTU’s programming by showcasing music from around the world and interviewing those artists. They want to make a radio show by musicians, for musicians in order to document what artists go through to pursue their craft. “Through these interactions, they hope to inspire the next generation of musicians or at least entertain some of y’all.”

 To prepare for the show, they “watch other interviews, documentaries, podcasts, Adult Swim blurbs from the early 2000s, and play Super Smash Bros.”

Dominic treats every interview as a chance to learn something new - taking creative risks and learning from the interaction. Dominic and Noah “strive to have an authentic and meaningful conversation with their guests, but at the same time keep it real and have some fun.”

When they have guests on the show they play the interview alongside the music. Other nights, they freestyle the music and Dominic picks one half while Noah picks the other half. On air, they like to talk about “the human condition, dreams, memes, and music.”

Noah Slavin

 Noah Slavin is a “musician, radio co host, festival planner, marketing coordinator, stargazer, nature explorer, and average gamer.” Noah is the guitarist in Any Color You Like, bassist in Mr. Pidge, and the bassist for Michael J. and the Foxes.

   In his spare time Noah goes to shows or festivals to keep up with a favorite or immerse himself in the local scene. He enjoys hiking and he is currently planning a trip to go stargazing at the McDonald Observatory. He also likes playing Super Smash Bros. and recently Halo. 

  Noah “has a deep love for writing music, taking time with sunsets, talking about space, and eating Mexican food… especially chili relleno burritos with rajas con queso.”

Noah’s first experience with indie and rock music was playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band games as a kid. “Dom and I bonded over beating them on expert. He always kills it on the drums, but he throws it down on the guitar and bass also.” 

     Noah’s dad is a classical guitarist, so he’s been around music from a young age. He also grew up going to shows and festivals. Music has always been a part of his life. He believes writing and playing for indie alternative bands in El Paso and San Antonio has influenced his perception on indie music. In 2013 he wrote a solo album titled Above the Bright Stars. Working with music in many different ways has helped him to define indie as any genre blend and understand how music influences him. 

  Currently, Noah is vibing with De-Loused in the Comatorium by The Mars Volta and the Skyrim Soundtrack. One of Noah’s favorite songs is a Jeff Buckley cover by Brad Mehldau called “Dream Brother” https://youtu.be/9dfMd6ErTm0

Noah enjoys listening to all kinds of music though from gangster rap to metal, folk, math rock, electronic, jazz, funk, reggae, classic rock, and everything in between.

  When Noah moved from El Paso to San Antonio to attend UIW, he began listening to KRTU, it was his source for all things indie. He has always wanted to be involved. Dominic and Noah are big fans of the Live and Local show which, in 2013, was hosted by Jeanette Muniz. At the time their band, Akasha Glow, did a live performance on air. They “loved the magic of being live on the radio with KRTU.” So, In 2019 they pitched Vibes Live. During their first show, they interviewed local band, Noise Quota, and New York band, Spud Cannon. Vibes Live was born.

During their show, Dominic and Noah “love to dive into how the music process starts with the artist, and how they go about keeping the flame going. It’s always a discussion on the journeys within the interviewees' life, and how they released their latest project.” 

Dominic and Noah have a wide music taste so you can expect everything from cello concertos to 8 bit underground music to psychedelic rock on Vibes Live, Sunday nights from midnight to 2am.

“We want KRTU to be enjoyed by listeners from all over the world. We want to bring amazing interviews from your favorite artists. In the future, I want to do a live broadcast in a foreign country showcasing local artists from the area and San Antonio artists. KRTU is an amazing resource for curated music and one of a kind interviews.” - Dominic Trevino

“I hope that KRTU continues to be a powerhouse for locals to share their music, and we both want to make KRTU bigger than ever in San Antonio. We want to put on festivals and help make the scene as big as we can get it.” - Noah Slavin

Vibes Live Playlists

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/vibes-live-radio/pl.u-DdAN8AdCm20LPB

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVG-_-vZszhaz6Z8PVsgjS5A2fXduC9Fn

“Be kind San Antonio. Stay safe. We'll see you soon, internet. Much love.”

KRTU Celebrates Community Hosts

KRTU held its annual Host Appreciation Party to celebrate and thank the 40 community volunteer hosts who bring their passion for music each week to the KRTU listeners. 

The party took place on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, December 4, 2021 outdoors at Hello Paradise, a casual bar located at 520 East Grayson Street in San Antonio, Texas, serving tropical inspired cocktails and delicious authentic Thai food, with the slogan “Better Times Ahead” displayed on a sign under their patio overhang. A perfect sentiment.

KRTU welcomed many of the hosts back to the studio in mid-October, after the station was forced to shut down to volunteers and non-essential staff when the pandemic hit in March 2020. “It was great to see and unite with our hosts again ‘in-person’ to celebrate their dedication to the station,” said KRTU Station Manager, Monica Reina. 

Despite the hiatus, awards were presented by KRTU’s Music Director, Kory Cook recognizing volunteer community hosts who have reached milestone anniversaries for multiple years of service to KRTU’s Jazz and Indie Overnight programming.

Katchie Cartwright, host of Caminhos do Jazz on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., was recognized for 10 years of dedicated service.

Justin Boyd, host of The DubJangle Bumpn'Drone on Sundays from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., was recognized for 15 years of dedicated service. 

Carl Stewart, host of Jazz Caravan on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., was recognized for 20 years of dedicated service. 

Michael Thomas, host of Music For Listeners on Saturdays from midnight to 3 a.m. was recognized for 30 years of service.  

After the awards were presented, Kory gave a toast, “Thank you to all of our community volunteer hosts for your involvement, love and appreciation to KRTU 91.7 FM!” 

KRTU is truly fortunate to have our dedicated community volunteer hosts who graciously share their time,  passion, and music knowledge with KRTU listeners and supporters. Our specialty shows set us apart from other radio stations, with hosts who provide their insight and appreciation for the music every time they crack the mic. Thanks to all of our hosts who unite and inspire our community of listeners.  

Live and Local - January 2022

January 6th - Dolphin Dilemma

Our featured artist this week has been actively performing in the San Antonio area and beyond quite literally since childhood. It has been a joy for Texas music fans to watch Zachariah Appeldbaum evolve as an artist over the years, and we are thrilled to share with you his first release with his latest project, Dolphin Dilemma! Join us as we listen to tracks from the debut album, ROUGH, and learn about the creative and personal journey that this work has taken him on.

January 13th - Joe Louis Salinas

While we focus predominantly on music here at the Live and Local show, we love all forms of Texas art! This week we are turning the spotlight to film with director Joe Louis Salinas to discuss the premier of his film, Off Course. Topics of discussion include the challenges of producing a film independently, the merits of film as a medium, and more.

January 20th - Matheus

Always steadfast in our commitment to bring you the freshest Texas music (direct from the vine, no preservatives or pesticides, certified KRTU organic), we are pleased to share with you this week the debut singles from San Antonio based artist, Matheus. In between enjoying the new sounds, we also chat with creator Matthew Charles about his writing/recording process and where he plans to take the project in the future.

KRTU Host Feature: Joan Carroll

This month we are featuring Joan Carroll, the host of Jazz Voice, airing live on Saturday mornings from 11am - 1pm. Joan is an experienced local jazz vocalist. She has been singing professionally for over 30 years. Joan studied music in college while working full time in a record store. She spends any spare time with friends and family, late-night crocheting, and reading. 

Music has been very important to Joan for many years. Her mother was a fan of Big Band music, so she heard that growing up. She first got into jazz when she was working at the record store. This took her from knowing just smooth and pop jazz to many other genres within jazz. She recalls, “a co-worker turned her on to Betty Carter. That’s how it all started.” She believes, “that people should be exposed to the arts in all aspects of life.”

Lately, she has been listening to a melody she heard on Bradley Kayser’s show Riffs. It is an instrumental version of “Love Theme from Spartacus” with Yusef Lateef playing oboe, from his album Eastern Sounds. “It totally knocked her out. That doesn’t happen very often, but she loves it when it does.” She has spent a lot of time listening to other recordings of it or trying to find other versions. Her favorite vocalists are Mark Murphy, Shirley Horn and Laura Nyro.

Joan Carroll has been listening to KRTU since the 1970s. She would listen to Opera on the weekends and Jazz in the evenings. In 2003, when the format changed to all jazz, she was excited for the change. She had a radio on her desk at work that was tuned to KRTU all day. She liked KRTU’s non-profit, listener supported, college radio format as well as the music she heard from volunteer hosts who play music they love. She believes it is an important part of a thriving community. Joan decided to ask the Program Manager at the time, Aaron Prado, what she could do to become a DJ. Aaron asked for a proposal, so Joan followed up with an all vocal jazz program and it was accepted. She has been doing her show live since December of 2003.

Since Joan is a jazz singer, avid listener, and music collector, she has an extensive knowledge of the genre. Her show hasn’t changed much since the first show, if anything she is more comfortable with being a live DJ. Joan is always looking for vocal music she has not heard before and sharing it with her listeners. Her favorite genre of vocal jazz is improvisation or scat. She likes hearing singers improvise because it is exciting. She also enjoys vocal groups like New York Voices and Singers Unlimited. During the week, she will hear or think of an idea that will inspire her to play specific pieces on her Saturday show. Sometimes she will pull from her collection of CDs or if it is a singers’ birthday she will play a long set of their music. During her show, Joan likes to share details about the band members and when a piece was recorded. She “likes hearing information about what she is listening to, so she talks about what she thinks is important context for the recording.”

“I think KRTU is doing a great job working with the community and keeping true to our jazz mission. I want to see us keep growing and I hope to be a part of KRTU for a long time.” 

- Joan Carroll

Live & Local - December 2 Interview w/ Milli Mars

Live and Local - December 2021

December 2nd - Milli Mars

Milli Mars has been making some big waves in San Antonio, Austin, and beyond. The Texas rapper has grown in popularity over the years through countless hours in the studio, drawing an audience on YouTube, and receiving airplay with DJ Wonder on SHADE 45. This week, we get to listen to his latest album, King of a One Horse Town, as well as discuss his creative process with producer 36th, and what would make a hip hop artist want to own a vegan cookie company.

December 9th - SYRUS

We hope that everyone is as excited about the return of concerts in Texas as much as we are here on the Live and Local show, and SYRUS has quite a show in the works to preview with us tonight! We will discuss the event, as well as listen to some of their recorded work and learn how this project began.

December 16th - Elise Road

We are thrilled to once again be bringing live performances to our fellow Texas music enthusiasts over the air! This week, we are joined by neo-soul artist Elise Road live in the KRTU studio. We have certainly enjoyed her recorded work over the past couple of years and very much look forward to bringing her live sound to KRTU listeners via 91.7FM in San Antonio and world wide on the KRTU app.

December 23rd and 30th - 2021 Audio Scrapbook

2021 has been quite the year for Texas music! As restrictions slowly lifted and new safety protocols were put in place, musicians across the state emerged from their creative lairs and serenaded us all with their labors of love. We had the privilege of listening to a wide variety of sounds and discussing a wide variety of topics with many of these artists. Join us as we reflect on these conversations and look forward to the new year!

Live & Local - November 11 Interview w/ The Wizard

Live & Local - November 2021

November 4th - The Please Help

Our featured artist this week is The Please Help, brain child of Phil Luna and brought to fruition by the work of his fellow bandmates. In their latest release, Solar, the band covers topics ranging from human nature to interpersonal relations to the wonderment of everyday life. We get to hear several tracks from this work and also chat with Phil about the writing and recording process.

November 11th - The Wizard

In our second ever second time artist feature, we catch up with The Wizard in this week's episode of Live and Local. Always working diligently and letting the creative juices flow with reckless abandon, the trio has brand new music to share with us as well as tales from the studio and teasers for what's to come. In between listening to their latest album, Texas Heat, Vol. 3, we chat with the band about how their sound has evolved, recent live performances, and Joel's obsession with swords.

November 18th - Mt. Borracho

We are thrilled to once again be bringing live performances to our fellow Texas music enthusiasts over the air! This week, we welcome Mt. Borracho to the KRTU studio and enjoy their unique brand of noise/drone/post-techno. Tune in to be bathed in these soundscapes in real time.

Concert Review: Men I Trust @ Paper Tiger

By Anna Shockley

Some of my fellow indie music loving buds and I headed to the Paper Tiger on Saturday October 23rd to hear the Montreal based band, Men I Trust. We were greeted by a long line of other fans, anxiously waiting to be let inside.

The opening set was 23 year old singer-songwriter Micheal Seyer. Originally from the Philippines, now based out of LA, Micheal put on a laid back yet pleasant performance (except for the baby yoda, that was eventful). If you’ve never listened to his music, I would compare it to Men I Trust having a music baby with Babe Rainbow with slightly less direction and fewer lyrics. To make matters more awkward, the sound booth was in a funny mood, so the few lyrics he did sing were muffled and inaudible. Even though I am being slightly critical, I really did enjoy his set, all things considered. My friends and I got to chat with him afterwards and we were not surprised to discover that the chill and nonchalant attitude from his music perfectly represented his disposition (I love you Micheal Seyer).

By the time Men I Trust came on, the crowd had buffed up substantially. Everytime I go to Paper Tiger, I am continuously blown away by how small the room can feel during an empty concert, but how big the room can feel when fans are stacked from wall to wall. This concert was sold out, so the room felt massive. The stage was composed of the lead singer Emma Proulx, the bassist Jessy Cason and multi-instrumentalist Dragos Chiriac. They played some of my personal favorite songs including Tailwhip, Seven, and finished off with Show Me How, after the crowd demanded an encore.

The lead singer Emma Proulx has an aura of confidence that almost, dare I say it, makes her music sound better. All three of them make good music and look happy doing it. The camaraderie and stress free energy between the three of them made it easy to forget I was at a concert and not in their basement. The crowd clearly picked up on this laid back energy. Everyone was friendly and clearly excited to be at the show.

Despite the technical shortcomings, the overall performance was pleasant and laid back, which is what I was looking forward to. I did find out afterwards that the same technical issues from Paper Tiger, have happened at every venue in Texas so far for the bands, so I hope they resolve it for their remaining tour (Do better Texas!). Peace out, I hope to see Men I Trust back in San Antonio soon!

Pictured: Will Beauchamp and Micheal Seyer at Paper Tiger