Media: August 2019
Twenty years ago this summer Phil Manicki started working for the radio company Bonneville International. At the time they also owned The Loop (WLUP), and just a few years later would create a brand new radio station called The Drive (WDRV). Manicki became part of the on-air lineup on that very first day and has been there ever since, even surviving a change of owners (Hubbard Broadcasting now owns The Drive). Eighteen years and counting at one station. In radio, thatâs several lifetimes. How has he managed to stay in that job in this volatile radio world?
âI keep the [photo] negatives that I have of the bosses in a very safe place,â he jokes.
In real life, Manicki is a humble Southwest side (Kennedy High School) boy-next-door. He looks like a guy youâd meet at the Home Depot and chit chat with about the latest White Sox game. You would never guess that Manicki is a rock & and roll disc jockey at night. And youâd never guess that he genuinely had a passion for the music. But all of those things are true, and that authenticity is what has helped Phil form a bond with his audience.
âThat may sound corny,â Manicki says, âbut itâs true. The connection to the audience is real. The love for this music runs deep, but itâs evolved into more than just the music. Weâre doing appearances–weâre out and about. Weâre seeing people and making face-to-face connections.â
I wondered how people react when they meet him.
âPeople know what you look like when youâre on TV, but they donât really know what we look like [when you’re on the radio]. Still, when they meet us, itâs like theyâve known us forever. The radio is not just in your house. Itâs in your car; itâs on your phone; itâs in your pocket–the world has changed so much over the past twenty years. Weâre so mobile. Itâs so personal now.â
In these last twenty years, Manicki has seen everything at The Drive.
âI really enjoyed the birthday parties we did–the free concerts,â he says. âJoe Cocker, the Moody Blues, Peter Frampton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dennis DeYoung, Heart, Crosby, Stills & Nash. That was amazing to see all of these guys and even meet a few of them.â
And he still has moments on the air that bring him joy.
âWe do a feature called âThe Long One” at 9, which is a long song – over 6:30 minutes long – every night. We all have one feature [segment] that we control, and thatâs mine. It makes it more fun and allows you to show a little personality and share with the audience things that really mean something to you.â
One thing that truly means something to Manicki is rock & roll. I see a bit of that passion when I ask him if rock & roll is dead or dying.
âRock & roll is very much alive and well,â he says emphatically. âOne band, in particular, shows me that–Greta Van Fleet. Iâve seen them live three times. They are the future of rock and roll. Itâs like it was when we were growing up…âWhen is the next album coming out?â âWhat are they going to do next?â These guys are kids, 21-22 years old. And Iâm not that age (ahem). But I love them.â
What has he learned over his two decades on the job?
âIâve learned that you have to be consistent. When youâre surrounded by some of the best jocks in the business, you have to step up your game. You borrow something from Bob Stroud or (Steve) Seaver. And then you put in the pot, stir it up, and make it your own. Playing classic rock is a challenge because there arenât any new songs. But thatâs part of the job. Youâre an entertainer. When you do a tease, you come up with new things about that same song youâve played before. You have to keep it fresh. If youâre having a bad day, you canât have a bad day on the radio. That just comes with practice, with doing it every day. When the shit hits the fan in your personal life, you have to leave it outside the studio door when you walk in.â
Another challenge he faces is his timeslot. Manicki is on the air at night (7 PM-midnight), which means keeping a regular family-man schedule a little more complicated.
âThatâs true,â he admits, âalthough Iâm not complaining. But when I come home, Iâm still on a high, and I canât go right to bed, so I have to sleep in shifts. During the school year, I bring my kids to school in the morning, so I have to wake up with them. The negative part of it is that I canât really bring them to practice or games on the weeknights, but I do have the weekends, and I do get to spend plenty of time with my family.â
Manicki also considers the audience part of his family, something he points out to me when I ask him if he wants to say anything directly to them.
âThank you for sticking with us,â he says. âThe music is what draws us all together, and thatâs not going to change. Thanks for your love and passion for the music. Thatâs real. Weâve been around for a while, and weâve gotten to know each other, and that tie will always bind us.â
– Rick Kaempfer
