IE Rewind: Remembering Lin Brehmer: Media – September 2018
Lin Brehmer
WXRT morning man Lin Brehmer is more than just a friendly voice on 93.1 FM every day, he is your âbest friend in the whole world,â a moniker he has used now for several years. âBut I usually say it in a pathetic âwhy donât I have any friends at allâ whine,â he points out.
Donât let his humility fool you. Brehmer is beloved by the 93XRT audience. They feel like they know him, because, they probably literally do. Brehmer is everywhere. We spoke a few days after Lollapalooza, and Brehmer had been burning the candle at both ends for four or five days in a row – Lolla by day, and private parties and additional concerts at night (including a Jack White party at the Metro). It may have been an extreme example, but it wasnât unusual for him. He makes many charity appearances, seems to be at every concert, every Cubs game, and yet there is one thing waiting for him every time that he cannot escape. âThe alarm goes off at 4:00, or 4:30,â he says.
How is he still alive after maintaining a schedule like that all these years? âEveryone asks me that. Iâm not sure. Iâm naturally a night person I guess,â he explains. âEven when I donât go out at night, I stay up until 10:30 or 11 or later if the Cubs are on the West Coast. Iâm just wired that way. In the afternoons I take a nap, and thatâs usually enough. But to be honest, Iâm often a walking zombie.â
If youâve ever seen Brehmer in public, you know that he is not one of those guys who sits in the corner and doesnât want to be bothered. Even in his zombified state, heâs very approachable, like most of the XRT jocks. And the listeners arenât shy about approaching. He thinks he has an explanation for why XRT listeners feel the way they do about the stationâs air talent.
âWeâre not stars,â he says. âWe didnât get into this for the attention or to say âlook at me!â We got into this for the music. We donât sound like DJs. We sound like normal human beings. We sound just like the people who are listening, and we share a common bond. We like the same music.â
Brehmer started at WXRT as the music director. At the time, he wasnât known for his on-air performance at all. But ever since a one-year stint in Minnesota, after which he came back to XRT to replace Terri Hemmert, he has been the morning guy. Thatâs a very impressive 27-year streak, nearly unheard of these days. âIâve been very fortunate,â he admits. âThis is a very cool job. Iâve met just about everyone Iâve ever wanted to meet. I met Robert Plant five or six times, spent long periods of time with Pete Townshend. Met Bob Dylan when he did a show at the Metro a few years ago.â I asked if there was anyone still on the list that he never got the chance to meet or interview. âThe only one I can think of that Iâve never met–and I wish I had–was Tom Petty. I was in the same room as him a few times, but I never got the opportunity to chat with him. Thatâs a regret. He was very important to me. The first record I ever played on the radio was a Tom Petty record.â
Part of Brehmerâs appeal is his knowledge of music (he was once known as âThe Reverend of Rock and Rollâ), but his show is much more than that. He is a rare combination. There have been some great ad-libbers in music radio history, and there have been a few who have had the writerâs heart. Very few can do both. Brehmer manages to walk that line. Go to his live remotes (like the one he and sidekick/newscaster Mary Dixon do every year on Opening Day at Wrigley Field), and youâll see a guy who can improvise and think on his feet. Then listen to his regular feature Linâs Bin and hear his other side. Itâs essentially an elaborate written essay answer to a listenerâs question, complete with sound effects, movie quotes, and musical tie-ins. And itâs not done on a whim. Brehmer spends a lot of time and effort on this feature.
âIâve probably done a thousand of them or so by now,â he says. âBut it is a lot of work. I usually spend a day or two letting it ruminate in my brain. Then we go through several drafts until I think I have it right. I send audio tracks to my old producer Pete Crozier, who lives in the Columbus area now, and he helps put it together. He was my producer the first ten years, so I really trust him with it. He does it as a labor of love. My current producer Chris Cwiak also helps out. By the time it airs, itâs been through the ringer, and Iâm really proud of it.â
Linâs Bin isn’t on as frequently as it once was, but it still airs weekly. To say itâs one of a kind is an understatement. âItâs not exactly the way a program director would draw it up,â he concedes. âThere arenât a lot of PDs out there saying âHey, we should have the morning guy do a four-minute written essay!â Iâm appreciative to XRT for allowing me to do it all these years.â
Lin Brehmer can be heard on the radio from 5:30-10am, Monday through Friday on WXRT 93.1 FM. He can also be seen at night at a concert venue, ballpark, restaurant, or charity event near you.
-Rick Kaempfer
