For the Love of Christ, What is Up with Q105?

I grew up listening to Q105. That’s right, before I developed taste in music, I would tune in regularly to WRBQ, Morning Zoo, and Mason Dixon with his recorded laughter tracks. If you peered into my bedroom circa 1984, you’d certainly find me singing along with safe standards like The Fixx, Michael Jackson, and Cyndi Lauper.

Oh. The. Horror.

Eventually I discovered WMNF, mixed tapes, and the Cuban Club. When Cathy and I started prank calling the station back in 1986…Amber and Shandi lives…the end was quick and painless. I soon forgot all about Top 40 radio, its censored, dissected tunes that represented the lamest of corporate rock, and never looked back.

Q105 was dead to me.

Recently, though, I began listening again. The station now plays Oldies from the 1960s and 1970s and occasionally such songs provide a history lesson from which my kids could learn to appreciate music.

Or so I thought.

This morning we were driving along, minding our own business, singing along with The Beatles…when the DJ started talking about Jesus.

I looked at the radio dial.

104.7? Check.

Nasal twang indicating Mason Dixon was the DJ in question? Check.

Okay, I thought. Where did John Lennon and Paul McCartney go?

I looked again at the numbers and felt perplexed. We weren’t at the bottom of the dial where Crazy lives. What were they doing at the top of the dial talking about The Lord?

Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing inherently wrong with Jesus-based music programs. It’s just not our bag. If we wanted to listen to morality covered up with bubblegum pop by singers devoid of talent, we’d listen to The Jonas Brothers. I wanted the goddamn Beatles.

For about fifteen or twenty minutes this morning, Mason Dixon had Jesus on the brain. He talked about a modern Christian group “playing the devil out of the guitar” and “burning up” the Christian charts. He bored all two listeners with anecdotes about another duo who headlined at the Tony Dungy breakfast last year.

Yawn.

Then he discussed the station’s website and how “y’all” could listen to Christian rock all day long at their sister station (eye-rolling) The Faith 104.7.

After listening to him and his *co-stars* talk about songs like Lead Me to the Cross, I figured the music might actually be an improvement.

I was wrong.

Then Mason wondered about a recent government program to help car owners trade in their gas guzzlers to buy fuel-efficient automobiles.

“I’m all for helping the environment,” he said, “but who’s gonna pay for it?”

Then he played a commercial from Ernie Haire Ford.

Needless to say, Q105 is now dead to me again. There is something distasteful about a conservative Christian radio station hiding behind the early days of rock-n-roll while proselytizing during commercial breaks.

At least The Joy FM has the balls to advertise their denomination and to hell with cool.

If I scan past and hear music, perhaps I’ll stop to sing along. But once the Crazy Talk starts, I get going. I’d rather my kids listen to Bubba the Love Sponge or Howard Stern. Or The Beatles.