Bare with me for a very long story....
On Sunday October 23rd, Boomboxery member Dr DER (David) and I, along with our wives drove to Irvine, California to meet the legendary Rap group 2 Live Crew for an interview for Boombox Magazine. Below is an account of what took place and what happened to my freshly restored Lasonic TRC-931...
My brother Will (DarkSideWill co-editor of Boombox Magazine) and I contacted 2 Live Crew a few weeks ago regarding an interview for Boombox Magazine, once we saw they would be in Southern California. They were performing at the Beach Goth festival in Santa Ana, California. I told them we would make it fast, maybe take 15 minutes of their time, ask a few boombox related questions, get a few pictures and get out of their way. I spoke on the phone a few times with Mr Mixx and he told me they moved a few things around for us to give some more time.
Dr DER and I (along with our wives) arrived at their hotel in Irvine early and set up the tools we needed for the interview, go pro camera, audio recorder, ect. I brought my freshly restored Lasonic TRC-931 and Helix HX-4636 and Dave brought his Panasonic 5150. From speaking with Mr Mixx on the phone, he had told me that he used to own a few Panasonic's back in the 80's.
Brother Marquis was first to come down stairs and we had a chance to talk radios and mix tapes followed by Mr Mixx. The full interview will of course be in the next issue of Boombox Magazine. But it was when Dr DER bought out his Panasonic 5150 that things got interesting. Immediately Mr Mixx said "That's the one I had!" A huge smile came over his face and the mood really changed. At this point we had gotten the interview and it went from business to a stroll down memory lane. Mr Mixx and Brother Marquis were kind enough to sign some 2 Live Crew tapes and albums for us including Dr DER's 5150 when they both said, "You should interview this guy too" and pointed to Sammy Vegas of Public Enemy who happened to be standing just off to the side with other members of their entourage. He was kind enough to sit down and speak with us which will also be added in the magazine.
One of the subjects him and I spoke about is the fact that Chuck D's Tecsonic MX-900 Boombox was just added to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It is a radio Public Enemy has toured with since day one and he spoke about how they really hounded him and that he reluctantly gave it up. I asked if they had found a replacement or were looking. He told me they had been looking for another box to take on tour, but didn't even know where to begin looking for one.
It was at this point that I offered him my freshly restored Lasonic TRC-931. I told him he could have it IF he was really going to take it on the road with Public Enemy and he assured me he would. The look on his face was of complete and utter shock! He repeated assured me that he would indeed take it with him to their next tour dates in Australia next month and would rock it on stage. Words that he would repeat to me later on.
I then turned to Mr Mixx and told him, that Dr DER and I would track down a Panasonic 5150 and do a full restoration on it and get it too him. The man was blown away! He was quick to text me his home address and we continued to talk Boomboxes.
But that's not where the story ends....
That's where the story begins!
At this time, their limo van showed up to take them to the show and Mr Mixx said, "Are you coming with us too the show?" Dr DER said, "No, we don't have tickets and we just came to do this interview". Mr Mixx said "Follow us and we'll handle it". We all loaded up in our cars and got in a line of other vehicles and hit the freeway. It was about a 20 minute drive, my wife and I were last in the line thinking, "Well, we'll see what happens". What happened next blew our minds!
We arrived at The Observatory, a concert venue in Santa Ana, California. The limo pulled up to the "Artist's Entrance" gate and the 2 Live Crew tour manager jumped out of the Limo Van and told the person at the gate "These 5 cars are with us!". OK, now we are through the gate. The limo van parked close to the entrance and we, along with Dr DER and the other vehicles were waved through to park at the other end of the lot. I told my wife "Well, this may be the end of the line". We parked and hurried over to where the limo van was and sure enough Mr Mixx was there telling the event manager "I need passes for all these people". The event manager didn't look very happy, but without questioning him, she pulled out wristbands for all of us. The whole group then walked into the backstage area packed with "Starwaggon" trailers and up to one marked "2 Live Crew" and in we went.
Mr Mixx asked if we needed anything to drink, were we hungry, showed us how to access the venue, where the backstage entrance was, where the bar was. His tour manager Debo repeatedly told us to go eat and pointed to a hospitality tent marked "Artist's only". They treated us like we have known them for decades.
We hung out in the trailer with them, back stage with them as their dancers got ready. Both Brother Marquis and Mr Mixx reminded us of the show times and where to be to get ready and then, we all walked together, through the stage entrance, into the back stage and ONTO THE STAGE and the show began!
We filmed the whole show, start to finish. The place was CRASHINGLY PACKED! Even the backstage area was a mob scene while they performed.
They rocked the house to the ground and as soon as they walked off stage, they walked up and asked us if we were having fun!
Back stage were other musicians along with pro skater Tony Hawk, whom I got my picture with and spoke too!
It was over the top! A short time later, they asked us to go back to the hotel for the after party, but we declined.
As a musician who performed for 25+ years, toured and opened for countless pro bands, I have never been treated with such humbling kindness and respect. Both Mr Mixx, Brother Marquis, their manager Debo and everyone in their camp were over the top.
To be honest, I didn't know what to expect. 2 Live Crew have a reputation of being total wild men, but as I learned, It's all part of the show.
And as for my Lasonic TRC-931, I hope it spins the globe on tour with Public Enemy. Right as 2 Live Crew was about to take the stage, Sammy Vegas (AKA Sammy Sam) came up too me back stage, still blown away that I gave him the radio and said "I'm going to walk on stage at our very next show with that box on my shoulder, mic in hand and yell out props to you!"
I'll tell ya, I have done about everything there is to do with a Blaster. I rocked a box in the 80's when they were brand new. I have rebuilt them, customized and tricked them, traded and swapped them, met members from all over the world because of them and if that 931 goes on the road as a replacement for Chuck D's Tecsonic MX-900 that ended up in the Smithsonian Museum then I have truly done it all. And who knows, maybe that 931 will end up next to Chuck D's old Tecsonic MX-900 when it's all said and done.
Look for the full interviews of Mr Mixx, Brother Marquis, DJ Chop and Sammy Sam in the next issue of Boombox Magazine
A huge thank you to David "Dr DER" for coming out and helping me with this interview and also to Mrs Lasonic TRC-920 (aka my wife) and David's wife for all their support.
Regarding the 5150 for Mr Mixx...
Dr DER and I have tracked down a Panasonic 5150, which will need a full rebuild, it is $75 plus shipping. I will do the rebuild and ship it out to Mr Mixx, if anyone is interested in pitching in on this effort, please PM myself or Dr DER. Thank you.
Mr Mixx
Tony Hawk, Dr DER and myself
On Sunday October 23rd, Boomboxery member Dr DER (David) and I, along with our wives drove to Irvine, California to meet the legendary Rap group 2 Live Crew for an interview for Boombox Magazine. Below is an account of what took place and what happened to my freshly restored Lasonic TRC-931...
My brother Will (DarkSideWill co-editor of Boombox Magazine) and I contacted 2 Live Crew a few weeks ago regarding an interview for Boombox Magazine, once we saw they would be in Southern California. They were performing at the Beach Goth festival in Santa Ana, California. I told them we would make it fast, maybe take 15 minutes of their time, ask a few boombox related questions, get a few pictures and get out of their way. I spoke on the phone a few times with Mr Mixx and he told me they moved a few things around for us to give some more time.
Dr DER and I (along with our wives) arrived at their hotel in Irvine early and set up the tools we needed for the interview, go pro camera, audio recorder, ect. I brought my freshly restored Lasonic TRC-931 and Helix HX-4636 and Dave brought his Panasonic 5150. From speaking with Mr Mixx on the phone, he had told me that he used to own a few Panasonic's back in the 80's.
Brother Marquis was first to come down stairs and we had a chance to talk radios and mix tapes followed by Mr Mixx. The full interview will of course be in the next issue of Boombox Magazine. But it was when Dr DER bought out his Panasonic 5150 that things got interesting. Immediately Mr Mixx said "That's the one I had!" A huge smile came over his face and the mood really changed. At this point we had gotten the interview and it went from business to a stroll down memory lane. Mr Mixx and Brother Marquis were kind enough to sign some 2 Live Crew tapes and albums for us including Dr DER's 5150 when they both said, "You should interview this guy too" and pointed to Sammy Vegas of Public Enemy who happened to be standing just off to the side with other members of their entourage. He was kind enough to sit down and speak with us which will also be added in the magazine.
One of the subjects him and I spoke about is the fact that Chuck D's Tecsonic MX-900 Boombox was just added to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It is a radio Public Enemy has toured with since day one and he spoke about how they really hounded him and that he reluctantly gave it up. I asked if they had found a replacement or were looking. He told me they had been looking for another box to take on tour, but didn't even know where to begin looking for one.
It was at this point that I offered him my freshly restored Lasonic TRC-931. I told him he could have it IF he was really going to take it on the road with Public Enemy and he assured me he would. The look on his face was of complete and utter shock! He repeated assured me that he would indeed take it with him to their next tour dates in Australia next month and would rock it on stage. Words that he would repeat to me later on.
I then turned to Mr Mixx and told him, that Dr DER and I would track down a Panasonic 5150 and do a full restoration on it and get it too him. The man was blown away! He was quick to text me his home address and we continued to talk Boomboxes.
But that's not where the story ends....
That's where the story begins!
At this time, their limo van showed up to take them to the show and Mr Mixx said, "Are you coming with us too the show?" Dr DER said, "No, we don't have tickets and we just came to do this interview". Mr Mixx said "Follow us and we'll handle it". We all loaded up in our cars and got in a line of other vehicles and hit the freeway. It was about a 20 minute drive, my wife and I were last in the line thinking, "Well, we'll see what happens". What happened next blew our minds!
We arrived at The Observatory, a concert venue in Santa Ana, California. The limo pulled up to the "Artist's Entrance" gate and the 2 Live Crew tour manager jumped out of the Limo Van and told the person at the gate "These 5 cars are with us!". OK, now we are through the gate. The limo van parked close to the entrance and we, along with Dr DER and the other vehicles were waved through to park at the other end of the lot. I told my wife "Well, this may be the end of the line". We parked and hurried over to where the limo van was and sure enough Mr Mixx was there telling the event manager "I need passes for all these people". The event manager didn't look very happy, but without questioning him, she pulled out wristbands for all of us. The whole group then walked into the backstage area packed with "Starwaggon" trailers and up to one marked "2 Live Crew" and in we went.
Mr Mixx asked if we needed anything to drink, were we hungry, showed us how to access the venue, where the backstage entrance was, where the bar was. His tour manager Debo repeatedly told us to go eat and pointed to a hospitality tent marked "Artist's only". They treated us like we have known them for decades.
We hung out in the trailer with them, back stage with them as their dancers got ready. Both Brother Marquis and Mr Mixx reminded us of the show times and where to be to get ready and then, we all walked together, through the stage entrance, into the back stage and ONTO THE STAGE and the show began!
We filmed the whole show, start to finish. The place was CRASHINGLY PACKED! Even the backstage area was a mob scene while they performed.
They rocked the house to the ground and as soon as they walked off stage, they walked up and asked us if we were having fun!
Back stage were other musicians along with pro skater Tony Hawk, whom I got my picture with and spoke too!
It was over the top! A short time later, they asked us to go back to the hotel for the after party, but we declined.
As a musician who performed for 25+ years, toured and opened for countless pro bands, I have never been treated with such humbling kindness and respect. Both Mr Mixx, Brother Marquis, their manager Debo and everyone in their camp were over the top.
To be honest, I didn't know what to expect. 2 Live Crew have a reputation of being total wild men, but as I learned, It's all part of the show.
And as for my Lasonic TRC-931, I hope it spins the globe on tour with Public Enemy. Right as 2 Live Crew was about to take the stage, Sammy Vegas (AKA Sammy Sam) came up too me back stage, still blown away that I gave him the radio and said "I'm going to walk on stage at our very next show with that box on my shoulder, mic in hand and yell out props to you!"
I'll tell ya, I have done about everything there is to do with a Blaster. I rocked a box in the 80's when they were brand new. I have rebuilt them, customized and tricked them, traded and swapped them, met members from all over the world because of them and if that 931 goes on the road as a replacement for Chuck D's Tecsonic MX-900 that ended up in the Smithsonian Museum then I have truly done it all. And who knows, maybe that 931 will end up next to Chuck D's old Tecsonic MX-900 when it's all said and done.
Look for the full interviews of Mr Mixx, Brother Marquis, DJ Chop and Sammy Sam in the next issue of Boombox Magazine
A huge thank you to David "Dr DER" for coming out and helping me with this interview and also to Mrs Lasonic TRC-920 (aka my wife) and David's wife for all their support.
Regarding the 5150 for Mr Mixx...
Dr DER and I have tracked down a Panasonic 5150, which will need a full rebuild, it is $75 plus shipping. I will do the rebuild and ship it out to Mr Mixx, if anyone is interested in pitching in on this effort, please PM myself or Dr DER. Thank you.
Mr Mixx
Tony Hawk, Dr DER and myself
