02-04-2025
Ahead of relaunch, KQRS has played nonstop Soul Asylum, R.E.M.
KQRS is teasing big changes.
The station has been "under construction" this week, going DJ-free as it prepares for a format change that will be unveiled on April 3 at 6 a.m.
On Tuesday, the station played Soul Asylum's "Somebody to Shove" on repeat through the morning, which some listeners on social media dismissed as an April Fool's Day joke. The band posted the playlist, asking, "What's going on at KQRS?"
One commenter on Soul Asylum's post likened the repeating song to a '90s stunt where 93X played R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" on repeat before unveiling a format change and rebranding as "The Edge." (The station reverted to the 93X name in 1997.)
Then, on Wednesday, KQRS spent part of the afternoon playing "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" on repeat.
By the afternoon, it had resumed playing a mix of songs along with a prerecorded ad teasing that host and Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman would be returning to the airwaves soon.
The station's Wednesday playlist notably featured a mix of songs released in the '90s like Alice In Chains' "Man in the Box," Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," Counting Crows' "Mr. Jones," and Smashing Pumpkins' "Disarm," among others. It's a bit of a departure from its classic rock format that generally focuses on pre-'90s rock music.
KQRS' shakeup began last month when KQ Morning Show co-host Brian Zepp was laid off, which caused fans of the radio personality to start a petition to bring him back.
Details on what comes next at the popular classic rock station will be revealed on Thursday morning.
