The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bert Show celebrates 20 years on the air
Anticipating failure, Bert Weiss turned show into a success.
Bert Weiss in 2001 had spent a decade as a sidekick on different radio shows. But he was itching to be the lead guy.
Brian Phillips, who helped launch alt-rock station 99X a decade earlier, was starting up a radio station on a new signal in Atlanta to take on the at-thetime pop champ, Star 94.
Called Q100, Phillips needed a morning show and hired Weiss.
Weiss needed a good producer, so he picked Jeff Dauler, who had strong credentials at stations in Philadelphia and Phoenix. Dauler became Weiss’ sardonic sidekick, always ready with a witty aside or joke.
He recruited Melissa Carter from 99X, where she had been the morning newsreader and would become the first openly gay morning host in Atlanta and show’s voice of reason. He also felt like he needed a recognizable name, so he convinced Lindsay O’brien — fresh off MTV”S “Real World Seattle” — to be part of the original Bert Show team.
On March 23, 2001, he debuted the show to, what he jokingly said at the time, four listeners. He wasn’t that far off the mark.
In a recent chat, the vivacious musician talked about the 20 songs written for his next release, his love of The Kinks and how much he misses the energy of performing live.
Q: For people unfamiliar with your background, where have we heard you?
A: I moved to Athens in ’93 and played there with the Nathan Sheppard Band and started to get to know some of the guys from R.E.M. We were touring frats and sororities, and I thought, I’ve got to move toward older people with kids! So, I came to Atlanta in 1995 and have been here since, except for Los Angeles from 2007 to 2010 for an opportunity with Ghost Hounds. When I came back to Atlanta in 2010, Sonia Leigh came into my world, and we toured for two years. I played with Five Eight (in Athens) for nine years. They’re in the process of doing an edit on a new documentary that will blow you away. And a lot of session work. I always get these random calls from people I don’t even know!
Q: What’s the status of your next album? A:
I’ve got 20 songs I’m really excited about. Hop ( John Driskell Hopkins) coproduced my last album, and he said you have a vision, and I agree with your vision, and let’s move forward with it. I didn’t want to make an album that’s, “Hey look what I can do on the drums.” I want to be a little different with this album. I write songs that move me and hope they can move other people. The name of the album, which has become conceptual, is “Departures and Arrivals.” I really feel when we’re born, there’s a journey already put in place. It sounds spiritual and hippie-dippie, but don’t fight it; just kind of go with it. I expect to have it out this year. I’ve done (both albums) independently, but I’m always open to opportunities. I say I’m going to lose $10,000 putting this record out, but it means something to me. I want people to think when they hear my songs that I’m doing it for people to hear my message. It’s an expensive way to do that. (Laughs).
Q: What’s the story behind the title? A:
I either go to airports to be excited about going on tour or my son (Kaden, 16, who lives in Holland) coming to visit or with dread. What a bookend — it’s like births and deaths.
Q: Do you think you’ll get to play any of these
songs live soon? A:
I feel like an empty shell not being able to play live, to get on a drum set without that energy, without your bandmates and to play like I normally do. You have to reinvent. It’s like a person with a leg injury starting to heal — how do you get back on that treadmill? I try to take that energy and think about other musicians who are having issues. It’s so completely sad. I hear from so many musicians, “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this anymore.” It’s such a steep hill to climb. The physical aspects I really miss, especially as a drummer. For me now, how do I stay active physically? I walk the dog and play drums and try to say OK, what’s our new norm?
Q: Who have you been listening to lately? A:
I’m always about singersongwriters. I’ve really watched a lot of videos to see what people are doing because I don’t want to do what other people are doing. A lot of my time is engrossed in the projects I’m working on. But my standbys are The Kinks — they have an endless catalog. And I’m a big fan of Neil Finn. I’ve been watching a lot of documentaries, probably 90% of them musicrelated. I’m always looking to inspire myself.