Code,500018
Subject,Lawrence Daniel Caswell
Date,7/31/14
Interviewer,Joe Wickens
Abstract,"This interview was conducted as part of Cleveland State University's 50th Anniversary Comemmoration effort. Lawrence Caswell is a native to the Cleveland area and is currently a Radio Engineer for WCPN IdeaStream. He grew up in Bedford Heights, Ohio and enrolled at CSU in 1993. Caswell immediately joined the campus radio station WCSB, eventually becoming its General Manager for a period of time. Along with being a part of WCSB Caswell also was on the staff of The Vindicator and played in numerous bands while attending CSU, most notably This Moment In Black History, with fellow CSU alum Chris Kulcsar. In this interview Caswell discusses his early musical and radio influences along with his experiences with WCSB and The Vindicator. He also describes his friendship with Kulcsar, his experiences as part of This Moment including performing at the South By Southwest Music Festival, the Cleveland music scene, and his current neighborhood of Collinwood. "
Special Notes,
Minutes,
0,Introduction. Born in 1975 and grew up in Bedford Heights. Parents were divorced and spent time in Warrensville Heights too.
1,"Listened to WCSB long before attending CSU. Listened on a transmitter radio hooked up in his closet. Still has ""dub"" tapes. WCPN was also an influence on him."
2,Story of how he could hear his mother listening to  WCPN before he could see her when she would come home. WDMT was a fantastic station in late 70s early 80s. Black station. WCSB discussed. WCSB was all over the place in terms of content. Legitimately free-form station.
3,"""There was a lot of craziness on the air."" Talks shows as a kid. ""CSU late night talk is where the wierdos went."" Didnt start going to concerts until HS so he heard music through WCSB."
4,Started working at record stores. Description of how he found music when he was younger. Different shows that were on the air at WCSB.
5,Knew he was going to join WCSB when he enrolled at CSU. First day after first class went to Rhodes Tower Room 956 and joined. Within a week he was apprenticing at the station.
6,"Second job was at Maple Heights Record Exchange. ""Used record stores are great."" Before that he was a bus boy and it sucked. Got tons of music at Record Exchange."
7,"Talks about how he got music at the Exchange. ""Totally different world now."" The web happened after he graduated HS. Had been on campus a little bit before enrolling."
8,"""My GPA was super low."" Had to test into courses. Intended to transfer after a year, ended up staying a long time. Wasnt into classes in HS. Attended ""Special College."" "
9,"Campus looks significantly different now. ""Everybody called it ""Concrete State University""."" He didnt have a negative connotation with it. Talks about process of joining WCSB. "
10,"In July of 1994 he got his first show, did it for 8 years. ""It was my kind of people, a bunch of people of different stripes."" Its nice that the university doesnt think about it much. "
11,"""Weirdos committed to the mission of the station and university."" Describes the format/content of his show. ""Friday night, good to space out to show."" "
12,"First couple of years he commuted to campus from Bedford Heights. Was a triple major, bulk of physics classes were in the evening. Taught physics labs. Describes daily schedule."
13,"""  ""; Eventually moved into the dorms but didnt stay long. Attended school for 10 years but didnt actually take any breaks."
14,"Actually slept in The Vindicator office sometimes when he started working there. Describes why he chose to study physics. ""Never had any question about what I was going to study."""
15,Talks about how WCSB allows people to stay on if you can provide a service the students cant provide. People tend to be able to stay on if they would like.
16,"Station was being run by Steve Wainsted, great general manager, when he started. Description of Wainsted."
17,"""Everything was running smoothly."" After he left things werent bad, just not the same. He was GM for a year. ""I was a horrible GM."" Always worked multiple jobs while in school. ""WCSB didnt change that much while I was there, more so after I left."" "
18,Description of impact WCSB has on community. Feels people underestimate WCSB. Desciption of current job title.
19,"Talks about why he likes to use the term ""bricoluer"" to describe what he does in radio. "
20,"Has been in a lot of bands, none of them really sound the same. Discusses his association with This Moment In Black History. Names other bands that he has been in."
21,"""I like playing music."" Has met a great deal of the people that he has played with through WCSB/CSU."
22,"Describes recent stop at the former venue Speak In Tongues. Played there a lot and also watched many shows there too. ""Wasnt a better place in the city to see the music I was listening to at the time."" "
23,"Talks about some of the acts that stopped at Speak In Tongues. Physical description of the venue. People lived there in some capacity. ""It was a cat-piss smelling hole, but I saw some great music performed there."" "
24,Talks about why DIY venues generally fail. Some success stories but most ultimately fail.
25,The place that This Moment started was operational up until just last year. Describes how he met Chris Kulcsar. 
26,"""I wouldnt even know Chris if it werent for WCSB."" Talks about playing SXSW. Description of the first time he went. Played in places outside the festival."
27,"""Its super blown out now."" Would play five shows in two days. Describes how a trip to SXSW would play out. Relates story of how van kept breaking down."
28,"""  ""; Doesnt understand how residents can stand the festival. Enjoyed playing the festival early on much more than later."
29,"Talks about Clevelands rock sound. ""I dont really think Cleveland has a sound right now."""
30,"This isnt just a Cleveland thing, other places have the same things going on. Cities used to have their own sound but doesnt see it anymore. "
31,Attributes this largely to people listening to much more variety. Has a hard time describing This Moments sound. 
32,"""   ""; Relates how the group makes music together. Put This Moment into Pandora and didnt think any of the bands sounded like them."
33,Doesnt feel this is a bad thing. Feels that there is an alternative Cleveland rock history. Talks about some of the bands that do not get the recognition.
34,Relates story of Bad Brains getting started. More bands mentioned. Other bands love those bands but people do not love those bands. 
35,"Feels that Cleveland in general doesnt lift up/appreciate the artists that come from here. ""Being awesome and influential, but not in your home."" "
36,Discussion of impact of Clevelands east/west divide on Clevelands music scene. 
37,"""  ""; Description of The Brillo Pad, Corner of Detriot and W. 65th. Transition of areas from ""shady"" places to popular places to hang out. "
38,Thinks city has changed more in last 10 years than any other span in his life. Has never seen the city in such a good place/mood. Doesnt think east/west divide will ever completely go away. 
39,"Compares east/west side divide to how he feels about Pittsburgh Steelers. ""I hate the Steelers but I love Pittsburgh and thaês what its like. Its like rooting for your team."" "
40,"Relates why he loves Collinwood. Physical description of the neighborhood. ""Its a great neighborhood."" "
41,"""It feels neighborhoody."" Loves saugsage and lives in the sausage district. Describes the district. "
42,"""Theres nothing like it and Cleveland is my favorite city."" Talks about how he started working at the Beachland Ballroom. ""Its my favorite place to see a band."" "
43,"Tavern stage is favorite stage to see a band on. ""It is one of the most fantastic places to play and see bands in the country."" "
44,"Talks about what its like for him to go to a show as a fan. Thinks that being a sound engineer has effected how he watches shows more than being a performer. ""The sound always bothers me and I'm anal about my own sound."" "
45,This makes it not as enjoyable. The when the sound is good though it can make a band that he is not really into entertaining. 
46,"Transition to recording history of Cleveland. Talks about Way Out and the Boddies. ""Cleveland has a deep recording history not unlike many other cities, it was a big money maker."" "
47,Description of studio where This Moment recorded last album. People talk about Motown but there were other areas in the country that were overlooked. 
48,"Relates some of the rereleases of old record label materials recently. ""Its great."""
49,"""I learned how to be an adult at CSU."" Learned how to take interests and focus them."
50,"""When I came into CSU I didnt know how to talk to people, I became a full human at this university."" ""I'm glad I didnt leave after that first year."" "
51,Mentions his involvement with The Vindicator. Likes how CSU being a state school protects the 1st amendment for students.
52,Relates what his vision was for The Vindicator was. Talks about why CSU was a great place for him.
53,Relates how he might be making more money if he had gone elsewhere but probably wouldnt be more satisfied. Describes how he became involved with The Vindicator. 
54,Had never used design equipment before but learned how. Worked at The Vindicator until becoming GM at WCSB. 
55,Relates the impact that he felt he had during his time with The Vindicator. Didêt want it to be a strictly African-American paper. Wanted it to be more of a magazine than a news publication.
56,"The Vindicator now looks much more like the paper it was when he left than what it was before, still considers itself to be multi-cultural. *END OF INTERVIEW*"