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INDUSTRY REPORT # 56
Catching Up with Marci Wiser
February 5th, 2026 by Traci Turner
While we do not hear her beautiful voice on the LA airwaves daily anymore, we thankfully can hear the amazing Marci Wiser online, sharing her wealth of rock knowledge and interviewing our favorite artists.
When we last spoke, Wiser had exited KLOS, moved up north to San Francisco to join Live 105 for mornings, and was launching a podcast with fellow KLOS alums, Kevin Ryder and Doug “Sluggo” Roberts. Since then, Ryder and Roberts returned to their old KROQ stomping grounds, and schedules became ridiculous. Wiser has since departed the podcast’s regular schedule but will return as a visitor when time allows.
Despite handling the demanding life of a morning show host (seriously – those hours!) on Live 105, Wiser is also keeping busy catching up with our favorite rock stars and sharing new rock on Marci’s Playground. We figured we should catch up with the one and only Wiser ourselves.
Traci: Marci! It’s been a while! I think you’ve been in San Francisco a year, year and a half now?
Marci: Yeah, I got here in October, so a year and three months?
Traci: How does it compare to Los Angeles?
Marci: Well, I mean, it’s beautiful! Where I’m living is a little less city because I was in it in Los Angeles, but I’m in North Bay. Then I just drive into the city every day. It’s beautiful; it’s very green and very lush. A lot of rain. I’ve seen a ton of rain!
Traci: I’m glad you’re doing well up there. I miss you on the podcast, but at the same time, I understand life is crazy.
Marci: Those guys are awesome. I love those guys.
Traci: They still talk highly of you all the time.
Marci: They’re sweethearts. They’re very understanding.
Traci: How long were you at KLOS? I know it was quite a while.
Marci: Yeah, 10 years.
Traci: Was is hard going from the classic rock station to the alt rock? Or is it pretty much the same thing, you just dropped some of the old songs?
Marci: Not really for me. I mean, my sweet spot, what I gravitate toward is a really healthy mix of rock, classic rock, new wave, ‘80s. All of that mixed in. I think it’s really cool what we play here at Live 105 because we do a lot of new music, and it’s stuff that becomes popular, and it’s like, “I knew that before it was cool.” (laughing) It’s important to keep that going, I think.
Traci: What are some of those new bands or new songs that you think, “This is going to be something?”
Marci: Well, sombr is huge right now. He’s on a roll. You got Lola Young, I appreciate her. I mean, she puts it out there. Her song, “Messy,” she’s telling a story. You don’t get a lot of it where you’re telling a story, old-school Johnny Cash stuff. But I think she’s pretty cool. She’s just raw. Very raw.
Marci paused and then went on: Geese is an interesting one. “Cobra,” that’s the song we’re spinning, and I think that one’s a really unique song. You got to love Yungblud. He’s not super new on the scene, but he’s great. I think he’s gaining steam for sure. And I definitely love putting on my favorites, Depeche Mode and The Cure, Ramones pop up.
Traci: Live 105 is being honored by the Bay Area Radio Museum Hall of Fame as the 2026 Legendary Station of the Year. In their words, “The station launched in 1986 and pioneered a modern rock format that built a loyal audience and left an indelible mark on the music and broadcasting industries.” That’s incredible to not only influence a genre, but to still be here as a radio station.
Marci: Yeah, 40 years. It’s pretty cool.
Traci: I know they veered off format for a bit, but went back….
Marci: When we signed back on as Live, everybody in the Bay Area embraced it… it’s palpable. It’s cool. Everybody’s so excited. It’s comforting. It’s that comfort and familiarity that people especially need now, today.
Traci: So true. Now, at this awards show, do you get a tiara or anything? Because I think you should!
Marci: I don’t know. (laughing)
Traci: I’m voting for that. Maybe bring that up. Now back in the old days, new bands got to have that amazing moment of their song being on the radio for the first time. I feel like bands now don’t get that so much, thanks to so many platforms. What is your opinion on that?
Marci: It’s just really hard because there’s so much out there. It’s actually great to get the radio play, so that’s why local radio shows are important. Like Aaron Axelsen on Live 105, he has Soundcheck on Sundays with all the new music.
Traci: Do you remember the first song you fell in love with?
Marci: Yes. Cliff Richard. “Devil Woman.” I had that on repeat so hard. It wasn’t even funny. I loved that. My dad loved Johnny Cash and Jimmy Dean, and that flavor of music, so I grew up on that. I loved that. Those are some early memories. Who was it who sang, “Tammy?” Was it Debbie Reynolds?
Traci: Oh, I think so, because wasn’t that her character, Tammy?
Marci: I think so. I remember that one at a really, really early age. I loved that song. “Southern Nights” by Glen Campbell.
Traci: Well, I know Foo Fighters are somebody you love. Are you excited about seeing them at BottleRock?
Marci: I am excited! I’m glad that the Foo Fighters are getting out there a lot. Their new album is complete, I just heard, so I’m looking forward to hearing that. Just glad to see that they’re putting dates on the calendar for 2026; going to be a good year for them.
Traci: Who else is playing BottleRock besides Foo that you’re excited to see?
Marci: Lorde is great. Papa Roach will be there. I love Papa Roach. I love Men at Work and Backstreet Boys are going to be there. I think it’s so great that they’re bringing so many, it’s like a boy band time warp. Backstreet Boys are back, baby! So that’ll be fun. The lineup is so good. I’m really excited. That’s my birthday weekend, too.
Traci: They should make it Marci’s Birthday Weekend Festival!
Marci: That’s why the Foo Fighters are playing!
Traci: I’m glad they organized that for you.
Marci: Yeah. Dave is really good that way.
Traci: On Marci’s Playground, you’ve had some good guests lately with Matt Pinfield and John Corabi. Where can people watch those?
Here’s a small taste of the Playground. In this segment Marci catches up with Matt Pinfield.
Marci: They are on my YouTube channel, so subscribe, subscribe away!
Get your Marci fix on her YouTube channel and Live 105, which you can of course listen to via the magic of the interwebs.
FOLLOW THE PLAYGROUND on YouTube
As always, thank you to the badass that is Marci Wiser! For your daily Marci fix, catch her mornings at Live 105 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
TO FOLLOW
TO FOLLOW
Marci Wiser on Instagram
SID 260205 | JIMMY ALVAREZ | EDITOR
