Coverage of the Burke Real Ride
Shannon Burke parks the Real Bike at Destination Daytona
The weather was great for a motorcycle ride on May 13th the date set for the WTKS 104.1 Real Ride with host Shannon Burke of the Shannon Burke Show.
Cindi and I got to the WTKS studios around 11:00, a little late considering the ride was to leave at 12:00. We started out early enough from Melbourne, but because this was our first trip to this location, I got lost.
Looking around, it looked like a pretty good turn out for a first time ride event. I was in a hurry to find out some information on the best way to cover the ride and get some good pictures, so I asked who was the event coordinator. I was told his name was Jeff Wagstaff and pointed in his direction. Talking to this jerk was a total waste of time for photo journalist trying to map out an event. This guy tells me he is going to have Interstate 4 closed down and there was no way I would be able to get my car next to the group to take pictures. In complete disbelief in the way this guy treats the media and that he would be able to accomplish shutting down an interstate, I went to talk to one of the FHP officers to get some ideas. It was suggested that I leave ahead of the group and shoot from a top one of the Interstate 4 overpass bridges. Sounded good to me. The only option I had since this so called event coordinator had the power to shut down a US Highway. Oh yea, and when I questioned Wagstaff about it, he says “watch me”.
The Real Ride heads up I4
As you can see by this picture, Mr. Wagstaff was not as almighty as he might wish. The Interstate was not closed, instead the real ride was escorted to their destination by the Florida Highway Patrol. Here you can see the leaders of the pack riding behind the escort of the FHP and the Destination Daytona trucks. Heading up the ride was, of course, talk show host Shannon Burke on the Real Radio chopper with Dirty Jim of the Monsters of the Morning show and his wife next to him. Dirty Jim was riding Shannon’s custom screaming eagle Harley-Davidson, so I am sure that he wanted to keep a close eye on him. Especially since a few days previous the Monsters had an unplanned burnout contest between Drunky the Bear on the Real Radio Chopper and Dirty Jim on Shannon’s bike. The skit was suddenly called to an end after Drunky dropped the chopper in the lot of JZ Riders in Sanford, Florida.
Following the leaders included Bruce Rossmeyer owner of Daytona Harley-Davidson and Destination Daytona, Daniel Dennis, SBK ( Soul Brother Kevin), Drunky the Bear and other radio show personalities which I show below.
After taking a few shots from the Interstate overpass, We tried to take a back road to catch up with the ride. Unfortunately, we caught them just as the final few bikes were pulling into Destination Daytona to park for the festivities.
Motorcycles parking at Destination Daytona
More pictures from the Shannon Burke Real Ride can be seen at Ironhorse Photography.
I don’t get to listen to the radio as much as I would like to. It is too distracting while I am working at my keyboard. Usually, the only real time I do get the opportunity to listen is when I am in route somewhere. When I do get the chance to listen, 90% of the time I listen to talk radio and usually that is on WTKS Real Radio 104.1 out of Orlando. The music stations in my area are not worth listening to and I can catch up on some of the news, current events and opinions by listening to talk shows. Out of all the shows on 104.1, I like the Shannon Burke Show the best, followed by The Phillips Phile and finally The Monsters of the Morning.
Well, the shows are not in that order, that is the order I favor them. So, here are a few shots of the people of Real Radio 104.1 and their shows.
Shannon Burke Host of the Shannon Burke Show
Shannon’s opinions are not always something that I agree with, but if they were, it would not make his show as interesting. One thing about him, when he does have an opinion on something, you will have a difficult time changing it, if ever. Shannon rides and incorporates a lot of topics of biker lifestyle into his show. That’s a big plus! You can catch the Shannon Burke show from 11:00 til 3:00.
SBK Soul Brother Kevin Co-Host of the Shannon Burke show
Kevin Co-Host of the Shannon Burke show
Soul Brother Kevin aka SBK got his name when he started as intern with the Monsters of the Morning, which at that time was at midday. Confused yet? SBK quickly gained popularity and moved on to be with Shannon. Kevin adds an opposing view to topics that come up on the show and hosts his own show SBK Live on Saturday nights at 7:00 til 10:00
Daniel Dennis Producer of Monsters of the Morning
Daniel seems to be a cool cat, although I have never met him personally. He adds to the show and is what I would call an asset to the atmosphere. Daniel has a great collection of tee shirts.
Blackbean Co-Producer of Monsters of the Morning
Blackbean or Black Bean? I am not real sure how his show name is spelled. Together with Daniel as a team have pulled off some of the funniest and best radio skits to happen. The way these two guys put a skit together you can almost see it even though it is on radio.
Drunky the Bear from the Monsters
I am not real sure what Drunky’s job description for the show is. I know he will go out of his way for a beer and to make people laugh.
Bubba “whoopass” Wilson music director for the Monsters
Bubba writes most of the music for the Monsters who not only have the radio show, but a band as well. Bubba also does a segment called correct me if I’m wrong that is a satire ( I think ) on redneck philosophy.
Sexy Savannah (no longer with 104.1)
Savannah was with the Monsters of the Morning when I first started listening to Real Radio. In my opinion ( I am entitled to it, this is my Blog! ) back then, the Monsters show and the band was at their best. Sexy Savannah had a segment called in the mind of Savannah that wondered aimlessly and pointlessly, but was humorous. She had a falling out with the show host Russ Rollins and moved on to be on the Shannon Burke Show. That did not last long and now she is on another O Town station. Savannah is pictured above with my wife Cindi Odom.
Dirty Jim with the Monsters
Dirty Jim adds to the Monsters show with an opposite point of view on just about everything. His best trait is he knows how to disagree, even when it is pointless and usually is. Notice in the picture that he his holding in his hands a can of beans. The very same can that Blackbean and Sexy Savannah are holding. The story? OK, if you insist, I will tell you.
My wife Cindi Odom and I ( Mike Odom ) are photographers. This you probably already are aware of, if you have read the rest of my Blog. This can was used as a prop for a web site called Beans Around The World, you can read more about the travels of the can of S & W Blackbeans at the site. The basic idea is that this can of beans travels around the world visiting famous places, events and people. We decided to get in on the travels by carrying the can of beans up to Daytona Beach for Bike Week to photograph it at the world famous event. You can see the story and pictures of what we did with the can of beans at On the Road to Daytona Bike Week 2005.
Because we had previously photographed some of the Monsters holding the can of blackbeans, except at the time, Dirty Jim. Cindi tried to get a little bit of extra publicity by calling in to the Monsters radio talk show. Now Cindi has a small speech problem that comes out more when she is excited. So any way Dirty Jim being the kind of person that he is and I have previously described, jumped right on Cindi implying that she had been drinking. The other members of the show seemed to detect that it was a speech problem, but Jim insisted on it being a drinking problem. Months later and after the call was forgotten during the Real Ride we had the opportunity, because we had the beans with us, to photograph Dirty Jim holding the can of beans. Cindi took the can to him and asked him to let us take a picture. He allowed the picture and it appears that in real life, maybe he is not so bad after all. I think watching his face as he met Cindi and heard her voice that he recalled the morning of the call in.
May 14th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
[...] can read my post Coverage of the Burke Real Ride about last year’s ride to see more about how the event went and meet some of the WTKS Real [...]