Popular Radio Show Trio Returns To Charleston

The terrific trio, Brooke Ryan, Tanya Brown, and Mike the Guy are heading back to their beloved Holy City to once again turn up the beat, make us laugh, and make us think. Charleston has been missing something in the four years since their departure and I am thrilled to tell Grit readers that they will be back on Mix 96 WMXZ in September.

Tanya, Mike, and Brooke.

What I love most about this trio is that what you see and hear is what you get. They are quick, funny, and have this chemistry between them. I caught up with Brooke and Mike to ask a few questions.

ACP: What did you all miss about the Holy City the most?  

BR: The sunsets on the bridge. There is something so beautiful and peaceful about walking the Bridge while the sun is setting. It is my happy place. I missed being able to do it whenever I wanted to. That and the food and drinks! Charleston’s restaurant scene is like no other…I’m already making reservations at Hall’s & planning on Happy Hour at Red’s! And last but not least, Bill Murray sightings!

MTG:You name it. The food, the friendly people, the vibe, etc.  But most of all, my house!!  I'm so excited to be back in my Savannah Highway house and out of Tanya's basement in Portland!  

ACP: What did you learn by leaving that you will never forget and maybe changed your perspective?

BR: Just because it’s bigger doesn’t mean it’s better. DC is a bigger market, has bigger buildings, and bigger paychecks, but that doesn’t mean it’s better! I was chasing the Big Fish of my career. I caught it…but all I could think about was Charleston. It’s funny because the things I thought I wanted in a big city (the events, the scene, the hustle), we have in Charleston. It just comes with a hello and a pair of boat shoes, not an “I work on the Hill” and a cheap suit and tie.

MTG: I think we all wanted to try our hand at a bigger market. For Tanya and I was Portland, Oregon working for the same company that used to own 95SX back in the day. What I've learned is the only difference between Charleston and Portland is the traffic...lots more of it.

ACP: You all are the funniest trio that I have ever met, should we expect the same and then maybe some new material?

BR: Expect to laugh the same way you did. Expect to be updated on all things buzzing-- locally, in entertainment, in the news, etc. Expect to get real life the same way you did…but in my four years away, life has changed a lot. Don’t expect me to be out on dates charming the men of Charleston because next weekend I am getting married. That doesn’t mean I won’t be living vicariously through the single ladies and offering up advice and past mistakes…Those who can’t do, teach. Isn’t that what they say? I think all of us, at the core, still have the same beliefs, sense of humor, and opinions…but with time they have evolved. 

MTG:  Of course! I think our lives have become a lot more dysfunctional as we've gotten older.  When Tanya was going through divorce and Brooke was dating a lot I used to have the only stable relationship of the three of us.  Now I'm single and dating after 10 years, Tanya's kids are almost grown and she's got a steady boyfriend, and the shocker of all shockers - Brooke Ryan is getting married! We've had a lot of life changes, which means lots of funny stories.

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ACP: This is such an exciting time for you, Brooke! Marriage and moving.  How do you think this is going to change you when you return? Please tell me that we can still expect some hijinks.

BR: Like I said before. I don’t think my “character” will change that much in that I still am a “party girl.” I’m not the “Dance on the Bars at Market Street Saloon Party Girl” anymore…although with a few Fireball shots you never know. I’m more of the “Opening of a New Restaurant Girl” or the “Happy Hour at Bay Street Biergarten Girl.” I will still be out all the time. I plan on immersing myself in Charleston. I’ve got four years to make up for! I’m still obsessed with pop culture and Britney Spears, that hasn’t changed…and I, in no way, am ready to put on an apron and call myself a housewife (unless it was on Bravo). I’m still Brooke…just a really happy Brooke with a handsome husband.

ACP: Is gossip the same up there like it is in the South?

BR: There was a ton of gossip in DC…I just didn’t care about it because it was all about politics. Tanya and Mike would’ve loved it. I was bored. It wasn’t even the good kind of politics like on Scandal or House of Cards. 

MTG: In Portland I think people were too disconnected from each other to gossip, let alone speak to other humans, when they're on the Max train with headphones on, reading on their tablet, texting, playing a game on their phone, etc.  I always felt like the people there were nice but not extremely connected to each other. You could go an entire day with anyone saying anything to you which some might enjoy, but I never really felt connected to the community like I do here in Charleston.    

ACP: I can tell you that I have never thought of you just as three people, but as three really great hearts that care.

BR: I think that is one thing we all pride ourselves in. We do care and we take action. Whether it's Tanya cooking chili for the Chili Cook Off to support the Charleston Animal Society or Mike emceeing the Pride Parade or my involvement with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It's about being a part of something that is bigger than yourself. It's about helping others. 

Images from here.