Rubbing Elbows

College Radio: When He Was Young

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a pair of Apple earbuds
  • “Without You,” Lapalux
  • “Paradisea,” Leon Vynehall
  • “Budapest Eskimos,” the Lushlife Project
  • “Bambro Koyo Ganda,” Bonobo
  • “Ghost Hardware,” Burial 
  • “Moon Undah Water,” Puma Blue 
  • “Biscuit Town,” King Krule
  • “German Whip,” Meridian Dan
  • “I’ve Always Liked Grime,” Mall Grab
  • “Red,” the Acid
  • “Us,” Movement 
  • “I Don’t Know,” Nick Hakim
  • “505,” Arctic Monkeys
  • “Golden Skans,” Klaxons
  • “Toi et Moi,” Paradis

Rich Kepler, Kogod/BS ’19, worked his first tour around fall midterms during his senior year at AU. The gig—driving a van up and down the West Coast for artist Mac Ayres—wasn’t glamorous and it paid nothing. Kepler “enjoyed the hell out of it.” 

By spring, he was back on the road for another tour through 10 Asian countries, and a week after graduation, he moved to Los Angeles, surfing couches until he landed his first job. 

Since August 2020, the one-time DJ has worked with Reynolds Management as the day-to-day manager for the Killers. As gatekeeper between the “Mr. Brightside” band and the rest of the world, Kepler manages behind-the-scenes logistics, including guest appearances, press, and collaborations. 

“It feels like I’m in the pharmaceutical business for a drug called music,” says Kepler, a graduate of Kogod’s business and entertainment program, named one of the world’s best by Billboard in 2023. “We’re providing people with an escape.” 

Tune in to Kepler’s mix on Spotify.