Oakland Childers

Following several less-than-stellar years as a metal god, Oakland began a much more lucrative and satisfying career as a music writer. Having lettered in journalism in high school, getting on the staff of his college paper at the University of Delaware was a cinch. Oakland moved through the ranks quickly, outgrowing the paper and the Philadelphia scene, moving on to bigger and better things in the big city, New York. There he became a real music writer, toured the country writing about bands for a now-defunct magazine and got his feet wet in the biz. About the same time he met his wife, Melissa, who was on her way to Boulder to go to school. Before long Oakland was headed out here too. He got a job at the Colorado Daily in 1998 and, with a few small exceptions, never looked back. Today he is managing editor at the Daily and regularly writes freelance music pieces for Alarm Magazine, Alternative Press and Thrasher Magazine. He has a beautiful daughter named Lilli who, when asked what she wants to do when she grows up, answers "anything but the newspaper."