MIX’s Carpool Casanova Returns with Promo in Pink

A pink house, a very creative team, a hot pink suit and a seriously cool car made for a fun way to relaunch MIX 101.5’s Carpool Casanova back into Triangle society for the 2022-23 school year. MIX Mornings Air-Personality Bryan Lord spiffed up for a fab new promo. With WRAL-FM Video & Graphics Producer Joe Ristaino behind the camera there is no stopping the musical maestro.

From Buffet Dining to School Superstar
The Carpool Casanova actually began as the K&W Casanova.

“He’d show up and serenade 80-year-olds eating baked spaghetti,” explained Lord. “But then Covid hit. Then ‘bye bye’ K&W Cafeterias. We resuscitated the Casanova that Fall with a vision of transforming him into the Triangle’s Premiere Source of Carpool Entertainment. Nailed it!”

Last year the Casanova performed for over 20 schools across the Triangle. Now the carpool crooner says he is embarking on Season 2 with new energy, a pink suit, and a white Rolls Royce.

“Bryan came to me with the pink theme and brainstorming we came up with the pink house in Cary, a fancy car (we couldn’t get a pink one unfortunately), and a bit of sequence of events,” said Ristaino. “Most other details we sorted out on-site, like dancing on the bleachers and in front of the goal post at Apex High School. We definitely had fun riding in a Rolls Royce and turning heads in downtown Cary and at AHS.”

The guys had inside help obtaining AHS as the school backdrop for the video; Lord’s wife, Kate, is a teacher there.

“Tons of people have their fingerprints on this video,” said Lord. “Joe and I steered the vision, while the opinions Kyle Smelser, Sarah King, Sammy Simpson also provided awesome input that shaped what you see. Sheila Ogle and Liza Weidle of “Cary Pink House” were so generous. Sheila drove back from Asheville that morning just to watch us use her incredible house on Academy Street. And of course, Carlos Dubon from Rolls Royce Raleigh is the man insane enough to let me borrow a car. Love him for that!”

“It was a thrill to meet Sheila, the owner of the infamous ‘pink house’ in downtown Cary, who was incredibly generous and enthusiastic about having us film at her historic home,” said Ristaino.

“The gritty behind-the-scenes reality was that it was pretty hot outside and some real sweat was put into the video–especially from Bryan–but you would never know it from how cool he looks,” said Ristaino.

MIX’s Carpool Casanova made his first appearance of the school year at Vance Elementary School on Friday, September 2. The crooner’s goal is to sing and dance at one school per week this season.

“It’s mood dependent,” Lord told Capcom. “Sometimes you wake up feeling like belting Hall and Oates. Some mornings it’s MJ. Last season I wouldn’t finalize my setlist til I parked at the school. If I’m feeling Bruno Mars at 5am you better believe the Casanova is singing Bruno Mars at 7am.”

Lord loves sharing his early morning tunes with carpoolers, their families and school staff.

“My favorite Casanova moment thus far is from Hunter Elementary,” he said. “Those people are insane. I love it. We had teachers on the 2nd floor opening up their windows and dancing. And the kids were soooo fun! But they always are. High schoolers…that’s a different story. The Casanova doesn’t visit many high schools.”

Stay tuned to WRAL-FM MIX 101.5 and the station’s social media for the next stop on the Casanova tour!

Thanks to WRAL-FM’s Bryan Lord & WRAL-FM’s Joe Ristaino for these Capcom photos & for this Capcom video.