For Andy “Andyman” Davis, CD101 program director and co-owner of Andyman’s Treehouse, music has always been a part of life.

Davis said his first memories of music transpired when he was 4 years old and he thought every band was The Beatles. He said his early musical tastes were influenced by his brother and then later by friends. He surrounded himself with people who listened to various types of music.

Davis said he was most drawn to music from rock’s underground.

“My interests have always lied by things that might have been missed by the masses,” Davis said.

Davis made music his career when he joined CD101 in June 1991 as a disc jockey on weekend and overnight shifts.

“I always had this thing about wanting to be in music,” Davis said.

Later in his career, he was approached about working the station’s local music show. He agreed and suggested that it become a daily rather than weekly program.

“I’ve always had a strong belief that radio should support its local music,” Davis said.

Before passing the show onto Jack Devoss, Davis helped promote many local musicians. Even with the help of Davis and Devoss, many local bands have had a hard time breaking into a bigger market.

Davis said the Columbus music scene is full of talent that deserves a chance at a higher level.

“Our local scene is one of the best in the country. We have a diverse collection of people doing their own thing,” Devoss said.

One major problem local bands have is getting noticed. Even if a band has paid its dues in the local club scene, it still can remain relatively unknown.

“Bands have a hard time getting people in the door,” Davis said.

He added that the fault does not lie with the band alone, but many factors contribute to the lack of attendance. He said both bands and venues are responsible for a lack in promotion to attract people willing to use their time and money to hear a band they are unfamiliar with.

“People want a distraction that you don’t have to pay attention to,” Devoss said.

One place in Columbus that supports local music is Andyman’s Treehouse located at 887 Chambers Rd. Davis opened the establishment with his longtime friend Quinn Fallon.

“I brought Andy in the place a couple times before we owned it,” Fallon said. “It was cool, but kind of rough. There’s a bullet hole in the ceiling and someone supposedly died in the poolroom.”

Originally named “The Treehouse” for the 200-year-old silver maple that grows in the building, the bar’s original owner, a fan of CD 101, offered the bar up to the two friends.

“We were in there one night and the place was obviously not doing so well, so the owner just says, ‘Hey, why don’t you buy this place from me,’ ” Fallon said. “We said yes without really thinking about it. In fact, I think I’ve spent more time picking out a video than we did deciding to own the bar.”

The two bought the bar – re-christened Andyman’s Treehouse - and Fallon became the manager. The new venue offers an original experience for both patrons and bands by concentrating on local music.

“It’s the setting,” Davis said. “It’s fun. It’s different,”

In recognition of his work in radio, Davis had been voted as the audience pick for Columbus’ best DJ according to the “Best of Citysearch.”

“I’m very flattered that has happened to me, and I hope it continues,” Davis said.

Davis and Devoss said that a good DJ has to have the ability to talk to the audience and not at them.

“The whole idea is sitting with someone, sharing music with them,” Davis said.

Devoss praised Davis by saying that listening to Andyman is like sitting across from him at a table talking about music.

Davis will host the 11th annual “Andyman-A-Thon” on CD101 this weekend. Davis’s 48-hour DJ marathon benefits the CD101 “For the Kids” children’s charity.