Last time OnMilwaukee.com talked to DJ Brett Andrews was on the Las Vegas strip. The Mequon native, who started his career as an intern at WXSS (103.7 KISS-FM), worked his way from Wichita, Kan., to Lincoln, Neb., finally landing an afternoon drive gig in Vegas.

That was just a few months ago, and when the opportunity arose to return to Milwaukee to continue his career in the city he still calls home, Andrews seized it. He returned to Brew City airwaves June 4, working the 7 p.m. to midnight slot on KISS-FM.

Now that he's settled back into life in Milwaukee, we caught up with Andrews to discuss the transition from Vegas back to Wisconsin, his evolving career, and if we can expect this well-traveled DJ to stick around for a while.

OMC: What happened? Last time we talked, we were sitting across from Mandalay Bay.

Brett Andrews: You caught me before it got old. Vegas is a great place, but Milwaukee is my town. I didn't want to move after I graduated from college, but work took me to these various places, which I'm glad for, and I loved it. But to get the chance to come back to your hometown to do something that you love -- it's not something that a lot of people get to do.

OMC: So how did this go down?

BA: I kept in touch with people throughout the years. When the opening came, I found out about it as soon as it happened. I was not even sure that they'd want me back or if I really wanted to leave Vegas, because it was fun. On the off chance that it might work out, I applied, sending a demo.

OMC: Are you happy with your decision to come home?

BA: I'm spectacularly happy, even though I'm a couple of pounds extra now, because I got some good old home cooking. My family is here, my brother just had a baby, my sister is getting older. It's nice to have the chance to keep doing what you love, but in your hometown. This is my fourth state now in two years, and it's so nice to be home and run into people wearing Brewers shirts.

OMC: How is it different this time around?

BA: I drove from Vegas to here, and it was bizarre to see trees again. Coming from Wichita, which is farmy and flat, to Vegas, which is desert -- when I got into the Madison area and started looking around, it felt smaller because of the trees. There are definitely differences between a place like here and Vegas. People don't party till 4 o'clock in the morning in clubs. But that's fine, I don't either. It's very gratifying, though, because I feel like my career has come full circle.

OMC: How are you a different DJ now than when you left Milwaukee?

BA: I was just getting started when I was on that gig. This was my first chance at doing radio, and I did it on a part-time basis. There's a big difference between doing a radio show once or twice a week, and being on the radio six days a week. I think that my time in smaller markets like Wichita and Lincoln helped me prepare for the grind of a daily radio show. It gets tiring, but being on every single day is something that you have to work up to.

OMC: Are you smoother now than you used to be?

BA: Oh, I'm smooth, baby.

OMC: Do people here that you worked with, the first time around, notice a difference in your on-air presence?

BA: Oh yeah, a majority of the people were here when I was here. I'm actually worse. They say that I'm the worst DJ ever to walk into the KISS-FM doors. No, I'm kidding. There's a lot of hazing, but I consider Wes (McKane) and Ronny (Taylor) to be a couple of my best friends. When you start a new job, it's nerve-racking. But there was none of that here because I kept in touch with so many of the employees. It was a real smooth transition.

OMC: Have you heard anything from your listeners who remember you from before?

BA: I was surprised, because being a part-time jock, you don't expect people to recognize your name. And two years have gone by, so I was kind of expecting one or two people (to remember me). But the level of recognition, people calling me saying, "Hey, welcome back" -- that was heartwarming, man. I loved it, because I didn't expect it. Lots of phone calls and e-mails.

OMC: How do you like the evening time slot?

BA: It's great. In Vegas, I was doing afternoons, and they don't suck. Nights, I think, are a more interactive, a freer form of radio. We can get a little more crazy, and I love the fact that after two months, I haven't yet set an alarm. It's great to have all day to hang out at the pool and do stuff.

OMC: Have you had to tweak your style at all from Vegas?

BA: Sure, you tweak your style everywhere you go. I was working on a largely rhythmic, urban station in Las Vegas. I wasn't playing any rock. Whenever you move formats -- I even done oldies -- I sound totally different. I can be a country guy, too!

OMC: What does the real Brett sound like?

BA: I have no idea. Multiple personality disorder probably runs real high among DJs. You talk one way about the new Avril Lavigne song, you talk another way for the new Snoop song. That's the beauty of Top 40. From one song to the next, you never know what you're gonna get.

OMC: You're engaged?

BA: I am, to a girl named Sonny who I met in Wichita. She came to Vegas with me. She's here in Milwaukee. She's also worked in radio for a while, so she understands the strange lifestyle that I live.

OMC: That sets up my last question ...

BA: I'm done moving, if that's what you're asking.

OMC: Are you putting down roots?

BA: I don't want (my fiancée) to read this article and think we're having babies real soon. You never know what the future holds, but I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. I've done the gamut, been in the small towns. I've been in the glitzy thing in Vegas. And I liked that, but I'm back here. My roots are here, my family is here. OnMilwaukee.com is here -- wassup!

OMC: Yeah, right.

BA: I will definitely be here for a while, if not permanently. I'm happy to be back. And I'm sick of moving, man.