Local community radio station CKXU, 88.3 FM is in the middle of their annual Fundrive this week, which means they are looking for a helping hand to help keep providing you with 24-7 commercial free music which you can’t hear anywhere else.
So with that in mind CKXU is holding a variety of events around Lethbridge this week, in addition to taking pledges and attempting to reach their goal of $12,000.
“It is the one time of year we solicit our listeners in the community to donate anything they can to help us run efficiently as possible in the highest quality possible,” said CKXU executive director Jorden Ager, adding they aren’t just taking money, they are giving mass schwag in return.
The schwag includes the CKXU Friends card which also comes in keychain form this year and entitles listeners to discounts at a variety of businesses around the city as well as t-shirts, hoodies, water bottles and even CKXU hot sauce. The money helps to upgrade equipment like CD players and turntables among other things needed to keep the station running smoothly.
What you get depends on the amount of the donation.
CKXU DJs play music you don’t hear on any other radio stations. Styles range from bluegrass to indie rock and everything in between including blues, modern rock, punk, garage rock, jazz and classical.
There is even a show dedicated to video game music and another dedicated to old time radio programs. They even have a show dedicated to the local art scene.
The station has a special place in my heart because they were a big part of my university experience back in the day when they were CKUL and only heard on cable FM. Now they are on the air and can be heard in most parts of the city. I can even get them in my car almost as far away as Fort Macleod.
Plus they let me do an old school punk show, Wednesdays, 8-9 p.m. which uses a lot of their impressive vinyl collection, not to mention my Friday night blues show, the Hotrock Blues Beat, Fridays 6-8 p.m.
To take a twist on the old saw about Albertan weather, if you don’t like what’s being played, just wait five minutes. And the DJs include university students and commmunity members of all ages, who choose much of their own programming so they aren’t beholden to record companies. This means local musicians can get a lot of airplay on the station which they probably wouldn’t anywhere else.
In honour of Fundrive CKXU has numerous events happening this week.
Things kicked off with Synthesesia, Oct. 29 — a well attended event at the NAAG gallery , which featured local music including Lustre Creame and Pilgrimage of the lost plus artists adding their inspiration to a huge CKXU mural in one of the studios.
The next big event this week is a special screening of the movie held in conjunction with LPIRG, “Girls Rock,” in the Galileo gallery on the Student’s Union Building second floor.
The Arne Johnson and Shane King film is described as “at rock ‘n’ roll camp, girls ranging in age from eigth to 18 are taught that it’s okay to sweat like a pig, scream like a banshee, wai
l on their instruments with complete and utter abandon and that it is 100 per cent okay to be exactly who you are.”
It takes place at 7 p.m. in the Galileo’s Gallery, Nov. 3.
But the big event happens at the Slice, Nov. 4, when CKXU goes grunge for “Louder Than Love.”
“It’s all super groups,” Ager described adding members of local bands Lustre Creame, Planet Telex, Fist City, the Myelin Sheaths, the Record Holder, Fist City and the Darby and Joan Club will be reinterpreting ’90s grunge and alternative rock hits.
“We don’t expect just covers of people trying to sound like Nirvana or Soundgarden. We want them to be unique, putting their own twist on the songs,” he contined. Admission is eight dollars. The show will start between 9 or 9:30 p.m.
It is a costume party, so dust off those Doc Martens and grab those torn jeans and plaid shirts and get ready to rock it ’90s style. There will be prizes for best outfits.
Find out more about Fundrive and these events online at www.ckxu.com, or just tune in to 88.3 FM. Or just click on the radio link on the left hand page of L.A. Beat.
DJs will be talking about Fundrive and playing their music all week long.
