The Rhythm Section Has Its Say

Our 15th weekly round-up of news and info and thoughts

The League Has Officers Officially

Though we incorporated the League of Volunteer Enthusiasts of KDHX a couple months ago, it took us a bit to get the by-laws written and passed, and then we needed time to hold a valid election. The results of the election are in. We have three co-chairpersons in the organization - Ital K, Rich Reese, and Chris Schwarz (aka DJ X24). Jeff Corbin is our secretary, and bobEE Sweet is our treasurer. Congratulations to all these individuals, who have already contributed so much to our efforts to restore integrity and community to KDHX.

Money, Money, Money

Our fundraising efforts have been very good so far, but of course, we are still looking to get enough in the bank to apply to any exigency we may need in our legal battles. We have been looking into ways to allow the money people have pledged to this Substack newsletter to be accepted without messing up our editor’s tax situation. Until then, though, the best way you can support our efforts is to donate at our gofundme page. We appreciate everybody who has donated so far and we would love to have you join us.

Speaking of appreciation, the support of all the small businesses who signed the Declaration of Independents has thrilled us. Don’t forget, if you are looking for the right restaurant, shop, bar, or service to make you happy, those listed last week and below are all HIGHLY recommended. Tell them thanks for supporting your favorite djs in exile.

Here are the businesses who signed up after last week’s newsletter went to press:

Brass Clarkson - Brass Monkey Designs
Randy Raley - KBDZ Radio
Andrew & Michelle Mueller - Shameless Grounds
Dave Shogren - US International Foods
Nick Pence - Seed & Sawdust
Katie Kelly - Shanti Yoga & Wellness
Jen Guss - Down the Rabbit Hole Boutique
Jen Cullom Guss - Headcase Hairapy Salon
Jeff Frelich - Skank Productions, LLC
Francis Rodriguez - Yaquis on Cherokee
Dan Nace - Tone Stinger Guitar Pickups
Jeff Ryals - Jeff Ryals Communications
Tim Howell - Skiptomylou Pedicab
Wade Alberty - Third Wheel Brewing
Rebecca Brinkhorst - Beqi Clothing
Keith Watson and Sarah Baraba - Arkadin Cinema & Bar
Matthew Sawicki - Suburban Pro Studios
David Samuels - Universal Sewing Supply
Janet Maevers - Retro101/Cherry Bomb Vintage
Tim Meehan and Martha Valenta - I Need That Art
Karen Dysart - Karen Kirchoff-Dysart MA, LPC (mental health therapy)
Eileen Gannon - St. Louis Irish Arts
Nichole Danielle - ChopShop East
Jim Purk - PurkWorks, LLC
Luke Reynolds - Molly’s In Soulard
John-Paul Fortney - F & R Wine Imports
Ed Barr - Essential Harmony Bodywork
Tom Fredericks - Archway Anodize
John J. Dunphy - The Second Reading Book Shop
Mary Beth Bussen and Sarah Kelley - Union Studio
Roger Bailey - Headstrong
Michael Weiss - Big Shark Bicycle Company
Jake Wheeler - Wheeler Mechanical Heating and Cooling
Scott Stinson - Central Realty

In Memoriam David Neal

One of the best voices on KDHX over the last several years was the rich tones of David Neal reading the Concert Calendar and other announcements. It was obviously a labor of love for him. We are saddened to report that he passed away the other day because of cancer. There is a nice article from a couple years back on the KDHX website that captured his spirit well.

Upcoming Events

We all had a great time at the Spine Bookstore a couple months back when the Gyres Society presented its Save KDHX festival there. They have another one scheduled for Friday, Jan. 26 from 5 pm to 1 am indoors at the Spine Bookstore, 1982 Arsenal St. This one will be an acoustic jam session featuring tons of local talent, and it’s also a chance to “bring your favorite cultural heritage dish for folks to share.” This is a great way to get together and support people who are playing an important role in keeping the spirit of the old KDHX alive.

On Sunday, Jan. 28 from 2 to 5 pm, the LOVE of KDHX will be presenting a reggae spin with Ital K and Matty Dread at BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups, 700 South Broadway. Further details should be available next week, but this will be a fun way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon.

We Are All KDHX

No one person is or can represent the amazing community that is KDHX, St. Louis Community Radio!

So who are we ALL?...

Name: Andy Coco

Host of "The Rhythm Section" from January 2002 until August 2023

KDHX Director of Production and Technology from Sept 2001 until April 2022

1 - Why are you involved with KDHX?

I have grown to enjoy and love so many facets of KDHX and the Double Helix Corporation (the parent company that also ran DHTV in the city for many years), and have been regularly surprised by the potential to grow fun, enriching experiences and deeply meaningful moments through it and it’s community involvement. I see it as the great connector, and have appreciated the history of inclusion and diversity that was baked into the culture from its inception, as well as the great potential impact of providing the public access to mass media tools. 

2 - How does your relationship to KDHX relate to anything else in your life?

As a fan of the arts, a media producer, and longtime advocate of helping to provide access to audio and video production techniques and tools, as well as being a person who loves seeing others produce engaging content after basic training, Double Helix presented itself to me as a great cross-roads of my interests and skills. I was initially asked to join the staff in 2001, to help build volunteer and internship programs to sustain our intense and widely varied content production schedule, but with a goal of “higher quality standards.” As my other love was and remains being a musician and entertainer, being involved there gave me continual exposure to the wellspring of grassroots and mainstream music being created and nurtured on the road every day, and in parallel, the deep well of recorded music that has been overlooked and under-appreciated by mainstream media. Super weird and cool stuff! Then, and for a good stretch of time, I became the proud foster papa of the long-standing tradition of hosting live music in the KDHX and DHTV studios, which was typically broadcast live and published on CD and online. Our move to Grand Center in 2013 was built upon the idea of capitalizing on this wellspring of content stemming from artists hungry to find an audience, and audiences hungry for diverse and interesting new stuff, alongside the cadre of deeply knowledgeable and capable volunteer hosts and interview talent coming from our community. We were building St. Louis's version of Austin City Limits and the World Café, but got derailed by poor management of resources and relationships. I still believe St. Louis is every bit as deserving of these types of far-reaching and lasting representations in the media of our history and present as these other “music” cities, and I will continue to work toward building the like.

3 - What are your top contributions TO KDHX?

As a long-time administrator for the organization, I feel proud of my efforts supporting the programmers and the facility, the interviews, live music broadcasting, recording and AV publishing, and building and maintaining trustworthy systems for content production and publishing Mostly, I am happy about the multitude of volunteer trainees and interns that I helped to become comfortable as broadcasters, engineers, and content creators. Having spent over 20 years programming my radio show, “The Rhythm Section,” I hope to have had some impact on the audience in terms of giving notice to some under-represented artists deserving of recognition in the soul, soul-jazz, and funk genres. But I am still merely a super fan. :)  

4 - What are the top things KDHX contributes TO YOU?

Informative shorts - Earthworms, Here's History, St. Louis Music Minute, and the Film reviews are the content that remains consistently well-produced, thanks to the efforts of the producing volunteers and administrative staff. Otherwise…currently nothing but great frustration.  I have been disappointed with the attrition of many of my favorite aspects of the station. Number 1. the reliability of great programming 24/7 by trusted guides and familiar voices.  2. Exposure to new independent artists with features, interviews, in-studio performances, and a healthy music department engaged with independent local and touring musicians. 3. Arts, Concert, and Events information - this has withered to a near complete lack of providing any information relevant to my interests. Information agency has been a long-since overlooked volunteer program, placed instead in the hands of under-informed and unengaged staff members. :(

5 - How did you get introduced to KDHX?

In 1996, I was driving to work.  I had just returned from Jazzfest in New Orleans. Searching the dial for something like their WWOZ, and being a regular NPR listener, I went left and checked out the low end of the dial. Papa Ray was on the air...playing The Meters. Then Dr. John, then James Brown, then Al Green, then Oliver Sain. For me, a guy new to St. Louis not sure if it was the right fit, the music dots between St. Louis, New Orleans, Memphis, and Chicago were just beginning to connect, and this guy on the radio was leading me right there. I decided that day that I would stay.

6 - Why are you sticking with KDHX now?

I, along with many in the area and abroad, am heartbroken by the careless and ruthless actions of the upper management of KDHX. They no longer represent the ideals or principles of the foundation of the Double Helix Corporation, it’s parent organization. The airwaves remain a public resource, and I am encouraged by the way the tools of broadcasting and the free exchange of ideas via publishing are now commonplace to our culture and are no longer prohibitively expensive and in the hands of an entitled few. It gives me hope for the progress of truth and understanding. That KDHX is now controlled by a few who have managed to leverage DEI goals to trim first the branches of the KDHX tree (things that are fringe, or perhaps slightly too traditional or counter-progressive), and then the very roots beneath it (the time-tested faithful yet sidelined volunteer DJs, producers, and their respective interests and peer groups), places it in tremendous harm of self-destruction. I’m happy that the LOVE organization has formed and has found a path toward restoring the Double Helix organization to a volunteer and listener-representative structure. I would have to say, I’m not so much sticking with KDHX as I am with the Double Helix organization, and the goals thereof, recently forsaken by the administration of the brand/radio station KDHX. The organization is definitively much more than music and radio. I seek to help restore the rest.