What LOVE Feels Like
A few things to keep up with the times
Save Our Station Event Was Fabulous
Saturday, Oct. 21 was ridiculously beautiful in St. Louis. The sun was shining, the temperature was unseasonably warm but still comfortable, and hundreds of people gathered outside the Spine Bookstore and Cafe to support the KDHX we all love. That is the KDHX which existed for almost 36 years, where volunteers made most of the important decisions, where there was a trust between management and programmers, and where all 13 people fired this year, and the 20 more people who have gone on strike in solidarity with them, were happy to spend time with the community over the airwaves.
The Gyres Society and the Save KDHX Facebook group put on the SOS Festival last Saturday, organized by Len Jewell, who has been tireless in support of KDHX volunteers, and a host of his friends. Bands and musicians played on the John McHenry Stage - a beautiful touch, that - outside the Cafe. Merchants sold goods at booths all along the street. Beer and food was for sale in addition to all the goodies inside Spine. The L.O.V.E. of KDHX group sold t-shirts, and coozies, and raffled off a ridiculous number of great items donated by musicians, businesses, and individuals. We were very satisfied with the amount of money we raised for our legal funds.
We know it’s a little confusing having the Gyres Society and the L.O.V.E. of KDHX group both working for similar goals in regards to the radio station. Rest assured there is a mutual respect between our groups - the listeners and fans have a role to play, and the volunteers have some different ones. We want to thank everybody who worked to make the SOS Festival a success, and that very much includes every individual who stopped by to share in the vibes of such a strong and creative community.
More Music! More Music! More Music!
As we await the Save KDHX: The Album from Rubberstamp Records, more great songs are being released to the public. Here's one that really grabbed us this week. This one is by Sheila S.
More fave DJs sharing their talents
Caron House, long time host of Wax Lyrical and one of the DJs unjustly fired from KDHX on Sept. 22, has started a podcast called After the Gold Rush. It’s a lot like the show she did on the radio. The first episode is a brief introduction with a handful of songs, but she promises regular and longer episodes in the future. It’s available on Spotify - if you search on the app for Caron Brittany House, you’ll find it.
Allen Dahm, former host of Bittersweet Melody and occasional fill-in DJ has started uploading weekly playlists to Spotify. If you enjoyed his terrific musical sense and mixing ability, you should check these out. He’s done three so far, and each runs about an hour and a half.
Top Ten Ways You Can Tell a Live DJ from a Robot
We know KDHX insists they aren’t using AI means to generate playlists filling time for all the DJs who aren’t on the air any more (through the fault of station management). (And we know that sometimes they forget to schedule anything at all.) But whether it’s computer generated or put together by staff members, the impersonal nature of those shows goes against what has made KDHX such a great station for so long. Here are some tips for listeners:
Unity in the Community
We all loved the Positive Vibrations show on Saturday nights, which began airing with original host Joe C. back in 1988. For many, many years it has been co-hosted by Professor Skank and Michael Kuelker, with each alternating weeks. But, when Michael was unfairly dismissed on Sept. 22, Professor Skank was the first to announce he was leaving in solidarity. Well, this event will give you a Saturday night of positive vibes for sure.
From Professor Skank: The “bold new vision” of KDHX has really turned its back on reggae music.Because of that I decided to bring it to the people on Oct. 28th under the Big Top.
Doors will open at 6 pm with some dub reggae. Then Michael Kuelker and I will have a Positive Vibes Record Spin along with two bands performing, Nonstop Reggae and Zion with Yard Squad. The spin commences at 7 pm and the 4-hour skankfest will end at 11 pm sharp.
Nonstop plays from 8-9 and after another PV set, Zion will take the stage at 9:45 ‘til close.Ticket prices are only $10 with no added fees on the day of the show.
Unity in the Community, Positive Vibes style. Check it.
Even cowbells used to have a voice on kdhx!
Well written -- as always -- Steve! Thanks for the shout for "After the Gold Rush!!"