Help Raise The Bar(n) For Radio With WRFU

The Noiseboy himself, Doug Hoepker, is leading the charge for low-power FM radio in Urbana with WRFU. In order to get the station moving financially, they're going to throw what Andy Warhol would like to call "a happening." Here are the details straight from the man himself.

I'm putting together a benefit concert for WRFU, Radio Free Urbana, a new low-power community station on the FM dial (104.5) that will be going on the air in mid-November. For more info on the station, see www.wrfu.net. But in short, we'll be similar to WEFT in that we'll be set up to empower the Champaign-Urbana community to step behind the microphone and do their thing. But unlike WEFT, we will not feature any significant daypart programming: we're completely free-form! Our schedule is filling up fast, and features music programming (from rock to hip hop to Latin to electronic), talk shows, community news, and much more. If you interested in getting your own show, we still have spots open. Head to the web site for more info.

Prometheus, a national organziation dedicated to the advancement of low-power stations, is helping with our barnraising, which is from November 11-13. At the event, people from around the midwest will be able to attend and participate in a variety of discussions and demonstrations, from a philosophical, political, or technical standpoint (we'll actually be "building" the station that weekend). By the time the weekend is over, WRFU will be on the air!

But, we still need to raise some funds to be able to pull off this event and build our studio. While we've been blessed to have a good deal of equipment donated, there's a few high-priced items that can't be donated that we need to purchase. Hence, the benefit concert.

I've put together a varied lineup of regional bands, including Shipwreck, who are one of C-U's best up-and-coming bands. Here's the details:

Who: Tractor Kings (headliner; with their brand-spanking new lineup), Shipwreck (atmospheric rock featuring Harman Jordan, formerly of The Buzzards), and The Infinity Room (indie rock from Millikin University in Decatur that will appeal to fans of early Radiohead).
When: Thursday, Oct. 6, 9pm doors/10pm show.
Where: Cowboy Monkey in downtown Champaign.
How much: $6.

Band sites: www.myspace.com/thetractorkings, www.shipwreckband.com, ww.theinfinityroom.com.
Venue site: www.cowboy-monkey.com

We'll be raffling off gift certificates from various local businesses and record labels, so there's a good chance that you might not go home empty handed.