The KNC KKC crew, looking not too shabby the morning after DBB7 night one.

WKNC had the great pleasure of supporting the 2010 Krispy Kreme Challenge as a silver level sponsor. We also sponsored our own team of runners – an amazing challenge since the race fell smack dab in the middle of Double Barrel Benefit 7.

If you read Special K’s preview of the Krispy Kreme Challenge, no doubt you having been waiting with glazed breath to hear how own crew fared.

Max Power blew the rest of the staff away with the astounding time of 47:33. DJ Two Sheds and his training monkey Molly came in next, at 50:03 and 54:21. Major props also go to DJ Mick, Sweet Melissa, Special K, Will, Agent Orange, Osh-Tosh, Mz Kelly, Riff Raff, Hot Tamale and May Day for crossing the finish line.

Check out Technician’s Sights and Sounds of the event and their photo slideshow. If you caught any pictures of our crew, decked out in custom KNC wearables, send them over to us and we’ll put them in our end-of-year slideshow – unless they prominently feature regurgitated doughnuts, of course.

A new month means new ticket giveaways and that’s exactly what WKNC 88.1 FM has for you! Be sure to tune in or listen online for your chances to win tickets to these great shows coming up this week:

Wednesday, February 10
Holy Ghost Tent Revival w/ The Woes & The Moneynotes @ The Pour House

Holy Ghost Tent Revival

Thursday, February 11
House of Fools w/ Ryan Gustafson & Medusa Stone @ The Pour House

House of Fools

Also, be sure to check out the Rock Report for a complete list of local shows happening in your area!

With only a few days left before the Krispy Kreme Challenge, many of the deejays are beginning to mentally prepare for the arduous task. The benefit for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital has two physical challenges that competitors must overcome. The first is the two mile run from the NC State Bell Tower to the Krispy Kreme Store on Peace St. and then the two mile run back to the Bell Tower.

The second is the overwhelming 12doughnuts each runner must eat before returning back to the starting line, all within the hour. Over the past weeks, many deejays have been spending time outside the studio and on the track, building their frail skinny deejay bodies into lean athletic beasts. Others have taken more unconventional approaches such as avoiding physical exercise altogether and have just been binge eating. (For many this hasn’t been much of a lifestyle change.) With fighting style will win out? One can only wait to see the results this upcoming Saturday.

Now to meet the brave deejays willing to take on the Krispy Kreme Challenge. Each has selected a top playlist of songs they will wield to push them to the brink during the race.

Agent “Glazed and Confused” Orange

• Death From Above 1979 - “My Love Is Shared”
• Mindless Self Indulgence – “Tom Sawyer”
• Muse - “Knights of Cydonia”

May “Hot and Ready” Day

• Jay Z- “Run this Town”
• Muse- “Time is Running Out”
• Florence & the Machine- “Dog Days are Over”

DJ Audity

• Metric – “Satellite Mind”
• Metric- “Help, I’m Alive”
• Cut Copy- “Hearts on Fire”

DJ Jenna

DJ Hot Tamale

• Drake- “Best I Ever Had”
• Coldplay- “Life in Technicolor ii”
• The Who- “Baba O’Riley”
• The Killers- “Mr. Brightside”

DJ “Original Glazed” MICK

• Dan Deacon - “Build Voice
• Akron/Family- “MBF”
• My Morning Jacket- “Anytime”

DJ Two “Baker’s Dozen” Sheds

ASH “Gotta Eat’em All” G.

• The Juliana Theory- ”We’re at the top of the World”
• Kid Cudi- ”Day ‘N’ Night”
• Linkin Park- ”New Divide”

DJ “Doughtnut Hole” Nicole

• Amanda Blank- “Make It, Take It”
• Duck Sauce- “Anyway (Armand Van Helden and A-Trak Remix)”
• Thieves Like Us- “Fass”

Mz “Hot-N-Now” Kelly

• Thin Lizzy – “Cowboy”
• Built to Spill- “Goin Against My Mind”
• Anything from LCD Soundsystem
• Anything from The Light Pines

DJ “Donuts and Coffee” Cioffi

DJ Riff “Ka-Tose Intolerant” Raff

• DeadMau5- “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff “
• Kanye West- “Stronger”
• Vampire Weekend- “Run”

DJ Special “Tasty Fingers” K

• Animal Collective - “What Would I Want? Sky
• Gray Young- “Tilling the Wind”
• Flo Ride- “Sugar”

Eye on the Triangle’s own Saja “It’s Fresh” Hindi will be doing live air breaks on site during the race periodically through La Barba Rossa’s Mystery Roach show. The race is this Saturday (February 6) on Double Barrel Benefit 7 weekend. This year the challenge will boast 6,000 eager competitors. Be sure to check for the WKNC banner at the finish line this year as WKNC is partnering with the Krispy Kreme Challenge as a Silver Level Sponsor.

Be sure to listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online.

That’s right, the four piece band from Kentucky, My Morning Jacket, will be making an appearance in Cary at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Friday April 30 for their Southeastern  Tickets aren’t available until February 5  at noon, however WKNC has the hookup. Over the new few weeks we’ll be giving away pairs of tickets to the show.

My Morning Jacket (Photo Credit by Sam Erickson)

Birthed from a discarded coat lead singer Jim James saw while walking through the remains of his favorite bar the morning after it burned down, My Morning Jacket got it’s beginnings in 1998 and has since then put out five albums.  Since performing for a New Year’s show in 2009 at Madison Square Garden, the band has been on a short hiatus. Jim James spent this time to release a George Harrison cover album under the alias Yim Yames. Luckily, the boys are now back on tour performing various shows in the south with the Performance Hall Jazz Band.

Listen only on 88.1 F.M. or streaming online for your chances to win!

WKNC 88.1 FM will hold its annual Double Barrel Benefit Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6 at The Pour House Music Hall. The station’s seventh installment of the two-night concert will be feature Max Indian and Roman Candle.

The Light Pines open Friday’s show, followed by Veelee, Bellafea and Max Indian. Saturday’s line-up consists of The Tender Fruit, Midtown Dickens, Spider Bags and Roman Candle.

Both headliners performed on the North Carolina State University campus in the fall. Max Indian played with Double Barrel Benefit alumni Schooner at the station’s October Fridays on the Lawn concert series and Roman Candle played the Pack Howl concert and pep rally during November.

Tickets are on sale now through wknc.org and the-pour-house.com. Prices are $7 in advance and $9 at the door for each night and all proceeds benefit WKNC. Two-night passes are also available at Schoolkids in Raleigh. The event is 18+, with an additional surcharge for patrons under 21. Doors for each show open at 8 p.m. with music at 9 p.m.

Our amazing poster was designed by Kirsten Southwell of Bad Apple Design.

If you missed the show in summer 2008, now is your chance to make up for it.  Zappa Plays Zappa is coming back to the Lincoln Theatre and WKNC has two pairs of tickets to give away!

Mystery Roach, your two-hour study of Prog, Fusion, Psychedelic, and Garage on Saturday mornings, will be holding an essay contest!

The rules are simple.  La Barba Rossa, host of Mystery Roach, will be accepting essay submissions from now until Tuesday January 5th.  Winners for the January 13th performance will be announced on Mystery Roach Saturday morning, January 9th.

Suggested entry length is about one page, but you can be a genre-bender, if you like—-write Prog-Prose.  One sentence?  Sure.  10 pages?  Why not?  You can submit essays via email, but snail mail is encouraged. (See below for mailing address.)  Extra points for mailing it. Extra points for artistic style in penmanship and envelope.  Imagine that?  Send a letter.

Essay topics  (Please stick to these, all others will be disqualified.):

1. Why I want these tickets. (Option to include discussion of why your desires supersede all others’.)
2. The best Zappa album/song/era is _________.  Explain.
3. Zappa Plays Zappa, is (or is not) “meta.”  Discuss.
4. My first summer job, and its horrifying/hilarious consequences.

Email responses can be sent to: mysteryroach@wknc.org. It is preferred that you send it as a file attachment (pdf, doc, txt) but sending it in the body of an email is OK too.

Snail mail can be sent to:

WKNC 88.1 FM
ATTN: La Barba Rossa
Campus Box 8607
343 Witherspoon Student Center
Raleigh, NC 27695-8607

I look forward to reading your entries.

Cheers.

-La Barba Rossa

December means many things: cold weather, final exams, continuous holiday music pretty much everywhere, and new ticket giveaways!

Here’s what we have this week:

Ex-Monkeys @ The Pour House Wednesday, December 2

Ex- 2Monkeys. Photo by ross grady

Viva Christmas feat. Los Straitjackets and El Vez @ Cats Cradle Wednesday December 2nd

Los Straitjackets

American Aquarium @ The Pour House Saturday December 5th

American Aquarium. Photo by Amy Schlatter

Southern Culture on the Skids @ Cats Cradle December 5th

Southern Culture on the Skids

Listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online for your chances to win!

With humble beginnings performing in a basement of a barbershop in 1996, Dropkick Murphys soon catapulted into the punk world. Known for their vehement Irish and Boston pride, the band has become internationally known and quite accustomed to playing sold out shows.

Luckily for you, WKNC has your chance to see Dropkick Murphys at the Fillmore Charlotte on March 8 before they head home for their legendary St. Patrick’s Day weekend shows in Boston. When the deejay asks for it, be the correct caller to score a pair of tickets to the show. Tickets are also available for purchase at Livenation. Click the banner above for more details.

Listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online.

WKNC has once again partnered with the NCSU Paintball Club (NCSUPBC) for their annual Toys For Tots Donation Drive.

During the first week of December for the last two years, the NCSUPBC has hit the NC State Brickyard to accept toy donations and raise funds for Toys For Tots.

This year the group has added to its partnership the Alpha Chi Sigma Professional Chemistry Fraternity and Ragazzi’s of Cary. Returning to the partnership is Tir Na Nog Irish Pub & Restaurant and Local Beer, Local Band.

With added partners, the NCSUPBC is looking to bring holiday joy to more children by raising more than $1,500 in toy and monetary donations.

Be sure to tune into 88.1 WKNC for your chance to win tickets to these awesome shows happening the week of November 22:

Tuesday, November 24:

Capelton w/ Anthony B, Cocoa T, and Steve Martinez & The Give Thanks Band @ Lincoln Theatre

Capelton

Thursday, November 26:

NAPS w/ Felix the Drum Machine @ Slim’s

NAPS

Saturday, November 28:

Pico vs. Island Trees w/ Michael Alvarado @ Lincoln Theatre

Pico vs. Island Trees photo by Evan Perigo

Thad Cockrell w/ Civil Wars @ The Pour House

Thack Cockrell photo by Reid Rolls

For a complete list of local shows in your area, check out The Rock Report!

Listen in to 88.1 FM for your chance to win tickets to these local shows happening this week:

Wednesday Nov 18:

Robert Earl Keen w/ Sons of Bill @ Lincoln Theatre

Robert Earl Keen

Thursday Nov 19:

Bright Young Things @ Slim’s

Bright Young Things

Doco w/ The Balance and Greenshack @ The Pour House

The Design w/ I Was Totally Destroying It, Skywire and Silver @ Lincoln Theatre

The Design

Friday Nov 20:

Amanda Palmer w/ Nervous Cabaret @ Arts Center (presented by Cat’s Cradle)

Amanda Palmer photo by Nickie Mcgowan

Monologue Bombs w/ The Small Ponds and I Was Totally Destroying It @ The Pour House

The Monologue Bombs photo by Jen Lawrence

The Pietasters w/ Lionize @ Cat’s Cradle 

The Pietasters

Sunday Nov 22:

Underoath w/ August Burns Red and Emery @ Lincoln Theatre

Underoath

For a complete list of local shows in your area, check out The Rock Report.

The punk rock group, Rise Against, will be performing on December 5 at The Fillmore Charlotte. Formed more than a decade ago in the windy city, the band have now become Van’s Warped Tour alumni and have gained international success, having their tracks featured on the U.S. Billboard 200.

While known for their ability to produce more popular raw tracks like “Give It All,” Rise Against has been able to show a more softer side with songs like “Swing Life Away.”  The group is also an adamant supporter of straight-edge culture and the P.E.T.A. organization.

Starting Wednesday, November 17, WKNC will giveaway five pairs of tickets. When the deejay asks for it, be the correct caller and you’ll score some tickets to this great show. Tickets are also available for purchase at Livenation. For more information, click the link above.

Listen only on 88.1 or streaming online!

As you might have attended or at least heard about, the UAB’s All Night Bash was Thursday, November 5 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.  There was carnival foods galore: sweet corn, turkey legs, corn dogs, french fries, lemonade, candied apples, and funnel cakes.  All the food was delicious.  There were at few inflatable things to do including basketball and an obstacle course.  And there was a mechanical bull that was in non-stop motion all night.

Us KNCers had cornhole as our game for the bash.  Our table was constantly busy as people wanted to challenge either Cioffi or one of their friends to a friendly game of cornhole in exchange for either cds, WKNC koozies, WKNC stickers, or some tickets that could be traded in at the All Night Bash prize table.

Perhaps our most famous game players were Dr. Stafford and Mr. Wuf.  Both were winners at our booth (just like everybody else who visited).  Overall the night was a huge success.  It is always fun to have a bunch of KNC kids together to play silly games.  Big big thank you to all who volunteered to help and more thank yous to all of you who came to visit us!  We hope to do stuff like this more often!

Here are the shows happening this week that WKNC 88.1 is giving tickets away to:

Monday, Nov. 9:

Blind Pilot w/The Low Anthem @ Cat’s Cradle

Blind Pilot

Tuesday, Nov. 10:

Matisyahu w/Moon Taxi @ Lincoln Theatre

Matisyahu

The Get Up Kids w/Kevin Devine and Mansions @ Cat’s Cradle

The Get Up Kids

Thursday, Nov. 12:

RAKIM w/Rhymefest, DJ BRORABB and The Urban Sophisticates @ Lincoln Theatre

Rakim

Friday, Nov. 13:

Minus the Bear w/Twin Tigers and Maple Stave @ Cat’s Cradle

Minus the Beat photo by Ryan Russell

Satuday, Nov 14:

Dan Auerbach w/Justin Townes Earl and Jessica Lea Mayfield @ Cat’s Cradle

Dan Auerbach

Be sure to listen in to 88.1 WKNC for your chance to win tickets!

After taking shelter from the rain for the first Fridays on the Lawn back in September, many KNCers were concerned when they saw some ominous gray clouds in the sky late Friday afternoon. The stage, lights, and extra pizza were all ready, however one question remained: would students come out for the event? One of the benefits of Harris Field is its centrality to student life on campus. The grassy lot by Witherspoon Student Center serves as a visible hub, perfect for catching the unaware passerby headed out for early Halloween festivities. While the event was open to the public, the WKNC staff wanted to tap more into its student population at N.C. State. In order to generate interest, fliers were posted everywhere on campus, D.H. Hill Library e-boards and dining halls displayed posters for the event. WKNC staff even requested time to speak in front of their classes to publicize the concert series.

KNC deejays campaigning for Fridays on the Lawn at NC State's free expression tunnel

Graffiti Piece done by Saul Flores

Max Indian and Schooner certainly did draw a noteworthy crowd. This is evident because students stuck around even after the free pizza and t-shirts were long gone. Mike Alston, WKNC’s General Manager, mentioned that  ”UAB, IRC, Student Government, and WKNC are all supported by student fee money, so we felt it important to do something free and big for the students who help pay our bills.  Ultimately, we just want it to be a fun time for everyone involved while helping expose some great local music to otherwise unaware students.”

Max Indian performing on the lawn

WKNC expects to see even more students at the final hip hop based installment of the concert series November 20th, featuring Kooley High and The Beast. This show, however, will not be taking place on the lawn, but instead will be hosted in Wolves Den underneath Talley Student Center. Needless to say, many hope that Fridays on the Lawn will become a staple for the Wolfpack community.