Whether your first experience with Phoenix has been hearing their 1901 track on the Cadillac Crossover commercial or if you’ve stuck with the band since their debut album United, it is undeniable that the French band has set their mark with their eclectic and synthesized sound. Formed in 1999, the group got their start touring in French bars doing Hank Williams and Prince covers and has since released four albums. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was released in 2009 and received recognition on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in January 2010 and won Best Alternative Album at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards.

Phoenix

This week WKNC will be giving away tickets to their show on June 11th at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary before they go on sale! When the deejay announces it, be the correct caller to win a pair of tickets to the show. Listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online.

And don’t fret if you don’t win this week, because daytime deejays will also be giving away pairs of tickets next week too!

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!

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.

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!

Listeners, if you were pumped for the Mars Volta show at the Disco Rodeo tonight, well unfortunately the show has been canceled. There is no official word on why the show has been canceled yet.  If you’re still looking for other awesome shows tonight to attend, be sure to check out our Rock Report.

Refunds will be available at point of purchase starting Monday, October 26.  Tickets purchased online or by phone will be refunded automatically. For more information go to www.livenation.com.

As most of our loyal listeners know, the Mars Volta show at the Disco Rodeo has been a highly coveted giveaway for the month of October. On several occasions, our deejays have feared the WKNC phone system would literally explode due to the high influx of callers. However, like a big bully tangling a nerdy kid’s lunch money over his head, many listeners have come away empty handed.

But don’t pick up the D&D dice or that Mountain Dew Code Red just yet. For the rest of the week, WKNC deejays will be giving away the last remaining pairs of the tickets to Mars Volta show on Friday October 23rd. For The Win!

The Mars Volta

Formed from the ashes of At the Drive-In, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez formed the Mars Volta a band committed to experimenting with a hardcore and psychedelic rock sound. Now on their fifth album, Octahedron, the boys plan to shake up Raleigh before heading out on their European tour.

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

That’s right guys Bonnaroo is THIS WEEK!!  June 11th- June 14th!  Check out the Bonnaroo website because tickets are still on sale and the website has tons of cool stuff to help you prepare for a great Bonnaroo time like the Artist Lineup and Activities and Attractions!!

So, I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t wait to see Phish, Wilco, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Snoop Dogg, Beastie Boys, Grizzly Bear, White Rabbits, Andrew Bird, TV on the Radio, Animal Collective, MGMT, and Girl Talk.

Bad news is it may be impossible to catch all the acts you are dying to see.  But, don’t worry it is pretty much going to be a blast either way.

Ok, first step to go to Bonnaroo –> get a ticket somehow someway!

Next –> Look at the lineup and stages and make an estimated list of MUST SEEs.

Then –> Well get together with your Bonna Buds and make a Bonna Checklist.

HERE are some of the things I plan on taking! If you have any MUST SEE or Checklist Suggestions make sure to leave it in comment style on the blog!

*Tent and other camping equipment

*Hat/Bandanna

*Non-perishable food

*Water

*Cooler

*SunScreen

*Deodorant

*Baby Wipes

*Money

*Camping Chair

*Walking Shoes

*Nalgene Bottle

*Rain Gear

*Bug Spray

*Portable Lantern

*Batteries

*Sunglasses

*Something to Shade the Campsite

*Toilet Paper

*Alcohol

*And Whatever Else Will Make the Trip Complete

The Bonnaroo Website also has great lists to check out before you  make your trip!

The count down to Bonnaroo is ON! SO great ready everyone it’s gonna be a crazy ride!!!!

–Liztopia

On this wonderful afternoon, a few short hours after Love Language does their thing with Mz Kelly, The Local Beat (as usual, the abbreviated summer version ) will commence.

This week, right at 5:00, we’re having the Battle Rockets come in to talk about their show tonight at Slim’s Downtown.  Shortly thereafter (~5:30), our good friends Gray Young will come hang out, because they’re playing Slim’s tonight too (along with the Proclivities).

Battle Rockets, Gray Young, Proclivities Show Flyer 5/8

As you may recall, Gray Young graced us with their presence back on March 20th.  It was then that they proliferated the rumour that they’ll be opening for U2 this fall, so we’ll be giving them the polygraph test this evening.

And we may just have a pair of tickets to give away for that show tonight…

The Wolfpack will then be taking on Carolina in baseball at 6:30, which means we’ll be getting the boot.

Here’s the shows featured this week. Be sure to tune in Monday through Friday for chances to win!

Dinosaur Jr playing  (TONIGHT) Mon, Apr 27 @ Cat’s Cradle

Dinosaur Jr

The Kills playing Tues, Apr 28 @ Cat’s Cradle

The Kills

Reverend Horton Heat playing  Fri, May 1 @ Cat’s Cradle

Reverend Horton Heat

WKNC has more tickets this week to giveaway. Check out what the deejays will be distributing during the daytime rock formats:

Left Outlet playing @ The Pour House Thursday April 23rd

American Aquarium playing @ The Pour House Saturday April 25th

Toubab Krewe playing @ Lincoln Theatre Saturday April 25th

Listen on 88.1 or streaming online

Sneak Peek for next weeks giveaways:

Dinosaur Jr – Mon, Apr 27 @ Cat’s
The Kills – Tues, Apr 28 @ Cat’s
Reverend Horton Heat – Fri, May 1 @ Cat’s

The Promotions Team here with another chance to win Kings of Leon & The Walkmen tickets. Both bands are making an appearance at the Booth Amphitheatre in Cary on April 28th. WKNC has been approved for 10 pairs of tickets and we’re going to give them away up until Friday April 24th.  Stay tuned all week for your chance to win.

Kings of Leon

That’s right. We worked our WKNC magic and managed to score extra ticket giveaways for the Dave Matthews Band and Avett Brothers show at Time Warner Cable Pavilion at Walnut Creek April 22nd.

Here’s the catch:

At some point during this week, the daytime deejays will say the lyrics to an Avett Brothers’ or DMB’s song and you must complete the phrase.

Know the rights words, be the first caller, and you’ll find yourself on your way to a great show!

Dave Matthews Band

The Avett Brothers

Break out your chain belts, leather vests, and peace symbols and join WKNC at the Shakori Hills Grassroots music festival on Saturday April 18th. We’ll be broadcasting live all day and to celebrate, we’re giving away 5 pairs of day passes for the festival this week. Make sure to tune in for your chances to win and don’t forget to check out the live interviews with some of the performing bands.

The Line Up:

Wednesday April 8th, DJ Chuck will be kickin’ it with Holy Ghost Tent Revivial from 1-3pm

Monday April 13th, DJ Special K will be hanging with the guys from Butterflies from 4-5pm

Interviews with Lost in the Trees, New Familars, and The Old Ceremony are TBA