WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student RadioMissed a show? WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 has you covered
Just an hour outside of Raleigh is the small, quiet town of Saxapahaw, NC. On April 17, it became the perfect stop on Alice Phoebe Lou’s “Oblivion North American Tour.” The South African-born, Berlin-based singer-songwriter brought her intimate and dreamy sound to one of North Carolina’s most unique venues.
All photos by Lachlan Vester
If listening to Mei Semones is like tasting a flavor that’s never been tasted before, seeing Mei Semones live is like being able to see a new color.
On Tuesday, April 14, Mei Semones performed for a stop of her Spring Tour at Motorco Music Hall, her first time playing in Durham. This marks almost one year since her debut studio album, “Animaru”.
There is no genre quite like Midwest Emo. Within the scape of this genre, there are few groups like Camping In Alaska. From their song titles being fun and nonsensical, to their lyrics being deep and intimate, Camping In Alaska is a supergroup in the world of Midwest Emo.
Walking into Cat’s Cradle I was not prepared for the show that I was in for. I was expecting a calm night of music that I love. When the music started around eight, I instantly realized that I was in for a wild ride. With the crowd moshing, the music bumping, and the bands bringing the energy, this was a show like no other.
With opening acts from Gol Olímpico, Stella, and Dead Butterflies, by the time that Camping In Alaska came out, the crowd was pumped. These opening acts brought the energy in ways that I rarely see at any shows. The energy was unmatched for the entire three hours of music.
As Camping In Alaska came out, the excitement was permeable in the room. It is rare that a band of this niche comes to North Carolina. This rarity made the excitement bubble over into crowd surfing, stage diving, and all sorts of moshing. The energy of the crowd was like nothing I have ever seen at an established venue.
There was a mix of new and old music being played throughout the night. Camping In Alaska is set to record new tracks this year and the sneak peeks make me extremely excited for this upcoming release.
Some highlights of the night were a cover of The Jazz June by Stella, Dead Butterflies playing Embers, and Camping In Alaska playing c u in da ballpit. These tracks, along with the unreleased tracks played throughout the night created a mix of new and old that was refreshing for a regular concert-goer.
This show was one of the best I have been to at Cat’s Cradle. I would recommend anyone that can catch a show on the next two weeks of this tour should. Every band on the ticket was amazing, the crowd energy was there to match, and the venue was top notch.
-Lachlan Vester
Madison Cunningham brought a full crowd to Cat’s Cradle for an intimate performance on Monday night, March 30. She recently released her fourth studio album, “Ace,” exploring heartbreak after her divorce and the journey towards rediscovering herself. The deeply emotional setlist brought the audience into her world.
All photos by slim chino
WKNC 88.1 FM raised over $4,000 through its Double Barrel Benefit 22 event, an annual two-night concert that serves as one of the station’s primary fundraisers. Revenue from Double Barrel Benefit accounts for approximately 4% of WKNC’s annual operating budget and directly supports local radio and student media initiatives.
Double Barrel Benefit 22 was held Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 at Kings in Raleigh, bringing together the local music community for a two-night celebration. More than 300 tickets were sold across both nights, with additional revenue generated through event merchandise sales.
This year’s lineup featured performances from Roxby, Survival Tactics, Khalil Nasim, Girl Brutal, CJ Monét, Sunshower, Petrov and Ajena, showcasing a diverse range of artists connected to North Carolina’s independent music scene.
“Events like Double Barrel Benefit are what WKNC 88.1 works so hard to keep alive. Local music is so important and I am so grateful to have played a role in putting on Double Barrel Benefit 22,” stated Giuliana Baucom, WKNC events director.
Once again, I attended the Arts NOW Series for one of my classes. Instead of a lecture recital, Dr. Andrea Cheeseman performed a one-act opera from a three part series of one-act pieces. This show was different than one might expect from this description, but it did not disappoint.
The concentration of the show was on computer music. First, let’s cover what computer music is. From the title, you can assume that it is music made with a computer which would be correct. That being said, it’s more complicated than using a computer program to make a song like Logic Pro of Ableton. It’s more akin to using various synthesis and algorithmic techniques to make music with a computer. A recognizable example of this would be “Daisy Bell” programmed by Max Matthews at Bell Labs in 1961, originally written by Harry Dacre in 1892.
All photos taken and edited by slacker.
Ajena had the crowd stomping with their riotous 90s-influenced set, with the lead singer leaping into the pit for their last song.
CJ Monét set the tone for night two with odes to her energy and a hopeful message about the current state of the world.
Girl Brutal’s powerful, energetic performance during night one sent audience members running towards the pit.
Petrov closed Double Barrel with a performance that showed off catchy riffs and powerhouse vocals.
The Arts NOW Series lecture recital on Joshua Brinkman was one I attended for a class but ended up enjoying a lot more than I had expected. I know very little about the saxophone and the music genres that evolved alongside it. Dr. Brinkman’s lecture recital was a presentation on the technological and cultural backgrounds and evolutions of the saxophone. This presentation included slides on the origins of the saxophone, the differences between different saxophones, the historical significance of the saxophone in different genres and even live performances of two different saxophones and a clarinet, all performed by Dr. Brinkman himself.