Snapshots of Midwest Mayhem at the City Museum, Thursday, May 12

All photos by Dannie Boyd. Read my recap of this great KDHX event.

Dancer and the bunny

Dancer and the bunny

Beth Bombara

Beth Bombara

Folk music on the Bale Out Stage

The Eaton Family

Pretty Little Empire

Pretty Little Empire

Samba Bom

Samba Bom

Fire dancer outside the City Museum

Fire dancer outside the City Museum

Dancers at the City Museum

Dancers at the City Museum

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Posted by | May 14, 2011 | Concerts, KDHX, Photos | 1 Comment 

Midwest Mayhem 2011 in review: Funk and folk and rock & roll and DJs take over the City Museum, Thursday, May 12

Soul Alliance at Midwest Mayhem 2011

Soul Alliance at Midwest Mayhem. Photo by Dannie Boyd.

KDHX kicked off a summer of independence from mainstream media with Midwest Mayhem. The City Museum was home to four floors and several stages of music acts and entertainment spread out over five hours on Thursday evening.

The layout for Midwest Mayhem — a show appreciation to donors and fans of KDHX — included a total of seven stages that held often simultaneous performances. The City Museum is known for its exotic, maze-like structure that includes underground tunnels and scraped construction materials that serve as an adult-sized jungle gym. The jagged features all come together in an artistic canvas of concrete and colors.

Throughout the entire night concertgoers shuffled from set to set hoping to get a piece of all the action that surrounded them on every floor. On route to each set was an array of showgirls, hula-hoopers, and refreshments. With over 2,600 guests in attendance it was clear that St. Louis loves KDHX.

The first act to go on at Mayhem was Beth Bombara who took to the Whale Stage at 7 p.m. Accompanying Bombara were fellow musicians Carl and Anna. Fitted with a violin, guitar and banjo the trio opened up the night with a a taste of folk. The gentle opening was relaxed and allowed attendees to file through the door unaware of how spectacular the night would be.

Starting 15 minutes after Bombara was Pretty Little Empire on the Vault Room Stage of the second floor. Pretty Little Empire was the polar opposite of Bombara; its aggressive rhythms got the party started. Matching the band’s rhythms were the showgirls and professional dancers that dropped jaws on the third-floor burlesque stage.

With so many great performances to cover during the night I kept busy running up and down the crowded steps trying to capture what I could.

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Posted by | May 14, 2011 | Concerts, KDHX | Comment 

Video: KDHX Blues Band at Midwest Mayhem

midwest-mayhem-bunny

The bunny rabbit meets Steve Ley. Photo by Roy Kasten.

Was a party ever more aptly named than Midwest Mayhem? I think not.

I had an excellent time running up and down stairs, seeing a bunch of great bands, meeting KDHX fans and sharing beers with fellow DJs. Last night was epic.

Thanks to all the hardworking KDHX staff and volunteers and musicians and dancers and City Museum staff and roller derby and hula girls and on and on. That’s what I call community. Special shout out to one of KDHX’s newest staff members, Chris Ward, who made for a great event coordinator and rabbit.

Video of the KDHX Blues Band (featuring 88.1 DJs John McHenry, Art Dwyer and Ron Edwards) rocking the party below. And mucho more video, photography and recap to come. Also check out A to Z Blog for some fun interviews with partygoers.

See you next May!

Posted by | May 13, 2011 | KDHX, Video/Film | 1 Comment 

88.1 KDHX DJ Spotlight: Ital-K of Ital Rhythms

Ital-K at the KDHX board

Roy Kasten

Having been in the radio industry for over 30 years, Ital-K is well known worldwide in the reggae community. In this interview Ital-K, host of Ital Rhythms on 88.1 KDHX, discuses the depths of reggae culture and music as he lives it, his connection to the Marley family and how he plans to bring quality reggae acts to St. Louis for 2011.

“Part of my goal is to make KDHX and even stronger force,” Ital says, “not only in the community here in St. Louis but worldwide.”

A few weeks ago I met with Ital-K on a Wednesday evening at the St. Louis Bread Company located on the Delmar Loop. The sun was starting its ritual of winding down for the day as the crowd of clocked-out professionals and after-hours students quietly filled the restaurant. In this setting Ital-K (the K standing for Kevin) shared with me his roots in reggae music and what he considers to be the “musical arc of the covenant.”

Dannie Boyd: Where did everything start for you music wise?

Ital-K: Music wise (pauses). That’s a generic question. But music wise, it’s from birth. I’ve been playing music on the turntable since [I was] at least six years old. I’ve always been involved with music; it’s a part of my blood. I was born into it and I’m so blessed to have been. Here in America, [involved] 30 years professionally. I’ve worked in New York, [and] I worked in Florida for 20 years. I’ve had very, very high ratings. Number one ratings for several years. Rated number one station playing Caribbean music every night of the week over night, seven nights a week. I’ve had a lot of experience.

How did you come up with the name “Ital-K?”

Ital is a name that was blessed to me from members of my community when I was in Florida. As I am a Rastaman, there is a very popular phrase that says “Ital is vital” and that was transferred to me. The “K” represents my first name which is Kevin. Instead of saying “Ital Kevin” it’s “Ital-K” for short. Ital is a word that means natural. Nothing artificial, no preservatives. Knowing that, the music that I play and the manner that you get it in is real [and] authentic; not imitating anybody. It’s all natural. Right from the almighty Jah Rastafari.

What’s been the road for you as far as getting to where you are on KDHX and how you got your show started?

When I came to St. Louis I was always involved with volunteering. I’ve been a firm believer in volunteering since I’ve been in America. [It's] something that I’ve done for over 30 years. It’s a part of service unto the almighty. We all have to do one thing which is service to mankind and to each other. I got started on KDHX because when I came to St. Louis three years ago I looked to get involved with radio. Radio is what I’ve done for 30 years so that’s what I wanted to continue doing. Reggae music is what I’m known for professionally [and] worldwide. I came to St. Louis and saw that there was a small Caribbean community here, and there was an acceptance of the music. KDHX was the only place [as an independent radio station] in town so it’s only natural that I’m here. I’m glad to be on KDHX. There’s no station like it.

Do you have any ties or connections with the Marley family?

Yeah! My connection with the Marley family runs very, very deep. It all started before me. It’s 1979, my mentor in broadcasting Clint O’Neil. He was in Miami, Florida and was very, very, very close to Bob Marley. Clint was the only DJ besides David Rodigan in England who Bob Marley recorded jingles for. Clint has five of them. Five authentic jingles from Bob Marley, no other DJ has it. Bob and Clint were very tight. I met and started working with Clint in 1996. In that time period, for nine years, we were rated number one overnight, including all of the commercial radio stations in Miami.

Clint passed in 2004 and in that time period I was a member of the Grammys, and I attended the Grammys in 2004 when Damian Marley created history-winning two Grammys in one setting. I was one of the few amount of people that was there to see that. I’ve always been a fan of the Marleys. I know all of them. When Ziggy came here to St. Louis two years ago I went out to a Barnes & Noble in Chesterfield where he was promoting his new album called B is for Bob. Ziggy was playing his acoustic guitar and singing “Three Little Birds,” and as Ziggy was singing I was giving him vocal backing. As Ziggy was singing I was toasting and we were rhyming and having a great vibe. So Ital-K and the Marley connection, very, very, very firm, make no mistake.

Can you give a description of the type of music that you play on your show?

The music that I play is taken from what I call the “musical arc of the covenant.” We cover everything in the music from its inception. [Everything] from slavery, from mento which is the early form of reggae music through ska, rock steady, reggae itself. [Also] roots reggae which is what we specialize in, dub, lover’s rock, steppers, rub a dub, the whole works we deal with it. But the only thing we do not play on “Ital Rhythms,” we do not play any music which is disrespectful of the black woman or women — period. We do not play any music like that and we do not play any artists who sing vulgarity towards women. We don’t condone that anytime.

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Posted by | May 13, 2011 | Interviews, KDHX, Music | Comment 

88.1 KDHX DJ Spotlight: Andrea of Radio Rio

Andrea at the Pulitizer

flickr.com/photos/thepulitzer

In October 2011, Andrea of Radio Rio will celebrate her 10-year anniversary at 88.1 KDHX. Upon her arrival in St. Louis, Andrea brought her small but lovingly cultivated collection of Brazilian CDs and her sharp musical wit to an eager public. Since then Andrea has persevered as a much needed guide to the thrilling and sensual world of Brazilian music satisfying an itch many St. Louisans didn’t even know they had. Andrea was happy to chat about her own musical journeys and finding and treasuring her Brazilian niche.

Liz Taylor: It’s interesting that right when you got here you started your radio show. What was the impetus? Had you always wanted to do something like this?

Andrea: Yeah. Music, and I bet this is true for just about everyone who does a show at KDHX — well I don’t want to speak for everybody, but it’s my guess, that we’re all those kind of music nerds who’ve been like that since middle school or high school. Always the one making mixed tapes for all of your friends and your parents — trying to change people’s musical tastes. Trying to tell them what they should be listening to. You know that kind of thing. In New Jersey there was a state college where my dad taught and me and one of my friends attempted to do a college show when we were in high school. But that failed miserably. They would just let us in that room and we didn’t know what we were doing and you could only hear it from probably 50 yards from the college. But in Chicago, my friend Rick started Dusty Groove America, which at the beginning of the internet age, mid to late ’90s, he was a big Chicago DJ and avid music collector and had an amazing collection. He and his friend JP started selling their records out of their basement and it took off from there. They founded Dusty Groove and I was one of the first employees there, and one of their specialties was Brazilian music. So my couple of years there was where I got my education.

That’s where you found your niche.

It was one of those things that when we started listening to all that, it was mainly kind of Tropicalia stuff, stuff from the late 60′s early 70′s. Everybody in the store, we were just like, why doesn’t the rest of the world know about this music? This is some of the most amazing stuff I’ve ever heard. So it just kind of clicked from there. And I always knew about Bossa nova and my parents had some of those records. But so I had this good education in Chicago and then showed up here.

Have you always been a collector of music working on amassing a library?

Yeah. And it was the Beatles, the first thing that I really had to have absolutely everything. I had to have every American version, every English version of every record. I grew up in New Jersey so I would go to the Meadowland’s Beatlefest every year and actually do the collector thing. Save up my allowance and buy collectibles.

So it was your first musical passion.

But I would still go to these summer programs away from New Jersey and I’d meet kids from all over the country and I’d never heard of the Violent Femmes, I was so late on that stuff that when I heard it I was like, this is amazing, but it was so old school to everybody else. I’m always a little late.

Just so you come to it eventually right?

Yeah, then I get obsessed with it. It’s kind of fun at the same time it’s embarrassing.

But I like that feeling, that even if you’re late, it’s sort of your own personal discovery of something. It’s a very personal experience and you get really wrapped up in it. Even if there is outside context you may be missing. It’s still nice to have that little moment with your band.

Yeah, and I think for me I love thinking about evolution, any kind of evolution, and just how we got to a certain musical point. You discover that later and then so many other things make sense — “Oh I see what this band, which I already really liked, what they were doing. They couldn’t have done this without these people.” I like filling in those pieces that everybody else has already known about. Yes of course this band is ripping off this band. But then I like when all of those pieces fall into place of how we got to where we are.

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Posted by | March 9, 2011 | Interviews, KDHX, Music | Comment 

New faces and new threads from STL Style on KDHX.org

New shirts available from KDHX.org

Back row: Paul, Chris, Amanda, Tonette. Front row, Stephany, Sarina, Eva.

KDHX just received a new shipment of T-shirts from the folks at STL Style, as well as the brand new logo shirt in the baddest of blacks.

We have two styles from STL Style:

We tried showing off the shirts on a creepy, headless mannequin we found in the old TV studio’s prop room, but somehow it didn’t capture the magic that’s emitted from the smile of a bona fide, live St. Louisan.

Armed with a background in production logistics, Craigslist, a few friends and a last-minute, rescue stand-in from the LGBT Community Center of St. Louis, Sarina Dewachter (our Belgian intern, pictured front-center) coordinated a photo shoot to show off the new gear from our Euclid Studio. Some of our volunteer models are developing professional careers, so please contact Scott, our volunteer coordinator if you are interested in hiring them for your next shoot. We’ll be sure to put you in touch.

Did you miss out on the fun? It’s not too late! Send us photos of you and yours wearing KDHX gear: E-mail store -at- kdhx -dot- org and we might decide to show off your style in the future.

Posted by | March 4, 2011 | KDHX | Comment 

Concert photos: Whole Earth Nuclear Ukulele Orchestra KDHX Benefit at the Tap Room, Wednesday, January 19

The Whole Earth Nuclear Ukulele Orchestra held its second annual benefit at the St. Louis Brewery and Tap Room. Many fine musicians in St. Louis came together to help out their favorite radio station, 88.1 KDHX.

All photos by Sara Finke. View more at my Flickr stream.

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Posted by | January 21, 2011 | Concerts, KDHX, Photos | 4 Comments 

Concert review: The Larry J. Weir Memorial Concert at the Sheldon, Sunday, September 12

Larry Tribute

Sara Finke

On Sunday, September 12, 2010, KDHX hosted a memorial concert to celebrate the life of long-time operations manager and DJ, Larry J. Weir. Larry’s untimely passing in January of this year brought an outpouring of support and remembrances from his friends, listeners and the community of Americana musicians that he supported for more than twenty years through his program, Songwriters Showcase. Larry’s co-host, Ed Becker, organized the lineup; he said it was truly a labor of love to bring together the artists that Larry loved for their outstanding musical talents coupled with their ability to tell a compelling story through song — the essence of great songwriting.

Supe Granda, formerly of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, served as MC at the Sheldon Concert Hall, which provided the perfect setting for the acoustic show, which kicked off with Springfield, Illinois’ Ben and Kari Bedford. Their set included originals as well as an emotional cover a Weir favorite, “Birches,” written by Bill Morrissey. Singer Kristi Rose and multi-instrumentalist, Fats Kaplin gave the audience a set that featured what Kristi called “sentimental murder ballads,” a nod to Larry’s contention that “there’s a high body count in Americana music.” The next act, billed as the “tattered remains of the once proud flag called the Geyer Street Sheiks” was a crowd pleaser. The lineup of Mike Prokopf, Tom Hall, Charlie Pfeffer and Marc Rennard were supported by “washboard player” Geoff Seitz, who also joined in for a rousing fiddle tune. Next up, veteran singer-songwriter Katy Moffit, joined by guitarist Andrew Hardin, reminded the audience why she has been a top performer in Americana/country circles for four decades.

Supe’s last song, “I Married a Cubs Fan,” was a tribute to one of Larry’s other loves — baseball. Eclectic artist, sculptor, playwright and musician, Terry Allen closed out the night and captivated with songs and stories from his diverse catalog of recordings. The performers ended the show, as Larry’s shows always did, with Emmylou Harris’ “Till I can Gain Control Again,” joined onstage by Larry’s wife, Kathy Rogers Weir. The concert was a tribute to Larry’s life and legacy. It also marked the public announcement of KDHX’s project to move to Grand Center and into a building that will be known as the Larry J. Weir Center for Independent Media, where his spirit will live on through the work of radio station that he loved.

Written by Bev Hacker

Posted by | September 14, 2010 | Concerts, KDHX | Comment 

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