On March 5, WRCT welcomed female rapper and social/political/environmental activist Kellee Maize into the studio. She sat at her computer (homemade juice at hand), loaded up a beat, and began one of the most entertaining and interesting sessions I’ve been a part of. Quite literally. She had me clap alongand even sing with her for a few songs. The whole studio was bumping! Listen to the whole session below.
From the moment Kellee arrived, she had so much positive energy surrounding her that it was no surprise to hear how incredibly involved she is in the Pittsburgh community. Her company, Nakturnal, is dedicated to building and connecting artists within the community. Every other month they host an arts showcase called RAW which helps artists spread their work and their message. My favorite quote from the session: “We all have a voice and all have something to share, and it’s really about us all, together, growing.”
Tune into Pinkney Hall on Fridays from 9-10 a.m. for the following themed broadcasts.
To keep from playing the same songs over and over again, during most shows, we play some new music and music from artists with shows in Pittsburgh. In addition, during March, our song selection will be governed by the following themes:
March 7 — International Women’s Day 2014 is on March 8, so we will play songs by women artists.
March 14 — No show on the 14th! Kenny Joe will be out out of town attending the West Philadelphia Orchestra/Raya Brass Band double bill in Philadelphia.
March 21 — On the day after the vernal equinox, we’ll be playing spring songs.
March 28 — Tune in on March 28 and you’ll hear musics from Eastern Europe.
In the beginning of February two fantastic Chicago bands, Ant’lrd and Gardener, dropped by WRCT. They unpacked equipment, settled on the floor, and made time stand still for the next 50 minutes. Ant’lrd’s Colin Blanton used samplers and a keyboard and Gardener’s Dash Lewis used a modular synthesizer and effects pedals to create those ambient, electronic beats.
Because hearing their sets once wasn’t enough, that night, Blanton, Lewis, and I collected blankets, lamps, projectors, and people to create an impromptu music venue in that nook near the Purnell mailroom. They played for a tiny crowd, but were no less invested in creating the relaxing, introspective environment their music arouses. Overall, Colin and Dash were wonderfully easygoing and clearly love sharing their art.
Ant’lrd has a show coming up in Chicago at The Burlington. If you’re in Chicago on March 19, hit that up for a live taste of Blanton’s musical vibrations. I recommend it. Blanton has also released a new tape, “Biblioteca Nod Out,” for which you should be clicking this link: http://barorecords.bandcamp.com/album/biblioteca-nod-out
Dash Lewis of Gardener will be playing with White Laces during March and April. He’s opening for The War on Drugs on March 22 in our radio hometown, Pittsburgh. His new tape “This is Noise” comes out this month on Life Like. Dash’s solo project, Curtains, will be playing some shows around Virginia and North Carolina and has a new tape coming out on April 2 on Potluck Records. His band Critics (Dash+Meg Mulhearn) has a record coming out this spring.
Check out the in studio session with Gardener and Ant’lrd below:
