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Posts Tagged ‘WEXT’

Be Here Now: “Hello Pretty City” @ Valentine’s Music Hall, 3/5/10

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Disc jockey Laura Glazer signed off with her last broadcast of “Hello Pretty City” on WRPI-FM on Tuesday morning. And she’s saying farewell to WRPI with a big concert at Valentine’s Music Hall in Albany on Friday night.

Headlining the bash is Rhode Island’s funky, folksy Americana quintet Brown Bird, who wowed the crowd at Albany’s Madison Grille back on January 9. Don’t believe us? Check out their rendition of Tennessee Ernie Ford’s classic, “16 Tons”:

Brown Bird “Sixteen Tons” (Merle Travis) from m on Vimeo.

Rounding out the “Hello Pretty City” Cavalcade of Stars are the Landlines and Nippertown favorites the Charlie Watts Riots and Pony in the Pancake. Showtime is 8pm, and admission is $8.

And while Glazer’s radio show has left WRPI-FM, don’t expect Friday’s show to be a sad and somber affair. In fact, it’s bound to be a serious party celebrating a new beginning, as “Hello Pretty City” is scheduled to return to the Nippertown airwaves shortly – this time around, it’ll be heard on WEXT-FM.

So let the party begin…

UPDATE: Laura Glazer’s “Hello Pretty City” radio show has found its new date and timeslot at WEXT-FM. The show will be broadcast weekly at 8-10pm on Sundays beginning on April 4.

Tags: Albany, Laura Glazer, Valentine's Music Hall, WEXT, WRPI
Posted in Be Here Now, Music | 1 Comment »

“Hello Pretty City” Jumps From WRPI to WEXT
Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Laura Glazer (photo by Joe Putrock)
Delightfully eclectic, helium-voiced disc jockey and fine arts photographer Laura Glazer has been hosting her award-winning radio show, “Hello Pretty City,” on WRPI-FM (RPI’s college radio station) every week since 2003.

It’s currently broadcast out of Troy between 7-9am – that’s right, it’s FM in the am – on Tuesday mornings. Admittedly, those certainly aren’t the hippest, most accessible hours, but Glazer was doing just fine with them. And over the years, she’s built a considerable following of regular listeners, both on the air and streaming live over the internet.

That’s all about to change, however, as WRPI’s final broadcast of “Hello Pretty City,” hits the airwaves at 7am on Tuesday, March 2.

Last week, Glazer snagged a job as a marketing specialist at Albany Medical Center, and she’s very happy about it. But, unfortunately, the job doesn’t allow her the opportunity to continue doing her WRPI radio show.

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Tags: Hello pretty City, Laura Glazer, WEXT, WRPI
Posted in Be Here Now | 5 Comments »

Five Firsts: Broadway Blotto of Blotto
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

(photo by Martin Benjamin)
NAME: Broadway Blotto
BAND AFFILIATION: Blotto (Lifetime Member. Unless they kick me out. Again.) also the Sea-Monkeys
INSTRUMENT: Guitar, Ukulele, Accordion, Plunger, Keyboard

1. THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT WAS … “Songs, Pictures and Stories of the Fabulous Beatles.” VeeJay Records had an early lock on the moptops in the US but couldn’t get anything happening when they released singles here in the summer of 1963. Then came Capitol Records with a many dollar promotion campaign, Ed Sullivan, Cassius Clay & the rest is hysteria.

So VeeJay, basically a little R&B label, jumped on the groupwagon & released what is essentially the lads 1st Parlaphone LP “Please Please Me” (Capitol released it in the U.S. about a year later as “The Early Beatles). It had a spooty fold-out album jacket with fotos & fun facts of the fab four. There was even a place where you could paste your picture under your favorite. But, I’ve said too much. See for yourself.

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Tags: Blotto, Broadway Blotto, Exit-Dome, North Greenbush, WEXT
Posted in Five Firsts | Comments Off

Nippertown On the Air
Friday, January 8th, 2010

Just in case you missed Greg Haymes playing selections from the Nippertown Top 10 Albums of 2009 when the show originally aired on radio station WEXT-FM on New Year’s Day, you’ll get another chance.

Two more chances, actually.

The hour-long show – featuring tunes from the Top 10, as well as a couple of honorable mentions – will be re-broadcast at 11am Sunday (January 10) and again at 9pm Thursday (January 14). You can listen on your radio at 97.7 FM or stream the countdown live on your computer.

Thanks to WEXT-FM, Exit 97.7 for their continued support.

Tags: Best of 2009, WEXT
Posted in Music | Comments Off

Blotto Reunion @ the Exit Dome, 2/13/10
Friday, December 18th, 2009

Non-profit public radio station WEXT-FM – aka, EXIT 97.7 – is roaring back with its third fund-raising concert, slated to take place at the intimate EXIT Dome (aka, the WMHT-TV studio) in North Greenbush on Saturday, February 13. Headlining the big Local 518 shebang will be a reunion of Nippertown’s own veteran new-wave/pop-parody combo, Blotto.

The concert also celebrates the 30th anniversary of Blotto’s debut recording, “Hello! My Name Is Blotto. What’s Yours?,” which was released on February 14, 1980. The band’s debut record featured such classic Blotto recordings as “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard” and “We Are the Nowtones.”

Joining Blotto at the EXIT Dome III concert will be Alta Mira, who recently released their marvelous full-length, self-titled debut CD on Indian Ledge Records. Two additional bands – to be named at a later date – will also perform at the show.

Tickets are available by making a donation to WEXT at the radio staion’s website.

The EXIT Dome concert will be Blotto’s first performance in a year and a half – Broadway, Bowtie, F. Lee Harvey, Sarge, Clyde and Hammerhead last performed together at the Empire State Plaza for the Price Chopper Fabulous Fourth Festivities on July 4, 2008.

Tags: Blotto, Exit-Dome, WEXT
Posted in Be Here Now, Music | 4 Comments »

LIVE: The Exit’s Local 518 Benefit Concert @ WMHT-TV Studios, 10/23/09
Monday, October 26th, 2009

Sean Rowe and Sarah Pedinotti

What a great night of music.

If you ever doubted that Nippertown boasts a local music scene worthy of national buzz, this show certainly would have changed your mind.

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Tags: Charities, Exit-Dome, Local 518, Railbird, Red Lions, Sean Rowe, Super 400, WEXT, WMHT
Posted in LIVE | 2 Comments »

Five Firsts: Eric Margan of the Red Lions
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

(photo by C. Corrigan)

NAME: Eric Margan
BAND AFFILIATION: The Red Lions
INSTRUMENT: Guitar?

1. THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT WAS … I think it was either Radiohead’s “OK Computer” or Weezer’s “Pinkerton.” I was a late bloomer when it came to buying albums, as that was around sixth grade. I’m fairly certain I’ve listened to “OK Computer” on a regular basis ever since I bought it. I wish the first albums I bought were by the Beatles, but for some reason I didn’t listen to them until sophomore year of college.

2. THE FIRST CONCERT THAT I EVER SAW WAS … probably Richard Marx at the Starlite or Bette Midler at SPAC in the early 90s. I remember the Richard Marx thing because my family also went to see him play softball before the concert at a radio station event. I was probably 5 years old. The first concert that I ever drove to on my own will was probably Guster at the Palace Theatre or Weezer/Get Up Kids/Ozma at SUNY Albany. Or maybe it was John Brodeur and the Kamikaze Hearts at St. Rose.

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Tags: Eric Margan, North Greenbush, Red Lions, WEXT
Posted in Five Firsts, Music | Comments Off

Sean Rowe Goes Foraging in UK
Friday, October 16th, 2009

Nippertown soulman Sean Rowe is still across the Big Pond on tour in England with Brit band Noah and the Whale (whose new album, “The First Day of Spring,” arrived in our mailbox today).

Here’s his latest video report:

Sean Rowe from charlie fink on Vimeo.

Rowe will be returning stateside in time to perform at the WEXT benefit concert at the Exit Dome (aka, the WMHT-TV studios) in the Rensselaer Technology Park in North Greenbush on Friday, October 23.

Tags: North Greenbush, Sean Rowe, tour, UK, WEXT
Posted in Music | Comments Off

INTERVIEW: Chris Wienk of Exit 97.7 FM
Thursday, October 8th, 2009

On July 7, 2007, a new radio station took to the airwaves. From the very beginning, WEXT FM – otherwise known as Exit 97.7 – has offered a dizzyingly eclectic variety of music and staunch support of the local Nippertown music scene.

With the station’s second big fund-raising concert slated to take place on Friday, October 23 at “the Exit Dome” – actually the WMHT-TV studios in the Rensselaer Technology Park – we decided to find out more about Chris Wienk. Not only is he the man behind the microphone during the station’s afternoon broadcasts, but Wienk is also the driving force behind the whole radio station:

Q: How did you first get started in radio?
A: I was 13 years old and basically repeated everything the booth announcers on TV used to do (they used to do those between program announcements live!). That lead to me making music playlists, and recording radio shows on a portable cassette player.

They were hideous! But they were fun. I went to Buffalo State College and helped put one of the coolest radio stations ever on the air. It was an AM carrier current station at 620, heard only on campus. We brought the Buffalo area a new FM station, resurrecting the call letters WBNY.

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Tags: 97.7, Chris Wienk, Exit, interview, WEXT
Posted in Music | 1 Comment »

Jug Stompers On the Air
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Ramblin Jug Stompers are mounting a radio blitz for their upcoming new CD, “Hobo Nickel,” and their album release party at The Linda in Albany at 8pm Friday.

Wild Bill and Mister Eck of Ramblin Jug Stompers join host Sarah LaDuke in the WAMC studio for “Performance Place” at 11:30am today (Wednesday) to chat about their new album, “Hobo Nickel,” and to offer a sneak preview of several of the songs from the CD. Tune in to 90.3 FM or log on to stream live.

Wild Bill will also be sitting in as special guest with host Jimmy Barrett on his wildly eclectic “Kaleidoscope” at 9-11am Friday, October 2 on WVCR-FM (aka, The Saint 88.3 FM), spinning his fave selections from the new disc.

And the fine folks over WEXT FM (aka, The Exit at 97.7 FM) will be featuring a whole mess of tunes from “Hobo Nickel” all day long on Friday, as Mister Eck and Wild Bill practically hijack the station and force them to broadcast interludes of “Hobo Nickel Radio” throughout the day. Listen for CD giveaways, too.

Don’t forget that you can win an autographed copy of Ramblin Jug Stompers’ “Hobo Nickel” right here at Nippertown.com simply by sending your name, e-mail address and mailing address to:
jugstompers@nippertown.com

Please, only one entry per person. Deadline for all entries is 12noon on Friday, October 2. One entry will be chosen at random as grand prize winner and will be annnounced right here on Nippertown.com on Friday afternoon.

Photograph by Avalon Peacock

Tags: Albany, Exit, Hobo Nickel, Jimmy Barrett, Jug Stompers, Kaleidoscope, Linda, Performance Place, Ramblin, Sarah LaDuke, WAMC, WEXT, WVCR
Posted in Music | 2 Comments »

Don’t Miss: Five for the Fall
Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Consider this your Fall Arts Guide, the condensed version.

We picked five – count ‘em, just five – events that you really shouldn’t let pass you by this autumn. Music, art, fashion, film, theater, books – we tried to cover ‘em all in just Five Don’t-Miss Events.

You know things are going to get crazy. You know you’re gonna forget something. You know you can’t be everywhere you want to be.

So mark these on your calendar right now:

Friday, September 11: The Boredoms‘ Boadrum 9 with Deerhunter @ EMPAC at RPI, Troy
You didn’t really think that Yamatsuka Eye and his thundering crew could slip unnoticed into the Capital Region, did you? Drums, drums and more drums. You may not enjoy this show, but trust us, you’ll never forget it.

Saturday, September 19: LarkFest on Lark St. in Albany (FREE)
It’s Nippertown’s biggest free outdoor party. There’s art. There’s fun. There’s catching up with old friends. And there’s plenty of music – great music. Moby, Bell X1 and Matt & Kim. And that’s just on the main stages. The local music line-up is just as impressive.

Saturday, October 17: Discard Avant Garb @ the Grand Street Community Arts Center, Albany
Albany’s annual recycled fashion show marks its tenth anniversary this year, so you know that everyone’s gonna pull out all the stops. Approximately three dozen artists have signed on as designers this year. Part wearable art exhibit, part theater and all fun, Discard Avant Garb is a great charity event and simply THE social event of the season.

Friday, October 23: Benefit concert for WEXT-FM with Super 400 @ the EXIT Dome (aka the WMHT-TV Studios), North Greenbush
Super 400’s new album “Sweet Fist” kicks you upside the head like an atomic kiss. You can’t ask for more. But you’ll get it from Eric Margan & the Red Lions, Sean Rowe and some of the Railbirds. All to benefit the best radio station in Nippertown.

Friday, November 6: “The Man With the Golden Arm” @ UAlbany’s Page Hall, Albany (FREE)
Yes, it’ll be great to see this vintage jazzman-junkie film (starring a jittery, manic Frank Sinatra as Frankie Machine) on a big screen, but the real reason to head to this New York State Writers Institute event is that the screening will be followed by a discussion of the writings of Nelson Algren by literary lions Don DeLillo and Russell Banks.

So what’s on your don’t-miss list this fall?
Hit the comment button below, and let us know.

Tags: Albany, Algren, Arts Center, Avant, Boredoms, Community, Deerhunter, Discard, Don DeLillo, EMPAC, Eric Margan, Garb, Grand Street, Larkfest, Moby, Nelson, New York State, North Greenbush, NYS, Page Hall, Railbird, Red Lions, RPI, Russell Banks, Sean Rowe, Super 400, Troy, UAlbany, WEXT, Writers Institute
Posted in Be Here Now | Comments Off

Comin’ soon…
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

With their upcoming new album “Sweet Fist” waiting in the wings, Troy power trio Super 400 are gettin’ ready to do lots of live rock & roll rockin’, including a big benefit bash for WEXT-FM on Friday, October 23 at the Exit Dome (aka, the WMHT-TV studios in North Greenbush). In addition to headliners Super 400, the evening will also feature Eric Margan & the Red Lions, Sean Rowe and members of Railbird.

Silversun Pickups
Northern Lights in Clifton Park seems to be running quite the gamut of musical styles these days, and that’s a good thing. So, if “American Idol” David Cook (on Friday, October 9) isn’t exactly your cup of tea, perhaps you’re a little more interested in indie darlings Silversun Pickups (Sunday, October 18) or headbangers Saving Abel (Sunday, November 22). Tix for all three shows go on sale at 10am Saturday (August 29).

Over in North Adams, Mass., MASS MoCA has announced its fall performance line-up, which includes NYC indie rock singer-songwriter Leah Siegel (Saturday, October 3), the double-bill of Dr. Dog and Winterpills (Saturday, October 17), avant string quartet Ethel playing live to accompany the 1959 Mexican sci-fi film “The Monsters’ Ship” (Friday, October 30), the raucous vaudevillian cabaret of Ain’t That Good News (Saturday, November 7) and the out-on-a-limb jazz-meets-jam trio Medeski, Martin & Wood (Thursday, November 12).

Over in Troy, Revolution Hall has beefed up its fall calendar with upcoming shows by Eric Hutchinson (Wednesday, September 9), Shooter Jennings (Tuesday, October 20) and the Glengarry Bhoys with the Fighting 86’s (Saturday, November 14).

Grainbelt
Ready to stretch Labor Day weekend into a four-day affair? Get a jump on it with the hell-bound rock & roll machine known as Dash Rip Rock as they invade Valentine’s Music Hall in Albany on Thursday, September 3. Opening the show is Grainbelt, so ya know it’s gonna be a howlin’ good night.

And among the new shows added to the fall concert calendar at the newly renovated Van Dyck in Schenectady are jazz guitarist Julian Lage and his band (Friday, October 23), popmeister Marshall Crenshaw (Friday, November 6) and Maria Muldaur and Her Garden of Joy Jug Band (Saturday, November 7).

Tags: Albany, Clifton Park, Grainbelt, North Adams, Schenectady, Silversun Pickups, Troy, WEXT
Posted in Be Here Now | Comments Off

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