By Doug MacRostie
Tonight at 6 on a special
Centerstage MN on 91.7 KAXE, we'll spend the full hour with
The Limns!
When The Limns performed at the
Blue Ox in Bemidji for KBXE's Spread the Love party, I sat down with them before the concert and recorded a conversation about their new album "Move Around Robots".
From Minneapolis, with strong ties to the Bemidji area (Zacc and Zeke of The Limns are younger brothers of Caleb from Bemidji's
Uncle Shurley), The Limns are hard to classify..., a high energy rock band with influences of reggae, pop and funk. Or as Javon said during our conversation, "...if The Beatles and Bob Marley had kids".
With a couple EPs under their belt, their first full length album "Move Around Robots," is an excellent piece of work that not only shows a maturity and cohesiveness in the band, but also great ears for writing catchy tunes. It's a fun and insightful conversation - don't miss it!
Also, we recorded the performance! CSMN will start off with selections from The Limns scaled-down acoustic opening set, and after the interview we'll end with highlights from the full band rockin' the night away.
Each week CSMN showcases the talents of MN musicians, and there are a LOT of them. From emerging artists on the Iron Range to the biggest artists out of the Twin Cities, from something new and edgy out of Duluth to the most experimental music ever out of Bemidji, we cover the music scene in MN better than anyone.
Listener support makes it all possible. People just like you, who appreciate MN music, who appreciate local features and stories. People who take that next step from listening to becoming a member.
It's quick, easy and painless - please pledge and tell 'em you LOVE Centertage MN :D
Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at
www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at
www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on
KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on
WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on
MNartists.org.
Decide what you can afford to contribute over the next year - whatever fits your budget. Maybe that's $10 a month, maybe it's $1 a day, maybe it's a one time payment of $50 - what works for you is perfect for us.
Why #1 is important is pretty obvious - we set a goal to reach our operations budget for this fiscal year: $23,977. We raised $24,564 - this is almost $5,000 more than we raised last summer! w00t! With all the financial craziness the last couple years (both globally and locally) a record setting fundraiser represents strong support for Northern Community Radio.
Here's why #2 is important. In the last year we shorted our normally 2-week long Fall and Spring fundraisers to just 1 week, which worked very well overall, but we noticed a slow decline in new members - the money was coming in (about) the same, but it was larger amounts from fewer people. 97 new members this fundraiser is roughly a 25% increase over last summer (and the 4th highest overall). "New members are the most important reason we do on-air fundraisers... it's the only reason," said Maggie Montgomery, "We can find existing members and lapsed members, we know them. Fundraisers reach new people. New members are the lifeblood of the station." And this summer, the lifeblood is pumping strong :)
There’s definitely a place in our lives for regular radio…as well as the sometimes fond…sometimes not so fond memories of the popular kids…the football players…the cheerleaders. High school wouldn’t have been the same without them. But…it would have been mighty boring without those eclectic rebels thrown in there. KAXE is the eclectic rebel we can’t live without. It is important to have that constant in our lives…the public radio station that will continue to amaze, comfort and challenge us. That will bring us the news we may not want to hear…but NEED to hear. That will educate our ears, heart and soul with unfamiliar music that captures and captivates us.
Maybe they've made it too easy... If you want to see the rare and exotic Ladyslipper you have to hike, sometimes miles, into the woods. If you want to smell the scent of the pine in the rain you're gonna get wet. But when you want to be equally enriched by KAXE all you have to do is turn on the dial and listen. When you need that blank and frenzied space inbetween to be filled with wonder, you just push a button.You know, maybe you could go the extra mile; preserve your senses wherever you are. Pledge what you can today to be renewed, informed and delighted, and guarantee KAXE will be there when you need them. And you will need them. Winter is just an Autumn away.
