Toyota’s Free Yr Radio will be making its mark on CMJ this year as it partners with KEXP for a DFA Records showcase on Thursday, October 22nd at The Brooklyn Bowl. The showcase, featuring YACHT (live), Special Disco Version (James Murphy and Patrick Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem), Still Going, Holy Ghost!, and Sh*t Robot will benefit KEXP 91.5 FM on Radio New York. Listeners who RSVP at KEXP.org will be added to a list and the first 200 to arrive will be admitted free of charge. One hundred CMJ badge holders will be admitted free of charge as well. The show is otherwise open to the 21+ public for a $5 cover at the door.
In its third year, Toyota’s Free Yr Radio has brought partner stations to music festivals across the country. At each festival, stations have recorded and broadcast special live performances and interviews with festival artists from the Free Yr Radio broadcast stage, bringing the festival experience to the masses. In 2009 Free Yr Radio has already hosted Rutgers University’s 90.3 The Core at All Points West in New Jersey, KUSF at Outside Lands in San Francisco and KEXP at Bumbershoot in Seattle. Following CMJ, Free Yr Radio will finish the 2009 festival circuit with the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans with Tulane University’s 91.5 WTUL.
All content captured by partner stations at the festivals is subsequently made available to all CMJ-reporting stations, free of charge. The latest package of exclusive festival audio includes live performances and interviews with the artists listed below. All materials are available for CMJ subscribing members to download at CMJ.com.
- Pearl Jam
- John Vanderslice
- The Dodos
- Ryan Bingham
- Heartless Bastards
- Portugal. The Man
- Dyme Def
- Black Whales
- Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
- Telekinesis
- The Devil Makes Three
- Mt. St Helens Vietnam Band
- Mirah
- Hotels
- Eric McFadden
- Zion I
- Samba Da
- Reggie Watts
- Romance
- The Lonely Forest
In addition to hosting stations at the festivals and capturing content for CMJ syndication, Free Yr Radio is making a contribution to each festival partner station. The program is also giving each station the opportunity to raise additional funds through on-site activities geared toward festival attendees.
Launched in 2007 with a mission to support independent radio stations, Toyota’s Free Yr Radio has equipped over 20 partner stations with tools to increase exposure and listener support. Those stations have included KEXP (Seattle and NY), The Current (Twin Cities, MN), KUSF (San Francisco) and KXLU (Los Angeles), among others. In previous years the campaign hosted shows featuring top indie talent in Urban Outfitters stores across the U.S. Partner bands have included Sonic Youth, No Age, Mudhoney, Dinosaur Jr., King Khan, !!!, Dan Deacon, Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer and others. In addition to generating awareness and support through the free station-hosted concerts, participating radio stations were also given the opportunity to award a brand new Toyota Yaris to a listener to help boost fundraising or listener appreciation efforts.
To recap:
Thursday, October 22nd
8 PM – 4 AM EDT
The Brooklyn Bowl – 61 Wythe Ave. Brooklyn
Toyota’s Free Yr Radio 2009 presenting:
DFA Records showcase featuring:
YACHT (live), Special Disco Version (James Murphy and Patrick Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem), Still Going, Holy Ghost!, and Sh*t Robot
Benefitting 91.5 KEXP – Radio New York
Listeners who RSVP at KEXP.org will be added to a list and the first 200 to arrive will be admitted free of charge. One hundred CMJ badge holders will be admitted free of charge as well. The show is otherwise open to the 21+ public for a $5 cover at the door
