KCSB’s THE PLACE TO BE: Fifty-five years ago, KCSB charged the airwaves with radio programming that was youthful, impactful, underground, exciting, and totally individual. More than half a century later, nothing has changed. Tune in at any odd hour to 91.9 FM, and you’ll hear everything and anything, from ’80s prom classics to cassette-tape indie rock to EDM to Congolese drumming to Brazilian psychedelia to ambient tonal frequencies; whatever surfaces, you can be guaranteed it will be more interesting, and more heartfelt, than anything Clear Channel has cleared.
This month, February 15-24, KCSB celebrates its anniversary with Drive 55, a souped-up version of its annual fundraiser with 10 days of special radio programming and giveaways of CDs, records, event tickets, apparel, and handmade gifts, plus an open mic night at Giovanni’s Isla Vista, a co-hosted campus-wide Battle of the Bands, and, earlier in the month, a Del Pueblo Café open mic. It will be a celebratory February for the station, with radio programming “imbued with KCSB history and stories as well as insight into what it's like to be involved with such a unique radio station,” said fund drive coordinator Spencer vonHershman.
Monies raised by fund drives help the station purchase and maintain equipment, and also help them expand their community outreach with events like the open mic nights. Last year, funds raised by donors supported events such as the Hello World music festival, the No Body Holy queer prom, plus community political events such as an on-air visit from Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman and a district supervisor debate. “KCSB strives to offer as many opportunities for music, art, and performance in the community — not only on the airwaves,” vonHershman said. “We consider these events to be big steps forward in overall community awareness of the station and what we stand for.”