Rossland Radio kicks off 'Live at the Redroom' series
By Contributor
Rossland Radio has a live music series in the making that will combine local talent with the station’s available means of production. Brought forth to create a buzz around the station and the ever present local talent, the project is a result of a grant from the Columbia Basin Trust. The series will take place in collaboration with the Redroom Lounge and is set to begin at the end of this month.
Project co-ordinator Jackie Allard along with other members of the station has begun planning for the series and is looking forward to the exposure it will give to not only the station, but also to the musicians.
Rossland Radio applied for the grant with the goal in mind of creating a project with local-interest and the involvement of local artists. The grant was funded by CBT, was administered by the Columbia Kootenay Basin Culture Alliance and Rossland Council for Arts and Culture. The station received $2000, as a part of a radio development program. It is the first grant given to the radio station of its kind.
“We were given the grant in the fall to expose musicians in Rossland. Hopefully this is something that can happen again in the future, it all depends on funding.”
The live music series is set to begin January 30th and continue every Saturday night for approximately six weeks. The series will involve a different local musician or band each week from Rossland and surrounding area. The grant money, along with a percentage of the evening’s sales from the lounge will be used to pay each musician.
The show will be recorded live and each band will be interviewed by a radio programer. Each show will then be edited to fit into an allotted time slot using both the interview and music to create a profile of each act. Every other week a program will air on Rossland Radio of the performances. The plan is to create an hour long radio program that will feature two acts per show, resulting in a half hour spotlight for each. The initial planning is taken care of and Allard is feels that the lounge is the right venue for this type of project.
“They’re doing more with the really local musicians in a small intimate venue . . . there’s great sound and it’s a great atmosphere.”
The performances will be beneficial to not only the artists, but also the venue and the radio station. The project will bring exposure to what Rossland has to offer musically in terms of local talent, a live music venue, and the radio co-op. The shows will be promoted online and posters will be distributed around town to encourage community involvement. There will be a Rossland Radio Co-op member at each show to promote the station and sell merchandise including t-shirts, stickers, re-usable shopping bags and radio memberships.
Local rocking Rossland band, The White Crows, kick off the series on Saturday, January 30th.
