Most days of the year, Northwestern’s radio station WNUR-FM (89.3) keeps a low campus profile, content to reap the praises of the outside musical world. But the reissue of some seminal punk rock and the only 18 and over show in the history of Nevin’s Live could change the status of WNUR for the better here in Evanston.
Back in 1984 students ignored WNUR about as much as they do today. Under the students’ noses, the station was sponsoring some of the first recordings of what would become Chicago’s classic punk bands. Some of the first Big Black sessions (featuring acclaimed producer and NU alum Steve Albini) came out of WNUR. Small-time legends like the Effigies, Naked Raygun, Eleventh Dream Day and Urge Overkill have also contributed songs to the station, which released them on compilation LPs. These recordings are unique to WNUR; no one else has released them.
“If Northwestern knew the history of the radio station — if it really knew it — it would probably teach a class on it,” says Airplay producer and former programming director Kevan Harris. “This station has a pretty long history of putting out records.”
The trouble is that the last WNUR record came out in 1993. And nothing from the station has been in print since then, save for that last compilation, No Smoking, Eating or Radio Playing. It was this lull, in part, that inspired Harris to attempt a CD reissue of three compilations from the original recordings. Presently, these compilations do not exist in stores and vinyl copies can only be found in the occasional ebay.com auction, according to Weinberg senior Drew Pounds, a former general manager at the station.
Releasing music comes at a hefty price, so Harris conceived a benefit concert to jumpstart financing. He booked three current bands to play at Nevin’s Live on Wednesday, Oct. 17 with the goal of attracting students to the show. The bill consists of the much-adored Sweep The Leg Johnny along with Lozenge and My Name Is Rar Rar.
“These bands represent what this compilation might sound like if we were making it now,” explains Harris. “If I was young and I had the same circumstances as they had back in 1984, I would put these bands on it. We’re doing the same thing, it’s just seventeen years later.”
The compilations will be released one at a time on CD as opposed to vinyl.
“A couple of nerds have called up and asked why we won’t be releasing any vinyl,” Harris says, “but the reason we’re doing this is that nobody has a turntable anymore.”
In fact, a major goal of the project is simply to expose today’s students to the kind of music WNUR has pioneered. It was what drove Harris to raise funds through a concert instead of the typical WNUR phone drive.
“We’re not just doing this to make money,” he says. “I really want Northwestern students to a see a good concert maybe just once in their four years.
“Let’s say that a hundred people show up who don’t know this music and for maybe twenty of them, it blows their minds. That would be really good.”
“It will be an unprecedented event for Northwestern students,” says current WNUR General Manager Marc Flury. “Most things like A&O concerts are stuff that people already know they’ll like. The idea is that we’re holding a concert [students] will enjoy, and also it will expose them to new music.”
With all the station’s preparations in place, the success of the concert now hinges entirely on the NU student body, the same group that largely ignores the station to begin with. The benefit show begins at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and will go until 1 a.m. Don’t forget $8 to get in. Though Nevin’s Live is traditionally a 21+ venue, the WNUR benefit is 18+. Nevin’s Live is located south of campus at 1405 Sherman Ave. nyou
