It was a cool October night, but things were heating up in downtown Ann Arbor. Lines formed around Hill Auditorium, as vagabond rockstar Mac DeMarco was set to transform the venue into his personal Shangri-La for the night. Hill Auditorium is famously known for its fantastic acoustics, and they would be on full display tonight as Mac had no behind him, just a microphone and his acoustic guitar. The excitement was palpable upon my arrival to Hill. As I walked through the doors, the auditoriums grandeur was spectacular. Gold plating wrapped around arches of lights in the ceiling, the seats, each individually ornate, covered in velvet, the organ pipes behind the stage seemingly reaching endlessly towards the sky. The allure of hill rivals that of some of the best auditoriums in the world. The opening act was a local artist named Rello, and he was accompanied by a guitarist and a keyboardist. Oddly enough I worked with the guitarist over the summer and my date worked under Rello himself. His music hardcore vibed. He was an R&B singer with a gorgeous tenor voice. His set lasted about half an hour and primed the audience perfectly for the main event. After Rello & Co. left the stage, you could hear the thunder clashing and the heavens roaring as Mac DeMarco stepped on. His witty banter and humbleness was awesome, but everyone was ready for him to strap up his guitar and play. He opened the set with “Salad Days” and any question as to if the sound would lack without an entire band were instantly dismissed. Acoustic Mac was somehow more chill and vibey than regular Mac. However, there were parts of the set he was unable to cover without his other guitarist. When Mac played “Ode to Viceroy” he asked the crowd if they could sing the guitar line in the chorus. We gladly complied. The environment of the crowd when the entire venue was singing the same guitar part was unreal, the power of music when it brings people together never ceases to amaze. As a true performer knows to do, Mac saved his best for last. He had ended his set with “Together” and left the stage, but the whole crowd new that, eventually, Mac would be back. The lights went up in the theatre, but no one was leaving. Then Mac went and poked his head out on stage one more time. The entire venue went crazy, even more nuts than at the initial conclusion of the set. So Mac did what he had to do. He waltzed back on stage with his guitar and strummed some chords while getting the entire audience to sing along to a melody. Once the entire audience was singing he told the people in the front to get in real tight and removed his guitar. In a blink of an eye Mac leaped from the stage into the arms of the fans in the front few rows. Instantly the entire crowd rushes to the stage and Mac crowd surfs all the way to the back of the auditorium. He proceeded to walk back on stage and sing one final chorus of “Together” and exited. The shroud fell over Hill and it returned to its normal state of being, with an entire audience going home 100% satisfied.

CJ Wittbold "He's a little guy in a big chair world just trying to figure out where he fits in the world. WIDR is a place for odd people and the normys. It's a home to anyone who comes through their doors." How long have you been volunteering at WIDR? Two years. What is your most memorable moment at WIDR? Battle of the bands. It was just great hearing music from a bunch of different bands live. What would be your dream lineup? Buddy guy, Rolling Stones, dr John. What does WIDR and Radio Evolution mean to you? A sense of community.

The EDM duo from Chicago that calls themselves Louis the Child consists of Robby Hauldren and Freddy Kennett. Robert David Hauldren was born on September 7, 1996, and grew up in Northfield, IL. Before Robby decided to jump headfirst into his professional music career he attended one academic year at the University of Southern California. Frederic Judson Kennett was born on October 19, 1997. Early in Freddy’s career, while he was still in high school, he produced music under the alias Fatboy. Both Robby (class of ‘15) and Freddy (class of ‘16) were students at New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL. and met each other at a Madeon concert. Louis the Child started performing at small venues throughout the Chicagoland area in 2013. Later in their careers, they would open for artists such as Madeon and The Chainsmokers and to this day have performed at major music festivals such as Coachella, Electric Forest Festival, Electric Zoo New York, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, and Moonrise. In 2017, the musical duo set out on their Last To Leave Tour. I had the pleasure of seeing Louis the Child Live in Chicago at the Aragon Ballroom. The Aragon Ballroom is a historical music venue in north Chicago. The ballroom itself has an old school facade covered in extravagant paintings. The concert was held on November 24th and this particular show was called Louis the Child’s Friendsgiving. The acts included Win and Woo, Party Pupils, Joey Purp, and the headliner Louis the Child. All the musicians partnered up with and donated ticket sales to the Greater Chicago Food Dispensary for a food drive and with SocialWorks, a foundation that supports Arts in Literature programs in Chicago Public schools, founded by Chance the Rapper. Louis the Child opened with “From Here” which was perfects given that they were playing in their hometown at a venue they were once an opening at earlier in the careers. They performed for a sell out crowd of 5,000 people and played a set that included some of their other popular songs like, Go, Weekend, Slow Down Love, Fire, World on Fire, Phone Died, my personal favorite song Love is Alive, Body Gold, Casee, Feeling of Life, Compass, the debut of their new song Right to It, and concluded with an encore to perform their most popular song It’s Strange. Robby and Freddy brought the energy level in the building to a maximum from the second they stepped on stage and it didn’t falter for a second until they played the last song. The acoustics in the ballroom really made you feel the music just as much as you heard it. The Aragon Ballroom is completely general admission based so there is no assigned seating, just 5,000 people on a dance floor jamming out to their common love for good music. It was a night that I will never forget. The two coolest moments of the concert for me came when there was a break in the music. While taking a quick breather from jumping around on stage and grabbing a drink of water Robby shared the story of the night they were an opening act at the Aragon Ballroom. He said that after the show they were told that the crowd didn’t like them and that if they ever wanted to perform at Aragon Ballroom again they’d have to make some serious changes, admitting it was one of the lowest points in their career. To share that story with a sold-out crowd at the very same venue was more than inspirational, it was honest. My other favorite moment was at the end of the concert while performing It’s Strange both Robby and Freddy came down into the crowd and started dancing with everyone. As the song died down, and the concert came to a close they began to thank and hug all the fans that stuck around. It was the interactive, heartfelt, and energetic experience that made the concert one I’ll honestly never forget. The fact that I was able to go see two kids that went to a high school that rivaled the one I went to and were roughly the same age as me do what they love doing in front of a sold-out crowd in our hometown was the experience of a lifetime. That being said, I highly recommend that if your friends call you last minute the day after Thanksgiving and ask you to go to a Louis the Child with them that you say yes, I promise you won’t regret it.

YBOT & WIDR present Music at the Library. The new "Tiny Desk" inspired series showcases WMU music artists performing in a very raw and stripped down environment

This Month brought WIDR’s rotation rack a number of different indie-pop records that are guaranteed to keep you going this semester. Our WIDR staff picked some of their favorites for an upbeat playlist full of dance grooves. 1. “Bedroom,” by Langley: Lo-fi acoustic song with great lyrics, a beautiful chorus and and ending that will force you to listen to it again. Langley is a fabulous local artist with serious pipes. 2. “Follow the Leader,” by Foxygen: Sounds like a classic rock hit from 1974, but it was written in 2017. Heavily orchestrated and great background vocals. Foxygen is a rock duo from California with a very vintage yet fresh sound. 3. “Dreams Tonite,” by Alvvays: Indie pop jam with pretty vocals and good build up throughout the song. Alvvays is an Indie pop group from Toronto, Ontario. 4. “Sun’s Out,” by Hoops: One of many great songs by Indiana band hoops off their new album ‘Routines.’ Sun’s Out has a very catchy verse and chorus as well as great instrumental passages. 5. “Crystal Night,” by Black Lips: Sounds like a classic from the 1950’s. Could be in a musical minus a few obscure sections. Very catchy tune. 6. “Ballad of the Dying Man,” by Father John Misty: An introspective take on a man quickly approaching death. Very pretty chorus and lyrics that highlight serious flaws and problems in society. 7. “May 1st ,” by Beach Fossils: Slower indie jam, very catchy, sounds a lot like other Beach Fossils music. This song is very easy to listen to, good to drive to. 8. “Plants,” by Crumb: Cool song with jazzy harmonies, very groovy, very vibey. Crumb’s 2017 EP ‘Locket’ is an all around great EP, this is just my favorite;P You can listen to this playlist and follow us on Spotify for all of our past playlists here.

The Sonic Delivery Service Fridays 8-10pm We sat down with The Postman and asked about his experiences here at WIDR FM. How long have you been DJing at WIDR? 15 months What is your most memorable moment at WIDR? Nights when the phone line is hot! Your Postman loves to hear from you on the studio request line@ (269) 387-6303. Who would be your dream guest to have on your show? I'd like to host the other "Postman", power forward, Karl Malone, to find out he "delivered" week after week. What does WIDR and Radio Evolution mean to you? Radio is in the public forum. Our FM broadcast is a local product and a public good (our web-stream flings the service far). Radio Evolution at WIDR means adding positive waves and local color that excite and engage your neighbor. Radio we share!

YBOT & WIDR present Music at the Library. The new "Tiny Desk" inspired series showcases WMU music artists performing in a very raw and stripped down environment

On November 7, Vulfpeck gifted the world with another one of their feel good funk filled albums. Vulfpeck was created by a few students during their studies at the University of Michigan. Per usual, their album is comprised of both vocal and strictly instrumental tracks, sending listeners for a nice smooth ride right into funk city, with groovy & sweet cleverly lyricised 60s sounding songs. The band’s original members include Jack Stratton, Theo Katzman, Woody Goss, and Joe Dart. For this album, Vulfpeck borrowed the musical talents of Antwaun Stanley, Charles Jones, Christine Hucal, Joey Dosik, David T. Walker, James Gadson, Michael Bland, Coco O., Baby Theo Bootsy Collins and Mushy Kay. The second song on the album, “Baby I Don’t Know Oh Oh”, is the kind of song that must be listened to LOUD, while you dance and sing in your living room with your housemates. Its dramatic staccato lays perfectly underneath Charles Jones’ desperate croon. By the end of the song, you’ll find yourself fully immersed, making every attempt to reach all those high notes. I really love Vulfpeck’s ability to create characters/situations in your mind. After listening to “Mr. Finish Line” a few times, his shiny greasy hair and bright unnerving smile in his pastel suit pops into my head. One of those strangely charming people. This song also features a very familiar little melody from the first Vulfpeck song I ever listened to, a cheeky little blast from the past. Later in the album, “Business Casual” features the sweet but sassy vocal styling of Coco O. You go Coco O. The song “Vulf Pack” sneaks in with that “bwamp bwamp” bass slappin’ that’s impossible to listen to sitting still. I’m not even really sure what’s happening in the album’s final song, “Captain Hook” but I know for sure that I love it. He’s very talented. I also really appreciate Vulfpeck for breaking the 4th wall by leaving in some of the before and afters captured during recording. It was fun to hear the band’s real life reactions to their own songs. There are definitely a few songs that stick out to me as timeless favorites to be played again and again. These folks are so talented it’s dumb. Other than that, I’ve got nothing bad to say. Best tracks: Baby I Don’t KN\now Oh Oh, Vulf Pack

Grace McElhone "Hey I'm Grace! I'm a second year student double majoring in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Foodservice Operations and Sustainability. I chose to join WIDR because I wanted to get involved in Kalamazoo's music community. I love to sing and play ukulele, guitar, and kazoo, and would like to improve my skills on the tambourine." How long have you been volunteering at WIDR FM? This is my second year volunteering for WIDRfm, I got involved during the fall of my freshman year. What is your most memorable moment at WIDR FM? My most memorable moment at WIDR was last year's homecoming tailgate. I was new at WIDR, so I did not fully understand the scope of WIDR and its culture. One alumni told us that at 7 a.m., WIDR would announce announce whether or not female students were allowed to wear pants, which depended on the temperature. What would be your dream event/concert/lineup? Peach Pit, Big Thief, and Lorde. I just really want to see all of them live. Why WIDR? I knew that getting involved with WIDR would connect me with a bunch of cool people who love music like I do, and that's exactly what it did! What drew your attention to WIDR? I grew up in a really small farm town. Our one alternative station was bought out while I was in high school, and is now the millionth country station in my area. I started listening to MSU's student radio station and loved that students could play what they wanted, when they wanted. When I chose to attend WMU, I found WIDR online and it just looked like such a cool place so I followed them on social media, and went to the SMG meeting last September. What does WIDR and Radio Evolution mean to you? I love that WIDR plays local and alternative musicians who might not get air time if not for stations like WIDR. Radio Evolution is all about creating a movement that supports musicians that might not otherwise be played on the radio. Any closing thoughts? I frickin' love WIDRfm.

This week is the week I’ve looked forward all semester, but unfortunately this gluttony-fill holiday is also filled to the brim with driving, waiting in traffic, and hating your family. I’ve handpicked these tunes from the depths of my terrible taste. So relax, put on this playlist, and drive your ass home. You can listen to our "Drive Your Ass Home" playlist here ! 1. “Boy Racers” by Metronomy off Love Letters This first song is from the British artist Metronomy, giving a slow growing groove that would give anyone’s head a twitch. This song is one of my favorite to drive to, eat turkey, and passively aggressive respond to kin. 2. “Ghost Town” by The Specials off Stereo-Typical: A’s, B’s, and Rarities Cruising out of this ghost town to a familiar, food-scented holiday, leave your problems within the ghost town. This song may have no idea what, or where it wants to be, but The Specials bring an eerily jam for you to wear your engines pistons 3. “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock off Head Hunters My first experience with this song was in my youth after the holiday on a day of black repute, and it was no dispute that this track has always stuck with me. Early in the morning on this day in a Saturn the color of a forest we slow-rolled ourselves to great plunder. 4. “Stylo (feat. Mos Def and Bobby Womack)” by Gorillaz off Plastic Beach If you’ve never heard this song, and seen the coinciding video, well get on it. It will make you turn up this track, and imagine Bruce Willis chasing you down within some good old fashion American muscles on this day of American totalities and turkey causalities. 5. “Electricity” by Avalanches off Since I Left You Another song from my youth, this album was shown to me, and given in to me in the form of a CD. Imagine me listening to this over and over in my car, and maybe it is easy to see why this one made my list. I knew I could pick any off this album and be happy. I hope you are too. 6. “Mothership Connection (Star Child)” by Parliament off Mothership Connection Having the musical taste of a regressive forest dweller I just discovered this wonderful song recently. If you are like me, enjoy, if you are so woke that you lay awake at night, enjoy. 7. “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron off The Revolution Begins This song is added by our wonderful business director Tony Mitchell. Thank you Tony. 8. “Bambro Koyo Ganda-Analog Version” by Bonobo, Innov Gnawa off Bambro Koyo Ganda If you haven’t heard the original version, please give it a shot, but I included this version because Ive always enjoyed the growing groove with the space that having acoustic instruments within the mix, instead of the normal synth sounds.

On the 11th of November I made the trip to the state’s capital, Lansing. I had pre-ordered tickets to see one of my favorite hardcore punk bands, Trash Talk from Sacramento, California. The show was being held at Mac’s Bar on Michigan Ave., and if you have ever been there you would probably have a good idea of how this hardcore punk show was going to go down. Mac’s bar is a pretty small place, especially when you cram about 100 people around the ages of 16 to 25 inside. Having grown up in the Lansing area, I have attended many-a-show at this venue, and it always has that same smell of old stale beer and sweaty teen angst when you walk through the door, and you would think there was a funeral going on as everyone in the place is dressed in black. There is not a single window looking into the outside world, and all of the walls are painted black. It is the type of place where you could spend half of your day just admiring the artwork and graffiti on the bathroom walls. Do not let these attributes turn you away from Mac’s, because they do bring in good shows and good times for a low price, and for being such a small venue they do pretty well with their sound quality. The lineup started with Dead Hour Noise, another punk band. The front-man for the band definitely showed enthusiasm and passion in his music, and got the small early crowd fairly riled up. After their set, most people were still hanging in the back of the bar, and Pure Hiss was up. The front-woman in this band definitely got the (still small) crowd involved, and the pit was opened up. The die-hard punk heads were swinging, kicking, jumping, and even rolling, and the intensity of the show definitely got turned up. Pure Hiss had a good sound and gathered a good crowd, and as the headliner was coming closer the venue filled more and more. Spitback was up before the headliner, and the room was close to full. You may have heard of Spitback through their lead man, “Lil Lurka”, who is also very involved in the rap scene. With an aggressive sound, they definitely got the crowd ready for a brutal night. When they came off the stage, the headliner Trash Talk was up next. Trash Talk has done a lot of work with the group Odd Future and for being more of an underground band, they are pretty well known. The anticipation in the room swelled as adrenaline fueled fans watched one of their favorite bands set up on the quite small stage. Young people began to crowd the front of the knee-high stage (including myself) to make sure that they were guaranteed a spot in the action. When the performance started, the whole place was packed almost shoulder to shoulder and the opening song “Dogman” set the tone for the rest of the show with it’s heavy sound and aggressive vocals. The band’s front man, Lee Spielman, has a very distinct and fiery attitude while on stage, which fits his long-haired and heavily tattooed appearance. He expressed to the crowd how excited the band was to play such a small venue for a die-hard crowd (not exactly in those words). When the band opened up again with more heavy riffs and brutal vocals, the pit opened up and there were people flying every which way, only pausing to pick some poor soul up off the ground. Myself and a few other crowd members managed to get on stage only to immediately jump back into the mass of punks, who sometimes managed to half-catch the flying bodies before they fall to the floor, and are picked right back up to be pushed back into the swirling pit of swinging arms and heavy-hitting shoulders. Lee is all about crowd involvement, and at one point during a song was walking on the fan’s shoulders and holding the mic downward to encourage crowd members to scream the lyrics themselves. He is a great performer, and brings the whole crowd together while getting completely immersed in the current moment. Between songs, he joked with fans, even giving a shout out to a young man who was wearing a patient bracelet and claimed he came from the hospital. The band really put out the vibe that they were thankful for everyone there, and really captured the idea of how close-knit and supportive the punk community is. The band played a long set, and by the end of the show, everyone was exhausted and definitely got their $15 worth. Overall, the show itself was a very memorable one, and was a wonderful display of the hardcore punk genre. All of the opening acts were solid bands, and Trash Talk definitely made the show worth coming out to. They just finished up their U.S. tour and are back in Los Angeles. I encourage you to give them a listen.

YBOT & WIDR present Music at the Library. The new "Tiny Desk" inspired series showcases WMU music artists performing in a very raw and stripped down environment

Through their mix and mash-up of sound, tempo, and style Stoop Kids have truly pioneered a genre of their own. The eclectic quintet that makes up Stoop Kids first formed in New Orleans in the year 2012. The group consists of Griffin Dean (lead vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and rapper), Thomas Eisenhood (baritone, saxophone, and harmonies), Sam Fruend (bass and harmonies), David Paternostro (guitar and keyboard), and Jon Tontillo on drums. Since there convergence they have released three projects including What a World, Queue: The Mixtape, and Already Out of Time. Through their mix and mash-up of sound, tempo, and style Stoop Kids have truly pioneered a genre of their own. In 2015 Stoop Kid’s released their most current project, Already Out of Time, consisting of nine tracks and one feature. The band blends jazz and hip-hop vibes leaving each song sounding uniquely different without impeding on the album’s ability to flow seamlessly start to finish. The project’s harmonies, spontaneous saxophone solos, and lyrical raps are the major components in pulling the music together in an uncommon yet unparalleled way. That being said, the general vibe and tempo of the album is slow-ish and more relaxed; there aren’t a lot of “get up dance and party” songs. Stoop Kids is a band that sounds nothing like anything I’ve heard before, in the best way possible. Some of my favorite tracks from Already Out of Time include 17:35, Velvet Slide, Tucked In, and Cup. Overall the album is one of my new favorites; I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for their future releases and so should you. Track Listing: 17:35, me, Velvet Slide, Tucked In, Padiddle, Cup, Happy Birthday, Look Around, i

​Britney Gizzi We sat down with Britney Gizzi, and asked her about her experiences at WIDR FM. How long have you been working with WIDR? I started working at WIDR at the beginning of the 2016 school year. So if my math is right, it’s a little over a year. But I did go home for summer, so I don’t know if that time counts or not. What do you do? I am a part of the Promotions Team at WIDR and I just recently started reviewing albums. Favorite album? Are we talking in general? Not just out of the albums I’ve reviewed? Because I’d have to say How To Be A Human Being by Glass Animals. Out of the albums I’ve reviewed, probably Echo Papa by Air Traffic Controller. What drew your attention to WIDR? My parents really pushed me to get into something I enjoyed during my first year of college. Throughout high school I was a huge part of the fine arts department and I wanted to continue that in college. WIDR seemed like a good outlet for my love of music and it turned out to be better than I could have hoped! If you were in the world of Harry Potter, and were in a Hogwarts house, which one would you be in? 100% Ravenclaw! I took the Pottermore test, so it’s official. Favorite WIDR memory so far? My favorite memory is definitely the WIDRama we had at Rupert’s with 4 Guys 3 Beards, Nothing New, and 2070. I had a blast talking to people and I felt so welcomed, I had a great time and I didn’t want to leave at the end of the night! Any closing thoughts? WIDR has become like a family to me. Everyone there is so nice and accepting and funny! I came to Western from Colorado, and I left all my friends back there. Joining WIDR was without a doubt the best decision I made. I’ve made friends through WIDR and I’m so thankful!

In terms of genre and musical style, King Krule has been described as punk jazz, jazz fusion, and even darkwave. The first instance of Archy Marshall’s(known by his stage name King Krule) music came in the form of two singles under the name Zoo Kid. With this, he created the genre “Bluewave” and released a mixtape titled “U.F.O.W.A.V.E.” which followed this new genre. It wasn’t until 2011 that Marshall began using the name King Krule, releasing the first EP under that name later in the year. In December 2012, King Krule was nominated for the Sound of 2013 poll. In 2013, his debut album was released -- 6 Feet Beneath the Moon. After this, King Krule appeared on Conan and the Late Show with David Letterman. On October 13, 2017, King Krule released his second full album -- The OOZ. In terms of genre and musical style, King Krule has been described as punk jazz, jazz fusion, and even darkwave. The OOZ is comprised of 19 songs, most of them on the slower side. Now, I personally have pretty mixed feelings about this album. I feel like the album is hit-or-miss. You either like the song or you don’t. I didn’t really feel any “in-betweens” on any songs. Some of the songs on the album I really enjoyed. I really liked "Biscuit Town" and will for sure be adding it to my Spotify playlist. But, other ones weren’t really for me. I think you definitely have to be in the mood to listen to this album. It’s very dark and slow, so I’ve found that I have to be pretty in the right attitude to be listening to it. The album feels split in two, the first half having a very devil-may-care sort of vibe which reminds me of Gorillaz -- more specifically, Demon Days. The second is much more groovy and reminds me of Apache Tomcat. The album has a whole is comprised of a huge variety of different instruments and techniques that really makes this album stand out from many other albums I’ve listened to. Several songs include a saxophone and others feature whispers and non-rhythmic speaking that adds to the dark jazzy sound the album has. While it isn’t for everyone, I can say with confidence that it is an experience -- one I would not be opposed to listening to again. Track Listings: Biscuit Town, The Locomotive, Dum Surfer, Slush Puppy, Bermondsey Boson (Left), Logos, Sublunary, Lonely Blue, Cadet Limbo, Emergency Blimp, Czech One, (A Slide in) New Drugs, Vidual, Bermondsey Bosom (Right), Half Man Half Shark, The Cadet Leaps, The Ooz, Midnight 01 (Deep Sea Diver), La Lune Best Tracks: Biscuit Town, Dum Surfer, Logos, The OOZ, La Lune