CKXU Fundrive puts the fun in fundraising with medieval flair

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 This week was all about CKXU FUNdrive and fundrive related events. CKXU volunteers and staff put in countless 20 some hour days organizing events, recording radio plays  and coming up with incentives and fundraising ideas on air for  their annual Fundrive, March 15-22.Rudz Crew playing the CKXU Musical melee for Fundrive. Photo by Richard Amery

The University of Lethbridge based community radio station raised a total of $23,034 including money raised at several events happening throughout the past week towards their $30,000 goal which they plan to put towards a new website which will allow podcasting and other features.


 One of the most fun events was The Musical Melee battle of the Bands upstairs in the old firehall, Saturday,CKXU Volunteer Dai Hewison mans the phones early in Fundrive. Photo by Richard Amery March 16. I was on the air, so missed first and second place winners the Youngbloods and Fawns, but I was in time to catch a new band 21st Avenue, playing for about 40 people by the time I arrived.
 They played a solid set, especially since one of the members had only joined five days before.


 They played a solid set of mostly original chiming country rock and ambient indie pop/rock  which had elements of country and a lot of mid ’90s sound along the lines of Dishwalla with a touch of Red Hot Chili Pepper sand  smattering of Said the Whale.
 Rudz Crew, who play the Casino every so often, closed off the set with a  set mostly of covers ranging from ’90s country to blues like Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Cold Shot.”

Shaela Miller and her band playing Ramones covers to wind up Fundrive. Photo by Richard Amery
 They played some Confederate Railroad and  one I really liked called “ You Haven’t Seen the last of Me.”
The also sang a solid version of  “It’s So Easy to Fall in Love.”
They ended with a cover of the Greg Kihn Band’s “the Breakup Song (They Don”t Write ’em.”)
Earlier in the day, Saturday, March 16, CKXU tried something new with their Cupcake Carnival, by combining it with a Love and Records event at the Lethbridge Public Library Downtown.


 They had a variety of record vendors and artisans, and , of course, cupcakes,  upstairs with an acoustic stage featuring   talent like Willy Big Bull and Jess Tollestrup. Willy Big Bull sang heartfelt acoustic folk in his big, raspy voice.Willy Big Bull playing CKXU's Love N' Cupcakes, March 16. Photo by Richard Amery


 Downstairs they turned things up with Calgary’s Outlaws of Ravenhurst, who were a highlight of Love and Records in 2014.
 The trio, dressed in their usually knight’s jerkins,  played riff heavy ’80s sounding metal about fantastical themes, dragon attacks and quests, fitting in well with this year’s medieval Fundrive theme of Into the Radio Realm. 

Unfortunately they didn’t have a lot of people to take in their upbeat set, though they had a couple little kids dancing with their parents.

 CKXU wound up this year’s FUNdrive’s Music Monarchy Shaela Miller playing Ramones covers, upstairs in the old Firehall, March 22.


 I missed most of the cover show, but was in time to catch a fascinating set from Shaela Miller and her bThe Outlaws of Ravenhurst playing CKXU's Love N' Cupcakes, march 16. Photo by Richard Ameryand covering Ramones  songs, country style. The band, including bassist Paul Holden, drummer Tyler Bird, lead guitarist Jon Martin and John Vornbrock adding extra vocals, infused alt country style into  a variety of popular Ramones numbers including “Sha Sha La La (Howling at the Moon),” “ Beat on the Brat ” and “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg,” to name a few.

They sounded pretty unique when turned into country songs and the band knew their source material enough to put their own twist on it, which is what I like to see in  covers.

— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 March 2019 10:38 )