WKNCS is hosting its eighth Double Barrel Benefit February 4 and 5.
The two nights of music will feature nine local acts at Kings in downtown Raleigh.
Chris Cioffi, a senior in language, writing and rhetoric, and public affairs director for WKNC, said and The Old Ceremony will headline a set of four bands Friday night, and Hammer No More the Fingers will headline a set of five acts on Saturday night.
“There is a really solid lineup. There is not a single band in that lineup that I have not seen by themselves live, because they are just that f***ing awesome,” Cioffi said. “They are all some of my favorite local bands from this last year.”
Tommy Anderson, a senior in political science and philosophy and the general manager of WKNC, said the Double Barrel Benefit is an important source of revenue for the station.
“When you run a 25,000 watt radio station, it gets pretty expensive to supply that 24 hours, 365 a year,” Anderson said.
Although WKNC receives funding from the University, it covers most of its own operating costs.
“Approximately 16% of our budget comes from student fees,” Anderson said.
Students can support the radio station by purchasing a ticket for the concert.
“[If you buy a ticket], you’re supporting your student radio,” Anderson said.
Anderson‘s tone became more enthusiastic when discussing the acts at Double Barrel.
“If you are not familiar with local music, this is a way to familiarize yourself with the surplus of talent in this area,” Anderson said.
WKNC invited local artists they considered particularly noteworthy.
“Each year, we try to get big local bands [as headliners]. Then, we try to find bands that are new and have been generating buzz,” Anderson said.
Anderson said, “The first night is very accessible indie rock … the second night is very, very high energy. If you are looking to dabble in different genres, that is the second night.”
In the past, bands that have headlined at Double Barrel had seen an increase in popularity.
“Headlining the first night, we have a band called The Old Ceremony. They played Double Barrel four years ago, but their popularity has soared since then,” Anderson said.
Friday night will also feature the band Bright Young Things. Three members of Bright Young Things are N.C. State graduates.
Anderson said they have been described and complimented as sounding like “The Beatles on a bad day”.
Attendees of this year’s Double Barrel Benefit will also receive a CD compilation of some of Benefit’s performers.
According to Eric Scholz, a senior in communication and director of Sessions@KNC, this is the first time WKNC has released its own compilation.
“We collaborated with each band to put one original, previously unreleased track for the compilation,” Scholz said.
“Some of [the songs] are very typical of the bands’ style. Some of the bands decided to experiment a bit,” Scholz said.
Scholz said seven of the disc’s eight tracks were recorded by WKNC as part of their Sessions@KNC program. Sessions@KNC is a program where the station invites local bands to play and be recorded on campus in Caldwell Lounge.
The station has recorded many local bands and released those songs for free download on their website. However, the songs recorded for this CD will not be on the site.
People can buy tickets for one night for $10 each, or a ticket for both nights for $18.
Tickets are on sale on WKNC’s website and possibly at the door. However, the Double Barrel Benefit has a history of being sold out before the weekend of the event.
Anderson said the number of tickets is limited by the size of its venue.
“King’s capacity is 250,” Anderson said. “In years past, we have sold out.”
“Last year, we sold out before people got to the door, but they were letting people in as others left,” Cioffi said.