Clarification: Tommy Anderson, WKNC-FM general manager, made a statement clarifying facts regarding contact with rock Can roll, inc. Anderson did not talk directly with a rock Can roll representative and did not accurately portray the feelings of the agency. (www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/letter-to-the-editor-clarrifying-statements-from-rock-can-roll-article-1.2276809)
Rock Can Roll, a concert and canned food drive hosted by WKNC and the UAB, featured two bands Wednesday night in Witherspoon Student Cinema after inclement weather forced the venue inside.
Tommy Anderson, a senior in political science and General Manager at WKNC, said the event was free and open to the public, but everyone who attended was encouraged to bring canned food to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.
“We’re putting on this free event for students, so we just figured since it’s free why not get the most out of it? If we only donate fifty cans then so what? We at least made something out of it. It’s a good cause,” Anderson said.
Anderson, the brainchild of the idea, said the concert did not even have a name in the beginning stages.
“I contacted a couple of people from UAB and wanted to know if there were any funds for the summer that we could do a concert with,” Anderson said. “We did three concerts in the fall and one in the spring called Fridays on the Lawn — basically just bringing in local music to campus for free. We wanted to do that again for the summer.”
After coming up with the name “Rock Can Roll,” Anderson said he was contacted by a nonprofit of the same name.
“There was a nonprofit in New York that emailed us and was like, ‘Hey! We’re called Rock Can Roll.’ They’re a registered, trademark nonprofit.,” Anderson said. “So, I don’t know if there will be any more Rock Can Roll events, maybe similar fundraiser events, but we won’t be using that name [again]. It was too clever to be true.”
Anderson said they originally booked the band Annuals, a local group, and What Laura Says, the first out-of-state band they have hosted at the University.
“We were looking to get a really big band and we got early confirmation from Annuals, who are from Raleigh, and a band they were on tour with from their record label called What Laura Says, who is from Arizona,” Anderson said.
However, due to some scheduling conflicts, Anderson said Annuals were dropped from the set list and replaced by Bright Young Things.
“Annuals kind of pulled out at the last minute. It was unfortunate that the miscommunication led that to happen but the Annuals couldn’t play without their lead guitarist,” Anderson said. “What Laura Says remained on the bill, but luckily I was able to get in contact with Mark Conner from Bright Young Things. They played in the spring, they actually headlined in the spring.”
Anderson had nothing but glowing comments about Bright Young Things, who WKNC plays at the station.
“Three N.C. State graduates are in the band and they╒re really good. Luckily, they are all around and in town,” Anderson said.
Craig Reed, a junior in forestry management, said he heard about the concert through Facebook.
“I thought it was a very new sound. It was different from the ordinary. They’re the new Kanye West, but better.”
Zack Oden, a member of the Annuals, was also in attendance and said he was disappointed he didn’t get to play, but still enjoyed the show.
“We’ve been touring with [What Laura Says] for over a month now and they’re my favorite band I’ve ever toured with. The best musicians, the nicest Arizona hippies you’ll ever meet,” Oden said. “The only thing I didn’t enjoy was I couldn’t stand up and dance without everybody staring.”
