On Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m., NC State’s campus radio station and Student Media outlet, WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1, will be hosting its 17th Annual Double Barrel Benefit Concert at Kings Raleigh. This two-night event features a wide selection of mostly NC State performers to raise money for WKNC.

WKNC General Manager Laura Mooney, a third-year studying social work,  said Double Barrel is incredibly important for the station, as the show helps generate about 6% of the station’s annual budget. Aside from this, Mooney believes it is important for students to recognize the free media around them.

“It’s so incredibly important for audience members to come out,” Mooney said. “Having NC State students come out is the coolest thing ever, because we have less university support than I would like. We’re not a very prominent, advertised portion of the university. Student life doesn’t really get to hear about us a lot. It’s really amazing to see people come out and see that free media still exists and that independent broadcasting can still be a part of music curation.”

Night one has Dotwav Media, King Gino and Vacant Company performing with Pat Junior headlining, and Night two has Junior Astronomers, Black Surfer and De()t, with Truth Club headlining. Mooney said three of the performers have current NC State students in their groups, and six of the eight groups contain either current or former NC State students.

“It’s really cool to engage with our students that way,” Mooney said. “Our cornerstone of broadcasting is local music. We do get sent a lot of music by national promoters and things like that, but local music is the easiest form of access regarding interviewing, live performance, concert booking and giving back to our community immediately.”

Mooney said WKNC strives to have a diverse group of performers at Double Barrel every year.

“We do our best not to book an artist more than once,” Mooney said. “It’s happened in the past, but none of these acts have played before … It’s also really cool to select NC State performers who are of marginalized demographics. We always aim to have more than four white guys and a guitar on the bill. That’s part of why we book so many genres, but it’s also a goal when we book bands.”

WKNC Social Media Director Lauren Nakonechny, a second-year veterinary student, said while money is important, it’s also important to give smaller artists a place to make a name for themselves and have people come celebrate their music together.

“I think a big part of Double Barrel is showcasing local artists and giving smaller names the chance to play a big show and having their fans come out and hear their music,” Nakonechny said. “The biggest thing about it is having a bunch of people come together and listen to music together and have fun.”

According to WKNC’s website, tickets are $13, or $15 the day of the event, and a two-day pass is $22. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.

Mooney said people of all ages are welcome to attend this event, but emphasized that the event is dedicated to and put on for WKNC staff and DJs.

“It’s so amazing to see new DJs volunteer here and really get a taste of all of the cumulative hours that we’ve put into this event,” Mooney said. “I know I will be saying a few words on the second night, right before the headliner goes on, just thanking everyone and giving a shoutout to my staff members. It couldn’t have happened without them, and in a way, this final product is kind of dedicated to them.”

For more information about WKNC or the Double Barrel Benefit, visit WKNC’s website. For updates on the Double Barrel Benefit, visit WKNC’s Instagram page.