The sixth annual WKNC Double Barrel Benefit will take place Friday and Saturday.
“It features all local music, all from North Carolina,” Kelly Reid, former WKNC music director, said.
The Benefit grew out of a need for additional funds that Student Media allocations for WKNC did not cover, yet the station needed to maintain a certain budget every year.
“There were downfalls in the budget for what the station wanted, but couldnÕt afford. Although the station was not professional, the budget was,” Reid said.
The revenue generated from the Benefit goes to such activities as promotions that are separate from day-to-day operations.
“For example, last year, we made enough money to buy a remote broadcasting unit that enables us to broadcast live from any location,” Adam Kincaid, WKNC program director, said. “It’s a serious piece of equipment for any radio station that allows us to go to events and transmit a live signal to the masses from wherever we are.”
Jamie Proctor, former general manager and organizer of the first Double Barrel Benefit, said, “Kings [Barcade] had a lot of success putting on big annual event shows, like the Great Cover-Up shows, things that had the power to bring the whole regional scene together, not just Raleigh folks.”
The initial idea was for a one-night-only concert, but there was enough interest both amongst local bands and audiences that it became a two night event, Proctor said.
“We handed out a few thousand fliers, but I didn’t really know what to expect. So you can imagine my excitement when I got there for the show and there was already a line down the block. The next year, we tried to expand things, bringing in some more bands from around the state — All Astronauts from Greensboro, Fashion Brigade from Wilmington and adding more NCSU student bands into the mix.”
“For the first four years, it used to be at King’s Barcade, but now it’s a parking deck,” Kyle Robb, general manager of WKNC, said.
The event was held at the Pour House last year, and will be held there this year.
Robb said that there are eight bands each year, with four bands playing each night.
“All of the bands this year are local, and it is probably our most prestigious lineup to date,” Kincaid said.
Friday night will feature Lonnie Walker, Lost in the Trees, Schooner and Bowerbirds take the stage. Saturday nightÕs lineup includes I Was Totally Destroying It, Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies, Birds of Avalon and Polvo.
Reid said, “Bands are chosen based on what listeners of WKNC and the Triangle enjoy. These bands are affected by WKNC, and say ‘yes, I love WKNC’ in response to being asked to participate in the Benefit.”
She added that the bands are also considered on the basis of their difference made in the community.
According to Reid, WKNC has been lucky to land Polvo, since they are currently the most influential indie band playing in the Triangle.
Notable past participants in the Benefit include the Mountain Goats, an acoustic duo whose frontman, John Darnielle, currently resides in Durham. The Benefit has also hosted The Annuals, a home-grown Raleigh sextet who released their sophomore follow-up album in October 2008.
Reid said, “This is the biggest event of the year, taking hours of planning and hard work. Without this, we wouldnÕt be able to be an element of the community.”
Tickets are $7 in advance of the show and $9 at the door. A $5 surcharge will be added to any patron who is not 21, and patrons must be at least 18. The Pour House is located in downtown Raleigh at 224 S. Blount Street.
