No Snobs in Snob-Rock

Mar. 8 - It is a known fact around campus that WMUL-FM is a haven for local, live music.

Snob-Rock Live is a weekly show on WMUL featuring local musicians every Thursday night at 6 p.m. The musicians are interviewed by a group of hosts and are given a chance to play their material on the air.

"Snob-Rock Live is a way for people who don't go to every local show to have an idea of what kind of music is being made in their area," Snob-Rock organizer Terry Bartley, sophomore electronic media management major from Madison, W.Va., said.

The show began in fall 2005. Bartley organized the show, which has a crew of at least seven people.

"The idea of bringing in bands all started when I first got a morning show," Bartley said. "I was surprised at how many bands were willing to get up early enough to stop by a radio station for a little interview and impromptu concert."

The show was moved to Thursday nights and a crew was assembled.

The name, Snob-Rock Live, was coined by the show's main producer Patrick Western, junior business management major from Nitro, W.Va.

"Most of us are really opinionated about our musical tastes and we have a good sample of genres between us," Western said.

Bartley said a typical "rock snob" is someone who is particularly knowledgeable about a certain type of music. In the crew's case, that means local music.

Redding Brothers vocalist and guitarist Micah Redding said the show gives local artists a chance to connect with listeners on a different level than what happens at a concert. The Redding Brothers appeared on the show earlier this semester.

"It gives them the time to sit down and explain who they are and what they're all about," Redding said.

Bartley said the show presents the opportunity for bands to reach audiences across Huntington.

"It gives them a chance to find more fans in the area, and we Web cast, so they have a chance to find new fans from anywhere," WMUL Music Director Theresa Hoffman said.

Alternative/Emo band Holding Fire appeared on Snob-Rock Live Feb. 16.

"You don't see opportunities like this very often, at least not in West Virginia," Tristan Garten, Holding Fire guitar player and psychology major from Oak Hill, W.Va., said.

The show does not target a specific audience.

"Our musical guests tend to be anything from bluegrass to acoustic pop to indie rock," Western said.

Anyone who is interested in local music or trying to find more local bands would be interested in the show, he said. Western said the show's potential audience includes anyone who is interested in a range of music.

Bartley said the only limitations to such a show is artists must be able to adjust to acoustic settings.

"We are limited only by our equipment," Western said. "I'd love to be able to mic up a full-blown band with halfstacks and a full drum kit, but we simply don't have that sort of equipment or soundproofing at the station."

He said the hosts and crew of the show try to fill a niche in local radio that is not being filled. Local music is featured on local commercial stations, such as Loud and Local on WAMX 106.3.

"I feel that our show delves deeper into our local music scene to find bands that are truly great, but most people probably haven't heard them before," Bartley said.

Western said, "Nothing else exists locally for live music on radio like our show."

Holding Fire vocalist and guitarist Cody Lynch, education major from Huntington, said the bands featured on Loud and Local tend to have a certain sound.

"They only play bands that sound like X 106," he said.

Lynch said Snob-Rock opens up opportunities for independent bands.

"College kids are the ones who buy record," he said. "That's who comes to shows."

Bartley said one of the great things about Snob-Rock is not only that it is Web cast, but shows are posted on the Internet as podcasts.

"That's one of the greatest new options available, to share your radio show as a podcast as well as through traditional radio means," Redding said. "It dramatically broadens your available audience."

Anyone with questions or comments about the show can e-mail snobrock@gmail.com or visit the show's blog at http://snobrock.blogspot.com.