Local radio station celebrates twenty years on air

On Sunday, musician Andrew Kasab, and bands Sound of Scarlet and The Will McBride Group performed at WCOM’s 20th anniversary fundraiser, hosted in the back room of Cat’s Cradle.

The fundraiser was filled with people of all ages, many of whom are DJs at WCOM. The radio station is run completely by volunteers, and anyone in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro community can apply to be one. 

WCOM is preparing to move into a new building, the Drakeford Library Complex, with some other nonprofits. Currently, the station resides a few doors down from Cat’s Cradle.

The station, though tiny, has a large impact through the community. 

Kasab, a Raleigh-based musician, has been performing on air with WCOM since 2006, and said that the station’s community outreach has been outstanding. 

After a brief introduction by DJ Aurora, Kasab took the stage with his harp guitar, a rare instrument that combines an acoustic guitar with a harp. 

“I’m one of a very, very few artists in the U.S. that’s a harp guitarist,” Kasab said. “There’s probably about four or five, including myself, in the country.”

Throughout his set, Kasab paused to thank WCOM and Cat’s Cradle for the event, urging audience members to volunteer at the station and donate to the fundraiser.

After Kasab’s harmonic folk performance, new local band Sound of Scarlet took the stage, playing a lively mix of classic and reinvented punk rock. 

This was Sound of Scarlet’s debut performance. The band was invited to play at the event by The Will McBride Group, a longtime friend of Sound of Scarlet that has been involved with the station for many years.

The Will McBride Group is a funk rock band from Raleigh, and a band WCOM features occasionally on its radio shows. After participating in another fundraiser with the station in the fall, Will McBride, the frontman, said the band was invited back for Sunday’s event. 

“WCOM has been really instrumental in the local music scene, and we need that,” McBride said. “Local creators don’t get any kind of love on the commercial stations, so we need those kinds of stations to give us airplay.”

McBride’s set featured mainly original tunes but also included a few Steely Dan Covers. The funky grooves the band played ignited the audience, and many people were dancing and singing along. 

In the future, WCOM is looking to start recording live shows like these throughout the Chapel Hill and Carrboro community to help boost local talent. 

“It gives artists an additional way to get their music out, and it helps people that can’t get to the shows to be able to participate,” Cottingham said. 

WCOM brings together the local music scene and community, making independent artists' voices heard. They plan on extending their reach as they head into their 20th year, with both musicians and listeners. 

“We’re actively looking for people who have something to say and want to be out there,” station manager Dave Cottingham said. 

For more information on how to get involved and volunteer at WCOM, check out their website.

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