Alright, by now you’ve probably heard about KNiCE, the new little Taos-community-radio-station-that-could, housed in a 33-foot 1976 Airstream Excella in the Boneyard behind Taos Mesa Brewing.
But in case you haven’t, please, allow us to introduce you.
In 2014, Roots and Wires Presents (John Henderson and Jerry Schwartz), Walking Rain Productions (Stephen Plyler), your very own LiveTaos.com (Max Moulton, Kevyn Gilbert, and Rita O’Connell), and Ravensong Productions (Dan Irion and Eric Olriksen of Taos Mesa Brewing), got together and obtained KNCE 93.5FM, formerly the commercial-free Oldies station (we know, we know; if you’re still mourning that loss, we’re sorry, and we promise to keep Cruisin’ With The Oldies every Sunday from noon – 4pm).
Why these four entities? We’ve each been working, independently and together, on building and expanding the scene here in Taos, both by supporting and promoting the existing music and performance scene and by bringing fantastic acts from around the world to play for enthusiastic Taos audiences. When this opportunity to collaborate came up, it felt like a natural fit, and the reception has been fantastic.
As of today, January 18th 2015, KNCE is rocking and rolling with over sixty (you heard me, 6-0) community DJs volunteering their time to hang out in the Airstream, spinning tunes and exploring life from that delightfully-unique perspective of being a Taoseño. Here’s just a sampling of what a week at KNCE looks like right now:
- Sunday from 7pm – 10pm, the world-famous Roots and Wires Reggae Sound System;
- Monotone Mondays, punk and hardcore from 10pm – midnight with Bobby Joe and Jeff;
- The mighty Ted Dimond, back on the air on Tuesday mornings 7am – 10am;
- Kiki Shakti’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun on Tuesday nights from 10pm – midnight;
- Wednesday night freeform, 8pm – midnight with David Costanza, Sonya Luz, Juniper Purinton, Natalie Carlton, Ben Wright, and more;
- northern New Mexico’s only hip-hop show, Potent Radio, Thursday nights 10pm – midnight with P0.10.CEE;
- Rich Greywolf’s The Forge, bringing you the history of hard rock and heavy metal every Friday 9pm – midnight;
- Saturday mornings from 9am – noon, Walking Rain Productions’ Americana show;
plus great freeform shows with Penny Teehee, Floyde and Cleo, Spanky, Dan Cassidy, Josh Cunningham, and Marina Coleman; and so much more awesomeness that we can’t even begin to list it all here. (The schedule is still evolving — if you’re interested in DJing a show, please complete this form and we’ll get back to you!)
By this point you’re probably saying to yourself, “Yes! Yes! Not only can I not wait to tune in, but I’m also eager to give you money to support this outstanding local project.” Why, thank you, and indeed KNCE is actively seeking on-air advertisers — but based on our market research (and personal preference), there will be no lengthy obnoxious commercial blocks that get in the way of your listening pleasure. Our goal is to bridge the gap between public and commercial radio by keeping the content very Taos-centric, and offering new paradigm in which local businesses and organizations can take a more active role in community media.
What exactly does that mean for you, in real English? Super low prices and personalized ad spots, designed to show what radio can sound like when listeners and small businesses chip in to support real local media, powered by the voices of Taos. Email [email protected] to learn more!
