By Michael Pedro
On Saturday, September 14, Western New England University’s radio club, WNEK, supported several small bands at a local concert by selling some of their CD backlog at the event. The Connecticut-based grunge band American Amnesia was the event’s headliner, while the bands G.o.L.e.M, Flatwounds, and Bad Impressions, all from New York, played a supporting role.
The Director of DJing for WNEK, Nate Miller, was in charge of most of the planning. It turns out this event was in the works for a while. “It started all the way back at KMF (Kodiak Music Festival). I was talking with American Amnesia, and they said they wanted to do a show in Massachusetts. Over the summer, I got a DM from their Instagram asking if I could give their bass player Anthony a call. We talked, and I explained what WNEK would be doing. He explained their plans and brought up a CD sale.” Miller noted. After the groundwork had been laid out, it was smooth sailing. “American Amnesia reached out to G.o.L.e.M, who reached out to the other bands,” Miller concluded.
WNEK’s President, Robby Ravosa, was proud of how the sale went. “It was nice to see the members of the bands come up and check out our stuff,” Ravosa said. “The drummer from Flatwounds bought fifteen CDs, and it was nice to get some sales.” When asked if an event like this would be done again, Ravosa said, “Absolutely. It was a great time.”
Miller and other attendees expressed their enjoyment of the event. “[It] was great,” Miller began. “[There was an] insane amount of energy, and it’s really nice to have these shows with small bands you can relate to and share stories with. That makes it a lot more fun.”
Two WNEK general members, Johnathan Ventura and Garren Nordquist, also loved the show. “It was really awesome,” Ventura said. Nordquist, however, got a more hands-on experience. “I thought it was a success. I got to be a guest vocalist for American Amnesia’s song ‘Rain’,” Nordquist said. Nordquist, who is in the process of starting a band, has dubbed it “the beginning of an era” for his music endeavors.
Overall, the show turned out to be a huge hit. The sale was also a success, with roughly 50 CDs being sold. Be on the lookout for more shows like this, as there’s a good chance WNEK will be involved in future ones.
