KCRW’s Free Concert Series Continues Into September

KCRW’s Free Concert Series Continues Into September

The public radio station partners with a wide variety of cultural institutions across Southern California for free, outdoors, all-ages events.

(SANTA MONICA) August 13, 2013 — The season of free, all ages, outdoors summer shows is almost over, but KCRW’s Summer Nights series is going out with a bang.

This Saturday, the station returns to Chinatown for a dance party courtesy of KCRW DJs Raul Campos and Mario Cotto. It’s our third and final night in Chinatown’s Central Plaza and so far each one has been packed with revelers (and lots of confetti).

The public radio station will also present the season closer in the Skirball Cultural Center’s Sunset Concerts series, a courtyard performance from Afro-Brazilian specialist Dendê and Band on Thursday, August 29 at 7pm, with an opening DJ set from KCRW’s Jeremy Sole.

KCRW will host two additional shows by world music masters on Saturday, August 24. Fared Shafinury melds traditional melodies and rhythms from Iran with modern electronic beats at Grand Performances in California Plaza at 8pm, while MacArthur Park hosts an evening with reggae sensation Rocky Dawuni as part of Levitt Pavilion’s popular concert series.

The Twilight Concert Series continues at the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday nights with upcoming performances from The English Beat, Nick Waterhouse, Jimmy Cliff, Trombone Shorty, Gardens & Villa and others.

Watch performances on the pier, picnic in the sand or catch the show streaming live on MySpace. Find out more info here.

For a full listing of events and details, go to KCRW.com/summernights.

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Events, Station Announcement

KCRW Celebrates 5th Annual Good Food Pie Contest with Beer Naming Competition

KCRW Celebrates 5th Annual Good Food Pie Contest with Beer Naming Competition

Two NEW Categories Added in 2013 Including Vegan & Kids

SANTA MONICA (July 8, 2013) — Registration is now open for KCRW’s annual Good Food Pie Contest, back for its fifth year. To help kick-off pie season, Good Food Host Evan Kleiman is teaming up with the Orange County craft brewery, The Bruery, to create a special pie-inspired beer. Designed to replicate the flavors of rhubarb raspberry pie, the recipe encourages sweetness balanced by tartness, intense fruit character, and a “graham cracker crust-like” flavor.

Now, KCRW is asking listeners, foodies, drinkers and bloggers to submit their name ideas for the otherwise nameless brew. KCRW will host a live Twitter chat Monday, July 8 with Evan Kleiman and The Bruery to answer all “pie beer” questions. The hashtag #PieBeer is being used for the chat. Finalists will be announced Tuesday, July 9, with the winning named declared Wednesday, July 10 on Evan’s Facebook page.

KCRW’s Good Food Pie Contest continues to grow, with 285 pies entered in 2012. This year, two new categories have been added, Vegan and Kids, for bakers under 12, in addition to Fruit, Nut, Cream/Chiffon/Silk, Savory, Vegan, and LACMA Art-Inspired. Pies will be judged by a panel of professional bakers, chefs and celebrities, which will be announced throughout the summer.

“I never expected the Good Food Pie Contest to become what it today. Every year gets better and bigger, from the quality of pies to the community that joins us; it’s like KCRW’s summer family picnic,” says Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW’s Good Food.

KCRW’s Pie-A-Day series is also back to kick-off pie season, with a new pie recipe featured on the Good Food Blog daily through Labor Day. The site will also include pie announcements, baking tips, pie pictures and more. Fans can also submit their own pie photos which will be aggregated on the blog using the hashtag #PieADay.

KCRW is also partnering with Cooks County for a special Home Cooked Monday Dinner benefit, which includes a three-course seasonal menu, plus snacks for $35. For dessert, Cooks County’s Roxana Jullapat is teaming up with Evan Kleiman and Nicole Mournian, Gjelina Pastry Chef and last year’s 4th Annual Good Food Pie Contest champion, for a one-of-a-kind pie. All proceeds from the dinner will help raise funds for the event.

For more information, entries and details on KCRW’s 5th Annual Good Food Pie Contest please visit: http://kcrw.com/pie

For all things “pie” including Pie-A-Day recipes, interviews with bakers, pie pictures and general pie news and updates, please visit: http://kcrw.com/pieaday

For more details on the Pie Beer Naming Competition, please visit: http://kcrw.com/piebeer

To purchase tickets for the Cooks County Home Cooked Monday Dinner benefit, please visit: http://kcrw.com/cookscounty

KCRW’s Good Food blog can be found at: http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood

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ABOUT KCRW:
KCRW 89.9FM is an NPR affiliate serving Southern California and licensed to Santa Monica College. The public radio station represents cutting edge radio at its best, presenting an eclectic mix of independent music, news, talk and arts programming. KCRW’s programming is internationally renowned and available worldwide at KCRW.com. KCRW offers an all-music channel, Eclectic24, an all news channel and on-air simulcast. Podcasts and archives of our locally-produced programs and live band performances are available on our website, as well as on our smartphone apps for the iPhone, Android and Blackberry.

ABOUT GOOD FOOD:
Good Food explores current events, social phenomena, history and culture through the lens of food. From food politics to the science behind cooking, host Evan Kleiman highlights the diverse community of cooks, farmers, entrepreneurs, historians and journalists who have devoted their lives to food. Good Food is the only radio show where you can hear LA Times Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer Jonathan Gold each week. Get Jonathan Gold’s weekly restaurant suggestion sent to your phone! Text “Good Food” to 69866 and get a text with the name, address and phone number of this week’s restaurant.

Events, KCRW Music Announcement

KCRW to Bring Latin Alternative Sounds to LA During LAMC

KCRW Returns as Official
Presenting Radio Sponsor
for the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC)

July 9-13 in NYC – Hosted by KCRW DJ Raul Campos

The public radio station will bring the diverse sounds of Latin Alternative music to LA while LAMC is happening in NYC.

SANTA MONICA, July 1, 2013 — Public radio station KCRW (89.9FM and KCRW.com) is once again on board as the official radio sponsor for the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) and will feature special programming in Los Angeles while the event is underway in New York City July 9-13.

KCRW DJ Raul Campus will also serve as the LAMC host for his sixth year and MC major events at Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park and LAMC Central Park SummerStage. He’ll be deejaying on the Summer Stage before a performance by Lila Downs on Thursday, July 11.

He will be broadcasting his show, which airs on KCRW weeknights from 10pm to midnight, from NYC on July 11-12.

“Over these few days in July, New York City turns into the mecca for Latin Alternative music,” said Campos. “Established and emerging artists from across the globe congregate here to showcase this genre that is exploding all over the world.”

Back in Los Angeles, KCRW will be presenting the diverse sounds of Latin music in a variety of ways. This includes LAMC-inspired programming on KCRW’s signature music show “Morning Becomes Eclectic” and free song downloads as part of the Today’s Top Tune program, including tracks from Grammy-nominated Venezuelan rockers La Vida Boheme and Argentinian vocalist Natalia Clavier (Thievery Corporation).

KCRW will also present a free concert at the Hammer Museum featuring Mexican songstress Ximena Sariñana on Thursday, July 11 as part of the station’s “Summer Nights” series.

LAMC founder Tomas Cookman said, “KCRW has been a constant and at times, singular voice for many of the bands that are featured at the LAMC. We feel that there is no better radio outlet in the country to partner up with that understands the many different sounds and genres that fall under the LAMC and Latin Alternative umbrella as does KCRW.”

The 14th LAMC promises to be yet another exciting year, with an expanded focus that now includes special events dedicated to food, film, books, art and poetry. Walk up registration will be available and you can find out more here.

Rachel Reynolds
Music Publicity Director
KCRW 89.9FM
1900 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 314-4625 DIRECT
rachel.reynolds@kcrw.org
http://twitter.com/RachelRkcrw
http://blogs.kcrw.com/musicnews/

About KCRW: KCRW 89.9FM is an NPR affiliate serving Southern California and licensed to Santa Monica College. The public radio station represents cutting edge radio at its best, presenting an eclectic mix of independent music, news, talk and arts programming. The terrestrial signal serves Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties, as well as parts of San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, and Santa Barbara counties and the greater Palm Springs area. KCRW’ s programming is internationally renowned and available worldwide at KCRW.com. KCRW offers an all-music channel, Eclectic24, an all news channel and on-air simulcast. . Podcasts and archives of our locally-produced programs and live band performances are available on our website, as well as on our smartphone apps for the iPhone, Android and Blackberry. KCRW’s acclaimed Music Mine app for iPad is dedicated to music discovery.

Awards, Station Announcement

LA Press Club Names Warren Olney Radio Journalist of the Year

Warren Olney Named Radio Journalist of the Year

KCRW Wins LA Press Club Awards for Best Personality Profile, Public Affairs, Documentary & Entertainment Shows

SANTA MONICA, June 24, 2013 — Warren Olney earned Journalist of the Year in the radio category at the 2013 LA Press Club Awards. Of the win, the LA Press Club noted, “Olney and his team did a masterful job of remembering a traumatic period in the city’s history. Great job.” Olney was previously named Best Radio Journalist of the Year in 2001 when his signature show, “Which Way, LA?” also won Best Talk/Public Affairs Show.

This year, the “Which Way, LA?” team, led by Warren Olney and Managing Producer Sonya Geis, was also awarded best public affairs show for its special 20th anniversary coverage of the LA Riots. The five show series, which explored how Los Angeles has changed over the past 20 years, featured listener stories, special guests, and an interview by KCRW DJ Raul Campos with band Ozomatli about the riots’ effect on the LA music scene. The series can be found here.

In the radio documentary category, KCRW won for “The Couple in 303,” produced by Gideon Brower and Eric Drachman about a quiet, Santa Monica couple who turned out to be gangster Whitey Bulger and his wife. The entire piece first aired on UnFictional and was funded through the Independent Producer Project. The story can be heard here.

Host Kim Masters and Producer Darby Maloney and of KCRW’s The Business took second place in two categories: Best Entertainment Reporting for “The Hollywood-China Connection” and Best Personality Profile for their interview with “Beasts of the Southern Wild” director Benh Zeitlin.

KCRW contributors also won awards at this year’s ceremony. Gene Maddaus was named Print Journalist of the Year for his work at LA Weekly, while Gustavo Arellano won for Best Newspaper/Print Business Feature for his work at the OC Weekly.

All 2013 LA Press Club winners can be found here.

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Events, KCRW Music Announcement

KCRW Announces Additions to Summer Nights

KCRW Announces Additions to Summer Nights

The public radio station is partnering with Oscars® Outdoors, the Skirball and Levitt Pavilion for additional free, outdoors, all-ages events this summer.

SANTA MONICA, June 26, 2013 — KCRW’s Summer Nights series is already in full swing and the station is proud to announce four additional events across the city.

On July 28, KCRW will partner with the Academy’s Oscars Outdoors, the gold standard of open-air film venues, to present “Style Wars”, the iconic 1983 graffiti and hip hop culture documentary.

Unlike anything KCRW has ever done before, the incredible evening will feature street artists, b-boys, a Q&A with the film’s co-director Henry Chalfant, and host KCRW DJ Anthony Valadez, who will also spin before the screening. Actress Catherine Keener will talk briefly about her involvement in the restoration of the film.

It is a free event, but capacity is limited and reservations are required. RSVP HERE. Gates open at 6pm.

The public radio station will also present two Sunset Concerts at the Skirball Cultural Center – the highly acclaimed Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars on August 8 and Afro-Brazilian Master Percussionist and Singer Dendê and Band on August 29. Both evenings will start at 7pm and include opening sets from KCRW DJs.

On Saturday, August 25, KCRW heads to MacArthur Park for an evening with reggae sensation Rocky Dawuni and host DJ Jeremy Sole as part of Levitt Pavilion’s popular concert series.

Summer Nights programming continues through September with Downtown, Santa Monica, Chinatown and Westwood.

KCRW’s concert series collaboration with the Hammer Museum, “Music for Better Living”, launches this Thursday with a performance from AM & Shawn Lee and DJ sets from Music Director Jason Bentley and Dan Wilcox.

For a full listing of events and details, go to KCRW.com/summernights.

KCRW Music Announcement, Station Announcement

KCRW Launches Award-Winning Music Mine App for iPhone

KCRW’s Award-Winning Music Discovery App Now Available on iPhone

Los Angeles Public Radio Station Continues Digital Expansion Efforts with “Music Mine” App

KCRW (89.9FM and KCRW.com) is excited to announce the launch of its renowned music discovery app, Music Mine for iPhone. Already available on iPad and Spotify, Music Mine for iPhone takes the magic of KCRW’s curated music selection and puts it directly into the listener’s pocket.

KCRW has long been known as a station that breaks new artists and the app brings the same spirit of discovery to users. Songs are updated daily in tandem with KCRW‘s on-air playlists, which are hand picked by the station’s world-famous DJs. Music Mine was developed in partnership with the Public Radio Exchange (PRX).

“We have always imagined Music Mine would be launched on the iPhone, especially given its success on iPad and Spotify. Our goal is to make KCRW’s brand of music discovery as portable and accessible as possible, with a human touch,” says KCRW Director of Web & Mobile Development Nathan Lubeck. “It’s like having your personal KCRW DJ in your pocket.”

The app also includes full shows by DJs, video from in-studio performances from KCRW’s flagship music program Morning Becomes Eclectic and access to Eclectic24, KCRW’s acclaimed all music stream.

“KCRW and PRX share a vision for connecting talented artists with audiences beyond broadcast,” says Jake Shapiro, CEO of PRX. “Music Mine is a shining example of what stations with a passionate purpose and curatorial prowess can achieve in the competitive mobile market.”

The special format of Music Mine allows users who don’t have a lot of time to put together their own listening experience without being overwhelmed by options. Listeners who want to delve into the world of KCRW playlists, Eclectic24 and MBE in-studio live performance videos can do so, through an paired down Music Mine interface designed specifically for the iPhone.

“It’s time to dispel the traditional notions of what radio is, and start imagining what radio can be. It’s not just about tuning in anymore,” says KCRW Director of Digital Content Strategy Betsy Moyer. “KCRW is putting the power in the hands of the listener.”

Music Mine for iPhone is the most recent example of KCRW’s continued investment in digital programming and multi-platform distribution. Mobile app development and distribution partnerships are key aspects of KCRW‘s goal to be wherever the audience is. In the last year, the station has launched such digital-only programs as, This…Is Interesting hosted by Left, Right & Center’s Matt Miller and The Organist, a collaboration with San Francisco publishing house McSweeney’s. Partnerships with streaming services like iHeartRadio, Spotify and TuneIn has put KCRW in a unique position among public radio stations.

For more information on Music Mine for iPhone please visit: http://www.kcrw.com/about/musicmine-for-iphone

For more information on KCRW please visit: http://www.kcrw.com

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Station Announcement

KCRW Statement Regarding Shooting on SMC Campus (June 7, 2013)

KCRW remains evacuated after the tragic events that happened today in and around the campus of Santa Monica College. Some of the shots were fired right outside our offices, and we are relieved that our staff escaped harm. It’s never easy to leave the scene of a story unfolding before our news team’s eyes, but the safety of our staff will always be our paramount concern. Our hearts go out to those in the Santa Monica College community and surrounding neighborhood, of which we are a part. Even while evacuated, our news team continues to gather information and will report on the events as they develop.

Media Contact:

Alyssa King, KCRW

Communications Director

310-314-4627

alyssa.king@kcrw.org

Events, KCRW Music Announcement

Twilight Concert Series Lineup Announced!

Twilight Concert Series Announces Lineup For This Summer

The free concerts at the Santa Monica Pier are part of KCRW’s Summer Nights Series

http://www.kcrw.com/summernights

SANTA MONICA, June 3, 2013 — Public radio station KCRW (89.9 and KCRW.com) returns as the media sponsor for the Twilight Concert Series at the Santa Monica Pier this summer and is pleased to announce an incredible lineup of musical guests. The concerts are part of KCRW’s free, all ages Summer Nights series and KCRW DJ will serve as hosts for each of the evenings.

The shows start on July 11 with station favorite Surfer Blood and take place every Thursday until September 12, with all shows starting at 7pm.

TWILIGHT CONCERT SERIES SCHEDULE:

July 11: Surfer Blood
(Hosted by KCRW DJ Jason Bentley)
Thursday, July 18: Meshell Ndegeocello
(Hosted by KCRW DJ Anthony Valadez)
Thursday, July 25: No Age
(Hosted by KCRW DJ Marion Hodges)
Thursday, August 1: Xavier Rudd
(Hosted by KCRW DJ Eric J. Lawrence)
Thursday, August 8: Hanni El Khatib
(Hosted by KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox)
Thursday, August 15: The English Beat
(Hosted by KCRW DJ Eric J. Lawrence)
Thursday, August 22: Nick Waterhouse
(Hosted by KCRW DJ Jeremy Sole)
Thursday, August 29: TBD
(Hosted by KCRW DJ Aaron Byrd)
Thursday, September 5: TBD
(Hosted by KCRW DJ Anne Litt)
Thursday, September 12: Jimmy Cliff
(Hosted by KCRW DJ Raul Campos)

The series is now in its 29^th year and, for the first time ever, the concerts will be live streamed so fans everywhere can tune in to check out these phenomenal acts.

See the full Summer Nights lineup here and view details on the Pier shows below!

Twilight Concert Series Details

Location: The Santa Monica Pier. Go West, then decide if you’re the beach or the pier type.

Parking: Parking info can be found at http://santamonicapier.org/visit

About the Santa Monica Pier Corporation

The Santa Monica Pier Corporation (SMPC) is a non-profit, public benefit corporation dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Santa Monica Pier experience for all visitors. For more information, visit, http://www.santamonicapier.org

For More Information on the Twilight Concert Series, please contact:

Gina Schulman // Joey Primero

gina@pressherepublicity.com // joey@pressherepublicity.com

Events, KCRW Music Announcement

Talent Announced for KCRW’s Free Concert Series at the Hammer Museum

KCRW Announces Talent For
“Music for Better Living” at the
Hammer Museum

The series, with live bands and DJ sets, is part of KCRW’s “Summer Nights”

Classixx, AM & Shawn Lee, Ximena Sarinana, The Decoders and Fol Chen are confirmed to perform.

SANTA MONICA, May 22, 2013 — KCRW (89.9FM and KCRW.com) will once again team up with the Hammer Museum for six nights of live music that are free, all ages and open to the public as part of the public radio station’s Summer Nights series.

The “Music for Better Living” events are inspired by the Hammer’s A. Quincy Jones: Building for Better Living exhibition, which displays the architect’s significant impact on the built environment of Southern California.

KCRW DJ Jeremy Sole will kick things off at the Hammer’s Summer Solstice Party on June 21, which is free to attend with RSVP, followed by five Thursday evenings of live music in the Hammer courtyard curated by and featuring KCRW DJs. All of the evenings will feature extended gallery hours.

A full lineup for “Music for Better Living” is below:

Thursday, June 27: Jason Bentley & Mathieu Schreyer + AM & Shawn Lee
Thursday, July 11: Anthony Valadez & Eric J. Lawrence + Ximena Sarinana
Thursday, July 18: Raul Campos & Valida + Fol Chen
Thursday, July 25: Travis Holcombe & Mario Cotto + Classixx
Thursday, August 1: Anne Litt & Dan Wilcox + The Decoders

The Hammer Museum is just one of many cultural organizations the station has partnered with for its signature free, all ages, outdoor concert series across Southern California. Now in its 4th year, Summer Nights 2013 will launch amidst the historic buildings of One Colorado in Old Pasadena on June 8 with the sunny synth-pop sounds of local buzz band Hot as Sun, followed by Mr. Little Jeans on June 22.

KCRW will also celebrate one of LA’s most unique neighborhoods, Chinatown, by rockin’ the dance floor with DJ sets for three Saturdays this summer. See the lineup below:

Saturday, June 15: Liza Richardson and Anthony Valadez
Saturday, July 20: Jason Bentley and Mathieu Schreyer
Saturday, August 17: Raul Campos and Mario Cotto

All events are free and all ages. See the full lineup of shows, as well as additional details, online here and stay tuned for further additions.

Events, KCRW Music Announcement

KCRW’s Free Concert Series “Summer Nights” Returns on June 8

KCRW’s Free Concert Series
“Summer Nights” Returns on June 8

The public radio station’s all ages, live music series – now in its 4th year — kicks off next month.

SANTA MONICA, May 13, 2013 — KCRW (89.9FM and KCRW.com) is bringing back its signature free, all ages, outdoor concert series Summer Nights, with KCRW DJ sets and live shows across Southern California, starting June 8 at One Colorado in Old Pasadena, with the sunny synth-pop sounds of local buzz band Hot as Sun.

Summer Nights gives KCRW DJs a chance to bring their eclectic musical tastes out of our basement studios and into the community, whether hosting their favorite bands in the courtyard of the Hammer Museum or getting a party started in the middle of Chinatown.

The public radio station has partnered with a number of distinguished cultural organizations to make these shows possible.

See the full lineup of events here and read more below.

The series kicks off amidst the historic buildings of One Colorado in Old Pasadena, with two Saturday evening courtyard concerts featuring LA-based artists Hot as Sun (June 8) and Mr. Little Jeans (June 22).

We join Grand Performances for four events in one of the city’s most breathtaking outdoor venues, California Plaza, in the heart of Downtown LA, in July and August.

We team up with the Hammer Museum for the “Music for Better Living” series, inspired by their exhibition A. Quincy Jones: Building for Better Living, which displays the architect’s significant impact on the built environment of Southern California. DJ Jeremy Sole will spin the Hammer’s Summer Solstice Party on June 21, followed by five Thursday evenings of live music in the Hammer courtyard curated by and featuring KCRW DJs.

We also celebrate one of LA’s most unique neighborhoods, Chinatown, by rockin’ the dance floor with DJ sets for three Saturdays this summer, June 15, July 20 and August 17.

KCRW will also be hosting the Santa Monica Pier’s Thursday night Twilight Concert Series and more. Stay tuned for further additions to KCRW’s Summer Nights line up. All events are free and all ages.

See the full lineup of shows and more details here.