Get Up, Pony Up: WPKN Reggae Benefit

(As published by the Fairfield Weekly, October 25, 2007)

Asking for money can be a tough thing to do. We owe starving artists and public radio stations a tip of the hat for their attempts, however un-inspired they may be from time to time. Telethons, radio-thons, begging: none of that stuff is naturally fun to be a part of. When someone does fund-raising right, it's refreshing.

Enter Bridgeport's WPKN and its Reggae Benefit on Oct. 27, a ready-steady night featuring performances from, among others, local reggae acts Anthem, Fresh Band and Mystic Bowie. Starting at 8 p.m. and rollin' on through 2 a.m., the Reggae Benefit was put together by Tony Kosloski and Dave-O of the Tuesday morning show "Irie Feelings" on WPKN, with help from Café Nine in New Haven. The benefit will be broadcast live on WPKN from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

"These are the local cats who stop by the show whenever they've got a new joint they're looking to promote," said Kosloski. "Part of our job as local DJs is to celebrate local musicians."

WPKN is a diverse and completely listener-supported station offering programming that ranges from talk to jazz to blues to live broadcasts of local events like the Gathering of the Vibes. The station puts all funds raised into the common fund to pay the bills, according to Kosloski.

"Were a collective of volunteers," he said, "If we're going to be true to our philosophy, which is to not take any money from the government or corporations, then we need to turn to our listeners. And most of our listeners don't have large checkbooks, so we have to step outside the box to think of benefit ideas that appeal to the listeners."

"Coozie," lead singer for Anthem, was driving with his band from Arkansas to Chicago for a gig when I caught up with him, and he had nothing but positive vibes to send PKN's way. "They're more like friends than any sort of business associates," he said. "If it wasn't for the 'Irie Feelings' show, we wouldn't really get any airplay." And just to show how much this benefit concert means to a band like Anthem—which this year has played in Guam, South Korea, Japan and Hawaii—they cancelled a show they had booked in Ocean City, MD to come home.

"When you get a project like this," says Kosloski, "people just jump in ask, 'What can I do?' And then we get a big wheel rollin' and it's all good."

Kosloski (or I-Tone, as he's known on the air), and Dave-O's show "Irie Feelings" broadcasts Tuesdays from 6 to 10 a.m.