The Phoenix recently previewed our 40th Anniversary event.
Read below what they had to say about our concert on the quad!
Located in the heart of the Gold Coast at Loyola University’s School of Communication, WLUW 88.7 FM has been living left of the dial for 40 years. WLUW is Loyola’s student-run and community-powered radio station, committed to introducing listeners to the best of the underground music scene.
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, WLUW is hosting a free outdoor concert on the East Quad, directly in front of the Information Commons, on Loyola’s Lakeshore Campus Sept. 6.
Headlining the concert will be local bands Deeper, The Slaps and The Valley, a side project of the band Fox Valley. Supplementing the concerts will be refreshments provided by Ireland’s Pub 10 and an art installation created by Loyola students Horace Nowell and McKeever Spruck (Spruck works for The Phoenix as social media manager).
Local bar and concert venue, Empty Bottle and non-profit organization, Ourmusicmybody will be tabling at the event, as well as Loyola’s School of Communication, Alumni Relations and WLUW.
The three bands set to perform were chosen for their indie rock sound and activity in Chicago’s do-it-yourself music scene, according to program director Paul Quinn.
“[When booking the bands, I] definitely [looked for] something up-and-coming, local, light-hearted and fun,” Quinn said. “Kind of like a celebratory sound for the bands but something that’s been making a lot of noise in the music scene in the city.”
Station manager and student advisor Eleni Prillaman kept alumni in mind when planning WLUW’s 40th anniversary event. Loyola alums who worked at WLUW said they always wanted to host a concert on the campus quad, Prillaman said.
“We really want this to be something alumni come to, so when we were planning this event, we wanted to think of something alumni might actually want to attend,” Prillaman said. “In the past four years when I’ve been here, alums have said we wanted to throw a concert on the quad. … This is for them, really.”
Aside from enjoying snacks and listening to music, concertgoers will be able to enter in several raffle giveaways.
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Iceland Airwaves, a three-day music festival taking place in Reykjavik, Iceland, partnered with WLUW to give away a pair of tickets. Iceland Airwaves, taking place Nov. 7-10, brings in popular Icelandic bands, including AFK, Una Stef and Vio, as well as U.S. groups such as Blood Orange and Snail Mail. Airfare through IcelandAir is included with the festival tickets.
“Whoever the lucky winners are get to be flown out to Iceland and experience an amazing weekend filled with music, great food and really fun culture and some beautiful views,” music director Carolyn Droke said. Droke will be attending the festival to do media coverage.
WLUW’s 40th Anniversary Show will begin at 6 p.m. Sept. 7.
The Phoenix’s Arts & Entertainment editor, Kaylie Plauche, works for WLUW; she didn’t write or edit this article.