From the Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2005 issue

Music

UNDERAGE

by Megan Seling

Maybe you don't know this (I didn't until about six months ago) but the University of Washington has its very own radio station, Rainy Dawg Radio. For the past two years, UW students have been taking to the air, playing everything from hiphop to rock to electronic music. For now Rainy Dawg broadcasts solely on the Internet, so you won't find it anywhere on the dial, but if you're near a computer you can listen in at www.rainydawg.com.

"We have a very eclectic line of programming and we offer things that no other station in Seattle does, which is two hours of local music every day," says Rainy Dawg's Program Director Erin Whitcomb. "[Otherwise] we don't operate any differently than any other radio station. You can tune in anytime, and it's all music, no commercials. I like to think of us as KEXP's little brother."

Rainy Dawg first went on the air in January of 2003 and Whitcomb is proud to say the station has come a long way since.

"When we first started, it was pretty much a free-for-all. There were well over 100 DJs, there wasn't any rhyme or reason to the programming, it was a totally free format. That had some pros and cons to it," Whitcomb says with a laugh.

Now the station currently hosts 69 DJs ("we encourage people to have co-hosts") and a whole fleet of street-teamers, audio producers, and management staff, bringing the total to just under 100 people working at Rainy Dawg. Their current schedule is also much more refined, while still catering to a plethora of tastes. They're representing a lot of students, after all.

"The goal with Rainy Dawg was to give the students a voice," says Whitcomb. "The UW is a huge university, but hasn't had a student-run radio station since the '70s. Rainy Dawg was the answer to that."

To celebrate a successful second year, the Rainy Dawg crew is throwing a big anniversary party on Friday, January 28, in the Husky Union Building's North Den featuring Pretty Girls Make Graves, These Arms Are Snakes, Rocky Votolato, Matthew Shaw, and Grayskul. And like any good birthday party, it'll also have free cake for the masses. The show starts at 6:00 p.m. and costs $5 for students and $10 for the general public.

Besides the stellar local music lineup, the UW is also hosting a comedy show featuring Michael Ian Black and Eugene Mirman on Saturday, January 29, at the Meany Theater. Both men have come very close to making me piss my pants with laughter and I highly recommend you go. Wear a diaper just in case.

Lastly, it's time for The Stranger's annual Musicians' Directory! It's totally free to be included in the city's most comprehensive Rolodex to the music industry (hitting streets in March). To be included, all you have to do is go online and register your band, club, or studio (www.thestranger.com), or fill out and send in the slip on page 46. All entries must be received by February 14th. If you're not in it, you don't exist, so don't mess this up. MEGAN SELING

megan@thestranger.com

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