Through this last year and a half (exactly, as of today, since things seemed to shut down in our world on March 20th, 2020) our little family has leaned into one entertainment and information format: radio. We discovered the app Radio Garden, and have travelled the world aurally from our quarantine confines, exploring interesting radio stations from around the globe.
Radio has also been a connector to our beloved Pacific Northwest. The front deck of our Victoria, B.C. home looks across to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula – and on a clear day, we can also see a trio of mountains: Rainier, Adams and St. Helens – to the south. Our frequent trips to Seattle and beyond have been stymied by the land border closure and the stoppage of the Coho and Clipper and Anacortes ferries, but a handful of radio stations have kept us in touch with goings on south of the border in a manageable, digestible, and music-led format. Tuning into NPR on KNKX radio at 5 (and Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me on the weekends, segueing into jazz and blues programming) quickly replaced the overwhelm of early pandemic CNN.
But our constant pandemic refrain? “Alexa, please play KEXP.”
KEXP radio has long been a fave for us, and we are always sure to stop by their HQ at Seattle Centre to records at the on-site Light in the Attic with coffees in hand from La Marzocco Cafe. Since the pandemic began and our Pacific Northwest travel ceased (we haven’t left Vancouver Island since February 2020), we’ve tuned in far more than ever before and feel like we’ve made new friends with all the DJs.
Regular household shows include Johnny Horn’s Preaching the Blues, which sets the tone for Sunday mornings, and DJ Cheryl Waters’ weekday midday spins over WFH lunches together (always appreciating the double shots of Wolf Parade). And morning DJ John Richards’s empathetic, no-BS observations, combined with magical sessions – most notably the Lawn in the Morning LADIES’ cover of Arcade Fire’s Tunnels brought us to tears – connected us to the world in hopeful, real ways that even the most progressive of news outlets failed to do during the pandemic.
We’ve become ardent supporters – and sharers – of KEXP programming for its ability to bring to light issues, create community (across borders), and connect us to our beloved Pacific Northwest during the pandemic and beyond. We can’t wait to get back down to Seattle, drive around and tune in while reconnecting with the region. Until then, we’ll just keep on listening and enjoying from our home across the straight and sound.
Pacific Northwest Family 