If you’re reading this, chances are you already know why CD929 is the little alternative station that could. One of the last independent radio stations in the country, time after time this radio station has dusted themselves off when trial and adversity came their way. It appears this time that the station may be turning the lights down for good (they announced as much yesterday, January 5th). I won’t add to the negativity and turmoil online though – there’s enough places you can read on that. Instead, I thought I would share some memories with you on how this humble station has shaped my own journey as a music lover.

My familiarity with this station starts with a vague memory of riding in the car with my Aunt Tracy who lives in Dublin as a kid. I don’t know how old I was but I recall seeing “101.1” on the radio dial. I don’t remember what was playing but clearly it must have made an impression. Years later, when I was in high school, I remember riding around town with my childhood friend Todd. At the time, I was obsessed with RadioU for their dedication to the alt Christian scene (one that is still near and dear to my heart, hence my involvement with Audiofeed Festival). But Todd was really eager to listen to another station one day. Songs by Modest Mouse that weren’t “Float On”? The Kooks? Kaiser Chiefs? Who are these people? Around the same time, I remember hearing “Suspension” by Mae on 101.1 which immediately increased their cred with me! Haha!

My fandom of the station did not truly begin until the Spring of 2011. I was fresh out of college, back home. I was trying to find my footing. Each day, I would leave work at 5pm, just in time for the “5 spot” top requested songs of the day. I felt like I was getting a crash course in the current alternative era and a taste of the Columbus indie scene. I distinctly remember many days of hearing “One Thousand Wolves” by The Town Monster – years later I would meet its vocalist Z Wolf as one half the duo Damn the Witch Siren. That same summer I’d attend Summerfest at what was then Promowest Pavilion – featuring acts like Metric, The Lumineers, Maps and Atlases, Ben Kweller, Tanlines and more. Or, maybe it was the following summer? In any case, my relationship with the station was just getting started.

I had the privilege of throwing a few Tuned Up shows at Big Room Bar. The first one was Fever Fever, KiND, Beyond Pluto, and Year of the Buffalo. That was a surreal day for me. The room packed out. Beyond Pluto debuted a music video filmed by Tiera Suggs. This was my parents’ first experience attending one of my shows. My Aunt Tracy even came! My brother-in-law Neil helped open up the night as violin support for Year of the Buffalo. KiND made everyone dance and made the best of some technical difficulties. And Fever Fever absolutely killed it. I’m not entirely show if they played another Columbus show after that. They even won over my dad as a fan.

The next show I threw there after that was the album release party for Iota Orator, which featured opening sets from Twinzsz and The Comos. The Comos are a, to my knowledge, a defunct band featuring members of Echolocation, a group of mostly elementary school age kids that were hailed as prodigies by Brothers Drake booking agent April Kulscar (circa 2014?). Twinzsz delivered a set of quirky indie pop tunes complete with their own choreography. And Iota Orator delivered a set of high energy quirky alt pop tunes. What I want to point out from this night, mostly, is the grace the station showed me. My communication with the venue advancing the show was pretty subpar. And the day of I was stressed. And it showed a little bit with my communication with the sound guy that night. It would have been completely understandable if I got a talking to from someone at the station later but that never happened. I left that show determined to learn my lesson and display better planning and professionalism.

The most recent show at the Big Room Bar I threw hosted darkwave act Weeknight, synthpop act Bobby D, and funky rock and rollers Blend. This was a straightforward show that went off without a hitch. I even remember the bartender that night purchasing vinyl from Weeknight!

Most importantly, the people of CD929 made the station. One of my favorite memories involves a work outing – my employer was invited to a suite at Nationwide Arena and we were there for a Blue Jackets game. My mom and dad were there too! Imagine my shock when the door opened midway through the game and CD929 owner Randy Malloy and program director Lesley James walked in. My dad was like, “who is this rock and roll dude with long hair and a blazer and why does he know Ryan?!” They had a long conversation that night. I like to think that’s when my dad started to come around to my way of thinking for supporting alternative music! Meeting Kara Jones eventually led to the 2022 and 2023 editions of Steadfast Festival being booked at Natalie’s and that was the first time I felt truly supported by a venue for my idea. DJ Grayson Kelly is always a fun conversation to have in the wild. Josh May, when he was promotions director, was always a warm presence at any live music event. Nate Puderbaugh hosted me in 2019 and 2020 for a guest DJ set to promote Steadfast and he was great at putting me at ease in spite of my radio “stage fright.” A year or two after Lesley James left her position at the station, I recall running into her at a SXSW showcase to watch Suzi Wu, an artist she was working with at her gig at the time. Running into Ohio people in new contexts is always a fun time!

I speak in past tense but this does not intend to be an “in memoriam” post. I’m not sure what the future holds for this family of music lovers but I fully intend to keep up with them! Let’s continue to make memories together, please.

Now, I’m off to a local show – Ghost Soul, Jinx the Fox and Blucone at Natalie’s. Let’s keep celebrating art and what makes this city great!