By: Nick Cianciotti
Despite being on a Monday, a crowd full of current and former WUOG members, townies and other community members waited in anticipation for the start of Catalyst Collective’s 2026 “Radio’s Not Dead!” WUOG benefit concert. The show, which featured performances from local bands 8Pictures, Las Velas, Telephone Pole and the station’s very own Organic Compound comes in the midst of a fundraising push for our station, as we look at the increasing costs of upkeeping and acquiring new equipment, such as our transmitter, which was down for several months last year due to maintenance issues.
The show started off with 8Pictures, whose singer and guitarist, J, is a former WUOG member. Their signature sound, which fuses 80s alternative rock legends like Dinosaur Jr. and 70s punk luminaries such as Magazine, was an early crowd pleaser. The band, which played a WUOG Live in the Lobby last year (a song from that performance is included in the Live in the Lobby compilation CD currently sold on our website), has kept themselves busy recently, performing multiple shows and the release of two new singles (“No Love Lost” and “Do Nothing”). The performance from the benefit show, which consisted of seven songs, was full of confidence and perfectly accented by the punchy production (shout out to WUOG’s very own Danielle, who handled the sound for the show). The two standouts of the set for me were their cover of “Spring Rain” by the Go-Betweens and “Mondays,” an original. The set was certainly a memorable way to start the night.
Next up, Las Velas played five Latin tracks, including their sole single “Sol de Verano.” Even from the first song “El Mechacho de los Ojos Tristes,” the crowd was moving. I’d especially like to shout out their bassist, Richard. Not only was he coolheaded, but he perfectly sketched out the rhythm in songs like “Porque te Vas.” Another standout from the set includes the various groovy solos from guitarist Chris. Despite the fact that the band only formed this year, they’ve played several shows. I’m definitely excited to see what’s next for the band.
The final band to play for the benefit show, Telephone Pole, also recently played a Live in the Lobby. Across their 13 song set, the band played a mix of both slower and faster tunes, as well as a few tracks they had never played live before, which despite the fact they were worried about “f***ing up” those songs, it’s in this writer’s opinion that they aced the performance. Their sound, heavily influenced by 80s legends The Replacements, was a stark departure from Las Velas. The ending of that track, Proof had a memorable outro. While I thought the set ran a little long, the band had a great stage presence.
Finally, WUOG’s very own Organic Compound, featuring DJ Horestable and Franke DJ, was able to close the night with a fun mix of dance sounds. Their set, themed as “digital vs. analogue” featured chaotic graphics manned by our General Manager Nova. The duo kept the energy going to close the night and kept the crowd, who was eager to dance, alive during the entire set. Several dance moves, such as my very own “twirl” were created in the audience that night.
During a time when the arts are consistently losing funding, it is vital to keep communities like WUOG’s alive. Radio stations such as WUOG stand as one of the last places where humans can curate art for listeners and stand as one of the most important places for the arts. Despite facing increased costs, WUOG’s community stands as strong as ever and proves – RADIO’S NOT DEAD!
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