While 89.3 the Current is gaudily celebrating its 10th anniversary by flying in crusty multi-platinum pop-punk Billy Idol to play the Turf Club (part of an otherwise exciting concert series), one of the Twin Cities' smaller public radio stations is bringing a killer lineup of vintage Minnesota rockers to the Turf Club simply to try to make it through another year.
KFAI will host a benefit concert for itself at the Turf on Feb. 7 featuring performances by the Mighty Mofos, the X-Boys, the Flamin' Ohs and Michael Yonkers. The show is in reaction to the publicly acknowledged financial woes at the worldly community station (90.3 or 106.7 FM), which include a $100,000 deficit and talk that it could literally run out of money later this year.
"Since 1978, KFAI has been a meeting ground for the range of identities making up the Twin Cities," rapper and on-air host Toki Wright said in a fine tribute to the station posted by City Pages.
Leave it to a bunch of bad-ass old-time rock 'n' rollers who recognize KFAI's long-standing relevance to step up first in what will reportedly be an ongoing series of benefit concerts. This first fundraiser will feature the first performance in a few years by Yonkers, the physically ailing 1960s psychedelic guitar hero whose cult fame grew through reissues on Sub Pop and Drag City and from collaborations with the Blind Shake. It'll also offer a rare-of-late showing by the X-Boys, the all-star garage-rock covers band featuring members of the Suburbs, Suicide Commandos and the Litter. The Flamin' Ohs and Mofos still thankfully gig semi-regularly, including another riotous Mofos show at the Minneapolis Eagles Club last month that ended with another Batson brother dripping blood.
Tickets for the Feb. 7 benefit are on sale now for $10 via eTix.com. Look for other ways to support KFAI atop the station's website.
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