Airwaves

by Brian Golslow

Holy Cross' campus radio station, WCHC, signed off last Monday, and unlike past years, when DJs would take a break from spring exams by throwing on the transmitter one more time, this is the end, at least temporarily. "We're cutting it off early this year," said station manager Greg Coté, preparing for his final broadcast of the 1996/'97 year. The station's broadcast facilities will undergo renovations beginning this week, making surprise broadcasts nearly impossible.

Self-hyped as "Worcester's Only Alternative," WCHC will be hard-pressed to duplicate its accomplishments of the previous school year when many of the bands, championed as unknowns, began to make commercial inroads. When the station return at summer's end, it will have to work harder to stay ahead of the trends. "We're going to have to," Coté said. "Hardcore will still be there -- it's hard for that to go too commercial. But electronic [music] seems set to take off."

Coté has spoken with some of the DJs who will return next fall (about a quarter of the station's current staff are slated to graduate) about putting the station back on the air earlier than usual. He's shooting for a September 1 start up, with a four- to six-hour broadcast day until they're able to broadcast full time.

Next year's schedule will include a local music program. Bands should send their music to WCHC, Box G, Holy Cross College, One College Street, Worcester 01610. Coté knows how he'd like to announce the program's debut. "I was talking to Eric [Spencer] at the Espresso Bar about having an all-day Saturday concert. We have the capability of broadcasting over phone lines, so that's something we're looking into."

Getting 'CHC's concert series back up and running was the highlight of Coté's year. "It was something we used to do a lot. We had five this semester. Next fall, we hope to bring it up to 10."

The final Greg and Christine Show featured Lou Barlow, sounding like the Velvet Underground and Jesus and Mary Chain on "In the City and In the Rain" (from the Six compilation), and Built to Spill's "Car," where vocalist Doug Martsch drags his soul over burning asphalt as if he was a young (but already Buffalo-ed) Neil Young.

MAY'S STATIC FUSION spotlights two recent art shows, Joey Mars' surrealistic "Flying Noise: Adventures in Low Rez" and Matt Mattus's "Lure." Mars' Pelvic Carnival is also featured. "It includes the seductive spoken word of Dave Nader and the mind-blowing video art of Jason vs. Jason." The show airs Mondays at 6 p.m., Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m., and Friday at 8 p.m. on WCCA-TV, Greater Media Cable Channel 13 in Worcester.

NADAR JOINS Think Tank Tango host Michel Duncan Merle for a poetry reading this Friday (May 2) at Eco Village. Merle's ongoing Stranger series has existed for more than a decade. Catch the next chapter each Monday from 10 a.m. to noon on WCUW (91.3 FM).

Throughout May, 'CUW's Sunday Night Concert Series airs recordings from Providence's Terrastock Festival. Tune in at midnight. Face the Music, 'CUW's long-running Womyn's program, features an interview with Cris Williamson and Tret Fure on Thursday (May 8) between 8 and 9:30 p.m. They'll talk about their new CD, Between the Covers (Wolf Moon), and upcoming appearances at the Randolph Country Club (on May 16) and the Unitarian Church in Peterborough, New Hampshire (on May 18).