Scroll to the bottom for a gallery of the event provided by David Vaughn.
Freezing temperatures and icy weather could not stop the love of local music for some Texas Tech students.
The Winter Raider Showcase was hosted Friday night by The Raider 88.1 and the Bledsoe and Sneed divisions of the Residence Halls Association. The concert continued from 6 – 11 p.m. at the Fraizer Alumni Pavilion on Tech campus.
Carmen Askerneese II, the organizer and creator of the event, said he started planning the showcase during the summer and began petitioning KTXT and RHA once classes began in August.
“I planned the entire event before I approached people because I knew it would be easier to get their support if I had something laid out in front of them,” he said. “Then I just went to different organizations that were reputable and would draw a crowd that could help me plan the event and pay for it. KTXT was really eager to support it. I was really surprised at how quickly (they supported it). I had this whole spiel ready to show them, but they were really supportive from the start.”
Askerneese, a senior electronic media and communication major from Dallas, is finishing his third semester as a practicum student with KTXT, he said, which is known for featuring local bands on its station.
“I feel like local bands are people who are trying to do the same thing that a lot of college students are doing, which is achieve their dreams,” Askerneese said. “I feel like we’re both achieving something from this event. I really love music and I just feel like there’s not enough music going on around Tech, so I just wanted to do that and I’d thought it would be a fun thing to do.”
Admission was free and the bands were not paid, something Askerneese felt was an important part of the show.
“I thought the free thing would be a good idea because I know a lot of college students are really broke, and I felt like a lot of people wouldn’t want to go to a concert with a lot of bands who aren’t as famous,” he said. “I really wanted it to be about having a good time and I wanted it to just be about the music.”
Matt Smith, KTXT’s music director, said the showcase featured a variety of bands from different genres, including pop punk, hip-hop, indie, country and dirt surf.
“A lot of people discredit Lubbock’s music scene and the West Texas music scene,” said the senior psychology major from Greenwich, Conn. “It’s a lot better than people give it credit for. Here it’s really all sorts of things; if you don’t like a band wait 20 minutes and there will be a new one.”
The bands featured at the showcase included: Jenna and Matt, Hip, Scotty No!, Maria & The Gypsyhouse, Lenora Sol, Thrift Store Cowboys, Veda Moon, and Dry Heeves.
A lot of work went into promoting the bands and the showcase, Smith said.
“On the radio we interviewed every band that’s performing and featured their music,” he said. “We did a ton of social media initiatives on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We made a commercial on Youtube talking about the showcase, and we did a live feed on KTXT. It’s the station’s first live remote broadcast for a music concert since we’ve been back on the air, so it’s great exposure for the bands.”
Jimmy Sefcik, a senior electronic media and communication major from Haltom City, Texas, runs The Punk Show on KTXT and is the drummer for the band Scotty No!, a band with a variety of influences, including punk, ‘80s classic rock and metal. Sefcik said his band jumped at the opportunity to do the concert.
“Carmen asked us if we wanted to play and we said ‘Absolutely. We’d love to,’” he said. “Carmen produces our punk show and we really connected with him.”
Jenna and Matt, the openers of the concert, said they were really glad to get more exposure from the showcase.
Jenna Bailey, a sophomore sociology major from Dallas, said Marissa Trevino, KTXT’s operations director, came to see them at their first show at Gatsby’s Coffeehouse.
“As soon as it was done, she asked us to do a live session on the radio, and then when that was over, she asked us to be a part of the showcase.”
Matt Borgfeld, a junior human development and family studies major from Abilene, Texas, said their influences include Ben Rector, The Civil Wars, and Iron and Wine.
Askerneese said the event was good experience on and was fun to work on.
“Next fall I would like to do this again, and hopefully it becomes a school tradition kind of like the Carol of Lights,” he said.
Click on any photo then click “Play Slideshow” to enjoy.
About Caitlan Osborn
