The member-supported KUZU announced its first Revolution Record Convention on Saturday, July 22, at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center in downtown Denton as part of the station's sixth anniversary celebration with the renowned Recycled Books and Records store on the square.
"We're kind of a group of artists and educators and we're always challenging ourselves to find new ways to create interesting programming for Denton but we're not just hosting a record convention," says KUZU station manager and board chair Peter Salisbury. "We're building a community where people of all backgrounds and tastes can come together united by the love of music."
The Revolution Record Convention will also host a Revolution 6 concert at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio the same night. KUZU has not yet announced which bands and acts will play during the convention or at Rubber Gloves, but Salisbury promises the same kind of musical mix you can hear on the member-supported radio station.
"Not only will there be record vendors here helping local businesses, but we'll also have side programming that shows some of the artists and musicians we have here in town," Salisbury says. "We're always looking for new ways to engage with local artists and nonprofit entities to provide interesting programming."
KUZU board member Mike Munywoki says the Revolution Record Convention and the events surrounding it are meant to highlight some of the music and artists who give Denton its unique style and flavor.
"KUZU is carrying on in the same tradition as Recycled Books and Rubber Gloves as places that, in my opinion, are some of the things that make Denton exciting," Munywoki says. "Various development forces change the character of the city over time. I feel like it's nice for other elements of Denton, the more artistic element, to collaborate together and help each other."
"KUZU is carrying on in the same tradition as Recycled Books and Rubber Gloves as places that, in my opinion, are some of the things that make Denton exciting." – KUZU board member Mike Munywoki
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Salisbury says the convention is also designed for all levels of crate pickers — whether they have shelves of records organized "autobiographically," High Fidelity-style, or are just starting their own vinyl collection.
"Imagine a treasure hunt where you go and browse through things and explore and stumble upon an unexpected gem," Salisbury says. "That seems like a really fun event for people to go to. Records have personalities all their own. They have quirks and imperfections, pops and cracks that tell their own story. It's fun to put together an event where people can come and show their digs and people can browse and find what they can."
The record convention is also a way to extend KUZU's mission to enlighten and educate its listeners on new styles and tastes in music they may not know are already in their town.
"The other thing is to highlight and help promote local musicians, so this is just another way we're able to bring other artists from around the area and showcase different things," Salisbury says.
The convention is also a celebration of the people and places that helped build KUZU and the city of Denton into one of the Dallas-Fort Worth area's most vibrant and revered music and cultural scenes.
"I feel like it's the kind of stuff that makes Denton the kind of place I love to live in," Munywoki says.
