Local bands to play unplugged at MS benefit show

It’s old news now that MTV is but a shadow of its former self. “Music Television” doesn’t even show music videos anymore – just endless episodes of “Laguna Beach” and “Celebrities Telling You How Great It Is To Be Rich and Thin” or whatever. I try to avoid it at all costs.

Why, back in my day, they had shows like “120 Minutes,” where – gasp! – you could watch two hours of music videos, some of which were from bands you’d never heard of! And they had “MTV Unplugged,” where bands and artists would sit down and play all their songs acoustically. It was kind of a big deal to be on that show. Having an episode of “Unplugged” meant you’d made it.

There may be no more “Unplugged” on MTV, but there will be a local version of it next Saturday, April 5, when WHSN-FM 89.3, Husson College’s alternative rock radio station, sponsors its fifth annual Acoustic Showcase to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society. This year’s show, set for 7:30 p.m. at Club Underground on Outer Hammond Street in Bangor, features hometown heroes the Killing Moon, Too Late the Hero of Berwick, Sparks the Rescue of Portland, and local solo artists Kayla Wass and Dustin Bailey Saucier, all of whom are playing special acoustic sets.

Station manager Mark Nason started the event five years ago as a way to get WHSN DJs to work together as a team, and to do something to help the community.

“Everyone knows someone with MS. It affects us all,” said Nason. “For us, it’s kind of a team-building exercise, and the MS Society gets a lot of publicity for it, so it’s really a win-win situation for everyone. And we love doing it.”

The idea to do an all acoustic showcase stemmed from WHSN’s popular open mic nights, held semiregularly during the school year.

“It evolved from those open mics, which we wanted to make bigger,” he said. “We decided to keep that element of simplicity. Too Late the Hero, Sparks and the Killing Moon are definitely not traditionally known for doing acoustic sets. They have to rethink the way they approach their music, and it can get really interesting.”

WHSN’s audience has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years. Since 1998, when Bangor alternative station 97X changed formats (it’s now B97), WHSN has embraced alt-rock programming, though that in and of itself is something that changes regularly.

“Styles change all the time,” said Nason. “It’s a genre that continues to redefine itself. Since 1998, we’ve gone through turntable rock, indie rock, garage bands, emo and more.”

In many ways, WHSN is like Bangor’s version of the popular Portland station WCYY – alternative rock with a heavy emphasis on local bands. But the fact that it’s still a college station means that it’s a little more laid back, since the student DJs are learning about broadcasting even as they pump the Bangor-area airwaves full of awesome music.

“Recently, our big artists have been Radiohead, Panic! At the Disco and the Raconteurs,” said Nason. “But we play tons of local artists, like the Killing Moon, Radiation Year and The Bay State. But the students bring their own style, so that keeps it even more fresh.”

Events such as Saturday’s fundraiser put an emphasis on WHSN’s commitment to local talent and to being involved in the community – the Underground is offering the use of the club for free, and all the band are donating their time.

“The bands that are involved are totally psyched. It’s different for them” said Nason. “It’s really good to know that everyone wants to be involved just because they want to help out a good cause.”

WHSN-FM’s Acoustic Showcase starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at Club Underground, located at 1606 Outer Hammond St. The event is all ages and chem-free, and the $10 admission proceeds go directly to the National MS Society’s Maine chapter. For information, visit www.whsn-fm.com, and www.nationalmssociety.org. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.