Fact: we are just a little over a week away from an event where you can go spend lots of money on some awesome music and support an important local cause while you’re doing it.
The 2010 CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights kicks off next Saturday, April 10, at the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union (1340 W. Washington), at 10:00 am. Now, a record fair isn’t just all vinyl, so don’t fear, my fellow friends who haven’t yet invested in an uber-retro turntable. There will be CDs, posters, zines, crafts, and, from what I’ve heard, some awesome food. Labels such as Bloodshot Records, Cardboard Sangria Records, and Matador will be there, in addition to lots of vinyl vendors, resellers, and cool people.
The Record Fair is CHIRP’s biggest fundraiser. In addition to launching a web radio station from scratch, the organization is also working with Congress and the FCC to change the laws around the granting of licenses for low power FM radio stations in urban areas like Chicago. The organization is run entirely by volunteers, so the proceeds help support the station’s operational costs (rent, the cost of streaming radio).
Check out the Record Fair on April 10th and 11th, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is just $7, but if you bring in a copy of this year’s flyer, you can get in for $5. And if you show up on Sunday, between 2:30 and 5, I’ll be the charming girl taking your money so that you can get in. Please bring the flyer so I don’t have to do simple math to make change for your $7 admission that you will pay for with a $20. I stopped caring about math as soon as I was finished with my last research paper for grad school.