Lighting the stage

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Unless you've been hiding out in a cave for the last 25 years, you probably know about 88.1 KDHX, the station where I've been the senior (oh, that word...) performing arts critic since it went on the air. Even if you're not a regular listener, you undoubtedly saw the "for KDHX" billboards that dotted the landscape for a while as part of the station's capital campaign for its new home in the Larry J. Weir Center for Independent Media (named after the station's late operations manager).

For that matter, you've probably seen the center itself, clearly under construction on Washington right next to The Bistro, across from the Fox. What you might not know, though, is what the completion of the gut rehab of that big grey building will mean to the local arts and music community.

The Weir Center isn't just going to be the new home of KDHX's analog broadcast operations. It will also enable the station to put up a second HD channel with completely independent programming as well as enhanced audio and video production facilities—which means even more exposure for the local music scene. The real boon to the local arts community and audiences alike, though, will be what's on the first floor—a coffee shop and a 125-seat live performance space.

Named The Stage at KDHX, the new space will, in the station's words, "be a space for us to create innovative programming, just as we've done on-air for the past quarter-century. We'll host concerts to showcase amazing musical talent in ways that you won't be able to find anywhere else." In a community that's starved for small performance spaces, The Stage at KDHX will provide a welcome new venue for local musicians, small theatre groups, comics, cabaret singers, and other performing artists.

kdhx.org

The building will also become the new home of a Grand Center landmark of sorts: the marquee sign from the old Sun Theater. The Sun building itself is too far gone to save, but the Sun will continue to shine (literally; it's got neon!) at the Weir Center.

To find out more about The Stage at KDHX, check out their Kickstarter page and enjoy the video that goes along with this post. In less than two minutes, it neatly illustrates the meaning of KDHX's motto: independent music plays here. And after all, who doesn't like to play?

[This article was originally published at my OnSTL.com blog.]