CJLO’s Double Birthday
Concordia’s Campus Radio Station Celebrates 5th and 15th Anniversary
Here’s a riddle for you. What’s both five and 15 years old, speaks and sings but has no vocal chords, and is putting on a rocking party this Friday?
The answer is CJLO, Concordia’s student-powered radio station, which celebrated its official fifth and 15th birthday this year on Oct. 15 at noon. No, you’re not confused, but you are seeing double. The Loyola-based radio station on the dial at 1690 AM is celebrating two birthdays this year.
Fifteen years ago in 1998, two stations, CRSG and CSLI, decided to merge into one station, creating CJLO. Ten years later, the station went through another landmark event.
“In 2008 we were able to go on the AM dial,” said station manager Stephanie Saretsky. “Officially, we went on at noon on [October] 15th. The first song that was played was The Replacements’ ‘Left of the Dial.’ CJLO’s on the far left of the AM dial, so it was a perfect song.”
The station has a mix of celebrations planned to commemorate these special anniversaries, which Saretsky and a committee of volunteers spent the summer planning.
The first, happening Oct. 25, is a concert in collaboration with Blue Skies Turn Black at the Société des Arts Technologiques featuring Halifax indie rockers Wintersleep, hardcore Toronto punk outfit Fucked Up, and Montreal rapper Cadence Weapon.
“It’s an interesting line up in terms of genre, but it’s a representation of the music played at CJLO,” said Saretsky, “They’re all Canadian bands who CJLO has some connection to, and that we’ve supported.”
Plus, with a ticket price of only five bucks (because they love you), it’s a steal.
There ain’t no party like a radio station birthday party, because the fun does not stop with this Friday’s music festivities. The station is also staging a 5 à 7 open house on Nov. 8 to encourage the curious to come and see what they do and how they do it, in hopes of recruiting new volunteers.
“If they’ve never been to the station before, this is a good time to come and see what we’re all about. We’re a training ground for new DJs. Whether you’re interested in learning how to do music, or be on air as a speaker, or be a music journalist, we can offer you all of those things,” Saretsky added.
Rounding out this trio of celebrations, there’s a free party on Nov. 9 at Notre Dame des Quilles. And just like any good birthday party, there will be cake and a piñata.
Happy Birthday CJLO // Oct. 25 // SAT (1201 St. Laurent Blvd.) // Doors 9 p.m., Show 10 p.m. // $5 Facebook Event
