This morning, I, like many others, awoke to discover that the long revered WOXY.com had been shut down. This is a massive blow to independent music and media, both of which we at KWUR hold dearly – but beyond that, we’ve also lost an outlet for great music, which I have turned to time after time for the very best tunes, new and old. Needless to say, I’m bummed out about the whole thing. As Matt Shiverdecker, WOXY’s music director and a good friend, said, “It is, to be perfectly honest, quite a kick in the dick.”

I had the great fortune to discover WOXY back in 2007, when I was writing an article for my high school newspaper about interesting places in Cincinnati. On a whim, a friend and I decided to head down to Longworth Hall, where the station was located at the time. Shiv, Mike and Joe were incredibly welcoming and kind, and answered all of our questions and let us hang out for an Lounge Act performance they hosted that day with David Vandervelde. I was blown away by the place and the experience – it was the coolest place I had ever seen, run by the coolest people I had ever met – and on my way out, I asked if they needed any help around the station. One thing led to another, and soon after, I was at the station once or twice a week, reviewing CDs and editing old Lounge Acts.

Meanwhile, I was listening whenever I could, damaging my hearing with all sorts of incredible new music. Shiv and everyone else there became the hip older brothers I never had. After I graduated and moved to St. Louis for college, I immediately located the radio station on campus and since then I’ve spent as much time here as I possibly could. As I became more involved, I constantly looked back to my experience at WOXY, and the station itself, as a guide. Stack Sessions, which we kicked off over the summer, is based largely on the Lounge Acts I used to watch and still listen to. Music has been an extremely important part of my life, and probably always will be, and I owe much of that to the folks at WOXY.

So, what does all of this rambling add up to? I know that lot of people are saddened and frustrated by Future Sounds’ decision to take WOXY off the air; I count myself among that group. And while I cannot see a bright side to this situation – I don’t think there is one – I want Shiv, Mike, Joe, Bryan Jay and everyone else that worked there to know that you have been a huge inspiration to me and many, many others. I hope with my entire being that WOXY finds its way back on the air – it’s happened before! it can happen again! – but even so, the hard work you all put in over so many years has had an immeasurable impact on so many lives, mine included. Thank you, viva la WOXY, and viva la musica.

-Kenny