We're seeking new members for our 2025 Board of Directors, as well as our founding Associate Board for young professionals 35 and under. Details and application at each of the links above.
The CHIRP Blog
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Marc Bolan Edition
He got his start in the psychedelic band John’s Children, quickly taking control of the band. He then left to form the folky Tyrannosaurus Rex, taking a large inspiration from the fey side of The Kinks, with a heaping helping of hippie affectation. Slowly but surealy, more traditional rock and roll influences came into the mix, and he went beyond having just a bongo player, adding a drummer who played simple beats. Shortening the band’s name to T. Rex, the simple songs became the blueprint for glam rock. Although T. Rex is a one-hit wonder here in America, in England they were perhaps the biggest band in the land in the years immediately following The Beatles’ break up. After a stunning peak, with classic singles and albums such as Electric Warrior and The Slider, Bolan’s magic dissipated. We’ll never know if he could have made a comeback, as he died in a car accident in 1977 (the car driven by his wife, Gloria Jones, of “Tainted Love” fame). Let’s pay tribute to the man with the corkscrew hair by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Wayne Smith writesTONIGHT: Get ready for Belle & Sebastian Night 2011 at Darkroom!
CHIRP Radio is proud to present 2011’s Belle & Sebastian Night – All Belle, All Night – at Darkroom. Inspired by a nod in the movie High Fidelity and the mod-style design of the band’s album art, Belle & Sebastian Night delights the crowd with the music of Belle & Sebastian performed by various local bands and DJ’s. 2011’s event features an all Belle live performance by CONASTA w/ special guests, DJ sets by Heaven Malone, & DJ Elia of “This is England,” as well as Belle & Sebastian giveaways by Matador Records and a Mod vintage photo booth that will make this event a hit!
darkroom / 2210 W Chicago / 8pm-2am / 21+
Erin Van Ness writesSupport CHIRP for as little as $10/month!
Looking for a way to support CHIRP Radio without breaking the bank? Did you know that CHIRP offers members the ability to make small monthly recurring payments over time?
We understand that many people want to become members but can’t afford to drop a lot of money at once. Through our sustaining member program, a $120 donation suddenly becomes affordable—just $10 per month!
You can make a recurring gift for as little as $10 per quarter and tune in all year long with a clear conscience, knowing that you’re helping make the programming you love possible.
You can choose a membership level that’s right for you from a nearly endless array of options. Consider a gift of $15 per month, $25 per quarter, or even $1 per day! We can even offer you the option to automatically renew your membership on an annual basis. The important thing is that you pick a level that fits your budget and visit http://chirpradio.org/donatenow today.
The best part is that our sustaining members are also eligible for our super cool thank you gifts. Just choose your donation amount and select a thank you gift at the level of the yearly sum of your contributions. That means you can snag a handy CHIRP bottle opener for just $15 per quarter, and you can land that stylish CHIRP T-shirt for just $10 per month!
These thank you gifts are member-exclusive and are available for just two more days, so visit http://chirpradio.org/donatenow and pledge your ongoing support for CHIRP today!
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesThis Week with CHIRP Radio (Week of Sept. 26)
Thursday Sept. 29th
CHIRP Radio presents Belle & Sebastian Night, Featuring an all Belle live performance by CANASTA w/ special guests, DJ sets by Heaven Malone & DJ Elia, plus Belle & Sebastian giveaways by Matador Records!
darkroom / 2210 W. Chicago / 8:00pm – 2:00am / No Cover / 21+
Saturday Oct. 1st
CHIRP Radio welcomes Wild Beast and Twin Sister to Lincoln Hall!
Lincoln Hall / 2424 N. Lincoln Ave. / 9:00pm / 18+
Saturday Oct. 1st – Sunday Oct. 2nd
CHIRP Radio will see you at the 10th annual Ravenswood ArtWalk, featuring more than 200 artists presenting over 40 studios open to the public, as well as live music, presentations, film screenings and more!
Ravenswood Avenue, between Addison & Lawrence / 11:00am – 7:00pm (Sat.) – 6:00pm (Sun.) / All Ages
Saturday Oct. 1st
The Old Town School and CHIRP Radio present a tribute to Mahalia Jackson at her 100th birthday, featuring a CD release party and Q & A session with Eddie Robinson, accompanist to Mahalia for 17 years, as well as Katherine Davis performing her own moving tribute!
The Old Town School of Folk Music / 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. / 7:00pm / 18+
Erin Van Ness writesA Flood of Support
It is a cliché to say that nothing in life is free, but let’s be honest, it isn’t. You have to pay something in order to get something worthwhile. In CHIRP’s case, the station is a free service, but it takes thousands of volunteer hours to keep the place running, and of course we have rent and utility bills to pay just like everyone else — not to mention streaming fees, which cost almost as much as our rent!
In July, CHIRP experienced a devastating flood, requiring more than $15,000 worth of repair work. Thankfully, a full-on disaster was averted by insurance, which covered most—but not all—of the work and property losses. If we didn’t have good insurance, we would have been in big trouble. But insurance is another one of those bills we have to pay…
We’re over halfway through the fall membership drive, and the outpouring of support we’ve seen this last week has been overwhelming. We’ve reached an impressive $4080 toward our $10,000 goal in just one week. But CHIRP still needs your help to keep the station strong, making sure we can pay all our bills, getting past our flood recovery, and moving forward with great new projects and events.
Please visit http://chirpradio.org/donatenow, and become a member today.