I Rocked the Vote

This summer I interned for some local radio stations and I am making it my personal goal to go back to Kansas City and keep my face fresh in their minds with the hope that I can maybe score a job at the end of the year. Thus, I saw my first opportunity to go back for the alternative station’s first big show since I’ve left.

96.5 The Buzz sponsored a Rock the Vote show to help get people registered and to give local politicians a chance to speak about their issues. I gave the show a review over at my other site, popwreckoning.com.

It was so good to go back and see my friends from the station. I was especially excited that the program director for the Buzz, Greg Bergen, remembered me from my internship. The part that was most exciting for me was that I finally got to meet the DJs that I did my viral marketing project for, since they didn’t actually return until after I left. Afentra, the morning DJ, even said I was cute, which made my day because I had heard stories about these DJs being intimidating and hard to please.

Stephanie Misko, another co-worker of mine from the station, did something that I thought was super cool. She was in charge of organizing all the politicians that were speaking in between the bands and she got word that presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, were staying at a hotel a block away. The hotel, ironically, is named the President Hotel. She had this great idea to invite McCain to the Rock the Vote show.

She went and attached her information and information about the day to his bus and also gave the same information to the hotel front desk. The guy had his whole day free, he was a block away, he really needs the youth vote and he never showed. Poor decision if you ask me and that would have been so easy for him to put in a brief appearance. Granted, Obama‘s my man and it would have been cooler if he had been in town.

Despite the lack of a McCain appearance, I thought this was a great event and I’m so glad I went. Rock the Vote has often been criticized for just registering and not informing, but they definitely did both at this show. Plus, you can’t beat the added entertainment of a rock show featuring local artists and national acts.

I personally thought the Wombatsowned the show, even if they weren’t from the good old US of A and thus a little out of place for a show supporting an American election. They have this brilliant song called “Let’s Dance to Joy Division,” which was featured as an iTunes free download. You can also check it out here:

I strongly recommend checking them out if you haven’t heard any of their songs. Plus, for all you ladies, the bass player is pretty darn cute.

I’m not sure of what show I’ll go back for next, but I’ll be sure to keep you, my dear readers, updated.