By Barley Lewis-McCabe

You could hear it all — every chord, footstep and 2-step. The room was a living, breathing organism. Music and conversation surrounded the crowd while kids danced around without a care in the world. It was raucous, it was loud, it was unique. 

On May 3, KRFH, Cal Poly Humboldt’s student-run radio station, held Lixxapalooza, a celebration for local bands and musicians at Rampart Skatepark in Arcata. The event was fully planned by students and highlighted student musicians. Lixxapalooza is a live music festival held every semester by Local LIXX, the weekly live broadcast arm of KRFH. The festival aims to raise funds for the station and encourage the DIY music community.

June Morris, a.k.a DJ Princess Tornado, spoke on the care and time that goes into Lixxapalooza.

“I mean, every lixxapalooza is an event that’s like three months in the planning, you know?” Princess Tornado said. “I feel like that’s honestly hard to come by when it comes to shows up here, a lot of it’s very like, ‘let’s throw a show at what time?’ ‘What time next week?’ ‘Well, yeah, let’s do it.’ ‘Oh, this man can’t make it.’ ‘Oh, yeah, I guess you have to revise the flyer.’ But we get to put a lot more time and effort into it, which I think is great.”

The night began with a bang with DJ NOLO, soon followed by local band Public Diary — each song providing a melancholic tribute to human existence. The stage was a small ramp and plateau in front of murals of Ren and Stimpy, Skelator and a large tag reading HVOC. Two quarter pipes nearly reached the ceiling on either side of the room. Stairs led to a balcony where several local artists were selling their work, including Blake Knapp and Your Local Worm Dealer.

Rampart is covered in memories, the floors were speckled but smooth, and any open wall space was adorned with graffiti murals or stickers. The bathrooms were a similar case, an open canvas to the folks who carry paint pens.

Local band Pickpocket, consisting of Cal Poly students Luke Shanafelt, Colby Palmer, Andy Garvin and Jesse Sammel, performed with such ferocity that they ruptured their amp.

Some bands performed single-word songs, some played psychedelic guitar. Each band and artist flowed perfectly into the next. After sets from a myriad of local bands, the miraculous DJ Princess Tornado took the stage, followed by DJ L30. Local artists were given the stage they deserved, there’s nothing else like it. 

“It’s something that’s unique to here,” DJ Milkman, a KRFH DJ, said. “There are only seven student-run radio stations in the country — we’re one of those, which is awesome.”  

At times it can all seem so overwhelming to step out and allow yourself to enjoy life — to break the drudge of assignments, errands and obligations. Taking a moment to relax can feel daunting. It’s easier to fall into a soulless routine rather than take a moment to breathe, to run in a circle and support your community. 

Never take community music for granted. There is an undeniable sense of freedom when there’s a good crowd, a real community and something worth supporting. What a time to be alive.

 Barley isn’t just the grooviest guy around, he’s also an untraditional reporter, photographer, and-of course the photo editor!