KPSU’s Pledge Drive at Food for Thought Caf퀌�

It’s that time again: This Thursday at 7 p.m., Food For Thought Café is taking part in hosting KPSU’s Pledge Drive 2011. Keeping clear of frat connotations, KPSU’s Pledge Week is an annual fundraiser that doesn’t involve any sort of binge drinking or ass paddling. Our fellow student group holds this event with every intention to gain support (i.e., money) that will go directly towards creating “bigger and better things,” as stated by previous KPSU Development Director Rachelle Shmid years ago.

In kicking off this fundraiser, KPSU is launching the pledge drive in the epicenter of our campus with this free show. If you are not familiar with PSU’s architecturally post-apocalyptic scenario lurking underneath the Smith building then you probably haven’t heard of Food For Thought, the café that seems to act as the proverbial life-line for many of those in the PSU community who lean towards a healthier type of diet. Although it is highly commendable for KPSU to utilize a campus outlet for one of their events, there seems to be something just a little off.

The line-up for this event consists of Abiku, Jonnyx and the Groadies, Tombstalker and Negative Queen. The raging persona these bands bring to the table seems to contradict what the dubbed “Commie Café” epitomizes with its alternative ways. Abiku, a co-ed duo all the way from Baltimore, has been described as what you get when you try and smudge rave and punk together—in a way, like what Crystal Castles successfully accomplished, but not. Gauging by this first groups works already, this is seemingly not going to turn out well. While punkers are flipping tables and tearing down pictures in the once quite-serene chill spot, raging to screaming lyrics that are more penetrating than an unfortunate nail-to-skull event, they will just simply bid their adieus afterward and kick the donations bucket to the side on their way out.

Although the station still gets their fair share of cash from the Student Fees Committee, which simply covers the bare necessities (student wages and staying on the air), KPSU uses the collection of funds from the pledge drive to continue to expand and branch out into the Portland music community as a noteworthy enterprise. Co-sponsoring events like PDX Pop Now! along with other local shindigs, this Thursday is going be a big step towards taking much more of an independent role for the station becoming financially sound and growing in local prominence. ?