Written by Ian Ausdal
2020 is a year unlike any other that the students of IU have experienced. But despite the *nuances* of this fall semester, one thing has remained consistent: WIUX’s annual Pledge Drive.
This does not mean the festivities took off without their fair share of complications, however. Rain delays, COVID exposures, and the general state of things in the world all seemed to come together in an attempt to dampen everyone’s spirits. Despite such issues, the student body’s propensity for having a good time coupled with everyone’s shared attempts to be safely distanced and bemasked ensured that it is indeed possible to have fun in the midst of a global pandemic.
Pledge Drive 2020 took place across three non consecutive nights between Oct 21st - Nov 2nd. Here are the highlights:
After the events scheduled for Oct 19th and 20th had been cancelled due to bad weather, the WIUX DJ Team treated us to a live visual/audio performance on the lawn of the Hamilton Lugar school. Led by the station's very own Anthony Gosling, the team provided an onslaught of lethal bangers and remixes of throwback goodies.
On night two, we returned to the HLS lawn with entertainment provided by the Bloomington Delta Music club. BDM is no stranger to WIUX, as they performed for the station's Culture Stream series this past summer (which you can find here). The group opened with a brief acoustic set, followed by an electric set featuring a wide variety of instruments and a multitude of talented singers to build a truly dynamic performance.
The group performed covers ranging from the jazz staples of Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Hancock, to Pop classics from The Beatles, and into more contemporary material as well.
after a brief interim period, Pledge Drive continued on Nov 2nd with Leaky Bucket. Along with a venue change, the evening presented us with lower-than-ideal temperatures. But the frigid air was no match for the fortitude of the concertgoers and the band's punk rock energy. Leaky Bucket performed a variety of covers, but the highlight of the show was their performance of their single original piece: a song dedicated to Frankie Lymon, a 1960s R&B singer who tragically passed away from a drug overdose in his grandmother's bathroom at the age of 25. The song was carried by a classic-sounding doo-wop guitar riff, which, aided by the 35ish degree weather, provided for a tingling experience.
Unbeknownst to us at the time, Leaky Bucket ended up being the final event of Pledge Drive 2020. Two events that were previously scheduled to host Midnight Snack Comedy and the Women of Delta along with Rosegirl had to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. As disappointing as this news was, it all seemed to be consistent with the main theme of the year - Adaptability. As easy as it could have been to cancel Pledge Drive, or to move the events to an entirely virtual platform, the hard work and optimism of all the directors, performers, and patrons involved made it so that the events of this year are something everyone can look back fondly on. As we all plow forth into the new year, and regular in-person events get closer to becoming a reality, Pledge Drive 2020 will stand out a monument to the fun that can be had in the midst of hard times.
Check out the Pledge Drive video montage on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW7-D8JSnYQ
Be sure to follow all of these wonderful artists and organizations on their social media:
Bloomington Delta Music
Leaky Bucket
Midnight Snack Comedy
Rosegirl
