Late-night concert celebrates local music

By: Katie Christoff – A&E Editor

“Support your local music scene” has long been the tagline for WUDR Flyer Radio’s “Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative,” a weekly radio show hosted by Art Jipson, the director of criminal justice studies at the University of Dayton, and his wife Tracey.

On Friday, Dr. J, as Jipson is (affectionately) known by his students, will bring that mantra to life by hosting a late-night concert on campus. Two prominent local bands, Motel Beds and Ghost Town Silence, will perform a free show in the McGinnis Center’s multi-purpose room.

This concert will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of “Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative” and also serve as a learning experience for first-year students in the self and community in the 21st century living learning community, better known as C21, which is coordinated by Jipson.

“We’ve consistently articulated that if there was one tagline for the radio show it was this: support your local music scene,” Jipson said. “You should go buy the CDs, go out and buy the vinyl albums, go to shows and buy the t-shirts, go out and tell people about the bands you just saw that changed your life.”

Jipson teaches a popular culture class and quickly discovered an interest among his students in the music he shared with them. He’s been a radio DJ since his college years, so he decided to use the medium he was most familiar with to share his passion for local music with students.

“It became apparent that there’s only so much you can do in a class, and I wanted to do so much more than that,” Jipson said. “But I had to ask myself how to do it in a way that would motivate and resonate with students, without being preachy or boring.”

Over the past 10 years, Jipson’s radio show has evolved and primarily become a platform for him to play local artists and make students aware of the Dayton music scene.

“What started off as an academic pursuit, using music as a way to get people to think about things, became more about exposing people to music that they wouldn’t normally get a chance to hear,” Jipson said. “We’re not passing judgment; we’re just trying to create the opportunity for people to hear different things.”

Dayton is home to many local bands, and Jipson said they’re often under-recognized. For that reason, his show has had a strong focus on independent, local music. He describes the Dayton music scene as eclectic: in the ‘70s, it was home to a large funk scene but is now more diverse, including noise-rock, metal, country, folk and even hip-hop.

In this evolving music scene, Motel Beds has remained at the forefront for close to 10 years. The band, currently promoting its fifth full-length album, has been touring nationally and recently released its sixth album.

“When I first heard them play, I thought if these guys don’t go somewhere, there’s just seriously something wrong with the universe,” Jipson said. “They’re just that good.” Motel Beds performed at ArtStreet’s 1World Celebration last April and looks forward to returning to play at UD.

“It was a really good crowd,” guitarist Tommy Cooper said of performing at UD. “There were lots of new faces and good vibes all around.”

Jipson said the band had a warm reception and sold $200 worth of CDs during its performance at 1World.

“It’s funny how many students will come up to me and say, ‘I heard them on your show and now I love them,’” Jipson said.

Ghost Town Silence, another prominent band on the Dayton music scene, recently changed its name from The Rebel Set and released a new EP called “Shadows.” Jipson described the band as “Really nice, courteous guys who make great rockabilly, Americana and pop rock.”

The Friday concert will begin at 10 p.m. with a brief introduction by Jipson and his wife. Ghost Town Silence will take the stage around 10:15 p.m., and Motel Beds will take the stage around 11:30 p.m. Pizza will be delivered twice during the event, around the beginning of each performance, and other free food like chips and drinks will be available as well.

Jipson, looking forward to the event, encourages students to come check out their local music scene without even having to leave campus.

“I hope to bring people together in an innovative way that builds community, connects faculty, staff and other members of the community in an artistic, creative expression that gets people to think about themselves, their community and the music they listen to,” Jipson said.

“I still believe that music can change the world.”

The 10th anniversary of “Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative” is the Tuesday show from 3-6 p.m., and will feature special guest Tod Weidner, bassist of Motel Beds. The concert will take place Friday from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. The concert is free of charge and open to the public.