KUT 90.5 and the Cactus Cafe partner with NPR Music to present debut performance of Okkervil River’s new release “I Am Very Far”
AUSTIN, Texas—April 26, 2011—KUT 90.5, together with NPR Music, will present the worldwide debut performance of the new album by Austin-based band Okkervil River, webcast live from the legendary Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas. The show will stream on both video and audio at KUT.org and at NPRmusic.org at 6 p.m. CDT, April 27.
A limited number of tickets will be made available through on-air giveaways and through KUT social media channels (Twitter and Facebook).
“Our music focus at KUT is to identify and share the Austin music experience with our community and the world; the Cactus is an important part of this effort,” said Stewart Vanderwilt, director and general manager of KUT 90.5. “Performances like this—which more broadly share the Austin music and the Cactus Cafe experience beyond the campus and our community—are one of the reasons KUT partnered with the Cactus last year.”
This event comes two weeks before the May 10 release of Okkervil’s new album “I Am Very Far,” offering music fans worldwide a first listen to a highly anticipated collection of songs by one of indie rock’s most compelling groups. Formed in Austin in 1998, Okkervil River has released a string of critically acclaimed CD’s including 2010’s collaboration with psychedelic rock pioneer Roky Erikson, “True Love Cast Out All Evil”, which landed on many critics’ top 10 lists.
This week’s Cactus Cafe performance is an impromptu pause during the band’s tour with Arcade Fire. After the April 27 performance, Okkervil’s showcase at the Cactus Cafe will be available for viewing online at KUT.org as part of NPR Music’s “First Listen Live” series. Okkervil River’s performance will not interfere with the sold-out Citizen Cope show previously scheduled for 8 p.m., April 27.
About KUT Radio
For more than 50 years, KUT 90.5, listener-supported public radio from Austin, Texas, has striven to be the most trusted radio source for news and music in Central Texas. A founding member of NPR, KUT established a news department in 2002. Since then, KUT News has won more than 50 state, national and international awards for journalistic excellence. KUT is nationally known for playing a unique blend of handpicked, homegrown and uniquely Austin music. Its signature music journalism unit, Texas Music Matters, uses the highest standards of public radio journalism to report on Texas music. The station relies on individuals and local businesses for more than 85 percent of its operating budget with 100 percent of those contributions going directly to programming and broadcasting expenses. For more information, go to www.kut.org.
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Contacts: Erin Geisler, KUT, (512) 475-8071, egeisler@kut.org; or Emerson Brown, NPR, (202) 513-2302, ebrown@npr.org
