I kind of love XPN

Certain cities hold a special place in my heart because they have good radio stations. Think I’m joking? Chew on this! Cincinnati has WOXY, Annapolis has WRNR, and Philadelphia has WXPN.

XPN is the essential hipster radio station, because it is an NPR affiliate, is based out of the University of Pennsylvania, and it hosts free concerts every Friday at noon. Public radio, universities, and free shows? That is like the Hipster Trinity right there.

Seriously, though, I do love XPN in a way that I’ve never loved any DC radio stations. They play a great mix of new and old stuff, local and national acts, plus an incredibly broad range of styles. They adopted Y100, the alternative rock station I grew up on, when it changed to a hip-hop format. They run the World Cafe, a beautiful venue with better sound than almost anywhere I’ve seen a show. It’s also the first place I ever word-vomited at Tommy Siegel (but not the last!).

Right now, XPN is about 200 songs into its countdown of the 885 Quintessential XPN songs. This afternoon, I’ve heard The Beatles, the White Stripes, Tracy Chapman, and Modest Mouse to name… four. But this countdown is not just a countdown. It’s also a pledge drive. I believe in supporting people I think do good work; that’s why I don’t pirate CDs any more, and why I work at two homeless shelters. If I had money, I would donate some to XPN. Maybe you can afford to? Or maybe you will give them a listen and just love them too.

And, for the record, that isn’t really my tattoo. I’m saving up for one of Obama and Joe Biden aerial hunting wolves that look sort of like John McCain and Sarah Palin. It’s a metaphor.