Friday, August 17, 2012

Mark Your Calendars: KXCI Celebrates 1972 on Aug. 25

Posted By on Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 3:00 PM

Forty years ago, The Godfather was packing them in at theaters; Neil Young released Harvest; and gas cost 35 cents a gallon.

You can relive more of the good things from 1972 through KXCI 91.3 FM’s concert celebration of that year at the Rialto Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 25.

When KXCI celebrated the 40th anniversary of Woodstock with a similar concert in 2009, it was followed by tributes to the music of 1970 and 1971. This year’s concert is expected to continue the success of the previous three, with nine local bands and solo artists covering cuts from nine of the best albums of 1972. The featured albums range from Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together to Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book to Randy Newman’s Sail Away.

“It’s a lot of fun, really,” said Amanda Shauger, community engagement director at KXCI. “It’s a little bit kitschy, and people get into the ’70s gear. It’s just a great way for people who love downtown, who love Tucson, who love KXCI and who love local music to get together and celebrate.

“I would also say it’s a way to think about the time period. I mean when you look at ’72, it was an election year, and it was the Olympics (in Munich, where terrorists killed members of the Israeli Olympic team). It’s kind of a way to reflect on that history. It’s a fun celebration of music and culture, but it’s an awareness of those times.”

Although the concert is mainly a social event, it’s also a fundraiser for the nonprofit radio station. Proceeds will help keep KXCI on the air and presenting an eclectic music mix that Tucsonans won’t find on most radio stations. Past KXCI Celebrates concerts have drawn more than 500 music fans.

Several food trucks will be on hand outside the Rialto to provide nourishment for concertgoers.

Admission is $10. Children 12 and younger admitted free. Get your tickets here.

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