KEPW celebrates ‘Transcendence’ with free punk concert June 14

Presenter: How many 17-year-olds do you know who have their own radio shows? And how many are also organizing free punk concerts? Meet Farron Janknot, host of the new KEPW program airing every Sunday at 3 p.m. It’s called Transcendence.

Farron Janknot (Transcendence, Sundays at 3 p.m. on KEPW): The name is Transcendence because I’m a trans and I’m a trans boy, even though I don’t dress like it sometimes, but that’s okay. 

I’m a trans guy, and basically, like, ‘ascending to a higher plane of being.’ ‘Ascending with knowledge.’ I’m really excited about it. It’s going to be every Sunday at 3 p.m. on KEPW 97.3 FM. 

[00:00:43] This show is supposed to be about the community, and it’s supposed to be for the community. So any community members who think that there’s something important that they want to talk about, no matter their age or anything like that, they’re welcome to come and talk about it. I have no room to speak, I’m only 17. But I’m running my own show at 17. It’s pretty, pretty awesome.

[00:01:06] I know a lot of people want to give their life experience about what they’ve been through. It could go as far as homelessness or rehab or anything like that, or their battles with addictions or mental illness, any and everything that people want to talk about, whether it be life experience or even politics.

[00:01:26] I just thought it’d be like a very interesting thing to work at a radio station, ’cause, I don’t know, I don’t hear of a lot of 17-year-olds working at a radio station or having their own radio show.

[00:01:36] And so I thought it’d be a pretty cool, it’d be pretty cool and it’d be different, and not a lot of people would expect a 17-year-old to be hosting a radio show. And I’m very thankful to have this opportunity to do this. I want to be able to put my voice out there and have people listen to me.

[00:01:55] Presenter: They’re also producing a free punk concert June 14, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Growers Market, 454 Willamette. With the new program Transcendence, Farron Janknot:

[00:02:07] Farron Janknot (Transcendence, Sundays at 3 p.m. on KEPW): This is the first time I’ve ever even put on a show in general. I’ve never had this opportunity and now I do, and it’s like, I have the space, I have bands coming in. It’s going to be so awesome. I’m really excited about it.

[00:02:21] We have Chemical Restraints, I think we have Finger Trap and Haunting all playing. We have Sargent Pitviper playing, and then Amy is one of the interns that works with us, is in Sargent Pitviper. We interviewed her drummer for her band and did a couple of other scripts.

[00:02:43] And we have a few different vendors. I think it’s going to be awesome ’cause people get to come and support the radio station and come and support the birth of a new show and support all these vendors who are coming here to showcase their art and showcase what they are passionate about.

[00:03:05] Presenter: Their show, Transcendence, will also include music. Here’s the host, Farron.

[00:03:09] Farron Janknot (Transcendence, Sundays at 3 p.m. on KEPW): I do love punk music, but it’s not particularly just going to be punk music. It’s going to be, like, all kinds of music. Like, I don’t know, one week we could have punk, the next week we could have pop, or one week we could have like bedroom rock, or, all kinds of music because I don’t just enjoy punk, I enjoy like, all types of music, as long as it’s not country, I like it. 

[00:03:39] So I’m happy to have a platform where people can tune in and choose to listen and pay attention, and to be able to get my thoughts out and speak for what I believe in. I have a couple of ideas in the works right meow about possibly doing certain segments a couple of times a month.

[00:04:05] And I’m willing to put in the effort and have something that’s a project I can be proud of and look back on and hopefully be able to produce for years to come. It’s going to be creative, it’s  going to have a lot of different topics. And it’s going to have probably quite a few really awesome bands interviewed.

[00:04:27] I have an interview coming up with a band from LA, and I’m really excited to talk to them. And I’ve, this is like a lifelong dream of talking to them. I was like crying last night because they, like, answered an email and gave me their phone number so that I could interview them. And I’m like, ‘Oh my God!’ So it’s going to be awesome.

[00:04:50] And I would love to have feedback, to hear what other people have to say. And I would love for other people to feel like they have a voice on my radio show. I want people to feel welcome and I want people to be able to feel like they can talk about whatever they want within the standards.

[00:05:08] Presenter: Four punk bands will perform in a free concert coming up Saturday June 14 at the Growers Market. And you can listen to Ferron and their new show, Transcendence, Sundays at 3 p.m. right here on KEPW 97.3 Eugene’s PunkWorks Community Radio.