“It’s a take-off on a thing Gram Parsons used to say,” says Aaron Petrie, host of CKDU’s The Cosmic Haligonian Music, over the phone from the Dal SUB. “He used to say he played ‘cosmic American music.’” Petrie, who’s been hosting this show since last March but has had various shows at CKDU over the past five years, spins music of the alternative country and alternative folk persuasion, every Thursday from 3:30 to 5pm. “There’s such a great scene for that kind of stuff in town right now so I’ve always got a rolodex full of people to go through,” he says. And he’s already gone through the best, bringing in the likes of The Guthries, Hurtin’ Unit, Thomas Matheson, Matt Mays, Tyler Messick, Al Tuck and Queen Size SHAG for live performances. (“The technical director here, Stephen Kelly, has been really good about setting up the interview studio,” notes Petrie.) “A lot of people do shows that are open format,” he says, “but I like doing this one thing and doing it well.” Your thoughts exactly.
Runner-up: Doug Taylor, CKDU
