Photo by J. Kolb.
“In many ways I see St. Pete kind of, if it’s not already, quickly becoming an Austin, Texas, in terms of music. I mean it’s incredible what’s going on, and I think the ability to have it all tied together and make this music available seven days a week, certainly strengthens the local music community,” Joe Bourdow, the owner and founder of Radio St. Pete said.
With more than 700 local artists and a 2100+ queue, Radio St. Pete has two stations for listeners to indulge in local music: Sunshine 96.7 FM and a 24/7 online station, radiostpete.com. Joe Bourdow founded the 501c3 in 2013, and now, with COVID shutdowns and the emergence of “bedroom-produced music,” the music scene is swelling exponentially – and Radio St. Pete gives local musicians a platform.
“One of the really interesting things now is how people, because of the advances in technology, can record really well-produced, great sounding songs in their bedrooms at home. The need for a professional studio is still there; it’s still a great resource to have if you have the resources to do all that, but you can make really good songs sound great right in your bedroom at home,” J. Kolb, Radio St. Pete’s music director, said.
“More and more it’s a digital world, there’s less and less demand for CDs, so I think we’re just another way for musicians to get their music heard,” Kolb said. “I don’t know if it’s better or worse, [than streaming services] but I think certainly on the local level, there’s a really wonderful opportunity here to get local musicians and get their music out on the air where people can drive their car in downtown St. Pete and listen to Rebekah Pulley, Charlie Morris, whoever, for free.”
There’s a really wonderful opportunity here to get local musicians and get their music out on the air”
While the station gains traction, the quest to find local artists is ongoing, according to Kolb.
“The word has gotten out, which is great, and so we are now having people come to us, but there’s also a lot of people out there that are aware of the station and maybe just haven’t gotten around to it, and so sometimes there’s a little prodding to get music in there,” Kolb said.
The station’s expanding its event calendar, too. For 18 years, WMNF, a Tampa-based radio station, hosted the Florida Folk Show, a weekly Saturday morning showcase of local folk artists, from St. Petersburg’s Craftsman House. WMNF recently ended their 18-year stint and handed the hosting honors over to Radio St. Pete, according to Bourdow.
Kolb hosts a Sunday afternoon show from 2-5 p.m. and plays 100% Tampa Bay tunes.
“We continue to get great reactions from people that are just finding out about it, and they love to hear that there’s a station that is just about local music,” Kolb said.
Moving forward, Radio St. Pete hopes to host more live events and concerts.
“It’s all about building a sense of community, building this platform, gathering more artists in it and for each artist that comes on and sends songs, they get more of their fans and their family and their friends, and that’s how we’re kind of building this community around Radio St. Pete,” Kolb said.
