KRUX-FM, the student-run non-commercial college radio station at New Mexico State University threw a major concert party as it turned 15-years-old.

The KRUX Birthday Bash was held on Friday 15 from 5 p.m. to midnight at the Aggie Outdoor Stage on the NMSU campus, and featured six up-and-coming local bands and disk jockeys.

Here's a little history on the beginnings of KRUX: several station managers at KRUX, formerly KNMS, made several attempts for over eight years to get authorization for a transmitter and antenna, according to an old Round Up article written by Joanna Glickler.

The article reads that on Feb. 13, the FCC granted KRUX's request for a transmitter, but the station had to wait until September to get the antenna and to begin broadcasting again under the radio sign KRUX.

photo by Rebecca Craig

According to Lorraine Tangonan, KRUX-FM business director, scheduling of the KRUX Birthday Bash began over the summer in order to ensure that KRUX-FM would have an available venue, bands willing to perform and sponsorship for the event.

“As this is my first KRUX Birthday Bash, I also wanted to make sure that things were set up in advance.  The KRUX staff has put in quite a bit of work into this event, and fortunately, staff members and employees of NMSU, including Rich and Bud at OFS and Susan Waldo at Campus Activities, have facilitated the scheduling process for us,” Tangonan said.

Tangonan said without sponsors, students would not be able to enjoy the KRUX Birthday Bash for free.

Melissa Aguilera, the current KRUX general manager was happy overall about how the event took place despite minor technical difficulties and bands that arrived late. 

“The KRUX Birthday Bash crowd was small compared to the last few KRUX events, but there was always a steady amount of eager people in the crowd to participate in the games we had,” Aguilera said.

The KRUX staff hoped to incorporate some sort of Mexican quinceñera theme with piñatas and other Latino culture staples, but none of it came to fruition due to school regulations and codes.  A quinceñera is a celebration for a lady turning 15-years old in Latino culture; sort of like a sweet 16.

All of the bands and Djs featured were By Blood and Fire, Feelgoodpill, Goat, Codeword Zefferina, Buckeye, New River Blues, Words Like Knives, DJ Ziad and DJ Ashraf.

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