Positive Vibes
For any lover of music, when you move to the Seattle area, you will inevitably save 90.3 FM in your vehicle radio’s presets. Doing so is a rite of passage and also a necessity for staying up to date on upcoming shows and being introduced to new music. Many - even those who don’t live in the Pacific Northwest - will recognize those digits as those of KEXP, “where the music matters.”
Listening to KEXP is an exercise in musical expansion; one of their weekly shows holds this title, actually. Without a doubt, you will hear artists and songs you have never heard before, when you’re listening to KEXP. Some of these, you will like; others, you will love; some may inspire you to change the radio station. A friend once told me that she heard a KEXP DJ proclaim, “I’m not doing my job if you like every song that I play.”
Getting to know KEXP results in an understanding of their weekly schedule and the themed shows that are broadcasted outside of business hours. It’s easy to find a favorite or two and, if you listen to the shows enough, the day and time that the show airs seems to take on the flavor of that show’s music. (Or is it, the show was chosen to match the flavor of that specific time of day?) For me, the single show that I’ve listened to the most is Positive Vibrations, hosted by Kid Hops on Saturday mornings from 9 am to noon.
Positive Vibrations is a reggae and dub-themed show and I find it to be the perfect background for a Saturday morning around the house or on the road. I’ve enjoyed reggae for a long time but my knowledge of the music, artists, and culture was limited. As a DJ, expert, and educator, Kid Hops cannot be topped. His understanding of the music he plays is astounding.
The energy that Kid Hops plays on Saturday mornings perfectly matches the title of his show. It’s Positive - feel-good, calming, and inspiring - and it Vibrates - it’s energizing, moving, and warming. Pair that with some yoga, or a cup of good coffee and a breakfast burrito, and your day is off to a great start.
I’ve been trying to apply that Positive Vibes theme and feeling to other areas of my life because, what better way to try to get some shit done than in a positive, confident, and open headspace. I can’t think of a better mind frame in which fishing, especially when it comes to those species whose pursuits are as much, or more mental than physical.
So, with the Positive Vibes on the radio, I tied up a few flies. I haven’t fished one yet, but it sure does feel good to put one in my fly wallet.
