What is it that brings us back to the beloved campfire time and time again? You might say the cozy warmth of the licking flames, the smell of smoky childhood that nestles deep into the folds of your clothes, the S’MORES, that strange phase of limbo where everyone stares longingly at the fire searching for answers to the meaning of life. For me, I’m attracted to the way that fire brings campers closer together. It’s the gathering center. It sparks conversation and ignites storytelling – because really, what else can you do in the woods after dark?
The creators of Radio Campfire feel the same way. This new series of listening events remembers a time where you didn’t have to travel into the woods to hear stories with your closest friends. They are determined to bring back the classic picture of “the family huddled around the human-size radio to hear FDR announce the attack of Pearl Harbor.” With podcasts such as Serial, This American Life, and Welcome to Night Vale becoming ever more popular, the creators realized that this commonly solitary activity of ‘listening’ should go back to its roots as a communal event!
The inaugural event took place in the second floor event space in Literati Bookstore. A bit more formal than sitting on logs surrounding the radio, we packed ourselves into rows of fold-out chairs all facing the same direction. No s’mores, but the feel of bumping elbows with your neighbor actually brought a bit of comfort and intimacy to the night. The creators are very enthusiastic about the concept of “campfire” and even go so far as to call themselves “camp counselors.” They are all either radio producers and audio artists in Southeast Michigan. In order to recreate unique experiences of “the campfire,” they wanted their theme to reflect campfire activities and feelings.
This first event was entitled “The Name Game,” to imitate the first thing we always do when we create a group. “Go around the circle, say your name, and what color you’d be if you were a kind of ink pen.” Ah…the classic name and icebreaker. Thankfully, there were too many people at the actual event to go around, so the counselors stuck to the radio programs to speak for themselves.
By now, you’re probably wondering what it is that we actually listened to! They kept it short with only 10 programs, all which were submitted to them. The programs varied from first-person documentaries to experimental soundscapes to dramatic readings of lists. As long as it produced sound and followed the NAME theme, anything goes!
Highlights of this particular series:
-A list of anagrams of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name
-A dramatic reading of good cat names
-A thought-provoking story about a girl traveling in Mexico who falls in love with a marijuana-smoking, free spirited, and emotionally confusing girl named Cynthia
-A child’s perspective on the “Neighborhood Newsletter” she puts out each week
-A mystical explanation on how the Salish Sea in Canada got its name (complete with the relaxing whoosh of waves in the background!)
Drawing a full house, I’d say that the Radio Campfire was a success! I’m excited to say that they will be holding future events, alternating venues in Detroit and Ann Arbor. The events will always be free and open to the public. There’s something so creatively inspiring about closing your eyes and really listening to what people are saying, something that I think modern day people have real trouble with in the hum of school life and cityscapes. Radio Campfire indeed is a gathering ground for podcast makers, vocal artists, students, listeners, lovers of s’mores, sound junkies, and everyone who has ever been a storyteller.
If you would like to stay up-to-date on the Campfire’s upcoming events, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
