Green Street Records promotes local bands with club CD, concerts

By Marc Kovarsky

Green Street Records is a student-run record label at the University. Their main purpose is to recruit different local bands and give them exposure to the public. Green Street Records has produced three different CDs since its founders started the club four years ago. This year’s CD, entitled “No Rights Reserved,” is scheduled to debut sometime next month.

While Green Street Record’s main audience is University students, Chris Hassen, the head of public relations for the organization and sophomore in LAS, aims to reach a wider audience.

“The hope is for students on campus to tell their friends about the bands they hear and eventually spread the names to their friends at other campuses,” he said.

Although the club is fairly new, it is continuing to grow. Some of the most popular bands Green Street Records has promoted include Santa, Missing the Point and Elsinore.

Matt McNamara, the organization’s president and sophomore in ACES, has been busy overseeing this year’s band selection for this year’s new CD. “No Rights Reserved” features all local bands that have performed throughout Champaign.

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“In order for the bands to be eligible for the CD at least 25 percent of the band needs to be students at the University of Illinois,” McNamara said. “Every band who we selected to be on our CD is allotted eight hours of free recording time in a studio.”

The free studio time allows artists to record their song professionally for Green Street Records’ CD, with all the resources they need.

Another way the organization attempts to promote different bands is by putting on concerts throughout the year.

Brad Miller, vice president and freshman in FAA, is currently scheduling bands to perform at their various concerts in April.

“By selecting different bands to perform, this allows them to interact with the audience,” he said.

Other than simply listening to artists on their CD, students get a chance to see how the bands perform live.

Green Street Records takes great pride in their work.

“We essentially are a fully running record label,” McNamara said. “The members of (Green Street Records) are all doing what we want to pursue later in life.”

Green Street Records’ upcoming concerts are on April 19 and April 26 at the Courtyard Cafe in the Union. “No Rights Reserved” is free to students.

For more information on Green Street Records, visit their Web site, greenstreetrecords.com.