This is so awesome.
I grew up about two miles from the old studio in East Orange. WFMU was such a large part of my formative years -- it was such a great way to discover punk and garage rock and indie music. I also developed my radio prank phone calling skills on various WFMU talk shows until I was unearthed and grounded. (Gerard Cosloy was one of my frequent targets and gave my family's phone number out over the air. Forgive me -- I was 12.) And then I ACTUALLY started calling into shows and talked to so many interesting people.
But WFMU was so much more than hearing "Another Girl, Another Planet" or being able to talk to Jim Carroll or the authors of The New Roadside America. It was like a secret code amongst weirdoes. The people I still hang out with from growing up and consider my best friends were all WFMU fans (and a few pledged last night).
I'm so glad that the station is now an international phenomenon and people all over the world can listen and have it influence them the same way it did me. And obviously the station still has a big influence on me -- I'm way more of a comedy nerd than a music nerd these days and The Best Show has been my favorite thing in comedy for a really long time.
So thanks to everyone who worked the phone banks and all of that. It's seriously fantastic that people put in time and money to help out the station.
