MD of the Month :
Cade Brigmon
WIDR
How did you first hear about WIDR How long have you been involved there and when did you become music director?
I first heard about WIDR when I transferred to WMU. It was at the club fair for incoming students, and I was enamored with the idea of being a part of this organization (without having to be on air) and getting to listen to new music every week. I’ve been a part of WIDR for three years and recently became the Music Director this past year!
Tell us about the duties of your job there and what part of it you love the most and what you find the most challenging.
As Music Director, I set the foundation for what plays on WIDR. At least that’s the overall idea; I also do some of our social media and website content. I sift through all the emails I get (probably like 50+ a day) and pick the tracks I think fit WIDR’s sound best. The part I love the most is seeing the Music Team’s reactions to each song they review. If they really love it then that means I did a great job that week! The most challenging part is keeping up that level of quality between weeks, sometimes I don’t get as many great tracks or don’t have enough time to dedicate to it.
What is the process for reviewing new music and what sort of commitment does the station have to exposing your listeners to new releases?
Each week, I look through all of my emails and listen until I have enough for everyone. I then assign either an album or single pack to each member of the Music Team for them to review over the week. They enter all the info and their personal recommendations into this giant Excel spreadsheet we have, and I use that info to fill in the descriptions as I upload everything to our station. We have a major commitment to exposing our listeners to new music; we’re Radio Evolution after all! We don’t play anything that’s on the Billboard Charts, and we focus on keeping the music rotation fresh. I usually trim the tracklist for stale songs every week or so. We also play a lot of local music as well!
Who is an artist or band that you’ve discovered in the past year or so that has become one of your favorites? What is it about their music you love?
The 1975 or Dance Gavin Dance. They were both huge blind spots for me, especially DGD because they’re post-hardcore, and I never really get into that subgenre. But 2025 was the year I finally got it; I can’t stop listening to either of them! With The 1975, I can’t get enough of Matty Healy. whether when he’s saying something corny or poignant, he alwarys manages to sound charismatic. When he wants to, he can show how emotive a singer he really is. With DGD, since they’ve had multiple different lead singers, each album feels like a fully unique experience. Each singer brings something new to the table, and each one is able to get into your head instantly with how addicting their vocal lines are. Once you start, you just can’t stop!.
Do you have an all-time favorite artist or album you never get tired of listening to?
It’s hard to decide because I just love music way too much to have only one favorite artist, but I can give you my top five. Frank Ocean, Nick Drake, Brockhampton, Jane Remover, and Jeff Buckley. The first three have never left my top-played artists in the past 7 years. They’ve all changed my life in one way or another just by listening to them.
What upcoming 2026 album(s) are you most anticipating the release of?
I think Underscores (honorary Michigan native BTW!) has a new album coming out soon. I’m excited for the new Joji and the possible Lana Del Rey album coming out eventually, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t come out this year. I got a little spoiled last year by how many great albums came out.
Who is an artist or band totally outside the realm of the music you play on WIDR that holds a special place in your heart?
Smokedope2016. A friend of mine put me onto him, and I’ve been playing his most recent album on repeat. He makes super psychedelic drug-heavy rap that reminds me a lot of Yung Lean and Lil Ugly Mane. He creates this completely alternate dream world full of non-stop partying that can never end no matter what happens, I love him, but he’s way too explicit for us to play on our station.
If you had the power to instantly change one thing going on in the world at the moment, what would it be?
I would snap my fingers and make the world run on 100% renewable energy (solar, nuclear, hydroelectric). Simply doing that would reduce our effect on the planet dramatically, which is what we’re supposed to do. We’ve got to leave things better than we found them, am I right?
What event in your life would you say has shaped you the most as a person?
My first two years of college. I was in community college for my first two years (since I couldn’t afford tuition yet) so I spent that time working everyday in-between full-time classes to pay my current tuition and save up to transfer. It was tough, but it taught me how to manage my time and take care of myself, which really helps with the amount of stuff I have on my plate now!
If you could choose, what time period in the past would you most want to travel back to visit and why?
I’d go back to the Renaissance era in Italy. It’d be cool to kind of see what everyone was up to. Maybe I’d hear some new music that was never recorded.
Do you have a favorite restaurant in Kalamazoo that you’d recommend people try if they are ever there?
Crow’s Nest or Nina’s Cafe, they’re both brunch places, but each brings a totally different vibe. Nina’s is more of a classic diner (I love their all you can eat pancakes!) and Crow’s Nest is more upscale, but their coffee is great, I highly recommend their cinnamon roll French toast.
What in your life brings you the most joy?
Collecting physical music. I have a big vinyl and CD collection that I’ve been working on expanding for a couple of years now. It’s always fun heading to the record shop and seeing if I can find something new for a good price. My favorite things I’ve found are a couple of rare Radiohead promo CD’s that came out between albums, and I have a signed copy of FM, which is Brockhampton’s final album.
Lightning Round:
Dog or Cat? Dog all the way.
Morning Person or Night Owl? Night owl but I’m forced to be a morning person due to my schedule.
City or Country? City, I like being surrounded by people. It feels lonely if there’s no one by me.
Beach or Mountains? Beach, I’ve never been to a mountain before.
Watch TV or Read A Book? Books, I just finished my last book on the history of Ireland and I’m looking to pick up a new one soon!
Sunny or Rainy? Rainy, I like how cool the air feels as the rain comes down. Plus you can always stare outside and listen to a rainy-day record.
Restaurant or Home Cooking? I love cooking, but there’s too many great restaurants here in Kalamazoo to pass up going out. Big shoutouts to Bilbo’s Pizza and WI SocialHouse.
Pants or Shorts? Pants, they’re just too versatile, and you can make them work with any outfit.
Warm or Cold drinks? Warm, I love having a couple cups of hot coffee in the morning to start my day.
Do you have any current favorite shows you’re enjoying/binging? How about a movie (new or old) that you’ve watched recently that you loved?
Me and my roommate are keeping up with JJK season 3 since it just started airing a couple weeks ago. A movie I’ve been coming back to recently is The Iron Claw; I’ve been getting into wrestling more since my sister is a big fan, and that movie is totally devastating to watch. It’s a great look into how raw and unsafe the early days of professional wrestling were, and the toll it took on at least one family.
Finally, If you could have a lifetime supply of anything, what would it be?
I mean the obvious answer is money, so then I could just be Music Director for the fun of it!
