The Living Edge Show, “Got it Covered” Cassette Release!
Exclusive newly remastered compilation honors the iconic 1985–89 live studio performance radio series and supports WESU’s Fall-into-Winter Pledge Drive By Chaim O’Brien-Blumenthal
Dust off your boombox and get ready to blast back to the heyday of college radio—when “alternative” wasn’t a playlist category but a way of life, and every week brought a new band you discovered first on WESU.
WESU 88.1 FM is proud to announce the release of a limited-edition cassette featuring newly remastered performances by Wesleyan bands from the original series.
Launching in 1985 and running through 1989, The Living Edge showcased a remarkable lineup of national and local punk and alternative acts performing full sets live in the WESU studios. Fueled by pizza, beer, and the raw creative energy of the era, the show attracted bands from across the country. Acts like Alice Donut—later scouted for Alternative Tentacles based on their Living Edge performance—and American Music Club all made the pilgrimage to Middletown to appear on this trailblazing series.
Though the show aired for only four years, its impact continues to echo nearly four decades later.
What truly set The Living Edge apart was its commitment to giving local New England bands—especially those emerging from Wesleyan’s vibrant music community—a chance to shine. This new cassette offers a curated selection of those performances, handpicked and remastered by original engineer and co-producer Michael Arafeh of Coffeehouse Studios. Drawn directly from the original master reels, the cassette features standout cover songs that serve as both a time capsule and a preview of unreleased material to come as next year’s anniversary approaches.
This limited-edition cassette is being offered as part of WESU’s Fall Pledge Drive, supporting the station’s mission to keep freeform community radio thriving across Connecticut and beyond.
How to get your cassette
Listeners can receive the cassette by making a $33 donation (shipping included) at wesufm.org/pledge and writing “Living Edge Tape” in the comment field. Donors may also order via the printable pledge form, also available at the same link above.
