Come as you are… unless you hail from the Emerald City.
One of Vancouver’s largest FM radio stations is getting in on the MLS playoff fun by axing all Seattle music in a light-hearted snub of the Whitecaps playoff rivals.
CKNW’s Corus Radio sister station CFOX says the changes to the catalogue will be in place on Sunday and Thursday, the two days the Whitecaps face off against the Seattle Sounders.
Weekend host Ed Garcia said that means listeners won’t hear a number of artists, including the famous Seattle grunge outfit behind Come As You Are.
“We’re a modern rock station here at the Fox, and we play a lot of Seattle bands like Nirvana, like Soundgarden, like Alice in Chains,” Garcia said.
“They’re not going to be heard on the Fox. And even other stuff, bands that, you know, kind of have a connection to Seattle. They’re not getting played either.”
While the musical prank has only been in place for a day, Garcia said listeners have generally been on board with a little playoff push and shove.
“It’s been very positive. People are on board, if they know what’s going on – if they know the Whitecaps are playing the Seattle Sounders everyone is rallying behind it, ‘We like what you’re doing, you’re supporting the soccer team.'”
Garcia said so far there hasn’t been any kind of pushback from CFOX’s Seattle radio counterparts.
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However, that could change if someone in the neighbourhing market gets wind of some of CFOX’s fightin’ words.
“Seattle’s the worst, and we hate it. And it rains there all the time. The traffic’s really bad. They’ve got this stupid revolving restaurant. And, oh yeah, their soccer team’s the worst,” Garcia said, laughing.
The Whitecaps and Sounders have faced off more than 130 times in the last four decades, but Sunday marks their first playoff matchup.
The ‘Caps kick off against Seattle at BC Place at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, and play again in Seattle on Thursday.