Bowiecorn is KEXP's champion of music, creativity, originality and all things unique. Born during the 2017 Fall Drive, Bowiecorn was first seen displayed on the donor tee-shirt. Then, KEXP donor Scout gifted a special hand-crafted version of Bowiecorn to KEXP and it has since become a lovable mascot!
Now, Bowiecorn is embarking on a journey to connect with our KEXP community across America and Canada. 46 amazing donors chose to support KEXP during an hour of John in the Morning and were invited to particpate in a special project: send Bowiecorn across the country and learn about each other in the process. As Bowiecorn travels North America from donor to donor, their adventures will be shared here.
Thank you to all the generous donors who will be hosting Bowiecorn in their town over the next year!
Stay tuned....
Bowiecorn was hosted by Danielle, Louise and family!
"We could not pass up the opportunity to show Bowiecorn the other Portland, and even farther flung locations such as the midcoast of Maine. I hope they enjoyed their time with us, we will certainly miss them. Thank you KEXP for making all of my days more meaningful and fun. I consider it an integral part of my toolbox, the one I go reaching into when I am feeling alone. It always helps."
Thank you for being Bowiecorn's first host, Danielle, Louise and family!
Bowiecorn was hosted by California native Shannon, who recently moved Massachusetts, and his time there took a decidely literary turn!
"Bowiecorn arrived from Maine just before I had a trip to Cambridge, MA and then a conference on book history in Amherst, MA. We spent our first day together looking at my book on the David Bowie exhibition from the Victoria & Albert Musiem and then driving to Cambridge where one of the best ice cream shops in the world, Toscanini's, let us visit the cold storage. It was in the midst of an east coast heat wave, so being in that walk-in freezer felt great... for abotu 90 seconds.
Once back in western Massachusetts, Bowiecorn joined me at a conference on the history of authorship, reading and publishing (book history!) in Amherst, MA. Bowiecorn posed in front of a shelf of books in the Emily Dickinson house museum! Later in the week, Bowiecorn joined my friend and I as we walked around Northampton, which is home to Smith College where I work as a rare book librarian. Bowiecorn got to see Lamont Bridge across the Mill River and the Lyman Plant House on the Smith campus. We also visited our local hangs, Iconica Social Club and the local public library (and home to the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum), Forbes Library.
We ended our trip with a visit to Smith College Special Collections where I showed Bowiecorn smoe 16th and 17th century books with illustrations of unicorns. These are Edward Topsell's The History of Four-footed Beasts (1658), based on an earlier work by Conrad Gessner and Ortus Sanitatis (1511), an overview of the natural world."
Bowiecorn was hosted by KEXP donor Chanda who introduced them to many new friends!
"Bowiecorn happened to arrive just in time for the premiere of The Deuce - so we brought him to the party! (My husband is a director and producer on the show). Bowiecorn is pictured with David Simon, Isabel Pakzad and James Franco, Genevieve Hudson-Price, Ryan Farrell, Kat Cunning and Kelly, Lawrence Gilliard Jr, Emily Meade, Michael Gandolfini, David Krumholtz, Emmy Nominee Luke Kirby and Kim Director, and Margarita Levieva and Michael. They were all incredibly gracious and welcoming to our guest (because they are all the best people).
We also decided to take Bowiecorn on a tour of NYC Bowie places. Our first stop was Strand Bookstore, of which Bowie said, "It's impossible to find the book you want, but you always find the book you didn't know you wanted." The next stop on the NYC Bowie tour was Bowie's apartment building where he had lived since 1999. Fans gathered here to mourn and set up a shring when they learned of his passing. I listened to KEXP that entire day, and the music, the stories, and the Bowie love helped to ease the pain.
Next, we stopped at Cafe Reggio, where Bowie used to go for coffee and breakfast. In an essay he wrote for NY Magazine in 2003, Bowie named Washington Square as one of his 3 favorite places in NY, so we had to make a stop there, too. We also stopped by Electric Lady Studios where Bowie's first #1 song, Fame, was written and recorded in 1975, and at Times Square, where they posed with my favorite NYC costumed character, the Hulk.
Last, Bowiecorn hung out with some friends in Montclair, NJ where they want to remind you that you are not alone."
Bowiecorn was hosted by donors Jeremy and Erin Williams who moved to Pennsylvania from Seattle a few years ago:
"Although KEXP doesn't reach our car radio anymore we still stream the station at work and it reminds us of where we lived for so long, where we met and where we fell in love. Bowiecorn reached us just in time for the annual Scarecrow Festival at nearby Peddler's Village. In addition to music we have a passion for many kinds of art. We mentioned to Bowiecorn that we have a laser in our basement and Boweicorn had the idea to make some goodies for the next few hosts! Bowiecorn supervised the production of the ultra-limited edition Bowiecorn BowieCoin very closely! Made of wood, these handsome tokens sport the majestic lightning unicorn on the front and a quote from the man himself on the reverse. There are only five in the world and we'll send them along with Bowiecorn as they continue their travels.
We had a wonderful time hosting Bowiecorn and were delighted to be a part of this cross-country adventure. Thank you so much for all the music and for reminding us that regardless of distance, we're not alone."
Bowiecorn was hosted by donors AJ, Joann, Aria and their cat Cannoli who took Bowiecorn to Philadelphia to revisit their favorite concert venue, the Trocadero!
"We had a great time hosting Bowiecorn who got to visit a pumpkin patch with my daughter Aria and wife Joann, and spend some time with our cat Cannoli. Most importantly, I brought them to the venue of my first ever show (Lemondheads, Its a Shame About Ray tour), the Trocadero. It's an amazing small venue in Chinatown in Philly and I've included a poster listing shows from October 1994. Thank you KEXP for all you do, you make this world a better place. We cannot wait to come to visit Seattle as a family and visit the KEXP studios."
Bowiecorn takes a historical tour of Washington D.C. with donor, Jeff:
"On Bowiecorn's first night in town, we headed to see a show at DC's iconic 930 Club venue. While they weren't a headliner, I was most excited to see Black Belt Eagle Scout, a band I have KEXP to thank for introducing me... they didn't disappoint. On our next day together, we decided to do a little sightseeing and museuming on the National Mall. Bowiecorn visited some distant relatives at the Natural History Museum, climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his infamous 'I Have a dream' speech, and posed for a shot in front of the National Unicorn Monument (known in some circles as the Washington Monument). The following day, we paid a visit to NASA headquarters so Bowiecorn could talk to the staff there about life on Mars and see other space oddities. FInally, we commemorated teh visit with a selfie. I only regret that I didn't have time to make Bowiecorn a matching Jeff-faced shirt!"
Bowiecorn celebrates Christmas and kicks off the new decade with the Hamm Plett family in Rockville, MD (and gets a much needed bath):
"We were extra grateful that a real-life one of a kind Bowiecorn came to visit us here in Rockville. They were super dirty from their travels, so first things first, they got a bath! Life in Rockville with three young kids might seem a bit provincial comapred to his recent exploits, but Bowiecorn seemed to adapt pretty well. They went off with our youngest KEXP listener, Miles, to pre-K and I was told by his teacher that Bowiecorn was a great clean up helper. Bowiecorn also got to experience a real Christmas morning with Santa's special deliveries and all! We will miss them deeply but know that they're off to great adventures and hope that someday they might make it back to Rockville.
KEXP, thank you for allowing us to be a part of this incredible journey. We lived in Seattle for a brief time, but feel connected to the music and culture every time we listen. John in the Morning helps me get through my mornings working from home and juggling life with three kids. Cheryl is a comforting mid-day voice. In a world of automation, we'd be lost without creative and original music and programming - keep it up and keep the music coming!"
Bowiecorn's adventures take them to Pittsburgh, PA with KEXP donor, Bob:
"In addition to a lot of rest and relaxation while listening to music on the couch with my Yorkie poo Twister, we went to Carnegie Museum of Nature History, rode the Mon Incline and checked out the Pittsburg skyline from atop Mount Washington, and hung out in Highland Park on an unseasonable winter day. I think Bowiecorn really enjoyed Pittsburgh."
