All Request Radio

Velvet, a Black autistic queer person of a certain age, holds a microphone to their mouth in their right hand and uses their left hand like a satellite dish to hear audience responses. The blue and purple stage lights complement Velvet's warm (skin and psychic) tones

“All Request Radio” (Velvet Duke Productions) is an improvised jukebox musical creating instant nostalgia. Join award-winning emerging artist The Velvet Duke in the daring world of CKVD 995 FM — a radio station where the DJ freestyle sings the top 10 songs, without knowing the music ahead of time. Every show, submit your made up song titles for a chance to win real swag. You won’t be asked to sing along, but you might anyway!

All Request Radio submission line is available 24/7
Share your favourite made up song today!
bit.ly/arrtopten

(CKVD 995 FM is a made up radio station but not an AI-generated one)
A black-background image explainer for the show "All Request Radio" The "All Request Radio" logo -- a microphone, with brown eyes, wearing red headphones -- the show title "All Request Radio" with All/Radio outlined in white with black fill, and Request in white fill Five polaroid-style images (1, 2 slightly askew on top, 3-5 in a row on the bottom) 1. Velvet, a fat Black person of a certain age, passionately sings into the microphone, eyes closed. "Freestyle singing YOUR made up song titles" 2. Velvet looks off to the left side, left hand in an expressive fist. "Hearing the music at the same time you do!" 3. Velvet expansively extends their left hand out to the side while speaking to the audience. "Entertainer in the truest sense" apt613 4. Velvet looks up to the sky while singing. "Light-hearted" The Fulcrum 5. Velvet speaks to the audience through a microphone. Photos: Melody Maloney Photography At the bottom of the image are the words "Playing Your Favourite Made Up songs"

In Person: Ottawa Fringe Festival (June 15-25, 2023)

In the full show, additional segments are added to the countdown, giving you the full radio experience, including the occasional on-the-spot giveaway contest

Join “All Request Radio” on location at Arts Court (Atelier room) during the Ottawa Fringe Festival. Stay Tuned for Details

Sampler: Highwire Improv (Season 10)

When performed as a guest spot on another show, DJ Velvet Painting (The Velvet Duke, they/them) shares a few songs from the Top 10 countdown

Catch a live countdown sampler online on April 11 (7pm ET) at Highwire Improv (YouTube)

“All Request Radio is a light-hearted musical”

Grace Kim-Shin, The Fulcrum

The History of “All Request Radio”

BETA: Fresh Meat Festival (2022)

A beta version of “All Request Radio” debuted at Fresh Meat Festival (October 2022). The show included a projection of the automated Top 10 countdown and randomly shuffled soundtrack; a few dance moves made their debut too!

Fresh Meat Festival video by Al Connors (full 19m38 available depending on need). Photos by Melody Maloney Photo; graphics by Velvet Wells excepting the festival poster

Media Promo: CKCU FM – MIDWEEK approximately 50 minutes into the program

Alpha: LuminaTO Festival (2022)

An early iteration of ALL REQUEST RADIO (Velvet Duke Productions) joined LuminaTO Festival for its Late Night Cabaret (June 12, 2022). The audience made up song titles and Velvet performed them; Velvet also premiered “Community Care is Peace for Me” from “(Re)Tired Magical Black Man”

Nascent: Online Projects – Crooner, All Request Radio, Crushin It

Born out of the desire to continue performing through the pandemic, Velvet experimented with digital shows. Crooner was a solo project — an album centered around a theme and song titles aligning to it. All Request Radio and Crushin It were east coast and west coast ensemble versions of the show, streaming through Highwire Improv (Youtube) and Pack Theater (Twitch), featuring a rotating cast of all-Black performers

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