From KEXP and Caffe Vita

Seattle-based non-profit radio station KEXP has long championed the power of live music. Caffe Vita has spent the last 25 years keeping Seattle’s coffee and music lovers caffeinated. Now KEXP & Vita are collaborating on the very first KEXP coffee blend, with $2 from each bag donated to Keep Music Live with all donations matched by Caffe Vita.

The coffee collaboration will be officially launched tomorrow, Thursday February 18th, when KEXP will also be taking to the airwaves with a full day of radio programming dedicated to stories about why live music matters in the latest edition of their Music Heals series, Live Music Heals. 

For the past month, KEXP has been collecting stories from listeners and friends about the ways live music has helped them find connection, process difficulties, and enjoy music more deeply. For Live Music Heals, KEXP will share those stories, along with more that come in throughout the day, playing requests and live tracks, and highlighting the impact that COVID has had on live music venues and the role music lovers can play in keeping them in good shape to return when it’s safe. Listeners can tune in on Thursday Feb 18^th from 7AM to 7PM Pacific at 90.3 FM in Seattle, online at KEXP.ORG and on the KEXP apps. The programming will be available for listening on-demand in the station’s streaming archive for two weeks following the broadcast.

Beginning as a student and volunteer-run 10-watt radio station in 1972, KEXP has grown over the years into an innovative, influential cultural force in the Pacific Northwest community and beyond. Caffe Vita has also been an influential force in Seattle music for a generation, serving as a home base and caffeinating artists around Seattle and at music festivals throughout the Northwest.

The KEXP/Caffe Vita coffee collaboration is aimed at helping to keep independent stages alive, with $2 from every bag of the new coffee blend donated to Keep Music Live, a COVID-19 relief fundraising campaign established by music lovers to support small, independently-owned venues across Washington State. Keep Music Live is raising money to assist venues at greatest risk of permanent closure.

The coffee label was designed by local artist Karl Maxx, inspired by iconic Seattle band posters from groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. The photo on the label was taken by local artist and DJ Rudy Willingham, who features cutouts around Seattle backdrops and landmarks in his artwork.

The post-roast blend of farm-direct Guatemalan and Brazilian coffees was born of a collaboration between Caffe Vita’s Head Roaster, Wade McIntire, and US Barista Champion Sam Spillman. This coffee is fruity and full-bodied with flavors of black cherry, candied orange, and maple syrup, and is roasted in Seattle. 

Details – Live Music Heals:

When: Thursday, February 18th, 7AM-7PM, available for two weeks following the broadcast

Where: KEXP 90.3 FM Seattle, KEXP.ORG, KEXP apps, and major streaming radio platforms

Follow: @kexp on Twitter and Instagram

More: https://www.kexp.org/musicheals

Details – Caffe Vita + KEXP Coffee benefiting Keep Music Live

Available now at all Caffe Vita and Fiore cafes, with more locations to follow. More information at https://www.caffevita.com/products/kexp-blend

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