DJ Kevin Cole

Radioheart: The Drive & Times of DJ Kevin Cole

A film by Peter Hilgendorf and Andrew Franks

Kevin hosting Reykjavík Calling, Neumos, Seattle, 2011

I caught this film at the MSPIFF 45 last night.

Kevin was a DJ at First Avenue in the 80s (he was Prince’s party DJ!) and he was the founder of REV105, a groundbreaking Twin City radio station in the 90s (that my kids adored.) REV105 was ultimately bought out by corporate interests but, rather than giving up, Kevin moved on, eventually to Seattle where he worked with the fledgling Amazon (Andy Jassy is interviewed) and eventually becoming program director for KEXP, the premiere radio station/internet presence in the world. Almost every modern band of note has performed in their video studios, often with Kevin as the host. I had met and talked with him in Seattle in 2011 and then again in Reykjavík in 2018 and 2023 during Iceland Airwaves:

Kevin at Kex Hostel, Reykjavík, 2018

He was always gracious, curious and really involved with the Icelandic music scene. Since we shared musical interests I ended up running into him numerous times at Iceland Airwaves in 2023—we compared notes on who to see. One of the acts, Brimheim, was featured in the film.

Kevin and young fans, Smekkleysa, Reykjavík, 2023 

We had also talked about substance abuse, how it could be a problem in the industry, how he dealt with it, and how important it was to continue to seek help. This subject was also brought up in the movie, along with his efforts to bring mental health issues to a wider audience in his Music Heals programs.

Afterwards there was a Q&A hosted by Shawn Stewart with Kevin, the directors and editor. The crowd loved all of it, and they loved Kevin most of all.