Our first interview of day three in Dallas gave me another chance to meet a member of one of KTXT’s favorite regional bands! I sat down with Mike Graff of Course of Empire (and currently in Halls of the Machine) and we had a wonderful conversation about his time in college radio at KSMU in Dallas, as well as his experiences in Course of Empire.
Course of Empire was formed in 1988 in Dallas, TX and was one of the most popular post-punk, post-industrial bands to come out of the music scene there. The name “Course of Empire” comes from a series of paintings by Thomas Cole depicting the growth and fall of an imaginary city. The bands lyrics were similarly thoughtful, with lyrics that took on environmental issues, conspiracy theories and the effect of humanity on the planet.
The stage shows were intense, with a two-drummer setup that laid the foundation for the band’s propulsive music. Early on, the band would even distribute drums among the crowd to achieve a group experience unlike any other. As the band gained popularity, they found there was no room in the audience for the drums (which often became missiles anyway).
Our conversation touched on Mike’s time as a DJ, recalling the pride he felt in introducing music like Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” to an audience which might never have heard it otherwise. Likewise, he spoke about the effect college radio airplay had on Course of Empire’s success, acknowledging that they may not have found success beyond the borders of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area without the support of college stations across the country. Before wrapping things up, Mike graced us with a quick riff on his beautiful guitar.