Chris Campbell

The Progressive Underground with Chris Campbell, WDET's electronic music show, will host its "The Next 100" celebration from 7 p.m. to midnight Sunday, Dec. 7, at Cliff Bells, 2030 Park Avenue in Detroit. The event is the culmination of a weeklong celebration of the show's 100th broadcast episode.

"A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to prepare and produce a show for broadcast, so we're extremely pleased to see The Progressive Underground reach this special milestone," said WDET Acting Program Director Joan Cherry-Isabella. "During its tenure on the radio, it has developed a very devoted following of electronic music lovers."  

Since its debut in the summer of 2012, The Progressive Underground has forged a reputation as a show that curates niche music genres such as deep house, future soul, nu-jazz, down-tempo, b-sides and rare grooves. It has also spotlighted many established and emerging acts as disc jockey/host Chris Campbell has interviewed artists such as The Foreign Exchange, Dionne Farris, Ursula Rucker, Juan Atkins, Mr. Fingers, Vanessa Daou, Navasha Daya, Kim Hill and a host of others.  

"One of WDET's primary objectives is to give our audience something surprising and unique each time they listen," said WDET General Manager Michelle Srbinovich. "And The Progressive Underground has helped to make Sunday evenings an unforgettable night of music dedicated to rhythm and blues, electronic music, and DJ/dance music culture. It's not only a truly unique listening experience for listeners in Detroit, but also around the world. Chris' show is reaching a global audience online each week and is the backbone of ALPHA, WDET's all-music stream."

"The Next 100" will feature performances from international recording artist Amp Fiddler, super-producer/multi-instrumentalist Brandon Williams (whose band will serve as the house band for the night), sounds by popular spin doctor/turntablist Bruce Bailey and a fashion showcase by Detroit native, now Los Angeles-based designer Fotoula Lambros (of Lambros Design). There will also be on-site painting by visual artist Alphonso Cox.  

"'The Next 100' is intended to celebrate our reaching 100 episodes, but this is very much an evening dedicated to our listeners," added Campbell. "They have supported this show from the very beginning and have given us the motivation to keep building on to what we do. WDET has the best fans, hands-down. They are open to new musical ideas and constantly push us [music hosts] to present the best musical experiences on the airwaves. I'm so thankful that the station supported presenting a celebration that is a fitting musical 'thank-you' to fans of the show."

While being a local show, The Progressive Underground has connected with a global audience on SoundCloud, regularly attracting listeners in countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Japan, Kazikstan, Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Australia, and etc.  

The show allows listeners to explore the world of electronic music through exotically crafted playlists, thematic mixes and exclusive interviews and fits in with the station's diverse weekend music roster that also includes Ann Delisi's Essential Music, Rob Reinhardt's Essential Music, This Island Earth with Ishmael Ahmed, Destination Jazz with Ed Love, Nick Austin's New Soul Sundays, and Jay's Place with Jay Butler.

The Progressive Underground airs weekly every Sunday from 8 to11 p.m. EST on WDET 101.9 FM and wdet.org. Encore broadcasts also air Monday through Friday from 1 to 4 a.m. (simulcast from WDET's 24/7 Alpha music channel) and again on Saturday from 3 to6 a.m.

Admission to "The Next 100" celebration is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP by going to the Facebook event page for The Progressive Underground "The Next 100" celebration and clicking "join." Food and drink options are available for purchase from the Cliff Bells menu. 

For more information, visit wdet.org or log on to Facebook, search for and select The Progressive Underground with Chris Campbell show page.  

Chris Campbell (aka DJ Cambeaux) is the host/producer of The Progressive Underground. He is a writer/music journalist and tastemaker who has interviewed numerous entertainers for national publications such as Upscale, African American Family, Smooth Jazz News, Soul Interviews and Examiner. His books The Essential Neo Soul and The Essential Neo Soul 2.0 chronicled the rise of the burgeoning progressive soul music movement. 

WDET is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to Wayne State University, and has been owned and operated since 1952 to serve in the public interest. From its on-campus location in Midtown Detroit, WDET creates a mix of news and music programming that is unique as the city and region it serves. 

The station is also a member of the National Public Radio (NPR) network and broadcasts content from other outlets including American Public Media, Public Radio Exchange, and New York's WNYC.  Visit wdet.org to stay updated on station programming, community initiatives and events.