This spring, the Radio Boise community lost a true friend in Matt Hicks.

Matt was a fellow music devotee, patron saint of the arts, and a steadying presence at the most crucial moments. Matt leaves behind not only a life of spirit and generosity his close friends and family can fully attest to, but he left a mark on the arts community that affected all of us very deeply.

Matt served as vice chair on the board and on the internal affairs, external fairs, and executive committees at Radio Boise. He was eager to help with legal matters and held no quarter when it came time to delve into complex lease negotiations. He did this all for free and without any regard for receiving fanfare for it. Most of all, Matt’s enthusiasm for our little corner of the music underground was profound. All it took was a stack of big amps with a loud band and a little distortion on the pedal. Those sonic currents, from our Radioland stages at Treefort to pre functions before Radio Boise Tuesdays, summoned him, and suddenly he was standing right next to us with an ecstatic smile on his face.

Our deepest condolences go out to Matt’s family and friends.

Here at KRBX we have been lucky to know the best of our community members. Folks who give without thought, folks who believe in a thing larger than themselves. Even among this who’s who, Matt stood out. We can only express sadness he is no longer with us, and gratitude for the enormous legacy he’s left behind. We imagine a higher plane somewhere, a turntable with a scratchy record on it, still churning out the sounds of Hüsker Dü’s Zen Arcade, and a timeless, wiry 18-year-old moshing without ever getting tired.

You will be missed, Matt