WLUM-FM (102.1
MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...
) is a commercial
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
. The station airs an
Alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
music format branded as "FM 102/1". Its studios are located in
Menomonee Falls
Menomonee Falls is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, and is part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population was 35,626 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous village in Wisconsin. It is the fourth largest communi ...
and the transmitter site is in Milwaukee's North Side at Lincoln Park.
The station is owned by the estate of former
Green Bay Packer
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the thi ...
Willie Davis and his company, All-Pro Broadcasting. All-Pro has owned the station since 1979. WLUM is run as a partnership with co-owned
WZTI
WZTI (1290 AM) is a radio station in Greenfield, Wisconsin serving Milwaukee that currently airs an oldies format. The station is owned by the Milwaukee Radio Alliance, a partnership between Times-Shamrock Communications and All-Pro Broadcast ...
and Shamrock Broadcasting's
WLDB
WLDB (93.3 FM "B93.3 FM") is a commercial radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is owned and operated by the Milwaukee Radio Alliance, a partnership between Shamrock Communications and All Pro Broadcasting. WLDB airs an adult contemporary ...
as a group called the Milwaukee Radio Alliance.
History
Showtunes (1960-1964)
WMKE (102.1 FM) launched in September 1960, broadcasting from studios located on North Avenue in Milwaukee with a format consisting primarily of
Broadway show tunes. The owners boasted that they were the nation's first "all-tape radio station", meaning that all programming would originate from
reel-to-reel tape
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording, also called open-reel recording, is magnetic tape audio recording in which the recording tape is spooled between reels. To prepare for use, the ''supply reel'' (or ''feed reel'') containing the tape is plac ...
or other tape formats, rather than
phonograph records
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog signal, analog sound Recording medium, storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove ...
, as they believed tape delivered higher quality.
Gospel/R&B (1964-1979)
The station was later sold and became WAWA-FM in 1964. The new format featured black
gospel music
Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...
and also simulcast the
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
format of the then-sister station
WAWA (1590 AM) throughout the 1960s and most of the 1970s.
Disco (1979-1982)
Former
Packer legend
Willie Davis purchased and split the programming of the two stations on February 14, 1979, switching WAWA-FM to WLUM (short for We Love YoU Milwaukee!), and giving 102.1 FM its own distinct format focusing on
disco music
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric piano ...
. At the time that WAWA-FM became WLUM, they also became the second station in Milwaukee to adopt the Disco format, as
WNUW had already beat them to it in October 1978, even though their success would be short lived by August 1979.
The daytime-only 1590 AM, still WAWA, later picked up the WLUM call letters. The AM station was long hampered by a weak signal, and when All Pro Broadcasting purchased stronger station WMVP (1290 AM), the format and programming moved there. As a result, 1590 AM went dark in 1988, and its broadcast license turned in to the
FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdictio ...
.
Rhythmic (1982-1991)
WLUM has gone through many changes and tweaks over the years since its debut in 1979. In all incarnations since, they have carried the WLUM
call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...
. In the beginning, WLUM played
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
and
Soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
hits, though a different format than its AM sister station. In 1982, the station began adding more
Urban
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
music, and by the summer of 1983, the station's format morphed into a
Rhythmic Contemporary Hits presentation with the brandings "WLUM FM 102", "WLUM 102 Milwaukee's Hot FM", "Club 102 WLUM", "Power 102 WLUM", "WLUM 102 FM", and then following later as "Hot 102 WLUM" as they aired a mix of dance music (including Freestyle, House and Club Imports) and
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
hits (including Rock and Modern/Alternative tracks). By 1989, WLUM was featuring shows like "
Casey's Top 40
''Casey's Top 40'' was a syndicated radio music program that was distributed by the Westwood One radio network. The show was a vehicle for former '' American Top 40'' host and co-creator Casey Kasem and ran for over nine years. Like Kasem's prior ...
" and "
American Dance Traxx" as it began to shift further towards a Dance-leaning direction that was loosely patterned after
Power 106
KPWR (105.9 FM) – branded as ''Power 106'' – is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area. KPWR is owned and operated by Meruelo Group and airs a Rhythmic Hot AC format. KPWR's studi ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
under the guidance of veteran Rhythmic program director and future consultant Rick Thomas before moving on to launch
XHITZ
XHITZ-FM (Z90.3) is an English-language Contemporary Hit Radio, Top 40 (CHR) radio station in San Diego-Tijuana, broadcasting at 90.3 Hertz, MHz. The station is owned by Comunicación XERSA, S.A. de C.V., a Mexico, Mexican broadcast company. 49 p ...
/
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
's Rhythmic format in April 1990. It was also during this period that
Bubba the Love Sponge
Bubba the Love Sponge Clem (born Todd Alan Clem, April 23, 1966) is an American radio personality who hosts ''The Bubba the Love Sponge Show'' on the radio station WWBA in Tampa, Florida, and the subscription service Bubba Army Radio. He can al ...
briefly did an airshift at Hot 102.
Top 40 (1991-1994)
By late 1991, WLUM evolved into a straightforward
CHR presentation. More
hip-hop was added to the playlist by the following year, to better compete with upstart rival
V100.7 for the urban audience. By late 1993, it began shifting back to a Dance-leaning direction, billing themselves as "Hot 102 WLUM, Milwaukee's Party Station". This lasted until the Summer of 1994, when it shifted back to mainstream Top 40.
Alternative (1994-1998)
By 1994, WLUM began tweaking their on-air presentation. Hip-hop was slowly being phased out and more
modern rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
Radio format
Mod ...
was added to the playlist, due to Davis' desire to distance his station from the violent image of most rap and hip-hop music, after finding out that the station had begun to carry a nightly hour of uncensored music after the FCC's "
safe harbor" regulations were not in effect (a record homicide count in Milwaukee and several area violent crimes also played into the re-shift). This began to occur in earnest on December 1, 1993, when
Wauwatosa West High School
Wauwatosa West High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in the city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, United States. West opened in 1960/1961 as a sister-school to Wauwatosa East High School; together they are part of the Wauwa ...
assistant principal Dale Breitlow was murdered by a former student, and the station immediately pulled
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...
's "
Dre Day
"Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')", or as a single titled "Dre Day", is a song by American rapper and record producer Dr. Dre featuring fellow American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg, released in May 1993 as the second single from Dre's ...
" and
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred t ...
's "
Real Compton City G's" in reaction, dropping their usual music and allowing those affected to call-in about how the shooting affected them. The modern rock music was well received by listeners, and in October of that year, the station adopted modern rock full-time, as "New Rock 102ONE".
Adult alternative (1998-1999)
Over the years, the format underwent much tweaking. After adding more
classic rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
tracks to the playlist, the station began a brief run with an
adult album alternative
Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...
format on June 23, 1998, at 5:00 PM. After stunting with elevator music, a voice broke said, "Thank you for holding. This concludes our broadcast day." This was followed by
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
's version of
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...
to launch the new format. Artists played during this era included
Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
,
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
,
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and its lead ...
,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
,
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...
, and
The Doors
The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...
.
Active rock (1999-2002)
The move was unsuccessful, so in December, WLUM switched to
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
with the
syndicated Mancow Muller
Matthew Erich "Mancow" Muller (born June 21, 1966) is an American radio and television personality, actor, and former child model. Considered a shock jock, his career has been well known for controversy and clashes with the Federal Communicati ...
in the morning. They initially avoided much of the then-popular
nu metal
Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...
music that WLZR played, but added a great deal to the playlist by 2001. Nonetheless, they were consistently a distant second to market leader
WLZR.
As a straight-ahead rock station, WLUM experienced some of its lowest ratings levels ever, with the bottom coming after the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
, which caused many rock stations to shift quickly from hard rock tracks inappropriate for play in the aftermath and change away from aggressive formats.
Alternative (2002-present)
In March 2002, WLUM began making more changes. Mancow's morning show was dropped, along with most of the hard rock music on the playlist, and modern rock music returned to the playlist. By September, the station was once again a full-time reporter to alternative rock airplay charts for radio industry trade magazines. The station still experienced low ratings, as it worked to shake its male-oriented hard rock image. The station made heavy use of consultants who crafted a rather tight playlist. In March 2003, the
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
-based ''
Bob and Tom
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
*Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
* Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname ...
'' was added in the morning drive to compete against ''Bob & Brian'' up the dial on WLZR, but its older target audience proved wildly incompatible for the rest of WLUM's younger-skewing broadcast day.
The ''Bob and Tom'' agreement ran out in 2005, and a locally oriented morning show, "Kramp and Adler", debuted on St. Patrick's Day. This was a sign of more changes to come. On July 10, 2006, WLUM began
stunting as "Quick 102" and started playing five-second song clips back-to-back. At the same time, via on-air promos, they poked fun at themselves and their many failed on-air tweaks and changes over the years. At 5:00 PM the next day, the modern rock format was relaunched with a new programming and on-air staff in place. The station admitted past mistakes, then announced their "independence", stating they were now free from corporate practices and radio consultants and pledged a stronger dedication to their listeners and the local community. As part of the new direction, Program Director Jacent Jackson rolled out a modified
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
format with a more diverse playlist, featuring, among other things, more
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
. The first song after the relaunch was "
Guerrilla Radio
"Guerrilla Radio" is a song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine and the lead single from their 1999 album ''The Battle of Los Angeles''. It became the band's only Billboard Hot 100 song, charting at #69. The band won the Grammy Award ...
" by
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...
. Jackson also added new DJs to the airstaff such as Michelle Rutkowski from
WKQX
WKQX (101.1 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial Radio broadcasting, radio station licensed to Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, featuring an alternative rock format known as "Q101". Owned by Cumulus Media, the station serves the Chicago metropolit ...
in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, and changed the name of the station to "FM 102.1" with the slogan, 'Independent. Alternative. Radio.' The station also removed their last remaining
syndicated show,
Loveline
''Loveline'' is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its host through most of its run was Dr. Drew Pins ...
, vowing to be 100% local in their on-air presentation.
Later, the station sponsored a contest to name a new alternative rock festival on the
Summerfest
Summerfest is an annual music festival held in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. First held in 1968, Summerfest is located at Henry Maier Festival Park, adjacent to Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's central business district. Summerfest attracts app ...
grounds that took place in June 2010. It became known as the "Verge Music Festival". During this time, the station also adjusted their positioning statement from 'Independent. Alternative. Radio' to 'Sounds Different.'
In 2014, Program Director Jacent Jackson departed to program
KITS Kits may refer to:
* Kitsilano, a neighbourhood of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
*Kits, an American taffy candy made by Gilliam Candy Company
*KITS, a San Francisco, California radio station
*Kottayam Institute of Technology & Sci ...
in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
and Michelle Rutkowski took over the PD reigns. Current specialty shows consist of "FM 102/1 Retro Brunch" - three hours of Classic Alternative titles Sunday mornings from 7-10 am, "Indie Soundcheck" (Sunday nights 8-11 pm) with Ryan Miller, "Neighborhood Watch" - an hour of local Milwaukee music hosted by Ian McCain Sunday nights at 11 pm. The current full-time line-up includes Adler (6-10 am), Michelle Rutkowski (10 am-2 pm), Ian McCain (2-7 pm), and Schroeder (7 pm-midnight) with the current part-time line-up consisting of Kelly Katona, Ryan Miller, and Schroeder.
Big Snow Shows
As a part of the re-branding in 2006, FM 102/1 has held an annual Big Snow Show — the first including
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mi ...
,
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcor ...
and
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is an American rock band that was formed in Middleburg, Florida, in 2003. The band has released five studio albums to date. The current members are Ronnie Winter (lead vocals), Joey Westwood (bass), Josh Burke (lead g ...
at the
Riverside Theater (Milwaukee)
Riverside Theater is a concert hall located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The venue seats 2,450 people and hosts many different recording artists and shows. It is leased by the Pabst Theater Foundation.
History
The building, which opened in 1928, was ...
on Wednesday, December 13, 2006. 2007's BSS was held in the same location on Sunday, December 16 with
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria are an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. The band consists of Claudio Sanchez (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Travis Stever (guitars, vocals), Josh Eppard (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), an ...
,
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They h ...
,
Shiny Toy Guns
Shiny Toy Guns is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2002. The band is composed of guitarist/vocalist Chad Petree, vocalist Carah Faye Charnow, keyboardist Jeremy Dawson, and drummer Mikey Martin.
Their first studio ...
and
The Starting Line
The Starting Line is an American pop punk band based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that formed in 1999.
History
Early years (1999–2001)
In 1999, the band that would become The Starting Line was initiated in Churchville, Pennsylvania via an e ...
. In 2008, Big Snow Show 3 switched venues to its current home at
The Rave/Eagles Club
The Rave/Eagles Club (commonly known as simply The Rave, formerly known as the Eagles Club and Central Park Athletic Club and Entertainment Center or commonly Central Park Ballroom) is a concert venue and landmark in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Divi ...
with headliners
Death Cab For Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyboar ...
,
Jack's Mannequin
Jack's Mannequin was an American rock band formed in 2004, hailing from Orange County, California. The band originally began as a solo project for Andrew McMahon, the frontman of Something Corporate.
The band was signed to Maverick Records and re ...
and
The Ting Tings
The Ting Tings are an English indie pop duo from Salford, Greater Manchester formed in 2007. The band consists of Katie White (vocals, guitar, bass drums, bass guitar, cowbells) and Jules De Martino (drums, lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards ...
on Tuesday, December 2.
The following FM 102/1 Big Snow Show Lineups:
Big Snow Show 4 — Thursday, December 17, 2009 — Eagles Ballroom —
After Midnight Project
After Midnight Project (commonly abbreviated "AMP") was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. As of 2012, they no longer perform together.
History
After Midnight Project began in 2004 in Los Angeles, California. They are known fo ...
,
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is an American Rock music, rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, formed in 1999 by lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel. The first lineup of the band also included guitarist Aaron Fink an ...
,
Sick Puppies
Sick Puppies is an Australian alternative metal band formed in Sydney, New South Wales in 1997. After releasing their debut album '' Welcome to the Real World'' in 2001, the band rose to prominence in 2006 when their song " All the Same" was u ...
,
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars (commonly stylized as 30 Seconds to Mars) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Leto (drums, pe ...
Big Snow Show 5 — Monday, December 13, 2010 — The Rave —
CAKE
Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...
,
Ok Go
OK Go is an American rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, now based in Los Angeles, California. The band is composed of Damian Kulash (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Nordwind (bass guitar and vocals), Dan Konopka (drums and percussion), and ...
,
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboards, back ...
/ Tuesday, December 14, 2010 — The Rave —
Chevelle,
Finger Eleven
Finger Eleven is a Canadian rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 1990. They have released seven studio albums (six as Finger Eleven and one as Rainbow Butt Monkeys), with their album '' The Greyest of Blue Skies'' bringing them into th ...
Big Snow Show 6 — Thursday, December 15, 2011 — The Rave —
Cage The Elephant
Cage the Elephant is an American rock band formed in 2006 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They moved to England, U.K. and settled in London in 2008, shortly before their self-titled first album was released. The band currently consists of Matt S ...
,
Sleeper Agent
A sleeper agent, also called sleeper cell, is a spy who is placed in a target country or organization not to undertake an immediate mission but to act as a potential asset if activated. Even if unactivated, the "sleeper agent" is still an asset ...
,
The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable is a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 2007 in Mold, Flintshire, and currently based in London, England. The band consists of Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan ( lead vocals, guitar), Rhydian Dafydd ( bass, vocals) and Matthew Jam ...
Big Snow Show 7 — Saturday, December 8, 2012 — The Rave —
Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles that was formed in 2000. The band is composed of Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester.
The band released their debut EP, '' Pikul'', in July ...
, The Joy Formidable,
iamdynamite / (
Family of the Year
Family of the Year is an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. It consists of members Joseph Keefe (vocals/guitar), Sebastian Keefe (drums/vocals), James Buckey (guitar/vocals), and Christina Schroeter (keyboard/vocals). Thei ...
and
Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
performed BSS Cocktail Hour in The Rave basement)
Big Snow Show 8 — Thursday, December 12, 2013 — Eagles Ballroom —
Phoenix (band)
Phoenix is a French pop rock band from Versailles, formed in 1995. Their lineup, which has remained unchanged since their formation, comprises Thomas Mars (lead vocals), Deck d'Arcy (bass/keyboards/backing vocals), Christian Mazzalai (guitar/ba ...
,
alt-j
Alt-J (stylised as alt-J, real name Δ) are an English indie rock band formed in 2007 in Leeds. Their lineup includes Joe Newman (guitar/lead vocals), Thom Sonny Green (drums), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards/vocals), and formerly Gwilym Sainsbur ...
,
Grouplove
Grouplove (often typeset as GROUPLOVE) is an American alternative rock band that was formed in 2009 by Hannah Hooper (lead vocals, keyboards), Christian Zucconi (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Sean Gadd (bass), Andrew Wessen (lead guitar, backing vo ...
,
Bastille
The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was sto ...
/ Friday, December 13, 2013 — Eagles Ballroom —
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, back ...
,
Foals,
NONONO
NoNoNo (stylised as NONONO) is a Swedish indie rock band formed in 2012. Their debut single, "Pumpin Blood", has charted in Europe and the US, peaking at number 22 on the '' Billboard'' Alternative Songs chart and at number 32 on the Pop Songs ...
Big Snow Show 9 — Tuesday, December 2, 2014 — Eagles Ballroom — Cage The Elephant,
Fitz and the Tantrums
Fitz and the Tantrums are an American indie pop and neo soul band from Los Angeles, California, that formed in 2008. The band consists of Michael Fitzpatrick (lead vocals), Noelle Scaggs (co-lead vocals and percussion), James King (saxophone, ...
,
Meg Myers
Janice Sue Meghan Myers (born October 6, 1986), known professionally as Meg Myers, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Originally from Tennessee, Myers moved to Los Angeles to pursue music and met Doctor Rosen Rosen, who signed her t ...
, alt-j,
Vance Joy / Tuesday, December 16, 2014 — Eagles Ballroom —
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
,
WALK THE MOON
Walk the Moon (stylized as WALK THE MOON) is an American Rock music, rock band based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lead singer Nicholas Petricca started the band in 2006, while a student at Kenyon College, deriving the band's name from the song "Walki ...
,
Vinyl Theatre / The Big Snow Show Hangover show featured
banks (singer)
Jillian Rose Banks (born June 16, 1988), known mononymously as Banks (often stylized in all caps), is an American singer and songwriter. Following the release of two extended plays, ''Fall Over'' and ''London'', in 2013, Banks released her deb ...
and The Living Statues in The Rave on Thursday, December 18, 2014,
Big Snow Show 10 — Thursday, December 10, 2015 — Eagles Ballroom —
Weezer
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing v ...
,
X Amabassadors,
Glass Animals
Glass Animals are an English indie pop band formed in Oxford in 2010. Founded and led by singer, songwriter, and producer Dave Bayley, the group also features his childhood friends Joe Seaward, Ed Irwin-Singer and Drew MacFarlane. Bayley wrote ...
,
BORNS / Friday, December 11, 2015 — Eagles Ballroom —
Of Monsters and Men,
Cold War Kids
Cold War Kids is an American alternative rock band from Long Beach, California. Band members are Nathan Willett (vocals, piano, guitar), Matt Maust (bass guitar), David Quon (guitar, backing vocals), Matthew Schwartz (keyboards, backing vocals, ...
, Meg Myers / Saturday, December 12, 2015 — Eagles Ballroom —
Panic at the Disco
Panic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight reactio ...
,
Atlas Genius
Atlas Genius are an alternative rock band formed in Adelaide, South Australia in November 2009. The band's mainstay members are the Jeffery brothers, Keith on lead vocals and lead guitar; Michael on drums; and Darren Sell on keyboard. Their debu ...
,
Frank Turner
Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981), is an English Punk rock, punk and Folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primar ...
,
JR JR
JR JR (pronounced "junior junior"; originally named Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.) is an American indie-pop band from Detroit, Michigan, consisting of Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein. The band also includes drummer Mike Higgins.
History
Zott and Epst ...
Big Snow Show 11 — Friday, December 2, 2016 — Eagles Ballroom —
The Head and the Heart
The Head and the Heart is an American indie folk band. They were formed in the summer of 2009 by Josiah Johnson (vocals, guitar, percussion) and Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar, percussion). The band also includes Charity Rose Thielen (violin ...
, Jimmy Eat World, Fitz and the Tantrums,
Bishop Briggs
Sarah Grace McLaughlin (born 18 July 1992), known professionally as Bishop Briggs, is a British singer and songwriter. Her single "River" peaked at number three on the US Alternative Chart. It was included on her debut album, '' Church of Sca ...
/ Thursday, December 8, 2016 — Eagles Ballroom — Bastille,
Awolnation,
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness,
Barns Courtney
Barnaby George Courtney (born 17 November 1990) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician.
Early life
Courtney was born in England then moved with his family to Seattle, Washington when he was 4. He returned to the United Kingdom when 1 ...
(
Judah and the Lion
Judah & the Lion are an American Alternative rock and folk music, folk band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed in 2011. Currently the band consists only of Judah Akers (vocals, guitar) and Brian Macdonald (mandolin, vocals).
History
The origina ...
was featured for the BSS Happy Hour in The Rave Bar)
Big Snow Show 12 — Thursday, November 30, 2017 — Eagles Ballroom — WALK THE MOON,
Foster The People
Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. Its members are singer Mark Foster, guitarist Sean Cimino, and keyboardist Isom Innis.
Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending several years in ...
,
AJR
AJR may refer to:
* AJR (motorcycle), Scotland
* AJR (band), a pop band from New York City, United States
*Abdominojugular test, to measure venous pressure
* Academy for Jewish Religion (New York)
* ''American Journal of Roentgenology''
* ''Americ ...
/ Friday, December 1, 2017 — Eagles Ballroom —
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the group, whil ...
,
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the songThe Sharp Hint of New Tears off their debut album, ''The Swiss Army Romance''.
History
Early h ...
,
The Wrecks
The Wrecks are an American pop rock band based in Los Angeles, California. The band is currently made up of Nick Anderson (musician), Nick Anderson, Nick "Schmizz" Schmidt, Aaron Kelley, and Billy Nally. The group's first single "Favorite Liar," ...
/ Saturday, December 2, 2017 — Eagles Ballroom — Phoenix,
Lord Huron
Lord Huron is an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles. The band is composed of Mark Barry (drums, percussion), Miguel Briseño (bass, keyboard, theremin), Tom Renaud (guitar) and its founder, Ben Schneider (guitar, lead singer). Followi ...
, Cold War Kids,
Welshly Arms
Welshly Arms is an American blues rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The band has been active since their debut in 2013 with the EP ''Welcome''. The following year, they released a covers EP and in 2015, an album titled ''Welshly Ar ...
Big Snow Show 13 — Thursday, November 27, 2018 — Eagles Ballroom — Bastille,
Young The Giant
Young the Giant is an American rock band that formed in Irvine, California, in 2004. The band's line-up consists of Sameer Gadhia (lead vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Payam Doostzadeh (bass guitar), and Francois Comtois ...
, Bishop Briggs,
grandson
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
/ Thursday, November 29, 2018 — The Rave —
Elle King
Tanner Elle Schneider (born July 3, 1989), known professionally as Elle King, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Her musical style was influenced by Country music, country, Rock music, rock and blues.
In 2012, King released her d ...
,
Flora Cash
Flora Cash is a Swedish–American musical partnership consisting of Shpresa Lleshaj and Cole Randall. The pair work primarily in music but also collaborate in other fields under that moniker.
History
Lleshaj, an Albanian originally from Koso ...
/ Saturday, December 1, 2018 — Eagles Ballroom — Death Cab For Cutie, Jungle,
Albert Hammond Jr.
Albert Hammond Jr. (''born'' Hammond III; born April 9, 1980) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his role as rhythm and lead guitarist, as well as occasional keyboard player and backing vocalist ...
, Barns Courtney
Big Snow Show 14 — Thursday, December 10, 2019 — Eagles Ballroom — Cage The Elephant,
Angels and Airwaves
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
,
The Federal Empire / Sunday, December 15, 2019 — The Rave —
PVRIS
Pvris (pronounced "Paris" and stylized PVRIS) is an American pop rock act formed by multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer Lyndsey Gunnulfsen. Over her decade-long career, Gunnulfsen has released three studio LPs: ''White Nois ...
,
Misterwives,
SHAED
Shaed (stylized SHAED, pronounced "shade") is an American indie pop trio based in Washington, D.C. The group consists of lead vocalist Chelsea Lee and multi-instrumentalists Max and Spencer Ernst. They released their breakthrough single "Trampolin ...
Slogans and Timeline
*1960-1964:
Adult standards,
Showtunes
A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film, especially if the piece in question has become a standard, more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context.
...
(as WMKE)
*1964-1979:
Rhythm and Blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
,
Gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
,
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
(as WAWA-FM)
*1979-1982: "WLUM Stereo 102, The Station With A Heart" (
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
/
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
/
Soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
)
*1982-1983: "LOVE 102 WLUM Stereo" (
Urban Contemporary
Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...
)
*1983-1989: "WLUM Power 102 FM, Milwaukee's Hot FM" (
CHUrban)
*1989-1992: "More Music, Better Variety, WLUM 102 FM" (
CHUrban)
*1992-1993: "The All New Hot 102 WLUM" (
CHR)
*1993-1994: "Hot 102 WLUM" (
CHUrban)
*Mid-1994: "Hot 102 WLUM, Milwaukee's Party Station" (
CHR)
*September 1994-June 1998: "New Rock 102ONE" (
Modern Rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
Radio format
Mod ...
)
*June 1998-December 1998: "102ONE WLUM" ("Great Rock, Real Variety") (
Adult Album Alternative
Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...
)
*December 1998 - August 2001: "ROCK 102ONE" (
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an FM radio format created in the United States in the 1970s that focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is currently associated with classic rock.
Album-oriente ...
)
*August 2001 - June 2002: "ROCK 102ONE" (
Active Rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock stations play a balance of new hard rock songs with valued classic rock favorites, normally with an emphasis on the harder edge o ...
)
*June 2002 to April 2005: "ROCK 102ONE" ("Milwaukee's Rock Alternative") (
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
)
*April 2005 - July 10, 2006: "102ONE" ("Milwaukee's Alternative Station") (
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
)
*July 11, 2006 - 2010: "FM 102.1" ("Independent. Alternative. Radio.") (
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
)
*2010–present: "FM 102/1 Sounds Different." (
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
)
References
External links
Official WebsiteHot 102 OnlineFormer program director Tommy Wilde's website*
{{coord, 43.112, N, 87.931, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title
LUM-FM
Modern rock radio stations in the United States
Radio stations established in 1940
1940 establishments in Wisconsin
African-American history of Milwaukee