In time, the station adopted new slogans reflecting the callsign: "We're your Modern Music Station" and "your Music Marathon Station. [131][132], In September 2007, WMMS management chose to "de-emphasize" both The Buzzard and WMMS call letters, referring to the station as simply "100.7", save for the FCC-mandated legal ID at the top of every hour. The WMMS broadcast features numerous highlights, including the hit "Runaway.". It's most famous for heavily plugging the MC5, The Velvets and The Dolls on one hand and science-art groups like Soft Machine and King Crimson on the other. The contest titled the White Trash Wedding prize included everything needed to make a wedding day special limo, wedding dress, tuxedo rental, flowers, cake and the ceremony which took place at Mickeys Diamond Mens Club in the Flats. Based on considerably high record sales in the Cleveland market, Bowie (in his Ziggy Stardust persona alongside The Spiders from Mars) kicked off his first U.S. tour in "The Rock Capital" (a term coined by Bass). [31] In 1981, Radio & Records identified "the malevolent feathered figure" as "the best-known station symbol in the country. Workhouse Arts Center: Mount Vernon Nights. Len "Boom" Goldberg's unmistakable voice was heard for three decades on 100.7 WMMS. In 1966, in an effort to make the medium more commercially viable, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated that FM stations could no longer duplicate the programming of their AM sister stations. [38][39] Considered "a true radio legend," WMMS DJ Kid Leo was chosen for Rolling Stone's "Heavy Hundred: The High and Mighty of the Music Industry" (1980) and named "The Best Disc Jockey in the Country" in a special 1987 issue of Playboy. BuzzardFest 2000 took Place on June 30, 2000 at Nautica on the Flats West Bank. [88] Management ordered a change to the Buzzard by giving it a flat-top and mullet. [161][162] The House of Hair with Dee Snider also airs on Sunday evenings. R.E.M. Following the prank announcement, station management placed Maxwell on probation for 90 days. Some 2,000 people showed up to see AC/DC, then a hard-rock act still on the rise. [28][29][30] Owned by iHeartMedia, and broadcasting a mix of active rock and hot talk, WMMS is currently the flagship station for Rover's Morning Glory, the FM flagship for the Cavaliers AudioVerse and Cleveland Guardians Radio Network, the Cleveland affiliate for The House of Hair with Dee Snider and the home of radio personality Alan Cox. [56], MetroMedia found major success with progressive rock at KMET Los Angeles, KSAN San Francisco, WMMR Philadelphia and WNEW-FM New York, but a lack of commitment from MetroMedia led the company to drop the format at WMMS by May 1969. It was supposed to be a colorful logo including all the rainbow colors - but at the time, the station didn't have the budget to do multiple colors so they kept it one color. His music comes from his experiences around the North Coast.Albums include Sweetwater Pete and Live at Kent State. But her Agora set was modest, featuring just seven songs. The Buzzard became synonymous with WMMS, Cleveland radio and the city itself, spawning a series of T-shirts so numerous that they are now impossible to catalog, many with slogans like "Where Music Means Something" and "Ruler of the Airwaves.". [62] The WMMS-sponsored concert was a "phenomenal success"[58][63] and prompted the station to sponsor a second show that year. WMMS Art Director, Brian Chalmers was approached by Dreamworks to provide artwork and logos for their movie Almost Famous which came out in 2000. Brian and Joe were moved to afternoons in February 1997 after a change in ownership, with shock jock Liz Wilde (Anne Whittemore) from WPLL/Miami taking their place; her firing less than a year later sparked a successful lawsuit against both the station and then-owner Nationwide Communications. ", WMMS-FM---FREEMAN,-Bill-'BLF-Bash'--(Date-Unknown). A haunting solo-piano rendering of this now classic Zevon song, regular listeners to the weekly shows must have realised soon-on that something unusual was happening in the studio on this particular morning. It was the first time Stone Temple Pilots performed in Cleveland in six years. In November 1972, WMMS was sold to Malrite Communications, a Michigan-based firm that relocated to Cleveland upon purchase. Not only did it feature a up-and-coming band called Foo Fighters as the opening act, but Seattle band Hovercraft was also on the bill. 4, their fourth album, which had been released the previous year, but dug deep into their back catalog for a crowd-pleasing set that featured all of the hits and a hefty selection of deeper tracks that were also fan favorites. 22 tracks (57:53). Rover regularly takes calls throughout the show, and often interviews guests in studio and over the phone. Matt remains one of the most popular air personalities from WMMS' fifty year history. Yes, the station had lost its way for a bit, but MMS was the standard. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you plan on going to the Agora in the near future, you'll notice a few eye-popping changes. Under Malrite ownership, WMMS would become an album-oriented rock (AOR) powerhouse, much in the same vein as its former MetroMedia progressive rock siblings. Springsteen's music had become an important cornerstone of the Buzzard playlist and his profile had risen nationally, thanks to the release of the Born to Run album, with the title track quickly becoming an 'MMS staple that would endure for decades. There's proof! There were rumors Prince would show up to see Sheila E. for her Agora performance. [87] Unable to service its growing debt, Malrite chose to leave radio and sold off all its remaining properties in 1993:[37] WMMS went to Shamrock Broadcasting, the Roy Disney broadcasting firm. Win tickets to see Brit Floyd at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. WMMS did remote interviews at KSU all morning which included an interview from 1972 presidential candidate, Senator George McGovern, KSU student and gunshot survivor, Dean Kahler, other May 4th wounded who survived, Governor Dick Celeste, current students and others. Thu . . Rolling Stone Magazine conducted a yearly Readers Poll to which WMMS won Best Radio Station of the Year nine years in a row from 1979 to 1987. Springsteen and the band hit the stage full throttle, opening appropriately with a cover of "Summertime Blues," with Springsteen promising, "I'm a gonna raise a fuss/ I'm a gonna raise a holler.". Additionally, Rover was the Midwest replacement for Howard Stern under CBS's Free FM branding concept following Stern's move to Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006, originating from Chicago's WCKG. . The band's set included two songs from its debut EP, including "Wolves, Lower" and "Gardening at Night.". WMMS does not air additional network programming, and the station only airs select games during spring training. He came to the Agora armed with a new album, Darkness on the Edge of Town. The Clash played just nine shows during its first trip to North America in 1979. Police arrested Williams after the show, causing legal troubles for the band and the venue. He is part of the permanent radio exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. U2's arrival at the Agora came smack dab in the middle of the band releasing its first two albums -- "Boy" and "October." [33] Regarding the change, WMMS program director Bo Matthews (Alex Gutierrez) said, " nobody's killing anything Chief Wahoo is not on every piece of Indians promotional material Ronald McDonald is not in every McDonald's commercial We're not losing the letters. As a kid he was part of a sophisticated bootleg radio station in his neighborhooduntil the FCC shut it down. typify the show's irreverent style. Sat 03 Jun 2023 Jiffy Lube Live Bristow, VA, US. Hes heard introducing Bruce Springsteens fabled WMMS tenth anniversary show at the Cleveland Agora which is thought to have been the most bootlegged radio concert ever before its official release. [39][40] Noted filmmakers, including Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous) and Paul Schrader (Light of Day), have called on both TheBuzzard and its personnel while preparing for various rock-themed productions. Signing on in 1946 as the FM adjunct to WHK, the WMMS call letters were affixed in 1968 under Metromedia ownership, having stood for "MetroMedia Stereo" and meant as a compliment to the newly established progressive rock format, but have since taken on a variety of other meanings. [112] WMMS scheduled a second Green Day performance just two months later this time at Blossom Music Center and at a near-record-low cost of $5 per ticket, the station gave fans a "second chance" to see the band live. Born in Belgium, but raised in Cleveland and Maple Heights, Matt the Cat Lapczynski was a radio fan from an early age. The band would return that December with its star on the rise. Tom Waits WMMS Cleveland Coffee Break Concert 12-03-75 5,244 views Feb 8, 2017 125 Dislike Share Save Dadalorian 31 subscribers 1. Dean DePiero, then mayor of Parma, criticized the song and its accompanying YouTube video: "It's pretty sick. [47][93] Stern continued on with the program over a phone line as engineers worked to quickly patch together the severed broadcast wire. - Recorded live performance on 7/23/83 during Breaker's WMMS's Coffee Break Concert Series. Perhaps the most famous show at the Agora not involving Bruce Springsteen. [115][116], The next of these multi-act shows, simply titled BuzzardFest, was held in May 1996 at Blossom Music Center and featured performances from 311 and No Doubt, along with Candlebox, The Nixons, Goldfinger, Gods Child, Dash Rip Rock, Holy Barbarians, and Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. I love all tracks and dialog Colt 00:00 / 05:01 Digital Album Streaming + Download Ratings steadily increased during the time of the First Gulf War, but The Howard Stern Show was soon picked up by a then struggling WNCX. ", While his epic stand at Blossom Music Center still holds the attendance record for that venue, Michael Stanley's run at the Agora in October 1976 was perhaps more important. The live shows tell quite the story. During this time, WMMS also began broadcasting a remarkable number of live concerts, many of which originated in Cleveland and were produced by the station itself. All rights reserved (About Us). Matt was part of the early days at Cleveland State Universitys radio operation that only broadcast to the cafeteria, but soon after he got in on the ground floor of WMMS during its eventual transition to the Buzzard. Other artists that shared the main stage were No Doubt, Patti Rothberg, The Tragically Hip, 311, and the Holy Barbarians. "[86] From 1991 to 1993, WMMS served as the FM flagship for the Cleveland Browns, sharing coverage with then-sister WHK; the late Nev Chandler served as play-by-play announcer. We all have such respect for what this station did back in the day. They broadcast many live concerts, including their Coffee Break Concerts, which were a mix of performance and interview content, in the 1970s and 80s. In 1973 WMMS unveiled a new logo The Mushroom. The program ran on the station from the early 70s to the early 80s and featured an amazing number of noteable performers in performance from the WMMS studios. DJ additions included station engineer Ric Bennett as "Rocco the Rock Dog,"[86] Scooter (WMMS music director Brad Hanson), former WRQC nighttime Personality and later WNCX Afternoon Drive and Production Director, Tom "Jack" Daniels (who returned to the Cleveland airwaves after a successful stint as Program Director of WLEV, Allentown, PA), Lisa Dillon[86] and station veteran Matt the Cat,[86] (who returned to the midday slot in 1990 after a two-year absence.) [137] Cantle later called the failure of Sean, Cristi and Hunter as "a real team effort" and compared herself unfavorably to Johnny Manziel: "too young, too overconfident and too drunk to handle the responsibility however I have no intentions of playing Canadian football". "[33] By April 2008, the station had reverted to branding as The Buzzard but using a road sign-style logo similar to a U.S. Route shield in an allusion to the mascot. Over the next twenty years Matt did mostly middays and hosted the weekly Coffee Break Concerts, likely introducing more concerts than anyone in Cleveland history. During his long tenure doing evenings at the station Denny interviewed hundreds of rock stars including the late John Lennon. Over the next twenty years Matt did mostly middays and hosted the weekly "Coffee Break Concerts", likely introducing more concerts than anyone in Cleveland history. But one of the best-known gigs took place at the Agora in 1977. But the fact it featured Iron Maiden's first U.S. run as an opener made it extra special. music community WMMS Coffee Break Concert - Cleveland, OH (5 - 30 - 1972) by Glass Harp Share / Embed supported by logibear3001 I love the layback atmosphere of Phil and the group being loose on set. WMMS-HD2, which relays its signal over low-power FM translator W256BT (99.1 FM), is the Cleveland affiliate for iHeart's all-news oriented Black Information Network. Judas Priest's 1981 "World Wide Blitz Tour" was a treat for multiple reasons. Already strained by ongoing contract renewal negotiations, the incident further alienated the two parties, and by November of that year the show was cancelled. The Buzzard in Cleveland is one of the country s most well-known commercial FM radio stations. It was the same logo used by all of the FM radio stations owned by Metromedia at the time. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. It was brief but memorable, especially for fans of college rock. On March 30, 1946,[50] radio station WHK owned at that time by United Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of Forest City Publishing, itself the parent company of The Plain Dealer launched an experimental FM station under the callsign W8XUB at 107.1 megahertz (MHz). On August 9, 1978, there was no hotter ticket in Cleveland. A major contributor to the ratings success was an airstaff that remained fundamentally unchanged for many years: personalities like Kid Leo, Jeff & Flash, Matt the Cat, Dia Stein, Denny Sanders, Murray Saul, Debbie Ullman, Betty "Crash" Korvan, Ruby Cheeks (Debra Luray), BLF Bash (Bill Freeman), TR (Tom Renzy) and the late Len "Boom" Goldberg were invaluable to the station's popularity. It came during the band's "Darkness" tour. The live recordings would make up his most popular album, "StagePass.". In addition to Boom's deep pipes being used every hour in the Top of the hour ID's, station sweepers and commercials, he held two on-air shifts on the weekends which he coined the Boom 'till noon. WMMS does not air additional network programming. In 1986, following a fire, the venue found its new home on Euclid Avenue. [124], Following Jacor's takeover, WMMS ran a "Death of the Buzzard" month-long stunt in October 1998. WMMS Coffee Break Concert Jan 30, 1980 The Cleveland Agora Cleveland, Ohio, United States Scroll to: Top Bands Details Genres Setlists Videos Photos Map Comments Band Line-up Alex Bevan Concert Details Date: January 30, 1980 Venue: The Cleveland Agora Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States Notes: Concerts Morgan Wade at The Agora Mar 04, 2023. [98][101] Gorman brought back the original Buzzard design, now drawn by David Helton's successor Brian Chalmers. ", It's a snapshot of one of the most important all-female rock bands at their peak. The show also drew national attention after holding a book burning party for Fifty Shades of Grey on July 8, 2012. Find tickets to all live music, concerts, tour dates and festivals in and around Ashburn. "[32] "De-emphasized" in the fall of 2007, the scavenger was revived the following spring to coincide with the station's 40th anniversary and with the arrival of morning personality Rover. Of special note was the early support of Bruce Springsteen by Kid Leo and others, prior to the release of the Born to Run album. "Round for round, pound for pound, there ain't no finer band around. [113] The Ramones headlined BuzzardFest '95 the following spring (May 1995) at Blossom;[114] other acts included Our Lady Peace, The Rugburns and Face to Face. Rush's 1974 show at the Agora, aka "The First American Broadcast," was part of a successful run early on in Cleveland, which helped Rush gain popularity in the States. What puts the show over the top is David Bowie backing Iggy on keyboard. [143] Born in Chicago but raised in Las Vegas, Rover worked for rock stations KISW in Seattle and KXPK in Denver prior to arriving in Cleveland. Her first major headlining tour, in support of "Shes So Unusual," came to the Agora, where Lauper delivered a 12-song set. WMMS was the first radio station to employ full-time promotion and marketing directors: Dan Garfinkel and his successor, Jim Marchyshyn. INXS - WMMS Coffee Break Concert Live At The Cleveland Agora 27 June 1984 More images Tracklist Notes Recorded Live At The Cleveland Agora (Cleveland, OH) On 06-27-1984, Where INXS Performed A Very Rare Free Afternoon Concert In A Small Club, Sponsored By Local Radio Station WMMS 100.7 FM (Show Was Broadcast Live On The Air By WMMS). Denny was also instrumental in convincing former WMMS owner Milton Maltz to continue the stations rock format in the mid-1970s. Warren Zevon began the WMMS session with a version of what at the time was a brand new, unheard number, entitled Excitable Boy. Copyright - OceanWP Theme by Nick Close Menu WHK-FM became one of a handful of commercial stations in the country to try that format, many of which were owned by MetroMedia. [71], From the onset, Helton's streamlined artwork resulted in an aggressive, yet family-friendly symbol for the station, one that continues to endure more than 40 years later. [148][149] All other air talent heard on WMMS is provided via iHeartMedia's "Premium Choice" voice-tracking service. Past show members at WMMS include, Ryan Hoppe, Scott Taylor (now a reporter at WJLA in Washington, DC, Kaitlin Geosano, and Rob Garguilo. We joked about the Buzzard becoming Cleveland's Mickey Mouse a "Buzzard Land" amusement park filled with sex, drugs and rock and roll A study conducted by MBA students at Case Western Reserve University in 1975 found that the new WMMS logo was more recognizable to those living in Greater Cleveland than both Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians and even Coca-Cola. ", A 10-song set that lasted nearly an hour. Boom '' Goldberg 's unmistakable voice was heard for three decades on 100.7 WMMS -- ( Date-Unknown ) full-time and... 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