Greensboro locals The Bronzed Chorus concluded the day’s festivities. (above)

By Chris Nafekh, Staff Writer

Published in print Aug. 20, 2014

Students, musicians and radio die-hards gathered at Glenwood Books and Coffee on Monday July 28th, the night of WUAG’s 50th anniversary.

Approaching the antiquated bookshop, the loud sounds of chatter and post-punk rock could be heard from blocks away. Vendors stood busy inside and out, and music vibrated through the crowd. People walked around with band t-shirts, fancy buttons, new CD’s and vinyl records. The event was a celebration of regional bands, local vendors and delicious food.

The 50th festival held a good crowd of people; over 200 members of the Greensboro community attended. Musical guests included Jenny Besetzt, Axxa/Abraxas, The Bronzed Chorus and more. John Wollaber, lead singer of Jenny Besetzt mentioned that he was pleased with the receptiveness of the crowd.

“It’s a great night in Greensboro!” he proclaimed after the band’s energetic performance.

Goods were sold by various vendors. Elsewhere, an organization devoted to creative projects and educational initiatives, held a table next to Coraddi, a local arts magazine. CFBG, a prominent record store in the university area, sold a variety of vinyl records. Some were old, some were new and some were only a dollar in cost.

Behind the table sat Jack Bonney, owner of CFBG and a twenty-year WUAG veteran. He commented on the changing state of the station: “Back in ’98, it was more of a club,” he said. “There were about half the DJ’s, and the music was geared towards thrash, punk and screamo.” Currently, the genres played on air have a very wide range.

The city’s community has also changed over time.

“With increased participation by the student body, the general community became more aware and more included,” he explained. “Shows and events had increased turnouts, and people began to see WUAG as a resource for events happening.” Bonney became General Manager of the station later in his career; later on, his job was removed due to budget cuts by UNCG faculty.

Without a full time staff member working at the station, WUAG experienced a lull in participation and activity. For the past few years, the changes in leadership, programing and funding have had noticeable effects.

“With this event,” Productions Director Kelly Fahey said, “we strived for two things. One, to make people excited about WUAG again, and two, to represent local art.”

The festival certainly succeeded in representing local art. Bands from Greensboro, Asheville and other provincial areas all came out to support the station. Some vendors, such as Elsewhere, were born and raised right in Greensboro.

WUAG’s 50th ultimately showed that the station is thriving and as relevant to the community as ever before. And the future of WUAG looks bright. New programs, such as Elsewhere Radio, are scheduled to begin this fall semester. There is talk of a new digital database which would help DJ’s manage their programs and the overall content of the station.

“This year will be noteworthy,” Fahey said.

“The future looks brighter than it did,” added Randall Quillian, General Manager. “As long as we have good intentions, that’s all that counts.”

Looking towards the future, Jack Bonney noted the uniqueness of Greensboro radio culture. “Greensboro has two great college radio stations,” he said, referring also to WQFS 90.9,

Guilford College Radio. “They still need all going support, and I hope people don’t take it for granted. I’d like to stress that the station only exists with participation from the students and community. Support has helped WUAG for the past fifty years, and will for the next.”