What’s Update
Lot’s of really cool events on the upcoming concert calendar. For starters (and sorry this is a little behind, but, hey), the Atlanta Funk Society has been back at their old stomping grounds, The Five Spot, down in L5P, and doing it swell the past couple of Monday nights. This revue has been around the block, but has added some new classics to their repertoire, such as a very jamming version of Stevie Wonder’s Contusion. Old standbys from James Brown, Ohio Players, and Heatwave are still up their sleeves. In addition to the new tracks, they’ve added some new constituents with a full horn section and extended rhythm section, they’re sporting a 10-piece look on stage. The crowd has been pretty hype, too, so hopefully they can parlay it into a more regular gig, as they play out the rest of the Mondays in July.
- Etowah River Music Fest (The Funky Fiasco, Vertigo Jazz Project, Uncle Joe’s Medicine Show and Stretch, etc.) – Etowah River Campgrounds – Fri/Sat. 7/22/11-7/23/11
- Atlanta Funk Society – The Five Spot – Mon. 7/25/11
- Temptations / Four Tops – Chastain Amphitheatre – Wed. 7/27/11
- Rebirth Brass Band – Smith’s Olde Bar – Thurs/Fri 7/28/11-1/29/11
- Super Dynamite Express w/ Ruby Velle 3, Mamarazzi – The Five Spot – Fri. 7/29/11
- Soulphonics feat. Ruby Velle – Vinyl – Fri. 8/19/11
- Return to Forever – Fox Theatre – Thur. 9/8/11
- Medeski, Martin, & Wood – Variety Playhouse – Thur. 11/10/11
I Feel like there’s tons more to update you on, since its been so long, but my mind escapes me sometimes. Stay tuned to this space for updates and hopefully a posted playlist for this week’s show.
Etowah River Music Festival
Georgia Tech SGA funds WREK Antenna Upgrade to Complete Power Increase
The Georgia Tech Student Government Association today approved funding for half of the cost of the new antenna and related tower upgrades which will complete our FCC-authorized coverage increase (click for more). WREK was issued this construction permit in September 2008, and has been working long hours since then to upgrade to the necessary transmission equipment to complete this increase in power, signal quality, and reach.
Installed in 2008, our wonderful new combined FM and HD Radio transmitter has the capability to take us to 100,000 W EIRP. The transmitter was procured with financial support from the Student Government, alumni, and our listeners. We know embark on the last leg of this 10 year project. Over the next several months we will be working non-stop to finish planning and implementing tower upgrades, antenna design, commissioning for construction of the antenna, and installation.
Our 30 year old antenna is certainly due for an upgrade, and now we can improve our coverage in the process! We could be a 100,000 Watt station by Fall 2011, perhaps sooner. The details will take a few more months to nail down. With a few hundred more hours of research, engineering, regulatory work, and negotiations left for our student engineers and our alumni friends to do, we’re working hard to bring more of you the healing energy of quality, diverse programming that is WREK. If you would like to help our worthy cause, you can donate or just write us a letter or call us. We’d love to here from our faithful listeners.
Our Georgia Tech alumni friends at Cavell Mertz have offered their antenna system engineering expertise to do what others said couldn’t be done. We thank them for their invaluable assistance. In addition, many WREK staff and alumni have worked thousands of hours over the past several years to reach this point. To find out how we got here and who made it happen, please take a look at the stories of our past work leading up to this achievement by clicking the links above.
WREK now on TuneIn on Android, iOS, and more
You can now use TuneIn to listen to WREK on your Android, iOS, and Blackberry phones, tablets, and devices, plus Google TV, Yahoo! Connected TV, Roku, WDTV, Chumby (incl. Sony versions), and even on the Web. And of course, the website continues to stream and to offer replay of the last two weeks of wonderful programming as well, as it always has.
No Boogie Last Night. Loads of Soul Tonight!
Much to the dismay of dozens, The Electric Boogaloo was not heard last night, due to an extended Georgia Tech Baseball broadcast. The Jackets did us solid by winning 6-5 in 15 innings, but they ran over the funk, finishing the game after midnight. We’ll be extra dirty next week. Promise.
That said, we didn’t get a chance to talk (on-air, anyway) with our scheduled guest, friend of the show and bassmaster (not the fishing kind) Mr. Kevin Scott, late of Soulphonics and current of Atlanta Funk Society. I did get to chat with him in studio while waiting out the diamond duel, and he’s definitely staying busy. Lots of new Funk Society covers in the work, still playing with Col. Bruce regularly, re-locating his domicile/recording lab from Little 5 to Reynoldstown, among other things.
He’ll be playing with AFS as well as old mates The Soulphonics (w Ruby Velle, of course) TONIGHT, Friday May 27 as part of the Atlanta All-Star Soul Revue out at the EARL. That’s what would have headlined the “What’s Up With What’s Going Down” portion of the program if, you know, we actually had a program last night. Oh well. Until next week, vibe on some Grooveline by AFS and check out the rest of the events listed below.
Here is What’s Up With What’s Going Down in Atlanta coming up. Some nice shows this weekend:
- Atlanta All-Star Soul Revue (Ruby Velle & Soulphonics, Atlanta Funk Society, George Hughley, Michelle Marshall) – The EARL – Fri. 5/27/11
- Grand Prize Winners From Last Year @ “The Sweet Life” (art and music event) – Original Chocolate Bar – Fri. 5/27/11
- Atlanta Jazz Fest – Piedmont Park – Sat-Sun. 5/28-29 /11
- Trombone Shorty / Ruby Velle & Soulphonics – Center Stage – Mon. 5/30/11
- Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe / Atlanta Funk Society – The Masquerade – Wed. 6/1/11
- Grupo Fantasma – The EARL – Fri. 6/17/11
- CC Booker III / Cadillac Jones – Star Bar – Fri. 6/24/11
- Noot d’ Noot (7″ release party) – The EARL – Fri. 7/8/11
- Temptations / Four Tops – Chastain Amphitheatre – Wed. 7/27/11
