News & Features

50 musical moments from WYEP’s 50th anniversary year

WYEP | By Katie Blackley

Published December 10, 2024 at 1:56 PM EST

A woman sings into a microphone on a stage. — Oh He Dead's CJ Johnson on stage at the 2024 WYEP Summer Music Festival.

This year WYEP celebrated 50 years of being on the airwaves here in Pittsburgh. We had an exciting year, and wanted to look back at everything you might have heard or learned from the “station where the music comes first.” Revisit Live & Direct Sessions, check out photos from our festivals and read about music history throughout western Pennsylvania.

Jan. 17: Grace Potter Live & Direct: “There are some people who are so charismatic, so talented that their star quality is obvious. Grace Potter is one of those people. Statuesque, gorgeous, smart, driven, articulate, funny, and incredibly personable, she charmed the WYEP studio audience when she performed. I know my questions will be answered in a thoughtful and entertaining fashion, and that woman can sing!” — WYEP’s Rosemary Welsch

Renee Rosensteel
Jan. 20: WYEP’s 50th Anniversary Open House: This year was WYEP’s 50th anniversary, we held a special open house for listeners on Jan. 20! Check out the photos and learn more about our history. A lot of great listeners visited WYEP’s home on the South Side and experienced displays about the station’s fascinating history.
Jan. 30: How Green Day’s ‘Dookie’ changed a Pittsburgh musician’s life 30 years ago: Green Day’s "Dookie" introduced Pittsburgh artist and musician Derek Zanetti to punk rock, shaping his identity and inspiring a lifelong passion for music and community, all thanks to a friend’s thoughtful gift of the album.
Feb. 1: 50 Black artists who changed music: From Louis Armstrong to Missy Elliot to Nina Simone, we compiled a list of 50 influential Black artists throughout history.
Feb. 5: G. Love on loving Pittsburgh, melding genres and big risks: “We started the early months of 2024 with a couple of anniversaries. It was the start of the WYEP 50th anniversary year, coupled with the 30th anniversary of the debut self-titled album from G. Love. The Philly native shared some stories from touring and collaborating as well as four acoustic songs off of his debut record.” — WYEP’s Kyle Smith
Feb. 6: Celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show: WYEP’s Mike Sauter writes about the iconic band’s performance, saying it was “a watershed moment in music and pop culture history.”
Feb. 13-14: Rosemary’s Anti-Valentine’s and Valentine’s Day music shows are always a delight for listeners. Whether you’re in the mood for love or vehemently against anything of the sort, Rosemary always puts together exactly what you want to hear.

Courtesy of Dan Speal

Speal's Tavern began as a bar and grocery store in his home in 1933 by Tony Speal.
Feb. 15: Speal’s Tavern endures as popular hangout, haven for blues and roots performers: Since 1933, Speal's Tavern has been a gathering place for locals, as well as a place for blues performers and other artists to share their music.
Feb. 19: Joe P about loving New Jersey and trying new things: Joe P is a New Jersey musician who was in a band until the pandemic sent them on their separate ways. During that time, he started putting his own songs online where they began to really take off.
Women’s History Month in March: This year we featured 50 Years of Women in Music!
March 12: 'World Party' frontman Karl Wallinger dies at 66 — a look back at his visit to WYEP: Welsh musician Karl Wallinger has died at age 66. He was the key creative force behind the band World Party, releasing six well-received albums of new material from 1987 through 2000. He was also a member of the band The Waterboys, before leaving to form World Party.
March 19: Briscoe Live & Direct: Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman from the Austin Americana band Briscoe stopped by WYEP to talk about songs from their debut album, “West of It All.”
March 25: How Greensburg’s ‘T-Bird’ and ‘The Red Rooster’ launched the careers of legendary musicians: The Thunderbird Lounge in Greensburg hosted Tommy James and the Shondells' formation, alongside local bands. It, along with the Red Rooster, played key roles in western Pennsylvania's 60s-80s music scene.]
April included Decades Week! Revisit our reviews, beginning in the 1970s
1974: Rosemary Welsch looks at hits from the decade, including from Queen, Steve Miller and Linda Ronstadt
1984: Bob Studebaker takes us back to the peak of killer guitar riffs, synthpop and sexy saxes
1994: Mike Sauter says the 90s brough grunge, fuzzy guitars and acid-folk sounds
2004: Kyle Smith recalls the early ‘aughts and the dance music, brit pop and electro acoustic projects that thrived in the decade
2014: Joey Spehar says the year brought old favorite bands back together and brought about new artists like Lana Del Rey and Lake Street Dive
April 9: Suzanne Vega Live & Direct: The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter visited the station to chat with Rosemary Welsch and perform live on the air.
April 16: The Ghost Club Live & Direct: Fresh off a national tour, The Ghost Club returned to their hometown for a Mr. Smalls show. They stopped by WYEP for an interview and some songs from their new album, “King Whatever.”
April 17: Pittsburgh’s feeble little horses plays Coachella: Through mutual friends and SoundCloud, four Pittsburgh college students found themselves in a band known as feeble little horse playing local house shows. This year they took to a bigger stage.
April 30: Pittsburgh’s hellraising labor singer Anne Feeney gets the party she deserves at Mr. Smalls.
May 6: The unmatched talent of rock and country guitarist James Burton: A rock and country guitar fountainhead since the 50’s, James Burton’s influence spans genres and generations.

Jakob Lazzaro

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WYEP
WYEP's Joey Spehar checks out the station's new beer at Trace Brewery in Bloomfield.
May 20: Check out Trace Brewing’s 50th anniversary beer for WYEP: The “Golden Waves” ale was brewed in celebration of the station, and featured a debut event with DJs and live performances. Plus, Joey Spehar got to stop by and help brew the beer!
May 21: Frank Turner's "Undefeated": "Frank Turner is a passionate guy who works hard to make sure we all feel connected. The modern working-punk icon shared some songs and stories with us when he visited WYEP this spring. Frank has one of those voices that can make a thousand people each feel like they're the only other person in the room." — WYEP's Joey Spehar
June 3: For Pride month, conversations with LGBTQ artists: Here are some queer performers who have stopped by our studios for Live & Direct Sessions, including Julien Baker, Brandi Carlile and Orville Peck.
June 4: Greensburg's historic Palace Theatre: A music venue for the ages: Musical legends in nearly all genres have graced the stage at Downtown Greensburg’s Palace Theatre, some at pivotal times in their careers.
June 11: Michael Franti at Club Cafe: "The celebration of Michael Franti and Spearhead’s debut album “Home” was the topic in a very special Live from Club Café with Michael Franti and two members of Spearhead. Michael entertained an audience of WYEP members with stories from the road, how he learned to play acoustic guitar, and the impact his non-profit has had for fans to see his shows." — WYEPs' Kyle Smith
June 17: WYEP's full Juneteenth playlist, celebrating Black artists
June 21: The Best Songs of the Past 50 Years: We asked, and you let us know what you thought deserved the top spots! Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” took the number one slot, followed by Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
June 25: Pittsburgh’s The Vogues’ 'Five O’Clock World' and the Nashville musical connection: As the British Invasion continued and folk-rock exploded in 1965, Pittsburgh swelled with pride when Turtle Creek’s The Vogues, a vocal quartet formerly known as the Val-Airs, scored nationally with a cover of Petula Clark’s “You’re the One” on Herb Cohen’s and Nick Cenci’s local Co & Ce label. The follow-up, “Five O’Clock World,” proved even more enduring.

Renee Rosensteel

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For WYEP
June 29: Highlights from the 2024 Summer Music Festival: This year’s concert featured Middle Kids, Oh He Dead, Jade Bird, Ames Harding & The Mirage, Chariot Fade, and Mani Bahia.
July 14: Charley Crockett on his new album, “$10 Cowboy”: "Charlie Crockett feels like a throwback to a different era. He’s a cowboy — for real — who is full of stories. He takes his time unraveling a tale that can ramble about, but his style is so intriguing it’s worth the wait. I reminded myself several times during this interview to be patient and let the man speak. When he sings, it’s as if you’ve traveled back to the golden years of country music. After the interview and performance Charlie hung out and talked with WYEP staff. What a nice guy." — WYEPs' Rosemary Welsch

Randall Coleman

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For WYEP
July 16: Photos from the Northside Music Festival
July 30: Carnegie Library of Homestead Music Hall’s renovations maintain history while improving experience: Founded by local steel magnate Andrew Carnegie in 1898, the library sits atop a hill between East 10th and East 11th avenues in what is technically Munhall. It services a number of communities in the Monongahela River Valley.
Aug. 5: The legacy of Pittsburgh jazz and hard bop icon Sonny Clark: Last year, Mosaic Records, the respected jazz reissue label, released a six-CD box set of recordings by pianist Conrad Yeatis “Sonny” Clark (1931-1963), originally released by Blue Note records from 1957 to 1961. No longer a cult figure, Clark is now viewed worldwide as both a titan of the hard bop style and a Pittsburgh jazz icon.
Aug. 13: Fantastic Cat on creating a cohesive sound and having fun as a band.
Aug. 27: How the Pittsburgh Pirates’ ‘Beat ‘em Bucs’ became the team’s iconic theme: It’s a quintessential Pittsburgh tale, involving a surging baseball team, one of its most beloved members, a proud community, enthusiastic sponsor, locally-based ad agency, revered Pittsburgh musicians, a 110-year tune penned by a Pittsburgh icon and… a bittersweet epilogue.
Sept. 10: Moondog’s in Blawnox is still howling after 35 years: Ron Esser has been running Moondog's for 35 years now, hosting live musicians playing blues, rock, and other genres at the little spot on Freeport Road.
September: How is a vinyl record made? We visited Pittsburgh’s Hellbender Vinyl to find out! How is a record made? What materials go into its creation? Who’s behind the work? Join WYEP’s Brian Siewiorek on a tour of Hellbender Vinyl, Pittsburgh’s vinyl record pressing plant in Lawrenceville.
Sept. 24: The short life of Pittsburgh’s Gateway Records: For a few years in the 1960s, a building in Downtown Pittsburgh housed Gateway Records, an independent record company that produced music by local bluegrass bands, polka performers and the beloved “Chiller Theater.”
Sept. 24: Jana Mila on making music in Nashville and choosing a theme for an album: "Dutch musician Jana Mila has spent a good part of 2024 living in Nashville and traveling to over half of the U.S. States to promote her debut album, “Chameleon.” She shared some observations from her experiences and stories about living in a supportive arts community like Nashville." — WYEP's Kyle Smith
Sept 30: Lake Street Dive on positive vibes and the secret to lasting 20 years: The band's unique mix of soul and indie pop brought tons of energy to the WYEP studios ahead of their performance at Stage AE.
Oct. 1: Pittsburgh’s soul and funk party ‘Title Town’ celebrates 15 years.
Oct. 8: New series, 'The Road to Joni,' explores legacy and renaissance of Joni Mitchell: SHEROES Radio host Carmel Holt joined WYEP’s Rosemary Welsch to talk about “The Road to Joni,” a 10-week series exploring the legacy and renaissance of Joni Mitchell. Carmel is traveling the country and speaking to artists and radio hosts about Joni's impact on their lives and careers.
Oct. 9: Merce Lemon on relating to nature, humor in sadness and her cat Moldy: "It's exciting to see an artist you love on the cusp of breaking into the music world at large. Pittsburgh native Merce Lemon put out an incredible record this year and brought her band by the station this fall to show us what she's been up to. Let these songs wash over you and tell your friends. The world needs to know about Merce Lemon." — WYEP's Joey Spehar
Oct. 22: Remembering Johnny Costa, Pittsburgh’s neighborhood jazz legend: Like many Pittsburgh jazz luminaries, he emerged from humble beginnings. But while most found fame only after leaving town, Johnny Costa (1922-1996), remained here only to achieve immortality as both a musicians’ musician and vital part of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

Renee Rosensteel

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For WYEP
Oct. 21: Highlights from The Hellbender Ball 2024: Night of the Living Hellbender! The sold-out show began with Boy Wonders performing a spirited set of songs by R.E.M. We were then graced with tunes from Zinnia’s Garden (as Fleetwood Mac), Orange Music (as OutKast), SUREFIRE (as No Doubt) and Clinton Clegg as (Joe Cocker presents Mad Dogs & Englishmen).
Oct. 30: Remembering the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh who ‘gave us so much’.
Nov. 1: WYEP celebrates Bonnie Raitt on her 75th birthday: In March of 2016, Bonnie Raitt performed in Pittsburgh at the Benedum Center, and WYEP's Rosemary Welsch was lucky enough to go backstage and record an interview.
Nov. 12: Remembering Steelers’ Terry Bradshaw’s country music adventure: Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and four-time Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw once had a rollercoaster of a country music career.
Nov. 26: 'Nick's Fat City' reunion features bands who thrived at former Pittsburgh venue: From 1990 to 2004, the crown jewel of the Pittsburgh music scene was Nick’s Fat City on the South Side’s East Carson Street. The venue served as the backdrop for live albums by nationally-known artists such as Hootie and the Blowfish and Donnie Iris.

Brian Siewiorek

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WYEP
The original interview cassette of Tom Waits at WYEP.
Dec. 2: Revisit a 1976 interview with Tom Waits: Ten years ago, we unearthed a 1976 interview with a then 26-year-old Waits. In the interview, which took place at a Howard Johnson's restaurant in York, Pa., Waits discusses his recent concerts at the University of Pittsburgh, touring with Frank Zappa, and his inspirations and influences.
Throughout the year, we shared 50 years of memories, funny and challenges incidents and what it’s taken to keep WYEP on the air all these decades. Here’s a list of all of our 50th anniversary coverage!

Plus, Live & Direct Session from the archives: