Lovers of vintage doo wop, rhythm & blues, and rock ’n’ roll should mark their calendars for a night to remember when 88.1 FM WESU Middletown presents a fundraising concert in celebration of 75 years of community radio & 35 years of the “Moondog Matinee” radio show on July 12 at The Middletown High School Performing Arts Center. 

Headlining the show will be Jay Siegel’s Tokens, the legendary group that recorded the mega hit, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”! They’ll be joined by The Super Girls Group, featuring original members of some of the greatest female groups of rock ’n’ roll, including:  Louise Murray of The Hearts & Jaynetts (“Lonely Nights” & “Sally Go Round The Roses”);  Lillian Walker of The Exciters (“Tell Him” & “Doo Wah Diddy”); Margaret Ross of The Cookies (“Chains” & “Don’t Say Nothing Bad About My Baby”); Beverly Warren of The Raindrops (“The Kind of Boy You Can’t Forget” & “What a Guy”); & Nanette Licari of Reparata & The Del Rons  (“Whenever A Teenager Cries” & “Tommy”).  

WESU has been broadcasting ‘oldies’ music for 35 years on Saturday mornings on the Moondog Matinee radio show (11am-1pm). WESU General Manager  Ben Michael,  says “While most commercial radio stations have abandoned this musical format, our ‘oldies’ programs are among our most popular shows. This is a great examples of how community radio, like WESU, serves the needs of listeners who are marginalized by main stream media. We hope people will come out to support this amazing event we have put together” adding that “I don’t think Middletown has ever seen an ‘oldies’ concert of this caliber.”

Proceeds from this event will benefit the 75-year-old community radio station’s capital campaign to implement a backup power system and upgrade aging equipment in the studios.  WESU has been without a backup power system to keep the station on air during power outages since its studios were relocated back in 2000. “It’s one of those situations where you don’t miss the water until the well runs dry, like it did back in 2012, when hurricane Sandy shut WESU down for nearly a week,” says Michael.  “The mixing consoles in our studios are over 25 years old and need to be replaced,” he said, adding that “after fifteen years in our ‘new’ studios, we are really in need of an upgrade.”  

The WESU 75th Anniversary Doo Wop Extravaganza invites you to travel back in time to celebrate a landmark anniversary of one of the first student-owned and -operated radio stations in the country and 35 years of the legendary “Moondog Matinee” radio show! Don’t miss this opportunity to experience a night of memories and classic American music with superstars Jay Siegel’s Tokens and some of the greatest female groups from the dawn of rock ’n’ roll on Saturday July 12. This event is sponsored in part by The Middletown Commission On the Arts.

Tickets are $30 each and on sale now at www.wesufm.org  or by calling call 860-685-3355.  Group rate for  10 or more = $25/ticket.
Contact: Ben Michael, generalmanager@wesufm.org, 860-685-7707