There is a new radio station in town that will be “on-air” for one weekend only! The Uptown Music Collective, the area’s premier nonprofit school of music, is set to kick off their 2021-2022 Performance Season at the Community Arts Center by presenting WUMC: FM Radio Hits of the ‘70’s. The show will run on Friday and Saturday, November 19th & 20th, starting at 7:30 p.m. The concert will focus on rock and pop radio hits of the 1970s from artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Peter Frampton, Jackson Browne, ABBA, Bob Seger, Blondie, Eddie Money, Heart, and many more. Brought to life with all of the energy and passion that UMC students are known for, this show is sponsored, in part, through partnerships with Geisinger’s Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, Hudock Capital Group, and UPMC.

This show will be unlike anything the Collective has done before. The audience will experience a live “retro ‘70’s radio atmosphere,” featuring area radio personalities “broadcasting” the performance, adding a new and exciting element to the Collective’s traditional live performances. The featured radio personalities will be representing area radio groups, including Backyard Broadcasting, Schlesinger Communications, and iHeart Media. There will also be a few very special guest “voices” throughout the performance from area radio days gone by.

“The students developed this idea of taking the familiar sound and feel of a classic rock radio station and putting it on stage for a new kind of Collective live experience,” said UMC Assistant Executive Director Jared Mondell. “Live, on-stage radio has been the central idea of developing this show. It adds a completely new element to what our students do so well and we think the audience is going to be extremely pleased!”

The idea for the show presented the opportunity for the students to work closely with the area radio groups that have strongly supported the Collective year after year, added UMC Executive Director Dave Brumbaugh.

“We are really looking forward to having the area DJs along for the ride for this one,” he said. “It’s going be a blast for everyone involved!”

WUMC will feature Collective students who have been diligently preparing for this event for more than two months. Along with the music, there will be a professional-grade light and sound show organized by the students, themselves. As with all Uptown Music Collective performances, the students are not only the performers, but also direct the show. A group of younger students, or “Tech Monkeys,” will serve as stage technicians and spotlight operators. The cast for the show is drawn from the Uptown Music Collective’s much-heralded Special Performance Group 1.

This show is directed by Uptown Music Collective senior Billy Bellino (Danville Area High School). The show’s leadership committee consists of UMC students Leah Batman (Laurel Springs School), Izzy Butters (Loyalsock Township High School), Abby Colone (Loyalsock Township High School), Chase Cowden (Loyalsock Township High School), Connor Evans (Williamsport Area High School), Ben Feuerstein (Lewisburg Area High School), Gabreon Godin (Williamsport Area High School), Sage Gurski (Danville Area High School), Jossian Lilley (Loyalsock Township High School), Cassidy Lutz (Loyalsock Township High School), Stephanie Nappi (PA Cyber), and Luke O’Brien (Loyalsock Township High School).

“When the idea of this show was first pitched, it was almost as if everyone in the room collectively knew it would make it through every round of voting and be one of the four shows for the year,” Batman said. “Centering a live performance around radio broadcasting is definitely a concept that is new to all of us and has been difficult to figure out the logistics of. But with the local radio DJs involved, an incredible set list and a super-talented group, I know we will be able to pull it off. This show will definitely set a high standard for the year and every performance following it.”

Additional partners and sponsors for this performance include Chartwell Hotels, KFC Williamsport, Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, The Kiessling Group of Janney Montgomery Scott, Lycoming College, Woodlands Bank, Marco Technologies, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, FASTSIGNS, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Pepsi, and The Hartman Group. Media sponsors include Backyard Broadcasting, Lamar Advertising, 92.1 WSQV, NorthCentralPa.com, The Graphic Hive and Engage Media.

Tickets for the performance, which are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, are available through the Community Arts Center box office and website. For details about the show, visit uptownmusic.org/wumc or call 570-329-0888. Check out the Collective’s official Facebook page, as well as other Collective social media outlets, for teasers, previews, behind-the-scenes info and more from the performance.