WBRU
Encyclopedia
WBRU is a commercial alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 radio station in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

 that broadcasts on 95.5 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...

. It was the first student-owned-and-operated campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...

 station in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 when it started as the Brown Network at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...

 in 1936. Its transmitter is located in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

.

Beginnings

Founded by two freshmen at Brown
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...

, David Borst and George Abraham, the first broadcast of the Brown Network was transmitted on November 30, 1936, from Abraham’s room. He originally conceived of the idea as a way to share his record collection and serve as a personal disk jockey for his friends. By the next year, he had installed wires through the trees on campus, assigning students in various dormitories to act as “section managers” who would receive the signal on their receiver and transmit it to the rest of the building.

The New England Hurricane of 1938
New England Hurricane of 1938
The New England Hurricane of 1938 was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869...

 destroyed most of the wires in the trees and Borst and Abraham were forced to move the wires into the steam tunnels beneath the campus. In February 1940, the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System
Intercollegiate Broadcasting System
Intercollegiate Broadcasting System is an organization of over 1000 non-profit, education-affiliated radio stations .Founded in 1940, IBS is headquartered in New Windsor, New York, with a legal office in Washington, D.C., and frequently represents its members with FCC negotiations, copyright...

 was formed by 13 colleges, and it held its first meeting at Brown.

The '60s and '70s

In 1962, the Brown Broadcasting Service (BBS) was established as a separate entity from the University and in 1965, the BBS was donated a commercial FM license (WPFM) from The Outlet Company
The Outlet Company
The Outlet Company was a corporation based in Providence, Rhode Island, which owned holdings in both retail and broadcasting. The centerpieces of the group was its flagship Providence store and WJAR radio and television, also in Providence....

, a local department store chain and licensee of Providence stations WJAR 920 AM and WJAR-TV channel 10 (NBC). BBR was then split into two stations: WBRU-AM and WBRU-FM. WBRU-AM continued to broadcast locally as a carrier-current station (distributed through Brown's electrical system) and operated as the training station for WBRU-FM.

During the 1970s, WBRU-FM broadcast at 20,000 watts on 95.5 FM and established itself as the principal progressive rock
Progressive rock (radio format)
Progressive rock is a radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform format but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played...

 (aka, album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...

 or AOR) station in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

 and southern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

. Attempts to boost the signal to 50,000 watts with a transmitter on the Sciences Library failed because of the interference it caused to sensitive scientific equipment, but the station was making plans to move its transmitter to the WPRO-FM
WPRO-FM
WPRO-FM is a radio station in Providence, Rhode Island. The station broadcasts an adult top 40 format. It is the sister station to WPRO...

 transmitter location and increase power to 50,000 watts. This could not be done until 2009 because public TV station WSBE-TV's analog TV antenna currently occupies the tower space where WBRU plans to put its broadcast antenna. WSBE is locating its digital antenna at the WJAR-TV antenna tower in Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Rehoboth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,172 at the 2000 census.-History:It was incorporated in 1643 making it one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to be incorporated. The Rehoboth Carpenter Family is among the founding families...

.

Switch to alternative format

In 1988, WBRU switched its format to modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...

 and has remained in that format ever since, although leaning towards playing newer artists and artists of the indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

 genre.
WBRU was also frequently named one of the best radio stations in the country by numerous trade magazines such as Billboard and Rolling Stone (which named it best radio station in the country in a medium size market three years in a row, the only radio station ever to achieve that).

The station is part of the Providence music scene, and has been instrumental in introducing to the area alternative bands such as Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...

, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...

 and countless other important bands. It was among the first radio stations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 to play Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...

 and Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...

. Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...

's last radio interview before his death was on WBRU.

Between April 17 and April 21, 2006, WBRU played their entire music catalog by title from A-Z, starting at 5:30 p.m. with "About a Girl" by Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...

 on the 17th and ending around 11:15 on the 21st with "Zombie" by The Cranberries
The Cranberries
The Cranberries are an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1989 under the name The Cranberry Saw Us, later changed by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan. The band currently consists of O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler...

. The songs ranged from new music (by such bands as Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009...

 and Zox
ZOX
ZOX is a band from Providence, Rhode Island that is self-described as "violin-laced Reggae rock." The band consists of four members: namesake John Zox , Eli Miller , Spencer Swain , and Dan Edinberg ....

), 1980s and 1990s pop rarely played by the station (such as Right Said Fred
Right Said Fred
Right Said Fred is an English pop band, formed in 1989 by brothers Richard Fairbrass and Fred Fairbrass, later joined by their friend Rob Manzoli. The group is named after a song of the same name which was a hit for Bernard Cribbins in 1962...

's "I'm Too Sexy") and classic punk (i.e. Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...

 and New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...

).

On June 15, 2006, the station began streaming live online.

WBRU aired its first voicetracked break at 5:17 PM on November 15, 2010, during the Afternoon BRU with Corey and Cato.

World premieres

In 2006, WBRU was the first U.S. radio station to play "Supermassive Black Hole" by British band Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...

 and played the Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...

 single "Cellphone's Dead
Cellphone's Dead
"Cellphone's Dead" is a song and single by Beck on The Information.-Musical structure:The song starts with acoustic guitars and percussion. Then a bass guitar riff comes in and Beck starts rapping. The acoustic guitar and percussion section comes back in for the chorus. There is a piano melody...

" before its release until Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

 filed a cease and desist order against the station.

In 2007, WBRU premiered the Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...

 new single "Tarantula" only 15 minutes after KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...

 world premiered it, becoming only the second station in the country to play it and the first to play it twice when they played it a second time immediately afterwards.

In 2008, WBRU was the first station in the country to air "I Will Possess Your Heart
I Will Possess Your Heart
"I Will Possess Your Heart" is a song by American rock band Death Cab for Cutie, and is the lead single from their sixth studio album, Narrow Stairs. It was released on March 18, 2008 and was released to radio on March 24, 2008. The single was released commercially in the UK on May 5, 2008...

" by Death Cab For Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....

, which it did at approximately 1:30 p.m. on March 18, 2008.

In 2009, WBRU was the first station to debut Say Anything
Say Anything (band)
Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.In...

's new single "Hate Everyone
Hate Everyone
"Hate Everyone" is the first single from Say Anything's self-titled fourth album. The single was released August 25, 2009.-Song information:...

." The single premiered at approximately 3:30 p.m. on August 17, 2009. The band's lead singer Max Bemis
Max Bemis
Max Bemis is the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Say Anything. He is also co singer along side Chris Conley of the supergroup Two Tongues, which features members from Say Anything and Saves the Day.-The Early Years:...

 also premiered the song "Crush'd," playing acoustic in studio.

Brown Student Radio (BSR)

In 1997, WBRU's carrier-current AM station split off and became Brown Student Radio (BSR), broadcasting initially on WELH-FM
WELH
WELH is a radio station owned by The Wheeler School of Providence, Rhode Island. Originally signing on in February 1995 with a modern rock format programmed by student D.J.s as "Extreme 88", and later offering programming from various groups , today WELH broadcasts programming from...

 (88.1), under a license owned by The Wheeler School and online http://www.bsrlive.com. In 2003, BSR added a community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...

 element to its mission, incorporating community members as programmers and volunteers alongside students. In August, 2011 BSR lost their air time on WELH and became an internet-only station .

Governance

WBRU-FM is one of the few college radio stations that operates on a commercial basis. It receives no funding from Brown University, while still being staffed by Brown students. There are several professional staff members who work with the students, but the station is jointly governed by a body called the Station Membership, which consists only of student members, and a Board of Directors, chiefly made up of station alumni along with the student General Manager.

Programming and formats

Today, WBRU is known for playing alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

, hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 music. Jazz is played during the early hours of weekday mornings with the exception of Tuesday mornings which is traditionally blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 and Thursday mornings, when alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...

 was, for a time in late 2009, played in addition to jazz. The station's regular alternative format is played in place of jazz on Friday night/Saturday morning. Hip-hop, soul, gospel, funk, and other genres related is played all Sunday and branded as The 360 Black Experience. Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

 is played early Monday mornings. The rest of the time is devoted to alternative rock, with a strong leaning towards indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

 music, which is often not played by larger market alternative stations.

Buddy FM prank

On March 29, 2006, WBRU claimed to be sold to Initech (a reference to the 1999 film Office Space
Office Space
Office Space is a 1999 American comedy film satirizing work life in a typical 1990s software company. Written and directed by Mike Judge, it focuses on a handful of individuals fed up with their jobs portrayed by Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, and Diedrich...

) and changed the format of the station from alternative rock to "Buddy FM" - a variety hits format similar to the Jack
Jack FM
JACK FM is the alternative name and on-air brand of 60 radio stations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Jack stations play a mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s hits with some current hot adult contemporary singles. Jack's slogan "playing what we want" can also be...

 format that had emerged at stations around the country. WBRU "signed off" on 4:57PM March 31, 2008, cutting out 10 seconds before the end of what they proclaimed to the final song played by the station, Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
-Charts:-Covers:* Rancid have covered the song in some acoustic performances, Matt Freeman is the lead vocalist in the cover.* Comedian Tim Hawkins plays a parody of the song entitled "These Are Things You Don't Say to Your Wife"...

" by Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...

 and was replaced by dead air until 5:02PM, switching to "Buddy FM" with "The Sign
The Sign (song)
"The Sign" is a 1993 dance-pop song by the Swedish band Ace of Base. The song was an international hit, reaching Number two in the United Kingdom and spending six non-consecutive weeks as number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States...

" by Ace of Base
Ace of Base
Ace of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren...

. The hoax was complete with telling radio sweepers
Radio sweepers
A radio sweeper is a short, pre-recorded sample used by radio stations as segues between songs that give listeners a brief station identifier or promo, generally 20 seconds or less: "You're listening to the soft sounds of [NAME] radio. Easy listening throughout the Bay area." For example.Dry radio...

 done in-studio. Some examples included: "Buddy FM: hits of the '70s '80s '90s and today... and the 1940s... and the 1850s...", and mentions that the station was "fun for the whole family" after which the station played "Me So Horny
Me So Horny
"Me So Horny" is a song by rap group 2 Live Crew on their album As Nasty As They Wanna Be. It reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart and #26 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1989 despite lack of airplay due to the controversial nature of the lyrics...

" by 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...

. Local network television affiliates WJAR
WJAR
WJAR is the NBC-affiliated television station for the state of Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts licensed to Providence. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 51 from a transmitter in Rehoboth, Massachusetts...

 and WLNE
WLNE-TV
WLNE-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Rhode Island and the South Coast of Massachusetts. It is licensed to New Bedford, Massachusetts, but is headquartered in and operates from studios at 10 Orms Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It is one of two major Rhode Island...

 reported that WBRU had been sold without gaining confirmation about the story.

It was later found out to be an April fools joke
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...

, and, as of noon on April 1, 2006, WBRU had "regained" control of their radio station and began playing their normal playlist once again. Later that day, they confirmed that they were back to being WBRU, and that Buddy FM was no longer functioning.

This is not the first time that this April fools joke had been pulled at the station, but it was the first time it had been taken to this extent. Previous April Fools Days featured similar pranks by WBRU DJs, announcing that the station would be switching formats, but the joke was usually only kept up for a couple of hours.

Radio schedule

The station runs several different features on the station. Some of them include
  • 12 Cuts Above the Rest - 7:00PM, Fridays. The Top 12 songs on the station as voted by listeners
  • The List, 7:00PM, Monday through Thursday. A themed countdown of songs, such as Top 50 Warped Tour Bands or Top 95 One Hit Wonders.
  • The CD Scramble - 8:00AM. A contest to see if someone can identify a scrambled song.
  • Essential Albums 3:00PM, Monday through Thursday. An essential and important album to alternative rock
    Alternative rock
    Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

    .
  • Home BRU'd. Weekdays at 9:00PM. Features Six songs by bands from Rhode Island
    Rhode Island
    The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

     and the neighboring area. Formerly aired 12:00 AM, Monday through Wednesdays
  • The 95 Minute Retro Lunch. 12:00PM, Monday through Friday. Request hour of alternative rock of the 1980s and 1990s. Expanded to the five hour "Retro Brunch" on Saturday.
  • Exposure: 11:00PM Monday through Thursday. an hour of approximately 11-12 indie rock
    Indie rock
    Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

     or electronica
    Electronica
    Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...

     songs not currently on the WBRU playlist and personally selected by the DJ currently on shift. In early August 2010, this program was expanded from Wednesdays to Monday through Thursday and merged with the similar Nine O'Clock News program.

Timeline of notable events

  • 1936 - First broadcast of the Brown Network
  • 1940 - The newly-formed Intercollegiate Broadcasting System holds its first meeting at Brown
  • 1948 - WJAR-FM signs on (May 10)
  • 1950 - According to the 1950 Broadcasting Yearbook, WJAR-FM broadcasts at 20 kW
  • 1950s- 95.5Mc. is home to WPFM, a classical music station
  • 1962 - Brown Broadcasting Service (BBS) is established as a corporation independent from Brown University
    Brown University
    Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...

  • 1963 - The first BBS/WBRU constitution is written
  • 1966 - Brown University buys WPFM & signs on WBRU (February 21)
  • 1969 - WBRU is the first progressive rock station in the market
  • 1971 - Attempts to broadcast at 50,000 watts failed due to interference with sensitive scientific equipment
  • 1974 - WBRU is granted tax-exempt status
  • 1975 - First paid professionals are hired
  • 1976 - Station receives first Gold Record for airplay of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run."
  • 1979 - WBRU moves its studio from Faunce House to 88 Benevolent Street, its current location
  • 1981 - (October) Competitor WHJY
    WHJY
    WHJY is a commercial radio station in Providence, Rhode Island owned by Clear Channel that broadcasts at 94.1 MHz. .WHJY plays classic and mainstream rock - a radio format known as "active rock", and has been doing so since September 4, 1981...

     signs on
  • 1982 - Due to low ratings, WBRU abandons its free-form format and hires the consulting firm of Burkhart, Abrams, Michaels, Douglas to institute a tight playlist of approved songs that "test well" with the station's intended demographic.
  • 1984 - Elvis Costello stops by with a box of records and plays DJ for an hour
  • 1988 - WBRU adopts a modern-rock format, called "The Cutting Edge of Rock"
  • 1992 - Student station members reverse a decision which would turn WBRU into an NPR affiliate
  • 1993 - WBRU wins first place in the Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

     Readers' Poll for best medium-sized market
  • 1994 - WBRU wins first place again in the Rolling Stone Readers' Poll
  • 1995 - (June) WDGE signs on and becomes a direct competitor with WBRU
  • 1995 - WBRU wins first place again in the Rolling Stone Readers' Poll
  • 1999 - WDGE officially signs off (due to WBRU's dominance in the market) and is replaced by WHKK
  • 1999 - Station members vote unanimously against a joint sales agreement with Capstar Broadcasting Company
  • 2000 - WFNX
    WFNX
    WFNX is a New England commercial alternative rock radio station. The station began broadcasting on Monday, April 11, 1983. It was one of the first American commercial stations to play alternative rock and has become a leading radio station for breaking new alternative music.WFNX broadcasts on 101.7...

    , a Boston
    Boston
    Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

     station, extends into Providence to compete with WBRU
  • 2002 - Competitor WKKB
    WKKB
    WKKB is a radio station in Middletown, Rhode Island. The station airs a Tropical format, which consists of such musical styles as salsa and merengue and some Reggeaton. Its transmitter is located in Middletown, Rhode Island. Its offices & studios are located in 75 Oxford Street Providence, Rhode...

     signs on in Middletown, RI
  • 2004 - WFNX signs off in Providence
  • 2004 - WKKB
    WKKB
    WKKB is a radio station in Middletown, Rhode Island. The station airs a Tropical format, which consists of such musical styles as salsa and merengue and some Reggeaton. Its transmitter is located in Middletown, Rhode Island. Its offices & studios are located in 75 Oxford Street Providence, Rhode...

     becomes a Spanish station
  • 2006 - As a three-day April Fools' Day
    April Fools' Day
    April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...

     hoax, WBRU pretends to be bought-out by "Initech" who change the station's format to "Buddy FM"
  • 2006 - On June 15, WBRU begins to stream live on the web
  • 2006 - The station plays its entire catalog from A-Z
  • 2007 - As its annual April Fools' Joke, the station was stuck in a time warp - 1995; and all music played was recorded before the date.
  • 2008 - Station plays its entire catalog from A-Z again.
  • 2008 - Red Sox games air live on WBRU when WEEI broadcasts Boston Celtics playoff games instead

WBRU Annual Rock Hunt

Every year, the radio station holds a battle of the bands, the WBRU Annual Rock Hunt, which begin around 1980 and was held every year until 1998, and was revived in 2001.

Past Winners of the WBRU Annual Rock Hunt

  • 1980: The DC Tenz
  • 1981: The Mundanes
    The Mundanes
    The Mundanes were an early-1980s Rhode Island-based New Wave band featuring future They Might Be Giants member John Linnell. They released one single called Make it the Same, featuring three songs, "Make it the Same," "Funnier Than Love," and "Empty Boulevards."The band had six members: John...

     (featuring band member John Linnell
    John Linnell
    John Sidney Linnell is an American musician, is known primarily as one half of Brooklyn, New York alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants...

    , later of They Might Be Giants
    They Might Be Giants
    They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...

    )
  • 1982: The Schemers
    The Schemers
    The Schemers was a Providence, Rhode Island hard rock band circa 1979-1986 recording on Big Bubble Records.The Schemers were the winners of the 1982 WBRU Radio Rock Hunt in Providence, R.I., and then the 1984 WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble, in Boston, MA. Their hit single, "Remember," was the number 1...

  • 1983: Critical Few
  • 1984: no competition
  • 1985: MX
  • 1986: The Dames (featuring band member Gail Greenwood
    Gail Greenwood
    Gail Greenwood is an American musician notable for performing with the bands Belly and L7. Having originally learned to play the baritone horn, she switched to guitar after high school. Her first band, the Dames, won the WBRU Rock Hunt in 1986...

    , later of Belly
    Belly (band)
    Belly was an alternative rock band formed in 1991 by former Throwing Muses members Tanya Donelly and Fred Abong. The band was based in Boston, Massachusetts, though all of the original members grew up in Newport, Rhode Island. The band consisted of Donelly on lead vocals and guitar, Abong on bass,...

     and L7
    L7 (band)
    L7 was an American rock band from Los Angeles, that was active from 1985 to 2000. Due to their sound and image, they are often associated with the grunge movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s.-History:...

    )
  • 1987: Coat of Arms
  • 1988: That'll Learn Ya
  • 1989: Bop Harvey
  • 1990: Jungle Dogs
  • 1991: Superbug
  • 1992: The Phobics
  • 1993: Angry Salad
    Angry Salad
    Angry Salad was an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band formed at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island in 1991.Before their major label deal, they had 1 full length CD Bizarre Gardening Accident and 1 EP The Guinea Pig EP. Angry Salad had an enthusiastic New England...

  • 1994: John Monopoly
  • 1995: Blairs Carriage
  • 1996: unknown
  • 1997: unknown
  • 1998: The L.U.V.'s
  • 1999: no competition
  • 2000: no competition
  • 2001: M-80 (band)
    M-80 (band)
    M-80 is a punk band formed in Rhode Island, July of 1999. The original line-up was Jeff Hanks and Dave Ladin from the Rhode Island Ska/Punk band Racketball and Christian Blaney and Paul Sumner of the local Rhode Island hardcore/punk band Arson Family. In 2002 Paul Sumner was replaced by Brian...

  • 2002: Monty Are I
    Monty Are I
    Monty Are I is an American rock band from Cranston, Rhode Island. Monty Are I is titled after the band instructor, Arthur Montanaro. The "Are I" portion of the name is a pun on "RI", Rhode Island's postal abbreviation.-History and Achievements:Monty Are I won Takeover Records' "Sign My Band"...

  • 2003: Zox
    ZOX
    ZOX is a band from Providence, Rhode Island that is self-described as "violin-laced Reggae rock." The band consists of four members: namesake John Zox , Eli Miller , Spencer Swain , and Dan Edinberg ....

  • 2004: The Lingo
  • 2005: Sasquatch & The Sick-A-Billys
  • 2006: The Sleazies
  • 2007: Triangle Forest
  • 2008: It Was The Best Of Times
  • 2009: Fairhaven
  • 2010: The Wandas
    The Wandas
    the WANDAS are an American rock band based out of Boston Massachusetts composed of Keith McEachern, Brent Battey, Ross Lucivero, and William Bierce. the WANDAS have been compared to Wilco, Elvis Costello, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and The Strokes....

  • 2011: VulGarrity

WBRU Summer Concert Series

Every summer the station puts on the WBRU concert series. The shows usually feature a popular band and a few local acts opening up. Initially, there were about 10 shows per year which were free to the public and paid for by sponsor booths, but in recent years the station has started charging for these concerts and has reduced the number of shows to 3 per year. In 2010, the station resumed free single artist Summer Concert Series concerts in addition to the multiple band for-pay concerts. Past concert series include:
  • 1996: The Cardigans
    The Cardigans
    The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...

  • 1997: Our Lady Peace
    Our Lady Peace
    Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...

    ; Echo & the Bunnymen
    Echo & the Bunnymen
    Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...

    ; The Seahorses
    The Seahorses
    The Seahorses were an English rock band, formed in 1996 by guitarist John Squire, following his departure from The Stone Roses.The band released one album in 1997 and began work on a follow up, before splitting up due to musical differences during recording sessions in January 1999.-History:Formed...

  • 1998: Candlebox
    Candlebox
    Candlebox is an American alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since their debut, the group has released four studio albums, which have achieved multi-platinum and gold certification, as well as numerous charting singles, a compilation, and a CD+DVD....

     and Fastball
    Fastball (band)
    Fastball is an American rock band that formed in Austin, Texas in the 1990s. The band originally called themselves "Magneto U.S.A." but changed their name after signing with Hollywood Records....

    ; Soul Asylum
    Soul Asylum
    Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1983.The band originally formed in 1981 under the name Loud Fast Rules, with the original line-up consisting of Dan Murphy, Dave Pirner, Karl Mueller and Pat Morley. The latter was replaced by Grant Young in...

    ; Save Ferris
    Save Ferris
    Save Ferris was a ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County, California. Their name is a reference to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.-History:...

    ; Gruvis Malt
    Gruvis Malt
    Grüvis Malt was a six piece band founded in Providence, Rhode Island in 1995. Grüvis Malt has released a total of seven full-length albums, one of which was released under Lakeshore Entertainment subsidiary Lakeshore Records, and three EPs...

    ; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
    Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
    Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing revival band from southern California. Their notable singles include "Go Daddy-O", "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight ", and "Mr. Pinstripe Suit". The band played the Super Bowl XXXIII half-time show in 1999.The band was originally formed in Ventura,...

  • 1999: Silverchair
    Silverchair
    Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...

     and Dovetail; The Flys and Fountains of Wayne
    Fountains of Wayne
    Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...

    ; The Verve Pipe
    The Verve Pipe
    The Verve Pipe is an American rock band from East Lansing, Michigan. It was formed in 1992 by Brian and Brad Vander Ark, Brian Stout and Donny Brown.-History:...

    ; Sponge
    Sponge (band)
    Sponge is a post-grunge band from Detroit, Michigan formed in 1991 by Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross, Tim Cross and Joey Mazzola. Sponge was signed to Sony Records in 1994 but have since switched to other labels....

    ; Beth Orton
    Beth Orton
    Beth Orton is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter, known for her 'folktronica' sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers in the mid 1990s. However, these were not Orton's first...

    ; Fuel
    Fuel (band)
    Fuel is an American rock band formed by guitarist/songwriter Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie in 1989. Originally known as Small the Joy, they changed the group's name to Fuel sometime in 1994...

     and Vertical Horizon
    Vertical Horizon
    Vertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band formed at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1991. The band is best known for a string of hits in 1999 and early 2000s, including "You're a God", "Everything You Want", and "Best I Ever Had ". Their most recent album, Burning the...

  • 2000: Guster
    Guster
    Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...

    ; Eve 6
    Eve 6
    Eve 6 is an American rock band from Southern California, who are most well known for their hit singles "Inside Out", "Leech", and the slow anthem "Here's to the Night". They disbanded in 2004, returned in 2007 with a new lineup, and finally reunited with all three original members in March 2011...

     and SR-71
    SR-71 (band)
    SR-71 is an American rock band that was formed in Baltimore, Maryland. They are best known for their 2000 single "Right Now", their 2002 single "Tomorrow", and as the authors of Bowling for Soup's 2004 hit "1985" . The name of the band came from SR-71 Blackbird, a supersonic surveillance aircraft...

    ; Vertical Horizon
    Vertical Horizon
    Vertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band formed at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1991. The band is best known for a string of hits in 1999 and early 2000s, including "You're a God", "Everything You Want", and "Best I Ever Had ". Their most recent album, Burning the...

     and 3 Doors Down
    3 Doors Down
    3 Doors Down is an American rock band from Escatawpa formed in 1996. The band consists of Brad Arnold , Matt Roberts , Todd Harrell , Chris Henderson , and Greg Upchurch ....

    ; Catherine Wheel
    Catherine Wheel
    Catherine Wheel were a four-piece alternative rock band from Great Yarmouth, England. The band was active from 1990 to 2000, experiencing fluctuating levels of commercial success, and embarking on many lengthy tours.-Biography:...

    , Wheatus
    Wheatus
    Wheatus are an American rock group from Northport, New York. They are known for their 2000 single "Teenage Dirtbag" which was featured in the movie Loser, as well as in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill.-1995-2002: Formation and Wheatus:...

     and Amazing Crowns
    Amazing Crowns
    The Amazing Crowns are a rockabilly band that began in Providence, Rhode Island in 1994. It was composed of vocalist Jason "King" Kendall, bassist Jack "the Swinger" Hanlon, guitarist J.D...

    ; The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. Since the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer Ben Carr have remained constant members...

     and Sum 41
    Sum 41
    Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...

    ; Everclear
    Everclear (band)
    Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...

    ; Silverchair
    Silverchair
    Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...

  • 2001: Better Than Ezra
    Better Than Ezra
    Better Than Ezra is an American alternative rock trio based in New Orleans, Louisiana.-Formation and early success:Better Than Ezra was formed in 1988 by its four original members - vocalist and guitarist Kevin Griffin; Joel Rundell, the lead guitarist; bassist Tom Drummond; and drummer, Cary...

    ; Rustic Overtones
    Rustic Overtones
    Rustic Overtones is a rock/jazz/funk band from Maine active from 1993–2002 and 2007–present. They were the first group to perform live on XM Satellite Radio, and their 2007 album Light At The End was the fastest-selling local disc ever in the state of Maine....

     and Bob's Day Off; Stroke 9
    Stroke 9
    Stroke 9 is an alternative rock band that was formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989.- History :The band formed due to a "Rock Band" class at Marin Academy in San Rafael, just north of San Francisco. In 1990, as a project, students Luke Esterkyn, Greg Gueldner, Tom Haddad and Kirsten...

  • 2002: New Found Glory
    New Found Glory
    New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...

     and Goldfinger
    Goldfinger (band)
    Goldfinger is a Los Angeles pop punk/ska punk band that formed in 1994. Currently, the band is composed of vocalist/guitarist John Feldmann, guitarist Charlie Paulson, bassist Kelly LeMieux, and drummer Darrin Pfeiffer...

    ; Better Than Ezra
    Better Than Ezra
    Better Than Ezra is an American alternative rock trio based in New Orleans, Louisiana.-Formation and early success:Better Than Ezra was formed in 1988 by its four original members - vocalist and guitarist Kevin Griffin; Joel Rundell, the lead guitarist; bassist Tom Drummond; and drummer, Cary...

     and Maroon 5
    Maroon 5
    Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...

    ; Pete Yorn
    Pete Yorn
    Peter Joseph Yorn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who first gained international recognition after his debut record, Musicforthemorningafter, was released to critical acclaim in 2001.-Early history:Yorn's father is a dentist and his mother is a former concert pianist who worked as a...

     and Sense Field
    Sense Field
    Sense Field was an American indie rock band from California, formed in 1991 out of the ashes of hardcore punk band, Reason to Believe.Sense Field has been largely credited with bringing their sound from emo circles to a more mainstream audience alongside contemporaries like Sunny Day Real Estate,...

     (moved indoors to Lupo's due to rain); Trik Turner
    Trik Turner
    Trik Turner is a rap rock band founded in Phoenix, Arizona in 1999. The band is best known for their song "Friends and Family," which reached the Top Ten on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and received airplay on MTV, VH1 and Adult Contemporary television and radio formats...

    ; Ash
    Ash (band)
    Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...

     and Unwritten Law
    Unwritten Law
    Unwritten Law is an American rock band formed in 1990 in Poway, California and currently recording for Suburban Noize Records. They have released seven full-length studio albums and have toured internationally, including performances on the Warped Tour...

     (moved indoors to Lupo's due to rain); Doves
  • 2003: Guster
    Guster
    Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...

     and ZOX
    ZOX
    ZOX is a band from Providence, Rhode Island that is self-described as "violin-laced Reggae rock." The band consists of four members: namesake John Zox , Eli Miller , Spencer Swain , and Dan Edinberg ....

    ; Third Eye Blind
    Third Eye Blind
    Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...

     and Hot Hot Heat
    Hot Hot Heat
    Hot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-Career:Dustin Hawthorne and Steve Bays had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one...

    ; Brand New
    Brand New
    Brand New is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2000, the band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Jesse Lacey, guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Vincent Accardi, bassist Garrett Tierney, drummer Brian Lane, and guitarist/keyboardist Derrick Sherman.In the late...

     and M-80
    M-80 (band)
    M-80 is a punk band formed in Rhode Island, July of 1999. The original line-up was Jeff Hanks and Dave Ladin from the Rhode Island Ska/Punk band Racketball and Christian Blaney and Paul Sumner of the local Rhode Island hardcore/punk band Arson Family. In 2002 Paul Sumner was replaced by Brian...

  • 2004: Lit, Local H
    Local H
    Local H is an American rock duo, formed by Joe Daniels and Scott Lucas in Zion, Illinois in 1987. Local H's 1996 album, As Good as Dead, includes the top 10 hit "Bound for the Floor" Author, rock critic and Rolling Stone contributor Greg Kot and the Chicago Tribune named the band its 2008 Chicago...

     and Finger Eleven
    Finger Eleven
    Finger Eleven is a Canadian rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 1989. They have currently released five studio albums, with their album The Greyest of Blue Skies bringing them into the mainstream...

    ; New Found Glory
    New Found Glory
    New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...

    , The Living End
    The Living End
    The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...

     and The Lingo; Lostprophets
    Lostprophets
    Lostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...

    , Midtown and Monty's Fan Club
    Monty Are I
    Monty Are I is an American rock band from Cranston, Rhode Island. Monty Are I is titled after the band instructor, Arthur Montanaro. The "Are I" portion of the name is a pun on "RI", Rhode Island's postal abbreviation.-History and Achievements:Monty Are I won Takeover Records' "Sign My Band"...

  • 2005: The Bravery
    The Bravery
    The Bravery is an American rock band from New York City that consists of Sam Endicott , Michael Zakarin , John Conway , Mike Hindert , and Anthony Burulcich...

     and Hot Hot Heat
    Hot Hot Heat
    Hot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-Career:Dustin Hawthorne and Steve Bays had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one...

    ; Finch
    Finch (American band)
    Finch was an American rock band from Temecula, California. The band released an EP Falling Into Place and two full-length albums, What It Is to Burn and Say Hello to Sunshine before declaring a hiatus in 2006. Finch reformed in 2007, playing a reunion show on November 23 at the Glasshouse in...

    , ZOX
    ZOX
    ZOX is a band from Providence, Rhode Island that is self-described as "violin-laced Reggae rock." The band consists of four members: namesake John Zox , Eli Miller , Spencer Swain , and Dan Edinberg ....

     and the Rx Bandits
    Rx Bandits
    RX Bandits is a four-piece band based in Seal Beach, California. The band formed in 1995 in Orange County, California. They have appeared on the Vans Warped Tour, at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and at The Bamboozle.-Early years :Originally known as...

    ; My Chemical Romance
    My Chemical Romance
    My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...

    , Alkaline Trio
    Alkaline Trio
    Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band that formed in McHenry, Illinois, in 1996. The band's line-up consists of Matt Skiba , Dan Andriano , and Derek Grant...

    , and Monty Are I
    Monty Are I
    Monty Are I is an American rock band from Cranston, Rhode Island. Monty Are I is titled after the band instructor, Arthur Montanaro. The "Are I" portion of the name is a pun on "RI", Rhode Island's postal abbreviation.-History and Achievements:Monty Are I won Takeover Records' "Sign My Band"...

  • 2006: Guster
    Guster
    Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...

     and Blizzard of '78; Hawthorne Heights
    Hawthorne Heights
    Hawthorne Heights is an American rock band from Dayton, Ohio, formed in 2001. Their line-up currently consists of lead-singer and rhythm guitarist JT Woodruff, lead-guitarist and vocalist Micah Carli, bassist and backing vocalist Matt Ridenour, and drummer Eron Bucciarelli...

     and Yellowcard
    Yellowcard
    Yellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin, unusual for the genre...

    ; Dropkick Murphys
    Dropkick Murphys
    Dropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....

    , Madball
    Madball
    Madball is a New York-based hardcore band that originated in the late 1980s, as a side-project of Agnostic Front .- History :Madball was founded in 1988 and featured most of Agnostic Front's members...

     and The Sleazies
  • 2007: Plain White T's
    Plain White T's
    Plain White T's is an American Pop rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1997 by high school friends Tom Higgenson and Ken Fletcher, the group had a mostly underground following in Chicago basements, clubs, and bars in its early years, and underwent numerous personnel changes.The band is best...

    , The Academy Is...
    The Academy Is...
    The Academy Is... was an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2003. Before dispersing, they were signed by the Decaydance imprint of the Fueled by Ramen label. They were originally known as "The Academy", but added the "Is..." in 2004 to avoid legal complications with other...

     and Arcadia Landing; The Bravery
    The Bravery
    The Bravery is an American rock band from New York City that consists of Sam Endicott , Michael Zakarin , John Conway , Mike Hindert , and Anthony Burulcich...

    , Shiny Toy Guns
    Shiny Toy Guns
    Shiny Toy Guns is an American indie rock band that formed in 2002 in Los Angeles, California. They released their first studio album We Are Pilots in 2006, after recording it two previous times. It featured three singles that peaked inside the top 30 in the Alternative Songs Chart. We Are Pilots...

     and Triangle Forest; Guster
    Guster
    Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...

     and Hello Mahalo
  • 2008: Death Cab for Cutie
    Death Cab for Cutie
    Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....

     and Amanda Palmer
    Amanda Palmer
    Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer , sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls...

    ; ZOX
    ZOX
    ZOX is a band from Providence, Rhode Island that is self-described as "violin-laced Reggae rock." The band consists of four members: namesake John Zox , Eli Miller , Spencer Swain , and Dan Edinberg ....

    , Badfish
    Badfish
    Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime is a tribute band dedicated to playing the music of Sublime and not to be confused with the original "Badfish" from Southern California. The group is named after a song appearing on the album 40oz. to Freedom...

    , Someday Providence
    Someday Providence
    Someday Providence is an alternative/rock/reggae band from Providence, Rhode Island. They are known for their seasonal song "Summertime in Rhode Island" which is played every year on WBRU during the summer...

    , Hello Mahalo and Scotty Don't; Paramore
    Paramore
    Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...

    , Jack's Mannequin
    Jack's Mannequin
    Jack's Mannequin is an American rock band formed in 2004, originally hailing from Orange County, California. The band began as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the frontman for Something Corporate, and is composed of guitarist Bobby Anderson, bassist Mikey "The Kid" Wagner, and drummer Jay...

    , Phantom Planet
    Phantom Planet
    Phantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...

     and Paper Route
    Paper Route (band)
    Paper Route is an American Indie rock band from Nashville, Tennessee formed in 2004. The band's self-titled debut EP was released on August 29, 2006.-History:...

    ; Ben Folds
    Ben Folds
    Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...

     and Missy Higgins
    Missy Higgins
    Melissa "Missy" Morrison Higgins is an Australian pop singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Her No. 1 albums in Australia are The Sound of White and On a Clear Night , and her Top Ten singles are "Scar", "The Special Two", "Steer" and "Where I Stood". From a musical family in...

  • 2009: Third Eye Blind
    Third Eye Blind
    Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...

     and Wild Light
    Wild Light
    Wild Light is a four-piece band from New Hampshire composed of multi-instrumentalists/vocalists Tim Kyle and Seth Pitman, guitarist/vocalist Jordan Alexander, and drummer Seth Kasper...

    ; The Airborne Toxic Event
    The Airborne Toxic Event
    The Airborne Toxic Event is an American indie rock band from Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. It consists of Mikel Jollett , Steven Chen , Noah Harmon , Daren Taylor and Anna Bulbrook...

    , Metric
    Metric (band)
    Metric is a Canadian indie rock and New Wave band founded in 1998 in Toronto. The band has also at various times been based in Montreal, London, New York City and Los Angeles...

    , Cage the Elephant
    Cage the Elephant
    Cage the Elephant is an American rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky, that formed in mid-2006. Since their formation, the band has gained a large following in the US as well as the UK and Canada for their sound and their high-energy live performances. The band released their self-titled debut...

     and The Nightwatchman
    The Nightwatchman
    The Nightwatchman is the alter-ego and solo act of Rage Against the Machine, Street Sweeper Social Club and former Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello...

    ; The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. Since the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer Ben Carr have remained constant members...

    , Ida Maria
    Ida Maria
    Ida Maria Børli Sivertsen is a Norwegian rock musician known primarily by the stage name Ida Maria. Her first album; Fortress Round My Heart was released in 2008...

     and Catch-22
  • 2010: AFI
    AFI (band)
    AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...

    , Violent Soho
    Violent Soho
    Violent Soho are a band from Brisbane, Queensland. The band formed in 2004. They are a quartet, with Luke Boerdam on guitar/vocals, James Tidswell on guitar/vocals, Luke Henery on bass and Michael Richards on drums...

     and New Politics
    New Politics (band)
    New Politics is a rock band from Copenhagen, Denmark. It is made up of David Boyd, Søren Hansen, and Louis Vecchio. They are probably most famous for their debut single, "Yeah Yeah Yeah" which was featured in the 2010 video game Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit....

    ; Fanfarlo
    Fanfarlo
    Fanfarlo are a London-based indie pop band formed in 2006 by Swedish musician Simon Balthazar, and Giles J Davis...

    ; Civil Twilight
    Civil Twilight (band)
    Civil Twilight is a three-piece rock band from Cape Town, South Africa. They are signed to Wind-up Records, and have released their self-titled debut album, Civil Twilight.-Origin:...

    ; Sit Down Baby; Fairhaven; Constellations; Santa Mamba; The Wandas
    The Wandas
    the WANDAS are an American rock band based out of Boston Massachusetts composed of Keith McEachern, Brent Battey, Ross Lucivero, and William Bierce. the WANDAS have been compared to Wilco, Elvis Costello, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and The Strokes....

     (canceled); Sarah Potenza and the Tall Boys; OK Go
    OK Go
    OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...

    ; Coheed and Cambria
    Coheed and Cambria
    Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....

    , The Dear Hunter
    The Dear Hunter
    The Dear Hunter is an indie rock band originating in Providence, Rhode Island. It began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo, formerly of post-hardcore band The Receiving End of Sirens...

     and Manchester Orchestra
    Manchester orchestra
    Manchester Orchestra is an American indie rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2005. The group is currently composed of rhythm guitarist-singer-songwriter Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, keyboardist and percussionist Chris Freeman, bassist Jonathan Corley, and drummer Tim Very...

  • 2011: Santa Mamba, Young the Giant
    Young the Giant
    Young the Giant is an American alternative rock band that formed in Irvine, California, in 2004. The band's line-up is Sameer Gadhia , Jacob Tilley , Eric Cannata , Payam Doostzadeh , and François Comtois...

    , Deer Tick, Sleeper Agent, Viva Brother, VulGarity, The Wandas
    The Wandas
    the WANDAS are an American rock band based out of Boston Massachusetts composed of Keith McEachern, Brent Battey, Ross Lucivero, and William Bierce. the WANDAS have been compared to Wilco, Elvis Costello, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and The Strokes....


WBRU Birthday Bash

The station also has their Birthday Bash concerts in November to celebrate the station's anniversary. From 2007 to 2010, the Birthday Bash was split from one concert to multiple concerts throughout November. Previously, the only time it was split was in 2001 where two concerts were held. Past Birthday bashes include :
  • 1994: Stabbing Westward
    Stabbing Westward
    Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...

    , Hole
    Hole (band)
    Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...

    , Weezer
    Weezer
    Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...

     and Sheryl Crow
    Sheryl Crow
    Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...

  • 1995: Lisa Loeb
    Lisa Loeb
    Lisa Anne Loeb is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She launched her career in 1994 with the song, "Stay ". She was the first artist to have a number one single in the United States while not signed to a recording contract.Loeb's efforts now include music, film, television, voice-over...

    , Ben Folds Five
    Ben Folds Five
    Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...

     and Everclear
    Everclear (band)
    Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...

  • 1996: Superdrag
    Superdrag
    Superdrag is an alternative rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee. The band had a hit with its 1996 single "Sucked Out" off their album Regretfully Yours, for which a video clip was broadcast regularly on MTV...

    , Republica
    Republica
    Republica are an English alternative rock band formed in 1994. The height of their popularity spanned from 1996 to 1999. The Republica sound was described by the band as "techno-pop punk rock"...

    , Soul Coughing
    Soul Coughing
    Soul Coughing was a popular New York-based alternative rock band. The band found modest mainstream success during the mid-to-late 1990s. Soul Coughing developed a devout fanbase and have garnered largely positive response from critics. Steve Huey describes the band as "one of the most unusual cult...

    , Local H
    Local H
    Local H is an American rock duo, formed by Joe Daniels and Scott Lucas in Zion, Illinois in 1987. Local H's 1996 album, As Good as Dead, includes the top 10 hit "Bound for the Floor" Author, rock critic and Rolling Stone contributor Greg Kot and the Chicago Tribune named the band its 2008 Chicago...

    , Luscious Jackson
    Luscious Jackson
    Luscious Jackson are an alternative rock group formed in 1991. The band's name was inspired by now-retired American basketball player Lucious Jackson....

    , G. Love and Special Sauce, The Lemonheads
    The Lemonheads
    The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band first formed in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member....

    , Goldfinger
    Goldfinger (band)
    Goldfinger is a Los Angeles pop punk/ska punk band that formed in 1994. Currently, the band is composed of vocalist/guitarist John Feldmann, guitarist Charlie Paulson, bassist Kelly LeMieux, and drummer Darrin Pfeiffer...

     and Fun Lovin' Criminals
    Fun Lovin' Criminals
    The Fun Lovin' Criminals is an American alternative hip hop / alternative rock group from New York City. Their musical style is primarily eclectic, covering styles such as hip hop, rock, funk, blues and jazz. Their songs often deal with life in New York City, as well as urban life in general...

  • 1997: Letters to Cleo
    Letters to Cleo
    Letters to Cleo was an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts perhaps best known for the 1993 single "Here & Now" from their full-length debut album Aurora Gory Alice...

    , Ben Folds Five
    Ben Folds Five
    Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...

    , Catherine Wheel
    Catherine Wheel
    Catherine Wheel were a four-piece alternative rock band from Great Yarmouth, England. The band was active from 1990 to 2000, experiencing fluctuating levels of commercial success, and embarking on many lengthy tours.-Biography:...

    , Everclear
    Everclear (band)
    Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...

    , Sneaker Pimps
    Sneaker Pimps
    Sneaker Pimps were a British trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their first album Becoming X and particularly the singles "6 Underground", "Spin Spin Sugar", and "Tesko Suicide" from the same album...

    , Days of the New
    Days of the New
    Days of the New is an American alternative rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians...

    , Blink-182
    Blink-182
    Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...

     and Ben Harper
    Ben Harper
    Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...

  • 1998: Placebo
    Placebo (band)
    Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...

    , Cracker
    Cracker (band)
    Cracker is an American alternative rock band featuring founders/songwriters singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. They are best known for their platinum-selling 1993 album, Kerosene Hat, featuring the hit songs "Low", "Euro-Trash Girl", and "Get Off This".Founders Lowery and Hickman...

    , Local H
    Local H
    Local H is an American rock duo, formed by Joe Daniels and Scott Lucas in Zion, Illinois in 1987. Local H's 1996 album, As Good as Dead, includes the top 10 hit "Bound for the Floor" Author, rock critic and Rolling Stone contributor Greg Kot and the Chicago Tribune named the band its 2008 Chicago...

    , Everlast
    Everlast (musician)
    Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...

    , Marcy Playground
    Marcy Playground
    Marcy Playground is an American alternative rock band consisting of three members: John Wozniak , Dylan Keefe , and Shlomi Lavie . The band is best known for their 1997 hit "Sex and Candy".-Early years:...

    , Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
    Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
    Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing revival band from southern California. Their notable singles include "Go Daddy-O", "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight ", and "Mr. Pinstripe Suit". The band played the Super Bowl XXXIII half-time show in 1999.The band was originally formed in Ventura,...

    , Godsmack
    Godsmack
    Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...

     and Eels
    Eels (band)
    Eels is an American indie rock band formed by singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E...

  • 1999: G. Love and Special Sauce, Vertical Horizon
    Vertical Horizon
    Vertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band formed at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1991. The band is best known for a string of hits in 1999 and early 2000s, including "You're a God", "Everything You Want", and "Best I Ever Had ". Their most recent album, Burning the...

    , Guster
    Guster
    Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...

    , Primus
    Primus (band)
    Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...

    , Our Lady Peace
    Our Lady Peace
    Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...

    , Foo Fighters
    Foo Fighters
    Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...

    , Run-DMC, Staind
    Staind
    Staind is an American rock band that was formed in 1995 in Springfield, Massachusetts. For 16 years, the band consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki...

    , Kid Rock
    Kid Rock
    Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...

    , Tori Amos
    Tori Amos
    Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...

     and Marcy Playground
    Marcy Playground
    Marcy Playground is an American alternative rock band consisting of three members: John Wozniak , Dylan Keefe , and Shlomi Lavie . The band is best known for their 1997 hit "Sex and Candy".-Early years:...

  • 2000: Orgy
    Orgy (band)
    Orgy is an American synth rock band formed in 1996, from Los Angeles, California. Orgy described their music as "death pop".-History:Orgy was formed in 1996 by vocalist Jay Gordon and guitarist Ryan Shuck. Bassist Paige Haley, guitarist Amir Derakh, and drummer Bobby Hewitt soon completed the line-up...

    , Disturbed, Dexter Freebish
    Dexter Freebish
    Dexter Freebish is a band based in Austin, Texas, consisting of lead singer Kyle, guitars of Scott Romig, bass and vocals of Chris Lowe, and the drums of Rob Schilz...

    , VAST
    VAST
    VAST is an American industrial rock band based in Austin, Texas. The acronym VAST stands for Visual Audio Sensory Theater and is the main creation of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jon Crosby...

    , Linkin Park
    Linkin Park
    Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...

     and Collective Soul
    Collective Soul
    Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...

  • 2001: Tantric
    Tantric (band)
    Tantric is a rock band from Louisville, Kentucky. The group has released four studio albums since 2001; although, their last two albums only retain Tantric's original singer, Hugo Ferreira...

    , 311
    311 (band)
    311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...

    , Adema
    Adema
    -2003–2004: Unstable, Mark Chavez's and Mike Ransom's departure:Adema's second album, Unstable, was released by Arista in August 2003. It was produced by Howard Benson, whose credits also include producing albums with P.O.D., Hoobastank and Cold....

     and Lit; Coldplay
    Coldplay
    Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...

    , Remy Zero
    Remy Zero
    Remy Zero were a Birmingham, Alabama-based alternative rock band made up of Cinjun Tate , Shelby Tate , Cedric LeMoyne , Jeffrey Cain and Gregory Slay prior to his death in January 2010.-History:Before Remy Zero had released any full length albums, Radiohead found their demo tape and invited...

     and Delta Clutch
  • 2002: SR-71
    SR-71 (band)
    SR-71 is an American rock band that was formed in Baltimore, Maryland. They are best known for their 2000 single "Right Now", their 2002 single "Tomorrow", and as the authors of Bowling for Soup's 2004 hit "1985" . The name of the band came from SR-71 Blackbird, a supersonic surveillance aircraft...

    , Ash
    Ash (band)
    Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...

    , Ok Go
    OK Go
    OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...

     and Box Car Racer
    Box Car Racer
    Box Car Racer was a short-lived American post-hardcore band from San Diego, California, formed in 2002. The band was a side-project of guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker of Blink-182, along with lead guitarist David Kennedy of Hazen Street, and touring bassist Anthony Celestino...

  • 2003: The Crystal Method
    The Crystal Method
    The Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...

    , Rancid
    Rancid (band)
    Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...

    , Something Corporate
    Something Corporate
    Something Corporate is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. Their current line-up includes pianist and vocalist Andrew McMahon, guitarist Josh Partington, bassist Kevin Page and drummer Brian Ireland....

    , Yellowcard
    Yellowcard
    Yellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin, unusual for the genre...

    , Brand New
    Brand New
    Brand New is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2000, the band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Jesse Lacey, guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Vincent Accardi, bassist Garrett Tierney, drummer Brian Lane, and guitarist/keyboardist Derrick Sherman.In the late...

    , Kill Hannah
    Kill Hannah
    Kill Hannah is a rock band formed in 1993 in Chicago. The band has released six studio albums, seven EPs, and two compilation albums as well as three DVDs.-History:...

    , Story of the Year
    Story of the Year
    Story of the Year is an American rock band formed in St. Louis, Missouri in 2000. The band was initially named 67 North but was then changed to Big Blue Monkey...

     and Three Days Grace
    Three Days Grace
    Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...

  • 2004: Skindred
    Skindred
    Skindred is a Welsh rock band from Newport. The band was formed in 1998 following the disbandment of vocalist Benji Webbe's previous band, Dub War. Skindred's musical style mixes alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and reggae...

    , Papa Roach
    Papa Roach
    Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...

    , The Used
    The Used
    The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. The band was founded in 2001 and signed to Reprise Records the same year. They rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third...

    , Taking Back Sunday
    Taking Back Sunday
    Taking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....

    , Lit, Coheed and Cambria
    Coheed and Cambria
    Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....

    , M-80
    M-80 (band)
    M-80 is a punk band formed in Rhode Island, July of 1999. The original line-up was Jeff Hanks and Dave Ladin from the Rhode Island Ska/Punk band Racketball and Christian Blaney and Paul Sumner of the local Rhode Island hardcore/punk band Arson Family. In 2002 Paul Sumner was replaced by Brian...

     and Presidents of the United States of America
    The Presidents of the United States of America (band)
    The Presidents of the United States of America, commonly referred to as Pot USA or "PUSA" or The Presidents, are a twice Grammy-nominated American alternative rock band. The band formed in Seattle, USA, in 1993. The three-piece group currently comprises vocalist and "basitarist" Chris Ballew,...

  • 2005: Zox
    ZOX
    ZOX is a band from Providence, Rhode Island that is self-described as "violin-laced Reggae rock." The band consists of four members: namesake John Zox , Eli Miller , Spencer Swain , and Dan Edinberg ....

    , Story of the Year
    Story of the Year
    Story of the Year is an American rock band formed in St. Louis, Missouri in 2000. The band was initially named 67 North but was then changed to Big Blue Monkey...

    , 30 Seconds to Mars
    30 Seconds to Mars
    30 Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998. Since 2007, the band has consisted of actor Jared Leto , Shannon Leto and Tomo Miličević...

    , Morningwood
    Morningwood
    Morningwood is an alternative rock band from New York City, USA, founded in 2001 by Pedro Yanowitz and Chantal Claret. Morningwood was signed to Capitol Records.-Career:...

     and Sasquatch and the Sick-a-Billys
  • 2006: My Chemical Romance
    My Chemical Romance
    My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...

     and Say Anything
    Say Anything (band)
    Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.In...

  • 2007: Avenged Sevenfold
    Avenged Sevenfold
    Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....

     and Operator
    Operator (band)
    Operator is an American post-grunge band from Los Angeles, California, United States. The name Operator was used for a solo project created by Johnny Strong, an Actor/Musician/Martial Artist, who has appeared in movies such as Black Hawk Down , The Fast and the Furious, "Get Carter", and "The...

    ; Papa Roach
    Papa Roach
    Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...

     and 10 Years; Against Me!
    Against Me!
    Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida and relocated to Gainesville, Florida in 1999. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records in 2002, was Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose. They have released music on Misanthrope Records, Crasshole Records,...

     and Sage Francis
    Sage Francis
    Paul "Sage" Francis is a hip-hop artist from Providence, Rhode Island.-Biography:Born Paul Francis in Miami, Florida, Sage Francis is a rapper/writer/performer from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the founder and CEO of the independent hip-hop record label Strange Famous Records...

    ; Silversun Pickups
    Silversun Pickups
    Silversun Pickups is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band comprises Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester....

    , Triangle Forest and Steel Train
    Steel Train
    Steel Train is an indie rock band from New Jersey. They have toured with Tegan and Sara, Girl in a Coma, Ben Folds, The Fray, Silversun Pickups, Hanson, The Format, Gomez, O.A.R., Barenaked Ladies, Fun and others...

    ; Cake
    Cake (band)
    Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...

     and Detroit Cobras
  • 2008: Shiny Toy Guns
    Shiny Toy Guns
    Shiny Toy Guns is an American indie rock band that formed in 2002 in Los Angeles, California. They released their first studio album We Are Pilots in 2006, after recording it two previous times. It featured three singles that peaked inside the top 30 in the Alternative Songs Chart. We Are Pilots...

    ; Girl Talk
    Girl Talk (musician)
    Gregg Michael Gillis , better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is an American musician specializing in mashups and digital sampling. Gillis has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on 333 and 12 Apostles....

     and Senior Discount; Mindless Self Indulgence
    Mindless Self Indulgence
    Mindless Self Indulgence is an American musical group formed in New York in 1997. Their music has a mixed style including rap, punk rock, alternative rock, electronica, techno and industrial...

     and Leathermouth
  • 2009: Passion Pit
    Passion Pit
    Passion Pit is an American electropop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The group, which formed in 2007, consists of Michael Angelakos , Ian Hultquist , Ayad Al Adhamy , Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer...

    ; Monty Are I
    Monty Are I
    Monty Are I is an American rock band from Cranston, Rhode Island. Monty Are I is titled after the band instructor, Arthur Montanaro. The "Are I" portion of the name is a pun on "RI", Rhode Island's postal abbreviation.-History and Achievements:Monty Are I won Takeover Records' "Sign My Band"...

    ; AFI
    AFI (band)
    AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...

     and Gallows
    Gallows (band)
    Gallows are a hardcore punk band from Watford, England. The band was formed in 2005 after the disbandment of founding member Laurent Barnard's previous band, My Dad Joe. Gallows' debut album, Orchestra of Wolves, was distributed in the United States by Epitaph Records, and they were subsequently...

    ; Silversun Pickups
    Silversun Pickups
    Silversun Pickups is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band comprises Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester....

     and Cage the Elephant
    Cage the Elephant
    Cage the Elephant is an American rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky, that formed in mid-2006. Since their formation, the band has gained a large following in the US as well as the UK and Canada for their sound and their high-energy live performances. The band released their self-titled debut...

  • 2010: Guster
    Guster
    Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...

     and Jukebox the Ghost
    Jukebox The Ghost
    -Everything Under the Sun:Jukebox the Ghost's second album was released on September 7, 2010. 'Empire' the first single, was released on June 1, 2010.-External links:* * * * *...

    ; The Wandas
    The Wandas
    the WANDAS are an American rock band based out of Boston Massachusetts composed of Keith McEachern, Brent Battey, Ross Lucivero, and William Bierce. the WANDAS have been compared to Wilco, Elvis Costello, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and The Strokes....

    ; Neutral Nation
    Neutral Nation
    The Neutrals, also known as the Attawandaron, were an Iroquoian nation of North American native people who lived near the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.-Territory:...

    ; Motion City Soundtrack
    Motion City Soundtrack
    Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1997. The band consists of founding members Justin Pierre and Joshua Cain , along with keyboardist and moog synthesist Jesse Johnson, bassist and backing vocalist Matthew Taylor, and drummer, percussionist and...

    , Say Anything
    Say Anything (band)
    Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.In...

     and Saves the Day
    Saves the Day
    Saves the Day is an American rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, formed in 1994. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, bassist Rodrigo Palma, and drummer Claudio Rivera....

    ; Matt & Kim and Javelin
  • 2011: Matt & Kim, Young the Giant
    Young the Giant
    Young the Giant is an American alternative rock band that formed in Irvine, California, in 2004. The band's line-up is Sameer Gadhia , Jacob Tilley , Eric Cannata , Payam Doostzadeh , and François Comtois...

     and The Naked and Famous
    The Naked and Famous
    -Studio albums:-EPs:-Singles:-B-sides:-Music videos:-In popular culture:"All of This" was featured in the fourth episode of The Secret Circle....


News department

WBRU has a full news department, with sports news and entertainment news divisions. For 2007 they won the Massachusetts/Rhode Island Associated Press awards in the college division for Best Web Site, Best Investigative Reporting, Best Breaking News, Best Feature Reporting, Best Continuing Coverage, Best Sports Program, and Best Use of Sound, and the award for News Station of the Year.

Notable alumni

WBRU staff members have gone on to excel in a variety of areas. They include:
  • Christiane Amanpour
    Christiane Amanpour
    Christiane Amanpour, CBE is anchor of ABC News's This Week and formerly chief international correspondent at CNN, where she worked for 27 years. She is a Board Member at the IWMF .-Early years:...

    , CNN
    CNN
    Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...

     Foreign Correspondent
  • Ralph Begleiter
    Ralph Begleiter
    Ralph J. Begleiter is an American journalist and educator who teaches courses in communication, political science and journalism at the University of Delaware...

    , former CNN correspondent and Distinguished Journalist in Residence, University of Delaware
    University of Delaware
    The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...

  • Chris Berman, anchor, ESPN
    ESPN
    Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

     and ABC Sports
  • Lisa Birnbach
    Lisa Birnbach
    Lisa R. Birnbach is an author best known for co-authoring The Official Preppy Handbook, which spent 38 weeks at number one on the New York Times bestseller list in 1980.-Career:...

    , author
  • Monica Brady-Myerov, radio news reporter WBUR
    WBUR
    WBUR refers to two radio stations in Massachusetts, WBUR AM and FM, both owned by Boston University. WBUR is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, Massachusetts, along with WGBH and WUMB-FM, and the only one to focus exclusively on news and talk...

  • Karyn Bryant
    Karyn Bryant
    Karyn Bryant is an American actress, writer, and television personality.-Early life:Bryant was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, completed secondary school at Lawrence Academy at Groton, and received bachelor's degrees from Brown University in political science and...

    , former MTV VJ, television personality, actress
  • Andy Fisher
    Andy Fisher
    Andy Fisher is a professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s, and coach of the 2000s who at club level has played for Hull, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, and Dewsbury Rams, playing at , or , i.e...

    , president of Cox Television
    Cox Communications
    Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...

  • Ben Harvey
    Ben Harvey
    Ben Caleb Harvey is an American radio and television personality, best known for his evening radio show on the now-defunct 92.3 K-Rock in New York City....

    , TV and radio host, Here! (TV network)
    Here! (TV network)
    here! is an American premium television network targeting the LGBT audiences. Launched in 2002, here! is available nationwide on all major cable systems, fiber optics systems, and Internet TV providers as either a 24/7 premium subscription channel, a video on demand service, and/or a subscription...

     and formerly WXRK, New York city
  • Stephen Hill, executive VP of programming at BET
    Black Entertainment Television
    Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...

  • Tom Hunter, former president, MTV
    MTV
    MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

    , Latin America
  • George Hyde, RAB Executive Vice President
  • Nancy Josephson, Co-President of International Creative Management
  • Jonathan Klein
    Jonathan Klein (CNN)
    Jonathan Klein is the former president of CNN/U.S., who was responsible for management oversight of all programming, editorial tone and strategic direction of the network. Klein led CNN during its coverage of the 2008 presidential election, which resulted in the highest ratings in the history of...

    , president, CNN/U.S.
  • Josh Klemme, Vice President, Tenth Street Entertainment, Manager: Steven Tyler
    Steven Tyler
    Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...

    , Buckcherry
    Buckcherry
    Buckcherry is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1995. The band released two albums, Buckcherry and Time Bomb , before partially dissolving in the summer of 2002. In 2005, lead vocalist Josh Todd and lead guitarist Keith Nelson reformed Buckcherry and released a new album...

    , Blondie
    Blondie (band)
    Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...

    , Papa Roach
    Papa Roach
    Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...

    , Jet
    Jet (band)
    Jet are an Australian rock band formed in 2001 while attending St Bede's College Mentone in Melbourne, . The band consists of lead guitarist Cameron Muncey, bassist Mark Wilson, and brothers Nic and Chris Cester on vocals/rhythm guitar and drums respectively...

    , Drowning Pool
    Drowning Pool
    Drowning Pool is a four-piece alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas.-Early days :Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner was certified platinum within six weeks...

    , Cold
    Cold
    Cold describes the condition of low temperature.Cold may also refer to:*Common cold, a contagious viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system*Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...

    , Crossfade
    Crossfade (band)
    -Studio albums:-Singles:...

  • Bill Lichtenstein
    Bill Lichtenstein
    Bill Lichtenstein is a print and broadcast journalist and documentary producer. Lichtenstein is president of the independent media production company, Lichtenstein Creative Media....

    , journalist, filmmaker and president, Lichtenstein Creative Media
  • Doug Mayer, producer, Car Talk on NPR
  • Aaron Schatz
    Aaron Schatz
    Aaron Schatz is the creator of Football Outsiders and one of the main contributors to Football Outsiders Almanac, published yearly since 2005...

    , ESPN.com NFL analyst and founder of Football Outsiders
    Football Outsiders
    Football Outsiders is a website started in July 2003 which focuses on advanced statistical analysis of the NFL. The site is run by a staff of regular writers, who produce a series of weekly columns using both the site's in-house statistics and their personal analyses of NFL games.In 2005 and 2006,...

  • Jane Spencer
    Jane Spencer
    Jane Spencer is an American Filmmaker who co-wrote and directed the film Little Noises, with lead actors Crispin Glover, Tatum O'Neal and Rik Mayall which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, was screened at the Goteborg Film Festival , Wine Valley Festival and was distributed in the USA and...

    , Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Wall Street Journal
  • Alison Stewart
    Alison Stewart
    Alison Stewart is an American radio and television journalist. She was one of the hosts of the Bryant Park Project, a morning drive news program from NPR...

    , daytime anchor for MSNBC
    MSNBC
    MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...

  • Rob Tannenbaum, music editor of Blender
    Blender (magazine)
    Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....

    magazine and creator of What I Like About Jew
  • Peter Tannenwald, attorney
  • Matt Wald, reporter, New York Times
  • Ben Weiser, reporter, New York Times
  • Manuel "The Wizard" Diaz, Jr., DJ
    Disc jockey
    A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...

    , KCRH 89.9 and 106.9 FREE FM
  • Dick Wingate, former SVP A&R PolyGram Records, SVP Marketing Arista Records, SVP Content & Programming Liquid Audio, Chief Content Officer, Nellymoser, Inc.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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