WMMR Celebrates a Milestone at The Annual MMRBQ Festival

93.3 WMMR The Annual MMRBQ Festival 2018

BB&T Pavilion, Camden, NJ, USA, May 19, 2018

By: Steve Trager

It has been more than just a celebration as radio fans of Beasley Broadcasting’s 93.3 WMMR celebrated more than just a birthday at the annual MMRBQ, we alongside the millions that listen daily with the greatest vault of music has reached a milestone in the broadcasting field.

While radio stations and their formats quickly change within a blink of an eye, WMMR has certainly survived a momentous chapter in radio history spanning countless generations of music fans alike share one thing in common the love for Rock.

It’s definitely not just the music blasting throughout the airwaves anymore, it’s also the on-air personalities that bring the station to life on a daily basis 365 days a year.

As WMMR recently turned 50 years old, it’s more like celebrating a milestone in life as a radio station continuing to move forward with no barriers in music.

Perhaps there is no better way to really celebrate a historic moment that reaches just once, with their annual kick-off to summer with the MMRBQ style festival, now going into its 11th season as a premier mini-festival with some the best bands in today’s music.

Despite the not so great weather that sometimes puts a damper on that outdoor rock fever for summer concerts, this year seemed to be no exception with a stellar lineup of Artists, many new faces and a few old alumni veterans returning back for yet another rock and roll meltdown.

Carrying on the tradition of exposing Philly fans to an array of local talent throughout the years, the station continues to shed the spotlight on backyard undiscovered bands with Jaxons’ local shot with another great opener In the Presence of Wolves. These guys defiantly earned themselves the spotlight this year as I have heard their music and it’s quite good.

We all have our band favorites not just from one or two songs that have often become a staple in everyday rock radio but we have the tendency to expand our horizons with a unique blend of rock artists that have made WMMR’S BBQ a great day-long celebration of summer concerts.

Thos years’ lineup had some additional fresh faces while blending in a few past Alumni Artists that have graced the stage in previous festivals.

There is nothing like enjoying some great sets by Radkey, The Record Company, and Dorothy spread out in about three hours, to a fantastic solo set with Korn’s Jonathan Davis which was nothing short of stellar. Mind you I have been a Korn fan from their early days, it is nice to see a new direction for Davis with a solo band spanning his limelight as a creative artist.

Sitting through the general admission portion of some great music which made the day move super fast, the anticipation of how well Stone Temple Pilots would be received with their New front vocalist Jeff Gutt. You might say he has a big set of shoes to fill not so much the shadows of Scott Weiland but earning the current spotlight which he does quite well with ” Dead and Bloated”, ” Interstate Love Song”, and “Plush” amongst their sixty-minute set.

Since STP has previously performed on two different MMRBQ’S, this one certainly stands out with Jeff Gutt, his

voice and stage presence is incredible and adds a whole new chapter for this band moving forward.

I absolutely love the on-time slots between bands, come on time, play a great set and a quick set change and ready to be entertained back to back throughout the entire day.

After a quick set change Ghost unveiled a stripped down smaller production for their appearance at the MMRBQ. While Ghost is no stranger to the Philly area with having played at 2016’s Rock Allegiance, The Trocadero and an opening slot on the Iron Maiden Tour, I would have to say I am pretty impressed with this Band, even if is a whole new lineup with a new vocalist.

Actually, who would have thought a mere five years or so ago Ghost was just emerging onto the rock scene, and yet today they are creating quite a buzz both rock radio and as headliners with the most captivation live show ever.

Even with a new frontman still surrounding the limelight in the latest fold of Ghost, they still sound great even better I think to date.

Defiantly a different sound altogether with a new CD which had unleashed a great new single entitled ” Rats ” built for melodic metalheads surrounding that classic rock sound all wrapped up in one.

Although we only seem to know Square Hammer, obviously a song that got rock radio’s attention like a speeding bullet, yet they have numerous great songs spanning their catalog.

We may never know the other musicians behind those masks, but one thing is quite clear, they absolutely entertain fans with a stellar set.

This year’s annual MMRBQ just couldn’t get any better with a great seventy-five minute plus set with the return as the headliner Alice In Chains. It’s been about five years since they released a new CD, but for now we still have all those great songs that etched their signature sound thanks to Lane Staley from the early days of Grunge to the present with William Duvall who absolutely gives new life to each and every song since he joined in early 2005.

It comes to no surprise for AIC to surround themselves with stellar hardcore fans who sat through segments of rain

and damp weather conditions all day until they took center stage at 10:15 and opened the show with ” Bleed The Freak “.

I absolutely still love all the older songs that made this band nothing short of greatness from their debut effort ” We Die Young” and ” Sea of Sorrow” just two of many of the great ass whopping grunge iconic songs that still have that new live sound with William Duvall blasting his vocals center stage at MMRBQ 2018.

Capping out the entire night with ” Man In The Box” a typical song that first etched rock life into Alice In Chains back in 1991. A definite fan favorite as always.

With attending countless radio events, it’s really hard to say who was better then who anymore as each year it is always a great daylong event with friends and fellow rockers who join together for a celebration of something we all share for the love of music and a momentous moment that says welcome to summertime concerts in Philadelphia.

 

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Photo Gallerys

Alice In Chains

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Stone Temple Pilots

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Dorothy

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Ghost

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Jonathan Davis

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Radkey

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The Record Company

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