Radio Goddess

WMMR's month-long tribute to Cyndy Drue and "Street Beat."

By a.d. amorosi

When Marconi invented radio, I'm pretty sure he didn't expect all the hubbub, hirings, and Howard Sterns. He was a simple Italian guy who just wanted to hear Verdi louder.

With that, the local ol' solo mio of rock radio programming has loudly undergone tons o' tumult. While hardly a new phenomenon, whole stations have changed format and chunks of reliable staff have been shown the door.

Why? Because there are no reliable demographics anymore — a most frightening proposition for any marketing person. Kids may very well be tired of listening to guitar bands ONLY cranked up to 7. Perhaps, like AC/DC, the kids want to rock. Adults on the other hand are busy watching Friends and worrying that their kids WON'T turn out this way. To this confusing end, WMMR has grown more adult while WYSP has become more childish, louder.

Funny f'rinstance: the other evening, Mel Toxic, a man once identifiable as a WDRE modern rock guy (ie: "Hey, that's BEEEEEEEEEEEEYORK!") was announcing from his new perch at WYSP that they'd be sponsoring AC/DC's upcoming performance. Heh! Last year, WMMR might've been doing this and Toxic would've been hyping Bush! Why did these stations switch identities? And who the fuck is Bush?

While all this goes on, there are a few constants in the stream. Ray Koob's Rockers program on WMMR will always be THE haven for kids who like to sniff glue and talk about Yngwie Malmstein. Another WMMR constant, for ten years now (Feb 9, 1986), has been their local-band hyping show, Street Beat.

Long before anyone else had tried, DJ/host Cyndy Drue, perhaps the longest part-time employee of any radio station anywhere, gave local bands the opportunity (sometimes the ONLY one) to hear themselves live and loud on the radio. Some of these bands, like Lancaster's Public Affection who went on to become Live, have struck gold and continued onward. Some, like Kenn Kweder, have made a profitable career out of Philly itself. Some have faded away for better or for worse. There are others I could only pray fall into a dank muddy pit. Without prejudice though, Drue has been the most encouraging of all radio personalities throughout the decade by putting her money (or at least a bunch of demo tapes) where her mouth is.

"I wanted to do something at the station I could call my own," says Drue about the beginnings of the program and her entrance into 'MMR. "To find my own niche. I was never interested in being 'just a DJ' or being 'on air' full time. The idea bored me then and bores me now. I never asked for any of the major openings — like Gonzo Greg's or Matt Chord's — that opened up."

It should be noted that Drue has another career. She does voice-overs for everything from CD-ROMS, to books on tape, industrial films and commercials. Drue started at WMMR in 1983 after a stint on WYSP, and on radio stations in Allentown and Baltimore before that.

"When I got to 'MMR, I asked my boss, then program director Ted Utz, if there was something I could do that would be interesting. He suggested a local band show (named by promotions director Jack Quigley), which appealed to me because I genuinely liked a lot of the groups that were coming out of here: Spaces, the A's, The Hooters. We started off playing the bands that had records like the Vels, Smash Palace, Beru Revu, but we requested that other bands send their tapes. It took about a year before the deluge, though. I don't think THEN that a lot of these bands had themselves on tape. I think the show became instrumental in focusing a lot of these bands. It gave them an incentive and an outlet. Selling them would come later."

So kids had a goal: get Cyndy a tape and she'll play it. Simple. Among her favorite acts then were "bands who have all broken up," she giggles as she names some particulars like Honor Society from Delaware (a few who became Caulfields, another — Chaz Molins — works for Caroline) Naked Twister, Second Generation.

"I'd love to see how some of these older bands would fare in the current local music climate," a climate that recently has included major label signings like Wanderlust's Scott Sax who debuted his demo "Jenny on TV" and Tommy Conwell — the first Street Beat graduate to make a success of himself, says Drue.

Throughout February, listeners will hear a collection of Drue's favorite moments, musically and otherwise, that have been gathering dust in her closet for ages.

She laughs while talking about the memories she hopes the month-long tribute will inspire. "It'll give people a chance to remember, to laugh, to be embarrassed. Like what about the Darrows? There's Mark and he's in the Low Road, there's Derrick, he's in X's & O's. That type of thing. I found Jim Canfield reading one of his poems. Hearing the Innocence Mission and Conwell before they got signed. Really those are the most rewarding moments, hearing those bands before anyone else did. "

"The show has been a great connector, some people I've dated, some people I've hung with. It feels like my child, a baby I had with 'MMR and Ted Utz that we've nurtured together. I have immense affection for it. "

With all this affection coupled with Drue's charming, happy demeanor, there must be a side to this that's less than optimistic, less than smiling. With all the changes at WMMR and a local scene that blows like the weather, what does she see in her crystal spiked heel?

"In a way, I'm detached. The station has simply let me be. Sometimes I'm concerned with the direction the station is taking, it seems a little unfocused, but it doesn't affect what I do. The show is an island. I'd rather the show be on earlier so that a larger group of people could listen but I'm grateful it's still on the air. "

SPACEJUNK: Did Atlantic records actually bring songstress/piano temptress Tori Amos to the Troc for an exclusive listening party? And did anyone ask her why she named her new disc Boys for Pele after an old soccer player?... Clubbing by the numbers: the boys from Milkbar will open their after hours club, 1-11, at the old Harlow's in the Bourse real soon. While you wait, ye olde Biarritz, the infamous onetime Locust St. Italioaftahhour joint wit' a twist will now be called 1416. Why? 'Cause he said so... Aroma, the scratch n' sniffin noise congregation, are putting out their own 17-song CD at the exact second that they set foot on the Middle East stage on Feb. 9 to open up for Noel's Boss Hook Up... Drummer Ronnie Crawford is back behind the skins for June Rich after leaving the gals (and Gary Lee! How could you?) to tour with Lisa Loeb. Does this mean the very end of Loeb's career? Please?! Speaking of Geffen acts, if I were you I'd catch the new all-guy trio Loud Lucy who's opening for Annisette Morrissey, er, Alanis Morrissette at Electric Factory on Feb. 2 (but forget trying to get in — the show's sold out). The nearly Chicago-based band have a fab disc Breathe (produced by Brad Wood, the dude that did Veruca Salt/Liz Phair) that is the most "ut" in its Beatle-y pop and production chops... Crunchy stuff: Now that New Jersey's Galaxy has re-opened under the watchful eye of Metal Wolf bassist/former Pin Ups manager Joe Kane, expect the metal space to blow up. As of the second week of Feb. expect live bands (no thrash or grunge allowed) and metal dance nights to pop up. All this metal (hey AC/DC at the Spectrum, Iron Maiden and Tesla at EF; I thought I saw the factory staff wearing spandex tights with daggers on em!) seems to be happening at once as WMMR DJ behemoth Ray Koob starts his Rocker's Sundays at Middle East (the best show here being the Empty Stares/The Trip show on Feb. 18), as well as Shooters Sundays being dedicated to original rock (apparently Shooters and Galaxy will have booking assistance from the lovely Lynn Ramage). Plus, Dean Davidson, late of Brittany Fox (yup), is hosting the Velvet Lounge on Frankford Ave. every Thurs., presenting his new grown up rocking stylee la Mellencamp/Crow, etc. If this means any Tom Joad shit, I'll knock the skulls right of his boots! What does all this mean? Dee Snyder will always have a home... Birthdays: wish bon vivant/snappy dresser Peter Dellabono and the family's general Dylan, Irish lady Karen McCrory, actor/bouncer Troy Jackson, trucker/rocker Tommy Ryan and the three wise men of dance, DJ's Dozia, Tripp and twinklytoed Rahsaan, all da best. Also a club newborne: Aaron Oliver Beckman to the folks who run the Black Banana... What makes those fab new CDs from Buzz Zeemer (who'll have their big listening party for "PlayThing" this Monday Feb. 5 at Grape St. Don't ask Tom DelColle to make you a martini!) and the Low Road so distinct, so divine, so sparkly? They both have cover art from Nicole Ruhl Fichera. Got a problem, call her old man... Producer Scott Herzog will be working on the next Matt Sevier masterwork at his Third Story Studio. Good luck. Unrelated but for its architectural terminology is Norristown's newest hot spot Morley's Second Story. The space—a gay bar upstairs with a fine restaurant downstairs — (at 36 E. Main St.) looks like its gonna blow up soon. Be there at the start of the frenzy so you can brag to your friends later.