WUTK touts itself as “local music’s best friend,” and that’s no exaggeration. For four decades now, no radio outlet has done more to promote local bands and musicians of every conceivable genre than 90.3 The Rock.
In a way, local music was the incubator in which WUTK was born. Throughout the 1970s and early ‘80s, the Cumberland Avenue “Strip,” which ran through the heart of the University of Tennessee campus, was a hotbed of local talent. From country swing to raucous punk to New Wave to the alternative sounds that literally became college rock, one club after another set a standard that Knoxville has lived up to ever since: homegrown sounds that, in a just world, would rival Billboard’s biggest chart-toppers.
On WUTK, they did and still do. Local artists aren’t relegated to the a.m. hours every other Tuesday; they get prime airtime alongside popular peers, and for the uninitiated, there’s little difference in quality, musicianship or soul. That allegiance has spawned a legion of local veterans young and old who proudly tout WUTK as the East Tennessee radio station that matters most to local music.
R.B. Morris
Poet, playwright,
singer-songwriter, activist
For those of us who need rock in our lives, WUTK is always there. Like an old friend in the neighborhood, Benny & co. always bring it.
Jeff Heiskell
Realtor. Musician: Judybats, Heiskell
The sense of community fostered by WUTK has been a driving force for all of us independent musicians harking back to the ’80s. Discovering new music on the station led to creating new music back in the day. Best memory is sitting in an old ’70s Chevy pickup truck in the parking lot at the Carousel with redneck Robert who I was running hard with at the time when Coldplay’s “Yellow” debuted on the station and cranking the volume on that s— radio and Robert saying, “What is that crap?” and me telling him to shut the fat queer f—ing redneck f— up and listening to the tune in its entirety and feeling musically changed forever. Super ditto hearing My Bloody Valentine. I tune in for the same reasons: to discover something new and uncover the latest local gems.
Chris Rusk
Booking agent, Prater Day.
Musician: Temp Job, Ex Gold, Royal Bangs
I’ve appreciated WUTK for bringing in people from the local indie/punk scene to DJ over the years, giving them an opportunity to promote some lesser-known local shows that maybe only local weirdos would know about. Did it result in college kids actually coming out? Maybe one or two? Either way, I always enjoyed hearing it. WUTK has always been down to help promote Punk Rock Flea Market, so much appreciation for that, as well.
Rus Harper
Instructor, Pellissippi State. Musician: Teenage Love13, Melungeons, Evil Twin
For years, WUTK was the only radio station to have anything to do with local rock. They absolutely set the standard. They played our music (even the one that had to have half the chorus beeped) and promoted our shows. They were always a consistent support for local music of all stripes. I’ve lost count of all the interviews, promotions and all-around support my own projects have enjoyed from all the fine freaks at that station. And then there is the amazing Benny Smith. They made being in a rock band even more fun. Happy 40th, and THANK YOU!!!
Scott Miller
Cattle farmer. Musician: Scott Miller and the Commonwealth, The V-Roys
I think anyone who listens to any college radio knows the “alternative” moniker is a godsend from the crapola with which the programmed/Clear Channel/corporate-owned stations pollute the airwaves. It’s also an alternative helping hand to bands/artists such as I locally. Viva la left of the dial and WUTK!
Carl Snow
Guitar instructor. Musician: Koro, RED, Carl Snow Band
I remember back when WUTK started pushing local music, with an insanely gung-ho “let’s do this thing” Benny Smith at the helm. My hardcore band Koro was just splitting up, and I had a new band, RED, that had just recorded a first-demo “cassette EP,” as was the rule in those salad days. I pleaded with Benny to please give it a listen sometime. Next thing I know, I’m hearing it all the time on the radio, resulting in many gigs for us. By the time we recorded the second cassette thing, Benny had become a great friend to me and a great pusher of all things local. He did as much for my band (the Carl Snow Band) recently with no signs of inertia entering his insanely energetic sphere of influence. He has, as he did in the early ‘80s, given me a chance again. Then “The Funhouse” came along to add its insanity and local focus, and the rest is living history. WUTK is an institution, and I am proud to be institutionalized with such great folk. WUTK has been my friend for 40 years now, and I can’t think of a better one. Thank you!
Todd Steed
WUOT music director and “Improvisations” host. Musician: Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere, Smokin’ Dave and the Premo Dopes
WUTK gave me a chance to both be on radio and to have my music played on radio at a crucial time when I was trying to figure out what the heck to do. It helped me figure it out very quickly. And I got to interview the Minutemen. So yeah. Premo all the way around.
Camp Childers
Associate director, MLB Network.
Musician: STDs
As a guy that likes to listen to the radio, WUTK was great. I like the Rolling Stones and Beatles greatest hits, but I got needs to hear other stuff, too. One of the greatest moments of my life was bringing the Minutemen down there for Todd Steed to interview them. This was a few weeks before the Jacksons were playing some shows at Neyland Stadium, and there had been some kind of threats made against them. This was a little before “Double Nickels (on the Dime)” came out, but they had a sampler of it, and Mike Watt personally picked “Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing” for the occasion. First time I ever heard that song. That album and band made my life better, and to think I was there getting a preview at WUTK.
Jack Rentfro
Editor, “Cumberland Avenue Revisited.” Musician: Potluck, Cheap Shoes,
Jack Rentfro and the Apocalypso Quartet
It seems like I grew up with The Rock in my ears. From the very beginning, the station has been the best promoter and cheerleader for local artists. And I feel lucky to count Benny Smith as a friend and collaborateur that entire span of time. Now, I’ve never been one for nostalgia – and I would never have predicted Talking Heads would be a Golden Oldie – but who else is gonna play “Naïve Melody” in the middle of the afternoon so I can pull over and skank like David Byrne into a weedy, litter-strewn shoulder?
As I’ve gotten older, there is more music coming over the horizon than I can keep track of so I’ve always depended on them for new sounds. WUTK has bestowed upon me what little literacy I have in hip-hop. All the while cranking out a steady bill of fare including reggae, Americana, World Beat, and Britpop to name a few genres. Over the decades, they’ve introduced me to more bands than I can possibly recall on short notice – What is that right now? 21 Co-Pilots with Parachutes? Lorde del Ray? Childish Bombino? Hell yeah.
Now shut up and play me some Box of Frogs.
Tim Lee
Musician: The Windbreakers, Tim Lee 3, Bark, Whole Wizard
As someone whose entire musical journey is predicated on the existence of college radio, I naturally have a deep appreciation for Benny Smith and WUTK. I listen to the radio in the car a good bit, and always start at 90.3 to see what’s happening there.
For all of the station’s diversity of programming, I especially enjoy the fact that you hear so much local music on an hourly basis. I’ve heard a lot of my local favorites on WUTK first.
Wil Wright
Composer, producer, video editor. Musician: Senryu, LiL iFFy, Peak Physique
Not to put too fine a point on it, but Benny and WUTK’s impact on our community and careers gets summed up, by them, all the time when they premier someone’s new track or book them to come in or anything helpful. They always say, “This is what we do.” And that’s it. Benny and WUTK use their entire bandwidth to elevate our music community and fasten it to this place. At no point, in my 20 years of Knoxville music production, have I ever felt ignored or left out to dry on my work. And, beyond that, Benny does something strangely excellent, for me anyways: He makes me excited about what I’m doing. He values our music so much, even when we are passé about it. That value the station places on our craft and a million other anecdotal examples of tireless effort, is why WUTK under Benny is absolutely essential to our music community continuing to be so strong. It’s what they do.
John Davis
Musician: Superdrag, The Lees of Memory
I first became a listener in ’91. That was the “green-and-black logo” era. If memory serves, there was a big banner at the UT Battle of the Bands in ’92, and that’s where I saw the 1-900s for the first time. They were unbelievably great. I thought, “These guys are from here, and they’re good enough to be on SST!” Then I started paying way more attention to local music. That’s when I started taping “Tennessee Tracks,” when Don (Coffey Jr., who would go on to drum for Superdrag) and Mike Smithers were the hosts. Under assumed names! The days of the CART machines. The first song that comes to mind is “Red, Black & Blue” by Gut Truck. They had the raddest stickers that looked like the Hot Wheels logo. I’ve loved WUTK ever since. Once Superdrag formed and started recording, they embraced our music from day one. That was huge. Benny booked us many, many times. He’s in all the YouTube videos at the beginning, telling people about upcoming shows. Thank you, Benny! When they say they’re “local music’s best friend,” they really mean it. College radio, in my opinion, is like a cultural non-negotiable. It’s got to be there. Long live WUTK! More tower = more power!
Hector Qirko
Professor of anthropology, College of Charleston. Musician: Lonesome Coyotes, Balboa, Hector Qirko Band, R.B. Morris
WUTK has been very important to me and the bands I’ve been in over the years by playing our recordings and giving us opportunities to do specialty shows. It plays great music, a lot of it cutting edge I don’t hear anywhere else – in fact, a lot of artists I love, I first heard on it. It’s community-supported and it supports the community, and of course UT students, just as it should be. Lots of great people, and I think Benny Smith in particular should receive a “Keep Knoxville Beautiful” Award. I live away now, but I still listen on the web and always turn it on when I come into K-town.
Kevin Crothers
Multi-media producer, radio host, educator. Musician: Sea 7 States
The first time that I heard of WUTK was when my friend Jim McBee, whom I had met while working the log flume at Silver Dollar City (later Dollywood) and with whom I was running a mobile DJ service (mostly for divorced singles groups) told me that he was helping to build a radio station at UT (we were both engineering students) and asked if I would like a tour. We entered through what was then a hallway but that was later walled up and became the music library. I distinctly remember crawling under the production room mixer to inspect the wiring.
As soon as it went on the air I became an instant fan, though listening was problematic in distant Murvil (Maryville). I experimented with various antenna types and eventually found the solution with a long wire hanging out of my bedroom window.
I became a big fan of two particular Sunday shows: “Music For A Different Society” and “New Airwaves.” (I have many airchecks of both on my blog (audioarchives.blogspot.com).
In particular, I was a fan of “New Airwaves,” as it often played local bands such as the Real Hostages, the Five Twins, Balboa, etc. In ’82 I was in a “New Wave” cover band with Scott Carpenter (later of The HomeBoys, What Alice Found and the Taoist Cowboys) so I had a nascent interest in the local music scene. I had also for the last few years been recording my own quirky (polite word for weird as s—) songs as Kevin and the K-Tels.
In the summer of ’81 I recorded a novelty song titled “I Hate Babies” as a response to the working conditions at my summer job with the 13-30 Corp (later, Whittle). see also: https://audioarchives.blogspot.com/2005/03/i-no-longer-hate-babies.html
One Sunday “New Airwaves” debuted a midnight feature called the Outhouse Tapes wherein they would play home recordings from local musicians. Smokin’ Dave was the first one. The next day I spooled up the reel-to-reel and dubbed a copy of IHB and hand-delivered it to the station. To my surprise and delight it made its debut the next Sunday (and I had a cassette running).
The rest is music history.
In the following years I found my way onto the staff, producing a specialty show (“The Blast From The Past”) with first co-host Walt Montgomery and then second co-host Scott Carpenter, and later serving as production director while in Communications grad school.
WUTK was generally supportive of my projects, playing The HomeBoys, Sea 7 States, Kevin and the K-Tels, The 13th Generation, and the myriad of other bands that I recorded (Awfully Anglo, Three Ring Psychosis, Taoist Cowboys, What Alice Found, Self-Monster etc.).
Unfortunately, by the late ’80s UT had installed the irascible grumpy old man John Carr as head of the station, and we butted heads regularly, with me (and my bands) getting banned from the airwaves as retribution for the Saturday afternoon that I played “Metal Machine Music” in its entirety (thanks to Jay Nations at Raven, who kindly gave me the copy when I told him the plan). I mean, technically it WAS an oldie by that point, and fit the format of my show …
Anyway, that initial introduction to non-commercial radio led to stints at WUOT, WMDR, WATE, WOHM and to this:
https://charlestoncitypaper.com/wyla-97-5-finds-its-focus-in-charlestons-legit-music-scene/
wildsmith@blanknews.com
