WUGA FM

WUGA-FM Completes First Ned Bridges Memorial Concert Series

WUGA-FM, in cooperation with the Athens Folk Music and Dance Society (AFMDS), presented The Ned Bridges Memorial Concert Series this past Fall and Spring. Named in memory of Ned Bridges, an AFMDS member instrumental in its development, this eclectic series featured three world-renowned actsÑBeausoleil, Cherish the Ladies, and BR5-49.

Beausoleil (right) was the first act, performing October 22, 1999. The Grammy-Award-winning band hails from Lafayette, Louisiana, and has been called "the best Cajun band in the world" by Garrison Keillor, host of National Public Radio's "Prairie Home Companion."

Next up was Cherish the Ladies (left) who performed on April 6, 2000. New York's Irish Echo calls the group "one of the world's premier Irish traditional bands" and claims that the group achieved the "rarefied ranks of major-label status with undiminished strength and imagination."

BR5-49 (below) completed the series on May 6, 2000, with a concert rescheduled from January due to inclement weather. The group has won nationwide acclaim, mixing classic 1940s and 1950s honky-tonk sounds with their own originals. All three concerts were held in the Georgia Center's Mahler Auditorium. The series was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Council for the Traditional Arts.

In addition to cooperative productions such as this series with the AFMDS, WUGA-FM develops and produces a number of musical and informational projects throughout the year, including the Georgia Center's Masters Hall Productions, and other local music events. Operated by the Georgia Center, WUGA-FM is a member of National Public Radio and the Peach State Public Radio Network and an affiliate of Public Radio International.

"Once in a Blue Moon" Scheduled for August 25, 2000
"Once in a Blue Moon," WUGA-FM's popular variety show, returns Friday, August 25, 2000, to mark the station's 13th anniversary of broadcasting. Among those scheduled for the program are folk vocalists The Solstice Sisters; alternative folk artist Vic Chestnut; country band Redneck Grease Deluxe; author Phillip L. Williams; and the House Band featuring John James on saxophone. "Once in a Blue Moon" will be broadcast live from the Georgia Center's Hugh B. Masters Hall over the Peach State Public Radio Network. For more information, call 706-542-WUGA (9842) or go to www.wuga.org.