WOMR, in Provincetown, Mass., is a unique volunteer-driven and member-supported community radio station that broadcasts a wildly eclectic range of music and talk programming at 92.1 FM, in Provincetown, and also via its sister station, WMFR, at 91.3 FM, in Orleans, and streams live on womr.org. Next spring it will celebrate 40 years of continuous broadcasting, a remarkable achievement for a non-commercial station. The station recently added new programs as the pandemic waned. (Let’s hope the waning continues!)
One show caught our particular attention. It is intriguingly called Chill & Dream. The DJ, who goes by "Braintree Jim," recently told us that the music he plays is a form of sonic escapism and aural nostalgia. "People are searching for a refuge from the storm," he said. His show recalls pop tunes from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s and mixes those classics with a modern spin, what he calls a fusion of "chill wave" (a nod to so-called yacht rock of the 70s) and "dream pop" (a derivative form of ‘80s pop music). As he says, "it is a safe space from politics, pandemics and put-downs."
His live show on Saturday, Oct. 30, at 9 a.m, will capture that spirit. He plans on something that recalls the ‘70s. "It feels like we are reliving the ‘70s all over again -- talk of stagflation, higher energy costs, comparisons of Afghanistan to Vietnam. What's next? Browns and burnt oranges?" he wonders.
"We got through that period with music so I think recalling the music from 40-50 years ago may help us deal with the present. It will be a fun show, as the ‘70s were a fertile period of creativity. And the music still resonates, which is the main point. Music then had something to say. And it still connects. And we all need an escape. I am not sure I would look good in bell bottoms and platform shoes. But that's OK. We all need to chill and dream."
All shows are streamed live and you can go to womr.org to view the schedule of all the programming.
