The Wacqueline Stern Show grew out of the West End Report on the Arts, a radio show on WCOM 103.5 FM, Carrboro and Chapel Hill, NC's all volunteer radio station. Hosted by Jackie "Wac" Helvey, the show features professionals in the field of the arts - writers, musicians, painters, dancers, illustrators, filmmakers, actors, theater folks, poets, potters, sculptors, comedians, clothing designers, silk-screeners, gallery & club owners, arts patrons & promoters, radio show hosts, mask-makers, childrens' book authors & illustrators, teachers and even our own magician, who brings the magic to our show! Thanks Magic Mike!
Helvey began videotaping the show in July, 2009 and airing these video editions of her interviews online with links on Facebook. Chad Johnson, director of The Peoples Channel, saw the videos and suggested she produce her own show, which she promptly did. Leery of her own skills but willing to try anything, the first episode of The Wacqueline Stern Show aired on February 20, 2010. The show airs on The Peoples Channel in Carrboro/Chapel Hill at 11am on Tuesdays and in Durham at 4pm on Wednesdays. The shows are also below. Individual interview videos can be found online on Vimeo. Helvey highlights players in the area arts scene and Friday night performers next door to the radio station at Cat's Cradle and other local area clubs. It's a fun, easy spot before performing on a Friday night. Upcoming Interviews: January 27 - Musicians Jay Kutchma and his wife, filmmaker Beth, of The Power of 26, a short film screened at the CFF February 6 - Singer/songwriters Bibis Ellison and Andy Bilinski February 10 - NC Comedy Arts Festival February 17 - Artist Laura Williams February 24 - kri and hettie March 2 - Stephanie Ladd March 9 - Bob Palmatier April 20 - North Caroline Youth Tap Ensemble Recent Interviews: January 20 interview video - La Bete Magique - Bella Mead and Tehila Rosenblatt-Farrell January 13 interview video - Singer/songwriter Kyle Scobie January 6 interview video - Chef/author Dorette Snover Tune in to 103.5 FM or stream the show live at wcomfm.org. Podcasts of past shows, going back to the very beginning, can be listened to and the Wac Stern RSS feed can be subscribed to here. Wacqueline Stern Productions also creates cooking demo videos for Carrboro Farmers' Market. The Evolution Before WCOM began broadcasting in 2004, Jackie was involved with fundraising efforts to get the radio station off the ground, and redesigned and maintained the WCOM website for several years, taking over from original designer Chris Frank. At the urging of Audrey Layden, her original cohost, Helvey began broadcasting, focusing on the arts, at 6pm on March 2, 2007, from beautiful downtown Carrboro, at the radio station's original location on the corner of West Weaver & North Greensboro Streets. Her first guest was Billy Sugarfix. Cohost Valarie Schwartz now runs the board, from the station's new location at 208 East Main St., in front of Cat's Cradle, taking over in January, 2011. Thanks to both Val & Audrey, for keeping the sound straight, as well as contributing with insightful comments and questions. Thanks also to local filmmaker Nic Beery for the contribution of a light for filming. It's great to be illuminated. A big thank-you goes out to Jay Kutchma, for allowing us to use the music from his in-studio performance of "Radio On." The song is so fitting for this show, just perfect. Thanks again Jay! His song plays in the outgoing credits. Without the talent of Jay and all of our other guests, this show couldn't happen. Thanks also to Julian (Don Julio) Sikes from the band Deep Chatham and Shannon O'Connor, for the music for the new entry, which also features the WCOM mural hanging in front of the station created by David Sovero. All of the The Wacqueline Stern Show episodes are available on Vimeo. Links with a short synopsis of each show are listed below. Whether online in video, podcasts, or live streaming, on TV, or on the actual radio on WCOM 103.5 FM, Fridays at 6pm, thanks for checking us out! The Wacqueline Stern Shows Episode #23 features an interview with author/playwright Sarah Froeber discussing her Ebook "The Gift of Many Lives-Encountering My Other Selves." Interview 2 features UNC's Pauper Players, Ben Boecker, Emily Ellis, Alex Daly and Doug Pass, who tell us about Guys and Dolls at the ArtsCenter & even sing us a song! Episode #22 features an interview with photographer/filmmaker/artist Todd Gaul, who shot and edited "Drowned Out," the film that won the best overall music video at the HearNC Film Festival, and interviews with Richard Jaimeyfield who started the HearNC Film Festival last year, and singer/songwriter Bibis Ellison, who performs "Foxes." Episode #21 features actress and artist Susan Palm Siplon discussing the upcoming Carrboro Film Festival and all the stuff she's been doing the past few years, and artist Phil Blank, who created the logo for the 2011 Carrboro Film Festival, does cartoons for the Carrboro Citizen, and plays accordian in the band Gmish. Episode #20 features artists Mark Todd, Betsy Vaden and Linda Carmel with the upcoming Orange County Open Studio Tour, and foodie Sheri Castle with her new cookbook - The New Southern Garden Cookbook: Recipes for Enjoying the Best from Homegrown Gardens, Farmers' Markets, Roadside Stands and CSA Farm Boxes. Episode #19 features an interview with Gerry Williams, head of the Carrboro Music Festival, telling us what we can look forward to at this year's festival, including new acts and more, and an interview with Framer's Corner owner David Summer, discussing his new space on West Main St. in Carrboro. Episode #18 features an interview with Jay Miller, interim director of the ArtsCenter, and his wife, artist Ebeth Scott-Sinclair, who run Shared Visions Foundation. They performed "It's Been So Long." Interview two features acrylic painter C.J. Calvin. C.J. had an exhibit of his fantastic paintings at the Century Center. Episode #17 features an interview with Linda Booker, discussing her movie "Bringing It Home," a documentary on America's First Hemp House, in Asheville, NC. Linda tells us about the many practical and safe uses of hemp, and the current, ridiculous law that prohibits farmers in the US from growing hemp. Interview two features performances by Shannon O'Connor and Julian Sikes, from the bands Baby Cowboy and Deep Chatham. Shannon performs "Threesome" and "Sober," and Julian performs "Carolina Rain" and "Don't Let Me Down." Episode #16 features an interview with arts dynamo Alexis Mastromichalis, owner of Nightlight Club in Chapel Hill, and an interview with renaissance man Chip Hoppin, creator of Fanaticmasks, member of a band called the Testostertones and co-owner of The Merch, a silk-screening company in Carrboro. Episode #15 starts with an interview with patron of the arts Dan, owner of The Uncommon Garden. Every year the ArtsCenter in Carrboro has a fundraiser called "The Uncommon Garden Tour," this year happening on April 30th. We walked though the Garden 10 days before the tour, capturing photos and video featured here. Episode #14 features interviews with Barbara Rich, Executive Director of FRANK Gallery in downtown Chapel Hill, and Marianita Stevens, one of their member artists, their Featured Artist of the Month, and also one of the curators of the show, “Seeing the Figure," a walk through of FRANK accompanied by the music of Omar Ruiz-Lopez and Catherine Steele, and Snuzz and Sam Frazier playing "Crime Fightin' Buddy" and "Call Me Baby," off their new CD "Carving Pumpkins." Episode #13 features a slideshow of the "Local Histories" exhibit at 523 E. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill, interviews with artist elin O'hara slavick, discussing the show, and comedian Tom Keller yucking it up and talking about the NC Comedy Arts Festival. Episode #12 features interviews with Melissa Cain, Executive Director of the Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation, and Susan Reda, a board member and member of the Committee for the Chapel Hill Experiences Project. Learn about the new online CHARITY AUCTION launch, a series of 12 unique Chapel Hill Experiences. Our second interview is with Reid Johnson, Maria Albani and Chris Badger, ¾ths of the band Schooner. They perform "I Won't Follow You Around No More," "Fortuition," and "Feel Better," and tell us about CyTunes.org, a website designed to raise money for cancer research, dedicated to local musician Cy Rawls. Episode #11 features interviews with Pam Pease, author of pop up books, a design series for young students, and owner of PaintboxPress.com, and Katharine Whalen, William Dawson and River Takada-Capel discussing the 2010 Festifall Arts Fair in Chapel Hill. Katharine & William perform "Mother's Day" and "Virgin." In Episode #10, Wac turns the table on Frank Stasio, host of The State of Things on UNC radio, learning about his road to get to where he is, and an interview with Seattle-based musicians Ian McFearon and Alisa Milner, playing at Cat's Cradle, who perform the title cut off their new CD, "Love Me Blue" and "Anna Through The Veil." Episode #9 features interviews with filmmaker, Carrboro Film Festival founder and co-chair in 2010, Nic Beery, Carrboro Film Festival volunteer Alyson Brown, and artist Ron Liberti, who created the poster/logo for the 5th Annual Carrboro Film Festival. Episode #8 features an interview with author Nic Brown ("Doubles" & "Floodmarkers"), and an interview with Jeri Lynn Schulke, Director of the Youth Performing Arts Conservatory at The ArtsCenter and Jeff Meanza, Education and Outreach Director for the PlayMakers Repertory Company, discussing the Summer Youth Conservatory. Episode #7 features interviews and a performances by Shelley Higgins and Dave Smith from Club Boheme, and violinist Omar Ruiz-Lopez and bassist Catherine Steel. Episode #6 features an interview and poetry with/by Carrboro Poet Laureate Jay Bryan and an interview with actress, acting teacher, and producer Melissa Lozoff. Episode #5 features an interview with artist & writer Maggi Grace, an interview with and performance of "Sparrow" by musician Andy Bilinski, and a performance of "Feel Better" by Schooner. Episode #4 features a New Years Day interview with Magician Mike Casey, with the song "Paper Napkins" by The Future Kings of Nowhere, musician Andy Bilinski performing "Sparrow," an interview with Paula Pazderka from Dirty South Improv Theater (DSI) and a snowy Carrboro scene. Episode #3 features interviews with classical pianist Greg McCallum, and Dr. Lulu Royster & Anthony Boykin performing "Midnight Ride" and "I Feel Better With Music." The curriculum "I Feel Better With Music," is designed to help children with cancer cope with the disease, and a sneak peek at our next show, on a snowy winter night in Carrboro. Episode #2 features interviews with filmmaker Ajit Prem, actor Mike Harris and filmmaker Todd Tinkham, with students Chris and Hannah Brown. Episode #1 This premier episode features an interview and performances of "You're No Match for Me," "Aurora" and "What Fresh Hell Is This?" by musician Gilbert Neal, a performance of "Radio On" by Jason Kutchma of Red Collar, a performance of "I Know You Well" by Katharine Whalen & William Dawson of Lucky, and a performance of "Midnight Ride" by Dr. Lulu Royster and Anthony Boykin. If you would like to suggest a guest, please email wac@wacquelinestern.com. WCOM 103.5 FM is Carrboro/Chapel Hill's all-volunteer radio station, with over 60 locally produced shows live every week. Every Friday at 6 pm features the Wacqueline Stern Show. Podcasts of the shows are online at http://feeds.feedburner.com/wcomfm/WEROA. There are many locally produced shows on WCOM who are seeking underwriters, so tune in. You just never know what you might learn! We rely on underwriters to stay on the air as an all-volunteer radio station. TOP Email Wacqueline Stern ©2010-11 UniqueOrn Enterprises