Photo by Megan Krause
Tarik Moody
Tarik Moody
On Juneteenth Day, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee will launch Milwaukee’s new Urban Alternative channel led by Rhythm Lab Radio creator and host Tarik Moody.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is providing a $450,000 grant to Radio Milwaukee to help create the new channel. The Urban Alternative channel will offer an eclectic radio experience, celebrating the full spectrum of Black music and the power of public radio. It will have an on-air presence and use a multi-platform digital approach online. Radio Milwaukee’s current programming on 88.9FM will also continue on-air and on its digital platforms.
“Our Urban Alternative channel aims to reclaim the word ‘urban’ for the Black community,” Moody explains. “Instead of putting Black artists in a box, our channel will celebrate the beauty and diversity of Black music and creativity.” In early 2022, the station will hire additional Urban Alternative staff members and will share the channel’s name and brand identity.
Moody said the station will be 24/7 on HD-2 and via stream. It will be on 88.9FM from 9 p.m.–3 a.m., Monday through Friday. Additionally, it will also be accessible on HD-2 and streaming via the app and smart speakers.
“My vision is that this product will be a media platform, which will include podcasts, stories, events like festivals, even hosting other streams like ones for jazz, etc.,” he says.
“It will be a platform to support Black artists, entrepreneurs and creators in the city. I want Milwaukee to be proud of the station. I want the rest of the country to see this station as a tastemaker. I want it to be a megaphone for Milwaukee’s Black creativity and talent.”
If Moody’s track record with Rhythm Lab, which he began on Minnesota Public Radio in 2005, is a guide, the new venture should prove interesting. Regarding Rhythm Lab, he says, “It is a process that happens every day at work, at home, and in the car. I’m always listening to new music, which I gather for the week’s show. Then on Friday, I collect all the music I listen to and find the artists and songs that I want to feature in the show. I also do research on the new artists because I want to tell a story about them as well.”
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“The show also evolved with the changing sounds of the music,” he continues. “It was never stuck in the past. It always paid tribute to the artists that paved the way but the sound always evolved and that is what I love about the show.”
Ever the musical omnivore, asked to pick a few examples of Black music, here is what comes to Moody’s mind: Detroit Techno (Carl Craig, Underground Resistance); Drum N Bass (Goldie, Roni Size); Jazz (Sun Ra, Kamasi Washington); Electronic production (Flying Lotus, Kaytranada); Chicago House (Frankie Knuckles, Mr. Fingers); Hip Hop (Kendrick, MF DOOM, Lakeyah); Punk & Funk (Death, Fishbone); Indie (TV On The Radio, Toro Y Moi) and Afrobeat (artists like Tems and Wizkiz.)
New 88Nine Radio Milwaukee Café and Eatery
The station also announced plans for a renovation and expansion for a café. It will be operated by Milwaukee chef and restaurateur Chad Meier, who owned the top-rated fine-dining restaurant Meraki in Walker’s Point. Meraki closed in August 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The $770,000 renovation and expansion for a will feature a full food and beverage menu and covered outdoor seating. The 333-square-foot addition to the front of the café and eatery area will bring the café space to a total of 1,650 square feet. The remodel will also include three garage doors with windows along the sidewalk to allow partial open-air use of the community room and connections to the outdoor seating.
When complete, the eatery will include 35 seats inside and 30 outdoors. Construction is slated to begin later this year, with the café and eatery opening tentatively scheduled for late February. Stone Creek Coffee had operated in the space until permanently closing the location in November due to the pandemic.
