MACON, Ga. -- A partnership between the owners of The Rookery and the owners of the periodical 11th Hour will bring a new kind of radio station to Macon -- one made by people in Macon for people in Macon.
On July 8th at 10:09 a.m., the radio station 100.9 The Outlaw will cease broadcasting. It will become 100.9 The Creek, and Brad Evans, one of the co-owners of the new station, said it will be like nothing else in Macon.
"We're going to be playing Otis Redding and James Brown and Eddy Henton and everybody else you can think of that was connected to Macon in some way," Evans said.
He stood amid paint cans, loose cords, and tangled Christmas lights on the second floor of 533 Cherry Street. He and his team were discussing how to design their new studio. They want it to be open to the public, and they hope people will hear the music and then stop by to see the disc jockeys in action.
Two large windows overlook Cherry Street from the studio, another symbol of how Evans hopes the station becomes a part of the community: welcoming in local artists and writers, and broadcasting out local music and local programming.
"There's going to be something for everybody on this station. I think you're going to be surprised at all the music that you may not have heard before that you're going to enjoy," Evans said.
The rooms of the second floor of 533 Cherry Street may have been empty Thursday afternoon, but they weren't quiet. The sound of Amanda Christopher singing updated versions of Christian hymns floated lazily through the halls.
Christopher doesn't usually rehearse during the week; she sings on Sundays and rehearses on Sundays. But, this week, she met with her musical partner and guitarist Arthur Lin of Americus, Ga.
Thursday morning, Evans heard Christopher's voice as she was rehearsing on the second floor of 533 Cherry Street.
He asked if she would perform live on 100.9's first show. She's never sang publicly anywhere other than church, but she said yes.
It meant a lot to Christopher for Evans to ask her that. Not just because it was a recognition of her vocal talent, but because the building that will now hold the new radio station once also held something important to Evans.
It held an important event, to be precise.
"This building is actually where I got married," Evans said nonchalantly, taking in the room, seemingly realizing the fact on the spot.
"This building has a special place in my heart, I guess, so I think it's neat that they'll be doing it here and bringing people downtown," she said.
The first floor of 533 Cherry Street will soon serve as an expansion of the restaurant of The Rookery, as well as the lobby for 100.9 The Creek.