WXPN hosts share memories for a milestone Free At Noon

This Friday marks a major milestone in WXPN history — the 1,000th time an artist we love has performed a free midday concert for our music community. The first Free at Noon concert, starring troubadour Donavon Frankenreiter, took place on February 11th, 2005. It was an idea that originated from music director Dan Reed as we were newly settling into our current home at 3025 Walnut in Philly. General Manager Roger La May asked Reed what we could do as a station to drum up activity in the new space. Dan’s answer: a weekly free concert series.

“The fact that this show has lasted over 20 years and 1000 episodes on the air is the direct result of the hard work and belief in the concept by everyone at WXPN, and – of course – our listeners and members who have supported Free At Noon from the outset,”  Reed says. “Here’s to a thousand more!”

As the 1000th Free At Noon approaches — this sold-out show stars Philly rock favorites The Hooters — we asked the WXPN staffers who work most directly with Free At Noon behind-the-scenes to share their memories from over the years. Here’s what they had to say.

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Dan Reed, founder and producer

I have so many favorite moments from Free At Noon. But seeing heroes like Ian Hunter, Buddy Guy, and Blondie, and getting to watch artists just getting started like Fontaines D.C. and Adele have both been very cool. My favorite single moment may be Boy George jamming with The Black Lips on “Bang A Gong” on the upstairs stage!

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Mike Vasilikos, host

There have been many amazing shows to pick a favorite, but I think back to just this year.  I’ll never forget The Lumineers playing the same day as the Eagles Super Bowl parade.  It was album release day for the band, plus it marked twenty years of Free at Noon for XPN.  It just felt like the entire city – music fans and sports fans – were in full celebration mode.

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Chelsea Johnson, bookings coordinator / producer

My favorite FAN is a random one – Jonathan Wilson in 2014. I cried on the mezz and then listened to the album he was promoting incessantly that summer. 

Boy George + Black Lips was an unforgettable one too. Seeing Boy George in the WCL kitchen and then traversing the WCL back of house staff staircase was something else. 

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Paige Walter, photographer

Yay Free At Noon! It’s been a pleasure shooting almost every one for about four years now. 

One of my favorites was Mannequin Pussy debuting songs from I Got Heaven. I love to see XPN platforming local Philly talent. Another favorite was Frances Quinlan solo, back before I worked here. Being a part of the sold-out FANs especially makes you feel like you’re getting an exclusive concert that only occurs at XPN. 

Oh, and big thanks to all the FAN regulars who recognize me as XPN’s photographer and make space for me to do what I do! Always nice hearing from those folks.

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Eric Schuman, broadcast engineer

For nearly 15 years, my role during our Free at Noon concerts has been that of broadcast engineer. Week after week you’ll find me not in the crowd but in the on-air studio, juggling faders and making sure errant profanities are caught in the clutches of our 10-second delay.

The Free at Noon performances that stick out strongest in my memory are among the rare ones that found me in the venue rather than the control room. The first Free at Noon I attended was the sixth overall, with Old Crow Medicine Show as the guest. Later that month, Daryl Hall and John Oates were the second ever act to have their Free at Noon reach sold-out capacity. Robert Drake has a picture at his desk of the line queued down the block, and you can spot me in the crowd waiting to gain entry. 

My hands-down favorite Free at Noon came nearly 20 years later in March 2023, when pioneering avant-garde collective The Residents invited the largely unsuspecting midday audience in their weird and wonderful world. “Memorable” hardly feels like the right word to describe my elation on that late March Friday.

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Bruce Warren, past program director and World Cafe executive producer

I don’t know if this counts, but Dr. Dog’s Free At Midnight was awesome. It was release day for the band’s tenth studio album, Critical Equation, and we had the idea to flip the script and have the band take the stage for a late-night show. The clock struck midnight, and the band played the album in full, plus all the hits, in a 90+ minute set.

Also, country singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves joined us for a fantastic Free at Noon as her star was quickly rising with the release of her sophomore album Golden Hour. The sold-out crowd loved her stylish, storytelling-centered performance.