Many people may know WKAR’s Al Martin for his sports reporting and acting career, now he’s taking on a new role, director.
Martin’s the director and host of WKAR’s newest series, Streetlight Sessions, a show dedicated to Mid-Michigan’s music scene. It’s a type of show that may seem like uncharted territory for the “self-proclaimed” sports guy, but for Martin it’s a perfect fit.
“I’ve been doing sports,that’s what I went to school for, I’ve been doing sports for years, over a decade, but those who really know me, know that also I love the arts. I love TV, film and music,” he said. Martin says he was pitched the idea by WKAR producers over Christmas break, and jumped at the chance to elevate Mid-Michigan's music scene.
The series is a return to the local music for WKAR-TV, something that’s been missing from the station since Backstage Pass came to an end in 2020.
"You don’t see a lot of local shows doing music production anymore so it’s kind of cool to bring that back in a fun way here at WKAR,” he said.
Each episode of the series will feature artists with Mid-Michigan ties who’ll play two songs and chat with Martin about their music.
Instead of a more traditional stage, guests will perform on a unique set inspired in part by the opening credits of the 70s classic film Rocky.
In it, the boxer, played by Sylvester Stallone, is strolling through a dark Philadelphia street, when he comes across a group of men singing around a makeshift bonfire in a trashcan.
It’s a scene that feels authentic, a moment Martin says he wants to replicate with Streetlight Sessions.
“Everything that we’ve done with this set is trying to mimic street performing, right, you know when you’re walking down the street you may see a group singing or, or playing, we want to bring that flavor to the show,” he said.
Martin credit's WKAR set designer Rob Sumbler for turning his vision into a reality inside the stations studios. Like movie Rocky, Streetlight Session uses a streetlamp illuminate artists visiting the set.
Lansing-based hip-hop artists James Gardin and DJ Wise are the inaugural guests for the series.
Gardin says being the first to appear in the series is an honor and says premise is encouraging for local artists.
“Artists here need to know what’s possible and a lot of times, there’s not a lot of good examples of what is success that’s still here, there’s a lot of like, you leave, you become successful," he said. "So to be able to see people from here, or see cool things happen here it just, I think it fosters hope.”
Gardin says Lansing has some of the most untapped talent in the world and they’re looking for opportunities to share their music. He says he hopes his performance can inspire young artists to believe that creativity knows no bounds.
“That they can fully be themselves and have fun doing that, and I guess outside of artists I want everyone else to feel that too. Hopefully people get out of this a little bit of joy and when they watch it maybe they dance in their living rooms,” he said.
The series will feature several artists from a variety of genres including jazz and rock. Episodes will release biweekly through early May. Director Al Martin says he wants to continue showcasing artists like Gardin and DJ Wise throughout the series.
“I hope that when people check this show out, number one they say ‘oh man this is different, and then number two as they lean into the music they start to follow these amazing artists and become a fan of them,” Martin said.
The first episode of Streetlight Sessions premieres this Sunday on WKAR’s YouTube channel.
