WNOR

On July 16, 1962, WNOR-FM first signed on the air, owned by the Norfolk Broadcasting Company.[6] It was the sister station to AM 1230 WNOR (still co-owned but now defunct, was last called WJYI). WNOR-FM was an easy listening station, and at one point employed an all-female air staff, a revolutionary move at the time.

In 1969, WNOR-FM began airing a progressive rock format from 9pm-6am. Eventually the rock music proved more popular than the easy listening sounds. WNOR-FM abandoned the "split-format" approach in 1974 and began playing rock full-time. The station’s Arbitron ratings quickly took off, culminating in the station’s rise to #1 – the first time an FM station in the Norfolk market had achieved #1 status.

By the 1980s, the station had moved to an album rock format, based more on album sales than the previous progressive rock sound. In 1986, WNOR-AM-FM were acquired by Saga Communications, the current owner.[7] Saga decided to simulcast the FM station's rock format on the AM station.

In 1994, Saga Communications acquired another FM station in the market, WAFX in Suffolk. With WAFX broadcasting a classic rock format, WNOR-FM began to specialize in a current-based, harder-edged sound, bringing it into the active rock format In 2001, the AM station went to an adult standards format as WJYI, no longer simulcast with WNOR-FM.[8] A short time later, the "-FM" suffix was dropped from WNOR's official call sign.

WNOR had major success with newer bands on air during the late 1990's and throughout the 2000's with a lot of local on air promotions and concert support. The station does play newer rock artists on air, every week they air their infamous "Hummer Of The Week" to debut a new band or a familiar band's new single throughout the whole week. You can hear newer songs on air periodically on air during the day too.

The inaugural Lunatic Luau was held on September 14, 1997 at the GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater. It was 9 bands for 9 bucks and drew 18,000 FM99 listeners! The show was headlined by Faith No More and also included Seven Mary Three, The Nixons, Corrosion of Conformity, Our Lady Peace, The Hunger, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, and Drain sth. The amphitheater was only in its second season in 1997.

Lunatic Luau 2 was held on September 19, 1998 at the GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater and was headline by FM99’s own band, Tommy & the Rumblers. They performed a number of their popular bits as well as cover songs. Other bands on the bill included Stabbing Westward, Sevendust, Brother Cane, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack (who made their second Luau appearance), Big Wreck, Finger Eleven (whose debut album was released just days before the Luau), The Mayfield Four, and Second Coming.

On September 11, 1999, FM99 hosted Lunatic Luau 3 at the GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater. It was a sell out with 20,000 lunatics on hand for headliner Kid Rock! Sevendust made their second Luau appearance in a row. Powerman 5000, Staind, Orange 9MM, Skunk Anansie, and Soulmotor were also on the bill. For the first time at the Luau, we had a second stage which featured local bands Sea Of Souls, Car 44, Mindset, Full Devil Jacket, Daddy Devious, Deist Requiem, and Cock Diesel.

Lunatic Luau 4 took place on September 8, 2000 at the GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater. All bands performed on the main stage and the show was opened by local favorite Sea of Souls, who had made their Luau debut the year before. Papa Roach closed out the show with Union Underground, (Hed)pe, Taproot, 8Stops7,Cold, and Apartment 26 also on the bill.

Lunatic Luau 5 was scheduled for September 16, 2001 at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater (same venue, new name), just days after the 9/11 attacks. FM99 decided to hold the concert anyway and renamed it “Concert For America,” turning it into a benefit for victims of 9/11. We invited a local color guard to present the flag just before the headliner, 3 Doors Down, took the stage. Tommy & Rumble led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance and FM99’s Billing Manager, Chrystall Elliott-Smith sang “God Bless America.” In addition to 3 Doors Down, Clutch, Nickelback, Beautiful Creatures, Primer 55, Soil, Sea Of Souls, Systematic, Seven Channels, Epoxy, Rock Iron Puppets, Lift 6 Eighteen, Bailout and Gate 19 all played that night. This marked the third Luau in a row for Sea of Souls and saw the return of the second stage which showcased local bands. One of those bands, Bailout, played a version of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” at the show, then headed into a recording studio and pulled an all-nighter to record their rendition of that song. You’ll still hear it on FM99 from time to time.

Just days before Lunatic Luau 6 happened on July 21, 2002 at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater, FM99 learned that the headliner, P.O.D., would be recording a concert video at the Luau! It was for one of their new songs “Satellite.” They played that song 3 times with cameras rolling to make sure they had all of the footage they needed. Drowning Pool was the band on the main stage just before P.O.D.. It was one of the final shows to include lead singer Dave Williams, who passed away suddenly just 3 weeks later. Adema, Hatebreed, Flaw, Ill Nino, Chevelle, Soil, 3rd Strike, It’s A Cardboard Baby (featuring Rod Fitzwell and Chuck the Intern), Sea Of Souls (their 4th straight Luau appearance), Bail Out (second time for them on the bill), Lift (6) Eighteen, Sic Seed, and Midway. Lunatic Luau 6 also saw the return of the color guard and FM99’s Billing Manager, Chrystall Elliott-Smith, who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Our second sell out in Luau history was Lunatic Luau 7 at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater on August 21, 2003. Korn headlined the show and Sevendust made their 3rd Luau appearance. Chevelle played their second Luau in a row and Powerman 5000 came back for their second time. We also saw Ra, Shinedown, Pillar, Presence, Memento, Motograter, The Revolution Frown (The Revolution Smile canceled at the last minute, so Rod Fitzwell, Tim Parker, Chuck the Intern, and former FM99 Program Director Harvey “Big Bird” Kojan stepped in), Echo 7, Endo, Construkt and Luther’s Fall. Once again, we invited a local color guard to present the flag and FM99’s Billing Manager, Chrystall Elliott-Smith to sing.

We hosted our third sold out Luau (and second in a row) on August 29, 2004 at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater. Lunatic Luau 8 was headlined by Slipknot, and also featured Hatebreed (Saliva was supposed to have that spot, but their tour bus broke down and they couldn’t make the show), Shinedown (their second in a row), Drowning Pool (second Luau for them), Monster Magnet, Crossfade, Breaking Benjamin, Pillar, Super Joint Ritual, Earshot, Future Leaders Of The World, God Forbid, Otep, and Revery. Lunatic Luau 8 was nicknamed “The Ocho,” a reference to the movie “Dodgeball” which was out at the time. FM99’s Billing Manager, Chrystall Elliott-Smith, also sang for us.

Lunatic Luau 9 was held on July 28, 2005 at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater. It was nicknamed “The Monster” because of headliner Rob Zombie. Mudvayne, Chevelle (third Luau appearance), Killswitch Engage, Taproot (second Luau appearance), Shadows Fall, Mastodon, Theory of a Deadman, Submersed, As I Lay Dying, Trivium, Soilwork, Ra (second Luau appearance), Revery (their second Luau appearance), and Nemesis were also on the bill. We also invited FM99’s Billing Manager, Chrystall Elliott-Smith, to sing for us.

The 10th Anniversary of the Lunatic Luau took place on June 24, 2006 at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater. Lunatic Luau 10, nicknamed “The #&*%,” included 2 bands who played the first Luau, Seven Mary Three and Jimmie’s Chicken Shack. Puddle of Mudd was the headliner and Saliva, Buckcherry, Blackstone Cherry, Nonpoint, Suffocation, Travis Meeks (former lead singer of Days of the New), and III Times Til Dawn were also on the bill.

On September 15, 2007, Lunatic Luau 11 took place at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater. “The Shocker” was the nickname for that Luau. Hinder, Papa Roach (making their second Luau appearance), Buckcherry, Tesla, Shadows Fall (at the Luau for the second time), Fuel, All That Remains, Operator, Harptallica (2 ladies who played Metallica tunes on harps), Revelation Theory, Grant Austin Taylor Band (featuring former FM99 Program Director Harvey “Big Bird” Kojan),The Showdown, Download, 4 To Nothing, and All Has Fallen.

Lunatic Luau 12 (nicknamed “The Dutch Oven”) was supposed to have taken place at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater on September 6, 2008, but Mother Nature had other plans. Hurricane Hanna came through and forced us to cancel the Luau to ensure the safety of everyone at the show. There was no Lunatic Luau in 2009, 2010, or 2011. It was due to a controversial format change that happened abruptly, upper management made a disappointing decision for the station to drop all the specialty programs on air and all new music in an attempt to make WNOR a harder version of classic rock to mirror their sister station, WAFX, 106-9 The Fox as they changed their format to Classic hits. It wasn't until early 2012 that the station was able to revive their format to play newer rock artists, it was a very slow transition back.

Then it was time to write a new chapter in Lunatic Luau history! Lunatic Luau 12 – The Resurrection happened at Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach (same venue, new name) on May 4, 2012. Shinedown headlined (and made their third Luau appearance). Other bands include Five Finger Death Punch, Slash, P.O.D.(with their second Luau appearance), Adelita’s Way, Halestorm, Art of Dying, and Revery (who graced the Luau stage for the third time).

Lunatic Luau 13 took place at Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach on May 3, 2013. In addition to a killer line-up, lunatics will remember it for its cold temps! Seether played the luau for the first time and headlined the show. Three Days Grace, Papa Roach (third luau appearance), Volbeat, Sevendust (fourth time at the luau), and P.O.D (their third luau appearance) also played the main stage. Buckcherry made their second luau appearance and headlined the side stage. All that Remains (second time on the bill), Trapt, Pop Evil, Nonpoint (second luau), Otherwise and local Battle of the Bands winner Mindvent also played the side stage.

Lunatic Luau 14 happened May 2, 2014 at Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach. Avenged Sevenfold headlined the show and had an amazing stage set! Other main stage bands included Five Finger Death Punch (gracing the main stage for the second time), Volbeat (their second Luau in a row). Pop Evil, Trivium, and local favorites Sea of Souls (who had recently reunited and made their 5th luau appearance). The second stage was headlined by Killswitch Engage and also included performances by Saliva (their second time there) , Adelitas Way, Kyng, Devour the Day, and local band S.I.N.N. (who won the FM99 Battle of the Bands contest for that spot).

On May 1, 2015, Lunatic Luau 15 took place at Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach. Godsmack made their first appearance at a luau and headlined the show! Slayer, Papa Roach (their fourth luau appearance), Halestorm (their second time on the luau stage), Suicidal Tendencies, and Hell Yeah also played the main stage. The second stage was headlined by Pretty Reckless and included sets by Testament, Exodus, We Are Harlot, Starset, and local band Lifewalker (who scored that spot in FM99’s Battle of the Bands).

On May 6, 2016, Lunatic Luau 16 took place at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach. Five Finger Death Punch headlined the show. They also played Luau 14, making this their third time playing main stage at the Luau. Shinedown (4th Luau appearance), Bush, P.O.D. (Luau appearance number 4), Sevendust (their 5th time at the Luau!), and Red Sun Rising played the main stage. The second stage was headlined by Ghost and included sets by Trivium (with their 2nd Luau appearance), Unlocking The Truth, Wilson, and local band Fallout of Fear (who scored that spot in FM99’s Battle of the Bands).

Lunatic Luau 17, or Cinco De Luau, happened on Friday, May 5th, 2017 at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach and was headlined by Avenged Sevenfold. This was the second time they headlined the Luau. Chevelle also played the main stage, marking their 4th Luau appearance. Three Days Grace (2nd luau appearance), The Pretty Reckless (back for their 2nd Luau set after headlining the Side Stage at Lunatic Luau 15), Alter Bridge, and Dinosaur Pile-Up also performed on the Main Stage. Filter headlined the Side Stage and was supported by Nothing More, Fozzy, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes and FM99 Battle of the Bands winner Friends With Monsters. We also had Royal Republic play an acoustic set on the stage in the Lake Plaza.

Lunatic Luau 18 took place Saturday, May 5th, 2018 at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach. Thousands of lunatics welcomed Alice in Chains as the headliner. Stone Sour, Stone Temple Pilots, Bullet for My Valentine, Sevendust, and Tremonti also performed on the main stage. All of these bands rocked the Luau stage for the first time except Sevendust (who has played the luau 6 times – more than any other band). A few band members have played before in their other bands: Corey Taylor headlined as part of Slipknot in 2004 and Mark Tremonti played in 2017 with Alter Bridge. Steel Panther headlined the second stage and was supported by Pop Evil (making their second appearance), The Sword, Unlocking the Truth (who also played in 2016), and FM99 Battle of the Bands winner RVNT. Walking papers played and acoustic set on the lake Plaza stage.

Lunatic Luau 19 rocked Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach on Friday, May 17, 2019. Shinedown was the headliner, marking their fifth time playing the luau and Bush returned for their second Luau appearance. In This Moment, Fozzy (returning for the second time), Red Sun Rising (second time for them as well), and Dirty Honey also performed on the main stage. P.O.D. headlined the second stage (Luau appearance number 5) and was supported by Glorious Sons, Fever 333, Nita Strauss, Seven Ten Oil and FM99 Battle of the Bands winner Just Standing.

Lunatic Luau 20 and Lunatic Luau 21 were a failed attempt due to the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic and how it caused a lot of difficulty in putting together their concert venue. it was a major set back. Currently they are having the 22nd annual Lunatic Luau concert set for May 20, 2022.

• FM99 WNOR Online
• WNOR in the FCC FM station database
• WNOR on Radio-Locator
• WNOR in Nielsen Audio's FM station database