By: Lathan Gil
Emily O’Conner ‘26 is an Arts & Entertainment Industries Management major at Rider University. And as a senior, she gets to do an Independent Study which earns her credit. This replaces a class she is unable to take this spring, because she’ll be participating in Rider’s Semester in LA program. So, I sat down with Emily and asked her about her independent study with the CURE Insurance Arena and alternative rock band – Toad The Wet Sprocket, assisted by General Manager 107.7 The Bronc, John Mozes.
For Those Who Don’t Know … Who Are They???
Before writing this blog, I had absolutely no idea who the band was. Most current college students would probably say the same thing. For this independent study, Emily had to do immense research. She was surprised to find Toad The Wet Sprocket sold four million albums worldwide, has two RIAA certified platinum albums, and two top 20 Billboard Hot 100 Hits. “Toad The Wet Sprocket is a band of originally four members from Santa Barbara, California, they started when they were 15 years old, and in the interview they did with Wake Up Rider they detailed they used to play at bars and they would strictly do original music because the places they performed at weren’t paying based on ASCAP or BMI [music licensing fees]. So they had to come up with original material on the spot.”
How Did This Unexpected But Iconic Collaboration Come About?
107.7 The Bronc and the CURE Insurance Arena have crossed paths before for different events, and luckily because of the high professionalism the radio station gloriously possesses, they inherently wanted us back. “We were building a great relationship with Cure Insurance Arena as 107.7 The Bronc. We were doing [live remote] broadcasts there with the Punk Rock Flea Market and Red, White and Brew. And they saw how professional of students we were, that they wanted to expand our partnership. And they decided Toad The Wet Sprocket would be great to come in on and help with marketing and to get it out there. So when John [Mozes] told me about the idea, and how we could do an in-person giveaway, which we have never done before. John and I came up with the idea and how to do the giveaway and it definitely turned into something bigger than I thought it would be.”
The Interview With Wake Up Rider
Emily had so many ideas for this project, and she was actually able to use most of them. One idea was to have lead singer, Glen Phillips be interviewed by our IBS Award winning morning show, Wake Up Rider. This is huge for 107.7 The Bronc, as this is the biggest artist they have ever had on their show, so far. This will give The Bronc an even higher national profile (since the industry is all about who knows who). The WUR gang interviewed Glen Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket. According to Emily, “There is a lot to learn from them [The band] as creative artists and what they went through.” Emily also had the idea to post teasers and different parts of the interview which are available to view on Wake Up Rider’s Instagram. Click here to watch part one. Parts two and three will be out next week!
Win Your Tickets Now!
Another idea that Emily [and John Mozes] had was to do an in-person ticket giveaway. The first of its kind at 107.7 The Bronc. The ticket giveaway for their showdate on October 11, 2025, at the CURE Insurance Arena will be taking place at special locations, including two of our sponsors: DeLorenzo’s The Burg Pizza in Levittown Friday, October 3 at 5:30 p.m., and the Trenton Farmers Market in Lawrence Saturday, October 4 at 11:30 a.m. Two lucky contestants will have fun challenges to compete in and complete to win the tickets. Make sure to be on the lookout!
The Takeaway
As a senior at Rider University, Emily is really thinking about the future and her long-term career. This opportunity has given her the chance to work with industry professionals in a professional venue. The experience was definitely not easy. “I had to come up with all the ideas myself and apply them. There was no playbook or rules. We just had our first giveaway on October 1, and we really had to learn how to adapt. If people weren’t winning tickets we had to change questions. We had to think outside the box to gain more traction, so they could see Toad The Wet Sprocket, but also know who we are as 107.7 The Bronc.”
According to Emily, she’s definitely going to use this experience to her advantage and will make sure the hard work she put into this pays off. “It is definitely on my resume that I have been doing this marketing campaign and I have scheduled this around what we are doing at the station, like Scream Screen X on October 17. This has definitely helped me prepare for the future.”
Make sure to follow 107.7 The Bronc on all platforms to get updates on all of our giveaways and events! And make sure to be on the lookout for Wake Up Rider! Remember, if you see us at Delorenzo’s The Burg, or the Trenton Farmers Market, you may win tickets to see Toad The Wet Sprocket!