In twenty years, the rock and roll industry has undergone some changes — from heavy metal to rap rock, with a good mix of hair bands and a small grunge scene thrown in between. And twenty years ago, there was a musical revolution happening in our own backyard — the birth of two of the region’s biggest names in rock and roll — Poison and WTPA (93.5 FM).

The past two decades have brought a great deal of change to both WTPA and to Poison. While the late ’80s-early ’90s brought acclaim to both — with Poison achieving great fame and success as one of the leaders of their genre with their hits, "Unskinny Bop," "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," and "Look What the Cat Dragged In" at a time when WTPA was at the forefront of its market, the mid-to-late-’90s brought about a period of transition for the two. Poison found itself being pushed aside by an audience who suddenly craved the musical styles of the Seattle scene and its counterparts like Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, and Pearl Jam — from packing 50 - 60 thousand seat stadiums at the height of their career to their break-up in the nineties to filling small clubs and ultimately, to building a successful touring schedule, drawing audiences to larger venues like Hersheypark’s Star Pavilion — where they will play June 13. While WTPA found itself going from being the only formidable rock station in the market — a big fish in a small pond, according to program director Chris James — to just one participant in the midst of a fierce competition, fighting off the forces of the modern and alternative rock stations that cropped up in the area.

In the past few years, however, things have begun to come full circle for the two. After some time off, Poison has regrouped, with all of the original members — area natives Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett; and C.C. DeVille — and released six CDs in the past ten years, including the most recent disc, Power to the People, which will be released on the date of the Hershey concert. And while things are going well for Poison, things are going just as smoothly for WTPA. In the ratings recently released for the first quarter of this year, it was reported that WTPA was the number one male station for men 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54 in the market — quite an impressive statistic for a station that underwent a well-publicized and highly skeptical change to the classic rock format in September of last year — a format whose play list includes airing such classic rock staples as Pink Floyd, The Who, Aerosmith … and Poison.

In an era monopolized by boy bands and one-hit wonders, ’80s bands such as Poison, their tourmates, Slaughter, Cinderella, and Dokken, and acts like Motley Crüe and Skid Row — currently on tour with KISS — and heritage classic rock stations like WTPA are once again putting their stamp on the industry, proving that an audience for their musical style still exists — so much so, in fact, that Poison decided to hit the road again, just as WTPA was in the planning stages of its 20th Birthday Bash … a coincidence that more than pleased the powers that be.

"We’d been trying to do a show in Hershey for probably the last couple of years and with this being the 20th anniversary of WTPA it seemed like a perfect time to do something huge," said James, "so when the tours got released ... and with the change in format, it fit like a glove — Poison kicking off their national tour back home, Poison got their first start with us — it was just a natural tie."

And the members of Poison couldn’t be happier to do their part for the station that first gave them airplay. "You have no idea how excited they are about it," said James, "we went to them and said … lets get together and make a big deal about this and you can help us celebrate 20 years … and they did."

"Really for us, this concert is a lot more than just a station concert, it’s really a lot more than just a Birthday Bash, it’s really a lot more than just a 20th anniversary," said Ron Giovanniello, Vice President/Market Manager for WTPA. "For us, it’s really a celebration for the staff and everybody who has been focused and working really hard for the last eight months to turn WTPA around and to turn it back in to the market leader."

And sitting atop the market is something that Giovanniello …and his staff take great pride in, especially considering where they were this time last year, when they were ranked ninth in the 12 and up age group and seventh for the 25-54 bracket for the market. "[Last September] we came in and we really assessed the potential of what we felt WTPA could be and what WTPA should be and what WTPA could be again and we made some changes which are pretty commonplace now in the market and we changed to a more classic rock," said Giovanniello, "we felt it was important that WTPA reclaim its classic rock image and heritage … and we’re pleased that it has happened and developed so quickly."

And where will the next twenty years take WTPA? In the near future, Giovanniello sees the station on a mission to "entrench ourselves and grow our position and solidify our position in the market place," all the while keeping his eye on the present — the upswing of a two-decade-long rollercoaster. "We’re just having a hell of a lot of fun right now," he said, "I mean, WTPA is back, it’s got a great heritage and history, and we’re having a ball doing it … we’ve got a great rock station that has a lot of attitude and we have a lot of great things planned ... it’s going to be a summer of fun!"

Which, by all accounts, makes the timing of Poison’s return trip home — and their designation as the opening performance of Hershey’s Summer Concert schedule — an impeccable one. "It couldn’t work out better for what the station is or what we’re doing," said WTPA’s morning show host Ed Coffey, "it’s great, you’ve got a Central Pennsylvania original with Poison, a Central Pennsylvania original with WTPA — it’s ‘classic rock that really rocks’ — and I don’t think you can get any more classic than Poison and the other bands — Dokken, Slaughter, Cinderella — with that music, it’s gong to be crazy."

"We’ll have our leather pants and our hair-spray ready," said James.

And don’t forget your Bic.