Thursday, December 19, 2013

Style Weekly: Don Harrison's 12 Discs of Christmas

I know you are sick to death of Christmas music by now. 

But if you want to celebrate the season with some stellar holiday sounds that won't make you want to strangle a relative or tackle an inflatable reindeer, the long-playing albums on this list (compiled for Style Weekly a few years ago) will warm you up quicker than a mug of steaming spiked cocoa and all 19 of those Snuggies you got LAST Christmas.


Have a safe and happy one out there. And watch out for those "Blue Christmas Lights."

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Sifter: The New Flying Squirrels Experience

Nutzy Unchained!

"The Sevens," my column for TV Jerry's new Sifter site, takes a look at how Richmond Flying Squirrels games might change if the new Shockoe Bottom baseball stadium and slavery museum gets built.

Read it right here: http://www.tvjerry.com/the-sevens/

Monday, November 11, 2013

Virginia Living: The Norfolk Sound

Presented for your approval, my new overview feature on "The Norfolk Sound" in the Nov.-Dec. edition of Virginia Living Magazine

It begins:
There was once a building at 408 W. Princess Anne Road in Norfolk, purchased in 1959 by a record store owner named Frank Guida who used the space to record the works of local singers and musicians, such as Gary U.S. Bonds, Gene Barge and Jimmy Soul. Numerous hits were cut here during the early ’60s, including Bonds’ raucous “New Orleans” and “Quarter to Three,” and Soul’s exotic calypso rock ‘n’ roll tunes, “If You Wanna Be Happy” and “Twisting Matilda.”
This is the spot where the Norfolk Sound was born, the rambunctious party rock that influenced generations of musicians, among them the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, the Grateful Dead and the New York Dolls.

With input from yours truly, VL has also put together a cool online slideshow featuring key "Norfolk Sound" hits and rarities on the Legrand and SPQR labels, as well as prime slices of '60's soul from the Shiptown label, which was started by Norfolk businessman Noah Biggs and singer Ida Sands. There is also a link to the new documentary produced by the Virginia Foundation For the Humanities on Hampton Roads bandleader, Charlie McClendon


The feature article is a complimentary piece to the article I wrote for the magazine years ago on legendary saxophonist and bandleader, Gene "Daddy 'G'" Barge


Hopefully, all of this coverage will make you want to seek out and listen to all of the great R&B and soul music produced in the Norfolk area in the '60s and '70s. (Photo of Gary US Bonds, with his signature curl.)

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Coastal Virginia Magazine: Reading the Buildings

My feature article for Coastal Virginia Magazine on a new book, "The Chesapeake House," published by UNC Press, tells about the ongoing research into early American architecture by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation historians.

Fascinating stuff (or at least I hope you think so). It begins:

Carl Lounsbury is used to letting folks down gently.
“Their buildings are often not as old as people think they are,” Lounsbury, senior architectural historian at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, says about people who send the museum photographs of their houses. “We urge them to do it because you never know what’s around the bend,” he says. “But it can be disappointing to them. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to give the bad news: ‘No, George Washington did not live in your house or stay there.’”
The College of William & Mary history professor and his accompanying team of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation historians are so seasoned and battle-tested that not only can they tell you whether Ol’ George stayed in your crib but also the likely room where he ate his supper.

The piece can be found in Coastal Virginia's Nov.-Dec. edition, which is the first issue since its name-change  from Hampton Roads Magazine.

The issue is on the shelves now, wherever fine magazines are sold. You can also read it by clicking right here.

(Photo: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation)

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Virginia Living: The Big Picture... online!

Honk your horns with glee!  

Virginia Living Magazine has posted my cover feature on Virginia's surviving drive-in theaters.

The story begins:

A short row of cars is lined up at the entrance to Hull’s Drive-In Theatre, which sits just off Route 11 in Lexington, not far from a fireworks vendor and a truck stop. The warm late-April Sunday is turning brisk as the sun lowers and longtime Hull’s ticket taker Sam Newcomer stands outside the rickety ticket booth nursing a cough. 
“Fridays and Saturdays are busier. Sundays are usually the slow night,” he tells me after he collects $7 for admission from a man and his Shih Tzu in a late model truck.
The sounds of “At The Hop” are echoing off the mostly empty drive-in movie lot, and the smell of popcorn is in the air. Hull’s opened in 1950 as the Lee Drive-In Theatre and, unlike many open-air cinemas constructed during that time, is still doing business today. When longtime owner Sebert W. Hull passed away 15 years ago, a group of Lexingtonians formed the Hull’s Angels and rallied to save it, boxy metal speakers and all. Today, Hull’s is the only community-owned, nonprofit drive-in theater in the U.S.


 Click here to read "The Big Picture."

Photo by the mighty Cade Martin!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Hampton Roads Magazine: Sexuality in Service

My latest feature for Hampton Roads Magazine, "Sexuality in Service," takes a look at the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, and the immediate after-effects of allowing gay soldiers to serve openly. It begins:

It was the lip lock felt ’round the world.
When the U.S.S. Oak Hill came home to Virginia Beach on Dec. 21, 2011 after a long deployment, Petty Officer 2nd class Marissa Gaeta kissed her girlfriend, Citlalic Snell, to commemorate the dock landing ship’s ceremonial first kiss. Gaeta, like many of the sailors on board, had purchased several $1 tickets in the Oak Hill’s raffle in order to compete for the opportunity.
The act was much publicized and discussed. It was the first time in the naval homecoming tradition that a gay serviceperson had done the honors and embraced a person of the same sex. 
With no advance hoopla or protests—the ship’s commanding officer, David Bauer, called it a “non-event”—this simple gesture was seen as a symbol that President Barack Obama’s then-recent signing of a repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, a controversial initiative that asked gay soldiers to keep their sexuality hidden, was being accepted by a majority within the ranks.

You can find the article in HR's September issue. Or you can click here to read the rest of "Sexuality in Service."

 

Sunday, July 28, 2013

The Washington Post: Now Showing at Drive-Ins

It looks like I'm the designated "drive-in guy" this Summer.

Take a gander at my Sunday feature in today's Washington Post. The article is about the Family Drive-In (near Winchester) and the state of the outdoor movie experience.

In a few hours, cars will roll into the Family Drive-In Theatre and settle into neat lines next to row upon row of waist-high speaker poles. For tonight at least, that is just as it was during the first show in 1956.
“These speakers and posts are getting harder to deal with because there’s only one manufacturer that still makes the parts,” says James Kopp, manager of the Stephens City, Va., theater. “It’s in Kansas City.”

Click here and read, "Now Showing..." 

And don't forget to read the sidebar, about the history of the drive-in.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Virginia Living: The Big Picture

"Let's All Go to the Movies!" 

Pick up the July/Aug. issue of Virginia Living Magazine and read "The Big Picture," my cover feature on the surviving drive-in theaters of Virginia. You'll also learn why many drive-ins across the country may go dark next year, even as the popularity of outdoor viewing would appear to be on the rise.

The article is not online but you should get the printed edition anyway as the VL art department did its usual superlative job in presenting the piece. Speaking of which, I'd like to extend a special thanks to the folks at the Goochland Drive-In for helping out with the special period-style photo shoot. For more on that, the fine folks at Virginia Living have a special slideshow available that showcases the many vintage autos that were used "on location." The photos are by the mighty Meredith West, who did an excellent job. Check that out right here! 

To whet your appetite for the article, listen to this Open Source RVA podcast and hear my interview with Goochland Drive-in owner John Heidel.

And, again, the management would like to thank you for replacing the speaker on the post before exiting the theater. You drove off with the dang thing last time and those poles are near-impossible to replace.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Richmond Magazine: Out in the Open

My feature article on the state of Richmond's public art funding, "Out in the Open," is now available for your perusal at the Richmond Magazine website. It begins:

News flash: Richmond’s Public Art Commission will receive $2.8 million next year. That’s about three times what Richmond has allotted for public art in the entire 22-year history of the commission.
“We’ve been so under the radar, mostly dealing with budgets of $25,000 to $35,000, that this is coming as kind of shock to people,” says longtime commission member and artist Paul DiPasquale, who has created such indelible (if privately funded) public art pieces as Richmond’s Arthur Ashe statue and the likeness of King Neptune in Virginia Beach.
“It’s not a wish any longer, it’s reality.” 
Click here to read the rest of "Out in the Open."

Photo by the mighty Isaac Harrell!

Monday, June 10, 2013

Top Doc: Put Me Down Easy


My life as a talking head.

When Jon Lohman of the Virginia Folklife Program came up to WRIR 97.3 FM for his Open Source RVA interview -- you can listen to that show by clicking right here --- he also interviewed me for his new documentary on Hampton soulman-turned-preacher, Charlie McClendon.

The film, Put Me Down Easy, is a work in progress but you can check it out here:

  

... and for more on the Virginia Folklife Program's special project on Charlie McClendon, including expanded audio excerpts and bonus footage, go right here.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Open Source RVA: The Complete Episode Guide


Have you missed an episode or three of Richmond's audio news digest? See the complete link list below to download previous editions of Open Source RVA.

June 7 -   Interview with Virginia State Folklorist Jon Lohman, plus we introduce VOX RVA
May 31 - Restauranteur Kendra Feather, plus where is Virginia superintendent Patricia Wright?
May 24 - Artist Thomas Van Auken, RVAplaylist.com and our panel dishes on the city identity crisis
May 17 - Richmond Triangle Players, Martha Mullen on the Doswell burial of the Boston bomber
May 10 - Louis Salmonsky and Jim Hester on historic tax credits, interview with Charles Samuels
May 3 -  The Goochland Drive-In Theatre, progressive education at Sabot at Stony Point.
Apr. 26 - Interview with Chris Hilbert, plus William and Mary's new Hip-Hop Archive
Apr. 19 - Politics of minor league baseball, the retirement of schools superintendent Yvonne Brandon
Apr. 12 - Jim Bland, Marty Key and more on Record Store Day, our political pundits talk truth & lies
Apr. 5 -   A panel discussion on gay marriage, a new plan for artist live/work spaces in Richmond
Mar. 29 - Dale Brumfield on the unsolved murder of poet Rik Davis, interview with Lisa Taranto
Mar. 22 - School truancy, interview w/ Peter and Francoise Kirkpatrick of the French Film Festival
Special -  OSRVA Extra! The Richmond School Board budget is scrutinized.
Mar. 15 - Andy Stefanovich & more on TEDX, Jon Baliles and Doug Dunlap on public art funding
Mar. 8 -  School segregation, artist Ed Trask and RVA Mag's Anthony Harris on public art funding 
Mar. 1 -  Del. Jennifer McClellan and bike safety laws, Rick Tatnall of Replenish Richmond
Feb. 22 - Interview with Michelle Mosby, Persistence of Poe, James River Filmmakers Forum
Feb. 15 - State of the City roundtable, Richmond Macabre 2
Feb. 8 - Carol Piersol and the Firehouse Theatre controversy, Carl Hamm and "Yeh Yeh Pop"
Feb. 1 - Public school truancy, VACLAA and Norberto Gomez Jr., Stuff Redux
Jan. 25 - Interview with Jon Baliles, Susan Worsham's "Bittersweet on Bostwick Lane"
Jan. 18 - The Tea Party and Hanover public schools, activist Scott Burger
Jan. 11 - Arts and culture in 2012 (Kollatz, Griset, Lehman-Rios, Necci)
Jan. 4 -   The year end wrap up on Richmond politics (Goldman, Diradour, Williamson)
Dec. 21 - Arming teachers, filmmaker Rick Alverson, Lewis Ginter Gardenfest of Lights
Dec. 14 - Preservationists and Rt. 5, the RVA Beard League
Dec. 7 -   Richmond's tattoos, Social Services scandal, more Wingnuts
Nov. 30 - Redskins vs. schools, lady arm wrestlers, Henley Street Theatre
Nov. 23 - Wingnuts vs. Police, new youth hostel, Gigi Amateau pt. 2
Nov. 16 - Interview with Parker Agelasto, Keepers of the Flame.
Nov. 9 -  The election, Richmond's new school board, Rock 'n' Roll Hotel
Nov. 2 -  The life of Gabriel, voting trends, Ukefest
Oct. 26 - Spiritualism, horror films, ghost hunting - the Halloweek installment
Oct. 19 - School expulsions, Yes! Dance Invitational and political fact-checking
Oct. 12 - Richmond Symphony contract dispute, mountaintop coal mining
Oct. 5 -   Regional cooperation, windowless apartments
Sept. 28 - Co-Housing, SOL scores, Richmond's musical history
Sept. 21 - Richmond Folk Festival, abortion clinics pt. 2
Sept. 14 - Abortion clinics pt. 1, open government, Mayoral candidate Michael Ryan
Aug. 17 - Bike safety, water rates pt. 1, baseball in the Bottom
Aug. 10 - Richmond's waysigning program, Paul Goldman on the VP choice
Aug. 3 -  Our debut! City chickens, the state of Richmond public schools

Open Source RVA is broadcast every Friday at 4PM on 97.3 FM and http://wrir.org. You can also get breaking news and special reports at http://rvaopensource.com

Open Source RVA Podcasts, Old and New

In the annals of broadcasting, there have been legendary lost episodes and there have been legendary LOST EPISODES. See the difference there. On this latest -- and might I add particularly interesting -- set of Open Source RVA programs now available for everyday use, we include the legendary LOST EPISODE of WRIR's weekly audio news digest. The one dated March 15, 2013. All caps and bolded.

That elusive piece of audio, as well as other fine hour-long installments, are now podcasted and ready for download.

It was an honor and a pleasure to have Jon Lohman join us for an extended interview on the June 7 show. We talked with Virginia's state folklorist about programming the Virginia stage at the Richmond Folk Festival, the new live recording he recently produced for Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes (more on that, and my participation, here), and details about his Virginia Folklife Program and its culture-enriching apprenticeships. Also on the show, we introduce our new initiative,  VOX RVA, an oral histories project co-sponsored by the Virginia Center For Latin American Art (for more on that, stay tuned to this channel).

Click here to listen to the Open Source Podcast for June 7, 2013

A Podcast good enough to eat! Download the May 31 edition of Open Source RVA and get to know Kendra Feather, a.k.a. Kendra Feather Murden, the successful restauranteur behind the Roosevelt, Ipanema Cafe and Garnett's. She's the lady who knows what Richmond wants to eat and our discussion covers everything from the art of waitressing to local foodie trends. Also: Why is Virginia schools superintendent Pat Wright missing in action? Carol A.O. Wolf fills us in on the investigative work she's been doing at her blog (click here). Delicious and mysterious, that's Open Source RVA!

Click here to listen to the tasty Open Source Podcast for May 31, 2013

After months of diligent audio reconstruction and hand-wringing, Open Source RVA is proud to present the LOST EPISODE! Download this rare broadcast and be transported back to March 15 as Open Source RVA previews the TedX Talks with organizer Andy Stefanovich and young creatives Zoe Romano, Marc Cheatham and Duron Chavis. (More of our coverage here). You also get the lowdown on Richmond's public art funding as City Councilman Jon Baliles and city Deputy Director Doug Dunlap take the mic. The LOST EPISODE has finally arrived and it was worth the wait.

Do some clicking here to listen to Open Source RVA's LOST March 15, 2013 Podcast.

And don't forget to hear Open Source RVA in "real time" on WRIR 97.3 FM and http://wrir.org each and every Friday at 4PM. And bookmark http://rvaopensource.com for updates.  It's good to Source.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Virginia Living: Art Deco Online

23-Skidoo!!

Virginia Living Magazine has finally posted "Anything Goes," my feature article on art deco in Virginia.

I arrive at the Bolling Haxall House in downtown Richmond just as a gaggle of feather-headed dames in black gloves and smiling men in penguin suits step from their car out into the night. It would look like a scene from an old TCM flick, or HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” except that they exit from a Chevy Tahoe. 
Our destination is the Jazz Age Preservation Ball at an 1858 Italianate-style mansion, the perfect place to have a Great Gatsby flashback. Tonight’s sold-out soiree is being hosted by the Art Deco Society of Virginia, a Richmond-based club founded in 2012 whose members see themselves as ambassadors for the eclectic art deco style—and lifestyle—that was the rage in the Roaring ’20s and art moderne ’30s, the days of flagpole sitting, speakeasies and Busby Berkeley musicals.
“Art deco was the last full style movement of our time,” says Bradley Hubbard, tonight’s top-hatted master of ceremonies and ADSVA board member. “There’s art deco music, art deco architecture, decorative arts, furniture, advertising, films, interior design ... every facet of society was somehow affected by it.”


Show some moxie and see what the rumpus is all about. Click here and read the rest of "Anything Goes."

(Photo of Richmond's Model Tobacco building by the mighty Jay Paul)

.... and for more, go here to read a special web extra sidebar on art deco landmarks across Virginia.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Open Source RVA: Podcasts Are Go!

Submitted for your approval: Four more action-packed, ready-to-download podcasts from Open Source RVA, Richmond's audio news digest.

Shall we begin...?

Our May 24 broadcast asks big questions. Like: Why do city leaders have to take an annual "road trip" to somewhere else in order to get ideas for Richmond? And why do these ideas tend to suck, ignore what's already happening and/or correspond with the same old bad ideas from last year's trip? Hear from our distinguished panel (Rand Burgess, Charlie Diradour, Paul Goldman) as they discuss this year's bigwig intercity jaunt to Denver. Also: Meet Andrew Cothern of rvaplaylist.com as the informative music blog celebrates its 3rd birthday. On top of all that, get to know local artist Thomas Van Auken. You can see his evocative "Warehouse in Fulton Bottom" pictured here.

Click here to download the May 24, 2013 Podcast of Open Source RVA.


On the big May 17 broadcast, we speak with Martha Mullen, the woman who paid for the Doswell burial of Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarvaev. Unitarian minister Alaine Cameron Miles joins the conversation.  We also interview Philip Crosby, the managing director of Richmond Triangle Players, about 20 years of the gay-flavored RTP and how the theater company's current production of "La Cage aux folles" is its biggest show yet. From tragedy to comedy...


Click here to download the May 17, 2013 Podcast of Open Source RVA.

Assess this podcast! Listen in to the May 10 installment of OSRVA as we query Richmond City Council President Charles Samuels about the current state of council and the limits of mayoral authority. Also: city assessor Jim Hester and developer Louis Salomonsky square off on the uses (abuses?) of historic tax credits in the Richmond region. A delicious hour of news, seasoned with our special Source.

Click here to download the May 10, 2013 Podcast of Open Source RVA.

"Let's all go to the Podcast." Grab an earful of the May 3 episode of Open Source RVA and meet Susan Barstow, Irene Carney and Tom Shields from Sabot at Stony Point, who talk about their plans for an education revolution. Also: John Heidel, the owner-operator of the Goochland Drive-In Theatre joins us to talk about the future of movie viewing under the stars. Indoors or outdoors, the Source has you covered.

Click here to download the May 3, 2013 podcast of Open Source RVA.


And you can have access to ALL of our past shows by going right here. And don't forget to catch the big broadcast each and every Friday at 4PM on WRIR 97.3 FM or http://wrir.org. You can also get breaking news updates at http://rvaopensource.com. You want to be fully informed, don't you?

Richmond Magazine: Preventive Maintenance

One pleasing thing about being a writer is that you sometimes get to tackle challenging subjects that are out of your normal comfort zone. Case in point is my latest feature for Richmond Magazine, which probes -- sorry -- the life-saving benefits of modern colonoscopies.

It’s the second most deadly form of cancer, but Dr. Doumit S. BouHaidar maintains colorectal cancer is one you can do something about. 
The gastroenterologist at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Cancer Center is something of a pied piper for colonoscopies. They work, he says. “Screening is a very important strategy to fight this cancer.”

Seriously, it's an important subject. Click here to read "Preventive Maintenance" or pick up the May issue of Rich Mag, on newsstands now (as one might say). 

Monday, May 6, 2013

Sifter: Handicapping the Cultural Purge

My pal Jerry Williams has updated and revamped his excellent TVJerry website into a new heady internet concoction called Sifter.

He's got some ace contributors on board for the overhaul, including my old Style colleague David Hintz Timberline, writing about the city's arts and culture. And occasionally, you'll find me doing a column called "The Sevens."

The second installment of "The Sevens" is up right now.  Read it by clicking here.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Open Source RVA: All The Pretty Podcasts



Have you missed recent episodes of Open Source RVA, Richmond's weekly audio news digest?

By all means, CATCH UP! That's why the Good Lord made podcasting.

The April 26 episode features a frank interview with Richmond City Councilman Chris Hilbert. Among other things, the 3rd district rep will talk about why he has announced his 2016 mayoral candidacy so early. We also introduce you to a new Virginia hip-hop archive at William & Mary College that charts the early days of in-state beatmasters like Timbaland and Pharrell Williams (shown). W&M PhD candidate Kevin Kosanovich, who helped to start the project, joins us.


Our April 19 installment introduces you to OSRVA's newest co-host, Style Weekly news editor Scott Bass. We talk about the politics of minor league baseball with Charles Robideau of the Peace Education Center of Richmond and Brian J. Callaghan, a minority owner of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Also: Kim Gray and Kristen Larson, Richmond school board members, join us for a discussion about the possible uses of school-owned real estate, and also chime in on the recent surprise retirement announcement of RPS Superintendent Yvonne Brandon


The April 12 broadcast showcases a peanut gallery of ace political pundits (Jamie Radtke, Charles Diradour and Paul Goldman) discussing truth, lies and Virginia politics -- including recent scandals involving Richmond School Board member "Doctor" Shonda Harris-Muhammad and Governor Bob McDonnell. Also: Music Nerd Alert! We talk all about Record Store Day with Jim Bland of Plan 9 Records, Marty Key of Steady Sounds and Deep Groove's Chris Pittman. Also sitting in: Jon Berger of Broadtime, a local company that maintains the national Record Store Day website

You do know that you can listen to these in real time, right? Tune in every Friday at 4PM to Open Source RVA on WRIR 97.3 FM and on the vast series of tubes at http://wrir.org. And bookmark our informative OSRVA website at http://rvaopensource.com. You'll thank yourself later.  

Hampton Roads Magazine: Singing It Pretty


My latest feature in Hampton Roads Magazine, "Singing It Pretty," is a look back at the career of the Phelps Brothers, the country and western performers from South Norfolk (now Chesapeake) who started the Tidewater area's first recording studio, Fernwood Farms.

They also ran a popular dance hall with the same name that once boasted the largest dance floor on the East Coast -- an early stamping ground for Patsy Cline, Link Wray, Jimmy Dean and many others. The article is in the magazine's May/June issue.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame is hardly the place you’d think of finding a trio of singing South Norfolk country cowboys. But among the recent additions to the Cleveland music museum’s collection is the original recording console that the Phelps brothers—Norman, Willie and Earl—used in order to capture a slew of area rockabilly artists in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, right here in Hampton Roads.
“It had been sitting for years in my dad’s garage, and when he passed away it sat in our garage,” says Bobbie Beard, the daughter of Willie Phelps. “I was pleased that anyone wanted it.”
It’s one more reminder of how, starting in the late ’40’s, the Phelps Brothers transformed sleepy South Norfolk—now Chesapeake—into a musical hotbed.

Read "Singing It Pretty" by clicking right here.

And here's a plug for the Phelps Brothers Music Festival, an annual country music showcase at Chesapeake's Lakeside Park that pays tribute to the brothers and their legacy. For more on the festival, which happens this year on June 9, go here.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

2013 Rock Marathon: Classic Crock Show on April 14

The 2013 WTJU Rock marathon is in full swing. Hear it at http://wtju.net/stream

Every so often, the marathon is taken over by the ghosts of other FM formats. This year, on "The Classic Crock Show," you can get the Led out and join Don Arlo, "Cozy" Powell and WTJU's Overnight Drive-Time Madman, Turd Dog, as they play the "deep cuts" from all of your Classic Crockin' favorites, which may or may not include Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath, Rush, Styx, Kiss, Queen, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steve Miller Band... hey, we may even go hog wild and play a Sugarloaf double-shot! 

"Rockin' since the Nixon Administration!"TM is our motto!

Why do we do this? Well, we want to make enough money at WTJU to not EVER have to play any of these bands, unless we want to. That's our pledge to you. 

Join the fist-pumpin' fun, rockin' listener! Support WTJU and give to The Classic Crock Show at 11PM on Sunday, April 14 (following the Virginia Funk and Soul Spectacular). You can donate by calling 434-924-3959, where the Crimson Dominator is waiting to take your pledge. (Or you can give online at http://wtju.net)

And have we mentioned that the marathon is happening right now! Flick your Bics and tune it to 91.1 FM or http://wtju.net/stream. We're turning the transmitter up to 11!

2013 Rock Marathon: Funky Virginia on April 14

The annual WTJU Rock marathon is in full swing. If you don't know about this great freeform station's annual orgasm of rock, click here and listen loud. The real purpose of all of this great specialty programming, live bands and remotes is to raise money for WTJU 91.1 FM in Charlottesville. But the rockers make the fundraising fun.

I'll be participating in two shows this year, in my usual closeout slot. And I couldn't be more excited. Before I tell you about the first one, a series of questions:

Do you know about Swamp Dogg? How about Mr. Wiggles or Little Tommy? Does the mention of the 35th Street Gang make you move like a chicken?

Worry not. Just listen to Funky Virginia: The Virginia Funk and Soul Spectacular on Sunday, April 14 at 9PM. The show is going to bring you up in step with the Old Dominion’s great, often obscure, indigenous funk and soul artists – showcasing classic cuts by Lenis Guess, the Randolph Brothers, Prince George, Ida Sands, Flip Flop Stevens (pictured) and many more ear-bending hometowners from the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. 

It’s the radio show that will make you ask: “What? This is from Virginia??!!” 

So don’t touch that dial, Mr. Hackenbush. Join Brother Breakdown and I -- along with special guests, like the Scorpio Brother himself, Troy Hurt, one of the guys behind the excellent Funky Virginia blog -- as we put some pep in your step and some glide in your stride. 

All to raise money for WTJU Rock's annual fundraiser at 91.1 FM, which is happening right now! Call 434-924-3959 to pledge or listen and donate online at http://wtju.net/

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Open Source RVA addresses the Podcast Pileup!

A region mourns as missing podcasts of Open Source RVA mount. But no more. No more, we vow!

On the April 5 episode of Open Source RVA, we talk about all aspects of gay marriage with Becky Lee and Diana Hoover, a longtime couple recently wed in a civil union. Retired Episcopal priest Buck Aiken and Bill Harrison of the Gay Community Foundation also join us. We also speak with Katrina Fontenla about her new plan, requested by Richmond's Public Art Commission, that addresses artist live/work spaces in Richmond. Read the plan right here.

Download/listen to the April 5, 2013 podcast of Open Source RVA by clicking right here.

The March 29 episode features a very frank exit interview with architect and urban ecologist Lisa Taranto, the founder of Tricycle Gardens. Taranto leaves the city better than she found it, but has some harsh words for Richmond's power elite. We also welcome writer, archivist and friend-of-the-show Dale Brumfield who talks  about his recent Style Weekly cover feature on the unsolved murder of Richmond poet Rik Davis. Read his excellent article right here.

Download/listen to the March 29, 2013 podcast of Open Source RVA by clicking right here.

And how about the March 22 installment of Your Show of Shows? We talk with Peter and Francoise Kirkpatrick, the founders and organizers of the annual French Film Festival, about the cultural treasures that the festival brings to the Byrd Theatre every year. And we also speak with school board members Glen Sturdevant and Kim Gray about recent truancy developments and a plan to have RPS boycott the state’s SOL tests.

Download/listen to the March 22, 2013 podcast of Open Source RVA by clicking right here.

(Yeah, I know a couple of our past episodes are still missing in action. Rest assured that our diligent staff of unpaid interns is working on it.)

It's your Source, Fridays at 4PM on 97.3 FM and http://wrir.org/.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Virginia Living: Anything Goes


The March/April edition of Virginia Living  includes "Anything Goes," my feature article on art deco in Virginia. Get it now at your favorite magazine retailer!

The piece explores the incredible collection of vintage art deco artifacts and decorative items found at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and takes you to a retro "jazz ball" sponsored by the Art Deco Society of Virginia.

"Anything Goes" is not online, but my web extra on Virginia's deco architecture is a nice teaser. You can read it here. (Photo by the mighty Jay Paul.)

Hampton Roads Magazine: The Virginia Arts Festival

On the stands now, Hampton Roads Magazine's March/April issue includes my overview of this year's Virginia Arts Festival, including a profile of director/founder Robert Cross, a percussionist for the Virginia Symphony. 

(Imagine that: Having actual artists run arts events. Is anyone taking notes?)

Check out the Robert Cross interview right here  and read about some of the entertainment featured at the festival, which has grown into one of the largest and best-attended arts events on the East Coast, right here


Sunday, March 24, 2013

Radio Wowsville Tonight: Listening Pleasures Await!

The Radio Wowsville research team (see left) is currently "busting it" in preparation for tonight's big broadcast tonight at 11PM on http://wtju.net/stream

Join Uncle Beatdown as he provides two hours of rancorous swamp funk, claustrophobic ghost country, semi-sweet power pop morsels, and a side-set of music from selected dream worlds. Oh, and Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers come to you live from Miami Beach even though they're in England.

Confused? Don't be. It's Radio Wowsville and our Wurlitzer-winning team is here to help make sense of it. That's because your listening pleasure is our business. 

(And if you miss the big broadcast tonight, you can always travel through time and listen to a stream of the show. Just go to http://wtju.net/vault and click on "Radio Wowsville." And don't stop clicking -- there are many other fine WTJU shows there doing vital sonic research.) 

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Open Source RVA: Feb. 22, 2013 Podcast

On the latest Open Source RVA podcast, we take a look at a new film about a favorite Richmond literary son and introduce you to the new city council representative for the 9th district.

Michelle Mosby bucked the odds and turned some heads when she ousted incumbent Doug Conner in the last council election. In her first major interview, Mosby talks with OSRVA about her surprising victory, her legislative priorities  and how she -- a political neophyte -- is learning the ropes at City Hall.

Your Show of Shows also speaks with filmmaker Christine Stoddard about her new short film, The Persistence of Poe. Joining the conversation is Jeff Roll of the James River Film Society, who will talk about his quarterly James River Filmmakers Forum.


If you don't already know, WRIR's audio news digest is broadcast every Friday at 4PM on 97.3 FM and http://wrir.org. See the link list below to download previous episodes of Open Source RVA.

Feb. 22 - Interview with Michelle Mosby, Persistence of Poe, James River Filmmakers Forum
Feb. 15 - State of the City roundtable, Richmond Macabre 2
Feb. 8 - Carol Piersol and the Firehouse Theatre controversy, Carl Hamm and "Yeh Yeh Pop"
Feb. 1 - Public school truancy, VACLAA and Norberto Gomez Jr., Stuff Redux
Jan. 25 - Interview with Jon Baliles, Susan Worsham's "Bittersweet on Bostwick Lane"
Jan. 18 - The Tea Party and Hanover public schools, activist Scott Burger
Jan. 11 - Arts and culture in 2012 (Kollatz, Griset, Lehman-Rios, Necci)
Jan. 4 -   The year end wrap up on Richmond politics (Goldman, Diradour, Williamson)
Dec. 21 - Arming teachers, filmmaker Rick Alverson, Lewis Ginter Gardenfest of Lights
Dec. 14 - Preservationists and Rt. 5, the RVA Beard League
Dec. 7 -   Richmond's tattoos, Social Services scandal, more Wingnuts
Nov. 30 - Redskins vs. schools, lady arm wrestlers, Henley Street Theatre
Nov. 23 - Wingnuts vs. Police, new youth hostel, Gigi Amateau pt. 2
Nov. 16 - Interview with Parker Agelasto, Keepers of the Flame.
Nov. 9 -  The election, Richmond's new school board, Rock 'n' Roll Hotel
Nov. 2 -  The life of Gabriel, voting trends, Ukefest
Oct. 26 - Spiritualism, horror films, ghost hunting - the Halloweek installment
Oct. 19 - School expulsions, Yes! Dance Invitational and political fact-checking
Oct. 12 - Richmond Symphony contract dispute, mountaintop coal mining
Oct. 5 -   Regional cooperation, windowless apartments
Sept. 28 - Co-Housing, SOL scores, Richmond's musical history
Sept. 21 - Richmond Folk Festival, abortion clinics pt. 2
Sept. 14 - Abortion clinics pt. 1, open government, Mayoral candidate Michael Ryan

Saturday, February 23, 2013

The Radio Wowsville Post-Oscar Breakdown

Join us on Sunday night as Radio Wowsville thanks the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in song (and also our agent). 

Starting at 11PM, I'll will take over the director's chair at WTJU (a.k.a. the Sound Choice in Central Virginia) and set the silver screen to music with two hours of tunes about Hollywood and for Hollywood and against Hollywood. Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Wreckless Eric, The Kinks, Can, Kate Bush, the White Stripes, Mike Nesmith -- it seems everyone wants to get into pictures. 

We're ready for our close up, Mr. DeMille. Sunday night after the Oscars on 91.1 FM and http://wtju.net. And if you miss this F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S episode, you can back up and try it again at http://wtju.net/vault

Friday, February 22, 2013

Virginia Living: Salt of the Earth


Indigenous folklife goes viral!

Virginia Living Magazine has posted "Salt of the Earth," my feature article on state folklorist Jon Lohman and the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program, for your online reading pleasure. 

It’s the last day of the Richmond Folk Festival, and Jon Lohman, Virginia’s state folklorist, looks plum tuckered out as he stands on the Virginia Folklife Stage—one of the special attractions at the three-day music and folk arts gathering that takes over the riverfront in mid-October.  
Lohman is about to introduce the delicate Sephardic balladry of Flory Jagoda, 87, a Jewish exile from Bosnia who lives in Northern Virginia. Responsible for programming two days of music on this stage from artists across the Commonwealth, and for curating and displaying at the festival a collection of indigenous crafts, food and folk art, including a functioning whisky still, Lohman’s heavy-lidded eyes are watery by this point, his shirt partially untucked as he stifles a yawn. It’s the home stretch of a haul that has taken three months of planning, logistics and navigating nit-picky details.

Read the rest of "Salt of the Earth" by clicking right here.

(Photo of master guitar maker Wayne Henderson by the mighty Adam Ewing.)

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Open Source RVA: Feb. 8 and Feb. 15 Podcasts

Open Source RVA has been busy. Dig it:

The Feb. 15 edition of WRIR's Friday news broadcast takes a look at the state of the city under the leadership of Mayor Dwight Jones. We convene a distinguished panel of Richmond politicos -- Bruce Tyler, Paul Goldman and Charlie Diradour -- to talk about recent City Hall controversies and grade the performance of the mayor as he enters a second term.

We also take you inside the nightmarish pages of "Richmond Macabre 2," a new sequel to the popular horror anthology published in 2011. Editors Beth Brown and Phil Ford join us for a spine-tingling talk about how Richmond lends itself so well to bloody tales of ghosts, zombies and goo-spewing maniacs.


On the Feb. 8 installment, we talk with Carol Piersol, the cofounder and former artistic director of the Firehouse Theater Project, about her controversial firing by the company's board of directors.  Fellow Firehouse cofounder and Richmond Magazine writer Harry Kollatz Jr. and former board member and reporter Don Baker join the conversation. And for more on the Firehouse controversy, which has fractured the tight Richmond theater community, check out our man Chris Dovi's thorough coverage at the Open Source RVA website.

We'll also take you inside the world of Pop Yeh Yeh, and introduce you to DJ and archivist Carl Hamm -- best known as DJ Carlito. Hamm spent seven years studying and researching the sounds of Malaysian rock 'n' roll from the 1960s, and he has helped compile and research a new CD compilation of the music available on the Sublime Frequencies label


And don't forget to listen each and every Friday at 4PM to Richmond's weekly audio news digest. Source it at 97.3 FM and http://wrir.org

Sunday, February 10, 2013

WTJU Folk Marathon: The Mamas and the Papas



A very special FUN Raising edition of Radio Wowsville is upon us.

First off, note the time. Tonight, we start tonight's big Wowsville broadcast at 10PM, one hour earlier than usual, and that's because we are participating in WTJU's Folk Marathon, which has been a real treat to listen to this week -- everything from exclusive live broadcasts to special shows on everything from gospel to newgrass. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the magical ways of WTJU, the community-minded radio station doesn't (to paraphrase the Kinks) fundraise like everybody else. No, when each of the four musical departments (that's Folk, Jazz, Classical and Rock) take a week each year to do their thing, and strut their stuff, and feel their oats, the volunteers come up with special programming to entice the engaged music fan.  This has been the folk department's week to shine and the marathon fun is occurring RIGHT NOW. Go to http://wtju.net/stream and check it out. And don't forget to donate some scratch (it's all about raising money to keep the lights on and the equipment working) at 434-924-3959. Or you can give online by clicking right here

Even though Radio Wowsville is a proud member of WTJU's Rock department, we have been asked to close down the Folk Marathon the past few years, and tonight's 10PM broadcast will take a two-hour look at the folk (and Virginia) roots of The Mamas and the Papas. No, the "California Dreamin'" didn't start in L.A. -- it has its roots in Alexandria, Virginia, where Mama Cass Elliot and Papa John Phillips (and Scott "San Francisco" MacKenzie) attended high school. We'll play you rare tracks and interesting asides from such pre-M&P folk and folk-rock groups as the Journeymen, the Big Three (pictured), the Mugwumps and the Halifax Three, and sample folk and country-flavored solo recordings from Denny Doherty, Papa John and Mama Cass. (And let me send a special shout out to the band's archivist, Richard Campbell, for hipping me to all of this stuff).

And then, at midnight, we'll have a special (highly-condensed) hour of Radio Wowsville. To cleanse the frequency palette. 

Too much fun (and folk). Join me tonight at 10PM on WTJU. That's 91.1 FM and online at http://wtju.net. And don't forget the funds, folkies! That's 434-924-3959.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Open Source RVA: Feb. 1, 2013 Podcast

What Sourcery is this? Open Sourcery, of course.

On the packed Feb. 1 edition of Open Source RVA, we talk with school board members Tichi Pinkney Eppes and Shonda Harris-Muhammed, and former school board member Carol A.O. Wolf, about why Richmond Public Schools is missing in action when it comes to truancy prevention. Wolf has done much reporting on the issue at her web site, Save Our Schools.

We also speak with Spencer Turner, the executive director of the Virginia Center for Latin-American Art about the group's new Gallery Movimiento, an art bus / mobile gallery space. And we'll chat with artist Noberto Gomez Jr., whose new show is the first for the bus.

But that's not all. There's also a cool project called Stuff Redux. We talk with organizers behind this new creative reuse initiative planned by VCU's art education department in conjunction with its medical college.

Click here for the Feb. 1, 2013 Podcast of Open Source RVA.

And don't forget to join us every Friday at 4PM on WRIR 97.3 FM or http://wrir.org for your weekly dose of Richmond's audio news digest.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Hampton Roads Magazine: A City Separated

My feature article on the fight to desegregate Norfolk's public schools, "A City Separated," can be found in the February issue of Hampton Roads Magazine. It's on sale now. Or you can read a sizable chunk of the story online. It starts like this:

Andrew Heidelberg wondered what the commotion was about. 
“Why are all of these guys walking past the shower, looking at me,” he asked a white friend one day after PE.
“Andy, I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you,” his buddy said.
“Believe what?”
“They’ve been told that black people come from monkeys, and they want to see if you’ve got a tail.”
Today, recounting this incredible story, the dark-skinned Heidelberg has to laugh. “This was real, man.”
He was one of a group of African-American teenagers known as the Norfolk 17, the first to attend formerly all-white high schools in Norfolk after a well-publicized standoff between the city and new federal desegregation laws in 1959. 

Click here to read "A City Separated," in this month's Hampton Roads Magazine.  

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Open Source RVA: Jan. 25, 2013 Podcast

On the latest edition of Open Source RVA, which is broadcast every Friday at 4PM on 97.3 FM and http://wrir.org, you'll hear from Richmond's new 1st district representative on city council and get to know a local photographer that many are calling one of the bright lights of contemporary Southern art.

City Councilman Jon Baliles won a very narrow victory over incumbent Bruce Tyler in the Nov. 2012 election -- by a mere 22 votes -- and talks with us about his legislative priorities, including his commitment to the arts and how he hopes to update the out-of-date technology at City Hall. It's a frank and freewheeling discussion with the son of a former Virginia governor, and the man who helped to spearhead Richmond's Street Art Festival last year.

We also talk with photographer Susan Worsham as well as Gordon Stettinius and Amy Ritchie from Candela Books + Gallery. Worsham's new exhibit, "Bittersweet on Bostwick Lane" is currently on display at Candela and focuses on her childhood growing up on the campus of the University of Richmond.

Click here to download the Jan. 25, 2013 edition of Open Source RVA.

What was that? You say that you haven't heard all of the great Open Source RVA episodes that have aired on WRIR 97.3 FM? Well, here's a master list of podcast links below. You can't say you haven't been totally sourced!

Jan. 25 - Interview with Jon Baliles, Susan Worsham's "Bittersweet on Bostwick Lane"
Jan. 18 - The Tea Party and Hanover public schools, activist Scott Burger
Jan. 11 - Arts and culture in 2012 (Kollatz, Griset, Lehman-Rios, Necci)
Jan. 4 -   The year end wrap up on Richmond politics (Goldman, Diradour, Williamson)
Dec. 21 - Arming teachers, filmmaker Rick Alverson, Lewis Ginter Gardenfest of Lights
Dec. 14 - Preservationists and Rt. 5, the RVA Beard League
Dec. 7 -   Richmond's tattoos, Social Services scandal, more Wingnuts
Nov. 30 - Redskins vs. schools, lady arm wrestlers, Henley Street Theatre
Nov. 23 - Wingnuts vs. Police, new youth hostel, Gigi Amateau pt. 2
Nov. 16 - Interview with Parker Agelasto, Keepers of the Flame.
Nov. 9 -  The election, Richmond's new school board, Rock 'n' Roll Hotel
Nov. 2 -  The life of Gabriel, voting trends, Ukefest
Oct. 26 - Spiritualism, horror films, ghost hunting - the Halloweek installment
Oct. 19 - School expulsions, Yes! Dance Invitational and political fact-checking
Oct. 12 - Richmond Symphony contract dispute, mountaintop coal mining
Oct. 5 -   Regional cooperation, windowless apartments
Sept. 28 - Co-Housing, SOL scores, Richmond's musical history
Sept. 21 - Richmond Folk Festival, abortion clinics pt. 2
Sept. 14 - Abortion clinics pt. 1, open government, Mayoral candidate Michael Ryan
Aug. 17 - Bike safety, water rates pt. 1, baseball in the Bottom
Aug. 10 - Richmond's waysigning program, Paul Goldman on the VP choice
Aug. 3 -  Our debut! City chickens, the state of Richmond public schools

(The photo above is by Susan Worsham from her exhibit at Candela, which is showing through Feb. 23rd.)