RFC 112: Great New Bands And Movie Trailers!

RFC 112 "Toxic Soup Shirt" from Rudy Panucci on Vimeo.

Radio Free Charelston 112, “Toxic Soup Shirt” is online now, and you should see it right above this text!  We have three bands making their RFC debut–Crossroads, Doctor Curmudgeon and Happy Minor.  We also have a movie trailer for the documentary, “Toxic Soup,” and one for “Jazz From Hell,” about which you will read later.

“Toxic Soup” also provided the shirt I wear in this episode.  Host segments were shot in the Davis Fine Arts building at West Virginia State University, and it was a cool setting, and my old stomping grounds.  People were acting like something unusual was going on, but I didn’t notice anything. Big thanks to Stefani Andrews for making her debut as an RFC crew member.

We kick off the show with the trailer for “Toxic Soup.”  This documentary on the politics of pollution recently screened at the WV Filmmaker’s Festival in Sutton, and is making the festival circuit.  You can find out more about this very important film at their website.

Jeff Mangus

Our first musical guest is the blues band, Crossroads.  Normally this band is Jeff Mangus, Chuck Brown, and Roy Graley (Roy’s an RFC veteran).  On the day we recorded Crossroads Kevin Yeager was filling in on bass, since Roy had a gig with his other band, InFormation.  I usually try not to record a band when they have a fill-in performer, but Kevin did a killer job, and this was a chance for me to record a band in my hometown of Dunbar for the first time, after over a hundred shows.

Jeff is the main songwriter for Crossroads, and we feature his song, “Leaving Me Again,”  This was recorded during Dunbar’s Fal Festival, outside near the Dunbar Library.  This is one of the two times a year that Dunbar actually uses the pedestrian plaza that closed off main street in the 1970s, killing the downtown business district. Maybe they should use it more.  It was a great location with a wonderful outdoor stage.

Crossroads in Dunbar

Since we recorded Crossroads, their frontman, Jeff Mangus, has undergone quintuple bypass surgery.  A benefit concert to help him cover his medical expenses will be held this Friday at Tomahawks Smokehouse and Saloon on MacCorkle Ave on the way to St. Albans. Virginia Street and JC and The Revival will be on hand, as will Roy and Chuck from Crossroads.  It kicks off at 8 PM, and there will raffles and 50/50s all night long to raise funds to help Jeff with his recovery.

Be afraid. Jazz From Hell is coming!

Next up on this show is the trailer for “Jazz From Hell.”  This is the first movie from Radio Free Charleston Productions, and you will learn much more about it in the coming weeks.  We are very excited, but very secretive. If you’re curious, check out the RFC Fan Page at Facebook, where we’re posting previews and updates.

Chuck Biel

We feature the long-awaited debut of Doctor Curmudgeon on this episode of RFC.  The Doctor is the latest creation of Chuck Biel, this time teamed with his son Vince, and bassist Zach Shawkins, to form a progressive metal power trio.

You’re going to be seeing a lot more of Doctor Curmudgeon on RFC in the future.  I’ve sort of signed on to document the evolution of this band, and it’s been a real blast watching such complex music develop from the minds of such talented musicans.

The Doctor is IN

The audio mix for this performance is by Trevor Smith, Chuck’s guitar tech.  Unfortunately I left out his credit on the show, so I need to correct that omission here, because this is one of the best-sounding mixes we’ve had on the show.

The Power is in the Pedals.

Doctor Curmudgeon performs “Lucubration” for your perusal.  You can see the band’s offical public unveiling on October 31 at The Empty Glass.

Happy Minor

Under our end credits, we have a snippet of Happy Minor.  I don’t normally like to play song fragments on the show, but since this entire song has been posted here in PopCult, and we’re going to have the band on the show with a full-crew shoot soon, I figured it was okay.  Happy Minor has been turning up at several open mic nights, and you can read about them in our previous PopCult posts.  You’ll get to hear a little bit of their song, “Gypsy Queen.”

That’s it for this episode of RFC.  Next time…well…’tis the season, as they say.  Keep your fingers crossed, be very afraid, and don’t smoke any funny cigarettes.

If we get this thing finished on time, it’ll be a freaking miracle.