Month: October 2009 (Page 1 of 2)

The PopCulteer
October 30, 2009

BOO!

Due to a family emergency, the planned epic-length PopCulteer will be split up into several different posts over the weekend. This post is a photo essay of the cool art exhibit on Charleston’s East End, ArtMares. To the right you see Joe Bolyard’s installation, “Death Deified,” which is one of the most striking pieces in an incredible assortment of stunning images.

The ArtMares exhibit can be seen Firday and Saturday night at 1598 Washington Street, across the street from The Bluegrass Kitchen. Friday night it’s free from 5 PM to 7 PM. Saturday the show is the centerpiece of the HallowEast Block Party, starting at 6 PM. Twenty bucks gets you unlimited access to studio with refreshments, food, drink and lots of fine Halloweenery.

After the jump, you’ll find a frightening buttload of Artmarish imagery.

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Above, you see our epic 2009 Radio Free Charleston Halloween special,”HallowEast Shirt.” If the show isn’t up there, that means that it escaped and can be found here. I’m going to post very detailed production notes about part of the show in Friday”s PopCulteer, but we do have some folks to thank for making this year’s Halloween show happen.

Specifically, Mark Wolfe and Amy Williams and The Charleston Area Alliance East End Main Street, Eamon Hardiman, Razor Sharp Productions, The No Pants Players, The Book Exchange and Flare Baroshi all went above and beyond in helping with this year’s show, which was our most involved episode yet. It’s also our longest, clocking in at just under half an hour (and that’s after we jettisoned two complete songs and a couple of short films).We feature music from Unknown Hinson, The CYAC musical, “The Blob,” The Big Bad and Flare Baroshi.

We also have a Mini Movie, and a few extra treats along the way. Our host segments, featuring members of The No Pants Players (Go see Their SCARETACULAR this Saturday at The La Belle Theater in South Charleston) were shot in various locations in Charleston’s East End–the home of HallowEast!. Jeff Bukovinsky, Mandy Petry, Joe Wallace and Duncan Stokes met up with us last Sunday at The Book Exchange, and we proceeded to skip from location to location, shooting our little comedy bits, aided and abetted by Mel Larch, Mark Wolfe and Amy Williams. We did a killer job, shooting guerilla style, and except for the guy playing me, everyone did a great job. Huge thanks to all involved. I’ll be writing more about this shoot on Friday.

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Today’s piece was one I considered for the ArtMares exhibit, part of HallowEast, but it wasn’t nightmarish enough. So it’s here, and “Monster Faces,” a collaboration between me and my brother, Frank Panucci, will be part of the ArtMares show.

As always, click the image to enlarge it.

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Today we’re going to look at the 2006 and 2007 Radio Free Charleston Halloween specials! Above, you see episode seven, wherein, I get killed. after the “read more,” you can see part two, where I get better, and episode 29, which was shot at Capitol Roasters during the 2007 Whistlepunk Halloween party. You’ll get to see animation, cool short films, and music from Whistlepunk, The Concept, Clownhole, Professor Mike, half of The Pistol Whippers, Lil Guy from South Park Enterprises, Big Money and more!

The 2009 RFC Halloween special should be online by Wednesday. Before that one goes up, look for a post with both parts of last year’s “RFC Horror Theater!” Continue reading

The PopCulteer
October 23, 2009,

The Pre-Halloween Rush

This weekend is filled to the brim with tons of cool things to do. Too many, in fact for one person to attend. So get your cloning machine cranked up, and check out the rampant niftiness.

The Big LeBOWLski

Saturday night, at the Dunbar Bowling Center, 1212 Ohio Avenue in Dunbar, you can experience the classic Coen Brothers film, “The Big Lebowski,” the way it was originally meant to be seen–in a bowling alley! Adults 21 and up can watch the neo-Noir classic, then follow up with some late-night bowling action.

If you haven’t seen this film, you should know that bowling looms large in its plot. The evening kicks off at 9 PM with some fine adult beverages served while perfectly appropriate tunes are spun. The movie starts around 10 PM, and following the flick, bowling hi-jinks will ensue. Ten bucks gets you in the door, and that includes the movie, bowling and shoe rental.

We are so lucky to have something this cool happening in the area. Some folks would cut off their toe to go to an event like this. You get a great movie, viewed in good company, with fun music and classy rented shoes. The bowling ties it all together. Attendees are encouraged to dress as their favorite character from the movie. And please, do not request any Eagles tunes.

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Remember”Scape,” the series of digital paintings I’ve been posting here for more than four years? Here’s the latest, Scape 30. I’m sure that, at some point, I’ll quit doing this, but it hasn’t happened yet. Click to enlarge.

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Above you see a clip of the gigantically-probiscused New Wave performer, Skafish. This is from the movie, “Urgh! A Music War,” and it was my first exposure to Jim Skafish and his bizarre, yet very appealing music. He is considered the godfather of Chicago punk, and he’s still plugging away at it. You can check out his website and his blog for the latest updates.  There aren’t many videos of the man floating around ou there, but after the jump, take in “Disgracing The Family Name” so you can more fully experience the pure punk joy that is Skafish.

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The PopCulteer
October 16, 2009,

What A Night!

Last night’s Art Walk may have been the most surreal yet, in more ways than one. First, there was the shock that, on the night of Art Walk, with every participating business being asked to stay open until 10 PM, the city closed off Capitol Street, thus eliminating more than twenty metered parking places as well as access to a parking lot used by many patrons of the Art Walk. And they did this to hold an outdoor event, in October…at night…in the rain. I say we give the city credit for committing an act of ironic municipal performance art, instead of chalking it up to a lapse of common sense on par with “For The Love Of God, I thought Turkeys could Fly!”

However, they could not kill the spirit of Art Walk. This week’s PopCulteer is all photos, from the cool galleries to the daring evening of surreal theater at the Kanawha Players Workshop. You see Kirill Gura, as “You” above at right, from “A Dialogue With On Coming Traffic,” part of the night’s mega-dose of art and performance.  Follow me on a photo journey of the beauty that lay hidden in town on an ugly night, weather-wise.

Now….we walk.

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Those moving images you see floating above this text (if you don’t see ’em, click here) is the latest episode of Radio Free Charleston. “The Watchmen Shirt” features music from Shindig and Joseph Hale, plus a commercial for the new official board game of RFC, and a long-awaited announcement. We announce the name of the winner of the First Great Guitar Giveaway.

Our host segments were shot in Barboursville at Route 60 Music, where we held the drawing for The First Great Guitar Giveaway. You will see the drawing, and find out who won. You’ll also get to see some of the cool stuff that they have down at Route 60 Music. It truly is West Virginia’s guitar Mecca.

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Today’s art is a digital doodle, knocked out quickly during an idle moment last week. It’s grown on me enough to make it into PopCult. I had to give it a goofy name first. For some reason, it feels kind of retro to me. Click to enlarge.

RFC 84, brought to you from Route 60 Music, and featuring Shindig, Joseph Hale, our exciting new board game sponsor plus the First Great Guitar Giveaway drawing will go online later today or early Tuesday, depending on the barometric pressure.