Month: January 2010 (Page 1 of 3)

We always try to do something special for our Halloween shows on Radio Free Charleston. In 2008 I decided to pay homage to the cheesy horror movies hosts of my youth, and came up with “Radio Free Charleston Horror Theater,” hosted by me, as “Count Rudoph.” We shot the host segments at LiveMix Studio, and I assembled a cast of terrific performers–Liz McCormick,Melanie Larch, Brian Young, and as “Celeste the Zombie Supermodel,” Chelsea Cook. While I wrote a script, the five of us basically improvised the show.  You see the first two parts at the top of this post. The April Fool’s bonus installment is below.

We had so much fun that the following spring we decided to do it again, only this time for our April Fool’s episode. Chelsea wasn’t available for this shoot, but we added Alan Young and Mark and Stephen Beckner.  Again, it was a ton of fun. Stick around for the post-end-credit gag.

The music on these shows is top-notch, too. You’ll hear Doctor Senator, The Hellblinki Sextet, Under The Radar, Go Van Gogh, Whistlepunk and Hitchcock Circus. You’ll also get to see animation by Wladislaw Starewicz and Frank Panucci, and short films by Rich Allen and Spike Nesmith. You will also bear witness to the truth about Jack The Ripper. That’s all in addition to the zombie hijinks.

You can read the productions notes for part one and part two, and the fake and real notes for the third installment. There’s nothing like a little Halloween magic to warm up a snowed-over day.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" width="430" height="346" fvars="m=102636680;type=video" wmode="transparent" /]

Are you ready for more Radio Free Charleston goodies to help you get through this weekend’s snow-induced home confinement? At the top of this post you’ll find episode 49 of our humble little show. After the jump you can treat yourself to episodes 51, 52 and 53.  Click the numbers for the original production notes.  We posted our big fiftieth episode last week.

In this batch of shows you’ll find music by The ButtonFlies, The Hellblinki Sextet, Under The Radar, Brain Trauma, The Underdog Blues Revue, Jonathan Glen Wood, Civil State, Ten Carp Lie, Corporate Orange and more. You’ll also be treated to Kitty Killton, Fingerman, two trailers for “Jack The Ripper,” the Charleston Speed Run and animation from Frank Panucci.

If all goes well, we will have one more collectikon of classic episodes of our show later today. Check back–it’s not like you have anything else to do in this abysmal weather.

Continue reading

[kml_flashembed movie="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" width="430" height="346" fvars="m=102628560;type=video" wmode="transparent" /]
Yay!We have another batch of primo episodes of Radio Free Charleston, from late Summer 2008 to warm you up in this big nasty snow-covered weekend.

Above you see episode 46, and after the jump you can watch RFC 47, and 48 . Click the episode numbers for the original production notes.  Among the musical gems you’ll find in these installments of the show are songs from Dog Soldier, Casi Null, The Diablo Blues Band, Mark Bates and The Vacancies, Quick and Dirty, The ButtonFlies, The Hellblinki Sextet and Under The Radar.  There’s also plenty of animation by Frank Panucci and Wladislaw Wtarewicz, and a 120 second Art Show.

We’ll continue posting newly-archived episodes of RFC for your viewing pleasure all weekend.

Continue reading

[kml_flashembed movie="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" width="430" height="346" fvars="m=102622452;type=video" wmode="transparent" /]
We’ve got two more installments of Radio Free Charleston for you while you’re snowed in. Above, you see episode 44. On the other side of the jump, you’ll find episode 45.  Click the episode numbers for the original production notes. These may be the last shows posted tonight.  It seems MySpace has an upload limit.

In this batch of shows you’ll get to hear music from Lady D, Quick and Dirty, Doctor Senator, T.J. King, Comparsa and the electronica duo of Melanie Larch and Rudy Panucci. You’ll also see a movie trailer, animation from Frank, an animated apology to West Virginia from then-Vice President , the disgraced Dick Cheney, and extended looks at FestivAll and The Pandora’s Toy Box art exhibit. Continue reading

[kml_flashembed movie="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" width="430" height="346" fvars="m=102620108;type=video" wmode="transparent" /]
Above you see Radio Free Charleston number 41 (we posted episode 40 last Sunday). Below the jump you’ll find RFC number 42 and 43. Click the numbers for the original production notes. These shows date back to April, May and Juine, 2008.
This batch of shows includes music from A Place of Solace, The Coal Men, Holden Cauflield, Barrelhouse Bonnie, Doctor Senator, Ko, The Synergy Collective, The Clementines, InFormation and Melanie Larch. The music ranges from honk-tonk piano to straight-up rock to alternative coolness to ambient adventurism. We also have animation from various sources and special apperances by female wrestling star Daffney (seen above), The Concept and Bill O’Rielly. An added extra is the trailer for Danny Boyd’s “Invasion of The Space Preachers.”

I’ll be posting these all weekend long. Brew up some hot chocolate, pull on your Snuggie and curl up in front of your PC.

Continue reading

[kml_flashembed movie="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" width="430" height="346" fvars="m=102617689;type=video" wmode="transparent" /]
Okay….so a combination of computer problems and bad weather have conspired to cause us to miss posting The PopCulteer for the first time since we started the weekly feature lastApril.  How do we make it up to you? How about brightening up your snowy imprisonment with some classic episodes of Radio Free Charleston that have been offline for a couple of years?

This batch of three newly-archived shows includes performances by Lady D, Blue Million, Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars, The Spurgie Hankins Band, Three Bodies and Strawfyssh. You’ll also get to see The Android Family, animation by Frank Panucci, Rudy Panucci and Martians, vintage car commercials and weird video starring RFC’s Resident Diva Melanie Larch and Charleston Mayor Danny Jones.

Above you see episode 37. After the jump you can see episodes 38 and 39 of Radio Free Charleston, from Spring 2008. Click the episode number for the original production notes and check back for more classic RFC later this weekend. Continue reading

The PopCulteer
January 30, 2010

The Contemporary Youth Arts Company production of Bertholt Brecht’s “Galileo” is an intriguing look at the the historical struggle between religion and reason, framed by the human failings of the man who some saw as threat, others as a hero and many as a sellout.

This dramatization of the rise and fall of pioneering astronomer, Galileo Galilei traces his breakthrough, taking credit for the invention of the telescope, to his studies in Florence, which revolutionized science and physics, but which also drew the ire of the Catholic Church, which was opposed to the idea that the Earth revolved around the Sun. Galileo’s persecution by the church

Nik Tidquist portrays Galileo, not as a hero, but as a human, with real human motivations, desires and appetites. He breathes life into the role with an exceptionally believable performance. Through Tidquist we get to meet a complex man who balances his quest for knowledge with his strong sense of self-preservation. Continue reading

Right at the top of this post (or at this link, if technology is not being your friend today) you see the ninety-second episode of Radio Free Charleston, “Oingo Boingo Shirt.” This collection of local music, weird film and other cool stuff was carefully prepared by experienced Bavarian craftsmen, and is served up on a bed of fresh baby spinach for your personal delightrificationment.

Our music this time is by Joseph Hale, The Diablo Blues Band and the Blues Girls from the CYAC production of “The Blob.” We also have a Plant Ro Duction Mini Movie and a serious message from Ann Magnuson on behalf of Covenant House.

Host segments were shot in the parking lot at The Kanawha Mall. There was no particular reason for this,other than it was sunny and that’s where we ended up. Continue reading

We kick off this week with a digitally-assaulted photograph of the windows at 1 Davis Square. They don’t really look like that. This piece is a realization of my deep artistic need to color within the lines. Click it to see a bigger version.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" width="430" height="346" fvars="m=102460462;type=video" wmode="transparent" /]

Our videos this week are two special episodes of Radio Free Charleston from 2008. Above this text you see our fiftieth episode. This show has music from Hasil Adkins, The Concept and Melanie Larch, plus animation from Frank Panucci, the RFC debut of Kitty Killton and tons of cool cameos. You can read the production notes here.

After the jump, you’ll see our first big April Fool’s episode, RFC 40. This show, which featured a fake “new direction” for the show includes music from Paul Calicoat and Joe Slack, plus special appearances from Eamon Hardiman, Jerry “The King” Lawler and The No Pants Players. You can read the PopCult production notes here, and the real production notes, with the full story of how cursed this show was, here. Continue reading