Month: October 2026 (Page 3 of 3)

This week our art is an acrylic painting of my beautiful wife, Mel Larch.

It’s inspired in part by a photo I was able to sneakingly snap while we were waiting to meet Ellen Greene in Baltimore at a 40th anniversary screening of Little Shop of Horrors a week ago last Saturday.

You can see the actual photo in this post.

Now you may notice that, in that photo, Mel is not smiling, and her head is not in the same position. I basically just wanted to paint her with that lighting, so I used it for color reference. I mean, I know what my wife looks like. While we were waiting to be ushered into the room where Ellen Greene was, I was just staring at her face the whole time. She was just radiant while at the same time being nervously cute as hell.

Seriously, she’d be my muse and would be in a lot more of my paintings if not for the fact that she desperately despises being photographed and while I would love to make pretty pictures of her for the rest of my life…it’s not worth the distress that it would cause her.

In fact, I had to sneak and paint this, stashing it out of sight every time she walked by the office.  She would’ve made me put something else in this spot.

However, I’m willing to risk her ire for the sake of a good painting once in a while. This was done on a smallish canvas with acrylics…with love.

If you want to see this image larger click HERE.

Meanwhile, over in radioland, Monday beginning at 2 PM on The AIR,  we bring you a classic episode of Psychedelic Shack, and then at 3 PM we do the same with an encore of a more recent episode of Herman Linte’s weekly showcase of the Progressive Rock of the past half-century, Prognosis.

You can listen to The AIR at the website, or on the embedded radio player elsewhere on this page. Psychedelic Shack can be heard every Monday at 2 PM, with replays Tuesday at 9 AM, Wednesday at 10 PM, Friday at 1 PM,  and Saturday at 9 AM. You can hear Prognosis on The AIR Monday at 3 PM, with replays Tuesday at 7 AM, Wednesday at 8 PM, Thursday at Noon, and Saturday at 10 AM.

Tonight at 8 PM, tune in for a classic edition of The Comedy Vault. That’s followed by two-hour blocks of Curtain Call and Beatles Blast at 9 PM and 11 PM, and then an overnight assortment of our Haversham Recording Institute programs at 1 AM.

Earlier this year, the legendary progressive rock band, YES, released their 24th studio album, Aurora. Despite the fact that the currently line-up of the band includes no original members, and only one member, guitarist Steve Howe, who was part of the “classic” mid-1970s line up,

Aurora is a major return to form, with the band sounding more like themeselves than they have in years. a deluxe edition with a bonus collection of instrumental versions of all the songs was just released digitally last week.

This is a great year for fans of YES, since original lead vocalist, Jon Anderson, is touring with his backup band, The Band Geeks, and their difinitive keyboard player, Rick Wakeman, has just released a new and extremely proggy concept album, his second devoted to the planet Mars.

Because YES is not currently touring due to an undisclosed surgical procedure needed by Steve Howe, the band has promoted Aurora with two excellent animated music videos by Matt Hutchings.  Above you see the latest, “Ariadne,” which was just released Friday. Below you see the title track, “Aurora,” which was released last May. Not too shabby for a band that’s been releasing challening and excellent music for fifty-eight years.

We go back to February, 2015 this week for a full-length episode of Radio Free Charleston that was comprised entirely of file footage shot months and years before.

From 2014, we have Farnsworth and from 2009 we have Hellblinki, both recorded at The Empty Glass in Charleston. You’ll also get a bunch of vintage MEGO commercials and some kind of semi-animated thing by your humble blogger.

You can read the full production notes for this show HERE.

The PopCulteer
October 2, 2026

We’re going to look back at a very cool Tuesday night in Charleston, but first…

Today is BANDCAMP FRIDAY!  This is the day when my favored streaming service, Bandcamp, foregoes their usual cut of the dough and lets the artists keep all the money spent on their music and merch.

If you scroll down and check out almost any post about an episode of Radio Free Charleston that has a playlist in this blog since 2023, you will find that the list of artists have links, many of which take you directly to that artist’s Bandcamp page.  This harkens back to my mantra, “Support the Local Scene. Support Independent Music. And Buy Your Music In An Ethical Manner.”

You know what to do to support the local scene and independent artists. It doesn’t get much more ethical than this. Remember, it’s not just digital downloads. You can order vinyl, CDs, Cassettes, T Shirts, hats and all kinds of other cool band merch.

But now, back to the subject of today’s photo essay…

A Trippy Night, But Nobody Got Hurt

Tuesday night saw the debut of Ann Magnuson’s new Bongwater Cabaret show at The Empty Glass, as well as the related Ultra Violet Black Light Art Show just half a block away at The Ghost Gallery, located in the former Frutcake/Starlings Provisions building. This was all part of the pre-FestivFall events, leading into the cool stuff that’s still going on.

Mel and I had tickets to the late show, which was a wee bit daunting for yours truly.  Since I had to go on meds for MG ten years ago, I lost my superpower of only needing four hours of sleep a night. Now I start to fade around 10 PM.  This is why I’m not quite the presence I used to be in Charleston.  Pre-meds, I used to be out late three or four nights a week. I miss that, but I enjoy being in the best health of my life too, so it’s a decent trade-off. Still, it’s nice to get out and see how surprisingly and spectacularly surreal Charleston can get at times.

It was a wonderful evening.  Mel and I grabbed dinner, then got to the East End early enough to get to take in the Black Light art show, and I love what they’re doing with the Ghost Gallery.  The artwork was incredible. I did a lousy job taking pictures and getting the names of the artists, so I will likely revisit this evening when I see if Mel’s photos are in focus, but it was amazing fun to be back at a local art event. I got to catch up with some great friends that I hadn’t seen since before Covid, like Kitty Killton, Joe Bolyard and Keith Allen, and it was just nice to be social again in a cool setting.

Ann even came over to The Ghost Gallery between shows and I managed not to crush her when I misstepped off a curb.

It is surreal to realize that, in the course of 72 hours, I got hugs from Ann, Kitty Killton, Joe Boylard and Ellen Greene.  Plus a drunk guy in Baltimore who mistook me for somebody else.

After hanging out at the Gallery, we walked back to The Empty Glass and got to see Ann put on a fantastic show, very ably backed by The Carpenter Ants with Ammed Solomon and original Bongwater member, Randolph A. Hudson III.  We were treated to a mix of psychedlic covers and Bongwater classics, and as always, Ann tapped into her Charleston roots to weave a wildly trippy and nostalgic view of the Kanawha Valley that she grew up in…and one that I was not far behind.

As Ann told her stories of Pepperland, my mind went back to 12-year-old Rudy bumming a ride off his older brother so I could go to Downtown Charleston’s head shop, not to get any smoking accessories or anything, but to buy the underground comix they kept in the back.  Looking back, it’s sorta hilarious that I was steeped in hippie and drug culture and could get every joke on a Cheech and Chong album, yet I never actually had any interest in smoking pot or dropping acid.

It’s sort of like the way I love Tiki culture, but don’t drink, eat pork or like going near the beach. I guess I’m just a spectator that way.

Anyway, I did get a few usable photos on my phone, but I largely went as a civilian, and left the working cameras behind.  Here’s a few images from the night…

I got a couple of nearly-in-focus pictures, but they do not do justice to this incredible show.

I’ll be doing a follow-up post with the artist’s names next week.

I think this one was by Wes Eary…and it was Batman-centric, so I had to include it here.

Lucy Lips treated us to some fire twirling outside the gallery

The Red Scare introduced the second show…

…and added a little tease.

Ann took the stage with the band and we were in for a wild trip

We were treated to many tales of experimenting with chemicals in the Chemical Valley

Jupie Little did a great job on vocals, percussion and wig-bearing

Speaking of wigs, this was the only decent shot I got of Ammed, behind the drum kit…seen here in Harpo mode

Near the end of the evening, Ann dedicated The Monkees’ song, “Porpoises” to the memory of Eliska Hahn Diller, who would’ve turned 60 Tuesday.

That song triggered a memory I had, of being nine years old and staying up late on a weeknight to watch the Monkees movie, “Head” on “The CBS Late Movie” which was where the networks buried all their Hippie movies in the early 1970s

We leave you one last look at Ann onstage at The Glass. This was really a magical night, and I hope the folks in the big cities appreciate how special it is when Ann takes The Bongwater Cabaret on the road.

Tha is this week’s PopCulteer. Check this blog every damn day for fresh content and all our regular features.

STUFF TO DO is PopCult‘s weekly guide to just a few of the great events happening in Charleston, Huntington and a few other points here in West Virginia, and sometimes a little beyond our borders, in the coming days.  There are two big cultural events happening this weekend, and we will tell you about them right after we recommend three Kickstarter campaigns, each of which only  have about a week left to go.

HALLOWEEEN!

First up we have RRPArks CARDS! 13th Annual Halloween Event. This is one of the most fun trading card sets that anybody produces these days, and it’s already met its goal.  Here’s a very quick rundown:

RRParks CARDS! wraps up their THIRTEENTH year as a trading card company as well as their THIRTEENTH Halloween as a publisher wth a conglomeration of 14 card sets and more, crammed into one giant, mega, Kaiju-sized Halloween card set.

This year the sets include a Halloween Trick or Treat Series 16 PLAYSET, complete with 9 cards, a clipout bonus card, a mini pack of 4 mini cards, scarly little toy monster heads and a pinback badge, in special packaging.

You’ll also get Halloween Trick or Treat Series 17; Monster Choke ‘n Gag Series 13; XIAO’S KAIJUS Series Two; The THING Series Three; John Detrich WEIRD WERKS Series 3 and 4; Quatermass and the Pit Series Seven; Scary Clowns Series Seven; Matthew Kirscht’s SHIVERBONES Series Three; KOKKINAKIS KAIJUS; BLOODY SUMMER CAMP II: Red Horizon; JUICY KAIJUS by Jucylande; Jenni Gregory’s GHOST BRIDE; RRParksCARDS GIFT CASKET; Limited Edition METAL CARD; Original Art Sketch Card; Jenni Gregory’s ZOMBIE PARROT; and it all comes in a Brand New LIBRARY SHELF box with extra panels.

We’re talking well over 250 cards (including the clip-out bonuses on the box) plus extra goodies like small toys and pinback buttons.

And it will get to you before Halloween, so you can really get into the season. Pledge to Kickstarter HERE.

Fidget With Madman!

Mike Allred’s Madman: Frank Fab Fidget-ar fidget toy is a guitar-shaped fidget toy inspired by Mike Allred’s epic hero, Madman (AKA Frank Einstein).

Frank’s Fab Fidget-ar is a big person sized guitar fidget toy that lets you quietly rock out with the exclamation bolt slider and the twin spiral spinners. It’s a really cool souvenir of one of the greatest comic book heroes of the last three decades, and is a perfect keepsake or gift for any fan of Allred’s Madman universe. There are tons of cool add-ons as well.

You can pledge to this campaign HERE.

My Girlfriend Is A Cyborg Assassin

The latest installment in this hilarious sci-fi romp by the extremely talented writer, Anthony Stokes, is available to pre-order now.

My Girlfriend Is A Cyborg Assassin #4 is a 24-page Cyberpunk Noir written by Stokes, Illustrated By Jack Dunne, Colored By Juan Manuel Gutierrez, Edited By Don Mancha and Lettered By Stephen Kok.

The series is inspired by Blade Runner and buddy cop stories like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Fans of Cyberpunk 2077 and Akira will enjoy.

Set in a cyberpunk landscape where people regularly get cybernetic enhancements to their bodies, Cyborg Assassin at its core is a story about the walls technology can put up between people.

The first three issues were a pure delight, set in a well-crafted fantasy world where sci-fi and film noir tropes collide with spectacularly creative results. You can pledge for issue four, or play catch-up with the entire series HERE.

With the Kickstarter plugs out of the way, we have two big cutural events dominating our list of events this week.

FestivFALL in Charleston is already underway, kicking off Tuesday with some early events.  For the full schedule of the cool stuff to check out, visit their website.

FunktaFest marks ten years in Huntington with it’s usual fantastic line-up of music and other fantasmagorical goings on. Check out the full schedule at their website.

Each week I try to tell you about a few cool events all around the state that you might not know about.  If you have a show that you’d like to plug in the future you can still contact me via Social Media at Facebook, BlueSky, Spoutible, Instagram or Twitter.  I dont charge for this, so you might as well send me something if you have an event to promote.  I do ask that you send a graphic that includes the date, time and location, of the event, as well as the cost to attend.  I can’t promise that I’ll run it here,  but chances are I will unless it’s something completely offensive or an event happening in South Carolina. If it looks original and charmingly weird and not like something AI farted out, you have a better chance of seeing it here.

Keep in mind that I’ll need this several days in advance, so please don’t send me a graphic on the day of the event and expect it to show up in this feature.

For much more comprehensive guides to things you can get into in our region, check out these two wonderful resources:

Cristen Michael has created an interactive calendar that is way more comprehensive than this list of STUFF TO DO, and you can find it HERE. Just click on the day and the event and you’ll be whisked away to a page with more details about loads of area events.

Mya Ross at Status Quo does a much better job of compiling a list of local events than I do, and you can find the WTSQ guide to events HERE. Toss ’em a donation while you’re over there.

You can find live music in and around town every night of the week. You just have to know where to look.  Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

Among the notable music venues in town are The World Famous Empty Glass Cafe, Live at The Shop in Dunbar, Louie’s, at Mardi Gras Casino & Resort, In Huntington, there’s local institution, The Loud (formerly The V Club),  The Wandering Wind Meadery is on Charleston’s West Side, Plus there’s music in Charleston at The Blue Parrot, Sam’s Uptown Cafe and Fife Street Brewing. Plus there are free concerts almost every weekend at Taylor Books.

You might also find cool musical events at Folklore Music Exchange in Charleston.

To hear music in an alcohol-free enviroment, see what’s happening at Pumzi’s, on Charleston’s West Side.

For cutting-edge independent art films, downstairs from Taylor Books you’ll find the Floralee Hark Cohen Cinema by WVIFF. Each week they program several amazing movies in their intimate viewing room that you aren’t likely to see anywhere else.

Please remember that viral illnesses are still a going concern and many people who have very good reasons are still wearing masks, and many of us, understandably, are still nervous about being in crowds, masked or not. Be kind and understanding  while you’re out. And if you’re at an outdoor event, please remember that it’s awfully inconsiderate to smoke or vape around people who become ill when exposed to that stuff. If somebody asks you to refrain, please respect their weishes and don’t be a jerk about it.

Here’s a few select suggestions for STUFF TO DO in and around the Mountain State this weekend…

Continue reading