Episode 176 of RFC

Merry Christmas From Radio Free Charleston

December 17, 2012 by rudy panucci

Radio Free Charleston 176 is our 2012 Christmas Special. Filmed at and named after the Marx Toy Museum, this show features music from the Charleston Gay Mens Chorale, a duet from Lee Harrah and Pepper Fandango, a special “double trio” from the cast of “MARY: A Rock Opera,” and Prank Monkey. Also in this episode, we have the Ghost of Animation Past, a holiday message from Razor Sharp Studios and Burt Flemming, and a quick musical tour of The Marx Toy Museum in Moundsville, WV.

The host segments for this episode were recorded at The Marx Toy Museum in Moundsville, WV which is one of the coolest places on earth, celebrating the legacy of Louis Marx and what was at one point, the largest toy company in the world.

We took a day trip to Moundsville for what was one of the most fun host segment shoots we’ve ever done. Many thanks to Francis Turner and Kandi Fanton and The Marx Toy Museum for making us feel welcome. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday until December 29, when they close until Spring. It would be a great, fun trip to close out the year.

Episode 175 of RFC

The RFC 2012 Sampler Looks Back At A Great Year For Local Music

December 3, 2012 by rudy panucci

Radio Free Charleston 175, “Dunbar Lanes Shirt,” is a sampler of just a tiny amount of the great local music that we brought you in 2012. We’ll revisit songs from Red Audio, In The Company of Wolves, Godmode Broadway, and The Charleston Light Opera Guild production of “The Color Purple.”

Our title shirt this week comes to us from the newly reopened Dunbar Lanes, the area’s coziest little bowling alley, tucked away in the heart of the hub of the Kanawha Valley, Dunbar. After the previous owners retired and left for Florida and the bowling alley lay dormant for a few months, the Dunbar landmark reopened last Friday and the new management promises to turn it into the hippest bowling alley in the state.

Episode 174 of RFC

Qiet, “Mary,” Farnsworth, DEVO Hats and breakfast cereal on RFC 174

November 19, 2012 by rudy panucci

Up top you see RFC 174 “Mark Wolfe Design Shirt.” This week’s episode of Radio Free Charleston features music from Qiet and Farnsworth, plus a special performance from the Dan Khede/Mark Scarpelli rock opera, MARY. We also have some fresh DEVO hat animation and part of a complete breakfast. Host segments were shot on the river side of our beautiful State Capitol Building. Our titular shirt comes to us from our good friend, Mark Wolfe, and plugs Mark Wolfe Design, pretty much the hippest design firm in town.

We start the show with something childish and hysterical and we’re not going to say anything more about it.

Episode 173 of RFC

Punk Cabaret, Cool Jazz and Hot Rock on RFC 173

November 5, 2012 by rudy panucci

Above you should see RFC 173 “Calvin The Spiffy Spaceman Shirt” This episode of Radio Free Charleston features music from Frenchy and the Punk, Amanda Brigette and The Nanker Phelge, plus a hilarious outtake from Felix Baumgardner’s Space Dive and a look at the newest Olympic sport, Spumling.

Frenchy and the Punk

Frenchy and Punk are featured on the show in advance of their November 7, 2012 gig at The Empty Glass in Charleston, WV, where they will be appearing with Qiet. While the goth/cabaret duo are promoting their new CD, “Hey, Hey, Cabaret,” we have them on the show this week with the song “The Magician and The Dancer” from their 2010 CD, “Happy Madness.”

Episode 172 of RFC

Halloween 2012 on RFC

October 22, 2012 by rudy panucci

At the head of this post, you see our brand new Halloween treat, Radio Free Charleston 172, “Nightmare In Wax shirt.” The bulk of this special episode was recorded on September 29 at the first Shocka-Conhorror/science fiction convention. Our musical guests are The Tom McGees, The Nanker Phelge, and The Renfields. Plus, we have a short film by convention guest, Appalachian horror author Frank Larnerd.

Shocka-Con is the brainchild of Mike and Rose Winland, of Mike Winland Studios fame, and it was a spectacular success, drawing over 2500 people. It was an all day convention, with vendors and special guests set up in tents around the Indian Mound in South Charleston while seminars were held at the South Charleston Public Library and movies were screened at the LaBelle Theater. The evening ended with a Monster Parade up D Street and a free concert at the Mound Stage.

Episode 171 of RFC

The Best of Halloween On RFC 171

October 15, 2012 by rudy panucci

Back in the Gazz.com days.

Radio Free Charleston’s 171st episode, “Skull Shirt,” is online now and it’s a doozy. This on- hour-five-minute compilation show brings you highlights from the first five years worth of Radio Free Charleston Halloween specials. Most of these shows were multi-part or bonus length epics and each year’s special was different in its own twisted little way.

Episode 170 of RFC

Farnsworth Rocks Budget Tapes and Records on RFC 170, plus Weirdness and Meet Ginger From The Stock Car Musical

October 1, 2012 by rudy panucci

Radio Free Charleston 170, “Regular Show Shirt,” is a valentine toBudget Tapes and Records, the legendary music and lifestyle emporium that is celebrating forty years of serving area music fans from their Kanawha City location. Our host segments originate from Budget, and we even have two songs by Farnsworth, recorded on location at the release party for their new EP at Budget.

RFC 170 also brings viewers a song from the Contemporary Youth Arts Company production of the Dan Kehde/Mark Scarpelli original, “The Legend of Ginger and Billy Joe: The Stock Car Musical,” as well as animation and a found film compilation by Frank Panucci.

Episode 169 of RFC

Great Music, Strange Film and A Very Dark Mound On RFC 169

September 24, 2012 by rudy panucci

Radio Free Charleston 169, “The Black Knight Rises,” features music from Emily Burdette, Godmode Broadway and The Nanker Phelge, plus two short films by Frank Panucci. Host segments were shot at The Mound in South Charleston about an hour later than we’d planned, and we plug a couple of cool local events, both of which are coming up this Saturday.

This week’s episode is hosted from The Mound in South Charleston, where September 29, part of Shocka Con will take place. This year’s Shocka Con will be a fundraiser/preview of what organizers hope will be a full-blown horror and fantasy convention next year.

Episode 168 of RFC

Part Three Of Tribute To The Troops on RFC 168

September 10, 2012 by rudy panucci

At the top of this post you should see Radio Free Charleston 168 “Zelda by Megan Lara Shirt” (Tribute To The Troops II part three).This is the final installment of our three-part special devoted to Tribute To The Troops II, an all-ages, all-day musical event held at The Saint Albans City Pak amphitheater for the benefit of The West Virginia National Guard Foundation and The Wounded Warrior Project.

Rudy, wearing Megan Lara’s Zelda

This episode brings you music from In The Company of Wolves, Point of Jerus, Deck of Fools and a very special song from HarraH. We also have a short film about The West Virginia National Guard Foundation narrated by Melanie Larch, with video contributions by Steven Allen Adams and West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Our namesake shirt is a Teefury design by up-and-coming designer, Megan Lara, who is destined to be a star soon.

Episode 167 of RFC

More From Tribute To The Troops II on RFC 167

September 3, 2012 by rudy panucci

Up above is the second of three episodes of Radio Free Charleston devoted to Tribute To The Troops II. On August 11,Wood Boys Music took over the Saint Albans City Park Amphitheater for an all-day all-ages benefit show for our troops. Over eleven hundred dollars was raised for The Wounded Warrior Project and The National Guard Fund, and our cameras were on hand for the first half of the concert.Last week you heard Harrah, In The Company of Wolves, and Everpulse. The show kicked off with Cadence Weaver singing the National Anthem. You can see that show here:.

This week you will hear music from Breedlove, The Under Social, Remains UnNamed and Johnny Compton.

Episode 166 of RFC

Tribute To The Troops II On RFC 166

August 27, 2012 by rudy panucci

At the head of this post you see the first of three episodes of Radio Free Charleston devoted to Tribute To The Troops II. On August 11, Wood Boys Music took over the Saint Albans City Park Amphitheater for an all-day all-ages benefit show for our troops. Over eleven hundred dollars was raised for The Wounded Warrior Project and The West Virginia National Guard Foundation, and our cameras were on hand for the first half of the concert.

In the next three weeks you will hear music from Breedlove, The Under Social, Remains Unnamed, Deck of Fools, Johnny Compton, Point of Jerus, our guests on this week’s show, “Real American Hero Shirt,” are HarraH, In The Company of Wolves, and Everpulse. The show kicks off with Cadence Weaver singing the National Anthem.

Episode 165 of RFC

RFC 165 Presents Clownhole, circa 1989

August 6, 2012 by rudy panucci

Clownhole at the Playhouse

This week we present what might be my most self-indulgent episode of Radio Free Charleston. “Wild Adventure Shirt” breaks our usual format and uses a skit to set up vintage footage of a 1989 concert at the legendary and defunct Charleston Playhouse by the band Clownhole.

Clownhole was a punk trio consisting of drummer Randy Brown, bassist Chris (Flair) Canfield, and Defectors veteran John (Sham Voodoo) Estep. This concert was held during the Christmas season in 1989 and recently fell into my lap when Randy got in touch with me and put a copy of it in my hands.

A gambling parlor now stands at the site of The Charleston Playhouse

Episode 164 of RFC

Legally Blonde And Mother Nang on RFC 164

July 25, 2012 by rudy panucci

Up there is Radio Free Chaleston’s 164h episode, “Fighting English Shirt,” which features music from The Charleston Light Opera Guild production of “Legally Blonde” and a song from Mother Nang, along with a brief bit of strange uncredited animation.

Cameron Vance and Micah Atkinson

The CLOG production of “Legally Blonde” stars Micah Atkinson as Elle Woods, along with a large talented cast that includes Matthew Bryant, Allison Plants, Michael D. Gore, Cameron Vance, Toni Pilato, and Rudi Raynes-Kidder along with many others. The RFC cameras were allowed in for the first dress rehearsal, and we witnessed a show that is coming together quickly and looks like a lot of fun. We bring you two numbers from “Legally Blonde” this week, “Serious” and “What You Want.”

Episode 163 of RFC

RFC 163: Cool Music For Hot Times

July 9, 2012 by rudy panucci

Above you should see “Misfits of WV Shirt,” this is our low-key sixth anniversary show. After producing almost three hours of FestivAll coverage, we decided to just do a normal-length show for our anniversary. But it’s still a special show! Host segments were shot at Dutch Streetwear on D Street in South Charleston. You may remember our friends The Salvage Yard from The Charleston Town Center, well, they have a new name, and a great new, larger location in South Charleston, within sight of the Mound. We also have great music from Red Audio, Tofujitsu and Mother Blues. Plus we have animation.

Episode 162 of RFC

Part Two of FestivAll 2012 on RFC 162

June 27, 2012 by rudy panucci

i

Radio Free Charleston’s coverage of FestivALL 2012 continues this week with another bonus length episode

West Virginia Dance Company

featuring tons of music, dance, film, and other stuff.  The city became a work of art and we were there pointing our cameras right in its face.

We kick off with The Bob Thompson Unit, captured at The Shops at Bridge Road, performing on the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame bandwagon.  With the Bob Thompson Unit’s smooth jazz playing behind them, we cut to footage of the West Virginia Dance Company, recorded at the Charleston Town Center Mall.

Episode 161 of RFC

RFC Does FestivAll 2012: Part One

June 18, 2012 by rudy panucci

Every year during June, Charleston, West Virginia is a city that becomes a work of art. For the past few years, Radio Free Charleston has been there to immortalize parts of this city-wide event in internet videodom.  This is the first of two special episodes of Radio Free Charleston devoted to the sights and sounds of FestivAll 2012.

Included in this show is music from Red Audio, Andy Park, Emily Burdette, The Kanawha Kordsmen and Sweet Adelines and Paul Calicoat. We are also treated to an Effects Makeup demonstration by Rob “RJ” Haddy, a finalist on the SyFy program, “Face Off.”  Much of the show is devoted to the FestivAll Art Parade, while we finish with scenes of The East End Main Street Streetworks Art Auction and Celebration, and auctioneer Ted Brightwell.

Among the Art Parade fun you’ll see Razor Sharp Productions with Porkchop and Pig Girl, Dale Morton Studio Mascots, Zombies and ghouls from Shocka Con, The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, The Chemical Valley Roller Girls, The Charleston Light Opera Guild and more!

We didn’t come close to making it to every cool event, but what we did capture was loads of fun. Next week we will bring you part two of our coverage, with music recorded at Thursday’s Derick Kirk Scholarship Benefit, and cool stuff from next weekend’s Capitol Street Art Fair, plus tons of other cool things.

Episode 160 of RFC

Radio Free Charleston’s 2012 FestivAll Preview

June 12, 2012 by rudy panucci

Above this text you see RFC 160, “Deep And Dangerous Shirt,” our FestivAll stream-of-consciousness preview/sampler show. We tell you about some of the cool things happening during FestivAll, and we give you some examples of the artists and performers on display. This is not, by any means, a comprehensive guide–for that, visit the FestivAll website. This is just a sampler, so enjoy!

We kick things off standing in The Lee Street Triangle, where, on Saturday July 16, at Noon, there will be a free edition of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti Art show, where anybody who wants to will get the chance to do some live figure drawing.

Episode 159 of RFC

The Big Bad, In The Company Of Wolves, Foz Rotten, “One Soldier, One Grave” And An Act Of Defiance Celebrated on RFC 159

May 28, 2012 by rudy panucci

That’s Radio Free Charleston 158, “Cap Seniors Shirt,” that you see at the head of this post.  This episode of the show is named after the controversial shirt that was all over the news last week.

We’ll tell you the story of the shirt at the end of these production notes. That will come after we tell you aout The Big Bad, In The Company of Wolves, Foz Rotten and Dennis Strom’s film, “One Soldier, One Grave.”

Our host-segment story is meaty tale of pointless defiance. But first, our guests this week…

Episode 158 of RFC

The Liquid Canvas of James Vernon Brown

May 21, 2012 by rudy panucci

RFC 158

JVB, himself

Radio Free Charleston’s 158th episode, “The Liquid Canvas,” is devoted to the work of Charleston filmmaker, musician, and artist James Vernon Brown. I first met James back in 2007, when we recorded the band Doctor Senator. James was playing bass and had also made several cool short films and music videos featuring the band.

James ended up leaving Doctor Senator and, at a jam session at The Blue Parrot one night, I heard him play guitar for the first time and was blown away with his David Gilmore meets Jimi Hendrix six-string pyrotechnics. I remember going up to him after hearing him play and asking “why the hell were you wasting your time playing bass?”

Episode 157 of RFC

The Color Purple, Godmode Brodway And A Plea

April 30, 2012 by rudy panucci

That’s Radio Free Charleston 157, “The Mighty Thor Shirt,” you see up there in the box above this text. This week we are bringing you three songs from the newest production by the Charleston Light Opera Guild, plus we have some new music from Godmode Broadway, and a heartfelt plea from The Tom McGees. Host segments were shot around The Charleston Civic Center.

The Charleston Civic Center Little Theater is the site of theCharleston Light Opera Guild production of the musical version of “The Color Purple.” The beloved novel by Alice Walker was turned into a Broadway musical a few years ago by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, with a book by Marsha Norman, and it is the spring offering from Charleston’s Light Opera Guild, opening May 4.

Episode 156 of RFC

Funkadelic Zombie Ska Madness On RFC 156

April 16, 2012 by rudy panucci

Radio Free Charleston 156, “Warning Trioxin Shirt,” is posted above for your enjoyment. This week we have music from The Renfields and The Tom McGees, plus we have a terrific short docu-drama by Stephen Schmidt. But first, we have some corrections to do.

I’m pleading allergy-induced dementia for this. First, the Tom McGees’ song that I call “Be Smart” in the show, and “Be Strong” in the credits, is actually called “Enemy Spy Plane Inbound.” I know, it’s an easy mistake to make. Compounding the errors, I announce that The Tom McGees are playing the Porkchopp3D Trailer Release Party April 26 at The Empty Glass, when in fact it is our other musical guest, The Renfields, who are going to be playing that show. Aside from the two huge mistakes in the scripting process, I was really happy with the host segments, which were shot outside of Kanawha Players Theater, the location of this weekend’s Zombie Prom.

Episode 155 of RFC

The Amorous, Godmode Broadway, DualCore and Stark Charleston Embiggen RFC 155

April 9, 2012 by rudy panucci

"Love Robot" by Rebekie B

Above you see Radio Free Charleston 155, “Love Robot Shirt,” featuring music is from The Amorous,Godmode Broadway and Dual Core, plus the return of Stark Charleston. Host segments were shot in the parking lot of the WV Division of Tourism in South Charleston. Our title shirt is a TeeFury design by artist, Rebekie B.

Our first musical guest on this week’s show is Clarksburg’s The Amorous. An indie-pop band with spiritual leanings, they will be recording their first full-length album this summer. You can catch them next weekend in Wilmington and Bellbrook Ohio, and at the end of the month they’re doing a three-night stand at The Horizon’s Church in Lost Creek WV. We recorded the band live during Charcon last year, and assembled this video using audio enhanced with a studio recording.

Episode 154 of RFC

James Bond In West Virginia On RFC 154

April 1, 2012 by rudy panucci

Steve E. Beckner as "Bond, James Bond"

“Adventure Comics Shirt” is a special episode of Radio Free Charleston, dedicated to presenting once-thought-lost scenes from The Lower West Virginia Contemporary Light Opera Stage Players film production of the James Bond film, “Coalfinger.” All prints of this film were destroyed after MGM,  EON Productions  and the Ian Fleming estate won a permanent injunction against the tiny, Southern West Virginia theater company Luckily, a few scenes were preserved in filmmaker Johnny Rock’s long-supressed documentary on the making of “Coalfinger.”

Episode 153 of RFC

WVSU Alumni All Stars And Jesus On RFC 153

March 26, 2012 by rudy panucci

Episode 153 of Radio Free Charleston, “Dr. Pepper Shirt,” is the video you see at the top of this post. This is a special episode, comprised entirely of rehearsal footage from two of this coming weekend’s events, The 2nd Annual Alumni All-Star Jam at WVSU, and the CYAC production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

I always feel sort of honored to be invited to bring the RFC cameras into a rehearsal because it means that the performers trust me to document their work-in-progress, warts and all. It’s a gutsy move, and a sign of confidence on the part of the artists involved.

Episode 152 of RFC

Metal, Ska and Soul Converge on RFC 152

March 19, 2012 by rudy panucci

Above you in this blog, you see RFC 153, “Machine of Madness Shirt,” with music from Linework, The Tom McGees and the team of Chad Foss and Sean Sydnor. There;s also a couple of weird short films and some animation, and Lee Harrah is on hand to plug an upcoming all-ages show.

Host segments were shot at various points on Charleston’s West Side. Our namesake shirt this week is “Machine of Madness,” by Heartjack. This design is a mash-up of Lovecraft and Big Daddy Roth, with Cthulu tooling around in a Hot Rod. Heartjack is also known as James Mitchell, and he has a graphic novel out that you can find here.

Episode 151 of RFC

Powerful Music On RFC 151 With Buddy Black, Prank Monkey And Karma To Burn

March 12, 2012 by rudy panucci

We are back into the thick of things with Radio Free Charleston 151, “The Tom McGees Shirt,” our first all-new episode of 2012! In this show, you will find music by Buddy Black, Johnny Compton with Prank Monkey and Karma To Burn We also get a preview of Danny Boyd’s graphic novel project, “Carbon.” 

Host segments were shot on a beautiful, windless, Sunday morning at Haddad Riverfront park. Our show is named after Charleston’s punk/ska band, The Tom McGees, and we have news about an upcoming show by them.

Episode 150 of RFC

Looking Back At LiveMix For RFC 150

March 5, 2012 by rudy panucci

It’s finally here, episode 150 of Radio Free Charleston. “Black Shirt” is a celebration of LiveMix Studio, our production partner without whom Radio Free Charleston would not exist. LiveMix is gone now, but in this episode, we revisit some of the incredible performances and speak with some of the musicians who helped make our first 150 episodes so special.

RFC Big Shot Brian Young, one of the owners of LiveMix, speaks extensively about recording some of the bands, while we also have comments from performers Raymond Wallace, Dave Roberts, Lee Harrah, Melanie Larch, and in archival footage, Tom Medvic and Dan Jordan of Feast of Stephen.