Episode 71 of RFC

Radio Free Charleston number 71, “Golden age Batman Shirt” was originally posted in May, 2009.  This episode of Charleston's local music, film, animation and weirdness program included new music from WATT4, vintage music from Hitchock Circus, a Plant Ro Duction Mini Movie, and a special appearance from IWA East Coast‘s Mad Man Pondo and a friend.

We concluded “Mark Beckner Month" with two songs from his Nashville band, Hitchcock Circus. This was a homecoming for Mark, who was a regular on the old RFC radio show as a member of Go Van Gogh and The Tunesmiths. Mark has since rejoined with his brother, Stephen, to form The Nanker Phelge, who have a new CD coming out in a few weeks.

WATT4 was recorded at The Blue Parrot. This line-up of the band is back together and is currently rehearsing for future shows.

Mad Man Pondo’s “friend” was Oderus Urungus, the lead singer and mastermind behind GWAR. These clips were originally created to promote Oderus' wrestling debut, which happened in the summer of 2009. RFC was greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Dave Brockie, the human vehicle for Oderus.

The original production notes are below the video, complete with questionable links.

Hitchcock Circus, WATT4 And Oderus Urungus: RFC 71 Is Live!

May 26, 2009 by rudy panucci

Radio Free Charleston number 71, “Golden age Batman Shirt” is online now! This episode of your local music, film, animation and weirdness program includes new music from WATT4, vintage music from Hitchock Circus, a Plant Ro Duction Mini Movie, and a special appearance from IWA East Coast‘s Mad Man Pondo and a friend.

Episode 70 of RFC

This edition of your local music, film, animation and art webcast was jam-packed with music and other short bits of coolness. The music is from Barebones, the accapella group who debuted on RFC just a few weeks before this episode, plus we continued “Mark Beckner Month” with a couple of performances that feature Mark: one solo, and one supporting his brother Stephen while jamming on an old Go Van Gogh tune.

As if the music weren’t enough, we also had a 100-second art show, this time showcasing the work of Leia Bell, a promo clip for “Viva le Vaudeville,” and the debut of “A Plant Ro Duction Mini Movie.”

RFC 70: Barebones, Beckner And “Burn The Hairy Man”

May 20, 2009 by rudy panucci

The seventieth episode of Radio Free Charleston,”Holy Hand Grenade Of Antioch Shirt” is online now!

Episode 69 of RFC

May 2009 was "Mark Beckner Month" on Radio Free Charleston. Mark is a long-time friend and was a fixture on the radio incarnation of RFC as a member of both Go Van Gogh and The Tunesmiths. To this day he still shows up as a member of The Nanker Phelge.

However, in May 2009, he was preparing to play his first real show in Charleston in years, since he'd relocated to Nashville back in the 1990s. It turned out to be quite the homecoming, since unbeknowest to me, he was returning to town for good.

I had a wealth of archival material and new video featuring Mark, so I decided that, as a way to plug his "return" show with his band, Hitchcock Circus, I would devote an entire month of shows to Mister Mark Beckner.

We kicked it off by digging deep into the vaults to present "Go Van Gogh: The Sad Truth," a mockumentary starring the band, which I had totally forgotten about, directed by Timothy Rock, the bassist for GVG. Stephen Beckner showed it during a movie night at his house, and I started wondering why it seemed familiar. Then it got to the scene where I'm crouched over a toilet blaming the band for the RFC radio show getting cancelled, and it all came back.

It turns out I was the cameraman and was the offscreen interviewer in addition to my cameo as myself. I have this bad habit of forgetting really cool things that I've done.

I was able to get a copy of the film from Stephen, and trimmed it a bit for time so I could present it as an episode of RFC. This is one of the few RFCs that doesn't have the opening theme, and with this 2014 remastering, I have correcting one shocking omission--after the end credits and remastering card, I put the "Ya-Hooo" guy back in.

The original production notes are below. Don't mind the links, they're probably a mess.

Go Van Gogh: The Sad Truth…RFC 69 Notes

May 13, 2009 by rudy panucci

Radio Free Charleston’s very special sixty-ninth episode is online now! This is a departure episode for us, as we present an edited version of Timothy Rock’s 1992 documentary, “Go Van Gogh: The Sad Truth.” This film depicts the aura, the bubble of success that surrounded this almost-mythic band. It stars Go Van Gogh, themselves, Johnny Rock, Tim Rock, Stephen Becknerand Mark Beckner. 

It’s the kick-off of “Mark Beckner Month” here on Radio Free Charleston, as we celebrate the pending return to the Charleston area of Mark’s Nashville-based band, Hitchcock Circus. Hitchcock Circus will be playing at LiveMix Studio on May 30–their first gig in town since 1995. Every episode of RFC in May will feature Mark in some manner or another.