Episode 34: Dusty Ray Simmons

nother dusty
Dusty Ray Simmons or Dusty is a ridiculously ubiquitous guy in the Richmond music scene the bands I can name off of the top of my head that he’s been in include: Gravy-V, Dj Williams Projekt, Skydog, The Big Payback, The Rootdowns and now Fear of Music(a Talking Heads tribute band). He’s a great dude and one I am always happy to run into. Positive in the extreme and charming to the last. Start the click track.
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Episode 33: C.J. Starkey

ceejay
CJ the DJ as he was known in the 90’s when he spun records and CDs at the Metro and other places around Richmond. Now you may know him as DJ Curtis Strange if you know him at all. CJ split Richmond in 1995 for the promised land of Utah where he is involved in the world of Tattoo arts at Lost Art Tattoo in Salt Lake City and has published a book of Tattoo Art on Skateboards called Board to Lose as well as a badass deck of Tarot cards, each illustrated by a different Tattoo artist both available from CJ through Flaco World Productions. For the last few years he’s been an organizer and promoter of the Richmond Tattoo Arts Festival. For me though, he will always be the guy who ushered me into the 90s world of music and culture with his voracious appetite for music and all that was cool. We had us an old fashioned pre party posse at the Marriot downtown recorded for posterity.
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Episode 32: Wren Lanier

Wren
Wren is one of the organizers of the Bill talks in Richmond. A counterpoint to the TED brand. Something maybe a little more egalitarian and affordable. She shares her inspiration for it and I am inclined to agree though I’m fine with what TED is. I like the idea that everybody should get a turn on the mic, (obviously). This is all the blurb I feel like writing, did you even read it? I thought not, chumps.(Photo borrowed without permission from the guy who’s name is in the bottom left corner)
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Episode 31: Beau Butler

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Beau Butler the Flava Flav of Avail is one of the most memorable characters I have known in this town. Regular followers of this podcast will note that I wasn’t much of a hardcore, hardcore punk or just plain punk fan coming up, so I was aware of Beau and Avail mostly as something to avoid as a likely occasion for violence. It wasn’t until I was 300 miles away in NY working as the night manager of a music venue that I finally saw Avail and that there weren’t nuthin to be skeert of. I had a great time sitting down and butting heads with Beau, its a podmosh.(photo Chris Boarts Larson, duh)
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