All Episodes

Ryan Groat: Guitarist...

05/28/2023

Today’s interview is with Ryan Groat. Ryan has been a guitarist, playing in hardcore bands for the past two decades. He got his start playing with his teenage friends in the hardcore band, Down To Nothing. This is where I first met him, when I recorded some of their early recordings, and quickly it became […]

Dan Tulloh: Musician,...

05/10/2023

Today’s interview is with musician and designer, Dan Tulloh. I first met Dan back when we were both in our Teens here in Richmond, and I quickly discovered him to be an amazing guitarist. His guitar work is something that blends heaviness, melody and structure, in a way I have found few artists to be […]

Robin Cullum: Teacher

04/06/2023

Today’s conversation is with someone who is making a big difference in the lives of the young kids who call her their teacher, Robin Cullum. I first met Robin years ago, and through bits of fate, I’ve gotten to know her more and more. Robin teaches kids that are deemed to have special needs. They […]

Trey Martin: BJJ...

04/01/2023

Todays interview, is with musician, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and instructor, business owner, woodworker and overall awesome person, Trey Martin. Trey has had a few instances in his life, to pursue things tothe point where he became really good at them, one on the path of woodworker, starting from an early age, and two, in […]

Chris L. Terry:...

01/27/2023

Today’s interview is with author, and academic, Chris L Terry. Chris spent his teen years singing in the Richmond, VA punk scene, where I first met him, and he has gone on from that to become both an author, and teacher. Chris’ writing draws from his personal life, and offers a place of reflection to […]

Jack Lawrence: Artist

01/23/2023

Today’s interview is with artist, Jack Lawrence. Jack began showing his work in late 90s, and over time, has built up a skill level that is truly astonishing for any painter. His work, painted so realistically you think it’s a photograph, is usually made from staged sets he creates by hand, transforming his personal spaces, […]

James Menefee: River...

11/29/2022

Today’s interview is with musician, James Menefee. James started playing punk rock in the early 90’s as the bassist for the band Fun Size, and over the course of that decade, took the band, from a band that self-released their own recordings, and played locally, to one that was on a label, and had toured […]

Jason Bayless: Activist,...

11/27/2022

Today’s interview is with Jason Bayless. For the past few decades, Jason has worked as an activist working towards radical change, with an emphasis on decreasing the exploitation and suffering of all living beings. From working with PETA to uncover abuse in Ringling Brother’s circus, to working to extend the voice of the Zapatista community […]

A Kid, Pt...

11/21/2022

Talking about art, earliest memories, Roblox, Youtube,  etc. Bonus interview with a cat.

Cody Jones: Musician,...

11/12/2022

Today’s interview is with Cody Jones. Cody grew up with a love for two things: DC Hardcore, and toys. And after pursuing a career in education, decided to leave a comfortable career to open his own toy store, the Toy Lair, here in Richmond, VA. Now a year in, Cody and his friends are bringing […]

Oura Sananikone: Artist,...

11/10/2022

Today’s interview is with a visual artist many here in Richmond simply know as Oura, or Mister Oura. For the past few decades, Oura Sananikone’s illustrative and graphic art an d characters have been a fixture in the Richmond, VA art scene, working across mediums from everything from zines to toys. And recently, with friend […]

Jason Boyer: Tattooist,...

09/07/2022

Today’s interview is with Jason Boyer. Jason began playing music in hardcore bands, and tattooing, while still just in his teens. By the time i met him, he had developed into an amazing tattooist, and also had started on the musical path that he continues to this day, forgoing the more traditional band approach, to […]

Episode 50: Dave...

07/18/2022

Today, to celebrate my 50th episode, we are interviewing my friend Dave Brown, who we had our first podcast with 10 years ago when I started this. Dave was my first guest, because, when I looked around the folks in my life, my world, he has consistently been a person that inspires me, and who […]

Yourbrozo: Polkadotrabbit Podcast,...

03/20/2022

Todays interview, is with my friend, Zo, who you may know as yourbro, zo, host of the polkadotrabbit podcast, or from where I initially met him, as the singer of the 1990s Richmond hardcore band, indypendant. for years, zo has been a person in my life, that has met me with a deep energy, a […]

Adam Nathanson: Musician,...

02/19/2022

Today’s episode is with Adam Nathanson. Adam grew up in New Jersey, and in the 1980s began playing in Hardcore punk bands around New York City, first with bands Mister Softee, and Trauma, then with life’s blood, and band that ultimately led to the band Born Against. After Born Against, Adam went on to form […]

Tim Towslee: Ex-Teacher,...

02/11/2022

Today’s guest is Tim Towslee. We last talked to Tim back in 2017, about his experiences working as a teacher, teaching high school students, a job he had been working for over a decade. But in the last five years, some things had changed. Tim had become demoralized by the roles he was being expected […]

Michael Simon: Photographer

02/07/2022

Michael is one of those rare folks, that combines talent, passion, and drive, in a way that makes them very good at what they do. And over the years, he has learned how to be, the photographer he has wanted to be. In this interview, we talk about Michael’s experience working in the photography world, […]

Jason Orr: Guitarist...

02/04/2022

Todays interview is with Jason Orr. Jay got his start playing guitar, with the band benchmark in Woodbridge, Virginia in the early 1990s, and by the late 90s, had moved down to Richmond, to play guitar with the hardcore band, Hate-O-Four. He then went on to play with one of my favorite bands ever, Dead […]

Marty Key: Steady...

02/02/2022

Today’s interview is with Marty Key. Marty is the owner of Steady Sounds, a record store which stood here in Richmond, VA, and became a fixture of Richmond culture in the 2010s. And also, Marty is a musician, starting out as the frontman for the Richmond Punk Group Bad Guy Reaction in the 1990s, and […]

Caroline Rowley: Primatologist

08/07/2021

Those sounds you heard at our opening, are of Lucky and Lo Lem, both rescued Northern white-cheeked Gibbons, which were recorded by today’s guest, Primatologist Caroline Rowley. Caroline got their start in this field, as an undergrad at Tulane University, and then went on to Central Washington University for a Masters in Primate Behaviour and […]

Taylor Steele: Four...

04/01/2021

Today’s interview is with Taylor Steele. Taylor was the singer for the 1990s hardcore band Four Walls Falling. As vocalist, he delivered leftist politics with a concern for both animal welfare and the environment, backed with a lyrical positivity that encouraged the listener to believe in their own power, and capabilities, a foundation that served […]

Krissi Vandenberg: Vegan...

03/30/2021

Today’s interview is with activist, Krissi Vandenberg. Since the 1990s, Krissi has been involved with the outreach group, Vegan Action, and since 2000, has served as the executive director, leading the organization to certify many vegan products on store shelves, offering folks a researched, and verifiable way to make cruelty-free choices. It was awesome to […]

Alix Petrie: Artist

03/17/2021

Today’s interview is with artist, Alix Petrie. The first time I saw Alix’s paintings, I was blown away. There was a unique style, a language, that just made my brain happy. And in getting to know her, I got to see her actually paint, which is one of those moments where, doing what she does […]

Giustino Riccio: Musician...

03/14/2021

Todays interview is with Giustino Riccio. For almost 30 years now, Giustino has played the timbales in the Richmond Virginia-based salsa band, Bio Ritmo. And more recently, has been studying, experimenting, and crafting, some amazing pizzas, first for friend in a restaurant, then as an extension of the Galley restaurant here in Richmond. Now Guistino […]

Amy Black: Tattoo...

03/11/2021

Today’s interview is with tattoo artist, Amy Black. Since the 2000s, Amy has been doing custom tattoos here in Richmond Virginia. And along the way, began offering realistic cosmetic tattooing to survivors of breast cancer. In this interview, we talk about how she got started, how she came to work with cancer survivors, what its […]

Thomas Barnett: Strike...

03/03/2021

I met Thomas Barnett around 1993, when he was the singer for the band Inquisition. As a young punk here in Richmond, inquisition showed a path for me and my friends, that was both inspiring and empowering, both in their content and in operation. Thomas had a clear love for both people, and punk rock. […]

Rob Huddleston: Ann...

02/26/2021

Todays interview is with Rob Huddleston. Rob is a musician and songwriter, who since the early 1990s, has been making music in the vein of punk rock, first as bassist for the richmond punk band inquisition, then as a guitarist and singer in the band Ann Beretta, as well as with music released under his […]

Bobby Egger: Vinyl...

02/19/2021

If your from Richmond, Virginia, you may be familiar with the record store, Vinyl Conflict. For the past 9 years, it has been owned by today’s guest, Bobby Egger. Bobby is a fan of punk and hardcore music, who as you will hear today, has taken the skills hes honed over the years, to help […]

Blackliq: Emcee, DJ,...

01/21/2021

If you’ve spent anytime observing the Richmond Hip Hop Scene, you may have come across an Emcee by the name of BlackLiq,or Black Liquid as he used to be called. It may have been hearing him emcee, or perhaps, or acting as DJ on one of the two radio shows he hosts. But if you […]

Kate Parnell: Artist,...

01/08/2021

Todays interview is with artist Kate Parnell, Kate is an amazing artist who, with her project Garfieldfrommemory, has found a way to transcend many of the boundaries of both art, and social media, and make a unique connection with people that resonates in a way with folks that is almost hard to describe. She also […]

Mark Miley: Recording...

10/30/2020

Today’s interview is with Mark Miley. Mark Miley is a recording engineer, who, in the 1990s and 2000’s, recorded a TON of bands at his Glasshand Studio here in Richmond. And if you listened to music from this city, chances are, he may have recorded a record by a band you loved. And when he […]

Greg Kusterbeck: Musician...

10/05/2020

Greg Kusterbeck is a multi-instrument musician, who gained notoriety in the mid-90s Southside Richmond Punk scene as the bassist of Uphill Down, and recently has been releasing music with his band Slugging Buddha, as well as 92FU. On the recording front, he has crafted himself a business mixing recordings for punk rock bands, from his […]

Kirsten Gray: Art...

09/03/2020

For almost three decades, Kirsten Gray has been helping artists to share their work with the world, via her art gallery, the Eric Schindler Gallery, located in the Church Hill neighborhood, of Richmond, Virginia. I was excited to talk with Kirsten, and find out how a gallery works, what she looks for in both art […]

Israfel Sivad: Author

06/30/2020

This weeks guest is Israfel Sivad. Israfel is an author who has built a prolific collection of releases, focused on documenting his personal story of struggles with mental health. His latest book, Disorder, continues in this format, and takes the reader back to the beginning of that journey. I got to know Israfel in the […]

A Kid on...

06/20/2020

We talk to a seven year-old about Minecraft, Pokemon, and the Sims.

Jeff Grant: Musician...

01/20/2019

We first talked with musician Jeff Grant in 2014 (can listen here) about making music and running his record label. However, since that time, Jeff has gone on to co-found the Hopscotch Coffee shop in Bloomington, Indiana, and become a father. So I called up Jeff to find out more about his business, and life […]

BCMusic1st: Emcee /...

12/14/2018

This episode is with BCMusic1st. BC is a multi-talented artist, a hip hop artist, who, with his traditional understanding of hip-hop, has adapted his life to mold into the traditional four elements of hip hop. So today, we talk with BC about how he approaches each art, his history in making culture, and how he […]

Andrew Clarke: Co-owner...

04/03/2017

For a while now, Andrew Clarke has been the co-owner of 821 Cafe, a unique, and popular restaraunt here in Richmond. I say uniqe, because it is one of the few places in the city that has such a divere crowd. You will see a family, next to a punk rocker, next to a VCU […]

Tim Towslee: Teacher

03/29/2017

Tim Towslee has lead an interesting life, from working at record stores, to roadeying for touring bands, to learning other trades like barbering, or working at a tattoo shop. But it was his drive for learning, and his realization of the issues in the public education system that drove him to what he spends most […]

Freeman Martin: Musician...

03/27/2017

For some folks, punk rock is more than a genre, it’s their way of life. For the past twenty years, that calling, to make music, do things yourself, and connect with a community has been heard by todays guest, freeman martin. As the singer in a number of bands, and as a tattoo artist, freeman […]

Andrew Smith: Co-owner...

03/22/2017

Since the 2000s, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has been gaining a popularity in the united states at an increasing speed. Today, you can find Gyms that specialize in Jiu-Jitsu with realtive ease. But it hasn’t always been that way. Andrew Smith was one of the folks that this art caught on with, and over the past […]

Thea Brown: Owner...

03/20/2017

For many years now, World of Mirth has been an iconic part of the Carytown neighborhood, here in Richmond, Virginia. packed full of curiosities for minds of all ages, it’s existence has brought both continued life to Carytown, and excitement to any whom enter it’s location. And For the past decade of it’s existence, Thea […]

Johnny Ciggs: Founder...

03/14/2017

Gritty City records was started in 2011, by emcee, recording engineer, and label owner, Jono aka Johnny Cigs, as a place to make music for him and his friends. Part record label, part recording studio, over the past six years, Jono has led the Girtty City label on to release over 25 albums, and double […]

Fan Ran: Emcee...

03/10/2017

When I first heard Fan, it was because he had contributed a verse to a song I had done with label mate, Ben FM. I was floored by the verse. Not because of the technicality of it, and not because he had the best worldplay, though his wordplay is good. But rather, because it had […]

Abby Davis: Creative

10/14/2014

Todays interview is with Abby Davis. Abby is a creative, but you could also call her an artist, craft maker, musician, and teacher, to name a few things. She documents her craft works on her blog, Crafty Lady Abby, teaches classes for Richmond’s ART 180, and sings with the space-punk band, League Of Space Pirates. […]

Nathan Stickel: Activist

10/04/2014

Todays interview is with Nathan Stickel. Nathan is a punk, a cook, and a rural working class white southerner living in the City, here in Richmond, Virginia. For a while you could find him working at the Flying Brick during open hours, and nowadays, working with the local chapter of Jericho, a group working to […]

Alison Self: Musician

10/03/2014

Today we are talking with Musician Alison Self. I saw Alison perform a few years back and was amazed by both her talent and her songs. She plays a type of music which could be described as ‘Old Time’, but also has a new-ness in her lyrics and approach to subjects that makes her songs […]

Liz Canfield: Professor

09/27/2014

Liz Canfield is a sound artist, zine maker, teacher, and community organizer here in Richmond, Virginia. She teaches as an assistant professor in the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, at Virginia Commonwealth University. One of her main focuses has been working with people incarcerated in the Richmond City Jail. It was great to […]

Chris Boarts Larson:...

06/12/2014

Todays interview is with Chris Boarts Larson. Chris is an artist, a photographer, who, with her zine ‘Slug and Lettuce’, doccumented hardcore punk in New York City and Richmond, Virginia, building something of a community through the zine throughout the 90s. Today she is working on a new photo project. It was exciting to talk […]

Noah Scalin: Artist...

05/14/2014

Todays’ interview is with Noah Scalin. Noah is a an artist whose work requires him to wear many hats. He’s a professor at VCU teaching future graphic designers how to find their own ethical voice, He runs the design agency Another Limited Rebellion, he’s written and published a few books on some of his art […]

Ben Snakepit: Comic...

04/12/2014

Todays episode is with Ben Snakepit. Ben is a musician and artist. As a musician he has played with the bands Shit Creek, Shanghai River, MODOK and J Church, currently playing with the band Ghost Knife. And as an artist, has created six books of his comic series, “Snakepit”, the latest of which is titled […]

Greta Brinkman: Bassist...

04/12/2014

Todays episode is with Greta Brinkman. Greta got started playing music in the early punk and hardcore scenes of Pennsylvania and Richmond, playing with bands such as 2000 Maniacs and Unseen Force. She then went on to become a touring musician, playing bass with the Debbie Harry Band, and Moby, as well as working as […]

Jeff Grant: Musician...

04/02/2014

Today’s interview is with Jeff Grant. Jeff got started playing in bands in the mid 90’s as the drummer for the Richmond punk band Target For Agression. He then went on to play with a continual assortment of bands, including taking up guitar and vocals to play with the band Pink Razors, the band Food, […]

Ben FM: Emcee...

04/02/2014

Today’s interview is with Ben FM. Ben is a rapper from Richmond, Virginia, was the co-founder of the Hip-Hop duo Luggage, and since I met him in both of our early teens, a very bright and confident person that likes to make other people think with his art. In addition to new solo music he […]

Andrew Necci: Editor...

03/28/2014

Todays Episode is with Andrew Necci. As long as I’ve known Andrew, he has been writing, whether in his zine “Nothing Is Cool”, lyrics for his band Tri-State Killing Spree, or currently, as the Editor-In-Chief of RVA Magazine. In fact, his writing is how I got to know him, when he interviewed my 15 or […]

Craig Lewis: Peer...

03/28/2014

Today’s episode is with Boston Punk Rocker and ‘Recovery Worker’, Craig Lewis. Craig grew up in the punk scene in Boston, and in his early teens, began being diagnosed with various mental health disorders and put on drugs to treat them. But it wasn’t till much later in life that Craig got with a good […]

Ed Edge: Activist...

03/24/2014

Ed Edge is a community activist and paramedic in Richmond, Virginia whom dedicates his time to running a variety of non-profit organizations designed to help the economically poor people of the City Of Richmond. He has funded these works through his own pay as a paramedic and living simply, as well as through for-profit business […]

Megan Osborn: Artist...

03/16/2014

Megan Osborn is an activist, artist, author, and my spouse. She founded Mindful Liberation Project, a group advocating for those with mental health issues, founded FOIA For Change, using the FOIA process to gain insight into how organizational policies regarding dealing with folks with mental health issues, co-founded Something Something Press, a distro of radical […]

Susan Longest: Evolutionary...

03/16/2014

Susan Longest is an academic, photographer, advocate for LGBT rights, and also my sister. She has a PhD from the University Of Chicago, and her specialty is evolutionary biology. She is currently an assistant professor at Colorado Mesa University, and works with various other organizations. In this interview, Susan shares her passion for evolutionary biology […]

Mo Karnage: Activist...

03/15/2014

Mo Karnage is an activist from Richmond, Virginia. Mo has been involved in Radical activities in Richmond, as a member of the Wingnut Anarchist Collective, hosting Richmond Food Not Bombs, working with the Central Virginia Food Bank to host it’s Mobile Food Pantry in Southern Barton Heights, and working with various other causes and organizations […]

Kieran Wagner: Photographer...

06/27/2012

Kieran Wagner is an amazing photographer from Richmond, Virginia. Before taking up photography and making truly awesome photographs, Kieran was an Audio Engineer, making recordings with a roster of artists that you are most likely familiar with. Kieran is a craftsman, putting a focus and dedication into the things he does that is truly inspiring, […]

Dave Brown: Vicious...

05/20/2012

Dave Brown has been involved in the punk and hardcore music scene since his teenage years, both as a fan, and with running his record label, Vicious Circle Records. He recently released his first book, Adult Crash, a photo book taking inventory of the photos he took over the years, of the bands that meant […]