A conversation with ...

Adam Monroe sits with local musicians, artists and writers to talk about what makes art tick. An occasional series. Scroll down to see them all.

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	A Conversation With: Thursday at Radford University, the Baltimore-based band Boister will be in town to do an unusual thing for a band: they’ll be performing an original score alongside Buster Keaton’s 1928 silent film classic, “Steamboat Bill, Jr." So what kind of band goes around playing regular shows and also performs original silent film scores?

	A Conversation With: Radford professor and contralto opera singer Clarity James has been around the block, in more ways than one. She’s performed about everywhere an opera singer performs, from the Vienna Staatsoper to the Netherlands Opera to the Dallas and New York City Operas. She’s met with as much acclaim, from a Martha Baird Rockefeller grant, a Metropolitan Opera Association grant . . .

	A Conversation With: Wyoming artist Jack Jeffers left his home state of Virginia nearly a decade ago. But before he did, the photographer donated 125 works to the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, more to Longwood University in Farmville and, a year and a half ago, 100 prints to Radford University.

	A Conversation With: This New Year’s Eve, local indie rock band LaBianca will be among the first to perform at Cabo Fish Taco in Blacksburg.Formerly Bailey’s and before that South Main Cafe, Cabo is housed on the site of what was for years the premier live music venue in the area, but one that is only now returning to life after Bailey’s closed down and Cabo opened in its place, sans stage.

	A Conversation With: Musician and songwriter Jason Ring has been playing music about as long as he’s been talking and walking. Ring has grown to develop his own style incorporating blues, bluegrass, jazz and more on various instruments. ... he continues to seek new improvisational expressions as a singer and on the guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin and other instruments.

	A Conversation With: John Stout is an accomplished drummer who has toured extensively and performed with or opened for some of the biggest names in the business. He and his band, Autonomous, are playing Floyd on Friday. Stout says his new album represents a dramatic changing of gears for him — a musician’s evolution into a songwriter.

	A Conversation With: Tom Staley, a professor in the Science and Technology Studies department at Virginia Tech, has organized a conference focusing on the emergence of the journal "Mind." He recently took a few moments to reflect on the contemporary significance of Western society's understanding of itself.

	A Conversation With . . . New York artist Mikhail Gubin has come a long way for the sake of his art. Born in Ukraine in 1953, Gubin fell in love with drawing when he was a child, but government censorship stifled his ability to show his work as he began to develop the craft. Gubin, who currently has an art show at Radford University, reflects here on the journey and the purpose of his art.

	A conversation with . . . Long-time Blacksburg band Jungl Ed is known for its creative, playful and technically complex musical style — what the band describes as “adventure music,” “space funk” and a “sight/sound experience.” The band plays Attitudes Bar Friday night with Asheville, N.C.'s Fifth House.

	A conversation with . . . Virginia Tech graduate student Ashley Sparks has written and directed "A Traveling Menstrual Show." The gender play focuses on our bodies and our psychological relationship to them. Audience members literally won't be able to stand still — the play takes place in three different venues.

	A conversation with . . . Pat Green, who plays Thursday at Virginia Tech, is having plenty of success, with a hit single and a Grammy nomination. He looks for new challenges and different points of view for his songwriting. The latest has included the responsibilities of marriage and fatherhood.

	A conversation with . . . For those who thought sci-fi B-movies involving aliens, monsters and cheap special effects were a thing of the past, there is much cause for rejoicing. This Halloween, filmgoers will have a chance to revel anew in this peculiar cinematic genre as Fried Squid Productions presents "River of Dread."

	A conversation with . . . Residents of the New River Valley and beyond will have a chance Friday to sample the latest offering from Musica Viva!, a concert featuring world-renowned violinist Giora Schmidt and the Avanti Ensemble.

	A conversation with . . . Jazzburg and "Lies and Pies" are on this weekend. The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is the main force behind Jazzburg's inception and continued coordination. Lyric Theatre Executive Director Susan Mattingly coordinated Jazzburg's musical acts and through the theater is a driving force behind many of the community events taking place in Blacksburg.

	A conversation with . . . The Two Funerals. This young all-girl punk band from Blacksburg would like for you to dance while they rock out to frequently angry lyrics. But as they prepare to perform Friday night, their biggest concern is keeping things simple and fun.

	A conversation with . . . To photographer Jan Downs, rodeo life is "more American than baseball and apple pie." ... the rodeo gives her a chance to fulfill her mission as a documentary photographer. Downs shares some thoughts about that mission, and some insight into her newest exhibit.

	A conversation with . . . With a psych degree from Tech and the energy of a feverish ant, local graphic artist Vanissa Chan has developed a reputation around Blacksburg as the girl who is always sitting in a coffee shop drawing stories of slightly deranged couples and various inanimate objects. One of the results is her illustrated novel, "Romance 101."

	A conversation with . . . A Sept. 22 Katrina relief concert in Radford will feature a performance by Richard Kiser, David Cook and Jimmy Davis. Davis, an evangelist and award-winning performer, pastored at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Christiansburg for 18 years. He shares some thoughts with us on the concert and about ministering through music.

	A conversation with . . . Floyd native and professional glass blower Parker Stafford is putting up an exhibition of blown glass works in the Squires Perspective Gallery at Virginia Tech, and he takes a moment here to talk about the craft — the mysteries of the art of making glass and of making a living as an artist.

	A conversation with . . . Does art have to furrow your brow? Not according to Virginia Tech art professors Simone Paterson and Eric Standley. The two have collaborated on a new exhibition, "Undertow," opening Friday at Blacksburg's Armory Art Gallery. Here, they talk about their partnership and passion for art.

	A conversation with . . . Radford native Andrew Gregory has kept himself busy over the last year writing songs, recording an album and touring what he can of the East Coast. With a show this weekend at the Cellar Restaurant in Blacksburg, Gregory shares some thoughts on the hassles of self-promotion and the only reason a person would put him- or herself through it — the love of music.

	A conversation with . . . This Saturday, internationally acclaimed trumpet virtuoso Paul Neebe will join The Winds of Wintergreen for the third annual chamber music season kickoff and reception at the German Club in Blacksburg. Neebe, an adjunct faculty member at the University of Virginia and principle trumpet of the UVa Symphony and the Roanoke Symphony, offers some insight into his successful career.

	A conversation with . . . Summer Musical Enterprise has been putting on a show for the New River Valley community eachof the past 14 summers. Tonight is opening night for, with the Broadway smash "Oliver!" directed by Greg Sherman. He shares thoughts on the challenges and rewards of wrangling a theatre production with a large cast of first-time child actors.

	A conversation with . . . Touring the country with her band The Nocturnals, 22-year-old singer-songwriter and pianist Grace Potter is happy these days and bringing her bluesy, funky, sometimes even gospel-ey band to Blacksburg’s Steppin’ Out festival Saturday night. She talks about life on the road, self-promotion, being successful and young, and vinyl records.

	A conversation with . . . FloydFest 4 will be rockin' the Floyd area this weekend, and with top-name acts and several new stages, it's bigger than ever. On the eve of his festival's fourth birthday, event co-founder Kris Hodges offers a glimpse into how FloydFest kept its moorings during years of expansion.

	A conversation with . . . Given that they don't play indie rock, pop punk, classic rock, blues, jazz, old-time or even honky tonk, Blacksburg band Soapbox Amplifier sure plays a lot of gigs. Of course, many of the shows take place in what are politely referred to as alternative venues or in legitimate venues for alternative purposes . . .

	A conversation with . . . Janiva Magness has lived her share of the blues, and she's been singing about it for 25 years. Her new album, "Bury Him at the Crossroads," is a self-proclaimed dark album, a mixture of acoustic and electric-based songs that dig heavily into the personal blues.

	A conversation with . . . Lucinda McDermott has been working on one play in particular for the better part of a decade. On the eve of the world premiere of her play "Feeding on Mulberry Leaves" at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, the former Radford theatre arts professor offers a peak into the production of a play from draft to stage.

	A conversation with . . . Writer and actor Peterson Toscano spent 17 years and $30,000 trying to stop being gay. It didn’t work. He is now touring the country and beyond performing his one-man show, "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House," an account of his days inside the Christian "ex-gay movement."

	A conversation with . . . Z.L. Feng: Award-winning watercolor artist Feng came to Radford from Shanghai 19 years ago and stayed for the quiet and the greenery. The Radford professor chats here about how he draws inspiration from the New River Valleys' natural environment.

	Scott Perry: Floyd musician Scott Perry moved to town in 1999 to raise a family, right in the middle of a successful musical career. He has continued to be quite successful in the area, gigging often and opening the Pickin’ Porch, a music store which specializes in hand-crafted acoustic instruments. Perry takes a moment to talk about how he got into music in the first place, and what he thinks of it now.

	Saskia Lane: The New York based all-female group The Lascivious Biddies will bring their renowned mix of jazz, pop and cabaret to Blacksburg’s Cellar Restaurant next Monday night. The group’s bassist, Saskia Lane, who also enjoys a successful chamber and orchestral career, sits down to talk about being the bass player, being a Biddie and living in New York.

	Perx: New River Valley artist Perx sports a mustache that would delight Salvador Dali and turns out the kind of paintings that immediately reveal something of the process of their creation – exuding the heft of an Oldsmobile and a slashed-up edginess.

	Poetry slams: They are by no means a new creation. But they don't tend to last. Proprietors of the Easy Chair Bookstore in Blacksburg hope launching a new slam in a downtown bar will breathe life into a delicate form.

	Gordon Ball: A longtime friend of Allen Ginsberg, Ball has done his share in documenting the Beat generation through the lens and the pen. In anticipation of his trip to Blacksburg next week for the opening of his new exhibit at the Armory Gallery, the artist shares some thoughts on the history of his career and the nature of his films.

	Jimmy Street: It's been nearly three years since 16-year-old Garrett McCoy was killed in a car accident, and Auburn High School is hosting the third annual benefit concert for its former student this weekend. Founder Jimmy Street, who was a close friend of McCoy and his family, takes a moment to talk about his band The Greatest and the underground music show he put together in his friend's memory. Read on.

	David Ehrlich: Five years after his breakup with the acclaimed Audubon Quartet, violinist and conductor David Ehrlich has been busy bringing high-profile classical acts to town. He sat down recently with Adam Monroe to discuss his committment to making high-quality art a part of the local landscape. Read on.

	Brian Gendron: The upcoming spring concert of the 17-year-old Blacksburg Master Chorale is a different concert than the chorale has performed in recent years. Virginia Tech Choir Director Brian Gendron, now in his second year, says he is excited about the chance to conduct a performance of purely contemporary music. Read on.

	Inman Majors: Hollins University writing professor Inman Majors' second book, "Wonderdog," is a lightly dark comedy that tells the story of Devaney Degraw — Alabama governor’s son and half-rate lawyer — smack in the middle of a premature mid-life crisis and surrounded by bad country music. Here Majors shares some thoughts on the writing of his new novel. Read on.

	J.D. Crowe: Bluegrass star J.D. Crowe began playing music professionally in the mid-1950s and went on to influence generations of players with his band The New South. He has been honored with Grammy and International Bluegrass Music Association awards, and was named the IBMA's 2004 banjo player of the year. He played April 9 at Auburn High in Riner. Read on.

	Tom Rush: Generations of musicians have cited as a major influence folk legend Tom Rush, the 60s folk-scene force who started off at coffee shops while a student at Harvard. Getting into the music biz was easy those days, he says. In Thursday's Conversation with Adam Monroe, Rush remembers the beginnings of his career and offers some hope about the current state of independent music. Read on.

	The Jugbusters: This Saturday, local old-time band The Jugbusters kicks off the first of what they hope will be a long-running monthly square dance at the Floyd Country Store. Fiddler and vocalist Bill Richardson's 10-year Jugbusters project has gelled in its current form for the past two years. Richardson and the group give Adam Monroe the lowdown on the Jugbusters sound. Read on.

	Ramsey Husser: Violinist Ramsey Husser, second assistant concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, is coming to Virginia Tech this weekend for a performance with the Chamber Orchestra of Southwest Virginia and Husser's father, Tech music department head John Husser. Rounding out the family reunion is brother John III, a bassist with the Norfolk symphony. Read on.

	Paul Clark and the Lonesome Drifters: This offshoot of the extremely popular F-150 is staying away from the old set list but still packing the house — and still doing it in the snappy shirts and cowboy hats that Clark long ago claimed as his look. They're keeping honky-tonk alive in Blackburg. Read on.

	Greg Brown: With two Grammy nominations, two Indie Awards and almost 20 albums under his belt, Greg Brown is a folk groove player who keeps it simple. Performing tonight at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, Brown takes a moment to muse about the muse, and to offer a glimpse into the private life of a songwriter in the heartland. Read on.

	Tony Distler: "A Streetcar Named Desire," Tennessee Williams' classic take on angst in the Crescent City, will be performed at Virginia Tech starting Friday. Tony Distler, former director of the Tech's School of the Arts, is directing the production. The former New Orleans resident took some time recently to talk about vision and meaning in the play. Read on.

	Kevin Donleavy: His book, "Strings of Life — Conversations with Old-Time Musicians from Virginia and North Carolina," is a comprehensive history of old-time music. Donleavy discusses making the book, a memorable afternoon jam with a nice sunset and some brandied peaches. Read on.

	Jet Noise: In the midst of an apparent live rock void in Blacksburg, a few bands are managing to get some gigs. Jet Noise, for one, has a comfortable seat as one of Blacksburg's most popular rock outfits. The four-piece band took a moment to reflect on where they are and where they'd like to go. Read on.

	Susanna Rinehart: Valentine's Day means chocolates, flowers and the Vagina Monologues. Eve Ensler's hit play raises questions about gender roles just in time for the ultimate gendered holiday. We talk with Susanna Rinehart, directing and performing for the second time in this year's production on the Virginia Tech campus. Read on.

	Doc's Blues Revue: If you've ever found yourself lost in a sea of musical sub-genres, the boys from Blacksburg band Doc's Blues Revue are here to tell you: they play Chicago blues. Recently, members Doc Herling, Bill Smith and Rich Rittenhouse (in pic) talk about their genre, their inspirations, other New River Valley blues players, suffering and the blues and the F-150 breakup. Read on.

	Sculpture in the Hayloft: Ever wonder where art comes from? Local artists Brad Whitney, Joseph Kelley and Suzanne Nees discuss the process involved in creating "Sculptures in the Hayloft" — a new exhibit of puppets and mixed media sculpture, granite sculpture and installation art on display at the Jacksonville Center in Floyd. Read on.

	Sydney Cross: Cross . . . has served as president of the Southern Graphics Council — the country's largest printmaking organization — and has had work featured in national and international exhibitions. . . . she recently shared a few thoughts on her history as artist and teacher and on the political motivations behind her new exhibition. Read on.

	Tom Snediker: On Jan. 31, 1986, the local band The Kind was born. Nearly 19 years later, the now well-known Grateful Dead tribute band is still truckin'. Most of the band members who have played with the group over the years have moved on. ... The band has taken hiatuses and had band conflicts and managed to play every Wednesday night in Blacksburg for 12 years straight. We talk about it with original member Snediker (at right). Read on.

	Jim Nichols: A lot has changed since 1963, the first year of what is now called the Blacksburg Sports Club. Ask Nichols, former dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. He used to be president of that club. Using it as a focusing point, he has written "Rising Expectations," a book about the evolving climate of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. Read on.

	Ping Chong and Michael Rohd: Chong, an internationally acclaimed playwright and theater director, has brought more than 50 works to the stage since 1972. Rohd received a master's degree in theater arts from Tech and now is the founding artistic director of the Sojourn Theatre in Portland, Ore. Read on.

	Sue Nees: You've probably already seen the sumi ink and color drawings of Sue Nees. They're everywhere. There are many New River Valley residents who proudly speak of their own private collection as "my Sue Nees bookmarks." Nees herself describes this set of her works as "story-cards" — 2-inch by 3-inch laminated artworks. Read on.

	Ben Capozzi and Lee Everett: Capozzi says: "The system, it seems to me, is sort of geared to gradually make you lose interest, because nothing that seems to really need to be done gets done. It's such a highly mediated experience ... I have so little respect for the media in this country. I mean which particular information do they want me to use to cast an informed decision?" Read on.

	Stars Fell On: Welcome to Blacksburg, Virginia, a cultured town with everything to offer - except, of course, a live-music scene for people under the age of 25. Right? Not according to local punk rock band Stars Fell On, which manages to get fairly steady work in the downtown bar scene. Read on.

	The Wild Turkeys: Old-time music is a thriving force in our part of the world. In the New River and Roanoke valleys alone, musicians and fans can find an old-time jam every night of the week. For the past six years, local string band the Wild Turkeys has played a driving, fiddle-and-banjo-led sound at festivals and local venues.Read on.

	Beggars' Circus: The members of Beggars' Circus have been performing Celtic music for six years, but don't expect any tearful "Danny Boy" moments. The Circus plays traditional Celtic dance tunes, not Irish pub music. What you will see and hear is . . . unplugged and in the moment. Read on.

	American Roots: This band's repertoire winds through bluegrass, ragtime-y blues, old country and beyond. An American Roots show is a lesson in American history. The band's Fred Benfield and Burcher sat down recently to offer a lesson in the band's history. Read on.

	Kat Mills: Blacksburg resident Kat Mills is making a living doing what she loves — performing. Mills delivers folk-inspired original music and cover songs with a mature voice and solid acoustic guitar playing, hoping to create a comfortable atmosphere with genuine music. Read on.