Bingo Is Life: A Post-Bingo Harrisonburg Podcast

150 Episodes! Celebrate with Mike, Chris, Jay and Christian as we listen back to some of our favorite moments. That’s right… We got a clip show! (With a special surprise clip near the end!) This one is just for fun. A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - 150 combinations of pizza pie! (probably) - https://rubysarcade.com/

Yay! A 4th season! And what better way to start a new year than with one of Harrisonburg’s premier punk musicians, Grant Penrod! Grant shares his background and tells us about his two current bands, Crab Action and Krode, both a must-see experience in Harrisonburg. We talk about the infamous Rock Lotto event and how interesting Harrisonburg’s music scene can be.  A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - In...

Over a year ago, our podcast crew (including Dan Easley!) had a once-forgotten conversation where the discussion delved into reflections of art.  And through the miracle of modern technology we are able to visit, like time travelers to a bygone era. What better way to end our current year than with an appreciation of art, a respect for creators and their work, and dare I write it, even Bingo is Li...

Meet once again, the Howdyshell Brothers’ father, Douglas Howdyshell! In this special episode, we talk about a Peru trip that Douglas and Mike took last year. It’s a real “Guy outta Briery Branch” story where we learn the value of traveling and how special it can be to take an amazing trip with family. A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - The Machu Pizza of basement arcades - https://rubysarcade.com/

We welcome our local recording engineer and cycling enthusiast, Gordon Davies! Gordon shares his passion for recording and the magic of capturing audio creativity. With an extensive history and experience in the scene, Gordon has plenty to discuss regarding his work and the people he has had the opportunity to collaborate with. We even get to hear about his chance to work at the Skywalker Ranch! H...

Today we welcome the ever-curious Taylor Endres! She shares the fascinating tale of a special find she discovered in her back yard while gardening. Was it a rock? Bone? A fossil? Or something completely different?  It was an odd piece and curiosity compelled her to find out what this weirdly interesting thing could be. Her adventures lead her to various experts, scientists, professors, and even fo...

Sofia Samatar returns to the podcast to talk to us about her new book, Friendly City: A Year of Walks. She shares some of her writing strategies, some behind-the-scenes of book publishing, and of course - why this town is worth writing about in the first place! “Anyone can write about a large city—large cities are open to everyone—but small cities can only be portrayed by people who love them.” A...

We welcome Tony DiStefano, one of our local, fantastic photographers! Tony shares how he and a few other fellow Pennsylvanians found our ‘burg and made it a home. Tony loves to support our local music scene by capturing images of musicians at work. But, because photography is in his DNA, he explores so much more. With an exposition show focused on macro-photography slated for December 5th at Pale...

Today we speak with Sara Christensen, entrepreneur and community builder! Sara talks about her shop, The Lady Jane, and how she found a home in our wonderful ‘burg!  Candles, macrame, stationary, cats! Sara has the unique opportunity to surround herself with locals, students, tourists, and independent artists. And she embraces this community, advocating for Harrisonburg - we are lucky she is here!...

We have the pleasure to speak with one of Harrisburg’s busiest, creative people - Ivan Christo! From his music with bands such as Jaguardini and Death By Bellows, to his work live scoring horror films, Ivan is busy writing, playing, performing, and just generally creating awesome. We are putting plenty of links in the show notes. Go find a recording, a performance, or go buy his hot sauce! There’s...

We take a field trip! In this episode we visit Restless Moons Brewery and join them in the wonderful Tuesday festivities - including The Old Time Jam Open Mic!  We welcome Bruce Johnson, one of the best musicians in our area! We also speak with Shania Flora, one of the originators of the Old Time Jam event. A great break away from the normal Bingo routine to take part in one of Harrisonburg’s uniq...

Happy Halloween everyone! We are extremely happy to introduce our 3rd annual Spooktacular episode! We share 4 stories tonight in the spirit of the season. Just Doing My Part - Mike shares a little AI inspired recording that may be a little more sinister than it seems. Haunted Taxidermy or The Deer They Should Have Let Walk - Chris brings a story with names changed to protect the innocent. Can a ta...

Dean and Katie are your typical take-a-three-year-road-trip-together-in-a-van kind of couple. And where did they land? Why Harrisonburg of course! This is a great love story, a traveler's story, a seeker’s story - all in the name of the journey. It’s always great to discover new people who find the same creative vibe in this town as energizing as we do. A fun listen!  A Few Mentions: Ruby’s Arcade...

In this episode, we are joined by Alison Trochia, Becca Stehle, and several of their Eunoia Theatre friends to discuss their upcoming play- an adaptation of Madea from writer Rachel Cusk. Court Square Theater is hosting this production and this is, yet again, another showcase for Harrisonburg’s creative community. Come get your Greek tragedy! A Few Mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - Greek tragedy? Try a wo...

This week we welcome Dana Sprowl and Jake Burtner, two beautiful heartbeats of Harrisonburg! We take a jump into some of our favorite Harrisonburg-centric restaurant and bar stories. Anyone with a little food service or hospitality industry experience will appreciate this conversation. Mike even shares his personally embarrassing piano moving story… A Few Mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - 1 bourbon, 1 sco...

This episode we celebrate creativity! We had a great Bingo Show and that energy transferred right to the podcast! We hit upon the excitement of the coming days. Rocktoberfest, a Chris Howdyshell birthday celebration, happens at Restless Moons on October 1st. And then, we are happy to help promote the SuperGr8 Film Festival back at Court Square Theater on October 4th and 5th! Last but not least, we...

Episode 134 finds us in the wonderful company of Rachel FitzGerald! Rachel shares her life experiences and how she has landed here in Harrisonburg.  Whether she is engineering the menu as Head Chef at Magpie Diner or singing as half of her band, Spectator Bird, Rachel brings the same joy to her work and life as she brings to the harmonies she sings. A fun conversation. Links are in the show notes!...

This week we welcome Dr. Kristofor Wiley aboard! He shares his story of how he found Harrisonburg and explains why there is so much to love here!  From his help with the high school’s marching bands to his adventures with being a Park Ranger, Kris proves that Harrisonburg pulls in some cool people! A Few Mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - Your regiment of duckpins and pizza - https://rubysarcade.com/ Dr. W...

Jay, Mumshackles, Mike and Chris dive into a preview of this Friday’s SOLD OUT SHOW, “Bob and Me” at Court Square Theater! We are so excited for this evening of sharing songs! We also welcome any new listeners to the podcast! We have interviewed almost all the musicians performing at the Bob and Me show. Go to https://brothershowdyshell.podbean.com and search for any of the artists by name!  A Few...

Harrisonburg is so lucky to have someone like Paul in the scene. And we are fortunate that he was able to join us for the show! We talk about how he found Harrisonburg and started The Golden Pony. And let’s not forget the work he is doing with the Super Gr8 Film Festival! Paul is an artist’s best advocate. His passion for creativity is contagious and genuine. Go check out the Golden Pony, a great...

We warmly welcome Artistic Director from Silk Moth Stage, Aili Huber! She tells us all about the Silk Moth Stage and their awesome local productions. More than theatre, Rockingham County’s hidden jewel offers an entire experience- a play, music, community, and even s’mores! Links are in the show notes. If you’re looking for a special night of theatre, go get a ticket to their next event: “The Want...

10 folks on this episode! This week we are honored to host the entire band, The Amateur Rodeo! If you are interested in the local music scene, this episode is for you. We talk about the band and their newly released album, local venues, music itself, and of course what draws us all into this community and what keeps us here! This town always has open arms for the creative types and it’s awesome to...

This week we speak to Ian Chinnery, a relative newcomer to town who happens to enjoy Harrisonburg, and of course, the Bingo game show! And small world, Ian and Jay find out they were practically neighbors! The Delaware gravitational pull is strong in this one. A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - Offering the best of the Pity Pie - https://rubysarcade.com/ Visit Harrisonburg Website - https://visitharr...

A painter’s delight! This week we talk to Dietrich Maune, professor in the School of Media Arts and Design at JMU and professional artist! Dietrich shares his methodology and gives his perspective of why and how he creates. Interesting, thought provoking, and of course- fun! Fun fact- Ryan Stiles of “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” fame is a big fan of Dietrich’s and has his works displayed in his home!...

This week we lift the art that is local theatre! We welcome Gina Currence Alago who shares her part in the local scene and why the gift of theatre is worth investing in! Gina is another vibrant participant in Harrisonburg’s theatre scene, and is also a mother, a friend, and an adamant supporter of local art. While our conversation focuses on Theatre, the bigger realization is how positive an art-i...