Bingo Is Life: A Post-Bingo Harrisonburg Podcast

This week we welcome Joyce Sampson-Franklin, founder of Just One Women's Circle. This organization is building a community of women who uplift, support, and empower one another. Joyce shares the mission, goals, and direction of the group and describes the scholarship opportunities they provide. Simply put, Joyce inspires. She is another example of the amazing people who make up this town! A few me...

We had an unexpected guest cancellation this week. No worries, we adapt! Jay, Brittany, Christian, Chris, and Mike catch up on the latest happenings of the past few weeks.  Normal antics ensue. With an off the rail discussion concerning modern vernacular… Links to the events and places we mention are in the show notes!  A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - Jewel of the Wine Brothers Building!  https://...

This week Chris and Mike honor Gramma Howdyshell! Over twenty years ago, at a family get together, we had the opportunity to hear Gramma sing a few songs on the porch. Fortunately we had an old cassette recorder nearby and happened to catch a few songs! We decided to share the moment with you, in all its unpolished splendor. Gramma had a cold that day, was playing an unfamiliar guitar, and our rec...

This week we go straight to you, dear listener, for feedback! The gang goes meta this week, talking about the podcast and where you might like to see it go! As we evolve into an awesome show about cool people doing cool things, we are hoping you can help us come up with a great new title for the podcast that better reflects the quirky nature of what we do. We share a few of our ideas, but we reall...

A reunion of sorts! We welcome the cast and director from a local production of Waiting For Godot at The Little Grill! We talk all about Samuel Beckett’s famous play being performed in a Harrisonburg staple. Ron Copeland, Fadia Vergara, Tom King, and Jay Zehr share their thoughts about the play and the venue itself, our beloved Little Grill!  Get your tickets before they sell out! Waiting For Godo...

This week Scott Murray joins us - and wow, does he have some stories… How to go about being nominated for a grammy? Check. Being caught by Bob Dylan wearing his stage clothes? Check. Ghost encounters with husband holding a pistol and a wife holding a newborn? Sure, check that as well. Scott Murray is a talented local artist, a gentle soul, and a great storyteller with a lot of heart! Enjoy! A few...

So honored to have Bill Howard join us for an episode and talk to us about the old days, the new days, the good days, and all the music and theatre in between! For you guitarist fans, Bill even shares how he came to playing lead guitar and uses improv to refine his style. A fun listen! A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - Talk some music and have some pie! -  https://rubysarcade.com/ The Judy Chops - h...

Ellen Atwood joins us to talk about her musician’s journey! She shares her tale of travel starting with local roots here in Harrisonburg onward to Germany with next plans for Troy, New York! Singer songwriters will appreciate Ellen’s story. She explains her strategies and motivations. She inspires with her adventurous spirit! So glad she was able to stop by for the show! A few mentions: Ruby’s Arc...

Ashley Hunter brings a peak of the nomadic lifestyle to our podcast! As a musician, an educator, yoga instructor, and counselor, she has found a path in this world that is fascinating to hear. Ashley inspires by sharing what she has learned in her travels and how her experiences  manifest among those fortunate enough to call her a friend. It doesn’t hurt that she did spend a few years playing musi...

This week Brittany invited a surprise guest and we are so glad she did! Vian Ozic is a pole dancer from Pink Ambition Pole Fitness. She shares her fascinating story about how she found herself here in our ‘burg and how she found the local pole community.  Vian is a great, positive ambassador, highlighting the multifaceted pieces that embrace the art, the sport, and the people of the pole community...

We were so lucky to have Nathan Moore on the podcast! Nathan is a musician’s musician, a true worker of the craft. Nathan shares his story from traveling musician to Youtube Live nightly performances. Stop whatever you are doing now. You HAVE to go hear this guy! Give’m heaven. Show mercy. Be silly. Be honest. Always trust your cape!    A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - Always trust your pizza pie -...

We had the great fortune to meet with Sam Lambert and Suzanne Dupuis who talked to us about their escape room in Harrisonburg: Escapism! These folks carry the entrepreneurial spirit, showing how following a passion can lead to an incredibly creative business! For those interested in escape rooms, you’re going to love this episode! And if you wonder what entrepreneurship looks like in Harrisonburg,...

Amazing guests! We welcome Maureen Ward and Trent Wagler who share their stories of building incredible music festivals and the communities that support them. Big News! An exciting announcement is made by Maureen and Trent in the last half of this show! Listen for it and check the show notes for more. Doers do! And these two are getting it done. The Red Wing Roots Festival is happening June 20-22,...

We are very fortunate to have Dr. Jonathan Stewart join us for a show! Jonathan dabbles in all arts as an actor, writer, musician, painter, and more. A true multi talented performer and creator! Jonathan shares his Harrisonburg story and how it pulled him in to stay. We also talk about Rocktown Improv and Friendly City Fables, the premier improv of the Burg. A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - They da...

Drummer and good guy Travis Whitmore joins us for an episode! Travis shares his story of being a drummer, a touring musician, a recording artist and more! Music lovers, especially drummers, are going to like this chat. Travis is another passionate local artist who still creates, educates and continues to be another strong thread in the Harrisonburg tapestry! A few mentions: Ruby's Arcade - Pizza t...

We welcome another power couple, Alison and Michael Trocchia to the show! These two share the multiple projects they are working on currently with Eunoia Theatre. They also provide a little insight on where the art of theatre has been in this town, and more importantly, where it's going! Opportunities abound for anyone interested in becoming a part of Harrisonburg's artistic scene. The community,...

Happy April Fools! Today we welcome Phillip Bly and Tony Lopez, the not-so-foolish, but totally sporadic guests for our show.  Phil shares his acting experiences and what it means to have a "theatre relapse" here in our 'burg. Tony meanwhile brings the improv perspective.  The theatre dramatics ensue as we discuss the script vs. improv question that burns in every soul of those who don the cap and...

Two guests on one episode, what a deal! We are honored this week to have Jenny Burden, Executive Director of the Arts Council of the Valley, and Justin Reiter, Managing Director of Court Square Theater! Jenny and Justin share their passion for the arts and for Court Square Theater. Exciting times! The Arts Council of the Valley also celebrates their 25th anniversary this year! They continue their...

This week we bring back the popular "Music is Life!" series. Originally a four part series by Dan, Chris, and Mike, we are returning to the vanity well to talk about music! Christian Perritt joins Mike to talk about song writing. They each share a song and try to answer the ever-present self reflection: What the heck is this all about? A few mentions: Ruby's Arcade - Where pizza, duckpins, and cre...

Todd Schlabach joins the show to talk the musician talk and walk our podcast walk. He shares the time capsule of his history here in our area and gives us a glimpse into his art. This guy has been killing it for over 30 years! If you haven’t had the chance to hear him live - go find any one of the many local venues he visits to perform. You can thank us later!  A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - The...

This week we have the pleasure of interviewing Laura Thompson! Laura is the quintessential Harrisonburg artist and entrepreneur. She shares how she landed in the 'Burg and talks about work she has created. We take a deeper dive into her mural work and how Harrisonburg has become an interesting canvas for many artists. Look for the links in the show notes to see more about her work!  A few mentions...

We welcome Ruby’s own Lia Hamilton to the show! Lia is exactly the type of interesting person doing interesting things that we love to meet through this podcast. Lia shares her story of how- even through all the world travels of her youth, she found Harrisonburg. And the ‘burg is better for it! A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - Quite possibly the best duckpin bowling pizza joint in the entire world...

We welcome Dick Halterman and Janessa Baker to the show! They tell us all about The Shenandoah Valley CIGAR Club, celebrating their 12th year.  First things first - It’s an acronym for Come In Get Acquainted Regularly. We find out how they started, what they do, and how a group with “no bylaws, no dues and no subscriptions” might just be the group you’ve been looking for! A few mentions: Ruby’s Ar...

Snowpocalypse made us cancel Bingo this evening… Boo. No worries though! The gang recorded a little something in November. We talked Bingo and shared jokes. Bad jokes... We apologize-in-advance kind of jokes… A few mentions: Ruby's Arcade - Why did the pizza cross the road? To get to the other slice of town. https://rubysarcade.com/

We are extremely fortunate to have a local favorite, Steel Wheels fiddle player Eric Brubaker, join us for the show! We talk music, bands, touring, and the beauty of community. We also get a chance to speak to the goodness of the Red Wing Festival and its crowd favorite, the Red Wing Academy. What a great guy, a great group, and a local gem!   A few mentions: Ruby's Arcade - I'll bet a pizza of go...