Photo By: Kenny Kemp
Wood (center) tells volunteers about the Winter Walk in the Kanawha State Forest.
When 220 hikers showed up to take part in last year's annual Winter Walk at Kanawha State Forest, it presented a challenge for Doug Wood, the event's sole interpretive guide.
By the dawn's early light
READER SUBMISSION: Tell your tales of concerts past
Horticulture photographer inspired by morning sun
Somewhere in northern New Mexico is a quarry named for Rob Cardillo, who was on track for a successful career in paleontology after college. But for a twist here and a turn there, he might happily have ended up harvesting dinosaur bones for a living.
Mercury advisory issued for Summersville Lake fish
Consumption advisories have been issued for black bass, walleye and flathead catfish caught at Summersville Lake because of mercury concerns.
CORRECTION: Ron Sowell Open Mic is Friday, not Saturday
A wrong date was listed for Ron Sowell's monthly Open Stage in this week's gazz print edition of the Charleston Gazette. The event starts 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9. See story for more details.
Splice It Up film series opens Friday
This weekend and next, Splice It Up, presented by the West Virginia Film Festival, offers four well-reviewed movies that never saw the light of day in Charleston. Screenings are Friday through Sunday and Jan. 16-17 at the Capitol Center Theater, 123 Summers St. Descriptions and show times are below. Tickets are $8 or $5 for shows before 6 p.m., $4 for students. Visit www.wviff.org.
Jewish Film Festival coming Sunday
The 2009 West Virginia Jewish Film Festival takes place Sunday at Park Place Stadium Cinemas in downtown Charleston. There are free showings of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" at 5 p.m., followed by "The Secrets" at 7 p.m. For more information, call 304-342-5271.
In short: Brief items of area interest
- Clay Center
- Ballet fundraiser
In an audio slideshow, article and podcast at thegazz.com's "My West Virginia" blog, Budget Tapes' John Nelson has memories to share of great and/or notorious Charleston concerts past. Now we want your tales
Wheeling native Tim O'Brien returns to the Mountain State
Folk singer Tim O'Brien comes home to West Virginia on Saturday night with a Woody Hawley series show at the Clay Center's Walker Theater.
Film clips: Movies playing at area theaters
Capsule reviews of films in area theaters for the week of the week of Jan. 8-14. For movie times, see blue MovieFinder in right-hand column of thegazz.com homepage.
BLOG: A last look at the Carbide building
(Click to view blog): The My West Virginia blog takes a last look at South Charleston's old Carbide building before they blow it to smithereens. Plus, on top of old Snowshoe and a monster of a Bridge to Somewhere,
Woods lore workshop to be held at Twin Falls park
Learn how Native Americans and early European settlers tracked game, made use of forest plants for food and medicine, and used other skills that allowed them to live close to nature during the 1700s in a Tracking and Woods Lore Workshop at Twin Falls Resort State Park, Jan. 16-18.
Triple play with Carpenter Ants
Get a meal, hear lively gospel-infused rock and blues and help needy people locally, all with one visit on Friday. A "Bread For The Journey" benefit dinner and concert runs 7 to 9 p.m. at Baptist Temple Fellowship Hall.
Contrarians hit stage Friday
FOOTMAD contra dances are one of the most welcoming, social and entertaining ways to engage in healthful movement. Plus you can show up by yourself or with a squadron of mates.
Its a Freek thing
If there's one not-to-miss show this weekend it would have to be the Freekbass CD release party at The Empty Glass, 410 Elizabeth St., starting 10:30 p.m. Friday.
Hydrogyn explosion at V Club
Head to Huntington's V Club to hear on Saturday to hear Hydrogyn'd metal-influenced yet smart rock, delivered with a heavy dose of leathery sensuality.
Five By Design brings timeless tunes to city
For two decades, Five By Design has worked tirelessly to preserve the traditions of vocal harmonies in pop music, while looking very cool doing it. Looking very fit and sounding better than ever, the quintet makes an appearance Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium for a Community Music Association show.
Taking on 'Trailer Trash'
A Q-and-A with West Virginia filmmaker Don Diego Ramirez, whose award-winning 53-minute film "Trailer Trash: A Film Journal" explores death, addiction, family turmoil and murder.
In short: Jan. 1-7, 2009
On Jan. 10, womanSong will hold auditions to fill a very few positions in the chorale. Auditions will run every 15 minutes starting 1 p.m. at Christ Church United Methodist,
Brief items of local interest
IN SHORT: Belly dance lessons start Jan 8. | Library issues 100 book challenge to mark its 100th anniversary.
Sundance film inspired by "Dancing Outlaw" Jesco White's life
Steve Fesenmaier's "WV Film" gazz blog reports on news of a new British film that draws some inspiration from the life of West Virginia mountain dancer Jesco White.
New Sounds: Freekbass gets funky, Todd Burge explores new territory
Michael Lipton reviews "Junkyard Waltz" by Freekbass and "My Lost and Found" by Todd Burge.
Knowles' music videos dominate YouTube
A number of high-profile musicians have made enormous dents on YouTube: Soulja Boy, Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers and Chris Brown among them, but Beyonce Knowles is giving them all a run for their money.
Picking up the pieces
Bishop T.D. Jakes' 2006 novel, "Not Easily Broken," is now a film, depicting a crisis of faith and relationship in an African-American couple's marriage.
'Striped Pajamas' a child's-eye view of Holocaust
War is bad for children and other living things. "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," adapted from John Boyne's book for young readers, makes that age-old argument with unflinching force. The film is emotionally wrenching without stooping to sentimentality or graphic violence.
Deftly directed 'Appaloosa' gallops headlong into film noir territory
"Appaloosa," Ed Harris' Western, is a surprisingly funny film and even a romantic one at times, but after an opening scene in which Jeremy Irons shoots three people at close range, danger hangs over it like a cloud.
'Happy-Go-Lucky' a venture into new territory for director Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh, cockeyed optimist? Nothing in this moviemaker's canon has prepared us for "Happy-Go-Lucky," a gentle comedy about a woman who is insistently upbeat.
'Frozen River' flows deep, wide in characters
If there are villains in "Frozen River," they are poverty and desperation. All of the people in "Frozen River," a character study that moves like a thriller, screw things up regularly, but the movie helps us understand the bad choices they make.
'Elegy' brings Roth work to screen with middling results
"Elegy" taken from a Philip Roth work, puts Ben Kingsley in bed with the stunning Penelope Cruz. It's a lot less jarring than "Human Stain," but it lacks both the sexual heat and romantic warmth to really come of
'Gran Torino' once again showcases Clint Eastwood's power as an actor and director
Clint Eastwood's second film this year is a compelling study of anger and violence and the guilt and shame that shadow them. He has sat high in the saddle for decades, but rarely has he ridden so tall as in the driver's seat of "Gran Torino.''
Just say 'I don't' to 'Bride Wars'
The clichéd comedy "Bride Wars'' tosses out stereotypes about female materialism and cattiness with all the giddy gusto of a newly married woman flinging the bouquet at her single girlfriends. It's amazing that two of the film's three writers are women.
'Broken' a typical marriage-in-crisis movie
"Not Easily Broken'' is a marriage-in-crisis melodrama baked from the Tyler Perry recipe. Take a good-looking, mostly African-American cast, put them in an affluent setting, paint the characters in broad "symbolic'' strokes, place the marriage in jeopardy, add a little "Take it to the Lord in prayer'' sermonizing and you've got a movie.
'Unborn' offers up more laughs than scares
Best as one can tell, writer-director David S. Goyer's "The Unborn" is a sort of Jewish version of "The Exorcist,'' which is a vaguely novel concept. But Goyer, who co-wrote "The Dark Knight,'' makes things laughably more complicated than they needed to be.
WEBSHOW: A "Radio Free Charleston" holiday song
WEBSHOW: "Radio Free Charleston" serves up a seasonally timed song from the recent staging of "Mary" plus a taste of a Winter Solstive drum drum circle.
RFC Halloween show No. 1
Part one of "Radio Free Charleston's" Halloween show with music by Doctor Senator and The Hellblinki Sextet, and lots of creepy multimedia coolness.
RFC Halloween show No. 2
Part two of "Radio Free Charleston's" Halloween-themed shows. There's a chorus line of zombies plus a zombie jam session and a whole lot more.
Airing grievances against 2008's worst
With so little happening in the video-game industry this week, there's no better time to conduct an Airing of Grievances. So, in honor of "Seinfeld'' patriarch and Festivus creator Frank Costanza, here are the worst games of 2008. No soup for them.
Globes not so golden for average Joe
The Golden Globes air at 8 p.m. Sunday on NBC, but if you're just an average Joe TV viewer with basic cable, there's not much to get excited about.
Idiot Box with Amy Robinson
It's Jan. 1 - a new year and a time when many people make resolutions that most likely won't survive the next 365 days. I don't make resolutions for myself because I know I'll break them, but I've taken the liberty of making some for particular people and networks in the TV biz for 2009.
Review: Waller takes us back to then and now
If the audience didn't have a clue who Fats Waller was going into the Clay Center on Wednesday night, they knew by the intermission of "Ain't Misbehavin." I always love a show where the excited buzz at the half asks, "In what year was that song written anyway?"