Whizzbang Booking and Management Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Slappin' Da Bass with Charleston's John Inghram

But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day was this month (and with A Change of Tune’s second birthday on the horizon), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.

And today, we are chatting with John Inghram, a producer, composer, and bassist who was born and raised in Kanawha County. John’s #WVmusic history is impressive, as he’s played with The Bob Thompson Band, 600 lbs of Sin, and Johnny Staats and the Delivery Boys, toured with Fletcher’s Grove, and now leads his own jam band band called John Inghram’s Slugfest. Now signed to Ian Thornton‘s Whizzbang Booking & Management, John is ready for the next step in his career, not to mention the next step for Charleston’s budding music scene.

John Inghram‘s Slugfest’s newest single is Kickin’ Slippers. Get ready for a new full-length from the band in the near future. Hear more #WVmusic on A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And for more #WVmusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic and subscribe to our RSS / podcast feeds!

Interview Highlights

On getting into music at a young age:

My mom’s side of the family is musical, so I got a lot of stuff through them through osmosis. They were church musicians, so they played Southern gospel and some country stuff. My grandfather played pedal steel. I had some bluegrass musicians in the family. At the age of 12, I started playing trumpet, which segued into guitar and then bass when I was 13 or 14 because the trumpet wasn’t rocking very hard [laughing].

Up until sixth grade (when I joined the band in middle school), I was in Kanawha County, but then I went to Winfield Middle and High Schools in Putnam County. It wasn’t ideal. [I’m sure] a lot of folks in Appalachia can relate to growing up in an area that is less than diverse. It definitely has its own culture, but I wouldn’t call it diverse. There were a couple of [music] folks that all latched on to one another, and we had a great music teacher whose name was Scott Woodard. He’s actually at West Virginia State now, and he’s doing really great things.

My two best friends at that time… one was playing guitar, one was playing drums. And I said, “I think I’m going to get a guitar. Forget this brass stuff.” They said, “That’s cool, but why don’t you get a bass? We already have the band.” “Okay, yeah, that’s a great idea.” So I got a bass out of necessity. And that’s kind of like how every bassist starts: no one chooses the bass, the bass chooses them.

John Inghram plays in and around West Virginia.

On his passion for playing the bass:

It is who I am. It’s interesting because you find these certain personalities in these subsets of instrumentalists. For example, drummers kind of have these similar personalities. I love the bass. To make people groove, to look out into the crowd and see people dance, that’s the ultimate compliment. To see people having a great time and just moving their bodies, living their lives, and not being too heady or overthinking. Once the groove takes over, whether they know it or not, everybody loses themselves and enters that dream. That’s what I feel like I’m here to do with the bass: to make people feel good or feel something.

On the sound of John Inghram’s Slugfest:

It’s eclectic. I know that word gets used a lot, especially here at West Virginia Public Broadcasting, what’s up Jim [Lange, host of Eclectopia]? We try to keep things kind of weird [with Slugfest], but it all stays pretty funky. That’s the common thread, even when we do stuff that’s country-tinged or Latin-ish, it’s all rooted in the jazz tradition. Because we’re all jazz musicians. Everyone in the band has a jazz background, so there’s an element of improvisation.

But the main thing is it is all about the groove. We really don’t like to get into an area where it’s inaccessible. It’s easy to scratch that a little too much with jazz at times. You have to be geared for that. I love the jam band scene, and I love the Grateful Dead and Phish because there’s a community there that’s bigger than the music. It’s great to see communities of people. To me, that’s what music is all about: living life, feeling good, and people enjoying that together.

John Inghram’s Slugfest is John Inghram, Ryan Kennedy, Randraiz Wharton, Chris Hudson, Christian Tanzey, and Chris Clark.

On his Slugfest band members:

The core of the group is Randraiz Wharton on keyboard. He’s a fantastic player from the Elkins area originally, living in Pittsburgh now. He plays all over the state, the region, and the East Coast.

Our guitarist is the amazing Ryan Kennedy. Anybody who knows Ryan knows that he needs no introduction. I don’t know if I can do him justice. Ryan and I are dear friends and go back a long way. We’ve played in Bob Thompson’s band together for longer than I’d care to admit.

We also have Chris Hudson on the drum set. He’s a fantastic drummer who’s played all over. Like me, if it pays, we play. There’s nothing he can’t do on the drum set.

We have two horn players, which is what sets us apart from some of the other bands in our wheelhouse in the area. People really love the horns. That’s Chris Tanzey on the trumpet and Chris Clark on the tenor sax.

On what it takes to be a band leader:

I’ve been lucky to have gotten to work with great bandleaders, particularly really respectful, intelligent bandleaders like Bob Thompson. I’ve seen them and taken things from them. For Slugfest, what I’m learning in real time is that it’s less about the music and more about coordinating schedules and dealing with personalities and being tactful. Sometimes you just have to pick your spots. Some things you say. Some things you don’t say. Because there may be good ideas in my mind, but you have to ask yourself: will they really benefit the rehearsal or the music at the end of the day? Or will they make things more convoluted and create more anxiety for the players?

Bob Thompson has known John Inghram since he was a teenage rocker in West Virginia.

On working with Bob Thompson over the years:

I’ve never known a man who is more gracious and more giving and has as much to give as he does. This state, this city: his circle goes so far across the world. He’s just world-class, and I’m so, so proud we have him here and that we’ve gotten to learn from him and be around him.

I was 15 or 16 when I first met him at a Wine and All That Jazz Festival at the University of Charleston. A mutual friend introduced us, and we became instant friends. He said, “Why don’t you come up to the house sometime,” Just like he’s done with countless people. He was like, “Come by! Let’s play some music.” So here I am at 16, playing with this legend, and I didn’t realize to what extent his legend was about. After the end of the first session, we were hanging out in the studio, and I said, “How much do I owe you for this lesson?” He said, “Man, don’t worry about that. If you want to play again, just come back and we’ll play.”

It was never about a teacher/student relationship per se. I read a quote that Herbie Hancock said about Miles Davis, and I’m paraphrasing, but he said, “The magic of Miles Davis was his ability to teach someone by letting them figure out the answer.” That’s what Bob does. He lets you find it because he realizes the power in that. It goes back to being a bandleader, and it requires such patience. It’s a powerful thing.

On ranking his roles as performer, composer, and bassist:

No question: playing bass for other people and being a sideman [has played the biggest role]. It teaches you such humility, and it’s an opportunity to play with other people and playing other people’s music. I love that process when it’s up to me to be creative and create something that serves the song and that’s not serving me or any one person. I really enjoy that process.

I’ve always been writing music since I started. I like creating new things. But in the last several years, I’ve been trying to write with intent and to have ideas, clear concepts, of what I want to do with the tunes and to execute them. I think I’m getting better at it. It’s informed my other areas of music.

On Slugfest being a part of Whizzbang Booking & Management’s #WVmusic line-up:

We’re super excited to be working with Ian Thornton. That stable of artists is off the hook. It’s diverse, and it’s only going to grow because Ian’s such a hard worker. Also it’s exciting to not have to book all the gigs myself, which is a nightmare (and anyone who has done it will agree). It’s arguably the most difficult job to do in the music industry because you’re dealing with schedules, personalities, money, negotiating, and clubs who don’t want to give you much money. Some people are so cut out for it; most musicians are not.

I still do some stuff on that end of things, but I want to focus on the music and the best product I can provide, and this is only going to benefit us.

Music featured in this #WVmusic chat:

John Inghram’s Slugfest- “Skoombutt Strutt”

John Inghram’s Slugfest- “Kickin’ Slippers”

You're a Good DJ, Charlie Brown Superstar

And today, we are chatting with a musician out of Romney/Huntington, West Virginia. By day, you might know him as Brett Fuller. But by night, you might just hear his indie dance beats as DJ Charlie Brown Superstar. So how did a West Virginian turn a beloved cartoon character into a disco-spinning DJ? Let’s find out…

Charlie Brown Superstar is in his element.

How did you start playing and producing music?

I got my start at the legendary Huntington club Gumby’s in the winter of 1994. Over the years, I gradually and naturally transitioned into producing. You tend to get to the point in DJing where you tire of playing other people’s music and want to spin your own.

Where does the name Charlie Brown Superstar come from?

I was playing at The Drop Shop in Huntington, where we were running a theme night called “Dueling DJ’s”. The premise of the event was that a DJ from another club would come to our club and would “compete” with me for the crowd’s favor. It was all friendly and in good fun, but while we were preparing for the first show, the club called me and asked for a name (as I didn’t have one at the time). I had been toying with the name Charlie Brown Superstar and went with it. It’s just a play on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar.

How has Charlie Brown Superstar’s sound changed over time (if at all)?

My sound changes all the time. It’s different whenever I sit down to work on something. It all depends on my mood and the vibe I’m feeling at the moment.

Where do you play in and around West Virginia (venues, festivals, etc.)?

I’ve played all over Huntington, but I have been the resident DJ at The V Club for the last decade. I’ve also played The Empty Glass, Boulevard Tavern, and Sam’s Uptown Cafe in Charleston, as well as 123 Pleasant Street in Morgantown. I will be playing The Brew Skies Festival in August.

What’s been the highlight of your musical journey?

There’s too many to single one out. I’ve had great experiences ranging from playing house parties to DJing in front of packed clubs (especially my 8-year run on Mondays at The V Club) to playing with local and national acts on bills throughout my career.

What’s it like making music in West Virginia?

I don’t know if making music in West Virginia is any different than making music wherever you are. I mostly work by myself, so I can be anywhere. I’ve worked on my stuff on a boat in Mexico, riding in cars to gigs, and in other cities and states. I think it’s different now that the internet is making the world a smaller place. It’s as easy to be influenced by someone in a small town in Australia as it is by a local musician.

Do you feel held back by being in West Virginia? Or does it feel like a musically-supportive place?

At times, both. I’ve had amazingly supportive crowds throughout my career, but I’ve also had crowds who’ve turned on me as soon as I started playing. It just depends on the atmosphere of where you are.

What, in your opinion, needs to happen in the West Virginia music scene for it to move forward?

I think it has moved forward. I’ve been involved with this scene for over twenty years, and I’ve never witnessed a time where there has been so many talented bands and musicians going at once. In the past, it always seemed like there was “one great hope” that could “make it.” Now, I feel like there are a bunch of acts that could or are already on their way.

Any words of wisdom for folks wanting to get into music?

Follow your own direction and just do what you do.

Charlie Brown Superstar’s latest release is the Good Grief EP. Keep an eye on his social media for summer tour dates and releases. To hear more #WVmusic, tune in to A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And for more #WVmusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic.

Tim Lancaster: 'We May Be Starting Our Own Genre Here'

Since the show began almost two years ago A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats ranging from Tyler Childers to Ona, Teammate’s Scott Simons to Jordan Andrew Jefferson and beyond.

But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day is coming up (not to mention A Change of Tune’s second birthday), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.

And today, we are chatting with West Virginia-by-way-of-Florida folk troubadour Tim Lancaster. If his name sounds familiar, that’s because he was just announced as Harpers Ferry National Park’s Artist-In-Residence for Summer 2016 (which is kind of a big deal). We spoke with Lancaster about that prestigious gig, as well as his experiences making music in both big cities (i.e. Orlando) and up-and-coming towns (i.e. Huntington).

Tim Lancaster’s newest release is My Times with You. Keep up with the young singer-songwriter on his website and through social media. Hear more #WVmusic on A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And for more #WVmusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic.

Interview Highlights

On his musical origins:

My father plays a little bit when he’s off from work. He was always around playing “Dust in the Wind,” and I thought it was the prettiest song I ever heard. I figured if I could learn how to play it, I’d be happy, and of course I finally learned to play it, and then I wanted to learn more.

But then I got into high school and started wrestling, and with wrestling you don’t have time to do anything else, at least how I approached it. So I put all of myself into wrestling and took a break from the guitar. By senior year, I had enough of starving myself and decided to pick up the guitar again.

Tim Lancaster doing what he does best: playing music and telling stories.

On becoming a folk musician:

I wouldn’t say I’m a professional or anything, but I really got into that style of playing a guitar in 2008. I went to Wilkesboro, North Carolina with a buddy to go to Merlefest, which is a festival put on by Doc Watson in honor of his son Merle who passed away in a tractor accident. I went just because my friend was going, and I was into that music, but the first time I heard Doc Watson play he was twenty feet away from me. It struck me like a bolt of lightning, not to be cliché, but it was really something. Just how honest and pure it was. When I started listening and trying to do my own thing with it, that’s when I feel I finally found what I was supposed to do with my instrument.

Up until that point, I was all over the place. In high school, you want to be in a band that sounds exactly like Radiohead or Led Zeppelin, but it wasn’t until I found this style of music that I was able to be happy with the way that I sounded, and I wasn’t trying to sound like anybody else. Granted I was taking from a lot of inspirations, but I was able to morph in into my own voice.

On finding West Virginia:

I first moved from Florida when I was 19 or 20, and I had a friend who had a friend in Huntington who had some recording gear. I wanted to record some songs that I had, which ended up being my first album which I called A Finer Line. I started recording in this room called The Record Room with Shayne Barker, who is good friends with Max Nolte. During that same weekend I was here, Max also recorded me, and those are the recording we ended up using for that collection. The rest is history.

After that, I’ve always felt that Huntington was my second home because whether I was living in New York City or northeastern Vermont, I was always coming back to check in on my Huntington bubbies. It’s always on my mind. Here I am. I was just in California last summer, and now I’m back here. It’s been a weird home base, and some people think I’m crazy for it, but there is something special here. Every place is different; it’s just what kind of different you like.

Tim Lancaster and one of his best “bubbies:” his guitar.

On deciding to permanently move to West Virginia:

I’d been living in Vermont for three years, and I loved it there. I loved it there so much, and it was really hard to leave. But we’re too young to be set in my ways, and I hadn’t lived here permanently. So I decided to check it out, got a place here, lived here, really liked it, and made a lot of new friends. Those are the same friends that brought me back here. I lived here for ten months, got the itch, went out west through the fall and early winter.

But when I was out there, every time something crazy would happen, I kept finding myself calling my bubbies in Huntington, wanting to tell them what wild thing happened or to check up on how they were doing. Then one day I thought, “What the hell. There are a lot of good things going on in Huntington. Let’s give it another shot.” And I’ve been very happy since I made the decision. The people here are great. What I like about it is there’s a great balance between having a good time, and the amount of productivity that happens here, which is an important thing. It’s important to have a good time and get down with your friends, but then also to get something done that’s meaningful is even more important than that. Both of those things are happening here, which I enjoy.

On recording his first record in West Virginia:

I recorded it a couple days before I moved from West Virginia last year with Max. Max Nolte will probably be the one to record everything I will ever do, at least if I have anything to say about it [laughing]. He’s my bubbie. He’s a comfortable person to be around. He’s improving, and I’m improving. With each time we do something, it’s interesting watching each other grow, and it’s nice to not have any real pressure. With My Times with You, I knew I was moving, and I wanted to record something because I had been living here for 10 months and I hadn’t recorded anything, so I was just able to get up in The Loft with Max and record a few songs. In a couple hours, they were all done with a first take. They were all done in the first take, and here we are putting it out.

A couple things have changed [since My Times with You’s Bandcamp release in July of 2015]. It has a new cover, which is a photograph of me in a birch tree in Maine, a silhouette image, which was taken by my friend Shane Tulp when I was living in the Northeast. Picture was taken in the last couple of weeks of me living in Vermont. I think the image really captured what the album was about: half of the songs were written in my last year living in Vermont, and the other half are a reflection of that time in my life.

On rereleasing My Times with You on physical format:

Tim Lancaster’s latest release will have a new and improved look later this month when it becomes available in physical formats.

I guess I’m tired of having the same albums on the merch table [laughing]. But when you release something on a physical format, it gives a certain level of legitimacy to that collection of songs. And these are songs that I think are great songs, I don’t want them to be written off as something I can just throw on the internet. I want them to be something that somebody can be hold in their hands and hopefully in their hearts.

Bandcamp makes it really quick and easy for people to access your music. I just found that it’s harder for me to sell my songs because not a lot of people know who I am. But maybe if they see me perform and like what they hear, they’ll be more attuned to buy the album from me right there as opposed to, “Oh, well I have this thing on Bandcamp that you can log onto later when you are hungover if you remember talking to me at all.” [Laughing] So it’s much easier to get the album to them at that moment than have them think about it later. But maybe I should be performing better to make it stay in their [potentially hungover] minds.

On the story behind My Times with You:

I’m trying to think of how I can phrase it without embarrassing myself [laughing]. It was kind of about my first experience with love, which I found in Vermont. And then we decided to do different things with our lives, and I moved to West Virginia. So the other half of the record is me reflecting on that time that I spent up there. And I’m fortunate to be able to incorporate her. The liner notes of the record are a poem of hers, which I think is very, very cool to have that on there.

You always have to be positive with everything. Things change; that’s just how it is. You have to be fine from it and take from it in a positive way. You can’t let it get you down, because you can learn something from any situation. And that’s just going to make you grow. You’re always going to be constantly changing.

You know, I’m not sure [if the ex-girlfriend gives the record five stars]. [Laughing] I remember after she listened to it, she said that I played the songs a little differently than I would when we were in the cabin. But I think she’s cool with [the record].

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a data-cke-saved-href=”http://timlancaster.bandcamp.com/album/my-times-with-you” href=”http://timlancaster.bandcamp.com/album/my-times-with-you”&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;My Times with You by Tim Lancaster&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

On the highlight of his musical journey:

Playing music has given me this cool vagabond troubadour persona, which has given me the confidence to go places. That’s probably my favorite part of it. It’s almost an excuse for being young and making music decisions to be able to be like, “Hey, let’s catch a ride to New York City and live there. Hey, let’s go work for rent in Vermont for three years. Hey, let’s go to California.” [Laughing] It’s nice to have that in my back pocket to use like, “Oh yeah, sure, I’m doing this because I’m trying to be a responsible musician.”

What’s next for Tim Lancaster? Wait and find out…

On that one time Tim Lancaster wasn’t Tim Lancaster:

When I was playing music in Florida, I went by Tim Holden. You’re in your teens, and you want to be anyone but yourself. No name can be possibly good enough for you [laughing], so I called myself Tim Holden because the name of the band I had at the time was called The Holden Boys. I would get mail which would be addressed to Tim Holden, so my mom would be like, “Who is this? What are you doing?” Looking back, it was pretty silly of me. I mean the most important thing I can be is myself. And Lancaster doesn’t sound that band when I think about it. I think it works.

Music Featured in this #WVmusic chat:

Tim Lancaster- “Let Me, Let You”

Tim Lancaster- “Riders on the Plain”

Tim Lancaster- “Sweet Pea”

Tim Lancaster- “Singing in the Wind”

How One Man's Made #WVmusic Sing

Since the show began almost two years ago, A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats ranging from Ona to Tyler Childers, Rozwell Kid to Qiet and beyond. But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day is coming up (not to mention A Change of Tune’s second birthday), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.

Today, we’re chatting with Huntington’s own Ian Thornton, a 30-something who has become a sort of father figure to the West Virginia music scene, and no wonder: he’s played here, he’s booked shows here and he’s even put on a local music festival that’s grown exponentially over the last 7 years. But we’ll let him describe what he’s done and what he hopes to do for West Virginia music.

Ian Thornton is the founder of the Huntington Music & Arts Festival as well as Whizzbang Booking and Management. You can catch him as part of William Matheny’s band on June 26 as part of FestivALL’s presentation of Mountain Stage. Hear his musical friends on A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. For more #WVmusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic.

Interview Highlights

On his start in music and his father (the namesake for Whizzbang Booking and Management):

I guess it ultimately goes back to my dad. Huge music buff. Couldn’t snap his fingers in rhythm, but he could tell you everything about the Kinks or Dublin Bagpipes or folk music. The guy was incredibly intelligent on a lot of fronts. That’s where I got a love of music from the get-go, getting into the Beatles or the Stones or Buddy Holly.

Then I got my first instrument in high school [as a] freshmen, hanging out with friends and playing music. But I really started taking part in the music scene with The Love Coats, which was my first band that was really doing stuff in Huntington. With them we saw moderate regional success. We weren’t huge or anything, but we did well in our area.

I was in another really cool band called Desolation Row, [where] we were a little heavier. [Then] AC30 came from a band called Whirling Dervish, [which] lost a couple of members, added a couple of members and turned into AC30.

On wanting a career in music at a young age:

I knew I wanted a career in music since middle school, [but] I didn’t know how. Everyone wants to be in a famous band. Who doesn’t want to play Wembley or Madison Square Garden? Always carry day jobs, that’s the thing about music. You always need some other income. If you depend on music from the get-go, you’ll be in a lot of trouble, [and you’ll] be really hungry.

On opening a bar in Huntington:

We got ahold of Shamrocks, my brother and I, in ’08. The Love Coats had broken up already, and I was still in love with playing shows, meeting bands and that whole atmosphere. The Shamrocks venue was actually where I played my first rock’n’roll show, [which] was called Marley’s Doghouse at the time, and it came up for sale. None of us had ever been in the bar business or ran a bar, we kind of jumped in with two feet and I took over the entertainment and booking side.

That’s kind of where it all started with me learning how to book shows, talk to bands, and handle events of that nature. It was a long process, a lot of learning, but we caught our stride and were doing really well there for awhile.

It was a good venue, cool room. Dirty dive bar. Smelled terrible, concrete floors. That was the essence of it. I was going through Myspace, trying to find bands in the area. Most venues have to field so many emails about bands wanting to play, being picky-choosey. [But] at that time, I was like, “Please play this bar. We have to have music.”

I was putting really funny bills together. Which is something I’ve liked to do since then. I’d put a country act with a metal act, or a punk rock with a hip hop. At first it was out of desperation but I really like the eclectic style. I like more than one style of music; I think people like more than one style of music. If you limit yourself to only one, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

That first year was rough. It was slow going. But eventually we started catching some tread in the area. The thing about Huntington is there isn’t a lot of choices for live music. Today, we’re down to the V Club. There’s other places that will do music, but I wouldn’t call them venues. Like they’ll have music in their bar.

With Shamrocks, we were hitting a niche. We took the role of the dirty dive bar, and I like that. That’s what rock clubs are: musty and dark. That’s where the best things happen, I feel. We caught on with a lot of the scene, and people who couldn’t really get shows in Huntington. We were more open arms.

On the sustainability of #WVmusic:

If people aren’t getting behind it, and you aren’t having that thriving force behind it, it’s hard for people to sustain it. People get older too. That’s a thing with bands: it’s a lot of fun when you’re 22 or 23, but you get older and have to get more serious about your life, [so] bands take backseats. From our heyday, there’s only a few left [like] Sly Roosevelt and Deadbeats and Barkers. I think music scenes go in ebbs and flows, a lot of high points then it kind of drops off. Recently we’re on another upturn. People are getting inspired again, and you see bands popping up.

Ian Thornton began the Huntington Music & Arts Festival on a wing and a prayer. Now, it’s grown to a full week of music, arts and collaboration in Huntington.

On the goal of the Huntington Music & Arts Festival, which was started nearly 7 years ago:

There weren’t any festivals in town promoting our local scene other than two bars. And the problem with that is you’re cutting out 90 percent of your potential listeners. Not everyone wants to come to a bar and a show that starts at 10:30 at night. You’re limiting yourself to people listening to your music. I wanted to bring those bands out of the bars and to the forefront of Huntington. A daytime family-friendly event where they could enjoy some of these bands that I felt were doing really good and that I could get behind. You could have fun and still go home and get to bed at a decent hour if you needed to.

The first year… the event went well, but it was a hard thing to get together. I had never done it before, and I jumped into it. I’m a really particular person because “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself,” and I’ve been burned in the past. I wanted to take it upon myself to have a successful event, [where] I have to do a majority of the work to pull it off. I’ve probably put more work on myself than I should at times, and I’m getting to a point where I can rely on people. I can finally delegate some stuff out. I’m learning… [laughing] I’m slowly giving up!

On the process behind picking acts for the Huntington Music & Arts Festival:

When it comes to picking bands out, I try to see as many shows as I can throughout the year. My main concern is if a band is active, they’re actually doing something. I want them to have something to promote. I guess it’s kind of like Mountain Stage: you’re not just picking people to pick people. You’re [looking for] a working band, aspiring to do something positive, promote your music and do things. [So] that’s what I like to look for: bands on the rise, or are actively doing it.

It gets a lot tougher because I have to separate friends [from work]. I have to treat the Huntington Music & Arts Festival with a level of responsibility and can’t let everyone on it.

Like Of the Dell, those boys are a perfect example. They were hounding me last year, [and I would tell them,] “You guys are great, and I love you, but you’re just not ready.” Now they’re more than ready for a spot this year. They’ve hit the game hard and have over 25 original tunes [now]; they’ve put the work in and you can see it.

Ian Thornton (far left) enjoying a break from a festival with his #WVmusic friends (who happen to be members of Tyler Childers & the Foodstamps and Ona).

On being the manager and founder of Whizzbang Booking and Management:

Essentially what I’m doing is selling a band. I’m trying to sell a band to a venue who’s never heard of this person, or me, so if you’re just doing to make a little dough, it’s a half-hearted attempt. I refuse to act in that manner. So when it came to picking the roster, those are all people I have a lot of faith in, and I really enjoy their music personally. I could listen to it, and I listen to it often. I think that makes my job easier because you’re more sincere about it. I think sincerity is a big proponent of this sort of thing because if you don’t believe in it, how can you get someone else.

I try to rely on my credibility, that I’m passionate about what I do.

Ian Thonrton began Whizzbang Booking and Management in the Spring of 2016.

On being friends with (and managing) Morgantown’s William Matheny:

I’m incredibly excited about William. He’s one of the first ones I’ve contacted back in the Shamrocks days, and to this day I’ll stand behind the Born of Frustration album. We hit it off early, and I’ve been a huge fan of his for so long. At Shamrocks, I would only let sound guys play local music in-between bands. I don’t know how many times I’d only play Billy’s record back there.

From a managing sense, Billy’s incredibly intelligent. He’s been in the scene for a long time. He knows what he wants. In terms of managing, I only truly manage Tyler, Ona and Of the Dell; the rest I help out [with], give ideas, talk back-and-forth. I primarily book those acts. [But] William is a force of his own. He teaches me things. He asked me to join his band, [which] I think he and Bud [Caroll] came to the conclusion because Adam Meisterhans plays bass on a majority of the record [and] he wouldn’t be able to make all the gigs. So they invited me to play, and I jumped on it to play with a guy I’ve been a huge fan of for years. It’s kind of fun to be that involved in something and separate yourself to pitch it too. We’re a nice couple; we make it work.

On working with Bud Carroll over the years:

Bud and I really hit it off! I knew who he was early on, [but] we weren’t really friends in the early Shamrocks days. [But] The Love Coats opened up for American Minor, we started talking and we’ve been incredibly close ever since. He’s been integral to the early days of the Huntington Music & Arts Festival. [Our band] AC30 was a really fun run, and we never really broke up; we kind of just stopped playing. Hopefully we play again. We’ve got some songs recorded that I’d like to get out there.

On being called a “father figure” in the #WVmusic scene:

It’s been a main goal of mine to treat bands well from the get-go, and I think that stems from me having a musician background to begin with. And I think when you treat people well, you get it in return. Ultimately when it comes to taking on the roll I have, it wasn’t intended by any means. If you told me 8 or 9 years ago that this would be where I was, I don’t know if I’d believe you or not. It’s a matter of doing it, really. It just became a passion of mine that kept going. When it comes down to it, people can talk all day, but until you take the effort and step forward and take the responsibility on, nothing’s going to change, nothing’s going to happen with it. I didn’t really see that getting done at the time.

So I just felt it upon myself, I had a great opportunity with a rock venue. One thing just kept leading to another. I was earning the respect from a lot of bands with the venue treating them right when they weren’t being treated right at other places.

I do get joked about with that stuff every now and then. All the Ona boys call me dad, and in return the Foodstamps starting calling me mom. [Laughing] So I have the whole thing there.

It’s a matter of wanting to do it, and actually enjoying it. Nothing I’ve done is for recognition or anything. The main goal is promoting WV/Tri-State music. I would put our scene against the Seattle boom in the ’90s or the Austin boom. I think we’ve got, per capita, just as good of stuff as anywhere in the nation. If I have to be the one to push it, that’s what I’m going to do. Until I can’t do it anymore, or for some reason it gets pulled out from under me but so far so good!

Ian Thornton on public transportation in D.C. as he accompanied Ona to their Sirius XM The Loft performance.

On the highlight of his #WVmusic journey:

Huntington Music & Arts Festival. If I had to be proud of something, it’d be that. It brings a lot of people together. That thing takes months and months of planning, phone calls, hitting the streets and getting sponsorships myself. But then it’s over in a flash. You get there at 8 in the morning and before you know it, the last band is hitting the last note. It kind of shoots by. I did all this stuff and now it’s over. But it’s such a thrill. It isn’t just a Huntington thing; it’s West Virginia-Kentucky-Ohio. Seeing these bands so happy and being together with other bands their friends with or love, and seeing them all onstage in one day, or it’s a whole week at this point. We’re growing this to something I think will be something Huntington pushes. I think it will be one of their attributes, and that’s my goal. People coming around to see it, filling up the hotels and businesses. Doing what we can to make Huntington a great city.

It’s obviously a grandeur idea, but like how SXSW is. All different art forms are expressed, people come from miles-and-miles, countries away. I mean, it’s Austin, TX. But I think we can do that on a small scale. And we’re finally getting noticed some of the people in Huntington…. We’re not just a bunch of rock n rollers renting out the amphitheater playing guitars loud. This is a serious thing; we all take it seriously. We’re here to promote it and show what your city has to offer you. All you have to do is buy a ticket.

On the future of the #WVmusic scene:

I think we’re on quite the rise, I think some great things are about to happen. I’m seeing new bands pop up; new bands I really dig. You know, I preach Tyler Childers and Ona heavier than anything. I’m closer to those guys. I believe in them more than anything. I’d risk life and limb for both of them. I think seeing them doing things that are quality and getting recognition across the country, literally. Even other countries at this point. I look at their sales and the attention they’re getting, and it’s inspiring. All it does is keep increasing passion. It’d be one thing to keep beating a dead horse, or run into a wall, but if you get behind something and it catches on, it does nothing but invigorate you, and make you want to push harder, get more acts doing things.

When I came into the scene, it was really funny. The Love Coats were the only pop-rock band around, so there was no one to play with. What we did was learn 3 hours’ worth of music, basically do our own shows because it was a really heavier scene.

The ’90s Huntington scene which was a little before my time was huge with bands like Chum doing huge things. We were a heavier scene, and it was starting to wain off when I started coming up to it. It’s transitioned now, I don’t think you put your finger on just one thing or another. We’re eclectic and I love it. Being eclectic will bring more music than being stifled. Seeing new bands pop up across genres is really inspiring, and I think we’re on a rise personally. There’s great things happening, past couple of years, and great things to come.

On advice to young West Virginians looking to get into music:

I would say just love what you do, and be passionate about it. And be ready to work hard, because that’s what it takes. And don’t put money as your ultimate goal, I know bands that do that and nothing good comes of it. If you love music, love music. If you love what you do, love what you do. Believe in what you do and push for it. You will reap benefits from hard work. Love what you do, practice, hone your craft and just believe in yourself. Network, meet other bands, become friends with other bands because nobody can do everything on their own. It takes that networking and comradery to make a music scene to help build everybody. It’s not a one-person thing; it’s a music scene for a reason. So you go watch other people’s bands so they’ll watch your band. You have to be a part of it. You can’t just jump in and expect anything. Work for it, earn it.

On his hopes for #WVmusic in the years to come:

I hope that we become a focus of the national music scene, and I hope we can set a bar because, I hate to be the guy to beat on West Virginia, but we have a stigma about us. [Laughing] Hell if they even know West Virginia is a state. It’s constantly a thing we have to battle. I’d like to have such an impact that people will be like, “We have to do what they’re doing in Huntington. A small city, but look at what they’re doing. Look at how active they are and in sync with each other.” I want to build a music scene that can be admired from the entire nation, not just West Virginia or the surrounding areas.

Music Featured in this #WVmusic chat:

Ona- “American Fiction”

Ona- “World at War”

AC30- “Round and Round”