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. A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - Our forever ever sponsor - https://rubysarcade.com/ Pink Ambition Pole Fitness - 540.214.8917 info@pinkambitionfitness.com 31-C East Market St. Harrisonburg, VA 22801 https://www.pinkambitionfitness.com/ Vian Ozic - Insta - https://www.instagram.com/viani_ani9/…

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 - https://rubysarcade.com/ Nathan’s Land - Everything Nathan Moore - https://nathansland.com/ The Daily Practice - Live weeknights - https://www.youtube.com/@NathanMooreSongs Work with musician’s from all over the world! Musiversal.com…

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, Sam and Suzanne are great examples of how it’s done! A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - Escape in a pizza pie - https://rubysarcade.com/ Escapism - 29 West Water Street Harrisonburg VA - https://www.escapismva.com/ The socials: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Escapismva/?ref=py_c Insta - https://www.instagram.com/escapismva/ A nice writeup about Escapism from HDR - https://downtownharrisonburg.org/welcoming-downtowns-newest-business-escapism-escape-rooms/…

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, 2025. Fred Fest is happening July 11-13th, 2025. A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - A weekly pizza festival - https://rubysarcade.com/ Nathan Moore - A musician worth checking out - https://nathansland.com/ Tickets on sale now! Fred Fest - https://fredfestva.com/ Red Wing Roots Festival - https://www.redwingroots.com/ Trent Wagler - https://www.instagram.com/trentonwagler/ New Single - https://listeningthroughthelens.com/2025/04/25/trent-wagler-new-single/ Solo Album - This Might Be My Prime coming out June 2025 - https://www.facebook.com/thesteelwheels/posts/were-excited-to-announce-our-own-trentonwagler-has-a-solo-album-this-might-be-my/1217832859707971/ Rocktown House of Music - Harrisonburg’s vibrant hub for accessible music education in our community. Get involved! https://rocktownhouseofmusic.com/ And follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574819040488# Or reach them by email: rocktownhouseofmusic@gmail.com…

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 dabble in the art of pizza. https://rubysarcade.com/ Improv - Rocktown Improv and Friendly City Fables Jonathan Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jonathanpstewart The Woolgatherer - https://www.eunoiatheatre.com/woolgatherer…

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 to the beat of their own drum - https://rubysarcade.com/ Travis Whitmore - Website: https://www.traviswhitmore.com/ Album - Perspectives: https://traviswhitmore.bandcamp.com/album/perspectives Drum Sounds Resources Site: https://www.bettersoundingdrums.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/167m4bMQ2v/?mibextid=wwXIfr…

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, along with its DIY ethos is a great place for new artists to find a home! A few mentions: Ruby's Arcade - Our tried and true sponsor! https://rubysarcade.com/ Eunioa Theatre - https://www.eunoiatheatre.com/ The Wool Gatherer - https://www.eunoiatheatre.com/woolgatherer Eunioa Theatre Insta - https://www.instagram.com/eunoia_theatre?igsh=YXh0amdhMjNzdTNl Alison Trocchia - https://www.facebook.com/alison.trocchia Michael Troccia - https://michaeltrocchia.com/…

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 bells and tread beneath the proscenium arch! There's also a cow train, rollerskating, Uncle Sam story, in case you're hoping for something different... A few mentions: Ruby's Arcade - Be it in the script or completely improv, Ruby's Pizza inspires the masses! https://rubysarcade.com/ Facebook profiles: Tony - https://www.facebook.com/tonymotion/?locale=he_IL Phil - https://www.facebook.com/philip.bly.1 The Meisner Technique: https://www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/post/the-meisner-technique-an-in-depth-guide-to-acting#:~:text=The%20Meisner%20technique%20is%20centered,independent%20activity%2C%20and%20emotional%20preparation .…

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 effort to cultivate the arts, create experiences, and connect communities. Teaser: There are at least two hot-off-the-press announcements in this episode about future shows at Court Square Theater! A few mentions: Ruby’s Arcade - Where pizza and duckpins meet the arts. https://rubysarcade.com/ Arts of the Valley - https://valleyarts.org/ Court Square Theater - https://courtsquaretheater.org/…

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 creativity collide! https://rubysarcade.com/ Soy Hero - The Band https://www.facebook.com/p/Soy-Hero-100063321522283/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/0SEFLyVdPQmlAfXbtHSAXv…

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 locals know. Trust them. - https://rubysarcade.com/ Todd Schlabach Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/todd.m.schlabach Todd at Friendly Fermentor - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15zjM487w3/ Spilling Dew - https://spillingdew.bandcamp.com/album/the-myme-of-music https://www.facebook.com/spillingdew# Battle of the Bands - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYB7nzLlfkc Allison Schlabach - Material Girl Arts - https://www.instagram.com/material_girl_arts/?locale=en_US%2Cen_US Alpine Goat Brewery - https://alpinegoatbrewery.com/…

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: Ruby's Arcade - A Pizza mural all its own - https://rubysarcade.com/ Art by Laura Thompson - https://www.realcreative.studio Insta - https://www.instagram.com/realcreative.studio Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/realcreativestudiova Harrisonburg art, including Laura's work - https://valleyarts.org/public-art/ For people interested in the Tarot-sonburg Art Show, they can sign up at: https://www.framefactoryharrisonburg.com/tarot-sonburg…

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 - https://rubysarcade.com/ Patty Kim Hamilton - https://www.pattykimhamilton.com/ Patty on Insta - https://www.instagram.com/pattykimhamilton/…

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 Arcade - Our loyal sponsor and host to our own social and networking group, the Bingo is Life cult! - https://rubysarcade.com/ Valley Cigar Club - Make sure to sign up for their monthly reminders! - www.valleycigarclub.com Cigar Club Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ValleyCigarClub Beyond Restaurant and Lounge - https://www.restaurantbeyond.com/…

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/…