www.roanoke.com

Here's some good advance notice for bands looking to play and eat some chili. Jenny Lee, at Greenvale School, sent me this e-mail to beef up entertainment for the 31st Annual VA State Championship Chili Cook-Off, on May 1. If you want to get on the gig, contact Jenny at 540-342-4716 or jlee@greenvale-school.org. She promises "free admission, bowls of chili, and cold drinks for all band members!"

>LOCAL TALENT NEEDED FOR THE CHILI COOK-OFF!

>The 31st Annual VA State Championship Chili Cook-Off is looking for local musicians who would be willing to donate a one-hour performance at the 2010 Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, May 1, 2010!  In exchange for your generous donation of talent, your band will receive wonderful visibility at one of Roanoke’s largest and most well-loved events!

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I received the following in an e-mail from Roanoke musician Doug Settles. He wrote to share his memories of Wayne "Tuck" Foutz, a beloved figure in the 1970s-1980s Roanoke music scene. I plan to write more soon.

Please share your memories, too ...

>Wayne Foutz, better known as "Tuck" to the Roanoke music community, passed away on November 3, 2009. He was an original member of the band Razzmatazz, which originated in 1973, and stayed a member of that band until 1976 when he started his own band called Dazzle, which stayed together until 1983. During that 10 year span, Tuck was an integral part of two of the most successful bands to come out of Roanoke during that era. Both bands enjoyed tremendous regional success and both opened shows for numerous national acts during their runs and both had several original songs that enjoyed regional airplay.
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Robert Trent, director of guitar studies at Radford University, has a brilliant young charge these days.

One of his students, 16-year-old Max Hiner, of Radford, last weekend won high school category at The Music Academy of North Carolina's national guitar competition. He had finished third last year, competing with young players from across the nation.

Check out some video of the young master.

Our old TimesCast buddy and blues guitar man Kevin Selfe has scored in his new home, Portland, Ore. He and his band, Kevin Selfe and the Tornadoes, won the Cascade Blues Association's Muddy Award for best contemporary blues act.

Selfe wrote: "After 10 nominations in 3 years, it’s our first time winning one, so we’re pretty excited!"

He truly was in good company at the Nov. 6 event. Blues veteran Curtis Salgado, an old buddy of Robert Cray, won in the R&B act and male vocalist categories. Triva item: According to Cray, Salgado was the guy who schooled a young John Belushi on the blues and dark sunglasses -- both of which would figure heavily in the music-geek classic movie, "The Blues Brothers."

Bassist Keith Carper, who died on Sept. 22, left behind a lot of friends in his hometown, Roanoke, as well as his adopted Texas. A memorial fund has been set up to cover medical expenses that Carper left behind.

Go to www.keithcarper.com to donate, or send your donation via mail to Keith Carper Memorial Fund, c/o Whistling Pig Music, P.O. Box 935, Dripping Springs, TX 78620. For more information, call Central Texas Music Service/Whistling Pig Music at 512-858-9215, or go to KeithCarper.com or Gruenehall.com.

Photo: Michael Wilson

Lyle Lovett comes to Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre on Saturday. Look for a full story in Extra that day. Until then, check out this podcast. We talk about his songs, some of his favorite songwriters, his band (including sometime sideman Gene Elders, a oanoke native) guitar playing and working with producer/director the late Robert Altman.

We talk about a whole lot more, too.

More podcasts

• blogs.roanoke.com/rtblogs/cutnscratch/category/podcasts

Country music hitmaker (and Faith Hill husband) Tim McGraw is coming to Roanoke Civic Center on Feb. 19, according to both McGraw's Web site and pollstar.com.

Lady Antebellum and The Lost Trailers are scheduled to open the show, according to pollstar.

The event is not yet listed on the Roanoke Civic Center Web site, and tickets are not yet available for purchase at McGraw's site. So leave the civic center alone for now, kids. Just mark your calendars, if you're into this stuff.

McGraw last played Roanoke in 2004. Read our review of that show.

Lady Antebellum played Salem Civic Center last year, Nov. 14. Hear a podcast with the band's Dave Haywood.

Among the first people to contact us here after the death of Roanoke native and bass player Keith Carper were Gene and Betty Elders. Here is our interview with them. Look for a story in this morning's Virginia section of The Roanoke Times.

Betty Elders made this blog, where you can keep track of plans for the Nov. 17 memorial service for Carper -- keithcarper.com. Hear some of Carper's playing at myspace.com/keithcarpermemorialpage.

Download it

• In Internet Explorer, simply click. In Firefox, right click and hit "save link as".

The annual IBMA Awards show happened last night in Nashville. Thanks to Karen Byrd Public Relations for sending the list.

International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame – The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, The Dillards

Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients – Hylo Brown, Pati Crooker, Jody Rainwater, Dick Spottswood, Joe Wilson

Entertainer of the Year – Dailey & Vincent

Male Vocalist of the Year – Dan Tyminski

Female Vocalist of the Year – Dale Ann Bradley

Album of the Year - Wheels, The Dan Tyminski Band, produced by Dan Tyminski, Rounder Records

Vocal Group of the Year – Dailey & Vincent

Instrumental Group of the Year – Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

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Working on a story for tomorrow's paper and thought I'd post some paragraphs here ...

Roanoke Civic Center’s management company and a local advertising and sponsorship agency could put a lot of new advertisements on, in and around the civic center — and even give the venue a new name.

Read full print story here.

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