www.roanoke.com

This was fun to do last time I had so much going on that I had no time to think. So go ahead -- ask me a question.

Did you get anything awesome for a holiday gift? Or crap that you want to return? Did you give music this season? Tell me about it.

If you're venturing from the house on Dec. 31, are you going to hear live music? If so, who?

I was in Johnson City, Tenn., over the weekend, and I encountered a convenience shop clerk who was just miserable about the in-store satellite feed of Christmas songs. I can't even remember which song it was, it was so innocuous to my ears. She was practically beside herself, though.

Which holiday ditties arouse your ire and desperation?

Too bad, this year we just don't have the people-power and/or time to do a Christmas song contest, like we did last year.

So, how about you all tell me your favorite Christmas song: Mine is "Christmas in Hollis," by Run-DMC.

Keller Williams

From dlpconcerts.com:

> Keller Williams is set to perform at Jefferson Center on Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 7:30 PM.

> Keller Williams has built a career on his uncanny ability to captivate a packed house—all by himself. He’s been called a “one-man band.” A “solo cult-hero.” “Music’s mad-scientist.” All of which are clever labels for what seems to be an essential truth: On stage, Keller Williams works alone. Now, after fifteen-years as a solo artist, he is releasing a live album—simply titled, Live—with three other names, Keith Moseley, Gibb Droll and Jeff Sipe, on the cover. It turns out that since he first picked up a guitar, this troubadour has wanted to front a band. “When I started, I could barely afford to pay myself, let alone three other guys,” Keller says of his dive bar days. “Then later, the solo show was going so well, it was like, if it ain’t broken...”

> Tickets for Keller Williams are $20 in advance and $24 day of show.  Tickets are available through the Jefferson Center box office at (540) 345-2550 or online at www.jeffcenter.org

It'll be Difranco's first Southwest Virginia show since her appearance at FloydFest in 2005.

From dlpconcerts.com:

> DLP Concerts Presents: Ani Difranco Jefferson Center
> Monday, March 9, 2009 at 7:30 PM

> Ani DiFranco is a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist perpetually on the move. From the raw folk punk of her early albums through the jazz/funk grooves she created during her years touring with a five-piece band to the twists and turns of her current work as a solo artist, Ani's restless creativity continually leads her and her listeners into ever more exciting territory.

Tickets: $34
Tickets On Sale Soon!

From my pal Jeri, at myspace.com:

> I know that I'm sick and tired of seeing certain clubs charge Miami covers for local bands, thus affecting the turnout that certain bands are suffering from. AND, some people think that the bands are responsible for the price...I know in most cases that's not true, but, some people are jaded ...

> So, I guess maybe a question along the lines of, What would you charge to see your local favorites? Or maybe, due to the (expletive deleted) economy, are you more hesitant to spend 10 to 15 dollars to see your local favorites, and what are you choosing to do instead?

There it is. Are cover charges fair? How much are your favorites worth? If you can't plunk down good money for a local show, what's the next diversion on your list?

Election day is just about here. So you all tell us yoru favorite political songs. And be nice!

Hey, let's do trivia again. This one comes courtesy of Pete Johnson. That's his nom-de-blog, by the way. Anyway, Pete is a deep well of Roanoke music history knowledge, and he sent me some great questions. They might be tough. But hey, if you win, I'll give you a copy of Red Clay River's "Too Poor to Die."

Here's the stumper:

Name the record that was the only top 20 hit ever recorded in the Roanoke Valley. Name the artist or band that recorded it.

Pete's tough, but I'm easy, so I'm giving you a hint -- This song has been used repeatedly in pop culture: One use was in a Quentin Tarantino movie.