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Nick Dodson is an activist, an organizer, and seeks to make his part of the world better all of the time. He's also a member of The Junior Varsity, a band that was gaining in popularity, had an enormous following, and then found itself just done...for a while. We discuss rugged individualism, social justice, the life of a traveling performer, the history of labor in America, and a ton more.The Junior Varsity are back for reunion shows and tickets are going fast!

Brandon welcomes author & film historian, John DiLeo to Front Row Classics this week. John has recently written a new book called, "There Are No Small Parts: 100 Outstanding Film Performances with Screen Time of 10 Minutes or Less". The book shines a spotlight on pivotal performances from gifted actors who make their mark with limited screen time. The actors range from major stars to dependable character actors in a wide variety of films from 1935-2019. Brandon and John highlight close to a dozen of the one-hundred performances discussed in the book. We hope this interview will inspire you to go back and appreciate these small but scene-stealing gems.

In a different kind of interview, Craig speaks to Julie Ratz about the upcoming performance of ROCKBALLET coming to the Springfield area on August 20 which will take place at The Springfield Muni. We discuss how the music of Queen was chosen for the ballet. Julie talks about how Copper Coin Ballet Company sees itself as a company that can unite arts organizations throughout Central Illinois. It is a wonderful conversation about a great local arts group!

Alex reviews the latest from the MCU, Thor: Love and Thunder.

In the latest episode of Original Broadway Cast, Gus Gordon welcomes entertainment legend Bill Hayes. Gus had the chance to meet Bill when they both appeared in a concert version of the Stephen Sondheim musical Follies at The Little Theatre on the Square back in 2007.

Gracia started out in the Springfield area and was noticed at the Macoupin County Fair by Luke Bryan. From there she competed on The Voice and now records between Springfield and Nashville. Gracia previews her next single, Run, live in the studio.

Angela Holland is the interior designer behind Broad Strokes Home Design in Springfield. She spoke with Community Voices about how remodeling an older home opened the doors to learning about interior design. She also shared how she creatively uses colors, textures and other design elements to tell a story.

The Illinois Stewardship Alliance (ISA) is a non-profit that works to find, connect, train and amplify the leadership of farmers and eaters who use their choices and their voices to shape a more just and regenerative local food and farm system. Communications Director Molly Pickering spoke to Community Voices about the organization and how policy helps bring about the changes ISA hopes to see in agriculture.Originally aired January 10, 2022.

John Freml is an instructor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Lincoln Land Community College. He has a masters degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from the University of Cincinnati. He spoke to Community Voices about the topic of gender and explained how it is often confused by a person’s sex. He also shared his thoughts on how to be a better advocate for the LGBTQ community and how to talk to children about gender and inclusivity.

Front Row Classics kicks off 2022 with a visit from one of the most renowned and trusted voices in the film community. Brandon is thrilled to welcome Leonard Maltin to the podcast. Mr. Maltin discusses his new book, "Starstruck: My Unlikely Road to Hollywood". The interview covers his many interactions with both legendary and lesser known entertainment figures. We also discuss his early days as a critic and interviewer along with his tenure teaching USC's popular film studies course. This is definitely a conversation that any film lover will enjoy."Starstruck: My Unlikely Road to Hollywood" is available wherever books are sold from GoodKnight Books.