Big Daily Blend

Big Blend Radio Network
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The Big Daily Blend podcast celebrates holidays and observances, music and pop culture, historic happenings, and even new legislature. Check the episode notes for music playlists, and related articles, recipes, puzzles, and more.

  1. 17h ago

    Asheville Music Scene: Venues, Festivals & Legends

    Asheville’s music scene is so much more than fiddles and bluegrass. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Adventures in Asheville” Podcast, producer Lisa D. Smith joins cohosts Steve and Karen Wilson (“Mr. and Mrs. Wild”), owners of The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast in Asheville’s Montford Historic District, for a lively tour of where to hear live music in the Blue Ridge Mountains and why plenty of people plan a whole music week around it. Along the way they share: 🎸 Where to catch a show: The Grey Eagle, Asheville’s longest-running live music venue, where you can stand right up at the stage; The Orange Peel and its great acoustics; Asheville Music Hall and The One Stop; Thomas Wolfe Auditorium; and the underground rooms Third Room, Eulogy and Revival. 🍺 Breweries with music: Burial, Wicked Weed Funkatorium, One World West, Highland Brewing’s meadow stage, and shows at Sierra Nevada, in a city that’s earned the name Beer City USA. 🎤 Famous Asheville names: Roberta Flack, Jermaine Dupri, Luke Combs, Warren Haynes, David Holt, Marcus King, Balsam Range and Bob Moog, plus a look at the Moogseum. 🎄 Plan ahead: Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam on December 12 with Greta Van Fleet, The War on Drugs, Gov’t Mule, JJ Grey & Mofro and more, Billy Strings’ five nights in February, and Christmas at the Biltmore. 🎨 The Orange Peel’s story: from roller rink to auto parts warehouse to famed music hall, and the Lionel Richie mural by Gus Cutty. 💿 Vinyl, listening rooms and street music: Records in the RAD, the Joyful Noise listening lounge, Montford Porchfest, Hillbilly Jam, busking and the Friday-night drum circle. Whether you love blues, bluegrass, funk, jazz, hip hop or symphony, this episode is packed with ideas for planning your own Asheville music getaway. LINKS & RESOURCES: 🧩 Piece together the online jigsaw puzzle of the Grey Eagle mural, and see the photos and venue links: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/asheville-music-scene  🛏 Stay at The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast: https://www.lion-rose.com/  🎤 More from Steve and Karen, their “Beyond the Stage” series: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/beyond-the-stage  🎧 Adventures in Asheville Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/adventures-in-asheville  📖 Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/adventures-in-asheville-magazine

  2. 2d ago

    American Jukebox with Johnny Schaefer - Songs for Positive Change

    Join host Lisa D. Smith and co-host Johnny Schaefer, an award-winning singer-songwriter, who joins us every first Sunday of the month, for Songs for Positive Change on Big Blend Radio’s "American Jukebox," part of our America 250 celebration. Autumn is a season of change, and these songs remind us that change is inevitable, that ordinary people have real power, and that it all starts with love. We spotlight Nina Simone, Tracy Chapman, Blind Melon, Patti Smith, Aloe Blacc, the late Joey Stuckey, and Johnny’s own “Love Shines On,” plus a special interview with Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester about her song “‘Til We Remember Who We Are.” 🎵 Hear the episode with every song, and enjoy both playlists, and check out all the links mentioned: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/american-jukebox-songs-for-positive-change  🎙️ Keep up with Johnny Schaefer: https://hearjohnny.com/  🎙️ Listen to all of our American Jukebox episodes:  https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/american-jukebox

  3. 3d ago

    Debbie Levitt: Moving to Italy Dream vs. Reality

    Have you ever scrolled past a gorgeous old stone house in Italy and thought, “I could live like that”? Our guest Debbie Levitt did more than dream. An American who now lives full-time on the island of Sardinia, Debbie is an Italian citizen who calls herself the Italian Inpat: an immigrant who came to Italy and found home, not an American who left. In this candid conversation on Big Blend Radio, Debbie shares what it really takes to make the move. She talks about how two days added to a 2017 vacation turned into a self-employment visa, five suitcases and a new life, and why she kept her move easy to undo for the first two years. You’ll hear about: - The difference between an “expat” and an “inpat” - The visa paths Debbie mentions, from self-employment to investment, retirement and digital nomad visas - Why citizenship takes years, and what Debbie understands about recent changes to citizenship by ancestry - Paperwork stories, including the flight to Rome to swear she is really herself - Why a geometra (a local surveyor) belongs on your team before you buy, and how zoning can surprise you - The truth about one-euro houses: distressed properties, hidden costs and villages with no grocery store - The residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) wait - Everyday life in rural Sardinia, from the village butcher to the driving school saga Today closes out Italian American Heritage Month, and we’re marking it with the real story of moving to Italy. Debbie shares her personal experience and general information. This is not legal or immigration advice, so check current rules with an immigration attorney or official sources. Links: - Debbie Levitt, Italian Inpat (the first call is free): https://ItalianInpat.com  - Follow Big Blend Radio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BigBlendRadio

  4. 5d ago

    Filmmaker Gina LeVay Goldstein – Blind AF

    October is Blindness Awareness Month and Emotional Wellness Month, and this conversation fits both. Director and filmmaker Gina LeVay Goldstein joins Big Blend Radio to talk about "Blind AF," the award-winning documentary following blind Paralympian, Army veteran and world-record holder Shawn Cheshire on a 60-day, 3,600-mile solo bike ride across America. Shawn lost her sight to a brain injury in 2009 while working as a paramedic, and the film goes far beyond the miles. Gina explains how she met Shawn in 2015, how the story grew from an endurance ride into a film about trauma, healing and reclaiming your authentic self, and why trauma “tells no time.” She also talks about the filmmaking, the team behind it, and the moment on the road when a stranger reminded Shawn that blindness isn’t a disability, it’s a difference. Among others, Gina thanks executive producer Jeff Zimbalist, editor Michael Culyba, and cinematographers Cristobal de Alba and Benjamin Soto of Zenith Adventure Media. "Blind AF" premiered at the Bentonville Film Festival, won Best of Fest at the 2025 Sedona International Film Festival, and is now streaming on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Tubi and Documentary+. LINKS & RESOURCES: Watch the film: https://www.blindafdoc.com  Meet the team: https://blindafdoc.com/the-team  Shawn Cheshire: https://www.shawncheshire.org  Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com

  5. Oct 27

    Buzz worthy Pittsburgh: Warhol, Heinz & Mister Rogers

    Pittsburgh has long carried a reputation as a gritty steel-mill town with not much to see or do. Travel writer Debbie Stone grew up in Chicago hearing exactly that, but she kept hearing whispers that the city had changed, so she went to see for herself. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures" Podcast, Debbie shares the museums, art and views that changed her mind. Debbie takes us through the Heinz History Center, where six floors cover everything from Pittsburgh's inventions to the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood puppets, the story behind Heinz's 57 varieties and an eleven-foot ketchup bottle. Then it's the seven-story Andy Warhol Museum and his famous silver wig, the Mattress Factory's site-specific installations, and the colorful public art of Randyland. Debbie also explains why Pittsburgh is the city of bridges, shares tips for getting around, and visits the Fort Pitt Museum and Point State Park. She rides the historic Duquesne Incline up Mount Washington, cruises the three rivers with Gateway Clipper, and stays at the Drury Plaza Hotel, a historic Federal Reserve Bank building. RESOURCE LINKS: - Read Debbie's article and see her photos: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/pittsburgh-buzz-worthy-museums-attractions  - Plan your Pittsburgh visit: https://www.visitpittsburgh.com  - More from Debbie Stone: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/debbie-stone-travel-writer  - Global Adventures Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/global-adventures-debbie-stone  - Global Adventures Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/global-adventures-travel-magazine  New episodes of Big Blend Radio's Global Adventures Podcast with Debbie Stone air every 4th Tuesday at 7pm ET.

  6. Oct 26

    The Mudmen of Papua New Guinea

    In honor of Global Diversity Month, explorer and author James Michael Dorsey takes us to Papua New Guinea, the most linguistically diverse country on earth, with more than 800 indigenous languages and thousands of dialects.  On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s "Before They Vanish" Podcast, James talks with producer Lisa D. Smith about attending the Sing Sing festival, where as many as 150,000 people from dozens of tribes gather in feathers, face paint and towering headdresses, and about the Asaro people, the famous Mudmen. Many people picture the Mudmen as brutal savages in huge clay masks, but James calls them one of the most peaceful tribes in Papua, and shares the story behind the masks: a river, gray mud, and attackers who thought they were seeing spirits. Today the Mudmen are moving from ancient warriors to modern entrepreneurs, with a television commercial, perfume ads, music albums and a website for booking performances.  James also covers Papua New Guinea’s headhunting history, the Papuan litter bearers who helped Australian troops in World War II, travel tips for Port Moresby and Goroka, village life with roast pig and cassowaries, and why traditional peoples are never “backward.” The episode ends with a preview of his upcoming trip to Mongolia. MORE: 🌍 James Michael Dorsey’s website: https://jamesmichaeldorseyauthor.com/  🎙️ More episodes of Before They Vanish: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/before-they-vanish  New episodes of Before They Vanish air every 4th Monday on Big Blend Radio.

  7. Oct 25

    In Memory of Joey Stuckey: King of Strings

    Joey Stuckey, Macon, Georgia’s Official Music Ambassador, passed away on October 17, 2026. This is one more conversation with him, recorded on October 10, just before the release of his new album, King of Strings, which he cut live in a single twelve-hour day on Les Paul’s own 1957 console at the Les Paul Recording Studio in Hollywood. Joey was a blind guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer, a Professor of Music Technology at Mercer University, and a longtime friend of Big Blend Radio. In this Music Talks conversation with Lisa D. Smith, he’s funny, opinionated, and generous with his stories. He talks about: - Why he made a CD instead of vinyl, and why a signed CD is “a souvenir of our time together” - Owning your music versus renting a license from the streaming services - How a request to touch Les Paul’s console for 15 minutes turned into the first album ever recorded there - Six songs, eight channels, no punch-ins, and a film crew capturing it all - The stories behind Temple in the Wind, Born to Be Your Toy, King of Strings, Hertsmere Blues, and Baby Don’t - Being ready when your shot comes, and being in the moment at a show LINKS: - Listen to King of Strings: https://found.ee/joeystuckey-kingofstrings  - Joey Stuckey on Big Blend Radio (YouTube playlist): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzIUCV2e7qm2zNDtr23NbGx4q90u3Ok0f&si=yUxe5i9wpaAxCF-f  - Joey’s website and his family’s statement: https://www.joeystuckey.com/  - More from Big Blend Radio: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/

  8. Oct 24

    Historic & Haunted England: Creepy Castles & Headless Horses

    October means one thing on English Connection: it’s time for ghost stories. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" Podcast, Glynn Burrows takes us on a tour of England’s spookiest corners, and England has no shortage of them. Glynn takes us down into the dungeons of Norwich Castle, where prisoners were once held for years. He tells the story of a public hanging in 1849 that drew crowds from all over. He also explains how plaster casts were made of executed murderers’ heads so phrenologists could “read” their bumps, and why those casts are still on display. From there it’s Norfolk’s legendary Black Shuck, the big black dog of East Anglian folklore. We wander through churchyards, battlefields and family vaults. We also get to the story Glynn loves to tell: Anne Boleyn arriving at Blickling Hall in a coach driven by a headless coachman and pulled by headless horses. Along the way: Guernsey, the underground hospital below Dover Castle, and the question of why some old places feel so strange. It’s warm, a little eerie, and full of history. LINKS & RESOURCES: - Glynn's article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/haunted-england-spooky-tours  - English Connection Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/english-connection  - English Connection Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/english-connection-magazine   - Keep up with Glynn and learn more about his custom tour services: https://www.englishconnection.uk/  - Follow the English Connection on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594366433338

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About

The Big Daily Blend podcast celebrates holidays and observances, music and pop culture, historic happenings, and even new legislature. Check the episode notes for music playlists, and related articles, recipes, puzzles, and more.

Information

  • Creator
    Big Blend Radio Network
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Big Blend Radio and Magazines
  • Show Website
    Big Daily Blend