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In This Section

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A Place in the Sun A new two-CD collection brings June Carter Cash's musical accomplishments out of history's shadow

A Qualified Success Despite some slow moments and a dated milieu, BRT's staging of a classic Broadway musical comedy entertains

Cutting Room Filmmaking project gives local at-risk teens a voice

Footnote Tomfoolery Mark Dunn crafts a comic gem from a literary gimmick

Natural Talent A sometimes indulgent, vexing indie film succeeds thanks to its unusual family casting

Picking up the Pieces A mother tries to help her shattered son recover from depression

Stoking the Flames With their latest studio effort, Nickel Creek make the leap to a great recording band

 

 

In This Issue

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Cutting Room Filmmaking project gives local at-risk teens a voice

Dining Note

Footnote Tomfoolery Mark Dunn crafts a comic gem from a literary gimmick

In the Hole Financing for a new downtown baseball stadium is still up in the air, but it's not to soon to talk about what it will look like

Keeping the Faith Jesus is just all right with Tennessee Democrats, too

Love And Hate Mail Campaign season

McCready True Country Outlaw, Panel Says "Where are the arrest warrants for these other tough guys?"

 

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It can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff in the brave new world of podcasting, but for a startlingly high number of folks, the weekly "Five Minutes With Wichita Rutherford" podcast has become a must-have. Claiming a current base of 500,000 downloads a week, the show features down-home mystery man Rutherford interviewing bluegrass and country artists, along with the occasional NASCAR driver—and now, with "Five Minutes" making its debut on Sirius satellite radio last week, millions more have the opportunity to hear some of the wackiest interviews imaginable with everyone from Mac Wiseman to Gillian Welch to Nickel Creek's Chris Thile.

Five Minutes of Fame: Down-home mystery man and online host Wichita Rutherford.

Rutherford's identity and background are closely guarded secrets (though he did let slip in an interview with Ricky Skaggs that he's originally from Boston), but he's evidently a familiar enough friend to his interview subjects that they're comfortable discussing virtually anything with him—as when, for instance, he interrupted Thile to ask whether the young mandolinist believes that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone assassin or part of a conspiracy. Adding to the fun, Rutherford invites listeners to email him with suggestions for an activity to be performed by (or, more frequently, to) the plucky host when a guest says the week's secret word; among them have been feeding a bear a marshmallow from between his teeth and playing the "trust game" with bluegrass icon Bobby Osborne.

Last week, Rutherford introduced a new element into the series with the debut of "Is It True or Just a Rumor?" The debut episode found him asking Skaggs whether it was true or a rumor that the Grammy-winning mandolinist is allergic to dogs. Even more recently, he inaugurated a more serious thread of biweekly episodes focused on the International Bluegrass Music Association's October World of Bluegrass trade show and Fan Fest, which has moved to Nashville. Still, it's the offbeat interviews of "Five Minutes" that are the engaging podcaster's meat-and-potatoes. For more information or to download, visit www.fiveminuteswithwichita.com.

—Jon Weisberger