Davisville

Davis has interesting people, ideas, connections, and events. On Davisville, host Bill Buchanan presents stories that have some connection to Davis. The program has won 14 Excellence in Journalism awards from the San Francisco Press Club since 2018, plus a national Hometown Media Award for excellence from the Alliance for Community Media in 2024. Contact: davisville @ dcn.org

Replays Tuesday 12-12:30pm, Saturday 8:30-9am
Live Monday 5:30-6pm
Podcast
Music programs are only online for two weeks after they are broadcast.

Davisville, 4/6/15: Movie-in-progress recalls The Palms in Davis

The Palms, now in Winters, acquired its reputation as one of the best small concert venues on the West Coast back when it operated in a former barn in south Davis. (This photo shows a pair of Davis-era tickets not far from where the Palms was located; the survivor of the two trees that gave The Palms its name is in the background.) On today’s Davisville, Alvin Remmers talks about the documentary he is making about The Palms in Davis. He shot some footage shortly before the Davis location closed in 2002, is looking for additional material, and hopes to finish the movie in time to show it in Davis and the region this year.

Davisville, 3/23/15: One of the kids who sang on ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’

Fifty years ago, David Willat (on the right, with Davis writer Derrick Bang) was one of the half-dozen children who sang in the chorus on Vince Guaraldi’s classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas." He was 11. Willat also sang in the choir on another of Guaraldi’s big projects that year, the Grace Cathedral Jazz Mass. On today’s Davisville, which notes the 50th anniversary of the recordings, Willat talks about both with host Bill Buchanan and Peanuts/Guaraldi expert Bang, author of the 2012 book Vince Guaraldi at the Piano.    

Davisville, 2/23/15: Seeking a fast, public broadband network for Davis

Davis has commercial, high-speed Internet connections provided by Comcast and AT&T. What would it mean for the town if Davis had a third line, publicly owned, and very, very fast? Several people with deep interest and experience with the Internet are beginning to advance that idea, and on today’s Davisville we talk with two of them: Rob Nickerson, president and part owner of the Davis Internet company Omsoft Technologies, and Doug Walter. Each is part of a new, casual group, Davis Gigabit.

Davisville, 2/9/15: Veteran Ernie Head recalls fighting in World War II, 70 years later

World War II ended seven decades ago this summer, but Ernie Head, 94, remembers it clearly, having fought in the U.S. Army in the Pacific (this photo shows him in 1945, at the camp that had previously been the final destination of the Bataan Death March). On Feb. 14, Post 6949 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars will honor Head as Davis’ veteran of the year. On today’s program he talks about coming under fire in the Philippines, as well his life in Davis after he moved here in 1953, including a sample of the community projects he has contributed to. 

Davisville, 1/19/15: The Bee's Jack Ohman

On today’s show, Sacramento Bee editorial cartoonist and writer Jack Ohman talks engagingly about a wide range of subjects, from this month’s killings at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris, to his work, the role of a cartoonist, leaving Oregon for California, drawing Gov. Brown, his sense of Davis, and the humor in fly-fishing. Ohman, whose work appears nationally, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012. He joined the Bee that fall after nearly 30 years at the Portland Oregonian

Davisville, 1/5/15: This concert venue is Bill Wagman’s living room

Picture a large concert with 30,000 fans packed into a stadium. Since 1987, Bill Wagman has worked at the other end of the spectrum—he hosts house concerts in his Davis living room, which gets crowded when 50 people show up (this photo shows Dave Stamey performing in Bill's home in 2010). On today’s Davisville Bill talks about how and why it all works, including the audiences, musicians, and the thrill of watching a talented musician perform up close. He presents one concert per month, and has already booked shows into 2016.  

Davisville, 12/22/14: Gary Lee Yoder, of Oxford Circle, Kak and Blue Cheer

Guitarist/songwriter Gary Lee Yoder and three classmates at Davis High School formed Oxford Circle in the 1960s (in the photo he's holding, he’s second from left). They went on to play some of the most storied concert venues in the Bay Area during the San Francisco Sound of the late 1960s. After the band broke up, Yoder co-founded Kak and then joined Blue Cheer. Eventually he moved back to Davis, where he lives now, and on today’s show he tells stories from 40 years in music--including the summer day he was walking on F Street after Oxford Circle dissolved, and he was offered a record deal with CBS. For real. JAN 2016 UPDATE: Here's a followup interview from early 2016.

Davisville, 12/8/14: Creating a more entrepreneurial city

On today’s program we talk about the efforts to make Davis a more entrepreneurial city with guests Matt Yancey, new CEO of the Davis Chamber of Commerce, and Rob White, the city’s chief innovation officer. The topics include an update on the innovation park proposals (this image shows the location of the Mace Ranch project), Yancey’s goal to add 6,000 jobs to Davis by 2020, investor interest in Davis startups, the impact on housing, and what all this might mean to the average person in town.

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Comments

You're a Davis icon, Bill. Keep up the good work of providing local, informative, and quality programming.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 11/15/2013 - 10:07pm

Bill, listen to the first 10 minutes of my show dated 7/7/2010. I hope you approve.
Paul Sheeran

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 07/08/2010 - 7:22am

Just wanted to say thanks for an outstanding interview with Freedom From Hunger's president, Chris Dunford.
Keep up the good work!

Sam Citron

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 12:39pm

thanks, Sam!

This is the program in question; it aired Jan. 25:

http://www.kdrt.org/node/2689

Bill

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 12:42pm

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