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Farewell to ‘The Catalyst Sessions’
The Catalyst Sessions began the last week in March, with a simple goal: To keep St. Petersburg’s arts community connected, one conversation at a time.
Since the coronavirius (that’s what we all called it then) was going to separate us indefinitely, why not reach out – from one lonely, isolated room to another – and talk about how we felt, what we were thinking, and what we hoped would happen?
In the beginning, of course, nobody knew what would happen. Seven months and 140 half-hour interviews later, we still aren’t entirely sure.
But there’s been a measurable change, as we’ve learned more about how to deal with the virus, and as the arts begin to wake up from this long, unhappy sleep and take small steps towards renewed life.
Covid-19 isn’t done, but The Catalyst Sessions is. We don’t need it any more. As we head into the next phase – whatever that entails – I’d like to think of our little interview show as something that was needed, and something that helped us stay connected, in an earlier phase.
Here’s to the future.
I’ll still be here at the Catalyst, writing and editing and, I have no doubt, doing the occasional video interview, podcast or special report.
Tonight’s episode, streaming on the Catalyst Facebook page at 7 p.m., features Paul Wilborn guest-hosting, interviewing … well, me.
At 7:30, it’ll join most of its 139 predecessors on our YouTube Channel, archived for your elucidation, your edification … or just your entertainment. (One or two of the very early installments disappeared into the ether somehow.)
I am so grateful and proud to be a part, however peripheral, of this brilliant arts community.
The Catalyst Sessions
March 25: Paul Wilborn & Eugenie Bondurant
March 26: Matthew McGee
March 27: Craig Pittman
March 30: Karla Hartley
April 1: Kasondra Rose
April 2: Nate Najar & Daniela Soledade
April 6: Stephanie Gularte
April 7: Jeremy Douglass
April 8: Mark Sforzini
April 9: Barbara St. Clair
April 10: Carrie Jadus
April 13: Alex Harris
April 14: Michael Francis
April 15: Giles Davies
April 16: Maureen McDole
April 17: Pete Merrigan
April 20: Becca McCoy
April 21: Jeff Klinkenberg
April 22: Liz Dimmitt
April 23: Rebekah Pulley
April 24: David Jenkins
April 27: Hank Hine & Laura Hine
April 28: Bob Devin Jones
April 29: Sarah Nordin & Tyler Putnam
May 1: Chris Crawford
May 4: Colleen Cherry
May 5: Tony Tyler
May 6: La Lucha
May 7: Helen Hansen French
May 8: Cindy Stovall
May 11: Roxanne Fay
May 12: Jane Buckman
May 13: Derek Donnelly
May 14: Kristen Shepherd
May 18: Bob Hite
May 19: John Collins
May 20: Alsace Walentine
May 21: Kevin Chadwick
May 22: Ronny Elliott
May 26: Paul Wilborn & Eugenie Bondurant
May 27: Kelli Butler
May 28: Eric Davis
May 29: Mark Aeling
June 1: Roy Peter Clark
June 2: Andee Scott
June 3: Emilia Sargent
June 4: Alison Burns
June 5: Ray Roa
June 8: Tiffany Razzano
June 9: Kristin Clippard
June 10: Brenda McMahon
June 11: Karla Hartley
June 12: Greg Billings & George Harris
June 15: Cyndi Edwards
June 16: Chad Mize
June 17: Kasondra Rose
June 18: Lisa Unger
June 19: David Jenkins
June 22: Mountain Holler
June 23: Katrina Stevenson
June 24: Duncan McClellan
June 25: Roger Bartlett
June 26: Mike Deeson
June 29: Matthew McGee
June 30: Susan Hellman Spatafora
July 1: Jerid Fox
July 2: Staci Sabarsky
July 6: Andi Matheny
July 7: Lisa Kirchner
July 8: Jeremy Douglass
July 9: Judith Lisi
July 10: Ronnie Dee
July 13: Hank Hine
July 14: Craig Pittman
July 15: (75th show) Rodney Crowell
July 16: Howayda Affan
July 20: Alex Jones
July 21: Colette Bancroft
July 22: Veronica Leone Matthews
July 23: Katie Talbert
July 24: Roy Peter Clark
July 27: Rev. Billy C. Wirtz
July 28: Maureen McDole
July 29: Vince Gill
July 30: Mark Sforzini
July 31: Lori Roy
Aug. 3: Lisa Marone
Aug, 4: Bob Devin Jones
Aug. 5: John Capouya
Aug. 6: L. Peter Callender/Sheila Cowley
Aug. 7: Michael Connelly
Aug. 10: Rebekah Pulley and Rob Pastore
Aug. 11: Rui Farias
Aug. 12: Sarah Gerard
Aug. 13: Nate Najar & Daniela Soledade
Aug. 14: Will Thomas Scecina & Dave Hamar
Aug. 17: Mark Cantrell
Aug. 18: Jenee Priebe
Aug. 19: Tom Gribbin
Aug. 20: Ephraim Sykes (100th show)
Aug. 21: Ken Block & Andrew Copeland
Aug. 31: Dave and Heather Hamar
Sept. 1: Amy Gray
Sept. 2: Carrie Jadus and Mark Aeling
Sept. 3: La Lucha
Sept. 4: Frank Strunk
Sept. 8: Stephanie Gularte
Sept. 9: Lobo
Sept. 10: Ed Woltil
Sept. 11: Chris Romeo
Sept. 14: Kristen Shepherd
Sept. 15: John Collins
Sept. 16: Monica & Jon Kile
Sept. 17: Kirk Adams
Sept. 18: Staci Sabarsky & Owen Robertson
Sept. 21: Robin Zander
Sept. 22: Jessica Thonen
Sept. 23: Brandy Stark
Sept. 24: Elizabeth Gelman
Sept. 25: Betty Fox
Sept. 28: David Jenkins
Sept. 29: Bob Woodward
Sept. 30: Tom White
Oct. 1: Brenda McMahon
Oct. 2: Paul Wilborn
Oct. 5: Jim Swallow and Carrie Jadus
Oct. 6: Trish Duggan
Oct. 7: Chick Corea
Oct. 8: Charlie Parker
Oct. 9: The Royal Guardsmen
Oct. 12: Alex Harris
Oct. 13: Damon Fowler
Oct. 14: Ona Kirei & Alejandro Arenas
Oct. 15: Roy Peter Clark
Oct. 16: Rachel Lynett/Stephanie Gularte
Oct. 19: Lisa Kirchner
Oct. 20: Kanika Tomalin
Oct. 21: Lisa Unger
Oct. 22: freeFall/War of the Worlds
Oct. 23: The big finale
Janice Ririe Taylor
November 11, 2020at10:43 am
My heartfelt thanks to Bill DeYoung for this series. As a 60 year resident of St. Petersburg I have followed the growth and development of its arts community. I started attending the Florida Orchestra when it was the Gulf Coast Symphony, and American Stage when it was the Palisades Theatre. These are just two examples of the wealth of culture in our area. I have by no means listened to all of the Catalyst Sessions and look forward to locating them on You Tube.