A Bluegrass and Old Time Music Radio Show
Our webmaster, Jack Lewis, has 25 one-hour episodes of his popular radio show available for your listening enjoyment. Many of his shows feature the Rex Theater and artists who play here. We think you will enjoy listening to Jack's laid back commentary, interviews, history, and music appreciation discussions. Click here to learn more about these shows and how to listening to them. If you are already familiar with podcasts and have iTunes software on your computer, then click the link below.

Read reviews and subscribe to the Podcast using Tunes

Roanoke Times on the Crooked Road

Ralph Berrier Jr. of the Roanoke Times wrote an article in their Sunday issue (7/31/05) about Southwest Virginia's musical heritage. He also started a six day series exploring the sites and sounds of the Virginia's Heritage Music Trail (The Crooked Road). If you missed the the series, here's a link.

City makes theater purchase official
by BRIAN FUNK Staff Reporter

The historic Rex Theater is now the property of the City of Galax. Last Monday, city council approved transferring the deed from the Galax Downtown Association to the city.

The downtown association asked the city last November to take over control of the former movie theater, which is now home to the weekly "Blue Ridge Backroads" live radio show, along with occasional musical performances and plays. Downtown association volunteers spent more than a decade raising thousands of dollars to renovate the building, but no longer had the resources or personnel to complete the work.

Excerpted from 20 April issue. Click to read the entire article.

Musician tunes up Rex Theater's site
by BRIAN FUNK Staff Reporter

Since it was reborn as a music venue, the Rex Theater has relied on the hard work of volunteers to keep it going. A new volunteer to the cause is hoping his efforts will help the historic Galax theater reach more potential visitors and performers.

Jack Lewis, who performs old-time music with The Oriskany Strings, fell in love with the community when the band played here in January. He has devoted his time to creating and maintaining a new Web site, rextheatergalax.com. Best of all, he's doing it for free.

Excerpted from 4 April issue. Click to read the entire article.

Blue Ridge Backroads Attracts Thousands of Listeners by Julie Pharr

WBRF 98.1 FM sends out 100,000 watts of live old-time and bluegrass music every Friday night from the stage of the historic Rex Theater, located in downtown Galax, Va., a town nicknamed "The World Capital of Old Time Mountain Music." Listeners may be in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia or Tennessee enjoying the traditional music show from the comfort of their homes, or they may be sitting back in one of the 475 seats at the Rex.

Excerpted from January 2005 issue of Blue Ridge Back Roads Click to read the entire article.