Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Nick Hornby interviews Bruce Springsteen
here... I think my favorite part is actually one of Hornby's footnotes, because it addresses an aspect of Springsteen that many of his detractors don't get:
Every now and then, No Nukes, the film of a big 1979 anti-nuclear concert in Madison Square Garden, turns up in the middle of the night on Sky Movies. Springsteen is one of the artists featured: he sings 'The River', 'Thunder Road' and then 'Quarter to Three', the old Gary US Bonds hit that he used to play as an encore. In 'Quarter to Three', he does the whole hammy James Brown thing; he collapses on the stage, the band attempts to lead him off, he suddenly pulls away from them and does another couple of verses, stripped to the waist. It's electrifying, and funny; but what's remarkable, looking at it now, is that Springsteen's uncomplicated showbiz gestures seem way more 'authentic' than all the smiley, gleaming-teeth sincerity that James Taylor, Carly Simon and the rest of the performers are trying to project. What, after all, could be more sincere than a performer performing - and acknowledging that he's performing? (italics mine)
Monday, July 18, 2005
The Big Picture
With all the who-told-who-what? speculation regarding Karl Rove, here's the big picture....
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Soul Ensemble - Pictures from the Gazebo in Welles Park
Thanks to Vince Yeh for these great photos from Sunday. You won't see me too much, as I was mainly in the background "directing traffic."
Cheryl, John, Bill Brickey (working the crowd), Tom, Arthur, Laura, Rahael, and Sandra
Cheryl, John, Bill Brickey (working the crowd), Tom, Arthur, Laura, Rahael, and Sandra
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Upcoming Performances in July
June was crazy busy....looks like July is shaping up to be the same:
Sunday, July 10 - Chicago Folk & Roots Festival
3:00 pm - with Soul Ensemble at the Gazebo in Welles Park
6:30 pm - on the Staff Stage with Mystery Train
Friday, July 22 - Country Thunder USA in Twin Lakes, WI
1:00 pm - with the Holly Staiton Band
Thursday, July 28 - Musical Magic Childrens Show
6:00 pm in Fellger Park with Roseanne Locricchio
Saturday, July 30 - Akron, OH
8:00 pm with Open All Night (aka American Sons)
Sunday, July 10 - Chicago Folk & Roots Festival
3:00 pm - with Soul Ensemble at the Gazebo in Welles Park
6:30 pm - on the Staff Stage with Mystery Train
Friday, July 22 - Country Thunder USA in Twin Lakes, WI
1:00 pm - with the Holly Staiton Band
Thursday, July 28 - Musical Magic Childrens Show
6:00 pm in Fellger Park with Roseanne Locricchio
Saturday, July 30 - Akron, OH
8:00 pm with Open All Night (aka American Sons)
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Being Bruce Springsteen
This guy describes the problem pretty well. I still haven't listened to all of Devils & Dust, so I can't really say that I agree or disagree with his opinion of the record, but I think he does identify Springsteen's struggle under the weight of his persona.
(thanks to John Mead for the link)
(thanks to John Mead for the link)
Friday, June 17, 2005
A Vanishing Breed of Republican
An eminently reasonable op-ed by former Republican Senator (and UN ambassador) John Danforth defending "moderate" Christianity. Key quote (one of many):
Unfortunately, too many in the current Republican party consider the words "reasonable" and "moderate" to be pejorative, if not slanderous. I think it's clear why he didn't last as UN ambassador....
Moderate Christians are less certain about when and how our beliefs can be translated into statutory form, not because of a lack of faith in God but because of a healthy acknowledgement of the limitations of human beings. Like conservative Christians, we attend church, read the Bible and say our prayers.
But for us, the only absolute standard of behavior is the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Repeatedly in the Gospels, we find that the Love Commandment takes precedence when it conflicts with laws. We struggle to follow that commandment as we face the realities of everyday living, and we do not agree that our responsibility to live as Christians can be codified by legislators.
Unfortunately, too many in the current Republican party consider the words "reasonable" and "moderate" to be pejorative, if not slanderous. I think it's clear why he didn't last as UN ambassador....
Thursday, June 16, 2005
WLUW Radio Spot - Friday, June 24
Leah Moyers and I will be on WLUW (88.7 FM) next Friday, June 24 to promote the upcoming Estrojam benefit at Martyrs. We'll be performing "Jailhouse Blues" by Bessie Smith.
I think we'll be on around 5:oo pm.
I think we'll be on around 5:oo pm.
Monday, June 13, 2005
War: Realities and Myths
from Chris Hedges, veteran war correspondent, and author of War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning....
Friday, June 10, 2005
Upcoming Performances
What a busy month! Here's a rundown of upcoming performances in June:
Saturday, June 11, 10:oo pm - at Seanchai's with Open All Night (corner of Belmont and Western)
Wednesday, June 15, 11:30 am - 205 N. Michigan Ave (outside) with the Soul Ensemble
Saturday, June 18, 8:00 pm - Aimee Mann Ensemble and Soul Ensemble graduation performance at 3030 (3030 W. Cortland)
Saturday, June 25, 7:00 pm - Tribute to John Fogerty at the Hideout (with the Soul Ensemble)
Thursday, June 30, 7:30 pm - Estrojam benefit at Martyrs' (with Mystery Train)
Saturday, June 11, 10:oo pm - at Seanchai's with Open All Night (corner of Belmont and Western)
Wednesday, June 15, 11:30 am - 205 N. Michigan Ave (outside) with the Soul Ensemble
Saturday, June 18, 8:00 pm - Aimee Mann Ensemble and Soul Ensemble graduation performance at 3030 (3030 W. Cortland)
Saturday, June 25, 7:00 pm - Tribute to John Fogerty at the Hideout (with the Soul Ensemble)
Thursday, June 30, 7:30 pm - Estrojam benefit at Martyrs' (with Mystery Train)
Hillary in 2008?
The definitive article (so far) on why it could happen (I think it's too early to tell whether or not is should happen)....
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
More Pictures from Memphis
These photos (along with the Al Green photo posted earlier) were taken at an underpass on Bellevue Blvd, which turns into Elvis Presley Blvd as you get closer to Graceland.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Rewriting History
Since I don't have cable, I didn't see the parade of morally indignant ex-convicts (Liddy, Colson, etc.) railing against Mark Felt, a.k.a. Deep Throat. But here's an excellent piece by Michael Tomasky in The American Prospect on how they fit into a larger project to change the way we remember history...
Pictures from Louisville - Abbey Road on the River
Friday, June 03, 2005
New Class in June: Elvis Costello
I'll be teaching a class on Elvis Costello beginning on June 23. His catalog is so extensive, I have no idea how I'll narrow down a list of songs we can cover in a mere eight weeks.
Anyway, here's an excellent review/article from The American Prospect on Elvis, his current tour, his place in the musical pantheon, etc....
Anyway, here's an excellent review/article from The American Prospect on Elvis, his current tour, his place in the musical pantheon, etc....
Pictures from Memphis
the Million Dollar Quartet (Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash)
my favorite photo at Graceland - the door to Vernon's office
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
This Mortal Storm
Excellent piece on the accelerating death of the 20th century, and what it portends for the 21st...
Monday, April 11, 2005
140 Years after Appomattox: Reflections on the "Lost Cause"
Friday, April 08, 2005
Remembering 1989
This article is correct -- just as conservatives tried to give Reagan credit for the "fall of communism," so now are they and others in the media doing the same for John Paul II. I remember 1989, and to the extent that any one person prompted the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Velvet Revolution, etc., it was Gorbachev.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Take Off the Head 2005: Paintings by Friese Undine
Friese was in my Tom Waits class last fall, and is also quite the harmonica player. His exhibition will be up at the Chicago Cultural Center until April 24.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Big Al Anderson
Saw Buddy Miller again Sunday night at the Old Town School, and he was excellent as always (though it's never the same without Julie), but I was really impressed with the guy who opened for him, Big Al Anderson. He's mainly known, if at all, from his work with NRBQ (apparently Buddy's band opened for them back in the '70s), but he's a compelling solo performer -- sort of like Charlie Rich with a guitar.
Tom Waits' Top 20 Albums
It's quite a list. Happy to say I actually have a few of them....
(of course, there's more than 20, so here are the rest)....
(of course, there's more than 20, so here are the rest)....
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Online Music Resource
Found what looks to be an excellent "open-source" online music information resource called MusicMoz:
About MusicMoz - The Open Music Project
Music information is one of the most searched topics online and a very important application of the internet. Commercial and fan websites offer an abundance of information on thousands of bands, artists, orchestras, composers and just about every other aspect of music. One of the biggest drawbacks to this wealth of information is that it can be very disorganized and can often disappear as websites continually shut their doors.Based around the Open Directory editing model, MusicMoz aims to be a comprehensive directory of music, built by volunteers around the world, with contributions from the web public.
The site also appears to be blessedly free of popups, lurking spyware, and the like -- which by itself makes it an improvement over most "music" sites.
Let no one doubt Hogzilla!
At last, the truth has been verified....
Alas, if only someone had read Hogzilla passages from The Purpose-Driven Life, he might have been saved.
Alas, if only someone had read Hogzilla passages from The Purpose-Driven Life, he might have been saved.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Springsteen inducts U2 into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Springsteen on Bono (and to an extent himself):
Read the entire speech here.....Shaman, scheister, one of the greatest and most endearingly naked messianic
complexes in rock and roll. God bless you, man! It takes one to know
one, of course.
You see every good Irish and Italian-Irish frontman knows that
before James Brown, there was Jesus. So hold the McDonald arches on
the stage set, boys, we are not ironists. We are creations of the
heart, and of the earth, and of the stations of the cross. There's no
getting out of it.
Friday, March 18, 2005
George Kennan: 1904-2005
If you don't know who he is (or was), you're certainly not alone. But he was as responsible as anyone for the course the United States took in the world following World War II. A brilliant and complicated man, he was decidedly ambivalent about his legacy, and was troubled by what he saw as an overapplication and misinterpretation of his ideas (he was warning us about the folly of going into Iraq in 2002, at the spry age of 98).
His obituary is here...and is a 20th Century history lesson in itself.
His obituary is here...and is a 20th Century history lesson in itself.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Oscar Brown Jr. at the Hideout - Thursday, April 7
I've been hearing about Oscar Brown for awhile now, so I'm hoping to make the 10:00 show:
More info here and here.
"Sounds of the Browns"
WHERE: The Hideout
1354 W. Wabansia (located 2 blocks north of Elston and North Avenue on Chicago's near north side)
Chicago, IllinoisWHEN: Thursday, April 7th at 8:00 & 10:00pm "The Sounds of the Browns" will feature OBJ accompanied by two of his talented daughter's, Maggie and Africa Brown, providing patrons with a great evening of vocal entertainment, Chicago style.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Gospel and Grace
Going to Memphis in two weeks, and I just might have to pay a visit to the Full Gospel Tabernacle to see Rev. Al Green....
Bush and "Democracy"
Naomi Klein has a great article up in The Nation this week. Key quote:
Indeed.
George W. Bush likes to say that democracy has the power to defeat tyranny. He's right, and that's precisely why it is so very dangerous for history's most powerful emancipatory idea to be bundled into an empty marketing exercise.
Indeed.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Socialized Medicine That Works
Monday, March 07, 2005
Am I My iPod?
I keep adding books to my reading list that I never get to (much less finish), but this looks like one that might move to the head of the line. The book is Mediated: The Hidden Effects of Media on People, Places and Things, by Thomas De Zengotita, a professor of philosophy and anthropology at NYU, and he's describing a phenomenon that's been on my mind a lot lately, but which I hadn't been able to articulate fully.
Here's an interview with him in Salon (you might have to view an ad if you're not a subscriber)...
Here's an interview with him in Salon (you might have to view an ad if you're not a subscriber)...
Friday, March 04, 2005
The Spin Cycle of God's Washing Machine
Here's an interview with Marianne Williamson on Beliefnet. I have mixed feelings about her and other self-styled gurus, inspirational speakers, etc. (i.e., Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer -- or anyone from the "Oprah school"), but I must admit I like what she's saying, and find it hard to disagree with much or any of it...
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Social Security - What's Really at Stake
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
More from Buddy Guy's
Ivy, Elissa, me, Bob, Mike, Bill Brickey (co-instructor), Jason
Monday, February 28, 2005
Pictures from Buddy Guy's Legends
here are several photos from the Soul Ensemble graduation gig this past weekend...
