The Last Waltz-as-an-actual-event was a Requiem for both a Sensibility and an Era (call it Classic Rock, if one must), even if no one present knew it. I’ve also always assumed that–as of this date in 1976 anyway–not a single person on that Winterland stage (Patti Smith’s pal Bob aside, of course, and as usual) …
Is it just the 15 or so Moth slam events I’ve been to, or does the best storyteller of the night generally not win? I know it’s inherently subjective, and that’s part of the fun, but on Sunday at the Grand Slam in Williamsburg, the last storyteller was the clear crowd favorite AND host favorite, …
In our NFL-focused society, it can be easy to forget that the NBA season actually starts in November. For those who haven’t paid attention, there already have been some interesting developments, including a fired coach (Kevin McHale of the Houston Rockets) and a Golden State Warriors team that has somehow convinced itself that it has …
My grandson loves cats, but he struggles to understand that you can’t tell a cat what to do. I have found catnip to be the same way. Last summer my neighbor came by for some catnip for his cat, but the patch I had planted in the parkway, for people’s easy access, was hanging on …
School Of Seven Bells – SVIIB to their mates – have had a place in my heart from the start, but it’s not always been firmly fixed. It seemed so sweet when twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza met up with Benjamin Curtis while opening on tour for Ben’s band Secret Machines, and the three …
A who’s-who of anime characters appear in the new video from Seattle band Quickie. That’s because the group shot the colorful video for their song “Pretty” outside of the most recent Sakura-Con convention, with over a hundred and thirty cosplayers taking part. Not as extras, but front and center as lead singers in the video. …
I remember a moment in the early 1990s when I stood in the crowd at First Avenue as we all waited for the show to start. The house speakers blasted Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, and other loud awesomeness. Suddenly, I was arrested by an amazing new song I hadn’t heard, a sonic revelation …
While others make the pilgrimage to genuflect inside Room #8 at Joshua Tree Inn for Gram – you’ll find me in Tipton, sitting under a headstone inscribed “Harold Eugene Clark – No Other.” Today is Gene Clark’s birthday and nobody ever captured the LA experience as poignantly as he did with this. – Pat Thomas …
There is nothing comparable. I have had several litters and it is worth the stretch marks. – Paul Johnson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/14/puppy-swarms_n_7795116.html
I’m not claiming to be a fan of the UFC, but this fight was amazing. The conditioning, quickness, and strategy I witnessed during Rousey vs. Holm was breathtaking. This is violence. This is brain damage. This is capitalism. You could see Rhonda Rousey’s market value and aura of invincibility hit the canvas harder than her …
Here’s a cut from Donna Summer’s fifth studio album, I Remember Yesterday (1977). Reaching number six on the US Billboard Hot 100, the tune was produced by Giorgio Moroder of “Midnight Express” fame. https://youtu.be/C2q2bis6eLE
I first heard this tune a few months ago and loved it. Now Roses and Revolutions have performed it on Balcony TV so we get to watch them perform it with a lovely view of the New York skyline. http://www.rosesandrevolutions.com/
Kishi Bashi’s third LP, String Quartet Live!, is out via Joyful Noise Recordings. Listen below. It’s a collection of songs from his previous two releases, 151a and Light, performed live by himself and an accompanying string ensemble. Having recorded, toured, and collaborated with artists like Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and of Montreal, Kishi Bashi launched …
In the wake of the recent bombings and killings in Paris, I offer this. But first, I must step back. Shortly after 9/11, I opined in a pre-Twitter universe to a creation similar to Twitter, something called “xnpc”, that the United States had stoked hostility by imposing sanctions and a killing machine upon Iraq. People …
Occasionally, as I think back on various experiences of trying to CREATE in Havre or Missoula, Montana during the 1980s (and subsequently, as well, in Northern Virginia or Seattle)–whether that involved establishing a “beach head” and persona for radio, learning to write/combine criticism and history (and humor), attempting to make music of widely varying sorts, …
Nixon’s attorney John Dean calls today’s tea party, specifically the U.S. House Freedom Caucus, “near treasonous” and says their actions might be unconstitutional with “criminal implications.” Robert Scheer has a new podcast on KCRW. In it, he talks to Dean, former White House Counsel under Richard Nixon, who served during the Watergate scandal. In the …
Yonatan Gat and his band are known for their one-of-a-kind live performances, which take place from inside the audience and are expressively improvised, ensuring no two shows are the same. Feeding off each other’s energy and the crowd’s energy, their sets are raw, intense, and emotionally-charged. Now, fans all over the world can experience the …
When ESPN shut down Grantland on October 30, I was surprised at its abruptness, but not that it happened; after Bill Simmons’s acrimonious departure from ESPN, it was realistically only a matter of time. Grantland was Simmons’s creation, and without him, ESPN had no institutional incentive to maintain it. As Malcolm Gladwell pointed out in …
The second night of my Skalloween celebration took me to Tim’s Tavern in north Seattle where three fabulous local ska bands were slated to play. Headlining were Wyoming transplants It Gets Worse, preceded by a band I saw for the first time, Smoking Bill, and opening the entire night was my own beloved Natalie Wouldn’t. …
Wrigleyville and Wrigley Field were deathly quiet when I arrived at Game Four with the Mets leading 4-0, no surprise. Then the Mets’ hero of the Divisional Series, Daniel Murphy, turned to a goat in the World Series (pun intended). Now that the Royals have won the World Series, I’d like readers to digest some …
Here’s a song for every musician whose songs never got played on KEXP:
My skalloween weekend began Friday night, Halloween Eve at Seattle’s Highline Bar on Capitol Hill. Headlining was Seattle’s own ska legends the Diablotones. After a fun-filled performance by the Skablins, the Diablotones hit the stage for a mix of funky, raunchy rock and roll ska. Singer/bassist Timmy Profit sang with a throaty growl, often sounding …
During last night’s World Series Game 5 broadcast, there was some criticism of Mets manager Terry Collins’s decision to leave Matt Harvey in the game to pitch not only to the first batter of the ninth inning but the next one as well. Second guessing is part of the fun of baseball, but I remember …
I shared this on Facebook on 10/30 and over the course of the Halloween weekend, this clever costume based on the Cubist art of Pablo Picasso drew in 1,200+ likes. This was a record, by at least a thousand. With that kind of success, I figured I should share it here as well:
John Renbourn never enjoyed the 20-something beard-driven renaissance of his pal Bert Jansch in Ballard, Brooklyn, Silver Lake or Oakland – but this new 20 song collection of all unreleased early 60’s recordings should help – Beverly Martyn (John’s wife) sings on a few cuts, while Davy Graham and Mac MacLeod sit in on a …
In 1971, Porter Wagoner recorded this perfect description of “The Rubber Room.” You might describe it as “psych-country.” It’s certainly not a pop song. As Waylon Jennings once said, Porter “couldn’t go pop with a mouthful of firecrackers.” – Pat Thomas is the author of Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975.
Bobby Whitlock was a member of Derek and the Dominos and played keys on the legendary Layla album. He’s still got the touch. This was always my favorite tune on that album– Wikipedia says Whitlock helped Clapton to finish this song– and Bobby, CoCo and Moses Mo don’t disappoint here. http://www.bobbywhitlockandcococarmel.com/
One of the charms of major league baseball is that on rare occasions, people can not only play but thrive in the league despite a non-athletic body if they have the right skills. We were reminded of this when Bartolo Colon came in to pitch for the Mets last night in the 12th inning of …
Back in the day I used to emulate Willie Stargell’s pre-pitch warmup during kid pick-up games in the empty lot behind my house. The Pittsburgh Pirates were my favorite NL team during the Dave “Cobra” Parker, Kent Tekulve, Rennie Stennett, Manny Sanguillen, et. al. era. I rooted for the Pirates in the 2015 NL wild …
Today former Mets and Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra claims to have blackmailed umpires during his career for favorable calls on balls and strikes at the plate. Seems rather outrageous, but anyone interested in Dykstra’s playing career should pick up Keith Hernandez’s Pure Baseball, which featured Dykstra prominently in his pitch-by-pitch analysis of two MLB games …