Monthly Archives: August 2014
CLASSIC CONCERT: The Records @ The Bottom Line / New York, NY / September 7-8, 1979
If asked to get real specific about my favorite type of music, I guess I would say power pop: songs driven by distinctive guitar riffs with catchy hooks and harmonies, mostly sung by guys about girls. Some of the notable proponents of the genre were bands like The Raspberries, Big Star and Badfinger. Power pop […]
Great TV Music Moments: The Replacements—“Talent Show”
The 1st International Rock Awards (ABC-TV) 1989 If anyone wondered which came first, the idea for their appearance or the actual song itself, Paul Westerberg’s opening “What the hell are we doing here?” removed any doubt. But it sure was just a stroke of genius to get The Replacements to play this song from their […]
Carlene Carter @ Station Inn / Nashville TN / April 8, 2014
Nestled in the southwest corner of downtown Nashville is an area known as The Gulch. The name likely comes from the fact that its main thoroughfare, 12th Street, somehow manages to sink below the adjacent interstate leaving you seemingly submerged and trapped. It is home to some of Music City’s most upscale development. However, somehow […]
CLASSIC CONCERT: Rockpile and Moon Martin @ Armadillo World Headquarters / Austin, TX / December 5, 1980
Although this now marks the third time that I have covered Rockpile in this space, this entry is more about the venue than the band. I moved to the Lone Star state in early 1980, just in time to catch three shows at Austin’s legendary Armadillo Word Headquarters in its final days. This famous venue […]
Spanish Gold @ Live on the Green / Nashville TN / April 14, 2014
Radio station Lightning 100 recently kicked off the sixth season of its free Live on the Green concert series downtown in front of the Courthouse. Music City Mike set his sights on seeing Spanish Gold, the first of three bands to take the stage for the opening week. I was eager to see them after […]
CLASSIC CONCERT: T. Rex @ Joint in the Woods / Parsippany, NJ / October 2, 1974
The Joint in the Woods was just that: a plain shed-like building hidden in a North Central Jersey forest. It was one of the first music venues I recall visiting that had few seats requiring most everyone to standup general admission style. For a place out in the middle of nowhere (about 30 miles due […]
Dum Dum Girls @ Grimey’s New & Preloved Music / Nashville TN / March 18, 2014
The name of legendary songwriter and record producer Richard Gottehrer doesn’t turn up as often as it once did. This is understandable given that the producer of the debut records by Blondie and The Go-Go’s is now 74. However, the one project to which he still adds his magic touch is managing and producing the […]
ON THE ROAD: The Feelies @ The Bell House / Brooklyn, NY / April 25, 2014
Without even knowing the competition, I will take a chance and say that The Feelies are the best part-time band in the world. Since calling it quits in 1991 and reforming in 2008, these post-punk popsters from Haledon, New Jersey play on average only about ten shows every year. With guitarist Bill Million now living […]
Beck @ Ryman Auditorium / Nashville TN / July 14, 2014
L.A.’s loss was Nashville’s gain. It seems that the closing of his favorite studio led Beck to write and record his latest record in Nashville. It’s a safe assumption that this migration influenced his long overdue return to the Music City concert stage. The L.A. native had not played here since a 2006 show at […]
Steely Dan @ Ryman Auditorium / Nashville TN / August 1, 2014
I learned to love Steely Dan through the influence of Robert Christgau’s short clever record reviews in the Village Voice. So enamored with their work, they seemingly became his standard to judge everything else by. (FYI: The Christgau Record Guide rates the first four Steely Dan LPs all in the “A” category.) I started with […]
Music City Mike 