The unusual artist billing for this show refers to the frequent musical pairing of two singer-songwriters: rootsy American, Grant Lee Phillips, and eccentric Brit, Robyn Hitchcock. With both now using Music City as a part-time hub around touring, some scattered appearances around town together led the two to make this formal scheduled appearance. The Basement’s […]
I have already covered my love for Rockpile in this space, but this show at The Bottom Line was a special one. On a short sabbatical from work to study for my CPA exam, I was low on both time and funds. It had been over a month since I had seen a live show […]
I am old enough to have watched The Beatles make their live American television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show back on February 9, 1964. It was certainly a life-changer, and I will never forget the excitement the next morning when I joined my third-grade classmates to sing “She Loves You” on the schoolyard steps. […]
Record Store Day has easily become my second favorite day of the year falling just behind Christmas. This year was no exception, and I spent the day at Grimey’s just like I did for the previous six years. I started my day by getting on line at 6 a.m. where I was 40th for their 10 a.m. […]
I made many trips to see shows in Austin, the so-called “live music capital of the world” when I lived in San Antonio. Each week, I eagerly picked up a copy of the free weekly Austin Chronicle at San Antonio’s Hogwild Records to pour over the concert listings. One venue that I kept a close […]
Since seeing Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band play live for the first time in 1975 at New York City’s Bottom Line night club, he and the band have taken up significant space in my life. In addition to attending shows (tonight was #57), the space devoted in my study to Springsteen studio and […]
Today’s news reports the passing of controversial New Jersey middleweight boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter of prostate cancer at age 76. Twice-convicted and eventually freed after serving 20 years in prison, there remains mystery and confusion about what really happened one fateful night in New Jersey in 1966. Regardless of what you believe about the horrible […]
Two years after their landmark live 4 Way Street record the individual members of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young collective were hot properties. This college show was the closing night of a rare solo tour by Graham Nash.His latest work at the time was the brilliant but overlooked 1972 release with Crosby, Graham Nash […]
Back in the days when they played up close and personal at small clubs like the Exit/In, home town boys Kings of Leon developed a strong dedicated local fan base. Serious music fans hung with them even after they graduated to larger rooms like the Ryman. The Kings moved further up the venue ladder to […]
Attending the filming of a live concert for television or DVD can be a special treat. Sometimes, however, all of the extra preparation and retakes can make for an annoying experience. As far as I can remember, this musical celebration at the Ryman for the Coen Brothers film went off without a hitch. In 2000, […]
Music City Mike 