I gotta tell ya, kids- while I might miss seeing (some of) you- I'm digging weekends off. I've been spending most every weekend morning since "the end" helping feed feral cats, and (other than it being ridiculously fucking warm for the past three weeks) it's pretty great. I get to play with and love on the cats who'll allow it- and help take care of them, the most important part.
In the mean time, I've put out limited feelers about setting up a new gig but- so far, anyway- there's still nothing on the horizon as far as us returning to be a part of your night life or whatever. As always, I'm open to suggestions (and private parties and such).
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So, what's new with you guys? Anything cool going on?
I had some friends family come to town for the Rolling Stones a few weeks ago. I didn't make the show myself (didn't have the $$$ for it, I still feel like Elton John's show is the last concert I'll attend in person, and I saw them on the Steel Wheels tour in '89 with the "classic" lineup), but everyone- and I do mean everyone I know who went to the show had a great time and thought it was great. Did you make the show? Thoughts on it?
Any other show you've seen that you feel deserves some love? Shelby is planning to go to see Jelly Roll in Charlottesville in October. She'll be taking that trip solo (C'ville is her hometown and she'll be attending the show with friends) because every note I've heard from the dude makes my teeth hurt with just how terrible I think it is. Same with Post Malone, who she also wants to see.
Honestly- despite "following" quite a few of the artists I enjoy via Facebook- I'm not sure who's tour is stopping where. Then again, for me to see a show, it'll need to be a) at an air conditioned venue, and 2) real fucking easy to get to and from. Oh, and c) probably a small venue kind of deal. I mean, I wouldn't mind seeing McCartney or Sting for a fourth time. Or Fleetwood Mac for a third (though that one isn't going to happen since the untimely passing of Christine McVie). I would absolutely love to see a show by any of the members of Talking Heads, should the opportunity arise.
In the meantime, I'll enjoy the concert movies I can catch via VOD or whatever.
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Apropos of nothing, who watches The Boys? It is so wonderfully vulgar, disgusting, profane, and inappropriate that I tend to have to rewind repeatedly throughout each episode to catch what I missed because I was laughing too hard the first time around.
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Back to concerts and concert movies, have you seen The Greatest Night in Pop? If not, do so.
It's a documentary/reminisce about Grammy night 1985 recording of We Are the World by one-night-only supergroup USA for Africa, and features behind the scenes footage of the night and the recording of the track, along with interviews of some of the artists involved.
All in all, it was a wonderful look at the night, the people, and the song that came out of it.
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Another one I finally got around to was Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary from 2021. It's another one I'd drop into the "highly recommend" column.
Sure, it's sad to watch the disintegration of one of the band with the knowledge that two of them are no longer with us- and those talents will never be reunited. At the same time, it provides a wonderful insight into the group as it works on Let It Be- their last studio album (though the work was done prior to their penultimate studio album, Abby Road).
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One Love was another one we gave a watch to. It's the Bob Marley biopic from earlier this year. And another one I give two thumbs up to.
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I've tried to... evolve or whatever... my point of view as I've aged. In a lot of ways, I think I've been pretty successful at it. In others? Not so much- 'cause I gotta say the last picture I saw of Madonna was startling in how she looked. We're talking Kenny Rogers-bad plastic surgery results here. Startling and disappointing at the same time.
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I've also been rewatching Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Though it was terribly goofy at times, I always enjoyed it. I've also been watching Fringe, which was one I never bothered with when it originally aired. I like the X-Files kind of vibe they go with, but it definitely has J.J. Abrams' hallmarks as far as intentionally obfuscating damned-near everything.
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Long-time country star George Strait- already a record holder in many entertainment categories (including number of #1 singles, most RIAA gold and platinum albums in the country genre, and a record 30+ years of top 10 hits on the country and country airplay charts) set yet another record with his June 15th concert at Texas A&M's Kyle Field on June 15th with a crowd of 110,905 fans in attendance- breaking the record set by the Grateful Dead's 1977 Raceway Park (NJ) concert crowd of 107,019 fans.
Strait is currently doing a run of stadium shows around the country, with his closest stop to our area comes July 20 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
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Don Henley has filed a lawsuit in New York seeking the return of his handwritten notes and song lyrics from the band’s 1976 album Hotel California.
The complaint, filed Friday, comes after prosecutors dropped criminal charges against three collectibles dealers who were accused of scheming to sell the documents.
Henley has maintained those papers were stolen, and vowed to file the suit when the criminal case was dropped. "These 100 pages of personal lyric sheets belong to Mr. Henley and his family, and he has never authorized defendants or anyone else to peddle them for profit," said Henley’s lawyer.
The papers are currently in the custody of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office as evidence, who lawyers for the defendants say dropped the case after determining Henley withheld critical information that misled prosecutors.
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I'm not gonna even pretend to understand the modern music scene, or what's considered hip or not anymore (see comments above re Post Malone and Jelly Roll), but can someone tell me why in the fuck Shania Twain was tapped to perform at Glastonbury? For that matter, why the fuck would people be surprised that she didn't sound good?
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Speaking of "can someone tell me why in the fuck they were asked to perform?": Russell Crowe? Really?
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Reports last week showed Michael Jackson being over $100 million in debt when he died.
Wow.
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Doctors have cleared Willie Nelson to return to the Outlaw Music Festival Tour this coming week- just in time for him to take the stage for the tour's July 4th show in Camden, NJ.
Nelson had been sidelined since last week for unspecified reasons.
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Further evidence that I'm terribly out of touch with current music trends/genres/etc.: Machine Gun Kelly played at Spotify's CMA Fest.
Isn't he supposed to be a rapper or something?
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A "new" Johnny Cash album was officially released Friday.
Songwriter features 11 songs recorded as demos in 1993 after Cash met producer Rick Rubin. The project was shelved in favor of the American Recordings that were released in 1994. Cash was between labels at the time.
John Carter Cash teamed up with producer David R. Ferguson to complete work on the album, building new tracks around the original vocal and acoustic guitar. Marty Stuart, Dan Auerbach, Vince Gill, and others played on the album and the late Waylon Jennings provides vocals on two tracks- I Love You Tonite and Like a Soldier.
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That's it for now, kids. Drop a line if ya need me.
