I have tried to track the loss of musicians and those who influenced the modern arts of television and movies this past year, as we did in 2022. Here is a month-by-month obituary of some famous and infamous in modern music and entertainment that went on to that great rock festival in the sky. This is not intended to be all-inclusive and any omissions are not deliberate. If I missed someone who should be listed amongst these artists, I would love to hear from you.

JANUARY~

Jeff Beck- January 12 at the age of 78. One of the most innovative masters of the electric guitar. Known for his guitar prowess

Robbie Bachman-January 12 at 69, weeks before he would have turned 70. Drummer for Bachmann-Turner Overdrive

David Crosby- January 19 at the age of 81. A wonderful singer, songwriter and performer for more than 50 years. A self-proclaimed asshole who broke up more relations with bandmates and lovers than he was credited for.

MARCH~

Wayne Shorter- March 2 at 89 years- A groundbreaker saxophonist and composer who had a huge influence on jazz and rock artists. A central force in the Jazz Messengers with Art Blakey, Miles Davis quintet and Weather report.

David Linley- March 3 at 78. Best known for his guitarwork with many great Rock musicians including Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Warren Zevon, Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton.

Gary Rossington- March 5 at age 71. Last surviving member of the original Lynard Skynard, a great guitarist.

Michael Rhodes-March 7 at 69. Remember most as the bassist for Joe Bonamassa and JJ Cale.

Jim Gordon-March 17 at 77. Session drummer on the recordings of Clapton, Harrison, the Beach Boys, Byrds, Steely Dan, Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, Tom Petty and Merle Haggard.

Keith Reid- March 29 at age 76. Co-founder and lyricist for Procul Harem

APRIL~

Harry Belafonte- April 25 at age 96. Although his greatest contributions preceded most of modern rock, his voice made a great impact as one of the great crooners of his time.

Jerry Springer-April 28 at 79. Although not a musician, this former mayor of Cincinnati had a huge impact on modern daytime TV with the Jerry Springer show, a showcase for the seedier side of America.

MAY~

Gordon Lightfoot- May 1 at 84. Legendary singer & songwriter whose voice faded in his later years.

Tina Turner- May 24 at 83. One of the most powerful female singers and entertainers. Had two separate careers as part of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue and as a solo artist and member of the RnR Hall of Fame

JUNE~

Astrid Gilberto- June 6 at 83. The girl from Ipanema

George Winston- June 8 at 73. A masterful piano player who recorded many solo piano albums

JULY~

Sam Cutler- July 11 at 80. Englishman who was tour manager for the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead

Tony Bennett-July 21 at 96. The second greatest crooner of the 20^th century, in the shadows of Frank Sinatra.

Sinaid O’Connor- July 26 at 56. Controversial singer and solo artist who likely was ahead of her time

Randy Meisner- July 26 at 77. Founding member and bassist for the Eagles, left the band in 1977

Brad Houser-July 24 at 62. Bass player for the New Bohemians (w/Edie Brickell)

Paul Reubens aka PeeWee Herman- July 30 at 70. Comedian and actor

AUGUST~

Robbie Robertson-August 9 at 80. Lead guitar, vocals and controversial songwriter for the Band. Alleged to have not shared the songwriting credits for songs made famous by the Band. Did some acting and had little musical contributions after leaving the Band.

Jerry Moss-August 17 at 88. Co-founder of A&M records with Herb Alpert. Member of the RnR H of Fame

Bob Barker-August 25 at 99. Made a career as a Game show host.

James Casey- August 28 at 40. Sax player in the trey Anastasio band

SEPTEMBER~

Jimmy Buffet- September 1 at 76. Singer, songwriter, Businessman and creator of a lifestyle embraced by millions. Sorely missed.

Steve Harwell-September 4 at 56. Lead singer for Smashmouth

OCTOBER~

Russell Batiste, Jr.- October 1 at 57. New Orleans drummer and member of a legendary music family

NOVEMBER~

Shane MacGowan- November 30 at 65. Lead singer for the Pogues

DECEMBER~

Norman Lear- December 5 at 101. TV producer whose many contributions shaped our TV watching when we were not catching live music.

Denny Laine- December 5^th at79. Founding member, guitarist and songwriter of the Moody Blues and Wings

John Cutler- December 24 at 73. Grateful Dead record producer for their most commercially successful albums

Tommy Smothers- December 27 at 86. Half of the famous Smothers Brothers musical comedy duo with brother Dicky. Played the “dense” brother. Hugely successful TV show in the late 60’s, cancelled due to their political stance. Played in the Plastic Ono band on “Give Peace a chance”

The holidays are upon us and our available time becomes precious. Soon it will be Christmas Day and you’ll likely find some down time between gifts, gab and grub. Likely, you’ll day dream on your favorite couch or chair. Well, as you prepare to have another cocktail, vino or craft brew, give this some thought:

What ten albums would you take away with you to paradise or just to pass the time after the Holidays peak? What parts of your life are so defined by an album or artist that you couldn’t imagine not having it to play? No need to rank them. Mine will be in alphabetical order. One rule-only one album per artist or band affiliation. Everyone’s list will be different and their reasons unique. I look forward to learning about artists and albums from all genres and scenes that I need to give a listen to.

Here’s my picks of Rock and Roll paradise background music:

*Allman Brothers band- Live at the Fillmore East- THE definitive live album, a double album in fact

*Beach Boys– Pet Sounds- California surfer music at its peak

*Beatles– The White Album-This album changed the direction of rock music. Great experimentation of sounds, done well. Sgt. Pepper’s and Revolver get honorable mention

*Bob Dylan– Highway 61 Revisited. His lyrics and his sound were influencing a new generation of musicians and writers. Great albums like Blond on Blond and Blood on the Tracks ensued

*Bruce Springsteen– Born to Run, the defining record in Bruce’s career. Only better live

*Grateful Dead- American Beauty. This album marked a shift from a blues influence to an Acoustic, Country style. Every song a gem. The Dead are best live but not without this album’s contributions.

*Jimi Hendrix– Are you Experienced or Axis: Bold as Love- Jimi’s influence on Rock and Roll cannot be underestimated. This was a tough choice but I selected Are You Experienced since it came first.

*Led Zepplin– the Song remains the same. This live double album gives you a new perspective on all of the studio albums. Cherry picked the best songs from their catalog and rocked out

*Rolling Stones– Some Girls. There are so many great Stones albums but this one had Miss you, When the Whip comes down, just my imagination, Some Girls, Far Away Eyes, Beast of Burden and Shattered, for start.

*The Who–Quadrophenia- The Who learned from making Tommy what was missing and delivered it with this double album Rock Opera

#liveatthefillmoreeast #allmanbrothersband #thebeachboys #petsounds #thebeatles #thewhitealbum #bobdylan #highway61revisited #bruce springsteen #borntorun #gratefuldead #americanbeauty #jimihendrix #areyouexperienced #ledzepplin #thesongremainsthesame #rollingstones #somegirls #thewho #quadrophenia

Just northwest of Charleston (SC) lies a true example of the graceful old South. The town has welcomed residents, neighbors and tourists to Summerville since 1847. For the last 50 years, the Flower town Festival brings more than 250,000 out to soak in the southern hospitality and enjoy the arts, crafts and cuisine each spring. Every fall for the least seven years, Summerville, the Flower Town in the Pines, was hosting the annual Sweet Tea Festival. The town has laid claim to having discovered and developed the ultimate southern beverage.  The town near Charleston declared that they are reason many people find it tolerable to drink tea! Sorry, you teetotalers that’s how we feel.

This past September, the Southern Songwriters Festival. was introduced as a festival within a festival. This festival highlighted the talents of dozens of singer songwriters in various locations around the town’s center over three days. I wanted to learn how this Showcase came to be so I sat down with Mark Yampolsky, a local musician and one of the driving forces behind this offering.

The idea of the Songwriters showcase was born and nurtured by Mark Yampolsky and Dan Riley. Dan is an artist and the founder of the Edisto Blackwater Boogie; a weekend music festival located a few miles out of town. Mark is the driving force behind local Americana band, Forty Mile Detour. They presented their vision of such a showcase of talent to Steve Doniger, the Executive Director of Summerville Dream. Dream was created to promote local businesses in the historic section of downtown Summerville and the Sweet Tea Festival which embraced the idea of running the festivals together.

Planning for the Festival

Discussions began about a year ago and the festival idea was born to many of the usual challenges of putting on a schedule of to debut this in the spring. As many great undertakings, this project took longer than expected to be born and spring turned to fall. Mark and Dan relied on their contacts in the music industry to gather the musicians and spread their vision to those who could help. Eventually, they were able to enlist seven bar and restaurant operations to host musicians at their establishments. There is a bandshell in Hutchison Square on the main drag that was put to good use on Saturday, the main day of the showcase. In addition, the Songwriters Alley served as a stage for three artists at a time to present their music to an appreciative audience.

I was curious how all this was unfolding in the streets, bars and restaurants. I missed the first night due to other commitments. However, Summerville Dream arranged the schedule so that the Songwriters festival premiered to a rousing crowd all over downtown for Third Thursday, a showcase every month of shops in historic downtown Summerville. Folks out to enjoy the food, drinks, arts and crafts of the local businesses received a bonus of live music by solo artists. We ventured to the downtown business area on the second night of festivities to see what this was all about. After finding a convenient parking spot, we came upon artists giving solo performances, in two separate restaurants and bars, to an appreciative audience.

Saturday, the third and last day of the SSF, saw them share live music from the festival with the Sweet Tea Festival crowd. Thousands of people came out for tea, food and fun and got a nice surprise of live, original music presented by talented, little-known artists with something to sing about. The streets were teeming with people enjoying the festival stage on Short Central Ave, a pedestrian street now and then. Out on Main Street, under the bandshell, a variety of musicians and bands offered five hours of music for all to hear. Saturday night saw the only ticketed event ($10) take place in the old Public Works building. In a small listening room environment three acts performed to the delight of those lucky enough to get a ticket. The Sweet Tea Festival brought out a crowd when a new festival would struggle to get a crowd to come out for the first of anything!

The festival showcased 41 artists in nine locations around downtown. I like the concept and the layout for the festival. With adequate promotion and a lot of local support, this festival can grow and gain a good reputation. This could aid the promotors bringing in more quality acts and gaining some cred. I could see this growing and increasing in popularity., culminating in a concert each night with a rising star.

The lure of Charleston, the #1 vacation destination according to Conde Nast publishing, would be an added draw to a musician getting a slot in the SSF. There’s Awendaw Green to the north of Mount Pleasant and the Charleston Pourhouse south of Charleston. There are plenty of bars and restaurants that could benefit by having a songwriter serenade their guests for the lunch or dinner crowd. The Music Farm might also be a showcase for some of the artists who come for the Southern Songwriting Festival. Let’s hope for more next year. Look to the Do You Believe in Magic FB page as we will share the news regarding next year’s festival when it’s announced.

#SouthernSongwriterFestival #SweetTeaFestival #SummervilleDream

Earlier this past August, a friend and I ventured to Charlotte, NC to witness what may be the ultimate tribute bands of their genre. I’m speaking about Government Mule paying homage to Pink Floyd along with the Jason Bonham Led Zepplin Experience (JBLZE) performing together at the PNC Arena just north of Charlotte. The two bands are on the road together this summer at a venue near you, hopefully.  It was a warm August evening and the crowd was amongst the smallest crowds that I have been in at this venue and other similar amphitheaters in over ten years. Unfortunately, we bought our tickets early in the process and learned that leading up to the show, they were selling open seats near me for $25. These seats under the roof dropped in value by 80%! But let’s not dwell on the promoters’ loss and enjoy the show’s recap.

Leading off the evening was the JBLZE. They were fronted by Jason Bonham, whose dad, John, laid down the beat for Led Zepplin in their Hall of Fame career. Jason has assembled a band whose sound draws some interesting comparisons to their legendary inspirations.  Jason was joined onstage by lead vocalist James Dylan, who has Plant’s voice and tone without the flowing locks. However, lead guitarist Jimmy Sakura has Jimmy Page’s locks and his guitar prowess. With sunglasses on for most of their performance, he looked like a slightly taller version of 1970’ s Jimmy Page looks. Rounding out the rhythm section was bassist Dorian Heartsong and multi-instrumentalist Alex Howland.

Over the course of an hour, we were feted by Zepplin hits and B-sides. You could hear it in their sound that these guys were really enjoying themselves. The band spanned the career of Led Zepplin, mixing in slower ballads (California) with their signature, driving sound (Rock and Roll). The crowd was up and dancing for the entire set, inspired by the excellent sound.

The production this evening was prompt and appreciated. After a 30-minute break, Government Mule took to the stage and proceeding to offer a half dozen Mule tunes, including two form their newest album, “Peace like a River.” Heck, they had a captive audience and they would like to sell some new music to an adoring crowd. So, why not?!

The current band consists of Warren Haynes on lead guitar and vocals, Matt Abbs on drums, longtime keyboardist Danny Lewis and newcomer Kevin Scott on bass. Ron Holloway joins on sax throughout the show. When they turned the corner, they began the Dark Side of the show with Shine on you, Crazy Diamond, and proceeded to march their way through the song list below.

1. Stone Cold Rage
2. Rocking Horse
3. Revolution Come, Revolution Go
4. Shake Our Way Out
5. Made My Peace
6. After the Storm

          Dark Side of the Mule: ___________________________

•    Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V) (Pink Floyd cover)
•    Have a Cigar (Pink Floyd cover)
•    Welcome to the Machine (Pink Floyd cover)
• Speak to Me (Pink Floyd cover)
• Breathe (In the Air) (Pink Floyd cover)
• On the Run (Pink Floyd cover)
• Time Pink Floyd cover)
• Breathe (Reprise) (Pink Floyd cover)
• The Great Gig in the Sky (Pink Floyd cover)
• Money (Pink Floyd cover)
• One of These Days (Pink Floyd cover)
• Fearless (Pink Floyd cover)
• The Nile Song (Pink Floyd cover)
• Echoes, Part 2 (Pink Floyd cover)
• Encore:
•  Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd cover)
• Encore 2:
• Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd cover)

Courtesy of Setlistfm.com.

Warren Haynes is arguably the most sought-after musician playing rock and roll today. He came to prominence when he was recruited by Dicky Betts, who he eventually replaced, in the Allman Bros. band and played with them for more than 20 years. Joining him in the ABB was Allen Woody on bass who went on to found Government Mule together. The Mule started out as a side project of Haynes and Woody but it soon came to prominence of its own.  When the Allman Bros. band eventually decided to retire in 2014, Warren made Gov’t. Mule their main game. Warren also had a stint with The Dead, in the early 2000s and has shown his love for all things Jerry Garcia throughout his career.

Personally, I first heard Warren Haynes perform Shine on you Crazy Diamond with The Dead in 2004 at this very same amphitheater. His version inspired me to revisit the Floyd catalogue. This led us to this show where he performed sixteen PF songs, including two encores in a two hour and thirty-minute performance. The accompanying light show brought a shower of images which pulsated and changed every few seconds. The color and shade of the lights was very tantalizing and added a unique sensation to every song. The tunes were meticulously recreated with a sound and energy that permeated your pores. If you’re a Floyd fan, this was as good as it was going to get these days. The light show demonstrated the possibility that this music offered. If you’re a Floyd fan, this is as strong a performance of the original music being offered around the country. I was captivated by the recreated sound!

#darksideofthemule #jblze #pncarenacharlotte #governmentmule

This past March 24 and 25, the 8^th annual Charleston Bluegrass Festival was held at the Woodlands Nature Preserve in the Plantation District area of Charleston, SC. While this is the third time the festival was held at the Nature Preserve, this year the location was moved in the 6000 acre Preserve. More on the move later.

I have personally attended the last three festivals and can honestly state that this was the best overall lineup of performers that I have witnessed. Each year the bar gets raised and each year it gets better. This is not by accident. This year’s two-day festival featured 19 acts of which 17 got to perform their allotted slots, one (New Ghost Town) had their set cut short by the rain, lightning and thunder storm Saturday afternoon and another (Swamptooth) had their set cut out and moved to an after-festival campsite performance for those lucky enough to spend the weekend camping. What makes today’s Grass music and its various styles so entertaining is the level of talent in today’s musicians. They take their craft serious and play with a passion for the music. Every band, it seems, pays tribute to so many rock artists with the bluegrass renditions of their songs. I have heard everyone from Hendrix, the who, Talking Heads, Elton John and the Doors played on the string instruments of today’s bands. This festival’s artists did not let us down with their selection of cover tunes.

Whether it was traditional Bluegrass, New Grass, Jam Grass or Country Rock, every performer brought their best. I believe that is why this year’s festival stands apart from the seven predecessors. I must confess that I didn’t arrive early enough on Saturday to catch the Majors Family band and Southern Flavor band. However, I have seen the Southern Flavor band before and really enjoyed them. I trust that the promoters saw something in the Majors Family band that said they must be seen!

Eddie White is the man behind the Sewee Outpost and their weekly Barn Jam in Awendaw, SC and the driving force of the Charleston Bluegrass Festival. He recognizes and rewards talent. Six of the acts call S. Carolina home while other performers hail from N. Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Colorado.

The festival began at 5pm on Friday with Heehaw Junction from Charleston and went until midnight when Mollie Tuttle and Golden Highway gave a Grammy winning performance. Saturday began with the youthful Majors family band and concluded with headliners Keller Williams and the Keels, Larry and Jenny, and  Leftover Salmon brought the festival to the finish line by turning in a rousing performance until 11 pm! I will share the line up and more about each band further down in the article.

What makes a festival work is blending great performances with a comfortable setting and great support services. This year’s festival was moved a mile away and further inland to satisfy the neighborhood surrounding the original site. Both last year’s site and this year’s wrapped around one of the many lakes and ponds on the property. This was evident by the many kayakers on the water, just off from the two stages. It was an easy walk from stage to stage although the ground below your feet was undulating and showed the scars of many recently cut down smaller trees. Imagine the land being nestled between the lake and a merchandise village. Among the vendors were local craft brewers Commomhouse Ale Works, Holy City Popcorn, several food trucks and an interesting offering of clothing, jewelry, hats and CBD products.

If you’d like to learn more about each artist, here’s the lineup. Google each artist to learn more about the band, their history and their tour schedule. You’ll find most of them on your preferred streaming service.

Friday-

Heehaw Junction from Charleston

Jackson Grimm from Asheville, NC

Palmyra from Virginia

Clay Street Unit from Colorado

Fireside Collective from Asheville, NC

Wilson Springs Hotel from Virginia

Mollie Tuttle and Golden Highway from Nashville

Saturday-

Majors’ family band from S. Carolina

Southern Flavor band from Charleston

Dallas Baker and friends from Charleston

Admiral Radio from Columbia, SC

New Ghost Town from Charleston

Swamptooth from Georgia

Reedy River String band from Greenville, SC

Randy Steele and High Cold Wind from Tennessee

Keller Williams, Virginia and Larry and Jenny Keel, Appalachia

Leftover Salmon from Colorado

#charlestonbluegrassfestival #awendawgreen #eddiewhite #doyoubelieveinmagic #leftoversalmon #kellerandthekeels #mollietuttle #goldenhighway #wilsonspringshotel #randysteeleandhighcoldwind #firesidecollective #reedyriverstringband #claystreetunit #swamptooth #palmyra #newghosttown #jacksongrimm #admiralradio #dallasbakerandfriends #heehawjunction #southernflavorband #majorsfamilyband #charlestonwoodlands

The High Water Festival, held in Charleston, SC began in 2017. This two-day festival was held in 2017,2018 and 2019 and then had a pandemic hiatus in 2020 and 2021. It returned in 2022 and this year will be held on April 24 and 25 at Riverfront Park in N. Charleston, SC.

In previous years, the festival was a hot ticket. They sold out the two day festival tickets each year long before the year’s festival began. While concert goers like myself hoped for one day ticket sales, in previous years this never came to pass. The organizers didn’t need to open it up to daily tickets because there were enough buyers for the two day passes. Until this year!

I attended the two-day festival last year along with many friends, and I enjoyed both days very much. Last year, the daily headliners were My Morning Jacket and Jack White. This year, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Beck and Wilco will headline the festival. With three weeks to go before the gates open, several local music facilities (North Charleston Coliseum and the Charleston Music Hall) have begun advertising tickets for sale. I wonder why?

Currently, you can purchase a one day pass for either day for $110 plus fees or a two day pass for $200 plus fees. VIP tickets are $325 for a one-day pass and $600 for two days, plus fees. If you want to learn more about the festival and what you get with your VIP tickets, you can view this at highwaterfest.com.

As a seasoned concert goer, the prices do not seem to be outrageous for a festival with many performers. However, when you add up the ticket price and fees, you should get in for $130-140 per day.Tickets have been sold on an increasing price scale, the earlier you buy the lower the price. It’s a gut feeling but I believe that the organizers missed the mark with this year’s lineup and ticket cost. The price for a daily pass at this point may be scaring folks away.

Since its inception, the festival has been curated by Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent of Shovels and Rope. They have done a good job of bringing in friends and admired musicians annually. I decided to pass on this year’s festival due to the overall lineup. Perhaps I am no longer in the demographic age group for the acts they were able or wanted to procure. I wasn’t moved enough to make the commitment. Should the organizers have taken a different approach to the lineup of performers this year? Based on last year’s lineup and headliners, I think so. I can see that the aim is to blend musicians that would appeal to different age groups while being strong enough to draw a large enough gathering to sell out weeks, if not months, before the shows.

While I am in my 60’s, I am an avid concert goer and possess the disposable income necessary to attend one or both days. I don’t think I am alone. Amongst my peers, I have not heard a lot of chatter surrounding the festival. I wonder why? While we can’t expect the promoters to admit to selecting a weak lineup, it is my hope that they will do some soul searching and learn from this year’s results.

If you know something that I don’t know, feel free to chime in in the response section at the end of this blog. Happy Concert trails to you!

#highwaterfestival #missingthemarkintwenty-three

This past year saw  the most tours by artists since the pandemic changed our lives forever. Artists who had to cancel and alter tours for the last two years (2020 and 2021) decided to get out in front of the public once again. Every week there seemed to be another announcement by artists eager to get on the road and play to their fans. For me, it appeared to be a chance to see several bucket list artists while also getting to see new and upcoming performers whom I heard on the radio and streaming devices. When all was said and done, 2022 turned out to be the biggest and best year of concert going in my fifty plus years in the crowd.

One can sympathize and understand why artists would want to get out on the road and perform. If you were a veteran of decades of touring, you knew that waiting was not an option as the aging process marched on. I recall Roger Daltrey explaining to the crowd at a show some years ago why the tour was titled.” Use it or lose it”. This was the advice that one of his doctors gave him when discussing his vocal cords. Needless to say, I am sure that many ‘dinosaurs’ took this advice and hit the road again in 2022.

Conversely, many younger artists were looking to establish themselves on the road, playing clubs, theatres and amphitheaters. This was done in an attempt to gain relevance or maintain their audience and add new fans. Concert facilities were looking to make up for lost revenue from 2020 and 2021 and of course, Ticketmaster was hungry for fees.

Weekly, artists announced the tour schedule and fans lined up to buy tickets to their shows. One would think that with all of these artists out there, fans would run out of dough. Judging from the gross receipts, we were wrong. If they build it, fans would come and bring their wallets with them.

Personally, I took in more than 80 performances, working many shows and buying tickets to others. This year I knocked several from my bucket list and took in many great performances. This also gave me the opportunity to see many new (to me) artists. The following lists are spilt into top performances from legacy artists and top new artists.

Eleven memorable performances by new (to me) artists:

*Tab Benoit, Cajun Blues

*Dumpstafunk/George Porter,Jr. and his Runnin’ Pardners-New Orleans Funk

*Aaron Lewis- Punk artist’s Country side

*Greyboy All Stars featuring Karl Denson- original rock and funk

*Brian Regan-clean comedian

*Twiddle-Jam band veterans

*Beth Hart-Rock vocalist, RNR Hall of Fame nominee

*Joe Jackson- English veteran of the 80’s Punk Scene

*Goose- up and coming Jam band stars

*Andy Frasco and the UN- an onstage maniac with the ability to craft great little tunes.

Likewise, classic artists who continue to bring it nightly:

*Kenny Wayne Shepherd- Blues guitarist

*Graham Nash of C, S, N, Y fame

*My Morning Jacket-soaring vocals on a variety of song styles

*Jack White- White Stripes front man delivers an energetic, hard rock performance

*Pigeons Playing Ping Pong-Rock, Funk and a bit of the Jam

*Paul McCartney- enough said

*Roger Waters -one half of the Pink Floyd genius

*Carols Santana- Rock and Roll H of F guitarist

*Willie Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and Billy Strings-what a lineup

*Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame

*The Mavericks-Tex-Mex Rock and Rollers

The 2023 landscape looks to best what we saw in 2022. Every week another festival is being announced from sea to shining sea. Big names and hungry new artists will be at a location near you this year. Plug into the social media of your favorite venues and never miss the next blockbuster announcement Share with us what were your most memorable 2022 shows. Everyone benefits from a good review! 

#TabBenoit #Dumpstafunk #GeorgePorterJr #AaronLewis #GreyBoyAllStars #BrianRegan #Twiddle #BethHart #JoeJackson #Goose #AndyFrasco #KennyWayneShepherd #GrahamNash #MyMorningJacket #JackWhite #PigeonsPlayingPingPong #PaulMcCartney #RogerWaters #CarlosSantana #WillieNelson #BillyStrings #NathanielRateliff #StevieNicks #TheMavericks

Year-end tributes are nothing new, except the fact that we have never published a list before at Do You Believe in Magic. The idea came to me when I hear the news of Christine McVie’s passing this past November. I started to think about who else passed away this past year. I recall hearing similar news about Commander Cody’s passing. When I discovered he died in 2021, I thought that I should dig into this further. So, in chronological order here are artists we lost this year.

JANUARY

On the 20, we lost comedian Louis Anderson at 68…a very funny man.

Also on the 20^th, Meatloaf, born Marvin Lee Aday, left the stage for the last time at 74. Best known for Bat Out of Hell, Bat out of Hell II and Bat Out of Hel III,  he sold more than 100 million albums in his career.

January 30, Ronnie Spector, lead singer in the 60’s girl group the Ronettes, passed away at 78. She was married to record producer, Phil Spector, from 1968 to 1974.

 Also on the same day, Hargus “Pig” Robbins died too at 83. He was a session keyboardist for numerous country artists as well as Bob Dylan.

FEBRUARY

Ian MacDonald multi-instrumentalist and founding member of King Crimson and Foreigner, passed away at 75 on the 9^th.

MARCH

Bobbie Nelson, Willie’s sister and piano player in the Nelson Family band, was 91 when she left the stage for the last time, on the 10^th. Aside from her excellent tickling of the ivories, she was known to braid Willie’s ponytails.

Traci Braxton, star of the reality program Braxton Family Values and sister of Toni Braxton, died at 50 on the 12th.

Taylor Hawkins, drummer of the Foo Fighters and a founding member, passed away on the 25^th at 50.

APRIL

Roland White, who played mandolin on many bluegrass albums, died on the 1^st at 87.

Joe Messina, a Motown guitarist passed away on the 4^th at 93

Bobby Rydell, teen idol and the famed singer of Wild One and Volare  from the 60’s, left the stage for the last time, at 80 on the 5^th. He also acted on TV’s Happy Days and in the Star Wars movies.On April 30, at age 79, we lost Naomi Judd. She was the mother of Ashley and Wynonna and had a long singing carrier, and a difficult life, as one half of the Judds.

MAY

Country artist and music impresario Mickey Gilley died on the 7^th at 86. He  had 17 Number One Country hits but was best known as the owner of the Honky Tonk that bears his name and the inspiration for the movie Urban Cowboy.

Bob Neuwirth, who wrote the Janis Joplin hit “Mercedes Benz” and was bob Dylan’s Road manager for many years, passed away on the 18^th at 82.

Alan White, drummer of the progressive rock band YES and the Plastic Ono band died on the 26^th at 72.

JUNE

Jim Seals, one half of the soft rock duo Seals and Croft, dies at 80 on the 8^th.

Brett Tuggle keyboardist for Fleetwood Mac and David Lee Roth, passed away on the 19^th at 70

AUGUST

Olivia Newton-John, well known singer and actress, left the stage on the 8^th at the age of 73.

Lamont Dozier, a member of the song writing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland that shaped the Motown sound in the 60’s, died on the 22nd at age 81.

SEPTEMBER

Ramsey Lewis, jazz pianist and composer, recorded over 80 albums before passing away at 87 on the 12^th.

John Hartman, a co-founder and original drummer for the Doobie Brothers band, dies on the 22^nd at 82.

Pharoah Sanders, influential jazz saxophonist, died on the 24^th at 81.

Coolio (Leon Ivey, Jr.) a West Coast rapper passed away on the 28^th at 59. He was the father of 10.

OCTOBER

Loretta Lynn- She was a Coal Miner’s daughter who rose to the highest level of fame in Country Music. A true Hall of Famer, she passed on the 4^th at 90

Jerry Lee Lewis, an original bad boy of early Rock, a great piano player and a questionable human being, left the stage for the last time on the 28^th. He was 87.

NOVEMBER

Aaron Carter, younger brother of Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys), put out his first album at 9 which sold a million copies. He passed away on the 5^th at the age of 34.

Jeff Cook, a founding and lifelong member of the country super group Alabama, passed away on the 7^th at 73. He was a talented multi-instrumentalist.

Dan McCafferty, lead singer and songwriter of the Scottish band Nazareth, was 76 when he died on the 8^th.

Leo Anthony Gallagher, famously known as Gallagher, a comedian, dies on November 11 at the age of 76. He was very popular in the 80’s and was best known for smashing watermelons with a sledge hammer on stage and all over his audience.

Christine McVie, British singer and keyboardist with Fleetwood Mac, was 79 when she passed away on the 30^th. She joined the band in 1970 and helped craft the sound that made they one of the biggest bands in the rock world.

DECEMBER

Kim Simmons, front man for the British Blues Rock band, Savoy Brown, died at the age 75.

Dino Danelli, drummer for the Young Rascals/Rascals, left the stage on  December 15 at 78. 

Ian Tyson, of the 60s duo Ian and Sylvia, passed away on Dec. 29 at 89. Aside from his hits alongside his wife Sylvia Tyson he was the composer of Four Strong Winds. The song was covered by Neil Young, Johnny Cash, John Denver and many others. He reinvented himself in the 70s and beyond as a Rancher and Cowboy artist.

The famous and the unknown who made their mark in the entertainment business and will live on in our memory. If you know of an artist that we have overlooked,let me know. Only the Pope is infallible, or so it is said.

#louieanderson #meatloaf #ronniespector # hargusrobbins #ianmacdonald #bobbienelson #tracybraxton #taylorhawkins #foofightersb #rolandwhite #jimmessina #bobbyrydell #naomijudd #thejudds #mickeygilley #urbancowboy #bobneuwirth #alanwhite #jimseals #sealsandcroft #bretttuggle #olivianewtonjohn #lamontdozier #holland-dozier-holland #ramseylewis #johnhartman #doobiebrothers #pharoesanders #coolio #leoniveyjr # lorettalynn #jerryleelewis #aaroncarter #jeffcook #alabama

#danmccafferty #doobiebrothers #gallagher #christinemcvie #fleetwoodmac #savoybrow #kimsimmons #dinodanelli #therascals #youngrascals #ianthomas #ianandsylvia #iantyson

People tend to go to concerts for a few good reasons: often, it’s wanting to see a favorite artist perform live so you could hear their music, experience their live performance and create cherished memories. For others, it’s an opportunity to experience a new artist and see for yourself what the hype is all about. Balancing those reasons lead me to a seat near the stage most every time.

2022 has been the turning point year in the recovery from the Virus.  The restrictions that came with the ability to enjoy a live show are gone and not likely to return soon. Our musical experiences these last three years have largely been influenced by where we live and who governs us. For me, living in coastal South Carolina, the doors have been open since late May 2020, albeit outdoors for at least a year.

The floodgates are open and it seems like every artist and band are hitting the stage nightly. Since the new year began, I have experienced many great performances in different styles of music. Thinking back on the year, it was evident that many artists who have entertained us for years are still out there giving memorable performances. But what stood out to me is that even as they age, these artists still bring it, such as:

*Little Feat with several members in their 70’s including Billy Payne at 73 and Fred Tackett at 77

*Alan Parsons project with Alan at 74

*George Porter/New Orleans bass player at 75

* Graham Nash, who turned 80 this year

*Bob Dylan at 81

*Comedian Lewis Black at 74

*Blues singer Mavis Staples at 83

*Sir Paul McCartney who turned 80 in June

*The Turtles’ Mark Volman (75), Gary Puckett (79), the Association, the Buckingham, The Vogues and the Cowsills. Most in these groups were in their 70’s

*Herb Alpert the elder stateman is 87 and wife/singer Lani Ham is 77

*Folk singer Judy Collins is 83

*Roger Waters, a surly 79 years old

*Carlos Santana is 75

*Willie Nelson, the Patriarch of Country music, is 89

* Jim Messina, 75

* Stevie Nicks is 74

*Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s founding member Jeff Hanna is 75 and Jimmie Fadden is 74

These artists have nothing left to prove yet most of them played as if they were auditioning for a slot on a big tour. Maybe that’s a reason I felt compelled to document these artists and recognize that they are still bringing it night in and night out. It’s amazing to witness the energy and the expertise by which they create memories.

I have experienced some dinosaurs give regrettable performances. Someone needs to tell them when they no longer have it. As it is with some athletes, they fail to notice fast enough when the lights go out. However, they are the exception-not the rule- for most who are on tour and coming to your town. We are fortunate to have the ability to see these talented artists available to create more musical memories.

I see this trend continuing as long as there are artists wanting to perform. I recall a Roger Daltry tour about 10 years ago that he titled,” the Use it or Lose It” tour. That was the advice from one of his doctors when asked about maintaining his amazing voice.  It’s sane advice and I am happy to report that many are following his advice.

Tell me, which dinosaur not on my list that you saw and enjoyed their performance in 2022!

#dinosaurrock #littlefeat #fredtackett #billypayne #alanparsons #grahamnash #bobdylan #georgeporterjr #lewisblack #mavisstaples #sirpaul #paulmccartney #markvolman #garypuckett #theturtles #theassociation #thecowsills #buckinghams #thevogues #herbalpert #laniham #judycollins #rogerwaters #carlossantana #willienelson #stevienicks #jimmessian #NGDB #jeffhanna #jimmyfadden

Bucket lists are the dreams that are birthed on a lazy day. Your mind wanders to fulfilling those dreams by laying out a plan. It might be visiting cities around the country or even the globe. It could be attending the championship games of major league sports or visiting the Halls of Fame of those major American professional sports. For me, it was to create a list of living artists who I have never had the chance to see before, and see them! Should you have such a Bucket list, please share it here!

Nine years ago, I was reflecting about artists who I still haven’t had the good fortune to see live. I eventually came up with seven artists that fit the bill and I began my journey to see them all.  Here’s how it all unfolded for me:

1)First up was James Taylor in Charleston at the No. Charleston (SC) Coliseum late in 2014. I recollected that he gave a perfectly good performance but I left the show without a desire to see him again. I’m happy to report that I saw him a year ago and the show was more upbeat and enjoyable.

2)Next was Steve Winwood who I got to see open for Steely Dan at the Amphitheatre in Charlotte, NC in July of 2016. His voice and organ playing was still first rate, even after fifty years performing live.

3)A few weeks later it was Dave Matthews in Charleston, performing at the No. Charleston Coliseum. Being the middle of a southern summer, Dave remarked how much he enjoyed playing indoors for a change! He throws a great party and is surrounded by a tight band.

4)Two years went by and I traveled to Scranton, Pa. in September to see Van Morrison as part of Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music festival. He was proceeded on stage that night by the Tedeschi-Trucks band, who I have enjoyed seeing several times. Van sang and played sax with passion and conviction. It was a great double bill.

5) A month later, I was fortunate to catch the Foo Fighters at the Carolina Coliseum, October, 2018 in Columbia, SC. The band delivers a three-hour, high-energy performance all night. That was just about the LOUDEST sound I have ever experienced.

Now I was down to two artists from my original list, Paul McCartney and either Roger Waters or David Gilmore of Pink Floyd fame.

6) It took nearly four years, but I finally got to see Paul McCartney last May and wrote about the experience at this blog.  I missed his previous tour in 2019 and wondered if I would get another chance. After all, Paul turned 80 in June,2022. He performed 35 tunes in just under three hours of non-stop hits and rarities. It was more than I was expecting!

7) It was April of 2021, on a tip from a friend, that I learned about tickets to Roger Waters next tour that were going on sale (again!). I was able to procure two seats for his show in Atlanta.  Sixteen months later, on August 20,2022. I saw the last of the Magnificent Seven.  In more than fifty years of concert going, I have never bought tickets for a show that far in advance. Roger and band delivered great renditions of Pink Floyd music with a heavy dose of his political leanings.

Over the years, I racked my brain for any other artists who I have not had the opportunity to see live. There were some whom I was saddened to have learned of their passing before seeing them. John Prine was such an artist. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2020, a COVID casualty and of the first celebrities to succumb to the virus.

I added three recently: John Fogerty (77 yrs. Old) of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame, Jeff Lynne (74) of the Electric Light Orchestra and the Traveling Willburys fame and Tom Waits, a 72-year-old gravelly voiced songwriter who rarely tours and generally only hits the largest of cities. In fact, he has not toured since 2008. He recently announced that he would perform at Neil Young’s Bridge concert this October in California, an annual event curated by Neil for the school where his special needs son attended.

It remains uncertain whether my path will cross with any of these three but I will make the effort if they will tour somewhere nearby! Now, if given the challenge, what would your bucket lists of artists include? Tell us here! Like/Subscribe and receive an email each time a new post is published! Never miss an issue…

#JamesTaylor #SteveWinwood #DaveMatthews #VanMorrison #FooFighters #PaulMccartney #RogerWaters #BucketList #DoYouBelieveinMagic #JohnFogerty  #JeffLynne #TomWaits