On Feb. 10^th, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced their latest list of finalists for the class of 2021. The voting is open to all at vote.rockhall.com. You can vote for up to five of the finalists and you are allowed to vote once daily until April 30^th. Although the public is allowed to vote, getting the most votes by the public is no guarantee of induction to the class of ’21.

The sixteen finalists include Mary J. Blige, Kate Bush, the Foo Fighters, the Go-Go’s, DEVO, Iron Maiden, Jay-Z, Chaka Khan, Rage against the Machine, Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick, Carole King, the New York Dolls, LL Cool J and Fela Kuti. The list is one of the most diverse fields nominated. But are they missing the boat of the meaning of the Hall in the first place?

Last year’s inductees include the Doobie Brothers, T-Rex, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Whitney Houston and the Notorious BIG. Gone from last year’s list are Dave Matthews band, Pat Benatar, Soundgarden and Judas Priest, most notably.

Let’s discuss the elephant in the room. One could make a case for the worthiness of the body of work of all of the nominees, but is their music really Rock and Roll or a strong influencer?   Mary J. Blige Jay-Z, Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick, LL Cool J all have had great careers but is it Rock and Roll? Does anyone outside the Afro Beat fans and drummer’s world know who Fela Kuti is? Whatever happened to Rock and Roll? Their music is not played on most rock and roll radio stations. Let me reiterate, these are all major recording artists and concert attractions but is it Rock and Roll?

 If elected, Tina Turner and Carole King will enter the Hall a second time as solo artists. Tina was elected in 1991 to the Hal for her early work as part of the Ike and Tina Turner revue and Carol King entered in 1990 as one half of a songwriting team with former husband Gerry Goffin. Dave Grohl would be a two-time winner, first in XXXX with Nirvana and maybe now with the Foo Fighters.

Should the Hall create categories such as Rap or Hip Hop, R&B or Early influences? What about Country, Jazz or even Classical artists? If we’re nominating Hip Hop artists, shouldn’t the hall consider the likes of jazz greats such as John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk or Louis Armstrong? Do you know that the ONLY jazz great in the Hall is Miles Davis? One of the most overlooked genres of Rock is Metal. Why not have a separate category for this and make sure to recognize a deserving artist or two each year?

Are any of the Hip Hop artists more of an influence on Rock and Roll than Dave Matthews or Pat Benatar? Many rock artists list jazz greats as influences. Shouldn’t that make the case for John McLaughlin or Herbie Hancock? I could go on for days but you get the point.

Should the Rock-N-Roll Hall be renamed as the Recording Artist Hall of Fame with nominees in separate categories and the worthiest from each category gaining admission?  Is the Board ruining the Rock Hall by diluting the nominee list? I ask for your opinion on the subject?

FYI, artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. While fans get to vote on their favorites, winning the fan vote is no guarantee of election Just ask Dave Matthews, last year’s winner of the fan vote who is not even listed this year! The Rock Hall Board has the greatest influence on who gets in as who does not. Perhaps the decision makers need to pay more attention to the fans and not their egos.

Trivia question- Twenty-three artists have gained induction two times. Who’s the only artist to have been inducted three times? Reply with your answer!

#RockandRollHallofFame #MaryJBlige #KateBush #FooFighters @GoGo’s # DEVO #IronMaiden #Jay-Z #ChakaKhan #RageAgainstTheMachine #ToddRundgren #TinaTurner #DionneWarwick #Carole King   #NewYorkDolls #LLCoolJ #FelaKuti #DoobieBrothers #T-Rex #NineInchNails #DepecheMode       #WhitneyHouston #Notorious BIG #DaveMatthews #PatBenatar #Soundgarden #JudasPriest #JohnColtrane #Thelonious Monk #Louis Armstrong #MilesDavis #HerbieHancock #JohnMcLaughlin

Enjoy live music this past year? Well, that was a shit show. The touring year began as most do, picking up steam in February before the emergency break was pulled mid-March in most of the country. From that point on, live music became increasingly rare to find. All sorts of music began streaming across the web. Artists began playing in their living rooms, which for some bands amounted to more than five homes. It was intimate, there was great variety and a lot of historical concerts got airplay! What’s not to love?

For me, it was sharing the experience of the performance with friends, old and new together, that was missing. The shutdown demonstrated to me the tremendous impact to one’s psyche of experiencing music live with others! This is not a knock on the great streaming shows available, just an acknowledgement that there is no substitute for the live thing. Streaming shows service an audience who either can’t physically make it to a show or get shut out of tickets for a live performance. However, this digital option can easily get overexposed.

The year began with a surprisingly strong array of musicians coming through Charleston.  January saw performances by Lettuce, Grace Potter, St. Paul and the Broken Bone, local favorites Forty Mile Detour, and the ensemble performance of Women and Willie Nelson. Grace Potter’s opening act, Devon Gilfillan deserves special recognition as an up-and-coming artist!

Working at the Charleston Music Hall puts me in position to see more than my share of music and other performances. In February, comedians book-ended the music in between. Kathleen Madigan and Gary Gulman played to sold out houses while Tesla/Bad Marriage/Red Reign, Amy Grant and Tommy Emanuel provided excellent performances across different genres.  Amy Grant receives special kudos for an impressive performance.

March comes in like a lion…in March, I got to cross another off my Bucket list when I took in Bob Weir and the Wolf Brothers at the Ryman Theatre in Nashville, TN (8). Weir’s performance took place about a week after a tornado ripped through western parts of Nashville. He turned the show into a fundraising effort for tornado relief, featuring a dazzling array of country artists, both unknown and famous. You can read about this fabulous show in a blog post from April 3, if you would like to know more about an awesome concert. I returned from my Nashville weekend to see Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childress in their only US show (10), after a successful European tour. On that Friday (13), I saw what was to be my last show, Forty Mile Detour (FMD), at the intimate Coastal Coffee Roasters in Summerville, SC.

Then the music industry, and life in general, locked down for most people. We all know what happened next. No need to relive those times. How long the lockdown continued depended on where you live. Here in the greater Charleston, SC area live music began again in limited locales mid-May. My first show back from the lockdown was my last show, FMD! They played at Holy City Brewery in N. Charleston and it was as if I had emerged from hibernation. Over the next three plus months, I got to be a patron at 17 outdoor concerts, many at the Charleston Pourhouse of which I wrote about in a blog on this site on Sept 8.

We were enjoying live music with safety precautions. Many local bands were first to take the stage and I enjoyed performances by GD tribute band, the Reckoning, and Phish tribute band, Runaway Gin. During the summer, I attended my first house concert at the home of musician, promoter and friend Fleming Moore. Those in attendance enjoyed intimate performances by several local artists. The Larry Keel Experience was the first regional act to come to Charleston to play their first live music (Aug. 1) in many months until Yonder Mountain String band played on the beach at the Windjammer October 6. And then the Bend opened to large scale (1000 people) outdoor shows that drew local, regional and national touring acts to Charleston. See my blog, “Live Music done right”, published on November17, at this site. The Bend provided the Charleston Music Hall with an outdoor venue to bring music to a starved audience. Performances by Susto, Shovels and Rope, the Marcus King Trio, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Jason Isbell with Amanda Shire sold out 8 shows in October and November.

Shows continued to be produced at the Pourhouse and Windjammer in Charleston. I got to see performances by Keller Williams, Baysik (Brendan Bayliss and Ryan Stansik from Umphreys Mcgee) as an acoustic duo, the Marshgrass Mamas (an all-women Bluegrass ensemble) as well as Schema and Robotrio’s memorable live performances. As the weather turned colder in Charleston, the Music Hall reopened in early November with all of the safety protocols being followed on up to 25% occupancy. My first night showcased local country artists, The Travelin’ Kine, for an album release party. Comedian and NC native Jon Reep brought the laughs to a smaller audience than would have been there in better days. The best performance in November and December was the Traveling McCourys’, a Grammy award winning bluegrass band and the sons of Del McCoury.

So many shows were cancelled or postponed this year, too numerous to recall on these pages. Throughout the year, I was fortunate to attend 48 performances from local, regional and national acts, working 18 of those shows. My top 10 performances this year were:

1) Bob Weir and the Wolf Brothers at the Ryman in Nashville on March 8. His support cast included Emmy Lou Harris, country artists Jamey Johnson and Margo Price along with Nashville session artists Buddy Miller (vocals and guitar) and Russ Pahl (pedal steel guitar),among the notables.

2) Grace Potter and Devon Gilfillan at the Music Hall January 8

3) Lettuce at the Music Hall on January 4

4) SUSTO at the Bend on Oct. 9

5) Baysik (Brendan Bayliss and Ryan Stasik of Umphreys Mcgee) on the beach at the Windjammer on October 23

6) The Traveling McCourys at the Charleston Pourhouse on Nov. 13

7) Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires (they made this into a live performance record) at the Bend on Nov. 10

8) Yonder Mountain String band on the beach at the Windjammer on Oct. 6

9) The Acoustic Syndicate at the Charleston Pourhouse on October 10

10) Amy Grant at the Music Hall on February 27

Special recognition needs to be heaped on the Reckoning and Forty Mile Detour. These local bands played whenever given the chance, providing the audience with live music to help counteract the limitations from the lockdown.

Musicians and their audiences really were impacted by the new set of rules we all had to abide by. Many of the bands we saw after our restrictions were modified were playing their first shows in more than six months. They were stoked to be playing in front of live audiences and feeling the familiar vibe one gets when performing.  

The moral of the story this year? If you’re not seeing all the live music your heart desires during the pandemic crisis, you’re not looking in the right places. It’s out there!

#CharlestonPourhouse  #CharlestonMusic Hall  #TheBend #WindjammerIOP #RymanAuditorium

#BobWeirandtheWolfBrothers  #Lettuce  #GracePotter #StPaulandtheBrokenBones #WomenandWillie

#DevonGilfallin #KathleenMadigan #GaryGulman #AmyGrant #TommyEmanuel #Tesla #EmmyLouHarris

#MargoPrice #JameyJohnson#BuddyMiller #RussPhal #SturgillSimpson #TylerChilders #FortyMileDetour

#FlemingMoore #theReckoning #TravelinKine #JonReep #YonderMountainStringBand #Susto

#ShovelsandRope #MarcusKingTrio #JasonIsbell #AmandaShires #KellerWilliams #BrendanBayliss

#RyanStanik #MarshgrassMamas #Schema #Robotrio #AcousticSyndicate #havemorefunin21!

The CMA annual award show usually has the pulse of what the country music community currently likes and is spending their hard-earned dollars to listen to. Their annual awards show has focused most of their time on what is new and hot. They’re also known to put together a star-studded band of musicians who pay homage to a giant in the business, postmortem. Many fans tune in for the collaborations of both new and classic artists. That is why we cannot fathom who they did NOT pay tribute or offer a touching reference at their recent award show.

Let’s start with who they did pay tribute to during the broadcast. Charlie Daniels, Kenny Rogers and Joe Diffie each received a memorial tribute. There’s no arguing giving them their due. CMA found time to remember the movie, “Urban Cowboy,” as a major influence on the country music world. The argument that there wasn’t the time to include these artists is a bogus statement. Hell, the CMA’s give each artist who is up for a major award a slot to highlight a tune.  We believe there’s room to allocate some of their time to the influential artists, in my humble opinion.

It’s who they omitted that has caused such a stir. There was no mention of John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker or Billy Joe Shavers. They too passed away earlier this year, having left an indelible mark on country music and the public, at large. These artists are on equal footing with Charlie, Kenny and Joe, I believe. That’s why it’s so puzzling that this was allowed to go on. Surely time can be found so that each artist could get a 4-5-minute tribute. The CMA needs to acknowledge the influence and notoriety these artists had on today’s country music stars as well as generations before them!

My stance on this matter is apparently shared in part by Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires. They cited the failure to pay tribute to these artists as enough for them to cancel their lifetime memberships to the CMA’s.  At the time of writing this, I have heard that Sturgill Simpson, a close friend of John Prine, is also considering taking similar action. The lesson here is that the CMAs need to shine the light more on the artists who are responsible for influencing the popularity of today’s country music. If they do, we’ll be listening!

On the bright side, ESPN opened up their November Masters broadcast on Thursday morning with John Prine’s, “I Remember Everything.” The tune was the last song Prine recorded before his death in April of this year. It was set to a collage of memorable moments and recognitions that makes Augusta National a nearly mythic oasis set in time and tradition. You can likely find it on YouTube.

Having a lifetime affair with both music and sports, I have caught snippets of tunes from bands such as the Grateful Dead and Phish being played when a sporting event is going to or from a commercial break.  It doesn’t show up in the credits but it is recognizable to the discerning ear. Keep up the good work slipping in the Masters of Rock with all variety of sports.

#johnprine #jerryjeffwalker #billyjoeshaver #CMA #AugustaNational

Since early October of this year of years, the CMH has been producing live shows showcasing a wide variety of artists. The eleven-show outdoor season had nine sell-outs of a socially distanced, outdoor tailgate/concert atmosphere in a pastoral field surrounded by mature oaks and massive pines. Sell-outs included two nights each of Shovels and Rope, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Jason Isbell with Amanda Shire, one night each of Susto, the Marcus King Trio and Ranky Tanky.

The Bend is a large open field bordering the Ashley River, north of the Charleston peninsula. It is surrounded by live oaks, tall pines and a variety of other live trees and shrubbery. There is a tidal pond near the entrance and the portable johns are found near the water. One of the main focuses of the CMH was to have a safe environment for all to enjoy. I’m here to report on their success.

The mission was to create a safe atmosphere so people would feel comfortable enjoying live music with friends once again. To that extent, the field was subdivided into 250 four-person pods for you and your friends to relax and enjoy within! They are large enough for four people to safely occupy the corners of their pod, yet feel close to those in their party. Ticket-holders are invited to bring their coolers of beverages and food to enjoy tailgate style. Bringing in your seats was encouraged. I saw patrons bring in tables and sofas, stringing up lights to their pod and setting out a buffet of foods for their friends to enjoy. Starting a fire is prohibited but relaxing in the sun with food and friends is encouraged. The staff enforces the current safety protocols and encourages groups to remain in their space unless they’re headed to the restrooms or their cars. Gates open at 5 and allow you up to two hours to enjoy this new venue. Concert tickets are on your phone for touchless scanning and the only amenity provided were the afore mentioned port-a-potties. 

We have been blessed by good weather during the six-week run.  The CMH staff, guided by the vision of director Charles Carmody, created an atmosphere where you can have a great outdoor music experience and keep yourselves reasonably distanced and safe.

People everywhere are eager to get out and enjoy live music once again. The demand appears to outweigh the supply. Several of the bands that performed here were playing their first shows since the shutdown in March. They were open with their compliments of the site and the atmosphere. Many, if not most of the patrons were experiencing their first live shows in eight months or more. I have heard many words of thanks from cars of patrons as they left after the show. The season came to an end November 14 with Grammy winners Ranky Tanky. The Music Hall reopened on the 12^th of November with local artists the Travelin’ Kine and an album release party. Will there be a spring season of the Charleston Music Hall at the Bend? Stay tuned…

#attheBend  #CharlestonMusicHall #Susto #ShovelsandRope #StPauland the BrokenBones #MarcusKingtrio #JasonIsbellandAmandaShires #RankyTanky #CharltonSingleton #ZandrinaDunning #BlackNoyze #BlackDiamond #GoodTimes #DoYouBeleiveInMagic

Everyone I know has been depressed over the loss of the live show experience this year.  From mid-March till mid-May, gathering for a live show was banned in all of South Carolina. I understand there are places all around this country where there still is NO live music being played at this time.

Amid the ashes of cancelled and postponed tours rose the Charleston Pourhouse, reopening in May. They have a game plan where they were going to accommodate up to 150, give or take, on the outdoor back deck stage for live shows. Theirs is a no-nonsense plan which follows spacing guidelines and governmental mandates.

When you arrive at the Pourhouse, you are met by a friendly but direct, masked employee who scans your temperature and checks for your name and table number. In this fashion, there’s no ticket to exchange or barcode to scan. All are required to wear their masks while entering the PH and while going to your table, bar and restrooms.

I should mention that their ticket policy requires you to buy a table of 4, 6 or 8 seats. Therefore, you are around people you have selected to be with. Tables are at least 6 ft. apart. Dancing is limited to next to your table. Oh, yeah, and everyone gets a seat. This feature has its benefits! I have been going to the Pourhouse for ten years and recall only two shows I’ve been to inside where there were seats in the indoor room. That was before the PH brought back music to Charleston.

The beginning shows featured local bands, as one would expect. Like many of us, local artists are sitting around hoping for something to do and the Pourhouse is just a car ride away! They brought back many favorites such as Reckoning (Dead), Dallas Baker and friends (bluegrass), Runaway Gin (Phish), Doom Flamingo (Electronica), Robotrio and the Motown Throwdown.

The word must have gotten out as several regional bands such as Gino Castillo, Interstellar Echoes, Larry Keel Experience and Brock Butler(Perpetual Groove)have played the outdoor stage in the last month. The Acoustic Syndicate and Keller Williams will be here in October. It’s getting better every day!

Different bands do two 90 minute shows each Friday and Saturday night, with tickets generally $10 each seat. There’s no opening act so each night. The staff has clearly marked the necessary spots to stand at the bar and in the restrooms. They all wear masks and are keeping a good eye on people playing by the regs. I like that they are direct but reserved in letting you know the way things are at the PH. I have been there for more than a half dozen shows since the end of May and have watched the staff in action. We have been blessed with dry weather conditions for the nights that I have been there.

The bottom line is that people are looking for live music and the best seats are going quicker with most shows coming close to a sellout days before the shows. Patrons are having a good time and playing by the rules. For that, they get an outdoor live music experience with their friends. What else can you ask for? Kudos to Alex Harris and the staff, including Kim and the outdoor crew.

#CharlestonPourhouse #thePourhouse #Reckoning #DallasBakerandFriends #RunawayGin #DoomFlamingo #Robotrio #MotownThrowdown #GinoCastillo #InterstellarEchoes #LarryKeelExperience #BrockButler #PerpetualGroove #KellerWilliams #LoveLiveMusic #AlexHarris

As the mournful voice of Michael Stipe escaped from the speakers in my car, another piece of my heart broke. While REM was playing as I drove down the road, the lyrics spoke to me just a day after having to let man’s best friend go. My fourteen-year-old golden retriever, Hunter, finally had enough of the seizures and the maladies for which he took four medications daily. It was time to let him go but the reality of the situation overwhelmed me.

If you’re a fan of live music, you’re probably an animal lover, too. While this article does not follow in with the live music theme, I will beg your indulgence for a minute. Hunter was a big, soft, shedder of a dog who loved being among a crowd of people when the party was going on. He loved people and pizza crusts with equal vigor.

While waiting for him to join our home in January of 2006, the conversation centered on what we would call him. Names were proposed and rejected for one reason or another. I suggested Hunter, after the fabled Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, and the name was accepted by all. This little golden furball grew up to be a favorite of all who met him. He spent fourteen years and seven months making our lives better by his presence. Everyone who came in contact with him would leave with some souvenir fur. I’ve had yellow labs and mixed breeds before, but he was my first pedigree pup, complete with the papers to prove his bloodline. I regret that I didn’t keep the bloodline going, preserving the legacy of this quiet, loveable companion.

While we may have a favorite band or two who receive our devotion, we love all of our pets as we do our children, equally. Each day with a pet is a day to be cherished for their lives are much shorter than ours. The bond between man and his furry companions is one that doesn’t break. Just like when you discover a new music love and become a devoted fan, the experience such is the same with a companion such as Hunter. He was the biggest fan of the four members of our family. When our son or daughter took him to spend time with them in college, he was happy just to be with them. Whether he wound up taking selfies with sorority girls or drunken hockey players, he was just happy to not be alone. Pets like him want to share their gift with everyone they come in contact with. May he rest in peace.

This blog is being published on the fourth anniversary of the introduction of my blog, Do You Believe in Magic. Four years and 50+ posts have been more than I could have imagined. With so little live music happenings to write about, I was compelled to write this in the memory of my constant companion of these last fourteen years. I appreciate that you read this post and allowed me to try in some small way to ease my aching soul. Your support of this blog, reading what I can’t keep to myself, is cherished more than you may know. Peace and Thanks.

#Hunter #mansbestfriend #everybodyhurtssometime #REM #MichaelStipe #DoYouBelieveInMagic

These days it’s commonplace to hear the news that another musician has crossed over into the next life.  We reminisce a bit about their music and maybe a performance of theirs that left an impression on our psyche. Everyone’s tastes vary and often our musical paths don’t cross. A devastating loss to one fan is met by another fan with, “Who?”, This is especially true with artists who cross genres or appeal to people with varied tastes.

Clubs, theatres and concert halls of all sizes are brainstorming how to get back to business and abide by the safety guidelines imposed by their local and state governments. Every major tour under the sun has postponed or cancelled 2020 tour plans. There is too much uncertainty as to what is allowed and every city and state have different guidelines to follow. While every state has begun reopening, the different phases present too many challenges to make a tour go smoothly, efficiently and profitable. On top of that, indoor venues could face different guidelines than outdoor facilities. Here in Charleston several small clubs that have an outdoor stage have begun to offer some music, albeit local acts. The near term seems ripe for local artists to get exposure in markets where they may have struggled to get noticed in the past. I love local music and support them as much as possible for the variety that they offer at an affordable cost.

Let me offer an idea that I believe has merit, at least in the short run. As the dust settles on the challenges of reopening live music establishments, local bands are playing the stages of your favorite venues. The national acts are sitting home in their living rooms. They have got to be itching to play some live music somewhere. It’s in their blood! If touring is too unpredictable and economically challenging, why not consider establishing residency for a period of time at a favorite theatre for a string of shows? Let me offer my town, Charleston, SC as an example. An artist should consider playing a week or more of shows at a favorite theatre for a smaller audience. If a venue was limited to 25 or 50% capacity, this would necessitate a number of shows to sell enough tickets to pay the band for their time. There would be nights off for the artists to get a break before the next string of shows. Any artist worth their reputation could fill a venue for several nights of limited occupancy.  By establishing residency at a venue, they move in their equipment and it stays there on stage until they are ready to wrap up their residency and move on, whether it is back home or to another city. By doing a residency in a city such as Charleston, they could spend time as a tourist, golfer or beach-goer. It could be the perfect opportunity to bring along their family if schooling permits. They would get to enjoy all that makes Charleston (SC) such a desirable destination. On top of it all, they get to perform to an appreciative fanbase who might not get to enjoy them in such an intimate setting. I don’t envision them getting rich on the concept but I believe that they can structure it to do more than break even.

I haven’t done the math and that is not my purpose in developing this proposal. I will leave that up to the promoters and the concert venue management to make the numbers work. I see the ticket prices being higher than normal but not so high as to make it unaffordable for the average fan. After all, many of their followers may have been unemployed for a while or may still remain that way.

I believe that this idea has merit. It could help music venues reopen and put people back to work. It will give the artists an opportunity to play in front of a live audience for a stretch of time. It could help control some of the cost of being “on the road.” Artists could settle in and enjoy the surroundings of the city that they are in in such a way that the normal tour schedule just won’t allow. The musicians’ families might enjoy spending a week or so with their families in a great city such as Charleston, SC while still being able to get to perform in front of audiences. There is another segment of artist that could be approached and this is the community of artists already living here. I don’t know how unique this town may be but there are bands that came from here and made it big and there are artists that made it big and then moved here.  If you’re out there and restless, how about exploring the concept with venues eager to get started? Why not reach out to the mayor or the county executive with a win/win proposition?

 I believe that bands like Shovels and Rope, Umphrey’s McGee, Hootie and the Blowfish or Darius and his country band could sell out a week or two here. If Susto or Stop Light Observations are hunkered down in Charleston, they could get a week of their own! There are artists that have homes here but like to keep that quiet. We’ll keep your address unpublished in exchange for your talents displayed for everyone’s enjoyment. Bands such as Sister Hazel already have a weekend at the Windjammer (IOP, SC) each summer. Team them up with another band from their era and you could sell 25 to 50% occupancy tickets for a string of shows, all while the band enjoys the comforts of the same hotel room or the rental house on the beach for a stretch. Just a thought…

#charlestonsc #Umphreysmcgee #hootieandtheblowfish #dariusrucker #shovelsandrope #susto #stoplightobservations #sisterhazel #thewindjammer #doyoubelieveinmagic

Bucket lists, everybody has one or two or more. Being a live music junkie, it is music venues that intrigue me and have me developing a bucket list of venues to see while I can. When you are present for a great performance in an amazing setting, it’s magic.

 Today I would like to share my bucket list of music venues with all of you. But what is a bigger goal for me is to hear from you about a “must-see,” music venue and why I should experience a concert there. I am hoping to expand my bucket list of music venues that should be experienced while I can enjoy them. That gives me 20-30 more years to get them all in!

I don’t know what I don’t know. Therefore, I am seeking your feedback about a memorable venue or a few places you have experienced which are not on my list… and should be. I would love to hear from you and your experiences.

I’m an East Coast guy so most of my experiences have been along the eastern seaboard. The furthest west I have seen a show is Chicago, IL.  I have asked friends about their experiences and this has helped shape my list to date. Over nearly 50 years, I have been fortunate to visit some special places for live music. Growing up in NY, my first two venues were Madison Square Garden (the older version) and Carnegie Hall. I’ve been to the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan and the Bottom Line. Wollman’s Rink in Central Park was an amazing experience of great music in a forest-like setting in the heart of New York City. I have seen epic shows in the ’80s at the Fox Theatre and the Agora Ballroom in Atlanta. Recently, I attended a memorable show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. I have some wonderful memories of concerts from 1975-78 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in New York. Back home, the Charleston Music Hall is the best small theatre/listening room in the state and my vehicle for all these shows.

I have organized my list according to size and scene. It breaks down to Clubs and Theatres, including Performing arts centers, Indoor multi-use arenas under 10,000 capacity, and Outdoor summer sheds and Amphitheaters. In nearly fifty years in the audience far and wide, I have never found a 10,000+ arena that provided a memorable sensory experience. It’s true that if you want to see many of today’s top bands, you have to see them in a metal and concrete structure that will hold the size of the crowd they command. Should you have a live, large indoor stadium large (10,000+)audience that you believe needs to be experienced, let us know about it!

My current outdoor shed and amphitheater bucket list includes Red Rocks in Colorado. I had tickets this July to see String Cheese Incident there, but the show got canceled on April 27^th. Outdoor venues I’ve heard great things about are Tanglewood in Massachusetts, Pine Knob in Michigan, Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and the Gorge Amphitheatre in the state of Washington. I’m looking for music venues in a wonderful natural setting; places where you get more than a musical setting, you get an experience. To that extent, I want to make it to the Caverns in Grundy County, Eastern Tennessee for a concert.

I also love classic old theatres, restored to their original grandeur. I have the Capitol Theatre, Portchester, NY as a bucket list venue. Should  Radio City Music Hall  be a must see music venue? I don’t know. All I ever saw of the place was a Rockettes Show about 50 years ago.

What am I missing? Where are the great theatres around this country that should be on the list? Many cities around the country have restored grand movie theatres that may be worthy of a road trip! Tell me about them!

No bucket list of clubs would be complete without a visit to the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. I’ve been outside the building, but have yet to take in a show. What small club should make the list? I know of the Brooklyn Bowl back in Brooklyn, NY but don’t know of anyone having been there.

Large buildings on college campuses are designed for basketball and rarely ever have good acoustics. I don’t know if there’s a building that would have to be on a “must-see,” venue list. The same can be said for most pro basketball and hockey arenas. They can hold up to 20,000 generally so more fans can go…but are they worth going to? I have been to the Greensboro Coliseum, which I believe can hold 30,000+ for basketball but I wouldn’t rush back for a concert experience. Pro football stadiums, indoors and outdoors, can hold anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 or more. I saw the Grateful Dead’s, “Fare Thee Well,” shows at Soldier Field with 60,000 nightly. I can’t say that Soldier Field is a must-go venue. Is there one out there that’s worth seeing and tolerating the conditions for the music?

Please join me and share some of your bucket list venues with me and my readers. Let me know if there’s a place that you’ve been to that should be a must venue for my list.

#bucketlist #musicvenues #madisonsquaregarden #carnegiehall #rymanauditorium #charlestonmusichall #foxtheateratlanta #stonepony #brooklynbowl #beacontheater #bottomline musicvenue #agoraballroom #SPAC #Tanglewood #pineknob #blossommusiccenter #thegorge #Capitaltheaterportchesternewyork  #cavernsingrundycounty #radiocitymusichall

Check out this timely tune from a band that I admire. Its totally not their style but it speaks to all of us at this time. This goes out to all of my friends and family who I miss greatly during these trying times

#easterinquarantine #weareallinthistogether #IwillSurviv #umphreysmcgee