DAVE CHAPPELLE: the Review

Comedian Dave Chappelle began his first tour in more than 10 years in Charleston, SC, on February 1 and 2. He sold out four shows in two nights in record time for the Charleston Music Hall. Normally, I would post a picture of the artist in this slot but cell phones were banned at all of his performances. I will explain all of that later in this review.

First, I must say that I loved his sketch comedy when he had his TV show. His willingness to poke fun at himself and all manner of people made for must see TV. Continue reading

Cover Tunes: The Sincerest Form of Flattery

 

We all grew up listening to “Cover “bands in bars and at parties. Give a young guy a guitar and watch as they learn to play music that was popular in the day. Give a girl a microphone and listen to the songs of the artists who became her influences. After all, this was how many musicians got their start. Most never got past playing those cover tunes. But others discovered their talent for songwriting as the result of the musicians they listen to on the radio and record.

Fast forward to the present and plainly see that playing the songs of others have become the sincerest form of flattery in the Rock community. If you want to know who a musician’s influences are/were, look no further than their song list and the tunes others have written and made popular.  Continue reading

Family Feud: the Zappa edition

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You don’t have to like his music to want to read further. Zappa was a fantastic musician but an acquired taste. This is not about his music, but how a dysfunctional family’s infighting threatens Zappa’s legacy. Continue reading

Full Moons and Fallen Stars

It was with true sadness that I  read about the death of Leon Russell this past Sunday, November 13. I was very fortunate to catch live him twice in the last 6 years.  While I intend to pay homage to a great musician with an amazing career,I would also like to stress how important  it is to attend shows of a living legend when they come to your town. They may never get another chance to come back again. Continue reading

THERE’S A PARTY GOING ON …AT THE “MAVERICKS” CONCERT!!

Jimmy Buffet, Zac Brown, Bruce Springsteen and the Mavericks… what do they share? These bands create a party atmosphere at their shows where the concert goer just can’t sit still in their seats! The audience embraces each song with contagious energy.  These performances are just plain FUN!! Continue reading

I have seen the future of music and it is in the past!

Recently, I had the good fortune to see performances by legends and unknowns that
showed me that the future is behind us. Several weeks ago, I saw a solo piano player named Holly Bowling perform 90 minutes of amazing solo piano Continue reading

WHY DO CONCERT TICKETS COST SO MUCH & WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT…

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I have a theory that I conjured up by myself. You see, I haven’t read about it or heard it on the radio, but I have an idea why the concert tickets you buy today are costing a hellavu lot more than they have in the past. And I have three ways for you to fight back and help change these circumstances.

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Live for Live Music in the Lowcountry

580I came to town 27 years ago and the music scene was sparse to say the least. Very few name bands chose to make Charleston a stop on their tour…the town was too small to draw a big enough audience to make it worth the band’s while. My, how times have changed. To get the facts about what Charleston has to offer, read on.

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A Bucket list you can fulfill!

Bucket lists…everyone has one. Exotic places you want to visit once you win the lottery. How about the top 5 artists you have always wanted to see live?  Last Tuesday night I got to see the Dave Matthews Band in Charleston and another artist comes off my list. Where do I go from here? Who’s in your Top 5? Continue reading

When worlds collide…John Mayer embraces the Grateful Dead

While I am a proud Deadhead, this blog will not be a shrine to their music. But this  first  entry is all about why  Dead and Company might be the best band performing live this year. Continue reading