Thunderbolt

In my formative years, my interest in 60s r&b led me to two titans of music. The first was Otis Redding, and the second was Aretha. Describing her music as “timeless” is an understatement. What I discovered in the 1980s sounded as vital and fresh as it did in the 60s. Moreover, Aretha’s songs still sound contemporary in the 21st century. Not only did her music open my ears to some of the most humanistic performances ever, but it was something that Julie and I connected over when we met. Aretha’s music was with us throughout the 90s and has since been ingrained in the lives of our kids. I’m proud that Sophie and Jacob won’t be able to tell people when they first heard “Respect,” “Chain of Fools,” “I Never Loved a Man” and “Natural Woman” because those songs were always around when they were growing up. Today we lost a legend, a superlative that doesn’t seem great enough. Thank God we have the music. Her spirit will live on.   RIP Ms. Franklin.

Tom Petty's music touched every facet of my life. From discovering rock n' roll and through my formative years, to college and becoming an adult, meeting Julie, moving to CA and the birth of my kids. Petty was always there. Even more than Springsteen, Petty was always there. I can name any Petty song and pinpoint the moment in my life when it first transformed me. This summer, I finally read Warren Zanes' warts and all biography of Tom Petty. It's fantastic, and Petty, who was interviewed and gave his blessing to the book, is brutally honest about the harrowing details of his life. This was a man who endured and persevered. He was far from perfect, but he did hia best.  If you have an opportunity, pick it up. It's the perfect companion to Peter Bogdanovich's epic documentary, "Runnin Down a Dream." I may not have loved the most recent Heartbreakers albums, but that was okay. The Mudcrutch records contained the ramshackle looseness that I loved about so...

Last night I saw Martin Scorsese's new motion picture, SILENCE. It's a profound and deeply moving story about one man's struggle with his faith and the power of forgiveness. The cast, led by Andrew Garfield, features Adam Driver, Tadanobu Asano, Yosuke Kubozuka, Shinya Tsukamoto, Issey Ogata and Liam Neeson. Every performance is exceptional and the film is a technical wonder. This may be Scorsese's most restrained movie in his storied career; it is also his most personal. Do not shy away from it because it's rated R. I've seen more violence and senseless death in the Marvel super hero adventures. Likewise, the 2 hour 41 min running time doesn't feel like a slog. The plot and pacing are perfect.

"When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered." -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tonight I was given this Journey tour program from their 1983 "Frontiers" tour. I went to this concert with my friend, Matt B., who passed away nearly 12 years ago. We went to the show with his mom and sat behind the stage. That was fine by me because I got a better view of Steve Smith playing drums. Bryan Adams was an up and comer and the opening act. Matt's brother gave this to me. I will treasure it.

This was written soon after the death of my brother-in-law, Seann. It' been five years since he left us. The void of his loss still stings. -- SM I could sense a presence at the foot of my bed; someone standing there, waiting for me to wake up. Raising my head, my eyes fought their way through the haze caused by the alcohol and turkey I’d consumed the night before. It was my brother-in-law, Seann, dressed in his motorcycle jacket and his backpack hanging over one shoulder. His mouth curled into the cocksure smile that never seemed to leave his face. The night before, Thanksgiving, he’d joined us for a feast at my brother’s house. We hadn’t seen him in a while and it was a pleasure to catch up. All in attendance came from my sister-in-law’s side of the family and I always found it beautiful that Seann could effortlessly fit in with them.   Just as they had welcomed Julie and me into their lives many years ago, they did the same with Seann. It helped that he was so personable an...

The Indians are about to begin the American League Championship Series, and I've been listening to a lot of Coldplay for something I'm writing. Whenever I hear the band, I instantly think of "Fix You" and this post I wrote for Popdose 5 years ago. Here are two phrases I never thought I’d say in this year: “The Indians swept the Red Sox” and “Cleveland is in first place.” Hope  springs eternal each spring when Major League Baseball begins its season. We fans are optimistic even when our team is mid-market and does not have the gargantuan payroll of ESPN favorites like the Yankees and Phillies. A scrappy group of aging vets and wet behind the ears youngsters can show the world that you don’t have to be the richest team to succeed; you can develop talent in the farm leagues and make savvy trades. Yeah, that’s what we fans of smaller market teams tell ourselves each year before the first pitch is thrown. Springtime is a season full of hope in our household, no...