Fun Facts! About "Tommy" on its 50th Anniversary
This is not any kind of review.
Latest
Adam Weiner, The Ark, Ann Arbor, March 5, 2026
Shake it, little Tina
Patti Smith, Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, March 11, 2026
"“I’m trying to look 68."
Richard Lloyd Trio, Lager House, Detroit, MI January 12, 2026
Richard Lloyd was in town tonight, and it felt like a message from the home country, back before we had email and flying cars in our pockets, when you needed to talk to someone from another place to find out about that place. The last time I saw Lloyd he
new book - three chords and blessed noise: a patti smith tour chronicle
The tl;dr - I wrote a short book about the five shows I saw on Patti Smith's Horses 50th anniversary tour and you can buy it now! three chords and blessed noise In November, Patti Smith & her Band went out on the road for the 50th
remnants: "The Ritual of 'Horses'"
I know these songs. I know them. They know me.
Elvis Costello & the Imposters featuring Charlie Sexton, Royal Oak Music Theatre, October 9, 2025
They leave him half way to paradise They leave you half way to bliss
Chasing History: Chuck Mitchell and Mitch Ryder
When I was in my late teens/early 20s, one of the worst pieces of advice I ever got from “older” folks -- not my parents or that generation, but people maybe 5-10 years older -- was to not bother going to see older artists. This was the late 70s/
pilgrimage: Visiting Kent State
in honor of Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder
Neil Young & the chrome hearts, Pine Knob, August 13, 2025
live music is better | bumperstickers should be issued
Daniel Lanois Trio, Aeolian Hall, London, Ontario, July 11, 2025
The Daniel Lanois Trio played two nights at the Aeolian Hall in London, Ontario, an ancient and gorgeous venue a two-hour drive from Detroit that is apparently one of the top 10 halls in Canada, according to the CBC. It was an intimate space with great resonance and that is
IT’S NEVER OVER: JEFF BUCKLEY
if you love his music you should see this, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about you should definitely watch it.
Fandom
the number of shows you have seen is the world's most uninteresting fandom metric.
We all need to work to end the annoying habit of asking people at a concert how many times they’ve seen the artist.
Documentaries
ONE TO ONE: John & Yoko | YOKO by David Sheff
I have a pathological need to identify every location in NYC that appears in a film or tv or random photo, so when the first shot of ONE TO ONE : JOHN & YOKO appears on the screen, out of focus, fuzzy, zooming in on a crowd of people, I immediately
Concert Reviews
Michael Monroe, the Machine Shop, Flint, MI, April 5, 2025
He’s one of those people who was born to be onstage.
Patti Smith
A Celebration of Patti Smith, Carnegie Hall, March 26, 2025
My favorite element has always been figuring out what songs the artists decide they want to perform and how they interpret them.
Book Reviews
Music Book Review: "Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story Of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival"
There is dirt. There is sex and drugs. There are internecine squabbles.
Book Reviews
Music Book Review: "Heartbreaker," by Mike Campbell
I read "Heartbreaker" in three days. I didn’t want to put it down.
Book Reviews
Music Book Review: Mood Machine by Liz Pelly
What Pelly’s book does a fantastic job of uncovering is how Spotify just does not care about music.
Concert Reviews
Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve, Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI, March 8, 2025
they call her Natasha when she looks like Elsie
Tributes
David Johansen: David Johansen
let's just dance.
Newsletter
Learning Songwriting with Brian Eno
"It all feeds you."
Tributes
For Marianne Faithfull.
side two. song four.
Fandom
Visiting the MC5 Inductee Exhibit at the Rock Hall
Staying alive with the MC5