Last night (Saturday, 24 November), we finally saw an opening band that the missus liked more than the headliner: The Infatuations, a funk / soul / rock band from the Detroit area that sounds like they've been together for years owing to their tight vocal harmonies and outstanding musicianship. They were the second opening act for the Howling ( Read more... )

Last Friday (2 November), the missus and I caught a couple of local bands -- Rio and the Rockabilly Revival and Horse Cave Trio -- at a nearby venue.

She didn't like the Horse Cave Trio when we first saw them -- IIRC, it was on a bill with these guys (who she really hated) -- but they eventually won her over when they were one of the bands at ( Read more... )

I'm struck by the thought that the Whitesnake song "Here I Go Again" would be sooooo much better if, instead of:

"'Cause I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams"

David Coverdale sang:

"'Cause I know what it is
To walk along the lonely streets of jizz"

I mean, seriously: vast improvement.

*pauseIt also occurs to me ( Read more... )

First we had Gore Vidal's not-unexpected passing last Tuesday, 31 July.

Then we learned of the death, on Thursday, 2 August, of Sir John Keegan, certainly one of, if not the, preeminent military historians of the late 20th century, and one noted for the attention that he paid to the psychological effects of war upon men in works such as 1976's ( Read more... )

The missus and I went to the final day of the 20th annual Concert of Colors in Detroit on Sunday, 15 July; this marks the first time we've ever gone to more than one day of this particular festivalThe musicians that we saw on Sunday -- all for free -- were ( Read more... )

The missus and I went to the 20th annual Concert of Colors in Detroit's Midtown district -- specifically, at Orchestra Hall (the Max M. Fisher Music Center) -- today (technically yesterday: Saturday, 14 July); the Concert of Colors is a free event that brings in performers from various musical genres / regions of the world, and it's always a great ( Read more... )

Yesterday (Monday, 6 February), the NPR programme Soundcheck, produced by WNYC in, duh, NYC, had a remembrance of Soul Train creator/producer/host Don Cornelius, who died last week at the age of 75, an apparent suicide.

Growing up, I would peep at Soul Train now and again, largely due to the half-dressed, jigglin' an' wrigglin' lay-teez the ( Read more... )

Yesterday (Thur., 10 Nov.) I heard another egregious example, on "Doug FM," of how the FCC has forced U.S. radio stations to play bowdlerized versions of classic songs. (They're doing it for current -- and admittedly more blue -- hits as well, viz. Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You", turned into "Forget You," and Enrique Iglesias's "Tonight (I'm Fuckin' ( Read more... )

...especially if Sweetest Day happens to be the sort-of 21st anniversary of your first date with said inamorata*.

This exchange occurred towards the end of a show headlining these guys, and also featuring these guys (Detroit bands all):

SPOUSE: If that girl's skirt gets any higher, you'll be able to see everything.

ME (after rapidly ( Read more... )