PORT TOWNSEND (AP)—The Who will play a free concert in July in a small stadium that is normally used for high school football games, in exchange for the condition that the town rechristen itself in honor of its lead … Continue reading
Barry McGuire was around in the 1960s, and remembers them well enough to present a historical narrative of songs and stories for the benefit of those who either need … Continue reading
Michael Nesmith, once of the Monkees, was awarded a patent on Christmas Day for a process that incorporates live video into a virtual environment. Called VR3D, it has the potential to increase the reality quotient of virtual worlds, bumping up … Continue reading
You gotta feel for someone who doesn’t own any Bob Dylan or Neil Young albums and hasn’t a clue where to start. There are too many choices: Early or recent? Electric or acoustic? Live or studio? They end up purchasing … Continue reading
Six years ago Neil Young brought his CSN buddies through town imploring the country to impeach the president for lying, this week he began the next leg of his tour with Crazy Horse with a straight-faced version of “The Star … Continue reading
WE ALL HOLD our own set of prejudices and preconceptions, with clear ideas about politics and religion, tolerance and hatred or country music singers and lesbians. Chely Wright blows most of those ideas out of the water. An established country … Continue reading
In 1966 I was a musically precocious 12-year-old, but met my match with Bob Dylan’s seventh album, Blonde on Blonde. I knew that he was “one of the greats” because all the older kids said so, but I didn’t really … Continue reading
SEATTLE— Ian Hunter has drawn the same fans for ages and they are all here tonight, but this is more than just All the Old Dudes. A new album, a crack band and perfect weather prove that people who’ve followed Hunter … Continue reading
Rodney Crowell, who turns 62 on August 7, has been on our radar since the 1970s, when he was the freshest horse in Emmylou Harris’ songwriting stable. Since then he’s been a left-of-center presence, a master of diverse categories but … Continue reading
Social networking has changed how we hear bad news and how we grieve. We’ve known that not all was well with Levon Helm for several months, he would cancel shows for ailments and operations but we all thought that he … Continue reading
Original posted on No Depression, April 6, 2011 Richard Thompson is messing with the standard performer/audience equation in two ways this year. There was his participation in the Cayamo Songwriters’ cruise in February, and his acting as an instructor at … Continue reading
After returning from this year’s Cayamo Cruise I started fiddling with all the random media I’d captured. Since I didn’t take any videos, the solution was to combined what I managed to record with the hundreds of pictures taken with … Continue reading
Autumn has become the season for reissues, with new iterations of the Rolling Stones Some Girls, the Who’s Quadrophenia and the entire Pink Floyd catalog arriving in “deluxe” editions that contain a a greater volume of so-called bonus tracks than … Continue reading
The presidential teleprompter went missing for a few hours last week, but reports that it was returned intact with no missing items or security breaches may have been premature. It now turns out that a jump drive containing several rough … Continue reading
By Charlie Bermant Sonic Boomers 9/11/09 One of the privileges of my generation is the opportunity to watch the once-mighty play small clubs, but seeing someone of Roger Daltrey’s stature didn’t seem possible. But it’s happening. In preparation for a … Continue reading
Interview: John Sebastian’s Spoonful of Magic By Charlie Bermant (Originally Published: 03/26/2010, Sonic Boomers) The best 1960s bands always sounded so original, when in fact they filtered existing musical idioms such as folk and blues to gain a unique sound. … Continue reading
Three years ago I received an email from one of Martin Scorsese’s people, requesting the audio from a 1987 interview I had done with George Harrison for possible use in a documentary project. I had carelessly lost the tape and … Continue reading
In a previous life you went to several concerts a month, when those who are now rock and roll dinosaurs walked the earth. Today you live in a rural area and don’t get out as much, but in August the … Continue reading
By Charlie Bermant Peninsula Daily News PORT TOWNSEND WA, August 28, 2011— Several weeks ago Upstage Restaurant and Bistro owner Mark Cole found a used copy of “Cahoots,” The Band’s 1971 album on a courtyard table and set it behind … Continue reading
Published in Crosscut on July 15, 2011. Nostalgia for the 1960s isn’t what it used to be. This summer’s concert schedule has only a smattering of golden era bands who try hard, but can’t compete with the records or old … Continue reading
SEATTLE—John Mellencamp played only one song from when he was known only as “Cougar,” and even that was only to fulfill an obligation to people who’d feel cheated if they didn’t hear “Jack and Diane.” He switched it around some, … Continue reading
As rock and roll has matured we have built monuments to the music, with opulent buildings in Los Angeles, Cleveland and Seattle attempting to bottle the magic and put it up for display. Those seeking a musical excursion can visit … Continue reading
