More popular than Jesus.

I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Israel this summer for the first time in 20 years.

Israel's Tourism Ministry is touting the country as a sunny destination and highlighting its two largest cities, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem by using Bobby Hebb's 1966 song "Sunny".  However on my recent two week trip to the Middle East, I had another group from the 1960s continually entering my conscious.  It started with a trip to an Israeli hamburger chain that we dined in multiple times named Burgerim broadcasting the tag line "Come Together".  While I do not believe there is a deliberate connection between the restaurant and the 1969 Beatles song from Abbey Road, this was not the only Beatles reference I came across during my recent travels.

As we traveled throughout the country, it seemed like our rental car's radio had a preference for playing a song by the Beatles.  First it was the Beatles (1964's "And I Love Her"), then a member of The Beatles (Paul McCartney's 1983 "Say Say Say") and finally a local artist covering The Beatles (Tatran's "Strawberry Fields Forever").  Once out of the car, and walking along Ha-Meyasdim St in Zikhron Ya'akov (an artist colony at the southern end of the Carmel mountain range overlooking the Mediterranean Sea) The Beatles were blaring from a street vendor's stereo.  On a different evening, I was sitting along Ben Yehuda Street, a pedestrian mall in Jerusalem, and witnessed a musical duo (one of the members was an Israeli soldier) jamming on an acoustic guitar and harmonica to what could have been their best rendition of 1963's "Love Me Do".

All of these audio signs had me wondering if there any truths to The Beatles loving Israel back?  And the answer is no.  Fifty-two years after a proposed concert by The Beatles fell by the wayside (1966 for those scoring at home and the reasons for the cancellation appear to be tied to the corruptive influence the band might have on Israeli youth of the day), Paul McCartney took the honors as the first Beatle to perform in Israel.   For the 45,000 in attendance at  the show in Tel Aviv's Park Hayarkon in 2008, they were treated to Sir Paul showering them in Hebrew with lines like "Shalom Tel Aviv, shana tova" and some greatest hits.   Not to be outdone, earlier this year Ringo Starr performed two nights at the Menorah Mivtahim Arena in Tel Aviv. These shows are highly anticipated, most likely due to many artists choosing to bypass this region.  But at the same time, there is something special in the air of cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

I am not well-traveled internationally, so my guess is that what I saw and heard in Israel is not unique when it comes to The Beatles.  However, in my opinion, it speaks to the magnitude of influence that the band continues to carry.  Please let me remind you that the band has been "broken up" since 1969, but there are still Beatles tribute bands like Israel's Magical Mystery Tour, who will be teaming up in October 2019 with the Israel Chamber Orchestra to bring the Fab Four's songs to life in a series of shows across the country.

Thanks for reading.

It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights.

Colors can trigger emotions, and can also have a significant effect on developing minds.

I still remember my first experience of watching a Pink Floyd laser light show at Hayden Planetarium in Boston all the way back in November 1991.  Reclining in the chair, sitting amongst my friends (Robby, Greg and Hammer) and listening to the songs that I had previous only heard on the stereo in Jason's house.  Combining the audio with the visual, the songs began to take on a different meaning, particularly when I started to think about the lyrics of the ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ song ‘Breathe’: “Long you live and high you fly / And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry / And all you touch and all you see  / Is all your life will ever be”. 

I can also recall a God Street Wine show at the Bayou in Washington DC in May 1995.  This show took place to support the release of their first major record label album (“$1.99 Romances”).  Signing with Geffen Records seemed to officially mark that the band was “big time”.  However, the only reason I knew something was up is that the lights showering down on stage started to change during their set.  It was so noticeable that the band even commented mid-set that must have “made it” since they could all confirm seeing different colors of wash lights.  At a time in which I was first starting to put my toes in the water of working professionally in the music industry, this sequence initiated the thought in my mind of the different levels of success in the world of touring bands.

Or there is the story my friend Pete recently retold to me about attending the band Lettuce’s show at Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, CO in October 2017.  There could have (most likely) been other things involved, but he will argue with all due respect to Grammy Award winning guitarist Eric Krasno, that he was more fascinated with the light show than the set list.  This is not a knock on the musicians band, but a testament to the thought that venues and artists put into live concerts.  It also speaks to the multiple facets in which people choose to enjoy a concert – again combining the audio and the visual.  And in the same jamband circles that Lettuce earned its reputation, a lot of the same fans will tell you that Chris Kuroda (aka Topher) is the fifth member of Phish. . . .His instrument is the light board.

Thanks for reading.

He thought I was stupid. I am not stupid.

As most people know, I love exposing my boys to a wide variety of music.  I take a lot of pride in the fact that we listen to everything from "Sit Down John" from the musical “1776” and in the same session, A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario”.  Or on some days our playlist includes tracks that take us all over the musical map: City and Colour’s “The Grand Optimist” or the band Typhoon’s song “Common Sentiments”.

The boys' musical interests have recently evolved from the pop-singer songwriters of Gavin DeGraw, Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran to pop-themed musicals.  I believe there is still room on their playlists for the new Jason Mraz song “Have it All”, but right now their heads are filled with the lyrics of “Dear Evan Hansen”, “Rent”, “Wicked” and a musical you may have heard of about the life of an American Founding Father.  A majority of the songs from these shows are far more progressive than I would have ever given credit.  I grew up listening to what I would call traditional musicals, “The Music Man” and “Bye Bye Birdie” and then for a brief period there was “Grease”  but like many families fully immersed in “Hamilton”, I am learning that if writing a ground-breaking musical was easy, almost everyone would do it.

As I listened to some of the songs from these soundtracks for the 4,000th time, I am finally realizing that these musicals are a new form of pop music.  The songs are catchy, short, simple and melodic. They are generally between 2 ½ and 5 ½ minutes long and aim to satisfy a broad audience.

When asked by John Istel in the publication 'American Theatre', "Do you see your music as part of the American musical theatre tradition?"  Jonathan Larson the songwriter behind the musical “Rent” responded, "My whole thing is that American popular music used to come from theatre and Tin Pan Alley, and there’s no reason why contemporary theatre can’t reflect real contemporary music, and why music that’s recorded or that’s made into a video cannot be from a show." ‘Rent’ opened on Broadway in 1996 and is known as the “original rock musical” – a modern retelling of Puccini’s “La Boheme”.  Lin-Manuel Miranda channels that same energy with 2015’s “Hamilton”.   And just like Larson’s character Roger’s “One Song Glory” can be a conduit to Jon Bon Jovi’s 1990 song “Blaze Of Glory” (which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Mainstream rock chart in 1990), when I listen to Hercules Mulligan’s rap in “My Shot”, I can hear Busta Rhymes in Leaders of the New School and their song “What’s Next” (which peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles chart in 1993).

I am not sure where my boys’ musical tastes will segue-way from this point in their lives, but they have been enjoying some 1990s alternative rock recently.  In heavy rotation in my car is Buffalo Tom’s “Big Red Letter Day”.  The record clocks in at just over 41 minutes and with 11 songs that comes out to approximately 4 minute songs.

Thanks for reading!

Days are long, but the years are short.

If I could have a super power, I would have the ability to be in two places at once. Most recently, this would have come in handy so I could enjoy my adventures in New Orleans for Jazz Fest while simultaneously being in Pittsburgh to cheer on my boys at their games that weekend. It was very bittersweet to read the texts from my wife about one son’s pick 6 and the other’s game-winning RBI double. But, if being in two states at the same time is too far-fetched, then I would still have longed for this same superpower while staying in New Orleans . You see, I learned very quickly that at Jazz Fest, there are too many great musicians and too little time. 

The closest I have ever come to being in two places at one time  was the unique instance when my friend Dan W. and I attended two (2) MLB games in the same day, but in different cities.  Game 1 was a matinee in Cleveland and Game 2 was a night game in Pittsburgh.  I recognize that one cannot get so lucky all the time and everything seemed to align that day.  This thought made me think of the phrase “Fear of missing out” or FoMO which according to Wikipedia is "a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent".  Although I do not believe that I have a clear-cut case of FoMO, there are a lot of things that I would like to do over the course of a month, week and even 24 hours.

Almost every day of the week my boys either have activities or there is a concert that I am interested in attending.  The low-tech part of me actually jots everything down by hand in a personal calendar.  If I am able to attend the event, it receives a check-mark and if not it receives an X.  With the boys’ schedules, work and life in general, I do not nearly place as many check marks as I did in previous chapters of my life.  My wife even pokes fun at me that I take so much pride in placing those check marks.  Bouncing around the city and making different plans is still feasible, but no longer ideal.

I know that when I was touring with bands, two shows in one day was not out of the norm.  A typical day on the road might include a record store promotional gig in the afternoon and then playing a club in that same city later that night.  The band never performed the same set, and I always hoped that fans would want to see both shows.  As the summer concert tours continue to get announced, I wonder if fans ever think about trying to attend multiple shows in one day.  For example, today - Friday, June 1 there are five heavyweight concerts in the greater Pittsburgh market:  Dave Matthews Band returns to KeyBank Pavilion, Justin Timberlake is performing at PPG Paints Arena; Frank Turner (along with The Menzingers) headlines at Stage AE; Mavis Staples opens the annual Three Rivers Arts Festival and local heroes Code Orange return for their show at Mr. Smalls Theatre.

It is still TBD as to which show that I will be in attendance for . . .

Thanks for reading.

Ice Cold Water $1

I can officially cross the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival off of my bucket list.  I knew I was in for a good weekend when, walking around Friday night when my trip had just started, I overheard a guy say to his friends, “we weren’t planning on being this tired and hungover.”  I have learned that Jazz Fest is a marathon of music and you need to pace yourself.  So, as I look back on what was a fantastic weekend at the Fair Grounds Race Course, I wanted to share what were some truly great live music memories.

Before I even made it over the festival, I stopped by what would become my home base on Desoto St. for the next 48 hours.  A place where other like-minded people would congregate, as well as prepare for and break-down all of the music that was about to be seen (or had already been heard).  Over food and drinks recommendations, suggestions are made and you can luckily be introduced to bands that you want to see again.  For me that was

• Tin Men, self-proclaimed America's premier sousaphone, washboard and guitar trio, although they mentioned an unnamed Wisconsin band on their heels.
• The Treme Brass Band, who had the Economy Hall Tent in a second line before the first song was even over.
• And Mississippi blues musician Eddie Cotton, who brought energy and style and had me enjoying the blues in a whole new light.

With so much music, of course you are also going to miss acts – I was told by Eric Z. that I was going to regret not seeing Samantha Fish, by Bruce that I left too early during Trumpet Mafia’s set, and by Barry R. that David Byrne’s performance was a top 5 show of his all-time, but I can also say that I stumbled across some artists that I am so happy that I got a chance to see, and had not even planned on:

• Andrew Duhon at Lagniappe Stage where I learned that he has a new album “False River” out on Friday, May 25 and the new single “Comin’ Around”.
• Bonerama at the Gentilly Stage and hearing their song “Mr. Okra”, honoring the beloved and recently deceased singing vegetable vendor.
• And Cha Wa, the New Orleans brass band-meets-Mardi Gras Indian group doing their rendition of “Lil Liza Jane”.

Speaking of “Lil Liza Jane”, it is also not uncommon for artists to perform songs other than their own at Jazz Fest, and the most notable that I heard over the weekend were:

• Bonnie Raitt “Need You Tonight” (INXS)
• Cynthia Girtley “When The Saints Go Marching In” (Paramount Jubilee Singers)
• And Henry Butler (a name that you will hear again) & The Jambalaya Band “Iko Iko” (Sugar Boy and his Cane Cutters)

I also thought of how my wife and boys would handle being at the Fest from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and on Sunday I got a taste when Josh L. brought his two children and the day was a success!  I can honestly say that Jazz Fest is truly a family event and I had awesome musician sightings on & off-stage that exemplified why this is truly a family event:

• Ben Ellman, saxophonist for Galactic/New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, with his family at the Kids Tent watching the Ashe Cultural Arts Center Kuumba Institute drummers & dancers.
• Ben Schenck, clarinetist for the Panorama Jazz Band, walking with his family between the Jazz & Heritage Stage and Lagniappe Stage.
• And members of the Original Pinettes Brass Band (New Orleans only all-female brass band) right alongside me (& Mr. Footwork) at the Acura Stage watching the Hot 8 Brass Band.

The day after the music, Josh L. and I found ourselves in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans where we unbelievably saw a man that we had seen the past two days in a bow tie and blazer.  We stopped him long enough to question where his uniform was on yet another 80 degree day, but more importantly this reminded me ow how small a town New Orleans can be.  There is a comradery amongst the musicians and you will often see some of the same musicians sit in with each other.  Favorite moments for me were:

• Aurora Nealand playing with her own band The Royal Roses, but also adding clarinet for the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars
• Steven Bernstein raising the bar with his slide trumpet with both the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars as well as Henry Butler & The Jambalaya Band
• And Henry Butler with his Jambalaya Band as well as sitting in on an a stellar Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton.

To try and wrap up what was an incredible few days in the Crescent City, Leron F. pulled a beer out of the fridge on Desoto St and handed it to me with a smile on his face and said, “How about a Dixie Lager?  It’s perfect for right now.”

Thanks for reading.

Who’s My +1

Music therapy researchers Daisy Fancourt and Aaron Williamon from Imperial College London published a study in April 2016 suggesting that watching live music could help reduce people's levels of stress hormones.  Then, another study done in March 2017 by Australian researchers Melissa K. Weinberg and  Dawn Joseph found that “people who actively engaged with music through dancing and attending events like concerts and musicals reported a higher level of subjective well-being.” 

When I first started promoting concerts in Washington DC during the mid-1990s, my mentor was a woman named Mary.   If I learned anything from Mary during that time, I learned that it is OK to go to concerts by yourself.  To this day, I continue to go see shows on my own.   And while I still believe in Mary's mantra, I have determined that attending a concert can be a more intimate experience that should be shared.  Hearing and seeing the songs that have become the soundtrack of my life in person is not something I take for granted.  As I scroll through my list of contacts in my phone, I cherish the memories and moments of the shows that I have seen with each of those people.

For example, there were the 3 shows in 3 nights in December 1996 with Jamie S.  We drove around the Mid-Atlantic without a care in the world and making sure we savored every moment of our time seeing Maceo Parker perform at The Bayou (RIP); Rusted Root at Constitution Hall and Phish at the Spectrum.  Or the times that now make me laugh – Mills and I thinking that we were going to be arrested before having a chance to see House of Pain at Bender Arena and the time that my son Cobi and I went to see The Commonheart at the Feastival and we remember the sight of the Mandobass just as much the show.  Another moment in time is when my brother-in-law and I saw Allen Stone at Stage AE and I decided to start writing this blog.  There are also the sentimental shows that include Donald Byrd at the Kennedy Center with my father, or the Avett Brothers with my wife at Club Café.  Thankfully, I could go on and on.

I am off to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for the first time later this month and I cannot wait to report back on the research that I am able to conduct while on site in Louisiana.   

Thanks for reading!

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Did any members of the Grateful Dead look into their crystal balls and predict that in 50 years after they formed, John Mayer would be receiving positive reviews from Deadheads for holding down Jerry Garcia’s role in the band?  Can members of Phish’s fandom hear Conan O'Brien and Andy Richter sing "in the year two thousand-thirty-three" and then proceed to explain that Ed Sheeran is stepping in for the retired Trey Anastasio?  Most of the time when people think about music in the future it is not band line-ups that cross their minds, but technology.

Recently there have been a  series of NPR reports that explore what it is like to raise children immersed in digital media and technology.  Gone are the road-trip games of ‘Geography’ and the ‘20 Questions’.  Welcome the days in which a vast majority of kids are playing on their devices as they travel across the interstate.   Should I feel lucky that  my younger son is belting out his favorite Gavin DeGraw song while listening to his “playlist” and my older son watches movie after movie on his personal movie player as we journey in our family roadster?   I am not complaining that these are their preferred activities instead of mindless video games, but I am wondering if I will always be trying to guess when will they get to a point with modern technology where there is no turning back.

In 1996, the band Jamiroquai were already singing of the perils of modern technology and Jay Kay nailed it when he wrote and sang, “And now that things are changing for the worse / See, it’s a crazy world we're living in / And I just can't see that half of us immersed in sin / Is all we have to give these / Futures made of virtual insanity now / Always seem to, be governed by this love we have / For useless, twisting, our new technology / Oh, now there is no sound for we all live underground / And I'm thinking what a mess we're in / Hard to know where to begin”.

By no means are my sons the biggest culprits, but sometimes I wish they would stop and look around more often.  St. Vincent sings in her 2014 song, ‘Digital Witness’: “Digital witnesses, what's the point of even sleeping? / If I can't show it, if you can't see me / What's the point of doing anything? / This is no time for confessing”.    No need for any of the folks addicted to technology to apologize, but at an extended family dinner when I look around at the table, I would never have expected to see so many people glued to their screens.

I know that it has been a particularly cold winter in the Mid-Atlantic, but maybe it is time to put the devices down and go outside.

Thanks for reading.