Leave it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to put on a show. Last night marked the first of a two-night stand at Madison Square Garden to commemorate the Rock Hall’s 25th anniversary. By all accounts it was a rousing success, with legendary performers like Bruce Springsteen, Stevie… Read More →
The myth has persisted that the Allman Brothers’ classic album Eat a Peach was named in honor of Duane Allman, who was killed when he drove his Harley-Davidson into a truck – presumably a peach truck. The story’s not true. The title came from a comment Allman made to a… Read More →
Guitar Player magazine once called this Texas guitar slinger “a virtual deity – a living legend.” Because while his kid brother may have stolen the spotlight, Jimmie Vaughan is as genuine a guitar icon as has ever come along in modern blues. He is, in short, the real deal. (photo courtesy… Read More →
By Jack Alcott Listening Room music critic Formed in 1983, The Flaming Lips cut their teeth playing Oklahoma City’s underground punk and new wave clubs, gradually evolving into one of the most experimental and original bands on the national scene. With 2002’s “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” they burned their… Read More →
This one is definitely for all my animal activists out there. A special Halloween concert will be taking place from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 29 at Kenny’s Castaways in New York City to benefit Farm Sanctuary, an organization devoted to ending cruelty to farm animals. On the bill are the musical… Read More →
The economy may still be tanking, but you wouldn’t know it from the numbers being reported by the music industry. USA Today says gross revenue from some big tours are on a par with last year, while attendance at major shows is up slightly. The newspaper says fans may be… Read More →
Paul Carrack is really more than just the guy who replaced Jools Holland in Squeeze. Although Carrack’s soulful vocals on “Tempted” forever linked him to the group’s legacy, he’s actually an accomplished and prominent musician, singer and songwriter in his own right. So what have we lost and now found… Read More →
I know this sounds extreme, but as I sit here listening to the music of the late Justin Veatch, a 17-year-old Yorktown boy who died of an accidental drug overdose last year, I absolutely am covered with goosebumps and am fighting back the tears. As you could imagine, a lot… Read More →
Goodbye Bruce, Hello Jon. Just weeks after Hall of Fame rocker New York Daily News is reporting that another famed Jersey rocker, Jon Bon Jovi, will open up the new stadium with his own show next year. It certainly seems to make sense: If Bruce is the king of New… Read More →
If innovation is the measure of a great guitar player, then Eric Krasno should be top of the heap. The jam-crazed axeman for Soulive has delved into every musical genre from rock and jazz, to hip-hop, reggea and funk — and mastered all of them. And the beauty of it… Read More →
Corey J. Feldman, founder of the NYC-based band Mercury Landing, is in the process of creating a rock opera. Kindly, he has agreed to share a new piece of it each week with us here in the Listening Room. “The Green Emerald,” as the opera has been named, is almost three… Read More →
“I think the blues will always be around,” Johnny Winter once said. “People need it.” Amen to that. And the beauty of Johnny Winter is that he does his part to keep the blues alive. The legendary blues man has been cranking out electric blues for decades, and continues to… Read More →
When artists like the Sex Pistols and Joan Jett both cover your song, you know you’ve pretty much come up with a classic. And “Roadrunner” is just that. Jonathan Richman’s catchy two-chord tune is rock and roll simplicity at its best — and has the staying power of any rock… Read More →
Jim Morrison once called Blue Cheer “the single most powerful band I’ve ever seen.” They were. Long before Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, Blue Cheer was putting together the genre that would come to be known as heavy metal. Along with bands like the MC5 and Dust, Cheer was cranking… Read More →
Ray Toro was a relatively late bloomer when it comes to playing guitar, having first devoted himself to it as a sophomore in high school. He’s made up quite a bit of ground since. (photo courtesy of Getty Images) The lead guitarist for Jersey rockers My Chemical Romance has since… Read More →