Listening Room Blog

It’s got to be frustrating to play guitar behind one of rock’s most noticeable axe men. That’s been Malcolm Young’s fate for nearly four decades — to play behind kid brother Angus Young with veteran rockers AC-DC. But don’t think he plays second fiddle, because Malcolm remains one of the… Read More →

Fans of Bryan Adams were treated to a close-up acoustic performance by the pop/rock artist at the Performing Arts Center of Purchase College last night. Adams sang hits from his 30-year career, pausing to tell stories about music making and to humor fans shouting their adoration for the still-sexy-at-50 singer…. Read More →

Singer/songwriter Bryan Adams is preparing for his show at Purchase College tonight, but he also took time out to share some thoughts with music writer Chris Serico of The Journal News. Adams will be in Purchase as part of his “Bare Bones” tour, which he has described as an acoustic… Read More →

In case you missed it, The Journal News’ Peter D. Kramer wrote about the adaptation of Green Day’s “American Idiot” album into a Broadway musical on Tuesday, the day the show opened at the St. James Theater. In the piece, he interviews Tom Kitt of Armonk, who is the show’s… Read More →

You know you’re off to a good start when your guitar teacher is Dickey Betts, and he gives you Duane Allman’s Fender Stratocaster as a gift. It also doesn’t hurt when your father is legendary country music singer/songwriter Billy Joe Shaver. But make no mistake: Eddy Shaver earned his keep,... Read More →

Word today that blues guitar wiz Jonny Lang released Live at the Ryman today, the Grammy winner’s first live album and his sixth overall release. The Listening Room hasn’t gotten its hands on it yet, but rest assured this should be good stuff. Lang is one of these multi-talented bluesmen… Read More →

I’m not sure how I could’ve missed this, particularly given my love affair with all things guitar. But miss it I did: It turns out that Aprils is International Guitar month. (The Journal News/Peter Carr) Not sure how it came my way, but one quick Google search and there was… Read More →

It has to be over a decade since I last heard The Good Rats, and well over 25 years since I last saw them live, which was at the old Fore n’ Aft in White Plains. In fact, it’s been so long that it took me a while to recognize… Read More →

Look for some high-caliber music at 12 Grapes Restaurant in Peekskill tomorrow night, when saxophone player Mark Rivera, a fixture in Billy Joel’s band for nearly three decades, joins Grammy winner Jon Cobert on stage. Rivera, who has also played with Peter Gabriel, Simon & Garfunkle, Hall and Oates, Ringo… Read More →

The Listening Room is recommending tonight’s acoustic gig by Tim Palmieri, who takes occasional breaks from his duties with The Breakfast and Beatles A-Z — among other projects — to hit the local bars with guitar in hand. We told you more about Palmieri earlier this month, when he was… Read More →

How do you get lost in one of rock’s most famous bands? That seems to be what’s happened to Nils Lofgren, who is best known these days as the man behind Bruce Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt in the E Street Band. But don’t look now, because Lofgren could be… Read More →

If you missed this item, it turns out the Vatican has finally buried the hatchet with the Beatles, overlooking the Fab Four’s un-Christian lifestyle and John Lennon’s comment that the band was bigger  than Jesus. Well, it’s about time. Anyway, Listening Room columnist Roberto Parente tipped us off by sending… Read More →