Category Archives: Music

Apr3

C is Cash, Johnny – one of my favorite singers

Posted on by
C is Cash, Johnny – one of my favorite singers

A favorite of mine that begins with C is Cash, Johnny – better known as Johnny Cash. Johnny Cash is linked to my two favorites, Elvis Presley and U2. Like Elvis, Johnny also started at Sun Studio. He, Elvis, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis were dubbed the Million Dollar Quartet after a jam session one December night at Sun. U2 and Johnny Cash recorded a song together called The Wanderer.

I had always liked Johnny Cash because he was a legend, but it wasn’t until I moved to Memphis that I really became a fan. I attended the premiere of Johnny Cash’s America – and then my love for Johnny Cash began. I immediately bought all of his music, biographies and dvds. A few days later I drove to Dyess, Arkansas to Johnny’s boyhood home, which was featured in the movie Walk the Line about Johnny’s life. I then sought out his adult homes in Memphis. Although I was too late to see Johnny in person, I was able to see and meet his bass player and lifelong friend Marshall Grant. Marshall performed one last time, talked about his life with Johnny and then signed autographs. Last summer after the U2 360 show in Nashville, I finally visited Johnny Cash’s grave in Hendersonville, TN.

What do you think about Johnny Cash?

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge – 26 of my favorites. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z challenge on my other blog On the Road with U2.

Mar26

Jordan Knight has The Right Stuff at The Fillmore – 3.25.12

Posted on by
Jordan Knight has The Right Stuff at The Fillmore – 3.25.12

Last night I saw Jordan Knight at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD, the first of my four concerts in four months. I had a great time, even though I only knew one song! My first concert of my life was New Kids on the Block in 1990 – I was almost 18. Twenty-two years later I still love the New Kids on the Block, which is why I went to see Jordan Knight. I don’t have any of his solo albums, but I just like Jordan. He’s gorgeous and nice and very down to earth and extremely entertaining.

I left my house at 6:30pm and was back home at 11pm, a world of difference from the last concert I went to on July 26, 2011 – the last U2 360 show in the US (when Larry hugged me on his way to the stage in Pittsburgh). I wore my Jordan boyfriend tee shirt and listened to Single repeatedly on my half hour drive to The Fillmore. I arrived just after the doors opened at 7pm. I got a spot on the front rail all the way on the end, but it was a great view. The first thing I saw were orange drums! My ticket said doors opened at 7pm and the Fillmore website said the show started at 8pm, but Jordan Knight didn’t take the stage until 9:05pm – and only played until 10:23pm. So basically I waited for Jordan longer than I saw him perform. But it was well worth the wait because Jordan Knight put on a great show, very intimate and entertaining! He talked and interacted a lot with the audience, including bringing three fans on stage to dance during Rockstar. Jordan performed songs in typical NKOTB style as well as sang ballads while playing the keyboards. The highlight of the show for me was Jordan’s performance of NKOTB’s The Right Stuff.

The Fillmore is a great venue and easy to get to right on Route 29 in Silver Spring, MD – and free parking on weekends and week nights. It has a nice bar and a balcony around the perimeter. Capacity is 1100 people, but it wasn’t sold out last night. The floor was pretty much filled without being jam packed scary disgusting. The audience was about 99% women who were in their 30s and 40s and squealed every time Jordan rotated his pelvis. Jordan Knight definitely had the right stuff last night!

Mar7

Today is the 20th Anniversary of my 1st U2 show – ZooTv March 7, 1992

Posted on by
Today is the 20th Anniversary of my 1st U2 show – ZooTv March 7, 1992

My musical journey on the road with U2 started 20 years ago today in Hampton, Virginia. It was Saturday March 7, 1992, and I was 19. My first U2 show was the fifth of the ZooTv Tour. On the morning of March 7th, my best friend, Cindy, and I drove four hours south from Ellicott City, MD to Hampton, VA. Back in those days, there was no need to get to the city of a concert a day early because there was no general admission – we had actual assigned seats on the floor. We checked into our hotel and immediately walked across the street to the Hampton Coliseum, even though it was hours before the concert was to start. We saw a small circle of people with a big microphone hovering over them. As we got closer, we realized Bono was in the middle of that circle! I didn’t speak with him, but got close enough to hear what he was saying to everyone else and to take pictures. For my first U2 show, I was seated in the fourth row in front of The Edge. Bruce Hornsby and Phil Joanou walked in from behind the stage and passed by us on their way to the soundboard. The Pixies opened. For the only time on the ZooTv Tour according to U2gigs.com, “The Fly is played after Even Better Than the Real Thing and Mysterious Ways, rather than before.” The set list from my first U2 show was as follows: Zoo Station, Even Better Than the Real Thing, Mysterious Ways, The Fly, One, Until the End of the World, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Tryin to Throw Your Arms Around the World, Angel of Harlem, Satellite of Love, Bad/All I Want is You, Bullet the Blue Sky, Running to Stand Still, Where the Streets Have No Name, Pride, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Desire, Ultra Violet, With or Without You.

If you think you’re having a deja vu moment, you are. I also posted this on my On the Road with U2 blog. I just thought it was important enough to also post here because it was a HUGE day in my life.

Dec20

38 years ago today Bobby Darin died at the young age of 37

Posted on by
38 years ago today Bobby Darin died at the young age of 37

My favorite artist, after Elvis and U2, Bobby Darin died 38 years ago today at the young age of 37. I first learned of Bobby Darin at age 4 while watching my favorite tv show Happy Days. Potsie, Richie and Ralph would sing Bobby’s hit Splish Splash every time they played Arnold’s. Of course I called it ‘Pish Pash.’ I didn’t speak too well back then, but I loved that song.

Splish Splash was pretty much the extent of my knowledge of Bobby Darin until I became an adult. I heard and fell in love with Beyond the Sea, and I was hooked. I read every biography I could find. I first read Me and Bobby D by Steve Karmen, Bobby’s boyhood friend and first music partner. Then I read Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin by David Evanier, Bobby Darin by Al DiOrio, Bobby Darin by Michael Seth Starr, and finally Dream Lovers by Dodd Darin about his parents Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee. I also bought the three movies Bobby Darin starred in with Sandra Dee: Come September, If a Man Answers, and That Funny Feeling.

I learned many interesting things about Bobby Darin while reading all those biographies. The most attractive to me was his passionate performances. The main reason I love Elvis and U2 is for their passion. Actually passion is probably the most attractive and admirable quality to me. Bobby Darin was so passionate about performing that he wore a condom on stage while singing because he would get so excited. Music moved him that much! Of course after reading this, I had to find DVDs of his performances. I bought Bobby Darin: The Darin Invasion, Bobby Darin: Singing at his Best, and my favorite and his last Bobby Darin: Mack is Back.

 

Bobby Darin was born Walden Robert Cassotto in 1936 in the Bronx. He grew up poor and sick. He was stricken with recurring bouts of rheumatic fever, which weakened his heart. Bobby lived his life knowing that it would be a short one. This motivated him to do as much as he could as quickly as he could. Bobby grew up with his mother and his sister. The man who he thought was his father died in jail before he was born. Bobby Darin married Sandra Dee in 1960, and they had one son Dodd. Unfortunately they divorced in 1967. A year later Bobby, at age 32, was shocked when his sister Nina told him that she was actually his mother and his mother Polly, whom he adored and had died years before, was actually his grandmother. Bobby never learned who his real father was. Later that same year Bobby was devastated when his friend Bobby Kennedy, whom he had been traveling with on his campaign, was assassinated. After all of this, Bobby sort of lost his way. He spent some time in seclusion in a trailer in the woods and turned to folk music. He eventually returned to the stage. Bobby Darin died in 1973 at the young age of 37 from an infection after forgetting to take his medication to protect his heart during a dental visit. Bobby Darin was a great singer, a great performer, a great actor, and a very passionate man. He starred in many movies and was even nominated for an oscar. Bobby also played many instruments, including the drums. But what I admire so much about Bobby Darin was his singing – he was so passionate and versatile. He sang all types of music really well. He could sing 1950s pop like Splish Splash, big band standards like Beyond the Sea and folk music like If I Were a Carpenter. Today I remember the great Bobby Darin, taken from us way too soon.

Dec8

I Melt With You – the movie, not the song by modern english

Posted on by
I Melt With You – the movie, not the song by modern english

I added the movie I Melt With You on my list of movies I wanted to see when I saw Rob Lowe and later Jeremy Piven talk about the it on The View. Those two actors alone are enough to make me want to see the movie. They billed it as a movie about guys and their friendships. This sounded interesting to me as one of my favorite movies, Swingers, is also about guys and their friendships. But make no mistake, this movie is not Swingers. Although there is also great music in this film, such as U2‘s Out of Control!

I Melt With You opens in theaters tomorrow Dec 9, but I was able to watch it last night on HD Movie Net. It is a dark movie, one that is hard to watch at times. But it is the kind of movie that you like more and more as the hours pass after you’ve watched it. The kind of movie that sticks with you, that you can’t get out of your head. I don’t want to give away the plot because that would do a disservice to the film. But I can say it is about four old college roommates in their mid-40s who get together for a week. They do this every year on the one friend’s birthday to catch up with each others’ lives. Please let me know what you think about I Melt With You after you see it.

In the words of Modern English, “I’ll stop the world and melt with you.”

Dec4

Million Dollar Quartet – Dec 4, 1956

Posted on by
Million Dollar Quartet – Dec 4, 1956

55 years ago today four of the greatest musicians of all time had an impromptu jam session in a little studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins played together in Sun Studio on December 4, 1956, and Sam Phillips was smart enough to record it. Carl Perkins was recording at Sun Studio that Tuesday night in December. Jerry Lee Lewis, who was not yet famous, was a session pianist playing for Carl. Elvis Presley, who had left Sun for RCA, just happen to stop by to visit Sam Phillips. Then Sam called Johnny Cash to come over. And The Million Dollar Quartet was born. The best things in life are unplanned. Please watch this video of The Million Dollar Quartet.

Jerry Lee, Carl, Elvis, Johnny - The Million Dollar Quartet

 

Last summer while I was in Chicago for Lollapalooza, I decided to see the play Million Dollar Quartet at the Apollo Theatre. The Apollo Theatre is very intimate. The stage is level with the front row, which is where I sat. Million Dollar Quartet was a fantastic play! It brought a tear to my eye. The guy who played Sam Phillips, Tim Decker, was amazing. He was completely transformed as Sam. And Elvis was played by David Lago, who I remember from Young and the Restless and 7th Heaven. I was completely in my element. This is my music, rockabilly. I was definitely born too late.  I am just so proud that this play is popular, so America can learn that Rock n Roll started in Memphis, not Cleveland where the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is located. Please watch my video of my night at Million Dollar Quartet in Chicago.

Apollo Theatre Chicago

Million Dollar Quartet Chicago

Carl, Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny

‘Sun Studio’

my million dollar quartet stuff

Nov13

2U plays the Maryland Irish Festival

Posted on by
2U plays the Maryland Irish Festival

2U, U2 tribute band from Long Island, NY, played a 15-song 90-minute set at the Maryland Irish Festival Saturday night. It was a fun show. It was better than I expected, especially after seeing the band members set up. Fake Larry was no Larry at all. He had long black curly 80s rock band hair. Fake Bono sort of resembled Bono, as long as he wore his Bono shades. Fake Adam was very Adam. He had bleached blond hair and interacted with the crowd like Adam. Fake Edge from a distance looked like Edge with his knit hat and fu manchu. But at closer look, he was no Edge at all.

2U at MD Irish Festival

When I moved back to Maryland over a month ago, I was excited because I would be closer to my U2 friends and hopefully some U2 tribute bands. I did a search and couldn’t find any U2 tribute bands in Maryland, but saw that 2U from New York was playing the Maryland Irish Festival on November 12th. This happened to be my friend Abbey’s birthday. Our new friend Anisha, whom we met this summer on the 360 tour, wanted to go as well, so the three of us made a plan to see 2U at the Maryland Irish Festival. To make things even better, Mary Yeaple with the Maryland Irish Festival gave us free tickets on Twitter.

Maryland Irish Festival

Abbey, Anisha and I met at the Maryland Irish Festival in Timonium at the Fairgrounds at 6pm Saturday. The festival was indoors at the Cow Palace, which was three big halls. There was music on 3 stages, crafts, historical recreations and even dog adoptions. But first we were hungry and wanted to eat. Unfortunately, the line was too long for what I really wanted, so I settled for a $7 sandwich, but the $2 iced tea was really good. We got our food and sat down. We ended up sitting across from two photographers, Phillip and Allison of The Susquehanna Photographic, who also knew Mary Yeaple. They were there to photograph 2U. They saw our U2 shirts and asked me how many times I had seen U2. When I answered 75, they thought I was joking.

After we ate, we walked around to look at all the vendors. There was a lot of reasonably priced Irish goods, including silver jewelry, crafts and clothes. Luckily I did not buy anything, although I was very tempted. Anisha came across this A-Z book about Ireland and of course U was for U2. The members of the band were listed as Bono, The Edge, cool Adam, and Larry. Cool Adam?! Yes, he is cool, but why is he the only one who gets an adjective. Why not hot Larry?!

why is Adam the only one who gets an adjective?

We took our seats in the front row around 8:15. 2U was supposed to come on at 9. There was a woman standing right at the stage in her Walmart War night shirt. She was wearing a white U2 War night shirt with black hose and black high heel boots – really? While we were waiting, Mary Yeaple came over to introduce herself. She is such a nice lady and so generous. She told us about the Penn-Mar Irish Festival in June, which Abbey, Anisha and I now plan on attending.

waiting for the band

Just after 9:30, 2U finally took the stage. I wasn’t expecting to get too excited, but when I heard the chords of Beautiful Day, I could barely contain myself. And by the second song Until the End of the World, I was on my feet dancing in the crowd. I just can’t stay seated listening to U2 music, even if it’s not really U2. The audience seemed much older than a real U2 crowd, or at least the crowd I’m used to in GA on the floor. They were very into the old songs, but didn’t really know Magnificent.

2U

fake Adam

It was a good show, but I would have preferred newer songs – like those played on the 360 tour. I feel like U2 tribute bands should play shows that resemble the most recent U2 tour. But 2U did play most songs like U2, with a few exceptions. There was a Led Zeppelin jam in the middle of Bullet the Blue Sky and a snippet of a Journey song at the end of With or Without You. But like the good old days of U2, I really enjoyed the Ruby Tuesday/Sympathy for the Devil/40 mix at the end of Bad as well as the addition of Dirty Old Town, even if it was sung by the fake Edge instead of the real Larry. The set list was as follows: Beautiful Day, Until the End of the World, New Year’s Day, Desire, Magnificent, One, Bad / Ruby Tuesday / Sympathy for the Devil / 40, Where the Streets Have No Name, Dirty Old Town, Bullet the Blue Sky / Led Zeppelin snippet, Mysterious Ways, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Out of Control, Gloria, With or Without You / Journey snippet. Please watch my video of the 2U show at the Maryland Irish Festival.

2U

To learn about my travels to see the real U2 (all 75 shows over 20 years), please visit my other blog at http://ontheroadwithu2.com

Nov12

Shadowplay – a great new band out of Philly

Posted on by
Shadowplay – a great new band out of Philly

Shadowplay is a great young rock band out of Philadelphia. Their sound is a mix of classic 70s rock and Soundgarden. Coincidently I met the lead singer, Andrew Corkery, at a Soundgarden show in Philadephia July 13th. After talking, we realized we were both at the Soundgarden show in Chicago the previous summer at Lollapalooza. Even though I have yet to see Shadowplay live due to geographic reasons, I am captivated by their music, their energy and their passion thanks to YouTube.

Shadowplay

All five members of Shadowplay are 19 years old. They started the band while in high school. Andrew Corkery, lead vocals, and Dan Holden, lead guitar and backup vocals, originally formed the band in 2006. A year later bassist George Legatos joined. In 2008 John Sellers, who plays bass, guitar, and keyboards joined the band. Shadowplay was complete in 2009 with the addition of drummer Tim Bear.

The boys of Shadowplay like alternative and rock music of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. They are inspired by that music as well as their own, but more importantly by playing that music together. According to lead singer Andrew Corkery, “Our goal is to inspire people with our music and rock out til the end of time. And become successful and huge in the world of music.” He goes on to say, “I see myself inspiring people with my music and helping to make the world a better place.”

I would say Shadowplay is on their way to doing just that. They remind me of U2 in the early days, not their sound, but how they started and their outlook. They both started a band in high school, even though they didn’t have a lot of talent. But what both groups did have was that special something when they played together in front of an audience. And the more they played, the more their talent grew.

Keep an eye out for when Shadowplay comes to your town. You won’t be sorry. For a full listings of their shows, check out shadowplayrocknroll.com and their page on ReberbNation.

 

Aug16

Fans remember the 34th Anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley with the annual Candlelight Vigil at Graceland

Posted on by
Fans remember the 34th Anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley with the annual Candlelight Vigil at Graceland

34 years ago today, August 16, 1977, I was watching tv and they told me Elvis Presley died. I ran to tell my mom who initially did not believe me. I was 4. It is hard to believe that after all these years people know exactly what they were doing when they heard Elvis had died, and it is even harder to believe that tens of thousands of people make the pilgrimage to Memphis every August to honor Elvis Presley with a candlelight vigil at Graceland.

Elvis Presley Candlelight Vigil at Graceland 8.15.11

I arrived at Graceland just after 6pm because that’s when you can park for free and just before they shut down the road. I took my chair and cooler and secured a nice spot in the median on Elvis Presley Boulevard in front of the gates of Graceland. It was a beautiful night – cool for Memphis in August. It was great to be sitting in front of Graceland listening to Elvis music with people who love Elvis as much as I do. I saw my friends Caroline, Kimberly, Rhonda, Lisa and Marr,  folks from the Elvis world Jack Soden and Ernst Jorgensen and popular Memphians Jack Oblivian and Kerry Crawford.

line for the vigil at 6:30pm

Jack Soden mingling with the fans

sunset over Elvis Presley Boulevard

At 8:30, the opening ceremony began with a note from Lisa Marie Presley saying that she and Priscilla and the rest of the family would be in Memphis next year to celebrate the 35th anniversary. Then everyone lit their candles and sang along with Elvis’ If I Can Dream- “there must be lights burning brighter somewhere…out there in the dark there’s a beckoning candle.”

and the candlelight vigil begins

'there's a beckoning candle'

After the opening ceremony, I watched the first people in line pass through the gates and make their way up the driveway to the meditation garden to Elvis’ grave. I walked around a bit admiring everyone’s Elvis sidewalk art and sat back in my chair for a few hours enjoying the night.

elvis vigil sidewalk art

even dogs love elvis

At 11pm, I got in line to make my way up the driveway. I passed through the gates of Graceland at 11:15 and was at the Meditation Garden by 1am.

lining up for the vigil at 11pm

34th anniversary candle

passing through the gates of Graceland at 11:15pm

lighting my candle

meditation garden at 1am

we miss you Elvis

Graceland 8.16.11

Please watch my video of the Elvis Presley Candlelight Vigil on 8.15.11

Aug14

ELVIS WEEK 2011 – Sam Phillips documentary and Elvis Live concert

Posted on by
ELVIS WEEK 2011 – Sam Phillips documentary and Elvis Live concert

Tuesday August 16th will be the 34th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death and the fans still remember. In fact, each year more and more fans flock to Memphis to pay their respects and remember the King of Rock n Roll. This is my 6th Elvis Week. I went to the 25th anniversary, then the 30th and then every one since.

Yesterday was a great day. In the morning I went to the screening of the documentary Sam Phillips: The Man Who Started Rock n Roll hosted by Knox Phillips and Peter Guralnick at the University of Memphis. Knox is Sam’s son and Peter is the great music biographer. And for those of you who live under a rock, Sam Phillips opened Sun Studio in Memphis in the 1950s. It was here that Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, Howlin Wolf, BB King and Rufus Thomas and many others got their start. Because of Sam Phillips, we have Rock n Roll.

Sam Phillips documentary 8.13.11

It was a great documentary. I actually learned a few things I didn’t know, because quite honestly I could give the tour at Sun Studio I know the history so well. I love the quote that ‘Sam Phillips was his own best friend, and he loved his own company’ – sounds very familiar. After the documentary, Sam’s son Knox and author Peter Guralnick told stories about Sam and Elvis. It was a great couple of hours.

Knox Phillips and Peter Guralnick

Later that night I went downtown to the Orpheum Theatre for the Elvis Presley Live: the King in Concert. I was excited because I haven’t seen one of the Elvis Presley concerts since the 30th anniversary Elvis Week. But I was also a bit skeptical because it was not Elvis’ band playing this time.

Elvis Presley Live: the King in concert 8.13.11

It was a fantastic show! Elvis’ conductor Joe Guercio introduced the show. When the curtain opened and the music started, the audience went wild. Elvis on stage, at least he looked as if he was on stage, with the band behind him. They used footage from Elvis ’69 performances in Las Vegas on a big screen that covered the entire stage top to bottom, but you could still see the live band behind it. I was so into the show that I forgot Elvis has been dead for 34 years and wasn’t really singing in front of me. From the screaming and cheering I heard, everyone in the audience agreed with me. In fact,  every time Elvis shook his hips the girls, I mean the women, squealed. At intermission The Imperials, the gospel quartet who toured with Elvis, performed a few songs. It was a great night, and the most fun event of Elvis Week for me.

ELVIS!

Please watch my video of the screening of the Sam Phillips documentary and the Elvis concert.

 

Tomorrow night is the annual candlelight vigil at Graceland, the pinnacle of Elvis Week.