RIP, James Brown.

Rock and Roll Heaven just got a lot more funky today. A terrible way to start the day, learning that the Godfather of Soul had died at age 73.

Being a pimply suburban kid growing up in Saint John, my introduction to his music came, strangely enough, from watching the Great Money Movie on WLBZ Bangor with Eddie Driscoll (who himself passed away earlier this year). I must have been ten or eleven, and here comes James Brown and his Famous Flames on some horrid Frankie and Annette-style ski movie....here's a clip...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4derDcjJnY

Possibly the whitest crowd he ever played in front of, and I'm guessing they laid out a ton of money to get JB to wear that un-Godly sweater!

I had always wanted to see one of his legendary shows, having just missed him on a trip to Vegas about five years ago, I jumped at the chance to see hime when he made a stop at the Metro Centre a couple years back. He was still doing his jump-splits...not as high as the Apollo Theatre in '62, but the energy was still there.

We're losing them a hell of a lot quicker than we're replacing them, folks.

Just in case you thought I forgot to get you a Christmas gift, I give you...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gB3Czv0vbw

On a completely different note (we hope), Christmas Eve, don't forget 'The Night Route 104 Stole Christmas'...Jenn Grant will come in and play a few Xmas numbers with Dave Christensen and Andrew Watt of the Heavy Blinkers, plus 'Ghosts of Route 104 Christmas Shows Past', with Joel Plaskett, Mir and Charlie A'Court. Christmas Eve at nine, baby.

I still never pass up a Seinfeld re-run on the tube, even after Michael Richards' possible career-ending tirade a couple of weeks ago...We're guessing it was a pretty big Seinfeld fan that put this sucker together...

http://www.glumbert.com/media/seinfeld

Always a good idea to stress the 'no drinkin' and drivin' thing as we head into Christmas Party Season....and to help drive the point home...a couple of mugshots of Rip Torn (Artie from The Larry Sanders Show', both ripped and torn, and pulled over this past weekend...

http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/celeb-jurisprudence/rip-torn-takes-place-of-honor-in-celebrity-mug-shot-pantheon-219205.php

http://img.viacomlocalnetworks.com/images_image_338175710

Of course nothing even comes close to the Nick Nolte mugshot from a couple of years ago...

http://www.jonhs.com/mugshots/nolte.jpg

For all the US members of Q Nation...Happy Thanksgiving, and as a present, I give you this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj2a-vplhWU



With God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!

From last night/this morning's GNR show at the Metro Center...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVsp9gos3_8

I was going to post the Michael Richards tirade from over the weekend, but even by MY standards, it's pretty gross...No soup for you, Kramer.

This is a big weekend in Liverpool. The Nova Scotia Music Awards will be handed out, with yours truly nominated for two...Radio Show of the Year (for Route 104), and Media Weasel...er...Professional Of the Year.

Even if I don't win, I promise I'll be a little more graceful than the usually flawless Faith Hill at the CMAs a couple nights ago...Keep your eye peeled for Faith's reaction after not winning the award...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyZRiEJnIag

The best way to react, as we all know, is to sob quietly.

Then drink.

Heavily.

On the way out, how about some Who Tube?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6LvSN0xhP0&mode=related&search=

Never seen this one before...

Makes a great Christmas gift!

http://cgi.ebay.com/WIZARD-OF-OZ-TIN-MAN-PUBIC-HAIR-VERY-RARE-ITEM_W0QQitemZ330042297821QQihZ014QQcategoryZ2312QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Shop around...you can't beat a deal like that!

With Google taking over Youtube in the last couple weeks, I have a sneaky suspicion that the glory days of Youtube might be behind us, as always seems to happen when big corporate interests get involved.

'Til then, though...

My friend Terry emailed this cool link...

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sloan+after+party

I missed the after-party myself, as the early stages of scurvy were setting in after being rained on for about six hours. Now it feels like I'm there!

Also, you can search for footage from the Stones Commons concert itself. Pretty good quality, but you better hurry before they're yanked. In fact, I've saved you the trouble!

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=rolling+stones+halifax

My sneakers are getting soggy just thinking about it!

Listen in the next couple of weeks during the afternoon for interviews with Tom Cochrane, The Tragically Hip, and Roger Hodgson, who will be stopping in on Live at 4:05, November 10th, the day before his show at the Rebecca Cohn.

Pretty much my favourite part of the afternoon these days is Live at 4:05, where for the last couple months we've been asking Q Nation to share their concert memories.

Got a call from a guy who went to see The Tragically Hip at the Misty Moon in 1989. Nothing beats early Hip, and Much Music actually broadcast the show in The New Music a few weeks later.

I remembered seeing this link...

http://www.linusentertainment.com/mmr/

Thankfully, somebody saved some of those old MuchMusic concert specials 'The Big Ticket', I think they were called...Some pretty cool stuff being released there, and hopefully this is just the beginning, and that Hip show sees the light of day somewhere along the line.

Oh yeah...the number to leave your favourite concert adventure story is 454-7268, then hit 42.

Just in time for Rocktoberfest, October 28th, at the Cunard Centre...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOAzuqngOYo

I think the dog summed it up best...

Rock und Roll, Fraulein!

Had a couple of very interesting things forwarded to me this week...first of all, an amazing site dedicated to the setup of the Stones concert on Halifax Common...

http://www.pbase.com/psteeper/rs_hfx

Make sure you set it to 'slideshow'...

And...somebody with Photoshop, and WAAAAAAAYYYY too much time on their hands put this together...

http://motionographer.com/media/battle_adbands-w.mov

I also got a very interesting email from the former Finance minister of Botswana who has a can't fail financial proposition for me. I'll let you know how that works out!

After months of fighting the urge, I finally gave in and bought a pair of Crocs. You know, those hideously ugly rubber shoes that everybody seems to running around in. I've only had them for about an hour, but I gotta admit, they're pretty comfortable. Plus, if I get sick of them in a week or so, my wife has pretty much the same shoe size as me, so I might re-gift them.

The guys at Cleve's swore by them, and they looked sane enough, so why not. Only 35 bucks. One of my little girls has a pair, and she decorates them with all sorts of little pins or some such crap. Buddy at the register asked if I wanted some for mine. I think he was joking. There was still a little awkward silence before I politely declined. Christ, I HOPE he was joking.

If you've been waiting for the whole Crocs craze to die, I think you may get your wish. As soon as I buy something, that's a signal that it has completely gone out of style. I could actually hear, as the register was ringing , the sound of a trend coming to a screeching halt. I have that effect on the world.

I recall eating Greek salad at Pizza Hut in New Minas years ago. I was hopelessly addicted. Day in, day out. One day I come in to find that they've completely taken it off the menu. Same thing happened with a great Mexican dish at one of my favourite restaurants, and I'm sure I've singlehandedly killed off at least three brands of beer.

So, if you're a Stella Artois fan like me, enjoy it while you can!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I had a chance to meet the Rolling friggin' Stones before the concert on Halifax Common a couple weeks back. It was a pretty quick meeting, but I still haven't totally collected my thoughts yet. As soon as I can find the words, I'll post something.

Actually, I should mention, as well, that I'm the new music guy for The Daily News HFX supplement every Thursday. That starts next week.

MC'ed the Halifax premiere of Jackass 2 last night at Empire 17 Bayers Lake. The first Jackass I had viewed as a bit of a guilty pleasure for awhile, and now I'm an unabashed Jackass fan. The second one is a bit more gross, if you can imagine that, but inspired, nonetheless.

Steve-O's ambitious new method to chug a beer should earn him not only an Oscar, but a Nobel Prize. I think I'll start a petition.

A couple years back, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee-Man, and some of the other Jackass mutants came into Q104...

This is about a week after they had pretty much destroyed The Edge in Toronto. F-bombs were dropped, and somebody peed on the control room floor. Seemed like a pretty good idea at the time, I'm sure.

So, after this international scandal, why not get them on the air at Q104...what could possibly go wrong???

Turns out, they were pretty cool dudes, and the whole problem in Toronto stemmed from the fact that they were treated like assholes. We were nice to them (true Maritimers!), and the whole thing went without incident. A couple of times Wee-Man asked me if Q had a seven-second delay (we don't), and I think I gently moved on to another topic. I was having visions of being the Drive-thru attendant with the best voice in Metro, so it was best to stay away from that hornet's nest.

I learned three things that day...don't judge a book by it's cover, treat people with respect, and they'll do likewise, and lastly, and most importantly...I look really shitty in a green sweater.

How are you liking 'The Eliminator'? Hope you're having as much fun playing as we are...the excitement is building, and there are going to be some kick-ass prizes left as we get closer to the Last Prize Standing!

Here's what we're doing at the Q for our next big contest...

http://www.glumbert.com/media/tonguetwister

Some things translate into any language!

Little note to all the broadcast students who might be looking in today...ALWAYS be aware of whether or not you're live on the air! Minnesota Twins TV guy Bert Blyleven demonstrates...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3q3Si6pY1do

Ouch!

Kyra Phillips is probably glad ol' Bert got her off the front page...

Got an email from Chris yesterday morning after I played 50 Mission Cap by The Hip. As I understood it, the fifty mission cap was a cap awarded to WW2 pilots after they had flown in fifty missions (pretty obvious, now that you think about it). As a sign of respect, they were allowed to 'work in' the caps at their own discretion, so they stood out from the other pilots.

Hey Tom

Heard your musings on the meaning of 50 Mission Cap this morning. I was always under the impression Gord was referring to a ball cap as his 50 mission cap. You know we guys always have that favorite old ball cap that we wear. The one that identifies and defines us amongst our friends.

I have a friend that used to have an old Flyers cap that was worked in just right, the orange was so faded it was almost white and there were a few little tears all over it. Even those of us that hated the Flyers had to love the hat. During a night of drunken debauchery he left the hat in a cab and never saw it again. Almost 15 years later we still reminisce about the Flyers hat and bow our heads in a moment of silence at its loss.

I didn't know the pilot background that you mentioned but it makes even more sense that Gord would consider a good old hat (probably a Leafs hat) as his 50 Mission Cap.

Just thought I'd add my two cents.

Have a good one

Chris
Michigan Wolverines hat, circa 1990 (since retired/lost)
Green Bay Packers hat, circa 1991 (also retired/lost)

It's a strange bond between a man and his ballcap..but a bond, nonetheless.

I went to see the Boston Red Sox play in 1978 in Orlando, Florida, and it pains me to this day that I don't have the red and blue 70s Sox cap anymore. That one lasted me until 1981, when I retired it, in favour of the solid blue design that the Sox later switched to.

One day, Karen Cooper, who was in my class at the time, grabbed the hat, and started running away. It took awhile to realize that she actually liked me, and this was all part of 'the dance'. I got the hat back, but didn't have a clue about what to do with Karen. I was thirteen, and sadly, my allegiance was more with the cap than the girl.

I got another one from the gift shop at Fenway in '89. It was the first time my girlfriend (and later, wife) had been to a game. The Sox were up 10-0 in the 7th inning, but still found a way to lose to the Blue Jays. That cap is probably my favourite of all, mostly because it was actually signed by Ted Williams in '93, while he was being interviewed by MITV, on a fishing trip in the Miramichi.

I've muddled through a couple more Sox hats since then, and the number of styles has exploded. I'm currently wearing a camouflage model that I got on my most recent trip to Fenway a couple weeks ago. Camouflage might be the best way to go, so I'm undetectable to Yankee fans.

My favourite Sox hat of all, though, is the pink one that my seven year-old daughter picked out on our trip to Fenway last year. It matches her Manny Ramirez jersey that she wore to the games. I hope she realizes how important the cap is, and part of me is hoping she's as clueless about the opposite sex when she's a teenager as I was!

Went to Boston a couple of weekends ago, back when hope was still alive for the Red Sox, and they were about to sweep the Orioles at Fenway. Sucking back a couple of Sam Adams' at a bar around the corner, on comes 'One Headlight' by The Wallflowers. Only, it's a grainy video of the '97 or '98 MTV Awards where Jakob Dylan was joined by Bruce Springsteen on vocals and guitar.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pdhs0Wm1GSA

I've had this in my collection for a few years now, and it's probably getting noticed now because Bill Simmons mentioned it in a recent ESPN column, but this performance seemed to signal the re-emergence of Springsteen, and the demise of the Wallflowers...Sorry boys, it's Bruce's song now...

Finally managed to get an interview set up with Steven Van Zandt, aka Little Steven from the Undergound Garage, aka Miami Steve from the E Street Band, aka Silvio from The Sopranos. The first time I met Steve was in Salt Lake City, Utah, just before a show at the Delta Centre in 1999 on Springsteen and the E Street Band's reunion tour. It was after walking with him through the back halls of the arena that I realized the character of Silvio didn't require a huge shift in personality for him. Pretty much what you see is what you get. He's funny, spiritual, brash, and a walking encyclopedia of rock and roll over the last fifty years.

That's Steve and I in the bottom picture, and Max Weinberg and I on top. Max actually has fond memories of Halifax, from hosting a drum clinic here a few years ago.

Listen for the interview Monday afternoon between 3 and 7 on the Q.

Also, listen to Route 104 Sunday night at 9 for an interview, and acoustic performance from singer/songwriter Kristina Trites. What a voice!

I think I'll just change the name of this blog to 'Cool Crap Tom Found on YouTube'. I had heard about this little nugget, Hunter S. Thompson interviewing Keith Richards, but I'd never seen it. I've heard the actual uncut interview runs about 11 hours, but this bit has around ten minutes, so you get the idea.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5777729312239777911&q=keith+richards&hl=en

And, no, there are no subtitles, unfortunately.

Then there's this one...a BOMBED Bob Dylan in the back of a cab with John Lennon circa 1965...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZkfAl4PHG8E&mode=related&search=

I really have to get out of the house more often.

We're working on getting an interview with Little Steven Van Zant. He's the guitar guy in the E Street Band, Silvio on The Sopranos, and host of Little Steven's Underground Garage, Sunday nights on the Q. I asked him a couple of years ago if he had the coolest job in the world, and he replied 'I have the coolest THREE jobs in the world!' Nice fella, and a terrific interview.

We were working on an interview with Bob Seger about his new CD, but it fell through. Never did like Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, anyway. Too many beards.

One of the highlights of my vacation-induced coma was watching 'Life and Times' on CBC, featuring a profile of uber-promoter Michael Cohl, famous for working with Pink Floyd, U2, Barbra Streisand, and of course, wrestling the Rolling Stones away from Bill Graham in the late 80s.

Nice Canadian lad, and a real success story of a man who who has revolutionized the mega-concert experience as we know it. They'll probably be re-running it over the summer, so if you didn't catch it first time round, you'll probably get another chance.

Fascinating stuff, and if you've ever bitched about high ticket prices, expensive t-shirts and seven dollar beers at concerts, chances are Cohl has had something to do with it. I'm not sure he's responsible for this little nugget concerning one of the Stones' opening acts in the UK, but have a look...

[uk.news.launch.yahoo.com] Kasabian get Stoned off (Friday August 04, 2006 09:21 AM) Kasabian are apparently furious that the Rolling Stones are going to charge them £150 each to watch them in concert - even though the Leicester-born rockers will be playing as their support act. Reported in today's Daily Mirror, the band's singer, Tom Meighan, said he was outraged at the decision. He said: "It's quite incredible. We're f***ing supporting them! So if we get kicked off the stage we've got to buy a ticket, which is about 200 quid." However, Meighan stated that he didn't blame the Stones personally for the decision, and was honoured to be playing with the 60s legends. He added: "It's probably Americans who are running it, not Jagger. And Richards isn't going to know what's f***ing going on, is he? "It is a f***ing absolute honour you know, they're gods, ain't they? "I mean Mick Jagger, Richards, it's just yeah... S**t like that blows your mind again, you know." "It just happens so fast sometimes that I just don't know how to take it, but it's a wonderful thing, man." Kasabian will be warming up for the Stones in Zurich tomorrow (Aug 5) as well as a date in Nice next week. The band's new single "Empire" is currently at number 9 in the UK singles charts.

To paraphrase...If you're an opening act for the Stones, and you want to stick around after your set wraps up...you gotta PAY for a ticket, Skippy!

In case you haven't seen the Stones rider for the current tour...check it out here, on The Smoking Gun

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0117061stones1.html

Pretty interesting, and the lads aren't taking any chances when it comes to the loo, either. I'd imagine if you've played in as many dodgy places as the Stones have over the years, you'd be pretty particular, too.

The Smoking Gun actually has a few of these riders, like this one for Christina Aguilera...

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/aguilera/aguilera1.html

Make sure you read the 'backstage food' section...Soy cheese, Oreos and Flintstones Chewables...Yum!

This is the ticket stub from the first time I saw the Rolling Stones, on the Steel Wheels tour in 1989, at Sullivan Stadium, the old dump where the Patriots used to play before they moved across the parking lot to the beautiful Gillette Stadium. This was a huge moment at the time, because the relationship between Mick and Keith had been frosty for a few years, and there was quite a bit of doubt as to whether we'd see them again.

As I was shelling out the ticket money (28 bucks, an out-freaking-rageous sum of money at the time) I clearly remember saying " It's the Stones...I'll never get another chance to see them!"

Oh well. In fact, in the two subsequent times I've seen the Stones, I was convinced that this would be "The Last Time". Corny joke, I know.

Either way, it was money well spent, and the Halifax Commons show will be no exception. Make all the jokes you want about the band being over the hill, but anybody who went to Magnetic Hill last year will say that the old buggers can still blow just about anybody off the stage.

Now, we're wondering who the openers will be. That'll probably have to wait a couple of weeks.

We can tell you who they aren't going to be, though... Aerosmith and Motley Crue are in New Jersey. The Who, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wolfmother and The Raconteurs are names that have popped up, but they're all playing at a big festival in Baltimore the same day.

Never did like Baltimore. Charm City, my ass!

You hate to throw names out there, especially if they don't pan out. I remember watching the TV in February, and there was a guy from a radio station (what do we know, anyway?) saying with absolute 100% certainty that U2, Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac (?) were going to play Magnetic Hill this summer. How's that working out for ya, Sparky?

Either way, the Stones always have a big name opener on their tours...it's just a matter of who's available at the time.

This is me with Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden in the Spring of 1988, backstage after their show with Guns 'n' Roses at the Moncton Coliseum.

Now, I ask you...would you trust this man to fly an extremely large aircraft?

http://www.pr-inside.com/dickinson-...uees-r12273.htm

DICKINSON AIRLIFTS BEIRUT EVACUEES Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

2006-07-21 09:02:04 - IRON MAIDEN singer and qualified pilot BRUCE DICKINSON airlifted 200 British citizens who had fled war torn Beirut, Lebanon back to the UK yesterday (20JUL06).The 47-year-old flew a Boeing 757 to Cyprus where he picked up the evacuees and flew them back to London's Gatwick Airport. A colleague says, "He was only too keen to get involved and help."He has a strong interest in the welfare of people caught up in international conflicts and cares about what is going on."

Maiden were my absolute favourite band during high school, and they were also the first big band I was able to meet. They were all incredibly nice fellas, and I think I'm responsible for introducing drummer Nicko McBrain to the magic of Alexander Keiths!

As cool as Dickinson was at the time, it's still pretty difficult to picture him almost twenty years later, flying a 757 into a war zone to pick up a load of evacuees.

Aces High, Baby!

Read in the Chronicle-Herald the other day about how a Stones announcement is imminent, like in the next week or so...check this out, from Regina...

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=607ec56e-9749-48bb-8dc0-447b7b956fd1

Monday or Tuesday, at the latest, is when I'd expect to hear something.

We can put The Who and Chili Peppers rumour to bed, for t he time being, unfortunately. They're both playing a festival in Baltimore on September 23rd. Aerosmith are playing with Motley Crue in Camden, New Jersey on the same day. Looks like The Stones or bust, baby!

Looking over The Who's tour dates, though, they're playing some smaller places this time out, like London Ontario, so maybe we'll luck out!

This has been bugging me for awhile now, and it's time to get it off my chest...

Has anybody ever seen Interim Liberal Leader Michel Samson and the fabulous Ricky Gervais from The Office in the same room together? I haven't!

First update in a few days here, between vacation and hosting the morning show for a couple of days, time (and brain cells) are in short supply! It's always a hell of a lot of fun filling in for BJ, but I'd be a lot happier if they'd move the show to...noon, maybe?

It's a fine week for concerts in Metro...the highlight for me will be Wilco at Alderney Landing tomorrow night. I've been a fan since AM in 1995. Live will be here Sunday night...they were here for a Canada Day show on Citadel Hill a few years back. AAAAAAAANNNDDDDD...the Stones rumour won't go away.

I've actually heard people say "Aaaaawww, man, The Stones were just at Magnetic Hill last year, couldn't we get somebody else?"

I've lived in the Maritimes all my life, and we've always complained that we never get concerts. Now we're in the position where we're getting uppity that the Stones are coming here too often? Dude!

A listener, Todd, from Bedford, e-mailed this great Paul Anka clip to me at tom@q104.ca

I'd love to use sometning like this on the air, but didn't for obvious reasons. The language gets a bit salty, so watch it...

http://www.noisetank.com/integrity/

Actually it sounds like me if my pre-show martini isn't ice cold!

http://www.republicaupdate.com/2006/06/u2_george_bush_.html

Happy 4th of July! The amount of work that went into this must have been staggering.

I'm on vacation this week, but I couldn't resist posting this. YouTube's the greatest, ain't it?

Hope you're having a groovy Canada Day...nice to see the weather co-operating. So far, so good!

Joel Plaskett dropped by Friday for a chat and a couple of tunes, including 'Nowhere With You'. In case you missed the interview, we'll replay it on Route 104 Sunday night at 9. Probably the exact time he'll be hitting the stage at the Q Blast at Alderney Landing. If you're going to the show, get there early (the doors open at 5:30), have a couple of pops, and check out some of the other bands. In-Flight Safety, Caledonia, Carmen Townshend, all are well worth seeing. Plus, the dynamic presence of Bobby Mac as MC is a draw, in itself.

Very cool to see Patrick Roy get into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Above is a picture taken at the old Montreal Forum after a game in 1994. St. Patrick and Brian Bellows were coming back across the ice after doing post-game interviews on the CBC, and I happened to be hanging around the Habs bench at the time. You used to be able to walk right down and sit on the bench after the games, which was a pretty neat experience.

That's my explanation for being on the Habs bench, but as far as my half-hearted attempt at growing a beard, I got nothin'.

Hope you have a good Canada Day weekend. On Friday's show, I'll be talking to 54-40, who will be playing an outdoor show at Casino Nova Scotia on Sunday. They'll be in the van, probably around Kingston, Ontario at the time, so they'll be nice and shack-wacky, no doubt.

Joel Plaskett stops by Live at 4:05....he's headlining the Q Blast Sunday at Alderney Landing. He's a good Clayton Park lad, riding high with 'Nowhere With You' in a Zellers ad campaign.

Don't forget the Q104 Ballbusters/ELEMSdale Werecoons game, rescheduled for Sunday at 1pm at the Elmsdale Legion. The beer and Ben-Gay will be a-flowin'!

I could live to be 300 years old, and never be as cool as Bo Diddley...Tom Petty once said 'Elvis may be The King, but Diddley is Daddy!'

'Who Do You Love', 'Willie and the Hand Jive', 'Hey Mona'...they're all his. 77 years old, still doing hundreds of shows a year, and last time we checked, he was still cooking ribs on a hotplate backstage before shows.

Bo is coming to the Dutch Mason Blues Festival with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Garrett Mason and Charlie A'Court in August. Here's a link for more info...

http://www.dutchmason.com/contacts.html

I'll be chatting with Bo Diddley Thursday afternoon between 3 and 7. I wasn't there, but apparently, he played at the old Crazy Horse on Wyse Road (which is where the hoochie bar stands today) back in the 80's, playing his famous square guitar through amps that were decorated with Christmas lights.

The 'Dutchfest' isn't the only thing coming to Alderney Landing this summer...of course there's Wilco on July 12th, and the Q Blast Sunday...headlined by the Joel Plaskett Emergency. Joel will be dropping by the Outta Control Room for Friday's Live at 4:05. It shouldn't be too hard to convince him to play an acoustic song or two...

Got this from a listener yesterday...

Hi Tom,

I was just wondering if you've heard any rumours about Magnetic Hill Labour Day weekend concert event. Is there anything happening there?


Thanks,

Scott

Hey Scott...

A few rumours, abut nothing concrete. The big names that were being thrown around at first were McCartney or U2, but neither of them are touring, so that's out. I heard Tom Petty mentioned, but looking at his tour dates, I don't see how that could work.

I've spoken with a couple of HRM councillors recently, and believe it or not, it looks like they're still trying to get the Stones to play on the Commons.

The band finishes up their European tour at the end of September, and that's what they're shooting for here in Halifax. Personally, I don't see it happening, but what do I know? The Pope was here in '84, so a large crowd could be managed. The entire area around the Commons would have to be shut down one way or another, but we've done that for Grand Prix weekend. And, there's always Shearwater, right?

Aerosmith and Motley Crue are touring together starting in early September, so that's a possibility too, I guess...

Unfortunately, after seeing the Stones last fall, and the way it all came off without a hitch, I think there's be nowhere to go but down!

I think the rain has finally gotten to me. I don't know how much time I wasted on Sunday afternoon frigging around with this site...

http://generatorblog.blogspot.com/

Got a little somethin' for Bobby...sorry...his Eminence, while I was there.

Nice weather, huh? I was really looking forward to playing a little slob-ball this weekend...especially the annual Q104 Ballbusters/ELEMSdale Werecoons friendly match at the ELEMSdale Legion.

The first year we had the game on a beautiful, early fall afternoon, and last year's took place on easily the most hellishly hot day of the year. Either way, it's a great time, and we raise money for a fine cause...the Easter Seals 24-hour Relay for the Abilities Foundation. Barry, the folks at the Legion, and everybody else involved in Elmsdale does a top-notch job in putting everything together, and they always make us feel welcome.

In the first game, two years ago, I homered on the second pitch of the game...that's the picture at the top of the page. I realize it's pretty impressive, until you catch on to the fact that the pitcher, and a couple of the other Werecoons are wearing dresses. Nice look if you can pull it off, though.

Unfortunately, for this weekend, construction on the new ELEMSdale Legion Mega-Dome wasn't completed in time for this year's game, so we'll have to re-schedule. Hopefully soon.

I usually play on Sunday mornings, too for my other team, Team XXXtreme. Last week, we swept our doubleheader for our first two wins of the year. I think there was a bottom-screen crawl announcing the victories on 'Mass For Shut-ins', if you caught it.

Hi...I'm still pretty new to this, so please bear with me...Figure I'd get started with a recent picture of me with Texas music legend Joe Ely. This was taken in New Braunfels, Texas, between San Antone and Austin on a Sunday afternoon a few weeks back. It was at an old dance hall called Gruene Hall.

Joe actually sent a song out to me, so according to the rules, I'm now an official Texan!