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2010-07-07T16:15:00.004-03:00

Frank Pepe's Pizza, Wooster Street, New Haven, CT.

If I accomplished nothing else in 2009 (debatable...), I can honestly say that I had the best pizza of my life. It knocked Santarpio's of Boston off the top spot...not an easy task. Lombardi's in New York's Little Italy rounds out the top 3. I'm still reserving judgment on Pizzeria Regina, because I went to the Quincy Market location...which was terrific, but I'd like to go to Thacher Street to get the full experience...Turns out that New Haven is a Pizza Mecca of sorts, with Pepe's, and Sally's Apizza about a block away on Wooster Street (New Haven's answer to Little Italy).

Anyway...Frank Pepe....Holy crap.

The star attraction at Pepe's is the clam pie....preferably WITHOUT cheese. In fact, cheese is usually considered an extra ingredient in these parts. I'm a bit of a minimalist pizza-wise, but forgoing cheese (honestly one of the only reasons I get out of bed each day)?...impossible.

I opted for the clam pie WITH mozzarella (pronounced 'mootz' if you want to sound like a local...or sound like a douchebag trying to sound like a local, in my case). Unbefrigginglievable. Fresh clams, a nice garlic flavour, just enough gooey cheese, on top of a charred, thin, oddly-shaped crust.

I've tried duplicating it at home, but no-go, mofo. The clams at Pepe's are super-fresh, and Pepe's coal oven, which has been there since the twenties, hits a temperature that could probably torch my entire neighbourhood.

Of course, upon returning from NYC a few days later, a return visit was necessary. We made it to Pepe's at 11:20, ten minutes before opening. Steve staked out a place in line (first! Making up for the Daily Show debacle a few days earlier), while I went back to the car to study the map. About five minutes later, I looked up to see a throng of cars screaming into the lot, and folks getting into line, waiting for Pepe's to open.

This time I had the tomato and mozzarella pie...nice, but the clam pie was once again the way to go.

2010-07-07T15:38:00.004-03:00

Jimmy's Corner...44th Street, Manhattan.

After a day of navigation the construction on the I-95 corridor between Providence and NYC, we finally made it to Midtown Manhattan. The euphoria of scoring Daily Show tickets gave way to gut-wrenching defeat after discovering that tapings are WAYYYYYYYY overbooked. We were in line behind another couple hundred or so people who didn't make the cut. Only thing to do was gun down some BBQ at Virgil's, then head next door to a classic New York City dive.

Jimmy used to be a trainer for Muhammad Ali, and right behind the bar, in the above picture, there's a great picture of him with The Champ. Jimmy was there the night we were sucking back multiple Rolling Rocks....Jimmy doesn't say a whole lot...distracts him from the video poker machine.

Great bar....GREAT jukebox. Lots of Stax, Sinatra, and old soul stuff I hadn't heard in years. Friendly staff, and easygoing clientele, for the most part, including a couple from Ireland who were on their first trip to the States. Talking to a few of the locals, and they all lamented that these places are dying off quickly, as evidenced by the ESPN Zone a couple blocks west, and the overpriced franchise Drinky McGoodtimey places that you can't seem to avoid.

2010-07-07T09:05:00.005-03:00

The A1 Diner, Gardiner, Maine.

In order to get to Gardiner, we went through Augusta...and actually passed by a few other intriguing-looking spots, including a funky-looking drive-in burger joint, reminiscent of the old A&Ws I used to go to as a kid. May be worth a return visit.

If you're looking for the quintessential New England dinah, this is the place. It's not too far from the interstate, either, which is a definite bonus if you're passing through. Not touristy in the least, although you can pick up a bit of swag...postcards, the Guy Fieri book, etc., either at the counter or the website.

I had the steak and eggs, and couldn't believe how awesome the steak was...we asked, and it's locally-grown...didn't think it could make that huge a difference. Very friendly service, and the back and forth between the youngish fella behind the counter, and the older neighbourhood lady with the thick Maine accent made the experience complete.

2008-08-26T14:21:00.017-03:00

Holy crap! One hundred posts!

Figured it might be a good idea to write about my recent trip Stateside. It was about a month ago, but computer issues, vacation, and the mental short-circuiting that takes place when you fill in on the morning show have made it difficult to put the story together.

On Saturday, July 26th, the Cannonball Run began with a trip to Boston for the Red Sox and Yankees. Final score...10-3 Yankees... Just look at the happy faces!!!

Fenway magic...catch it!

Despite my morose disposition, a bad day at the ballpark is better than a good day just about anywhere else, so what the hell.

I didn't know it at the time that it would be my last time seeing Manny Ramirez in a Sox uniform. Being a Sox fan who takes it a little TOO seriously (and, honestly, is there any other kind of Sox fan?), I'd gotten use to the Manny Show. Every year, he'd run off to join the Space Program for a couple of weeks, but return to his old self. This time seemed different, though. Fans calling in to WEEI, the sports station in Boston, seemed a little more venomous this time. Sure enough...later that week, Manny was on his way.

A couple years ago, I took my oldest daughter, who was 6 at the time, to Fenway. It was a last-minute trip, as the missus and I had tickets, but in a gametime decision, she couldn't make it. Julia and I had a great time, I bought her a Manny 24 shirt, and she was a fan for life. I think I took the trade a little harder than her, but he's still her favourite player, and we make sure we pay close attention to the Dodgers highlights, in hopes Manny will hit a homer.

Anyhoo...after a beautiful sunny day at the ballpark, pizza and beer at Uno in Kenmore Square, plus a walk down Newbury Street back to the car...we were on our way south.

First stop was the Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown, Mass., a Boston suburb.

http://www.deluxetowndiner.com/

Classic diner, in an old railroad diner car. Great Huevos Rancheros. Fast, friendly service, and a straight run to the Mass Pike for the trip south.

If you're ever in need of a good cheeseburger...maybe the best you've ever had...check out Ted's in Meriden. Connecticut. The burgers are steamed...one of a very few spots that will use that method. They also use some sort of gooey cheese mixture...the contents of which they won't divulge. Check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y3qJYB4V34

From Meriden, we jumped on the 91 and headed for Louis' Lunch in New Haven, where, as the legend goes, the hamburger was invented more than a century ago. By all accounts a tiny, skanky old place, with a surly wait staff. What's not to like? We finally navigate our way through downtown New Haven, and.....closed.

Nearby, however, we came across a legendary dive bar, the Anchor Restaurant. Stopped in for a bowl of chili and a Pabst Blue Ribbon. They had a nice jukebox, as well, playing an old Boz Scaggs song, whose name escapes me, off the original 45. Sounded great, and fit in perfectly with the overall vibe of the place.

Another place that was on our 'must-see' list was Frank Pepe's Pizza in New Haven, which was close by, but we didn't realise how close, and missed 'er. Next time.

Off to NYC next...on the construction-riddled Interstate 95. It was a dark, cloudy day, and as we were driving south, a system of thunderstorms was moving over the city, and lightning strikes killed four people. Good times!

After making it to our hotel in Jersey (about half the price of staying in Manhattan), it was off to see Springsteen. An incredible setlist, and with a sea breeze blowing in from the shore, it seemed like a huge beach party. There's nothing like seeing E Street anywhere, anytime, but in Jersey, it takes on a whole new dimension. Here's a video I took during the unofficial New Jersey national anthem...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UXUFEDsHMI

The second night was even more of a party...ending with the Beatles' Twist and Shout, played by request. Bruce has started taking requests on this leg of the tour. Steve Van Zandt says that with so many people in the band, somebody is bound to know the song...so they're never stumped. If you feel like nerding it up a bit, here are the setlists for the two nights. Incredible. Actually, the whole summer has been full of rarities.

Scroll down to July 27th and 28th...the two shows we attended...

http://backstreets.com/setlists.html

I honestly don't know how many more times I'll get to see E Street...nobody's getting any younger. Except Bruce, of course. Don't know how he does it.

Some people's idea of a lifetime ambition is to climb Mount Everest, or become a CEO of a Fortune 500 company...mine is to be in double digits for Springsteen concerts attended. Well...here we are!

We managed to get over to Manhattan for a Letterman taping (featuring a very pregnant and yummy Gillian Anderson of the X-Files, and Simon Pegg from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz). My second time seeing a Dave taping...Jennifer and I went in '95. George Carlin was the guest that night.

The Ed Sullivan Theatre is notoriously chilly...right around 53 degrees, and all the interns were wearing heavy jackets despite the fact that the outside temperature was pushing 90. Actually, the sub-arctic temperature was a nice relief.

Next time you're in Manhattan, check out the Empire Diner on 10th at 22nd. Great burgers...

http://www.empire-diner.com/

Back to New Brunswick the next day. About thirteen hours, and seven states later, we were back in Saint John for the night. Along the way, a quick stop at Carl's Steak Subs in Waltham, Massachusetts. If you ever make the trip...one bit of advice...order SMALL. Here's the Large Cherry Bomb.

Fire in the hole!

2008-03-28T08:43:00.003-03:00

BOBBBBBBBBBBBB!

Woo-Hoo! Bob Dylan is coming to Halifax! The first time I saw Dylan, it was 1988, and I thought to myself that it might be the only shot I'd ever have to see him. Well...that was 20 years ago, and I've seen him 5 times since then on the Never Ending Tour.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, and they'll probably go pretty quick. It restores my faith in Halifax music fans that we can sell out 5 Leonard Cohen concerts at the Rebecca Cohn in May, and Dylan will sell nicely for a show about a week later. It would be nice if Bob could play the smaller venue, too, but that would be a little too much to ask for.

Here are some cool clips...

http://video.google.com/dylan.html

2008-03-04T20:53:00.007-04:00

Just adding up the damage from this past weekend in Montreal, and as usual it was money (and brain cells) well spent. Here's some of the paperwork...

After finally getting off the ground Saturday mid-afternoon, we were in Montreal, sludging through the snow to the Ritz Carlton on Sherbrooke. We got a hell of a deal, and it was a terrific, old-school joint. Very courteous, experienced staff, and possibly the finest bathroom I've ever had in a hotel. The fixtures had all been there since the 40s, I'm sure, and it was incredible. Big, thirsty bath towels, terrific water flow in the taps, incredibly cold water when you need it, a good shaving mirror. The basics. Never underestimate a good, dependable bathroom. I don't know why I was so obsessed with it, but there you go!

With the assistance of the wonderful Montreal Metro system, it was off to Theatre Outremont for Steve Earle in a solo acoustic performance. I had never actually been to the place myself, but after we changed trains a couple of times, we slogged through a snowy and mainly residential area to find the theatre. It was an eventful night...

http://communities.canada.com/MONTREALGAZETTE/blogs/wordsandmusic/archive/2008/03/02/steve-earle-lights-up-the-darkness.aspx

I could live to be a hundred, and never see a show like that again.

I was introduced to Springsteen's music in the mid-80s by my friends Jeff and Ian, who were coming to Montreal, as well. They drove from Saint John, which proved to a bit of a death march. A pretty heavy system was moving through Eastern Canada, and it made for a hellish drive, to say the least. But, everyone arrived safe and sound, and after we all hit the hay a bit early on Saturday night, we still had a big day ahead of us.

Sunday started out with a trip to Dunn's, just off St. Catherine's...

http://www.dunnsfamous.com/

Had a Smoked Meat Omelette. Fire in the Hole!

After a bit of a breather, it was off to Hurley's on Crescent Street. Next to a good hotel bathroom, I'm a sucker for a good Irish pub to help blow off an afternoon. My friend Terry and I stumbled upon (and out of) Hurley's last summer, and loved the whole vibe of the place, especially the courtyard out back. Even though it was sunny, it was about minus ten, so the courtyard was out of the question, no matter how much Guinness was involved.

A bit of a breather, then the Bar-B-Barn for a pre-show Cholesta-Fest. Ribs...chicken, and more beer. They must have known they would be flooded with Maritimers, because Moosehead was on special.

Then...the main event...My 8th Bruce concert...Jeff''s 13th, Ian's 6th, I think. Either way, we're newbies compared to some of the people we've met who are well up into the triple digits. I managed to stand still long enough for a couple of decent photos...

Here's the review from the Gazette...

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/arts/story.html?id=53dc5ac1-c768-4e1b-a002-dbc90099c5e5&k=57713

Not much more to say, really...my voice is still a bit crispy after joining about 16,000 nutjobs on the chorus of 'Badlands'.

Can't wait to do it again!

2008-02-26T13:05:00.001-04:00

You should hear their version of Moby Dick...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0tAOIQiz-8

This is, of course, before young Mr. Page met Satan.

2008-02-22T09:40:00.001-04:00

Truth in Advertising.

I'm sure there are aspiring broadcast students who read this, and to you I offer, as a public service, the correct way to write commercial copy...

Language definitely NSFW.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2416/2201688044_b9a72418e2_o.jpg

2008-02-20T13:16:00.002-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ-45XG7n4k

If you're a fan of old-school AC/DC (yes, please!), and Bon Scott...you might want to avert your gaze.

This is early footage from one of Bon's old bands, long before he met the Young brothers, obviously.

Our Bon is on the middle platform, to the right. 'Build me Up Buttercup' never seemed to turn up on any AC/DC setlists, did it?

Our loss, I guess.

2008-02-19T18:15:00.002-04:00

Got an extra three mil you don't know what to do with?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140206309501

Bet he has that Japanese import-only Bay City Rollers Greatest Hits LP I've never been able to find...

2008-02-17T11:26:00.002-04:00

This is a little long, but definitely worth the time...

http://youtube.com:80/watch?v=B9856_xv8gc

It's 1986, but it could just as easily be 2008.

How do you think Frank would do against O'Reilly, Coulter or Hannity today? I'm guessing he could hold his own.

2008-02-15T13:19:00.002-04:00

In case you missed it first time around...The Trews came in for some pickin' and grinnin' on Tuesday afternoon, in advance of their new CD, 'No Time for Later'.

Colin and John Angus (pronounced 'Jonangus', if you're a true Maritimer) were forever immortalized on Qtube, if you wanna check 'er out.

http://qtube.ca/

2008-02-15T13:17:00.002-04:00

David Lee Roth rules...did I mention that before?

http://www.chunklet.com/images/upload/6/audio_file/Runnin'%20With%20The%20Devil.mp3

"GoddamnitbabyyouknowIain'tlyintoya, I'monlygointellyouonetime!"

2008-02-13T09:14:00.003-04:00

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/9005519.html

Eagles....Moncton...August 2nd.

CTV dropped the bomb last night, and while we're about to get dumped on by a winter storm, we can think about summer for a few minutes, at least. Although it's not official, CTV told me last night that they had confirmation from three sources that it's a done deal.

Halifax Common has Keith Urban, and a couple more irons on the fire as far as another show...plus Charlottetown is in the hunt, as well.

Personally, I don't have a problem with making a road trip to Motown for The Eagles. I saw them in 2002, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Third row center, they were incredible. Of course, they're pretty much the poster children for high ticket prices and chardonnay-swilling yacht rockers, but they're money in the bank. Pretty much every song in a two-hour span is a top ten classic.

The Magnetic Hill Stones concert in '05 was a great day, and I really don't get into the Halifax vs. Moncton shit. There are plenty of shows to go around. We should be thankful we're getting anything, concert-wise, because...well...we live in the Maritimes, and we generally don't get anything at all. Plus...competition is a very good thing sometimes. Now, we have two big shows this summer, as opposed to our usual zero. Keep 'em comin'!

2008-02-12T09:03:00.000-04:00

Here we are....it's Tuesday morning...the kids are at school, I have a cup of bad coffee, and it's my favourite time of the week.

I start scouring the 'Net, for some reputable and (not-so-reputable) music news. Before I log on, I say a quiet prayer, in hopes that some big musico has done or said something terminally dumb. Most weeks my prayers are answered. A lot of times there's a rumour that a big name will be coming to the Maritimes. Most weeks that turns out to be bullshit. Between the big international stories, and juicy local stuff, I manage to sling together 500 words, and put them in the right order, for the most part.

The last year and a half has been a real blast for me, writing my weekly column, The Skinny, for The Daily News. I don't think I ever had a run-in with the editors over what I wrote, and they were terrific to deal with, rarely changing a word. I always harboured the dream of being a big-time rock journalist, and this was probably as close as I'll ever come.

I'm still absolutely sick about the people at the former The Daily News, who are out on the streets this week. Watching the story on the news last night, and seeing all the people that I've befriended, played softball and basketball with, and drunk with (often at the same time) left a knot in my stomach. I recognize that shell-shocked look.

I've been there, myself. The media business can be volatile. There are a lot of things that are completely beyond your control. Competing with a behemoth like the Herald was something that the parent company saw as a can't-win. If I was CEO, I'd probably make the same decision. Radio has it's shares of ups and downs, too, believe me. I've been on the wrong side of sweeping corporate decisions. And don't get me started on Global...

I always loved the fact that we had two dailies in Halifax. For years before the Herald started publishing on Sunday, the Daily News was my weekend paper of choice. It always seemed a lot more irreverent than it's stodgy counterpart....I've always liked that.

Times change, and the landscape as changed, too. Sunday night, I was wondering about the terrible situation in Bridgewater. The last local TV update was at 6pm, and the paper wouldn't come until morning. What did I do? I went to the 'Net for immediate information. That's the kind of world we live in.

All the Daily News people I know are brilliant, talented folks, and although this will sting for awhile, they will land on their feet. I know that sounds a little Hallmark, but, I've been there, and as dark as things seem right now (I'm sure losing your job on a snowy, shitty Monday seems like the ultimate insult), it will get better.

So....expect the blog to be updated a lot more often, as I'm probably still going to need a Tuesday morning fix.

Also...I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but how much would you bet Rene Angelil's behind this somehow?

2008-01-26T12:23:00.000-04:00

I've been telling the boss for years " You know...we need more REALLY drunk people on the air".

Well, yesterday, I got my wish! Zakk Wylde and his Black Label guys stormed into the control room for an interview, and to announce the winner of the Ozzy Audition, to open the second concert. Way to go Fed Pennies!

As you'll see in Exhibit A and B, Zakk may have been a bit....errrr....overserved upon his arrival.

www.qtube.ca

Just scroll down a bit for parts 1 and 2. We had a great time. You don't hear this kind of shit on CBC, lemme tell ya.

Zakk also has a bit of a history with drunken buffonery, as evidenced by the very beginning of this clip from a recent Van Halen rehearsal...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=m9WNI5zXhO8

Trust me, I'm a strong advocate for drunken buffonery, just as long as you don't piss off David Lee Roth.

2008-01-23T15:33:00.000-04:00

I've really been enjoying the Food Network's free preview all this month. I had no idea that so many of my guy friends were such foodies. Wouldn't have anything to do with Nigella Lawson (above) now, would it? Heck no.

I have no idea where this came from, or if it's a real show...but if it is, somebody needs to pick this up NOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p_5IqHqiOs&feature=related

2007-12-16T10:17:00.000-04:00

I said a few posts back that I'd write a bit about my recent trip to Boston, so here we go.

My brother and I had tickets to a Springsteen concert....my 7th, his 4th. Instead of a sensible 1-hour flight, we opted to drive. It can be a bit of a death march, but the weather was good, Interstates are always a breeze, and even though it was well into November, there was still a good amount of pretty leaves on the trees.

On the way through Maine, we stopped by author Stephen King's house. I'm not much of a celebrity-seeker, but this was too cool to pass up. Don't know if you can see this much detail, but the front gates have little bats on them.

Even though Springsteen was the official reason for the trip, the real highlight was rifling down as much local food and beer as humanly possible. One of the first places we tried was a place called Gilley's Diner in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Like most of these older places (1912), the diner itself used to be an old Rail Car.

I'm guessing by the size of the benches at Gilley's, people's arses were a lot smaller back then. Then again, chances are they weren't throwing down two Chili Dogs at a time, like I was.

Further down the 95, after checking in at the Hilton, it was off to the legendary Hilltop Steakhouse in Saugus. Apparently, the Hilltop was the inspiration for the Hungry Heifer, Norm Peterson's favourite restaurant on Cheers. Every meal includes a coupon for twenty bucks off on a Double Bypass.

The next morning called for a trip to the Owl Diner in Lowell. We didn't have a fancy-pants GPS system, so we printed off the directions in the Hilton Business center, and hit the road before the mid-morning rush.

Once again, it's an old railway car...

That's the Eggs Benedict, with nice, thick pieces of ham. Fast, friendly service, and a ton of food. Plus, some Elvis on the jukebox. Can't help but think that the King himself would be pleased with the secret ingredient...We looked behind the counter, and saw the cook dumping a pitcher of whipped butter onto a grill full of home fries.

With our arteries screaming for mercy, we eventually hopped on the T in Cambridge. Our first stop was Harvard Square, and after a brisk fall walk through the Harvard campus (even the squirrels had a higher GPA than I could ever hope for), we hopped back to Davis Square, to hit a few bars, before launching a BBQ siege at Redbones.

My wife and I had eaten there earlier in the year, and I was astounded at the amount of food we got. Naturally, I thought of my brother as I was hauling the doggie bags back with us. Steve and I had done a similar BBQ pilgrimage to Texas a couple years back, and we had to add Redbones to our field of study. All in the interest of science, you understand. If you're a BBQ geek, you'll be interested in the different styles of ribs...St. Louis, Memphis, Texas, just to name a few.

Ribs, brisket, catfish, beer. Then more ribs. You get the idea...

http://www.redbones.com/

Off to the concert...not going to go too into detail, but I'lll say I've never left disappointed from a Springsteen show. The missus and I will be seeing him in Montreal in the Spring.

On the way back, our only stop was at the Maine Diner

http://www.mainediner.com/

It's in Wells, Maine, and while it was definitely the most touristy place we visited, the food and service was top-notch. I had heard about their Shrimp and Cheddar omelette, and had to try one. With a couple of slices of rye toast, and about a gallon of coffee, we were more than ready for the long drive home.

2007-12-13T14:51:00.000-04:00

Got this from the great Ross Halfin's website. Ross is one of the great rock photographers of all-time, and invited Dave Grohl to the Led Zeppelin reunion show in London this past week. I've always liked that Grohl fella. I interviewed him a few years ago when the Foo Fighters played Citadel Hill, and he's a standup bloke.

Dave Grohl tells it like it is...
Sir,Just wanted to thank you for being so accommodating to me and my cast of nerds the other night. It was an epic night, to say the least. Arriving at 10 am that morning, sleeping for three hours, heading to the bottle shop for refreshments to take with in the van, pissing like a Clydesdale upon arrival to the gig, and then the mighty Zeppelin.
Highlights:
For Your Life. Maybe my favorite song of the night, except for Kashmir, which was beyond spot on.
The dry ice machine.
Black Dog. Like they never stopped playing it.
Asking Marilyn Manson if I can give him a hickey. "No". Asking his girlfriend if I can give her a hickey. "Sure!" To which Marilyn replied "No".
Not understanding one fucking word that Liam Gallagher said to me.
Steve Gorman. A good guy.
Peter Mench being nice to me. Sign of the apocalypse? Perhaps.
The entire 2 hours that the band performed.
Without sounding like a cunt, I had waited to see that my whole life, and it did not disappoint. Of course, I had always dreamed about being behind that drum set, but the sheer thrill of being there overcame any envy that I may have had. Jason was fucking great. Face it, he had people like me, Chad Smith, and Steve Gorman watching his every move, all night long, and afterwards we all agreed that he played great. Just three jealous drummers, drinking away our life long dreams of one day jamming with the greatest rock band of all time. Fucking pathetic, we were.........Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for including us in everything. It meant the world to me.
Congratulate the boys for me. Hope they take this circus on the road. If there's an opening for drum tech, you know my number.
Dave

2007-11-22T11:29:00.000-04:00

This is me with Little Steven Van Zandt of The E Street Band, Little Steven's Underground Garage, and Silvio from The Sopranos.

This was taken before Sunday Night's Springsteen concert in Boston, as I was dropping off my resume for The Bing.

2007-10-05T17:16:00.000-03:00

Note to self...If I ever meet Ronnie James Dio...for the love of God, don't bring up vivian Campbell...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOwZBo8FQvo

I was a huge Dio fan in my 80s metal years, and he's always had a terrific reputation as a super-nice guy.

Just don't mention Vivian.

2007-09-27T09:26:00.000-03:00

I just bought a couple of Springsteen tickets for November in Boston. If I had any sense, I'd sell the other kidney and pick up Van Halen tickets, too. Here's some rehearsal footage...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMm419quo1g

Honestly, I think Dave sounds better than 20 years ago. Of course, that's not saying a whole lot if you've ever listened to any VH bootlegs from that era, but I digress.

I'm actually more worried about how Eddie is going to fare on tour, as his physical state was the reason for ths postponement ealrier this year. By the looks of this footage, he's fine.

That's Wolfgang Van Halen...Eddie's 16 year-old kid on bass. Shouldn't he have a paper route or something?

2007-09-24T10:07:00.000-03:00

My kinda talk show!

In case you never got around to seeing myself and Lisa Blackburn when we did Global Noon for a few years, here's an out-take.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMAHstZ565w

2007-09-21T08:49:00.000-03:00

When the Sox signed Eric Gagne at the trade deadline, I, along with the rest of Red Sox Nation saw him as the last piece of the puzzle as we paraded off to the post season.

Since then, though, I don't know how much sleep I've lost because of Gag-Me. To say he's been a trainwreck is a little bit of an understatement. More like the Space shuttle crashing into the Empire State Building, knocking King Kong off the building onto a schoolbus full of kids.

It's that bad. I'm wishing he stuck to hockey as a career choice.

Hopefully Terry Francona's got his answer now to the question of whether Gagne can be trusted in important situations.

It looks like the Sox have the foot off the pedal, resting Manny, Youkilis, Okajima and Coco Crisp, as they head toward the playoffs. Doesn't really make that much of a difference if they win the division at this point, as they'll still get the wild card since Detroit has shit the bed. The last four World Champs have gotten in with the wild card, so maybe this will all work out after all. But, the Yankees have been playing out of this world since the All-star break, and as long as Jeter and Rivera are breathing, they're going to be tough.

I think winning the division means more to the fans than it does to the team. As long as you can get into the playoffs, and get hot, you can win it all, just like the Sox did in 2004. Still, having to listen to the Yankee fans will be unbearable if they do catch them. We're still hearing about 1978, when the Yanks caught the Sox.

Josh Beckett's going for his 20th win tonight, so hopefully he gets it, although the Devil Rays have Scott Kazmir on the mound, and he's been tough on the Sox.

2007-09-06T08:50:00.000-03:00

Holy Crap! Van Halen is back on tour this year. Don't think I'll be going, even though I am a disciple of the Dave Era. Sammy's OK, although he can't touch anything from the Diamond Dave catalogue. I interviewed Sammy about 10-15 years ago, and the was about the classiest guy I've talked to over the years. I still have the signed Van Halen photo that he sent me.

In case you missed the press conference from a few weeks back...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yuVu0N0qGk

2007-08-12T17:40:00.000-03:00

RIP, Merv Griffin.

I'd known he was sick for awhile, and this is very sad news. A true pioneer, Merv basically invented the game show as we know it.

On the plus side, though, how often do you get to look at a Thor clip?

Yes, children...it was the 70s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uWjkR4cFC4

2007-08-08T20:01:00.000-03:00

From www.simpsonizeme.com.

THIS is how I spent my summer vacation!

2007-07-31T22:31:00.000-03:00

Just got back from a few days in Montreal. My friend Terry and I were in town for the second Police concert, and really, Montreal in the summertime is a show in itself, as any red-blooded male will attest.

My sister-in-law Vanessa pointed out that anytime my brother or I get back from a road trip, the first thing we talk about is where we ate. Montreal is the best eating city in Canada, by far, and one of the best in North America. Every conceivable style of food is available in vast quantities, as you'd probably imagine from all the different far-flung ethnic groups that make up the city. My tastes are pretty basic...just give me a good (large) meal at a sensible price, and I'm happy.

My first stop is always the Bar-B-Barn, for chicken and ribs. I've heard that Chicken Chalet makes better BBQ chicken, and Baton Rouge might claim better ribs. If I had a couple more days and maybe a higher limit on the VISA, I would have tried both those spots, although I'd fight to the death anybody who speaks ill of the Bar-B-Barn.

Another spot that my friend Stephen Clare recommended was Cafe Santropol, in the area close to Mount Royal called The Main. Incredibly large, creative sandwiches, in a funky little spot a couple blocks over from Schwartz's, home of the FINEST smoked meat sandwiches I've had. I used to like Ben's, but that had been going downhill for a few years, and sadly, closed last year.

Other standouts include Magnan's, at the Charlevoix stop on the Metro, for fantastic roast beef, and Carlos and Pepe's, right off St. Catherine's for Mexican.

Then there were the bars. Our hotel was on Rue de les Montagne, a couple streets over from Crescent, so there was no shortage of options. I'm not a big fan of flashy, Night at the Roxbury-type joints, and although there were definitely a few of those, we found some cool, laid-back pubs with great patios.

I'm sure I'll skip a couple, but here are a few...Sir Winston Churchill's, Brutopia and Hurley's, all on Crescent, and The Irish Embassy a couple streets over. For the love of God, don't buy a beer at the Bell Centre, though. $9.25 for a warm Molson draft.

Oh yeah...the concert. Pretty good. I have a review (kind-of) in Thursday's HFX in the Daily News, so I won't rehash the same shit here. I'm still on vacation, y'know.

Here are a couple of videos that I took with my digital camera. Turned out pretty good, if you ask me...

First, the opening, into Message in a Bottle. Yes, I'm behind the stage.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jBGffqL29bY

Walking on the Moon

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-hZ629qNixI

2007-07-30T16:24:00.000-03:00

I was a little young to remember Tom Snyder's 'The Tomorrow Show' on NBC back in the 70s, although I loved him on the 'Late Late Show' that followed Letterman on CBS in the 90s.

Tom passed away yesterday at 71. Through the magic of Youtube, you can see some of his greatest hits...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EiSEbyhAR0k

Who would you rather interview...Charles Manson, or Johnny Rotten? I'm thinking Charlie seems like a more stable character after watching that clip!

2007-07-21T15:51:00.000-03:00

It's been awhile since I've updated El Bloggo, as I've been ramping up for vacation. Honest to God, you work so hard in preparing for vacation, it's almost not worth the trouble. I'm off for the next two weeks, so hopefully I can keep things a little more up-to-date.

I honestly can't remember the last time I took two weeks vacation. The missus and I used to take these gonzo road trips ten, fifteen years ago, driving all over the northeast going to concerts and ballgames, but those days are long-gone. My little girls, 8 and 4, have a 'travelling gene', so hopefully the road will open up in the next little while.

Speaking of road trips...Neil Peart is enjoying the summer...

http://www.neilpeart.net/news/index.html

I have a ton to catch up on...including talking about the White Stripes in Glace Bay last weekend. One of my top 5 shows ever...actually one of the Top Ten...Springsteen shows would probably occupy the Top 5. You can actually see the back of my head in the top picture. I'm wearing my green shirt that I got at Stubb's BBQ in Austin, TX. Of course, when I wear it, everybody asks..."Hey...you from Austin?" Alas...no.

The Halifax show was excellent...although if the stage was about a foot higher, it would have been perfect.

I'm off the to see The Police in Montreal on Thursday. Should be an interesting perspective, as we're directly behind Stewart Copeland, five rows back. The perspective from directly behind the stage is pretty cool. I'll post some pictures when I get back, if they don't take my camera away.

2007-07-12T13:32:00.001-03:00

Can't wait for the White Stripes tomorrow night at the Cunard Center...here's some video from the 'Secret' show in Charlottetown yesterday...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=O5N_9jeYBPY

Also, some cool pictures from the Moncton Coliseum...only 3,000 people...the dump was half-full, if you can believe that! Just scroll down a bit. LOOOOOOOOVE the New Brunswick flag!

http://media.locals.ca/localsconf/viewtopic.php?t=99080&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=315

2007-06-27T09:18:00.001-03:00

My entire life has been leading up to this.

I'm not kidding.

http://movies.yahoo.com:80/movie/1808405878/video/2700484/standardformat

2007-06-19T08:50:00.000-03:00

I remember this, actually. My Mom and Dad went to the Moncton concert on this tour. Tragic story, but could have been much worse.

http://jam.canoe.ca/Country/2007/06/15/4264026-cp.html

I was talking with a neighbour of mine this past weekend, and he's a truck driver. He told me about being in the rig about ten years ago, just outside of Halifax, a typical winter night, when he struck up a conversation on the CB.

They talked for about an hour, before the conversation turned to music. After a little while, the stranger on the other end of the radio revealed his true identity....Neil Young.

He had just finished his show at the Metro Center, and was on his way to the next gig (Saint John, probably). As with most performers, it usually takes a couple of hours to wind down after a show, so Neil will occasionally take the wheel for awhile.

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find Tom Waits' version of 'Phantom 309'...

2007-06-10T21:26:00.000-03:00

Shit...I had no idea.

http://www.slate.com/id/2167992

2007-06-08T10:45:00.000-03:00

Went to Fenway Park last weekend, for the Sox/Yankees series. Turns out I went to the only one of the three games the Sox won (Saturday, 11-6), and it extends my personal Sox winning streak to 5. Theo Epstein should be calling me more often to attend the games!

Anyway, there's nothing like Fenway, especially when the Sox are winning, and even more especially if it's over the Yankees. I was right behind the Sox bullpen, and got some great shots of Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okajima. They were great on Saturday, but not so hot on Sunday night, as the Yanks won 6-5, on an Alice Rodriguez homer.

As soon as I can figure out how to get video on the blogski, I'll post some of them, too.

Oh...we also met Alyssa Milano, and that's not exactly a bad thing. That's Mrs. B with Alyssa...

2007-05-28T16:15:00.000-03:00

Every once in awhile, when I get one of those Free Preview Months the cable companies offer up , I'll end up watching the Game Show Network for hours on end.

My favourite is always Match Game...Gene Rayburn with the freakishly long microphone, asking borderline filthy questions to a panel of Hollywood B-listers, quite possibly all of whom are half-in-the-bag. The guy I always got the most kick out of was Charles Nelson Reilly, who just passed away at the age of 76.

Quite possibly Alec Baldwin's finest acting role, as CNR...from SNL a few years back...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcMbaS3lvyo

2007-05-23T08:37:00.001-03:00

The Stones concert on Halifax Common sticks out in everybody's mind as concert of the year for 2006, and rightly so, but a lot of folks (including me, after a few pops) say that the real winner might have been Wilco at Alderney Landing.

Just an incredible summer night on the Dartmouth Waterfront...sea air, the ferries coming and going in the background, and Wilco at the top of their game. My friend Terry sent me a great clip of Wilco front guy Jeff Tweedy politely (mostly) telling people to shut the frig up during a show.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ew3AOlbJXos&mode=related&search

Can't say as I disagree with him.

Compare that to how Keith Richards reacts to a little too much crowd participation...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=J-QC0t63ndA

2007-05-16T16:49:00.000-03:00

So long, Jerry Falwell.

Certainly a divisive figure over the last few decades, with his comments about gays being reponsible for 9/11, his support of segregation in the US, support of Apartheid in South Africa, giving Fundamentalists more power, eventually bringing us Bush, Cheney, etc.

Let's not forget another celebrity whose reputation was tarnished by ol' Jer a few years back...

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/05/16/falwell_tinky/index.html?source=rss

I remember seeing a bumper sticker while driving in the States a few years ago..." The Moral Majority is Neither".

2007-05-04T16:24:00.000-03:00

I couldn't believe the news that The White Stripes are coming to the Maritimes. July 13th at the Cunard Center in Halifax, which holds about 4,000 people. No telling how long the tickets will last, so you better pick 'em up fast from www.ticketatlantic.com

Their new CD is called 'Icky Thump', and if you're a bit fuzzy, as I was, about the origin of the title...wonder no more!

http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Ecky-Thump

Sounds like it would have made a fine addition to the ill-fated Commonwealth Games in Halifax!

2007-04-24T08:40:00.000-03:00

I actually thought this was recent footage of The Who when I first saw it...

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

2007-04-23T12:38:00.000-03:00

Just in case you're starting out in the Music Business, and haven't taken the plunge to sign on with a manager...check this out. They're Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, otherwise known as Flo and Eddie, The Turtles, who sold millions of records back in the 60s. You'd think they'd be rolling in dough, but, then again...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JHN5HaUg28

So the lesson as always, kids...read the fine print!

2007-04-17T15:06:00.000-03:00

Got a call from John today on the 3:00 Classic Rock Craving (454-7268, BTW) for a couple of Iggy Pop songs.

I remember seeing this clip years ago of The Ig on CBC being interviewed by the late Peter Gzowski. You probably didn't see this clip on any 'Best of Gzowski' tributes. Pretty tense, to say the least...

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

Also...welcome to Fenway Park!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VuN7hmlQrkw

Incidentally, a hunk of Papa Gino's pizza will run you about 6 bucks at Fenway, for God's sake!

2007-04-03T16:22:00.000-03:00

A couple more YouTube goodies...First...Kermit does NIN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLQRv0RjBBM&eurl=

Also, Alanis does Fergie. Um...maybe I should've phrased that differently. Although, that WOULD be entertaining...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91sqAs-_-g

2007-03-23T13:59:00.000-03:00

Just so you don't think I'm just pulling this out of my ass...I mentioned the White Stripes have their eyes on coming to Canada...here's the actual link to the 'News' section of their website...

http://www.whitestripes.com/news/newsExtra.html

2007-03-20T12:30:00.000-03:00

If you haven't seen 'The Departed', do yourself a favour and pick it up. Scorcese and Nicholson are at the top of their game...Alec Baldwin, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg put in terrific performances as well.

If you're having trouble getting a two-hour window to watch the movie in it's entirety, however, here's a condensed version.

WARNING!

Not safe for work, or around the kids!

There.

Enjoy!

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1746444/

2007-03-15T09:37:00.000-03:00

From the 'Be careful what you're getting into, especially after you've had a few drinks' department...

A few Q Goons will be on our way to Toronto this weekend for CBC's 'Test the Nation'. It's a national IQ Test to see what professions are the smartest. There are mayors, millionaires, tattoo artists, and radio dweebs.

Lisa, JC and Anna are pretty smart...Bobby is surprisingly bright, and me....I don't know. I was on Reach for the Top in Grades 10 and 11 at Simonds High. Since I've had kids though, I can feel my intelligence level dropping by the second.

Plus, one of the hosts is CBC's Brent Bambury. He went to Saint John High, so I don't think he's going to give a Simonds guy a hometown discount.

It's Sunday night at 8, if you want to see us make arses of ourselves on a national level, as opposed to locally, like we usually do.

http://www.cbc.ca/testthenation/

2007-03-07T12:23:00.000-04:00

The Super Bowl people are runoured to be considering Bruce Springsteen for the Super Bowl halftime show next year. Cool! Although, it will be hard to top Prince.

The Smoking Gun has printed complaint emails from Prince's performance...You can't make this up!

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0305072fcc1.html

2007-03-05T08:33:00.000-04:00

The latest Q Jet has fuelled up...this time to Toronto for The Police in July. Junior High Tom is excited beyond belief, having worn out his copies of Zenyatta Mondatta and Ghost in the Machine back in the early 80s.

You may have to squint a bit, but here's what they're rehearsing...Driven to Tears...yeah, baby!

2007-02-26T21:09:00.000-04:00

Holy crap, is this exciting...Neil Young is, slowly but surely, opening his vaults. In November, he released a show from the Fillmo' East in 1971 with Crazy Horse, and on March 13, we'll get his legendary solo acoustic Massey Hall concert from '71.

Here's the trailer...

Windows: http://streamos.wbr.com/wmedia/wbr/neilyoung/mhpromo_adv1.wvx
Quicktime: http://streamos.wbr.com/qtime/wbr/neilyoung/mhpromo_adv1.mov

Up top is a picture of myself, Neil, and Annapolis Valley broadcast legend Darrin Harvey backstage at the Metro Centre in '96...Nice fella...we had a few seconds to talk hockey...living in Northern California, he went to a lot of San Jose Sharks games.

2007-02-13T10:24:00.000-04:00

How cool were The Police the other night at The Grammys?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sHXCs84iJc

Wanna see them on tour? Gotta have good seats!

http://www.stubhub.com/the-police-tickets/?ticket_id=82038730

The Police, Van Halen, Genesis...all we need is for Human League to get back together and the eighties will be complete again!

2007-01-25T09:50:00.000-04:00

My friend Blair sent this to me a couple weeks ago...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOyEw9bT8yQ&mode=related&search=#

He's a better fit than Paul Rodgers, don't ya think?

2007-01-22T08:53:00.000-04:00

Jesus, what a miserable day yesterday. For some reason, I had to go out, and I probably should have taken it as a sign when my driver's side door lock was frozen. Not to be deterred, I used the passenger side door and crawled over the seat to the driver's side. That's OK if you're doing it once, but after the second or third time you whack your knee on the steering wheel, that should be a cue to stay the hell home.

Aside from the lock being frozen, for some reason the rear passenger-side shock absorber freezes up in sub-arctic temperatures, and it's an experience similar in bumpiness to driving a jeep through the Himalayas. My car was telling me that it wanted nothing to do with me today, and wanted to stay home and watch football.

The whole ordeal was so I could take my youngest daughter to Burger King, or more specifically, their really cool play area-thingy. She had a great time, and as a bonus, learned some exciting new words watching Daddy pry the frozen wiper off the windshield. So, it was a win-win all the way.

This week on Route 104, it's Part 1 of an interview I did recently with Ronnie Miller, who played bass for Dutch Mason in the late sixties and early seventies. He has some terrific stories about playing music in that era, so many that we had to break t he interview up into two parts. That's Sunday night at 9.

Apparently, the Eddie Van Halen video I posted yesterday was pulled...Anyway, I'd rather remember Ed from happier days...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0r0giCsDios

2007-01-07T12:03:00.000-04:00

It's January 7th, at noon, and according to my thermometer, it's 8 degrees on the deck. Honestly, if I knew about this global warming thing earlier, I never would have traded in my old '77 Buick. I shouldn't joke, because someday soon, we'll probably be seeing the remains of the polar ice caps floating down Barrington Street. I'd say Tuesday, it looks like.

Don Cherry's really starting to piss me off. Last night on Coach's Corner he shows a terrific play where Evgeni Malkin dances around most of the opposition, leaving two or three players in the dust, and the Staal kid for the Penguins (don't ask me which Staal kid, there are about twenty of 'em), tips in a rebound. Who does Cherry praise? Staal, of course.

It used to be kind of cute, his mispronunciations of the Europeans names, and how he sticks up for Canadians. But now he just sounds like your old drunk-ass uncle who hates foreigners. You're not going to find anybody more politically incorrect than me most days, but Cherry's schtick is getting old and predictable.

Don't even get me started on why he has such a bug up his ass about Sidney Crosby. Sid has shown nothing but class and maturity in the face of WAAAAAAAY too much pressure for an 18 (now 19) year-old. He has the weight of the entire sport on his shoulders, and he's handling it perfectly.

Cherry wasn't much of a hockey player, by his own admission, and he's always been more of a cheerleader for the lunchbucket types, but this is childish.

That being said...how about some fisticuffs! You have to watch the entire video, it's pretty cool.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5zNUTSTRnz8

Georges Laracque has the reputation for being not only the best fighter in the NHL, but also one of the nicest fellas. I've played hockey with his brother, former Moosehead Jules-Edy Laracque, and he's a stand-up guy as well.

Remember Pulp Fiction?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ryY3heZqrgM

2006-12-25T12:09:00.000-04:00

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.

2006-12-20T15:50:00.000-04:00

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.

2006-12-11T15:30:00.000-04:00

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

2006-12-05T10:27:00.000-04:00

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

2006-11-23T17:40:00.000-04:00

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!

2006-11-21T15:33:00.000-04:00

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.

2006-11-07T14:30:00.000-04:00

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...

2006-10-30T17:10:00.000-04:00

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!

2006-10-27T09:55:00.000-03:00

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.

2006-10-20T16:30:00.000-03:00

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.

2006-10-16T08:54:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-10-11T07:01:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-10-05T16:00:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-10-05T15:55:00.000-03:00

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.

2006-09-22T10:34:00.000-03:00

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.

2006-09-14T11:10:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-09-05T17:08:00.000-03:00

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...

2006-08-26T08:30:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-08-26T08:23:00.000-03:00

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...

2006-08-24T16:40:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-08-15T17:18:00.000-03:00

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.

2006-08-07T12:43:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-07-28T08:44:00.000-03:00

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.

2006-07-22T13:12:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-07-21T13:02:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-07-18T10:39:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-07-11T15:13:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-07-04T14:13:00.000-03:00

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?

2006-07-01T22:33:00.000-03:00

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.

2006-06-30T09:24:00.000-03:00

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'!

2006-06-28T16:33:00.000-03:00

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...

2006-06-27T11:05:00.000-03:00

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!

2006-06-26T15:13:00.000-03:00

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.

2006-06-25T10:05:00.000-03:00

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.

2006-06-22T08:55:00.000-03:00

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!