Robyn Hitchcock: Sublimely Weird
Age is only helping Robyn Hitchcock settle into his role as wizened surrealist singer and mystic storyteller. More than 45 years after starting his first band, the founder of the…
The Unexpected Return of Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople always seemed the kind of band that would implode at any moment, and such was the case when they pulled into New York in the middle of…
Nick Lowe, Straightjackets Begin to Mesh
Nick Lowe is calling his tour with Los Straightjackets the Quality Rock & Roll Revue and it’s no idle boast. The cool, memorable songs of Lowe with his smooth, elder…
Mark Eitzel Makes Himself at Home
It was billed as a living room concert, and the entire Mark Eitzel tour dubbed “Living room Tsunami” so it was a little bit surprising when the secret D.C. area…
Todd Snider at the Birchmere
Todd Snider walks on stage in goofy hat, trusty guitar, barefoot but also with his equally raggedy dog, Cowboy Jim, who promptly lies down and listens to these songs and…
Flesh Eaters’ Ace Lineup at Union Stage
The poet and writer Chris Desjardins created the Flesh Eaters in the heyday of L.A. punk scene of the late 1970s, enlisting many of his friends to be among the…
A Couple Takes the Gershwin Prize
It was the 10th Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, but winners Emilio and Gloria Estefan represent two firsts — the first married couple to be so honored,…
Remembering Hal Blaine, 1929-2019
One of rock’s greatest timekeepers was stilled, as Hal Blaine died in Los Angeles Monday at age 90. A player on more than 350 Top 40 hits and 40 No.…
A Stirring Salute to the Queen of Soul
Any time is a good time for a salute to Aretha Franklin music. But the Queen of Soul did it so well herself, it’s hard to pay tribute and come…
An Untimely Concert from the Jacksons
It was an auspicious moment in Jacksons history Friday, happening in a snowy and frozen remote corner — a rural Minnesota casino, in one of just a couple of scheduled…