Unfortunately, my reading & signing appearance at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore today has been canceled due to the weather. To be rescheduled soon!
Next up: Farley’s Bookshop in New Hope, April 11, 1-4pm.
a signing (outside, in front of the store)
44 South Main Street, New Hope, PA
215-862-2452
What are you listening to?
Sleater-Kinney, “A New Wave,” performed live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLwD1to3dZU
Lana Del Ray, “Ultraviolence”
What are you listening to?
Cheap Trick, “Dream Police,” 1979 promo film
Liz Phair, “Polyester Bride”
From RollingStone.com:
Mad Season, Temple of the Dog Reunite at Overwhelming One-Off Show
Two beloved Nineties acts reform with help from the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and a handful of grunge all-stars
BY CORBIN REIFF | January 31, 2015
Even amid the current wave of limited-run reunion tours and one-night-only performances, last night’s resurrection of the grunge supergroup Mad Season seemed particularly inexplicable. On top of that, what could have been little more than another rock reformation gig turned out to be a genuinely special, surprising show that both exceeded its own hype and outdid its own billing.
Formed in 1994, Mad Season was made up of Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley, Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin and Walkabout bassist John Baker Saunders. The group made only one record together, 1995’s Above, before conflicting obligations pulled them apart. Any serious hopes for an original-lineup true reunion were dashed by the death of Saunders in 1999 and Staley in 2002.
Nevertheless, the evening kicked off properly with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra performing a trio of classical compositions. The last of these was actually written by McCready, who strapped on his 1959 Gibson Les Paul to play along. After a short intermission, he and Martin strode onto the stage alongside the departed members’ all-star replacements: Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell.
After taking a moment to steady themselves, McCready nodded back to symphony conductor Ludovic Morlot and launched into a 20-minute set comprising all three of Above’s singles: “Long Gone Day” came first, then radio hit “River of Deceit” and finally “I Don’t Know Anything.” It would have been special to hear these songs performed again even without accompaniment, but the force of the orchestra drove each one to new places, adding dimension and revealing depth. This rendition of “I Don’t Know Anything,” a song that already contains a massive, pile-driver riff, especially overwhelmed the 2,500-seat Benaroya Hall.
Here, both band and the orchestra took a bow and departed. A few moments later Mad Season reemerged with Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron and Lazy Susan’s Kim Virant, who took over drums and vocals for the dirge-like “Wake Up.” Virant was then supplanted by Walking Papers’ Jeff Angell for “Lifeless Dead,” but they worked together to tackle “I’m Above.”
When the song came to an end, everyone but McCready left the stage. The guitarist, meanwhile, stepped to the microphone and introduced two more Pearl Jam bandmates: Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, who were followed onstage by Cornell and Cameron. Minus only Eddie Vedder, it was a nearly full-on reunion of Temple of the Dog, the short-lived band formed in the wake of Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood’s 1990 death. The guys allowed the crowd a moment to regain their composure, then hit them with a one-two punch of “Call Me a Dog” and “Reach Down,” the latter of which Cornell dedicated to Wood.
The guys in Temple left McCready a moment to address the audience and pay tribute to his departed Mad Season bandmates: “It’s with a heavy heart sometimes to hear this music,” he admitted. “But I know that it means many things to a lot of people.”
After finishing his thought, he waved McKagan and Martin back onstage, and joined by Alice in Chains drummer Sean Kinney, the group played a truly haunting rendition of Above closer “All Alone” – this time with lyrics coming from a pre-recorded Staley vocal track. It was a powerful, mesmerizing way to end an undeniably incredible show. It was also a small reminder that no matter how many big names you can add to the guest list, some break-ups are more permanent than others.
What are you listening to?
The B-52’s, “Rock Lobster,” performed live
Sleater-Kinney, “A New Wave,” performed live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLwD1to3dZU
What are you listening to?
Plastic Ono Band (w/ John & Yoko and Eric Clapton), “Blue Suede Shoes”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuEMdfwmQTM
Velvet Revolver, Slither”
What are you listening to?
Dum Dum Girls, “Rimbaud Eyes”
The Cure, “Fascination Street”
What are you listening to?
Joe Cocker, “You Are So BEautiful,”performed live
Janis Ian, “Seventeen,” performed live
In doing research (last minute research for a book that’s coming out this year, research for two books in the pipeline, and prep work research for a new novel that I’ll be starting soon), I’ve made some interesting contacts, including an official from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and a former TPA operations officer.
The most interesting contact thus far has been Detective Jim Weiss of the Philadelphia Police Department. I used to know to know Jim when he was in high school. His band, Ubisunt, was on my independent record label, Triquetra Records. (Their CD will blow your hair back! Their live show was literally insane.)
Jim has been so generous with his time and knowledge. He has given me so much information, that it took days to study. I joked with him that I felt like I saw studying for the detective’s exam. Reading Jim’s responses and opinions, as well as actual police directives, has reinforced my opinion that from the best of us comes those who choose to become policemen/policewomen and firefighters.
Thank you, Jim!
I read this and my head begs to explode…
From RollingStone.com:
Rage Against the Machine Defy Ethnic Studies Ban, Says Arizona Schools Chief
KRS-One also targeted for “promoting resentment toward a race or class of people”
By Kory Grow | January 5, 2015
Arizona’s departing state superintendent of public education, John Huppenthal, spent his last day of work targeting the Tucson Unified School District for violating the state’s ban on ethnic studies, according to the Arizona Daily Star. In particular, the “notice of noncompliance” he sent the district’s superintendent, Dr. H.T. Sanchez, on January 2nd highlighted two music-related violations: the use of the Rage Against the Machine 1992 song “Take the Power Back” in Mexican-American history and an introduction to hip-hop written by KRS-One in an English class taught from an African-American perspective.
Huppenthal’s notice cited lyrics from “Take the Power Back,” with asterisks covering profanity, and linked to the rap trailblazer’s essay in which he defines hip-hop as “the artistic response to oppression.” Both instances were in reference to classes taught at Tucson’s Cholla High Magnet School. The notice also noted a handout that asks, “Why was American slavery the most brutal in history?” and the requirement for students to recite Mayan and Aztec teachings daily. The classes replaced a Mexican-American Studies class that was deemed to violate the education law.
The schools chief threatened to cut state funding for the district by 10 percent if it did not comply with the law by March 4th, according to The Arizona Republic.
Huppenthal claimed that these instances, along with others not listed in the complaint, were not in compliance with a piece of Arizona legislation, passed in 2010, that limited the contents of classroom curricula. Specifically, Huppenthal said that the courses “promote the overthrow of the United States government,” “promote resentment toward a race or class of people” and “advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals,” per the wording of the bill. A lawsuit seeking to overturn the law will go before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this month, RawStory reports.
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello commented on the matter on Twitter, claiming that his band’s and rap lyrics are “only dangerous if you teach [them] right.” Representatives for KRS-One and Huppenthal did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Corey Jones, who teaches the Cholla Magnet course U.S. History Culturally Relevant Mexican-American Perspective – which interpolates Rage Against the Machine lyrics into the curricula – tells Rolling Stone that he was not surprised by Huppenthal’s letter and that he was “a little bit embarrassed” to live in a state with these politics. The purpose of teaching Rage lyrics was from a social justice perspective, and he says his students – half of whom did not know the band prior to the class – loved the song. Currently, Jones has no plans to change his course, which he designed to encourage students to want to change the world for the better.
“Arizona’s becoming a more fascist state,” he says. “When you’re banning and censoring material, for a state that proclaims local control, for a state that proclaims so much freedom – and yet in Phoenix you’re having one of the highest elected officials of the state comb through my curriculum and say, ‘This is illegal, you can’t teach that’ – the contradictions are glaring.”
“I am deeply concerned by the fact that the noncompliance appears to extend beyond classes taught from the Mexican-American perspective and now also includes classes taught from the African-American perspective,” Huppenthal said in a statement, adding that he wants “students, regardless of their race or ethnic background, [to] have access to a high quality education.” He also wrote, “In issuing this finding before classes resume, I am hopeful that the district will take immediate action to comply with the law.”
Sanchez did not immediately reply to Rolling Stone’s request for comment, but released a statement last week saying that he had requested a meeting with the outgoing superintendent, but had not heard back from him. “These courses were developed specifically under the court order,” he wrote, according to the Republic. “That order – the Unitary Status Plan – requires us to develop and implement culturally relevant courses taught from both the Mexican-American and African-American perspectives.”
Sally Stewart, the spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Education, said that Huppenthal’s replacement, Diane Douglas, would “keep the ball rolling” and follow up on her predecessor’s notice. Douglas’ chief of staff did not reply to requests for comment from the Republic on Friday.
Although Huppenthal was the incumbent option for the Republican primaries last year, the Grand Old Party ultimately selected Douglas as its candidate. She won the general election last November and assumed office on January 5th.
Read more by clicking HERE.