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Feel the music, write the words. It's really not complicated.
Interviews, Reviews, Features, Bios
OnStageMagazine.com
KatsTheoryofMusic.blogspot.com
KatsTheory.blogspot.com
A Little of This, A Lot of Sass
From the rich and tasty southern style to the delta and up the Mississippi, spreading out East and West, the blues sound has adapted to each region it has touched. And these days, that sweet sound can be heard in places you wouldn't think to look.
It's better than sex. Most of us have heard someone say that. And just like most things in life, it's very subjective. What you might think is better than sex is likely making me think you suck in the sack. I mean really, if it's good, there's not much better than that brief shining moment of...
Social Jet Lag. Haven't heard of it? Well, we've all experienced it. In fact, it's pretty much what we strive for every weekend. It's called paying the price for having fun. According to an article in today's Huffington Post, when we stay up a little lot later on the weekend, we are throwing our circadian rhythm out of whack.
And here we go again. Today's subject: "Legitimate Rape" Actually we have two discussions today. First the idiocy of the man who said it and the aftermath of the idiot saying it. It seems that in a TV interview on Sunday, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.)
What the hell is wrong with this world? The World's Smallest Pony has been kidnapped... allegedly by the Mafia. Really. While on tour in Italy, Charlie (and why does he get to tour Italy and I'm stuck in Jersey) disappeared from his stall.
Dog. Man's best friend. A friend for life, you can do everything together. Now you can even throw back a few cold brews. Yepper, a guy in Oregon has come up with a dog beer; he calls it "Dawg Grog."
A little over a year ago, I wrote a post about dreams and goals. It centered on the beginning of a dream and possibly coming to the realization that your dream may never come true. The latter part of that statement was written about long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad, after she ended her fourth attempt at swimming from Cuba to Key West.
So began the conversation. Where it went from that point, I don't know... I stopped listening. As someone who puts fingers to keyboard in an attempt to create some interesting prose from time to time, I find inspiration in the oddest of places.
Yogi said it best. "It's like deja vu all over again." Now unless it's to a show or an occasional get together with friends, I don't go out all that much. The last time we went out for a show with something to eat, it was a bit of a crazy experience.
When it premiered on the Syfy channel Sharknado brought in 1.37 million viewers. Not huge numbers for a debut on the shlock station. But then social media got its teeth into it and Sharknado enjoyed a decent length of time trending on Twitter. It was re-broadcast and the viewer numbers went up to 1.89 million.
Cut me a little slack if my Grammy rant has a few incoherent moments. I've been really sick for the past 4+ days and hadn't really even looked at my computer during most of that time.
I find myself having some very meaningful discussions lately, even though they are a bit one sided. I work from home, and so it's me and the dog. They had named her Hershey at the first animal shelter where she was brought after being a stray for a while.
A week ago Thursday I wrote my last post here. It was called One Dog's Tale, and was about the importance of the time I was spending with my dog Hershey, as her health slowly declined. Sadly, a week after that post, we would need to say goodbye to our sweet dog.
Show Reviews
After a slight drought in my live music attendance toward the end of last year, the first night of the New Year seemed to be the appropriate time to kickstart 2017 on the right track and dropkick the abomination that was 2016 out into oblivion.
Sometimes, even if you don't realize it, your soul needs to be refreshed. Music can do that if it's powerful enough. The music of Mike Farris is that powerful. Starting out as a rock singer, the party life took control until nearly losing his own from a drug overdose before he turned twenty-one.
"You may leave your cell phones on, take pictures, tweet them, facebook them, whatever the fuck you want." The pre-show announcement was a little different than most; yeah, this night might just be fun. This night was the first show of a 15-night limited engagement and it was time for local legends to come home.
John Oates. Everyone knows John Oates, everyone knows the myriad of hits he and musical partner Daryl Hall put together in the 80s. Everyone knows the look; curly hair, big mustache. Everyone knows John Oates is one talented musician. What everyone may not know is the scope of his talent.
For a November night in northwest New Jersey, the weather could not have been better. A light jacket was enough to keep you warm, but not crowd you in your seat. Tonight you wanted to be comfortable for it was to be a night of songs and stories.
Following an extremely well received opening set by Jeff LeBlanc, the audience warmly welcomed Boz Scaggs to the stage of Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ. Setting the tone, "Runnin' Blue" offered a nice entry into a night filled with blues, rock, r&b, and a little jazz.
On an unseasonably warm November night in northwest New Jersey, the outside temperature was nothing compared to the fire being stoked onstage by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. The wonderfully intimate Newton Theatre played host to The Jukes, and Johnny and the boys took the invitation to heart, performing a solid night of old songs and new, mixed in with the usual blend of fun, professionalism, and Jersey swagger.
In talking to songwriters over the past several years, it becomes clear that although the end result is the same, the methods for pulling a song together can be very different. Some start with a guitar riff, and some have words just waiting to be put to music.
Though the thunderous applause quieted as he took the stage, the buzz continued as each member of the audience listened for the hint of what the first song would be. Roy Bittan started it off on the piano, then Bruce Springsteen stepped up to the mic and played the harmonica.
At the age of 72, most people are looking to slow down, look back and enjoy life. Most people are not Eric Burdon. While he may be looking back, and while he definitely seems to be enjoying himself, slowing down is not on the menu for the foreseeable future.
With a temperature of 76 degrees at 8 pm, the sun was setting on the west side of Manhattan Island while the nightlife was picking up at the South Street Seaport on the east side. The Watermark Bar is set on a pier over the East River with a view of all three bridges that connect Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Even though it was, as Americana singer-songwriter Tokyo Rosenthal pointed out, a school night, the crowd at The Turning Point in Piermont, New York did not seem to care one bit. The Turning Point sits a stone's throw away from the part of the Hudson River known for its beauty, and is a throwback to old roadhouse music haunts, full of history and stories.
The overnight temperature drop created an instant camaraderie among the early arrivals to the second night of the Horn-A-Plenty Weekend, at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, PA. Smiles appeared quickly on concert goers faces as they walked out of the cold and windy night, and into the historic Sherman.
The evening's weather forecast was at the very least, ominous. Severe thunderstorms would be passing through close to showtime, and again at the end of the show. Most of us were lucky, having beaten the raindrops into the comfort of the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey.
The night was billed as Gary U.S. Bonds with Special Guests, and it was a celebration of Gary's 76 th birthday. This was his seventh B.B. King's birthday party and it didn't matter who the guests would be, this crowd was there to have fun. Fun was to be an understatement.
As the final show in The 5th Annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival at City Winery in New York City, Carolyn Wonderland was the perfect choice to end the free concert series for another year. Held outdoors in the rear of the Manhattan venue, the gates opened at the end of the workday, creating a sweet and stress-free way to start the evening.
While the voice of Amber Farris started off the night somewhat smooth and reserved, carefully waiting for Wade Cofer to get his bass pounding, soon enough Somebody's Darling was ready to bring on the heat.
By Kath Galasso on January 13, 2015 Over the past two months, the buzz surrounding New Jersey's Deal Casino has grown into a low roar. In December, they won several honors at the Asbury Park Music Awards including: Top Pop/Rock Band, Top Live Performance, and Top Male Vocalist.
Even with immeasurable talent, not many are destined to rise to the top in the music business. Luck and timing have as much to do with success as either lightning speed on the guitar, or the number of octaves in your vocal range.
What would you do if you're an elementary school teacher and you watch funding for music education decrease year after year? If you are David Wish, you basically say "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore."He initiated local after-school music classes, but soon realized the need was larger than his immediate area.
The date was entered into the iPhone calendar as soon as it was announced. The original subdudes were back together and would be playing BB King's in NYC. In March of 1987, three members of the Continental Drifters and another musical friend got together for an acoustic show in New Orleans.
Paul Rodgers is a rock star. With a weather forecast predicting rain of biblical proportions, and the temperature closer to mid-October than the end of April, the crowd arriving at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood NJ, was delighted to get to their seats before the deluge began.
Crossing three bridges through two states and three boroughs wasn't nearly as stressful as it could have been. After finding that on-street parking was readily available, well it seemed like the evening was off to a good start. The Brooklyn Night Bazaar takes place on Friday and Saturday nights in a converted warehouse in Brooklyn, New York.
Interviews
Follow that up with a weekly ritual of being backstage for The Who, Elton John, and a host of others, the natural progression would be at the age of fourteen to jam with Peter Frampton at your friend's house, right?
Some storytellers communicate with their words, others through their music. Henry Diltz tells a story by capturing the fleeting dance of what his eye sees as his finger presses the shutter button on his camera. A moment in time artfully preserved, and forever shaping how that moment is remembered.
There is no question Paul Brown loves what he does. With blonde hair whirling around his head and a smile emanating from deep within, Paul Brown lets his soul bleed through the keys of his Hammond B3 organ. The result is the most delicious side dish you might ever taste.
Twelve days after he first heard of Fleetwood Mac, Ken Caillat was driving from LA to the Record Plant in Sausalito to engineer and eventually co-produce what would become one of the top selling albums of all time.
Paula Boggs is a musician. She has been a musician since she was very young. However just as John Lennon wrote "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans," different life opportunities arose and the music faded into the background for many years.
During her career, Laura Sullivan has composed musical soundtracks for movies, documentaries, TV shows, commercials, videos and more. Last year at the 56 th Annual Grammy Awards, she was recognized for her efforts when her composition, Love's River won for Best New Age Album.
"Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men." At some point in our lives, the John Steinbeck quote relates to each of us. For veteran vocalist Kevin Chalfant, it seems his best laid plans were just a stepping stone to his true destiny.
As Yogi Berra famously said, "It's like déjà vu all over again." And indeed it is. For the third time in his singing career, Dave Bickler is no longer a member of the rock band Survivor. And for the second time, he basically found out about it online.
Leslie West has been part of rock & roll history for over forty years. While a member of the Vagrants, he would meet producer Felix Pappalardi and they soon would form the rock band Mountain. From the time they stepped onstage at Woodstock, Mountain created a hard-driving sound that was both creative, and all encompassing.
Marshall Crenshaw hit it big in with songs like 'Someday, Someway'. Since then its been kickstarter & radio endeavors, while still always making new music.
Survivor came out of Chicago in 1978, released their defining song "Eye of the Tiger" in 1982, changed lead vocalists in 1984 and then watched as their album Vital Signs, produced three top twenty hits. As MTV changed the way music was marketed, Survivor rode the crest of video popularity, while releasing several more chart topping songs.
When you grow up in the shadow of such legendary recording studios as Stax, American, Sun, and Royal Studios, one can only imagine what a young singer from Memphis might dream. Starting out singing radio jingles and playing in a band or two, maybe.
Fate. Destiny. Kismet. Some of us believe in it, others are skeptical. Think on this story for a minute. Two kids go to the same middle school, junior high, and high school. They are even in classes together. They like the same music, a lot of the same activities, but never really connect on a one-to-one level.
As we all know, the music business is not what it used to be. While it's easier to record and upload your music to the masses, it's not quite as easy to make a living doing it. People want to experience music; they just don't want to pay for it.
Adversity can either strengthen the bond between two people or can break it. Coming to terms with an incurable disease is a journey where most times, creativity and generosity of spirit are not walking in step with that devastating reality.
Creating music in the purest sense, is piecing together notes which are born in the soul, take their first steps in the heart, and are given flight through a musical instrument. Nowhere is that more evident than with instrumental music.
Opening up with "Bad Bad," from their just released Adult Roommates album, Somebody's Darling began an afternoon set of a CMJ Music Marathon showcase. The Dallas based band, featuring the bold, bluesy vocals of Amber Farris have paid their dues over the past seven years.
From the late 1960s through the mid 1970s, Three Dog Night ruled the commercial radio airways. With eighteen consecutive top twenty hits, four number one songs, and five top ten albums, the voices of lead singers Cory Wells, Danny Hutton, and Chuck Negron were heard day and night for years.
"I've had an amazing amount of luck even to be able to do this for the past eight years that I've been doing it. While the Grammy thing would be incredible, it's not the end of the world."
Album Reviews
Let's just say right off the top. Finally, finally, someone got the feel of old school rock and roll without making it sound, well, old. Out of Jersey, where we take our old school rock very seriously, comes the new release from Downtown Mystic, Rock 'n' Roll Romantic.
Home > Featured > Scott Taylor, 'Blues Kitchen' Reviewed By Kath Galasso on November 14, 2016 On his new release, Blues Kitchen, Scott Taylor not only shares the feeling, but serves it up like a steaming bowl of blues stew. Tasty as hell.
What once was a "Supergroup" is now a band, and that's a very good thing. Weaving together the pedigrees of Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Barry Goldberg, one would expect quality music just predicated on their varied influences and experiences in the business.
How do you chronicle the circle of love in less than 20 minutes? Well, if you're Ships Have Sailed, you take three previously recorded songs, strip them down to their very essence and add in two new songs to create a new EP called Whispers.
Late last year, Spud Davenport and Charlie Recksieck got together in San Diego and started creating fun music filled with satire and written with a "jaundiced eye." It resulted in the formation of a band called Leaders In The Clubhouse (LITC) and a debut album titled Won.
Well, it's complicated. Les Bohem is a singer-songwriter, a writer of screenplays, an Emmy winner and currently an executive producer of a Shut Eye, a Hulu series premiering this month. His sadness? I suppose you might find the answers in his two disc debut solo album, but then again, you might not.
Home > Featured > The Magic Lightnin' Boys New Album Stealin' Thunder Reviewed By Kath Galasso on June 1, 2016 Swamp rock. It's musty, it's nasty, it's so funky, you can almost taste it. And most of the time, it tastes just fine.
By Kath Galasso on November 4, 2015 Hearing Boy From The Crowd for the first time is like watching primordial ooze spewing up from the depths of the earth. You're not sure what it could be, but it's fascinating and terrifying, and demands to be heard. Not bad for two guys from London.
Listening to the music from Tumbler, a British folk/rock trio is almost like going on a time travel journey. And honestly, that isn't far from the truth. The band, Richard Grace, Dave Needham and Harry Grace, just released their first album, You Said, and let's just say it's not your dad's old folk-rock.
On hearing the opening notes of "Gone Baby Gone," a feeling of familiarity hangs in the air. As he begins to sing, the mellow sound of Boz Scaggs is instantly recognizable with his voice creating a comfort zone.
There are times when you come across a band that you can just feel is on the verge. Whether they've paid their dues for a while and are finally getting recognition, or maybe just started to get attention and seem ready to burst like a supernova.
By Kath Galasso on October 10, 2015 The striking voice is the first thing you notice when listening to the self-titled debut album by Bitter's Kiss. So clear, pure and interesting. Keep listening and the lyrics stop you in your tracks.
tran·si·tion noun 1. movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another;change: the transition from adolescence to adulthood. a. a passing from one key to another; modulation. b. a brief modulation; a modulation used in passing. c. a sudden, unprepared modulation. 3.
By Kath Galasso on October 20, 2015 As you go through "Entry," the first 32 seconds of Smokin' Voyages, you start thinking that maybe Space Apaches really is formed by cosmic interplanetary visitors, as they say in their bio.
When you talk about a life of highs and lows, Beth Hart could be the poster child. While her career was on the rise in the late 90's, her personal life had crashed and burned.
Starting off a Monday morning by listening to some new releases, the first four albums became unlistenable after hearing barely ten minutes of each. As I looked down the list of recent releases, a cover photo got my attention because of its simplicity: a man and his piano.
the first album from the Howlin' Brothers with Brendan Benson as producer was, forgive me, a Howlin' success. After spending 24 weeks on The Americana Music Radio Chart, and peaking at #6, the Howlin' Brothers have been busy in the studio and touring virtually non-stop.
Reflection is a funny thing. Looking back tends to open up different perspectives of your life. One hopes that for the most part those perspectives show you have touched lives in good ways, and in turn your life has been enriched by those around you.