You can always count on The Reverend Horton Heat for a good time. In the sweaty Water Street chapel, the Rev sanctified and satisfied the sinnin’ and grinnin’ faithful with the rock ‘n’ roll of ages. Openers Nashville Pussy easily performed their best show yet. They are simply amazing, and no, I’m not just saying […]
Music
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A nice bunch of guise
There’s this… thing about Mike Patton; this spooky, almost intimidating vibe. For years now, Patton has been flying below radar, creating challenging and experimental music. Naturally, accompanying this kind of output is the perception that he’s as unnerving as his discography, in the same way that parents once thought Ozzy was the Prince of Darkness […]
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The new crack
Of all the new releases I’m fired up over, there’s none more exciting than Peter Pan’s new Honey Roast Peanut Butter. This could be the new crack. If the church replaced communion wafers with this goo, maybe I’d go back. Buy this for a date as opposed to the obligatory Alabama slammer. Deee-licious. Usually […]
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Still pithy after all these years
September 11, anthrax, shoe bombs, dirty bombs — are we depressed yet? Sometimes the only defense against gloom and doom is finding the dark humor where you can. One night, while losing sleep, I tried thinking about what would make the perfect line-up of songs on a compilation album for the apocalypse. There would […]
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Party of one
Here’s a mild-mannered guy with super-hero potential: an unassuming individual of shy opulence with a keen willingness to share nonetheless. No heart on his sleeve; nothing up his sleeve, for that matter. You might mistake him for a doctor, a lawyer, an Indian chief: anything but a musician. You probably wouldn’t expect to read about […]
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Doin’ the mess around
Man, I love this job. I recently pulled off a cover photo shoot with my ex, convincing her to do it in her underwear. I think I’ll ask her to model for my nude sunbathing article next. While you all got fat watching re-runs, I was driving four hours to see San Diego’s Paladins […]
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Into the future on a high note
If you’re a
jazz fan, you’ve probably seen him playing his trumpet — on the stage of
Hochstein Performance Hall with Jon Faddis, sitting in with Wycliffe Gordon and
Marcus Printup at the Pythodd Jazz Lounge, or at an after-hours jam at the
Crowne Plaza during the Rochester International Jazz Festival.
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Recordings
Avenue A to the Great White Way: Yiddish and American Popular Songs 1914-1950 Tanz! With David Tarras and the Musiker Brothers Sony Legacy Anyone who has listened to National Public Radio’s “Yiddish Radio Project” on All Things Considered knows the story: While visiting the crowded office of an elderly radio show host, Klezmer scholar Henry […]
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Beat nuts
What you need to understand before we begin is that hiphop is a culture. It’s a theory, a philosophy. But like the Tao, or trying to define exactly what “porn” is, it’s hard to nail down. Hiphop incorporates breakdancing, MCing, DJing, and graffiti, but it is not defined by those elements alone. It’s a movement […]
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Honky honky honky
You know what drives me nuts? Honkys. I don’t think I’m coming down too heavy on my pale brethren when they sell themselves short. Allow me to explain. Last Thursday Vince Neil (sans the Crüe) played the Water Street Music Hall to a tragically small crowd. The band sounded great and seemed stoked to be […]
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The rise and fall and rise of the Veins
On a balmy June night, in a dank East Main Street rehearsal space, amidst the grime, beer bottles, and static, The Veins made it. No Grammy. No applause. No fat cats puffin’ cigars with hollow promises and crossed fingers. No glittery glamazons hanging on their arms, just a few girly pictures lost among a sea […]
