My Life Inside Rock (And Out)
For me, browsing the music section at the local book store is a little like an alcoholic ogling the top-shelf at the local tavern, or a sex addict wandering 4th Street in the Meatpacking District.
I have an unnatural (though entirely understandable, I think) compulsion to consume rock bios, memoirs collections and compendiums. I've read a ton: "The Dirty Life And Times Of Warren Zevon," "Black Postcards," and "Everything I'm Cracked Up To Be," "Hammer Of The Gods," "Conversations With Bono," and "So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star?" -- ...
R.I.P. Sony Music Studios (Et All)
In the early days of my tenure here in Hell's Kitchen, I discovered enthusiastically that two of the world's most notable recording studios were within spitting distance of my apartment: The Hit Factory and Sony Music Studios.
The Hit Factory, on 54th between Ninth and Tenth, produced dozens of legendary recordings, including Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life," Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The USA," and Paul Simon's "Graceland."
Sony Music Studios, on the corner of 54th and Tenth, was more than the building where Pearl Jam, ...
Music Could Provide The Light You Cannot Resist
It was spring. Everything was in bloom. The pavement was slick from an overnight rain.
The bus stop on the corner of Spencer and Fairfield Roads was crowded with middle schoolers. Including me: a tall, bespectacled and braced ninth grader in a blue Land's End oxford button-down, Levis 501s, and purple Converse All-Star high tops.
This day found me with a new cassette in my cobalt-blue Sanyo stereo tape player: R.E.M.'s "Reckoning." I pressed the big, black "play" button and in three minutes of staccato snare fills, ska-influenced ...
Hy-Vee Triathlon: 365 Days And Counting…
The sun was just breaking the horizon as "The National Anthem" began blaring from a shoddy PA. Nearly two thousand of us stared solemnly across the water when a short, wide rainbow materializing like a Technicolor ghost before us.
That we were swimming at all was, of course, a major accomplishment for organizers. Flooding had left the swim leg in contention until just days prior. But there we were -- age-group triathletes, fans and volunteers -- mustering at the start.
Mine was the third wave, so there was little time to get nervous. ...
On The Air: KPTL’s Live From Studio C With Deeya
If you like hearing me talk then today's your lucky day.
As I told KPTL DJ Daniel Boseman after we wrapped our 45-minute interview, I've been the interviewer far more frequently than the interviewee.
See, I talk a lot. Which, I know from all my years at The MTV, is not necessarily the best thing for radio and television. We live in a sound byte world, after all. If you can't say it in ten seconds, you probably ought not to try.
Luckily, Des Moines is not New York, and KPTL is not MTV. When Daniel and I went long Saturday afternoon ...
Download Authentic Records Flood Relief Benefit Bootleg Now!
Authentic Records' artists She Swings She Sways, Jason Walsmith and Mike Butterworth (of The Nadas), Will Petersen and Jim Stockberger (of Fat Andy), Andy Fleming (of Brother Trucker), Benjamin Wagner, Stephanie Walsmith, Tony Bohnenkamp and Josh Davis performed Sunday night to raise funds for Iowa flood relief.
Donations, silent auction bids plus CD proceeds netted nearly $3000 for United Way of Central Iowa and Governor Chet Culver's fund for disaster and flood relief.
The AK O'Connors Beaverdale event was hosted by Capitol 106.3's ...
Authentic Records Flood Relief Public Service Announcement - Video
I wasn't offstage much more than two minutes when Thrillcat Editorial Director Travis Ballstadt pulled me aside to tape my part of the Authentic Records Flood Relief Public Service Announcement.
Jason and Mile had already taped their segment Sunday afternoon down by the Des Moines River itself. Unfortunately, I was still recovering from the Hy-Vee Triathlon at the time, and couldn't get myself out of bed.
So just after my thirty-minute Authentic Records Flood Relief Benefit set, I was on. Travis set up in between the kitchen and ...
On The Air: KPTL’s Capital Backyard With Daniel Boseman
It's been a whirlwind weekend here in Des Moines, Iowa.
I got in Saturday around noon, registered for the Hy-Vee Tri, then taped two KPTL-FM Capitol 106.3 radio shows: Daniel Boseman's Capitol Backyard, and Deeya's Live from Studio C.
I ran the tri Sunday morning in 2:48:27. Then the Authentic Records crew threw a hugely successful Iowa Flood Relief Benefit Sunday night, raising nearly $3000 for the United Way of Central Iowa.
I'm off to a meeting at the Authentic Records Beaverdale Offices, then Iowa Public Television, before ...
This Weekend? It’s All About Des Moines
Holy moly, this thing's blowin' up!
What began as Jason Walsmith and my crazy idea ("Run the Des Moines Triathlon then play a rock show afterwards") has grown to something truly epic.
Almost the entire Authentic Records roster has rallied together in response to the flood devastation sustained by the great state of Iowa to present "The Authentic Records’ Unsanctioned & Uncensored Triathlon After Party & Benefit" (or, as Nadas' GM Dr. Tyler Uetz calls it, "ARUUHVTAPBS."
Eight acts will be performing Sunday night at AK O'Connors in ...
The Apostle Of Uncool
A recent Rolling Stone cover story characterized Coldplay's Chris Martin as "The Jesus of Uncool." And while I can't relate to the Jesus part, I can the "uncool."
See, I have a long history of uncool. I wasn't in the "cool" crowd in high school, wasn't in the "cool" band in college, and -- while I am surrounded by entire industries that arbitrate (and buy, process, and repair) "cool" here in New York -- I've always been outside of it.
Even at work. Heck, especially at work. I've taken plenty of guff for my taste since stepping ...
