Every now and then there is something, whether it’s a toy, a phrase, a movie or a song that wins over fans of all ages. For your consideration, the Rubik’s cube. Not only is my spell check familiar with the word, but so is anyone who was alive in the ‘80s. Some people got it for their 40th birthday, some people got it for hitting a home run in little league, but we all loved it or hated it at some point. Also, “Ain’t no shame in my game.” I remember listening to Guru say it in the early ‘90s, and I just heard a sixty-something lady say it while she was cleaning up a campsite bathroom about a month ago. Consider further that Surf’s Up is one of the two best films ever made about penguins not only to me, but also to my 6-... read more >
I was born in a big town. Now I live in a small town. These are not the first two lines of a John Mellencamp tribute parody, but more or less my current musical situation. I could probably come up with a lengthy and comprehensive list of both pros and cons of big city versus small town, in which no clear winner would emerge. But in terms of musical culture, big city takes small town out behind small town’s very own red barn and gives small town a big city whoopin’. At least until last week, when small town enjoyed a fleeting but momentous musical victory, bestowing upon 300 lucky concertgoers the best show I’ve seen in at least 3 or 4 years.
The band responsible for this life-affirming experience was Bon Iver (though th... read more >
