WFUV Radio

DARREN DEVIVO - We were under arrest!

2007-08-07T14:13:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, August 5, I caught the Police live at Giants Stadium. As you know, Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland buried the hatchet and reunited this year for a full blown tour, celebrating their 30th anniversary. They played two nights at Madison Square Garden on August 1 and 3 and Sunday's Giants Stadium show ended this stretch of shows that started in late May. They will return to the area for another show at Madison Square Garden on October 31 and play Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on November 3. The tour will continue into early 2008.

First the negative - - my seats were barely adequate...on the side of the stage, towards the back of the first tier. Despite being on the first tier, the stage seemed a mile away. I am not really a fan of watching video screens at a concert, but, thank goodness they were there! I was well underneath the level above, which would have been fine at a football game in the winter, but on a very warm, stuffy night, it was quite sweaty. These seats were not worth $269 (with fees) apiece. Plus, no surprise, the traffic getting out of the parking lot was abysmal. It took me approximately two hours to get home. To add insult to injury, I couldn't find route 3 east!!
Now a positive - - despite the very mediocre seats, the sound was outstanding. The sound for this outside stadium show was better than some of the indoor shows (arena and theater) I have seen recently.

Opening for the Police were two bands: Fiction Plane and the Fratellis. I missed Fiction Plane's set. I was enjoying alcoholic beverages in the parking lot! Fiction Plane is a trio from England featuring Sting's son Joe Sumner. Like his dad, Joe Sumner plays bass and is the band's lead singer. They have two albums under their belt - 2003's Everything Will Never Be OK (produced by David Kahne) and Left Side Of The Brain, which came out earlier this year. I walked in the stadium about halfway through the Fratellis' set. The Fratellis are another trio, but they are from Scotland. They released their debut album earlier this year. It's called Costello Music, and it got some airplay on WFUV. They were very passable, if not mildly interesting. Their lead singer is a dead ringer for T. Rex' Marc Bolan (with a little Syd Barrett thrown in)!

Now, the Police - -
They were outstanding. They delivered exactly what you would expect...rock solid musicianship, a lot of energy and non stop hits. You really couldn't tell that it's been over 20 years since these guys were a regularly active, functioning band. There was no sign of the animosity that has existed over the years between the members. You also would never know that Sting and Stewart Copeland are in their mid 50s and Andy Summers is in his mid 60s! They were inspired and vital. This is clearly a band that means business and have reunited for the right reason - music and not money. Occasionally, they tinkered with the arrangements of the songs, but most of the time, they played it fairly straightforward. Sting's voice was perfect, sounding like it was the late 70s. Stewart Copeland was a dynamo behind the drum kit. He has always been an athletic player and a rock solid timekeeper. Sting and Stewart are a killer rhythm section. I have always known Andy Summers was a monster guitarist, but seeing him live gave me a new found respect.

Here is the set list (with the albums the songs originally came from):
"Message In A Bottle" (Reggatta De Blanc, 1979)
"Synchronicity II" (Synchronicity, 1983)
"Walking On The Moon" (Reggatta De Blanc, 1979)
"Voices Inside My Head" / "When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of
What's Still Around" (both from Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
"Don't Stand So Close To Me" (Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
"Driven To Tears" (Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
"Truth Hits Everybody" (Outlandos D'Amour, 1978)
"The Bed's Too Big Without You" (Reggatta De Blanc, 1979)
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" (Ghost In The Machine, 1981)
"Wrapped Around Your Finger" (Synchronicity, 1983)
"De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" (Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
"Invisible Sun" (Ghost In The Machine, 1980)
"Walking In Your Footsteps" (Synchronicity, 1983)
"Can't Stand Losing You" (Outlandos D'Amour, 1978)
"Roxanne" (Outlandos D'Amour, 1978)
----
"King Of Pain" (Synchronicity, 1983)
"So Lonely" (Outlandos D'Amour, 1978)
"Every Breath You Take" (Synchronicity, 1983)
----
"Next To You" (Outlandos D'Amour, 1978)

Most of these songs are on the new compilation album The Police.

Here's hoping this reunion is more than just a one off celebration of their 30th anniversary!

WE MOVED THIS BLOG

2007-06-21T18:18:00.000-04:00

Hi folks - We went in-house with this fella, you can find us at:
wfuv.org/blog/

White Stripes in NYC today!

2007-06-19T16:05:00.000-04:00

They are here @ Irving Plaza - Tonight!

I didn't get tickets but it woulda been a lot cooler if I did. I just went on craigs list and it looks like the tickets are going for waaaaay more than face. So glad that they lifted the ban on scalpers being able to sell tickets over face. Those poor ticket scalpers just werent making enough money were they? Ughhhhh! So frustrating.

Oh and I just saw that some dude is offering stock tips as an additional incentive to money for tickets. The White Stripes are inciting Insider Trading now. How bizarre. This is such a weird place sometimes.

But anyway on a more positive note...

I love that they are celebrating the release of their Fantastic new album, Icky Thump, here in NYC. That is DYNOMITE! Just wish I could go.

If you got tickets, let us know if it was an ordeal getting them, because I gotta believe that it was. I'm curious about your story. AND how was the show? Did they play any new songs? What did you think of Meg's drumming? And will you take me with you to MSG?

-Alisa

Police Activity at Bonnaroo

2007-06-19T14:18:00.000-04:00

Ok so, the Police reunited for this show. But you know what...It didn’t feel that good. (Peaches and Herb - I will reference you for the rest of my life- Thank You!)

So yeah, the Police headlined Saturday. Now as the headliner, NOTHING else is scheduled for that set time. Of course every other set time is a constant battle of choices of what you should go see because your favorite bands are always playing at the same time... at opposite stages. but this doesnt happen with the big cheese. So everyone goes to see the headliner.

But I gotta tell you, The Police were not moving me. And they didn’t really seem to be getting through to most of the crowd either. The only people that were really getting into them were the kids with the glow sticks - you know what I'm saying? & They would have been just as amped for Peaches and Herb - If not MORE!

But so back the the Police debacle - it was weird because you knew almost every song - because who doesn’t know the Police, right? They are a legend. But it sounded very...uh...classic rock. Almost like they were a bad cover band of themselves. And listen, I don’t like to say these kinds of things...really. But it was true. I mean the show was so low energy. No connection between band members - not even a sparring of words between Copeland and Sting. No new versions of old classics... No soul or feeling, it seemed very auto pilot. I don't know. It was just sad to me. Because I love the Police, & I didn’t need to see them that way. It’s kind of like seeing someone in the hospital. and now thats how you remember them. sick. instead of how they used to be. But anyway so yeah, I had to mosey on along to the next show which was the Lips. They were going to be playing right next door at the Which Tent a 1/2 after the Police finished. Oh yeah and by the way - the Police played a very short set. Like an hour and a half. I know because I could still hear them from the "Which Stage" as they call the second stage.

So I get to the Which stage early so I could get a good spot for the Flaming Lips and the field was already packed. So while the Police were playing - people were just camped out at an empty field waiting for the Flaming Lips. AND...at one point the Lips came on and did one song as a sound check and the crowd was more psyched for that one Flips song than they were for any of the Police songs.

The Police situation also became a little bit of a joke too, because while Wayne from the Flips was up on stage he was telling the crowd a story about John Paul Jones. (From Led Zeppelin! He was there playing in the Super Jam ) His guitar was stolen and Wayne was saying that there was rumor going around that Sting stung the guitar. Believe what you will folks, I’m just telling you what I heard.

So any who, in the end I really regret that Police situation turned into what it did. Now I’ve got Tainted Love for them.

I love you though you hurt me so.
now I’m gonna pack my things and go.

BlogaROOOO...recap

2007-06-19T11:02:00.001-04:00

Hey there Pals. Alisa Ali checkin in on ya. Just got back from the Roo and I have to say it was another stellar year.

I had such a good time. As always. Honestly I cant see how you could not have a good time... and this is coming from someone who almost passed out from the heat. Yes the heat was intense - but so were the good times, man.

I imagine that most people wanna know what the best show was. Good question. For me it was the White Stripes. No surprise there - I know. But listen you know that the White Stripes are supreme. You know this. So Im not gonna try and pretend that it was this really tiny obscure band that no one knows about. No. It was just as you imagined. The Stripes blowing your mind! Which by the way was bizarre to me that they actually did not headline. Instead Widespread Panic headlined that night. What kind of sense does that make?

Anyway, After the White Stripes another fave was The Flaming Lips. They are so great for the Roo. & Oh man, I have to tell you about this kind of sad situation with the Lips and the Police later. I'll post about that separately though. Stay Tuned.

After those guys, I liked Hot Chip. I danced my blank off at that show! Oh and also On my way over to Gogol Bordello, I heard this band playing and I was like whoa! WHAT is THAT? so I went over and I am so glad I did because they could be my next favorite. They were so good. Funky Rock. A little Screamy. Great southern guitar sound. They remind me of a mix between Kings of Leon and MMJ - whom I ADORE and was so sad that they didnt play this year. But anyway this band I saw was called and probably still is called, Cage the Elephant. I need to find out more information about these guys. So let me know what you know world wide web.

Alright well I could really go on and on about bands at the Roo, but I also want to say that the Bonnaroo experience is actually much more than then bands. One of the main reasons that Bonnaroo is so much fun is that you ALWAYS meet really cool people. The folks are just so open there its like they shed all their shyness and inhibitions - This is clear from the random naked people you see walking around. FYI - yes, you are still naked even though you have glitter all over your body. And even though there was your random naked person walking around, people werent perverted about it, you know. It wasnt skeevy. But apparently I have a high tolerance for this. Ehem. Moving on.

One of the best experiences that I think almost everyone shares @ the Roo is when you randomly find your friend on a crowd of about 20,000 people. That is such a great feeling, isnt it? Its chaos & fate with a great soundtrack.

-A-Roo, signing off for now.

Rita Report: Bonnaroo Friday

2007-06-15T17:28:00.000-04:00

Ryan Shaw was the musical kickoff for me at Bonnaroo, and a great start it was! He's such a natural, strong performer who gets the crowd right away. And he def Bonnaroo-IZED his set adding extended bass, drum AND guitar solos! Pretty cool.

He opened with "A Change Gonna Come" and closed with a very Sam Cooke-like version of "If I Had a Hammer." At first that seemed like a hokey choice but in the end he made it work into a big folklike singalong. It reminded me of Odetta. I wonder if Ryan Shaw has ever seen Odetta. I'll have to ask him one day.

Here's the video - a golf cart ride and a bit of Ryan:
- Ryan Shaw at Bonnaroo

Plus there's a new (air conditioned) jazz tent I can give you a peek at, and some of the Rodrigo & Gabriela set from late late last nite:
- Jazz set & RodGab

I tried to eat at Holsten's, but it was mobbed

2007-06-15T10:59:00.000-04:00

The little neighborhood restaurant where the last scene of The Sopranos was filmed -- near the corner of Watchung and Broad in Montclair, NJ -- has seen a dramatic spike in popularity. T-shirts with a picture of the place and 'The Final Episode' are for sale at the 'homemade ice cream' counter. I love New Jersey.

- fuvwebgirl

Holsten's at chowhound.com

Bonnaroo - We're Here

2007-06-14T14:42:00.001-04:00

About 90 something sunny hot degrees here in Manchester Tennesee--it was very nice to wake up here this morning at a quiet Bonnaroo! I have a video camera with me which is probably bad news for you--as i'm the WORST with a camera. However, I will do my best to deliver some of the flavor of the sights and sounds and not bore you toooo much like it's some wedding video. Like i said, I'll try. My first offering is up now at You Tube.
Bonnaroo Backstage 1
look out Demme....

check it

2007-06-13T14:13:00.000-04:00

Sunblock, check.
Floppy Hat, check.
Crocs, check.
Laptop, check.

OK, i'm set...off to bonnaroo!
morelater
Rita Houston
WFUV Road Trip/Bonnaroo!

Prine Time

2007-06-08T16:40:00.000-04:00

Ollabelle first came together as a group through Sunday night jams at the Lower East Side club 9C, now known as Banjo Jim's. Last night 4/5's of Ollabelle was back there for a tribute to John Prine, curated by Tony Leone, the drummer of the band. In addition to Tony, Byron Isaacs, the bass player, and Glen Patscha, the keyboard player, formed the rhythm section of the house band for the evening. Fiona McBain was also there, only Amy Helm (who was reportedly in Woodstock helping dad Levon with his new CD) was missing.

The proceedings got off to a "pretty good" start, with Tony singing that Prine song. Fiona did a sweet version of "Hello in There," and Byron tackled a more obscure tune, "Far from Me." Some of the guest artists included members of the Brooklyn roots band Yarn doing "Illegal Smile" and a couple of the Demolition String Band doing "Flag Decal" and "In Spite of Ourselves." (Didn't realize Elana Skye was originally from Chicago, where she quite rightly says John Prine is a hero!)

Also dug hearing old pal Heather Eatman do "That's the Way the the World Goes Round." She's got the distinction of once being on John's Old Boy Records label, and she told a funny story of a fan requesting that "happy enchilada" song...meaning in reality "half a drink of water" from "That's the Way..." Surprise highlight for me was the version of "Sweet Revenge" by a guy I didn't recognize, Chris Berson (?).

It being a "school night" and all with a busy Friday on tap for me, I didn't hang around for the second set, so I missed Glenn doing "Sam Stone," Laura Cantrell doing "Unwed Fathers with Larry Campbell, and the whole gang doing "Angel from Montgomery" and "Paradise."

I knew John Prine back in the day in Chicago when he was just giving up his gig as a mailman in Maywood, IL and releasing that unforgettable first CD. He and Steve Goodman always had a mutual admiration society...Steve admired John's songwriting genius, and John admire Steve's overall musicianship. They made a great team. John's great gift is writing songs that are deceptively simple, but they really stand the test of time, so it was great to hear them in the hands of some of NY's finest. And considering how packed Banjo Jim's was with fans, it would be cool if they did it again - or, as the owner suggested, maybe do a Steve Goodman night next.
Thanks to Tony Leone for pulling it together and to Rich Rothenberg for hipping me to it (and the complete song list).

Of Memphis, Soulsville & Cabbies

2007-06-04T08:20:00.000-04:00

I’m really looking forward to the Whole Wide World this Friday night. I always do. But this time, it’s different. I’m hosting! After Rita’s great Motown show, I thought the southern capital of soul needed equal time. So here’s what we’re gonna do: 3 solid hours of the sounds of Stax, for the 50th birthday of this legendary record label.

The idea for this show started a few months back, over a long weekend in Memphis. My wife Nancy had a conference at the Peabody Hotel, and I tagged along. I’d been to Memphis once, in the late 90s. It’s my favorite address in American music, the crossroads of blues, country, gospel, R&B, soul, jazz, rock and roll.

The Peabody’s a classic old hotel, right downtown, couple of blocks above Beale. Lansky’s tailor shop is in the lobby, “Clothier to the King.” The walls are filled with signed guitars from all kinds of country and rock legends. While I was browsing pork pie hats, the salesman said we’d just missed Johnny Rotten on a shopping spree.

Last time, I did see a few landmarks. Graceland (well, just the car museum), Sun Studios (Sam Phillips happened to be there), and the National Civil Rights Museum. That’s a very moving experience, on the site of the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King was shot. Moving and creepy.

Ten years ago, downtown Memphis was a hard luck story. Over the decades, they’ve tried to bring people back and turn the city’s deep music heritage into a tourist attraction. The results have been mixed.

There’s a new minor league ballpark, NBA team, a big honking mall has been welded onto the Peabody’s backside, and a crop of new museums. Beale Street’s become a kind of music history theme park. The original BB King’s is there, plus Isaac Hayes’s club, Gibson Guitar Factory and Lounge, and a load of small clubs and restaurants. Then there’s the gorgeous old Orpheum Theater. If you want to celebrate Stax’s 50th on location, Booker T., Isaac Hayes, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Mabel John, Rance Allen and a load of other Stax vets are playing there on June 22. Closer to home, Booker T. and the MG's are playing the River to River Festival in NYC on June 13

Beale has a lot of bustle, but step a couple blocks off W.C. Handy’s famous street and downtown Memphis is still pretty darned desperate. Empty ladies wear and shoe stores with forlorn signs in the windows “celebrating our 75th year in 2006,” an abandoned Hungarian restaurant. Walking deserted streets in business hours, past bombed-out office building shells, I say to Nancy that downtown Memphis looks like Dresden after the bombing. The next day, the Commercial Appeal writes that a city council member has gotten in hot water for saying the same.

Some storefronts are familiar, even if you’ve never been. Places like The Rendezvous (as in “At least we can get us a decent meal, down at…”), or the shell of radio station WDIA, where BB King and Rufus Thomas got their start as deejays. Signs of impending gentrification are mixed in—office conversions to condos, the exclusive new eatery with the pricey prix-fixe and a trendy variation on red velvet cake.

We planned to do a few things together. I wanted to take Nancy to the civil rights museum and Sun Studios, and we had to do Graceland. But I also had some time to myself, and I wanted to get to Soulsville.

I couldn’t have gone there in 1998 if I’d wanted to. The Stax studios were a rubble-filled lot, one of the saddest thoughts in music history. After the label went bankrupt in the mid 70s, the studios became a church, and then were torn down, in spite of community protests. All that was left was one of those cast iron historical markers by the curb.

In the nearly 10 years since I’d been here, people had raised money and created a replica of the old building. This concerned me a bit; more evidence of Memphis as theme park. But I’d heard good things about Soulsville (not to be confused with the Memphis Rock N’ Soul Museum, part of the Smithsonian), so Stax was at the top of my list.

The next morning, I put on my walking shoes, packed a bottle of water, and headed for the concierge to ask for directions. How far? Could I walk? The concierge (also the hotel’s Duckmaster) (don't ask, unless you have kids or a pathological love of the Cute) paused, and looked me up and down. It was a few miles, he said, and he should call me a car. I agreed, and violated my own first rule of taxi travel in any city. Know the fare. But it’s Memphis; how much can three miles cost?

A little while later, a late model Explorer pulled up out front. My driver, Faye, would have made a very convincing R&B singer from the early 70s. Great style (black to match the Explorer), talkative, lots of southern warmth. Faye picked up a couple of passengers at a nearby hotel, and we headed for the interstate. We got to talking about Soulsville, and I mentioned that I thought I could walk there. She told me the concierge probably didn’t want me walking there on my own. “I grew up there, and that’s the hood, baby. Memphis is better these days, but we still have a lot of murders down there." O-kay.

Faye pointed out the house where Aretha was born, and wheeled around a couple of corners to pull up in front of 926 McLemore Avenue. Overall, the street looked pretty tired. Empty lots, a rundown market across the street (I remember this as the "Wu Tang Superette"). Soulsville was definitely off the tourist trail.

There it was—that iconic marquee. Sure enough, this was no lot full of bricks, but an exact replica of the old theater that Jim Stewart and his sister/partner Estelle Axton bought in the 50s. (After Estelle refinanced her house to pay for it, they rejiggered the movie house into studios. Estelle took over the candy stand for the Satellite Record Shop, after the label’s original name. Satellite became Stax, STewart + AXton = Stax in 1959.)

Faye asked if I wanted her to pick me up in a couple hours. I said sure, and pulled out my wallet. 42 bucks. Huh? Plus tip. (It was $26 for two from the airport to the Peabody.) I got in the door, thought the better of it, and called Faye to cancel. Thanks, I’ll grab a bus.

The teenager who was taking admission charged me $8.50 with an AAA membership. I would have paid 42 bucks for this. That cab fare sting was starting to wear off, and the museum began grabbing my attention. It wouldn’t let go for three hours, and I could have stayed a week.

It started with the usual museum history video. But from there on, it was like going to church. Literally. After the video, you step into a 100 year-old Mississippi country chapel they’ve jammed whole into the museum. Photos, videos and sound take you into that church and trace the roots of soul in the black churches and Jubilee gospel quartets. I couldn’t stop watching a video loop of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, electric guitar rockin’ the congregation on 50s black and white TV.

This was just the start. Outside the doors, McLemore Ave might have looked pretty desperate. But inside Soulsville there was a party going on (at least during museum hours), and all the ghosts of Memphis’s high times were dancing.

The collection is rich, full of soul artifacts. Room after room of tributes to Stax greats-- Otis, Sam & Dave, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Booker T, the Bar-Kays. Stage outfits from Mavis and Otis. Isaac Hayes’s Cadillac on a turntable, forever spinning like some immense LP. Saxes and trumpets from the Mar-Keys and Memphis Horns. It’s just mind blowing to think about how much music came out of this building. Or a building that looked like it. Does it matter? It’s fun, but also melancholy, to stand inside the rebuilt Studio A in front of Steve Cropper’s fender amp and Booker T’s Hammond, listening to control room talk and outtakes.

Soulsville U.S.A. mixes this single label focus and a general history of Soul. There are exhibits on Motown and Muscle Shoals, but I only had so much time, and after all, when in Memphis... If all this doesn’t convince you of Stax’s importance, the record room will finish the job. Every Stax 45, every album, arranged in release order. A bit of an obsessive-compulsive nightmare. But also a reminder of how wide the Stax catalog was in the 60s and 70s-- Big Star and Billy Eckstine, Richard Pryor and Black Oak Arkansas.

The icing on this slice of red velvet cake was a temporary photo exhibit by the late jazz bassist Milt Hinton. Hinton always had a camera with him, and that they gave him access to relaxed shots of the unbelievable people he played with over the decades. Classic, exquisite shots of Diz and Bird, Miles, Cab Calloway, Coleman Hawkins, Sinatra. Billie Holiday in all the sadness of her last sessions. Musicians on the road, enduring Jim Crow laws at restaurants, water fountains, motels.

I browsed the gift shop, where Estelle Axton’s old Satellite Record Shop used to sit. The young woman at the front desk called me a cab. I waited under the marquee, watching life on McLemore Ave, thinking of all the music history that passed through those doors. School let out next door at the shiny new Stax Academy, a music charter school. Quite a while later, a rickety City Wide cab pulled up. This time, the driver took local streets through the neighborhood south of downtown. As we passed Danny Thomas Boulevard, I thought out loud about how I didn’t associate him with Memphis. The driver was incredulous. “Danny Thomas? Father of Marlo?? Why sir, of course he’s associated with Memphis. He endowed St. Jude’s children’s hospital.” Sooo-rrry. It’s just that I don’t think of Danny Thomas and Memphis. More like Rufus Thomas. He still wasn’t having it.

(The next morning, on our drive out of town to see the porcelain monkeys, we got luckier with another City Wide driver. The car was in worse shape, but our driver (about my age) enjoyed talking the finer points of Stax and Memphis music. David grew up near McLemore in the 60s and 70s. He and his friends would see Isaac Hayes driving that gold-trimmed Eldorado around the neighborhood, and Hayes would invite the neighborhood kids into his studio. We got to talking about Johnnie Taylor and his 70s disco period. “But don’t forget,” David said, “that he was a fine singer. After all, remember who took Sam Cooke’s place in the Soul Stirrers when he moved on.”)

The fare back to the Peabody-- 8 bucks. Over the next two days, Nancy and I kept chancing on Faye downtown, as she was picking up fares. “Hi, Chuck. How are you, baby?”

“Who was THAT?”

--Chuck Singleton

My Dinner with Phil

2007-06-01T15:46:00.000-04:00

I've thought of Phil Roy as a friend since he became an 'FUV fave back in 2000. But I didn't realize that he's not just a world-class songwriter, he's a gourmet chef...until my sister sent me an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about his "I'm Not Leaving the House Tour." He's created this evening where a bunch of folks come to his place for dinner, followed by a private concert. What a concept!

The last time he was at the station to be on my Sunday Breakfast show, I told him I'd love to come to one, perhaps with my siblings, who all live in the Philadelphia area. He said, what a great idea, let's work out a date - which is how a host of family and friends descended on Phil's apartment in Center City for "Plattfest with Phil."

The evening began on the deck off his second floor kitchen, with a beautiful skyline view. While Phil's beloved dog Travis kept an eye out for dropped morsels, we gobbled up house-cured salmon on crostini, fresh pearl mozzarella with cilantro aioli on crostini, guacamole with chips, and papaya and brie quesadilla with pica de gallo, washed down by beer and wine. Not bad for starters! If I were a restaurant critic, I was already awarding him 4 stars. But since I could see chicken and shrimp barbecuing, I knew I'd better pace myself.

A few raindrops started falling, and within a few minutes the skies opened up. Fortunately, Phil had set up a circle of chairs and sofas in his living room. He told us we were being treated to the last such affair at his place, since in the future he'll only do them at The Restaurant School in Philly, which is less of a strain on him and his tiny kitchen.

Out came grilled shrimp with garlic and oregano, ginger-soy marinaded chicken, espresso-rubbed flank steak, asparagus in olive oil and lemon, butter leaf, arugula and fennel salad with papaya seed vinagarette, and coconut jasmine rice with toasted sesame seeds. Bon appetit! Phil said that he'd always been interested in cooking and could have just as easily pursued that as a career as music.

After a short break, Phil sat down with his guitar and a small amp and treated us to an hour-long performance, drawing on songs from "Grouchfriendly," "Issues + Options," and the upcoming "The Great Longing," finally due later this year from Universal Music. (Fans can purchase advance copies through his website, www.philroy.com.) Phil's always worn his heart on his sleeve, and hearing him in such an intimate space was truly special.

Talking about Sir Paul

2007-06-01T14:50:00.000-04:00

i came across this on Mocean Worker's site and it cracked me up, especially on this Pepper-versary:--Rita Houston/WFUV

Paul McCartney
Posted on May 31, 2007 - 4:03pm

So,

I was just in my local Starbucks buying a grande tazo chai shamma lamma ding dong latte and I noticed a poster for the "STARBUCKS RECORDS RECORDING ARTIST RELEASE" of Paul McCartney's latest opus.

and..........

I was struck with a thought that mde me laugh on the spot.

PAUL.........you are starting to look like a woman from my old neighborhood where I grew up......and her name was Bettie Rosenbloom........seriously........Paul.......Sir Paul.........we gotta do something about how you think you should be photographed and or quaffed or whatever the term is.

Man.......you are cracking me up......I looked at the poster and seriously gasped......YOU LOOK LIKE BETTIE MAN!!!!!!

Im sure the tunes are rockin and the musicianship is high and all that....but I have to say.....you are starting to make me laugh with the suit jacket and turned up collar look. Please do something else man.

Now I know at the end of the day you are a genius and a Lord and Knight of the Round table and you were in that group that completely turned music on its ears..........all well and good.....Im shit compared to you and I admit it.........but the glaring difference between us ..............is.

I DONT LOOK LIKE BETTIE ROSENBLOOM and YOU DO MY MAN!!!!!

So "Roll over Beethoven and tell "CHA"I-kovsky the news" ( See what i did there? )

YOU LOOK LIKE MY AUNT NOW!!!!!!!!

hhahahahaa

be well,

MOWO!™

fuvwebgirl: Project Bright Eyes

2007-05-31T01:14:00.000-04:00

Or: I don't know his name, but I want his job.

I drank the kool-aid, finally, at the Saddle Creek saloon. Drawn in by the great new album Cassadaga and the perfect opening act (Gillian Welch and David Rawlings), I caught the Wednesday night Town Hall NYC Bright Eyes show. They did several things to ensure my conversion, not the least of which was put on a rollicking good performance. They also met me right between the eyes.

The band walks out on stage dressed completely in white. Conor's in a white suit. The string section, the singers. The skinny guitarists in their tiny white jeans. Not one but two percussionistas in white dresses. And as they start to play, a projection show begins like a live video extravaganza. And you know it's live, because it's changing with the tempo of each song, and changing with reactions to what's being said between the songs -- the camera refocuses on an art piece of some kind or a polaroid tossed on the table.

And what effing fun, coming up with one idea after another to match the theme and provide a kind of moving wallpaper background. Scribbling in colors and smearing it around, then something that looks like a snow globe in tight focus, then some kind of see-through colored beads, and something in water? Jello? Everything is fluid and dreamy and soft-focus and mesmerizing, and probably not distracting for people who aren't me. A pair of hands moves acetates around, slides, objects. It's a job for the ultimate artist music fan, one who's not afraid to make a mess. Of course I admit that as a Day One drinker of the beforementioned kool-aid, I would not exactly be qualified for this exact gig, but what fun to do it for someone whose songs I really know inside out (Ani? Hello? Gomez? Um, guys?) -- I cannot remember being this jealous of anyone in a long time.

A nice touch: Wearing white nailpolish in solidarity with the band.

Of course there are visual references to song lyrics as they appear (say the word circle and there's a circle, mention "yellow water" or "burgundy tears" and voila! Some kind of colored-oil-and-water liquid display). It's the perfect thing for a music lover with zero musical talent, communicating with the fans silently, saying, "yeah, I love this one too, see -- I'm half a step ahead of you." Just right for the girl who hates the spotlight.

Although I guess I pretty much have a job like that already.

I should also mention that the music was great... Gillian and David are masters of a particularly beautiful and intricate kind of "transcendental folk" (thanks, Conor) that is difficult to describe and impossible to forget. And whereas the Bright Eyes records had me interested thanks to the impressive interlocking wordplay in every single song, I am now moved to call myself a fan all-around.

Now I just have two words for you, Projectorman: Sea Monkeys. Think about it.

- fuvwebgirl

New Steve Goodman biography

2007-05-30T16:48:00.000-04:00

If you're a Steve Goodman fan, you might want to check out "Steve Goodman: Facing the Music," a new biography by Clay Eals, published by ECW Press. Eals is a Seattle based writer who labored over 8 years to produce this 800 page tome.

It's a big book (about the size of a Manhattan phone book) about a little guy. As my wife said, "He was a great musician, but he wasn't Abraham Lincoln!" But it was clearly a labor of love for Eals, who interviewed over 1,000 people for the book, including Arlo Guthrie, Steve Martin, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, who, it turns out, was a high school classmate of Steve's (who knew?), though not including Steve's widow Nancy. He even interviewed Vin Scelsa and me. There's a classic photo of Vin with Steve and David Amram from 1978, and as part of a bonus CD of tribute songs that comes with the book, there's a six minute excerpt of an interview I did with Steve back in 1975 in Chicago.

It'll probably tell you more than you ever need to know about "City of New Orleans," the classic song he told me took about 35 minutes to write. But the subtext for Eals is that Steve quietly battled leukemia for 15 years before his death in 1984, while being an indefatigable entertainer. Steve shamelessly loved music and people and life, and I'm happy to say that comes through. It may take me 15 years to finish the book, but I'm glad to know someone took the time to capture his spirit.

John Platt

New Chao!

2007-05-30T16:10:00.000-04:00

There's a new Manu Chao song called "Rainin' in Paradize" available for download at www.manuchao.net. Best part (besides the fact that it's cool)? It's free!

- Russ

Rita sez watch this

2007-05-24T14:39:00.000-04:00

Check out this video from Fionn Regan. New artist from Ireland. Debut album coming out on Lost Highway Records

I just saw him in Louisville and again last night at The Living Room

What a talent! He's got a way with words as they say....

this video is awesome-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj66XgK3NvE

Louisville thoughts...

2007-05-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

So, Rita and I made another trek down to Louisville for the NonCommvention this past week. This is a very cool music conference where like-minded noncommercial radio stations gather to talk shop and hear some great music.

Some cool live acts I got to see...

Jesca Hoop is a very intriguing new songwriter who will release her record in September. Apparently, she was nanny to Tom Waits' child(ren)!

Augie March from Australia have a little Waterboys-vibe to them.

A new Irish songwriter named Fionn Regan.

Sea Wolf. Great new indie band from Cali.

Hoots & Hellmouth. Young guys from Philly doing some oldtimey, gospelly thing. They were busking on the street and pulled in a decent haul from what I hear.

And Sarah Borges is a honky-tonk punk princess.

Lots of new stuff to look forward to...

Spoon and Rilo Kiley. Two new songs with handclaps! Good stuff. Crowded House on the way. And the surprise of them all. The forthcoming release from Alison Krauss and Robert Plant! Yep, produced by T Bone and due in the fall. Really cool.

That's all for now. Louisville's a nice town and all, but it's a bit smoky for my taste. Good to be back in NYC...

- Russ

Phoebe Snow's visit to Sunday Breakfast

2007-05-08T10:29:00.000-04:00

In mid March Phoebe Snow’s 31-year-old daughter, Valerie, died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Losing a child has to be the worst nightmare of any parent, but it was particularly devastating for Phoebe, who often put her career on the back burner to care for Valerie, severely impaired all her life.

A couple of weeks ago Phoebe called me to ask if she could come on the City Folk Sunday Breakfast to play some selections in memory of Valerie. Sensing that it would be a catharsis for her, of course I said yes. So we sat together in the studio, as she explained why the songs she chose reminded her of Valerie: “When You Say Nothing at All” by Alison Krauss, “Yellow” by Coldplay, “Dimming of the Day” by Richard and Linda Thompson, “Georgia on My Mind” by Ray Charles, “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” and “Claire de Lune” by Claude Debussy.

As you can imagine, it was a heartrending experience for both of us, but it was part of the healing process for Phoebe. And for all of us – in the studio and in the audience – it put us in touch with that vulnerable place that makes us human. The segment got more response than anything I’ve ever aired. This e-mail was typical:

“Everything about that show was breath taking. However, when she thanked you for allowing her to express her pain, love, loss and the remaining void - I was held transfixed by the total and complete integrity of that moment. Your Sunday, May 6th radio show will radiate and glow within me forever.”

I invite you to check out the show in the archives between now and May 21.
Click on Audio Archives under Listen on the home page, then choose the
May 6 City Folk Sunday Breakfast program.

http://wfuv.venaca.com/cgi-bin/colinker.cgi?colink=100818455740758

The segment with Phoebe is the last 45 minutes of the show.

John Platt

Van Morrison in New York CIty 4/29/07

2007-04-30T12:46:00.000-04:00

Great Van show at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. I was there with my pal DJ Wilbur who has this to say about the show. I pretty much concur

DJ Wilbur's Van Morrison review

I saw a killer Van Morrison show last night at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Whenever you see Van and the tickets say 7:30 sharp….be there on time. His “orchestra” came on stage at 7:30 and vamped to “Train Kept a Rolling” and then at 7:35 out came the man in the hat in mighty fine voice hitting us with “Talk Is Cheap” and I’m thinking, strange choice for an opener, he must be in a grumpy mood and its not gonna be a phenomenal show…so he turns his back to the stage and he starts pointing to musicians to take solos during this and he’s liking what he hears cause as I’m a bit on the side, I see him with a big ole grin on his face and I know this is gonna now be a great show…

Set list

Talk Is Cheap

Not Feeling It Anymore

Stranded (with Van on the Sax)

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (completely re-arranged, it was no longer a ballad, not sure it worked really)

There Stands The Glass

Playhouse

Next Van spoke to the audience and said the next song was a special request from Vincent Pastore, (who plays Sal “Big Pusy” Bonpensiero on the Soprano’s) who I spotted in the audience near me prior to the show starting. He Requested:

The Philosphers Stone (quite the highlight this one)

Don’t You make Me High

I Cant Stop Loving You

Moondance (Van on sax)

Wild Night (this was a big let down, didn’t work in its arrangement, still a noble attempt)

Segued into Real Real Gone

Next was some boogie woogie kinda thing, I didn’t know it

Precious Time

Encore

And The Healing Has Begun

Gloria

Brown Eyed Girl

A really great show. The only thing was he was barking at some of the musicians and publicly humiliating them for “not keeping time”. He was like a really strict school teacher, waving his arms and pointing at them and speaking to them on mike during I believe it was And The Healing Has Begun. I’d heard he’s done this in the past, but I’ve never seen this behaviour before and it was most un-satisfying. Lets face it, he doesn’t rehearse and he does nothing but throw the band curveballs with set list changes every night. They did an outstanding job the whole show and I’m sure that drummer will not soon forget his public humiliation any time soon.

Anything but icky

2007-04-27T08:18:00.000-04:00

The new White Stripes song "Icky Thump" is available on iTunes. It's insane. Go buy it.

- Russ

Bjork

2007-04-25T15:17:00.000-04:00

in case u missed it, here's Bjork on Saturday Night Live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQISaX5ps0k

Baseball's back!

2007-04-04T11:04:00.000-04:00

The 2007 baseball season is upon us and it couldn't have come any sooner. It should be another big summer in New York with the Mets and Yankees geared up for another big season. Last year, the Mets and Yankees both posted the best won - loss record in baseball - 97 wins and 65 losses. Unfortunately, both teams lost in the playoffs...the Yankees going out in the first round to the eventual American League champion Detroit Tigers and the Mets taking the eventual World Champion St. Louis Cardinals to the seventh and deciding game of the National League Championship Series.

This year's regular season could be a repeat of 2006. The Mets are the premier team in the National League and the same is probably true of the Yankees in the American League. Both team's possess the strongest offenses in their respective leagues. The Mets will probably have decent to strong competition from the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League's East division while the Yankees' old nemesis the Boston Red Sox will be up their nose all year. The Toronto Blue Jays may make a little noise as well in the American League's East division.

Many of you know what I huge Mets fan I am! That's right, this Bronx guy is a Mets fan! I am pumped and primed for what I think will be a huge year for the Amazin's. It is also a bit of a bittersweet time for me personally because it is the next to last season that the Mets will be playing at my beloved Shea Stadium. The Mets are building a new home, and while I look forward to seeing games there, it can never replace that great horseshoe on the outskirts of Flushing Meadows - Corona Park. I love Shea. I've loved it since stepping inside for the first time in the early 1970s. I know all the bashing it has taken over the years. I know all of it's shortcomings. I know it's the sixth oldest stadium in major league baseball (behind Dodger Stadium, RFK Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field and Fenway Park). I've heard all of the things that are wrong with Shea. I still love it. I always will. And I also don't think it deserves the bashing it takes. There is a great history to Shea. A unique history. The Mets won and lost there in legendary ways! The Beatles played live there more than once. There were other legendary concerts as well. Pope John Paul II appeared there. The Jets played there for many years (1964-1983). Even the dreaded Yankees "soiled" Shea, calling it their temporary home!

Anyway, I got off track! The 2007 Mets, right! It'll be a big year! It's root, root, root for:
Moises Alou, Carlos Beltran, Ambiorix Burgos, Ramon Castro, Endy Chavez, Carlos Delgado, Damion Easley, Pedro Feliciano, Julio Franco, Tom Glavine, Shawn Green, Aaron Heilman, Orlando Hernandez, Paul LoDuca, John Maine, Pedro Martinez, Lastings Milledge, Guillermo Mota, David Newhan, Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez, Jose Reyes, Duaner Sanchez, Scott Schoeneweis, Aaron Sele, Joe Smith, Jose Valentin, Billy Wagner and David Wright. Manager Willie Randolph and his coaches Sandy Alomar, Sr., Rick Down, Guy Conti, Howard Johnson, Jerry Manuel, Tom Nieto and Rick Peterson. Oh, and Mr. Met, too!

(Many of you also know how much I hate the Yankees! So, it's Let's Go Mets and yes, the Yankees Suck!)

Darren DeVivo
4/4/07

"Metallica, don't hit your brother"

2007-04-03T16:12:00.000-04:00

Apparently, naming your kid "Metallica" in Sweden is a problem. When Michael and Karolina Tomaro applied to have their daughter named after the legendary rock band, Sweden's tax agency rejected the name. The Swedish National Tax Board refused to register the name on the grounds that it was associated with both the rock group and the word "metal." Metallica's mom, Karolina, said Tuesday that the name suits her because, "she's decisive and she knows what she wants." Stay tuned for a final decision. A local court has ruled in favor of Metallica's parents, but the tax agency has appealed.

The Tomaros could have avoided all this hassle if they had chosen a more conventional name for their daughter. Here are the 10 most popular names for boys and girls in Sweden for 2006:

Girls________________Boys
Anthrax______________Danzig
Asia_________________Styx

Vixen________________Dokken
Mudhoney____________Bongwater
Nirvana______________GWAR
Poison_______________Mountain
Ratt_________________Uriah Heep
Tesla________________Slade
Kiss_________________Slaughter
Renaissance___________Tool

The WFUV Road Trip: The SXSW Report -- in case you missed it!

2007-03-20T13:39:00.000-04:00

Well, the first WFUV Road Trip has come to an end, as has this year's SXSW festival. But we had two intrepid reporters braving mass quantities of beer, BBQ -- and of course, music -- to get us the scoop on just what goes down in Austin at this time of year. From Emmylou to Aqualung, WFUV's Rita Houston and Alisa Ali covered a lot of ground, and luckily had a mic in hand to record some of the highlights.

So check out their three days of reports from SXSW, and also take a listen to Rita's stop at the NPR "All Songs Considered" SXSW Roundtable.

- WFUV Road Trip: The SXSW Report (Day 1)
- WFUV Road Trip: The SXSW Report (Day 2)
- WFUV Road Trip: The SXSW Report (Day 3)
- NPR "All Songs Considered" SXSW Roundtable

Enjoy!

Sarah Wardrop
- WFUV Music Interview Producer

Roller Derby is the new Black

2007-03-20T13:37:00.000-04:00

TXRB was the entertainment on the final night of SXSW. That's Texas Roller Derby. When i was a kid the roller derby on channel 9 had such an impact on me I was psyched to experience it live for the first time! There's DEF a retro/hipness to it now. Back in the day it was more like scary old ladies with too much make up. Now its mega tattoos, torn fishnets, and scantily clad tough girls! Once we caught on to the actual rules--yes, apparently it's not just about toppling the skater in front of you, it was pretty fun. The players all have clever names too like Smother Teresa, Axel Rosie and my fave, Lucky Harm. I'm not sure if this trend is catching on here in NYC yet, but i'm thinking if my FUV gig ever gets boring I'll start up a Roller Derby team. I'll just need a tough name!

more from SXSW

2007-03-20T12:44:00.000-04:00

Amy Winehouse, Cold War Kids and all the 'old guys' were the stories coming out of SXSW for me this year. Turns out my search for the 'new Supremes' came true in UK star Amy Winehouse--she has that old fashioned STAR POWER, great voice and solid songs. On stage, she's a bad girl too --you just can't take your eyes off her. Oddly, the title track from her new album is a Baby Love rip off. Check her out tho! SXSW is generally all about new artists and debuts but this year the old guys did it for me. Stax Records Revue, Lee Scratch Perry, Public Enemy, Emmylou Harris, Iggy and the Stooges, Rickie Lee Jones and Vashti Bunyan to name a few.

Stax and Lee Scratch Perry broke a long stretch of white guy rock and it was liberating to actually dance and enjoy the groove of music. Talk about groove--Booker T and the MG's! It was good to see Isaac Hayes too altho he was looking a bit frail. Williams Bell did Private Number and then Eddie Floyd came out. Wow! It was so cool to see these guys too (OK, DISCLAIMER HERE--BEWARE ELITIST STATEMENT COMING:) in a setting of music lovers and critcs as opposed to a casino or on some greatest hits/olides tour. I wonder if that matters to them. One thing is for sure, they probably make more money at Foxwoods.

Speaking of greatest hits tours, Rickie Lee Jones is NOT on one. She is def on her own trip and groove these days and i am so moved by her new material and her love of it. I caught her a few times live and even on the radio once at KGSR. Which, btw, is a really good commercial station with the occasional really bad song. You'll hear Prine, Townes, and Dylan but then get thrown off by Shattered or I'm Goin Down or bad Squeeze. But they had Rickie on for like 30 minutes just playing live and talking. I was glued to the radio and that usually only happens back home for me!

SXSW - Rita Houston

2007-03-20T11:39:00.000-04:00

It's an odd experience to take in live music in the daytime but that's
part of the experience in Austin. then again it's also pretty unusual to
drink margaritas at 12noon too. It actually all started for me with Forro
in the Dark at breakfast! Next time your in Austin you must check out Las
Manitas-i recommend the vegetarian Huevos especial con Migas washed down
with a watermelon aqua fresca. Two tables down offered me the opportunity
for the first POUNCE of the day--martha wainwright. Alisa wasted no time
pouncing on her faves, Cold War Kids who will likely emerge from SXSW with
a much higher profile. A stop at a Starbucks for a midday, post margarita
pick me up was music filled with the new and better looking CSNY! Have
you heard about the Low Stars yet? They played acoustic over the din of
barista calls of 'Venti Venti Venti'. Alisa headed south while i went
east. She found Money Mark, Aqualung and a grilled cheese. I found some
fancy sushi and sake! Off to the night time shows. more later

SXSW Recap - Alisa Ali

2007-03-19T16:28:00.000-04:00

So SXSW is over and my head is still reeling from the madness of it all.
My socks were rocked off. My gut had been sufficiently filled with shinerbock beer and bbq and my feet are killing me.

I saw some great shows. Too many to recount right now. But I would have to say that Andrew Bird was my favorite... followed very closely by the Stooges reunion.

Andrew Bird...Ahhh so complex and beautiful. Swiftly switching from violin to guitar and back... all the while exhibiting his magnificent whistling abilities. Now, I thought I could whistle a tune, but boy, that guy really blows...in a good way. His performance was captivating. He had the whole room hanging on his every word & note. It was really mesmorizing and mysterious although no eggs were produced;)

& Iggy Pop. Yeah, Iggy pop. No, you don't need no stinkin shirt. BUT would it kill you to wear some pants that didnt threaten to fall completely off? But thats Iggy, huh. Nobody wears their pants lower. And how is so buff? He's like 60! But you know, that dude can rock. Hard core. He jumped into the crowd and was singing while being completely surrounded by adoring fans. At one point, he points up to the VIP section and says, " hello VIPs." "Hello NOBODY'S!" Oh man. That was great. Immediately afterwards, he starts singing "my idea of a good time is killing everyone" hahaha. Don't worry though. No VIPs were injured in the Stooges rock out. In fact, Kirsten Dunst was seen dancing unstage - unscathed - during their last song. By the way that girl is SKINNY. She doesnt look it on screen, but in real life she is very skeletor. But thats rock and roll chic isnt it.

Theres so much more to tell, like Peter Bjorn and John throwing swedish fish into the audience and crowds playing on a slip and slide of BBQ sauce, but that will come later. I gotta flight to catch.

(just kidding about the fish and BBQ sauce by the way. They didnt really do that. But it would have been a lot cooler if they did;)

-Alisa Ali -
WFUV producer.

P.S. Austin ROCKS!

Crowded House Webcast on March 17th

2007-03-16T16:05:00.000-04:00

The newly reformed Crowded House will perform for a special live interactive webcast Saturday March 17th at 6pm New York time (10pm GMT). The band will perform from their rehearsal space near Bath, England. You'll be introduced to their new drummer and new songs from their just completed Time on Earth due out in June. Their first tour in a decade kicks off at the Coachella Festival in California on April 29. Visit www.crowdedhouseofficial.com to hear the stream.

Bubbie Kweller can cut a rug

2007-03-16T15:36:00.000-04:00

You are about to watch the video of the year thus far. Ben Kweller's 82-year-old grandmother dancing to his latest song "Penny on the Train Track."

It's gold, Jerry. Gold.

Houston does Austin

2007-03-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

Rita Houston reports back from SXSW in Austin

Peter Buck’s body language was screaming ‘don’t approach me’ as he sat in a first class aisle seat on the flight to Austin. Such is SXSW. U get Peter Buck on your plane. I did not say hi. Funny thing is I had my big headphones on sending out my own message I guess.

SXSW is spring break for the music business. At a time when the entertainment industry is in total flux and the music ‘business’ is shrinking fast, SXSW continues to grow. This is the place where the indie is the mainstream. Bands you, and I, have never heard of and may never hear again, get their shot. With thousands of bands playing from all over the world.

I’m listening to The Supremes on my way down wondering If I’ll catch a band that's all that---with that ‘star potential’. The next Supremes? Yeah, where are they? That’s what I’m going to look for. Baby Love, Come See About Me---you only need to hear those songs once to remember them. And the vocals, wow, those girls could sing. I caught Diana Ross on American Idol just 2 nights ago. It’s a sign. This is my mission---I must find the next Supremes.

I’m only half joking as SXSW features SO MANY bands with buzz both real and imagined it can make a girl cynical about what really matters. We’re all running around checking out these random bands but it’s all so indie and so niche based it won’t really have an impact. Or will it? Isn’t this where Norah Jones first attracted national attention or Franz Ferdnand or??? So, is that BIG STAR here—the one with old fashioned star power who can save the business??? I’ll let you know….

Dennis Elsas at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony

2007-03-13T14:23:00.000-04:00

It's 1AM backstage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria and the show just ended. Once again I had the honor and great pleasure to be the announcer for the event.

This year's inductees certainly represented a wide and diverse spectrum of the rock world. From the legendary Ronettes (with Ronnie Spector in amazing voice) to the passionate performance and acceptance speech of Patti Smith, the thunder of Van Halen to the intensity of REM and the introduction of Hip Hop to the Hall with the sounds of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

There were loving tributes to Amhet Ertegun and James Brown, the always entertaining Keith Richards to welcome the Ronettes and an all-star jam featuring presenters Eddie Vedder, Stephen Stills, Keith and just about all the inductees that showed up. Noticeably absent were the Van Halen brothers and David Lee Roth, but that didn't seem to detract from the night's celebration.

Earlier in the day at rehearsal, Patti told me how happy she was that the song "People Have the Power" - written by her late husband Fred Sonic Smith - was used for the all star finale.

For the first time the entire show was broadcast live on VH1 Classic and AOL. A two hour highlight version will appear this weekend on VH1.

R.I.P. - Ian Wallace

2007-03-04T12:36:00.000-05:00

Drummer Ian Wallace died recently. He lost his battle with esophageal cancer on Thursday, February 22. He was 60 years old. Ian was born on September 26, 1946 in England. Ian was a former member of King Crimson and a very successful session drummer. As a session musician, he played drums for Bob Dylan (Street Legal and At Budokan albums), Alexis Korner, Ry Cooder, Don Henley, David Lindley, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Walsh, Jackson Browne, Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Eric Clapton, Ron Wood, Jon Anderson, Crosby Stills and Nash, Brian Eno, Larry Coryell, Peter Frampton, John Fogerty, Dave Mason, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Steve Marriott, Al Kooper, Glenn Frey, Tim Buckley, Lonnie Mack, Billy Joel, Otis Spann, Sting, Steve Winwood, Bob Seger, Jimmy Buffett, Jo-El Sonnier, Procol Harum, Alvin Lee, Robben Ford, Linda Ronstadt, Boz Scaggs and Warren Zevon. In 2003, Ian joined the 21st Century Schizoid Band, a group featuring former members of King Crimson, and formed the Crimson Jazz Trio. He was also part of the groups Fission Trip and the Wallace / Trainor Conspiracy. His lone solo album was Happiness With Minimal Side Effects.
But, it was his tenure as a member of King Crimson that Ian is probably best known for. Ian was King Crimson's third drummer, replacing Andy McCulloch in early 1971. Ian remained with King Crimson until the spring of 1972. During that time, King Crimson released the studio album Islands and the live album Earthbound. This lineup featured King Crimson mainstay Robert Fripp (guitar and keyboards), Ian Wallace (drums), Boz (Burrell) (bass and lead vocals), Mel Collins (saxophones, flutes, keyboards) and Peter Sinfield. This edition of the band toured extensively and has been documented on a number of live albums from the King Crimson archives. Unfortunately, Ian is the second former member of this lineup of King Crimson to recently pass away. Boz Burrell, who was also the longtime bassist in Bad Company, died just five months before Ian on September 21, 2006. Boz was also 60 years old.

Darren DeVivo
3/4/07

Julianne Moore is hot!

2007-03-04T12:25:00.000-05:00

I went to see "The Vertical Hour" on Broadway last night at the Music Box Theatre on West 45th Street. The show, which ends it's run this coming Sunday, stars Julianne Moore. In the words of Ed Norton, "Va va va voom!!"

Darren DeVivo
3/4/07

At $12.95 a Month, Sirius Is a Steal

2007-02-26T16:06:00.000-05:00

There isn't much to distinguish between Sirius and XM satellite radio -- unless you're a car thief. The black market in stolen Sirius receivers makes XM seem like the way to go. Unless, of course, the companies merge and both their receivers become incompatible and obsolete. Check out this report from wbztv.com

-Corny

Ticket farce...call the Police! (Darren DeVivo)

2007-02-24T21:20:00.000-05:00

The Police recently announced their 2007 reunion tour and it included two dates at Madison Square Garden on August 1 and 3. Tickets were to go on sale to the general public this past Monday, February 19 at 9AM. I attempted to purchase my tickets online at Ticketmaster's website. I've done this hundreds of times. I was online and ready to go some ten to fifteen minutes before the onsale. At 9AM exactly, I was able to "get in the system". I got 'em, right?! No! Could you believe that two shows at Madison Square Garden were sold out in a matter of seconds?! Seconds????!!!! Maybe they were gone before they went on sale. Ya know what? The whole setup is bogus. There were more "pre-sales" that you needed to have an interpreter to help sort through them all: Best Buy customers get an advantage. Buy a "membership" to the Police's website for an additional $100 and you get early access to tickets - the price of the tickets isn't enough?! Oh, I'm sorry...you also get a laminate for the $100, too. Sting's website had some sort of deal for "insiders". This is all getting ridiculous. The fact that the tickets were never available when they were supposed to be available is beyond bullshit!! Something stinks here. A couple of years ago, the on sale date was changed WITHOUT AN ANNOUNCEMENT for Paul McCartney's most recent shows at Madison Square Garden. Let's move up the on sale date and not tell anyone...yeah, that's fair.
This Monday morning at 9AM, tickets will go on sale for an additional date - the Police will now play an August 5 show at Giants Stadium. Great...just what I love, a Sunday night show in the Meadowlands. I love sitting in hours of traffic late on a Sunday night. That's not to say having to deal with a stadium show. Of course, that's assuming I can get tickets when they go on sale. They might already be sold out...36 hours in advance.

Darren DeVivo
2/24/07

TV News -- Can It Get Any Better?

2007-02-24T11:53:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've found it increasing difficult to keep track of all the news reports of celebrities being arrested, exposing themselves, and refusing to be buried. Is Britney in rehab or out? Here's a simple solution:

At a glance, you get the time and temp plus the status of the latest celebrity news. This frees up valuable TV news time for non-celebrity items about astronauts and four-legged ducks.

You stay classy, San Diego.

--Corny

New Arcade Fire

2007-02-22T07:12:00.000-05:00

Tons of buzz on Arcade Fire right now, coming off last week's shows in NYC and the new album Neon Bible due March 6th. I've heard a bunch of it online over the past couple of weeks, but finally got a chance to hear the full record the other day.

I expected to be solid, but it is really a great album. Even better than Funeral, I think. It somehow manages to be both dark and uplifting, no easy task.

If you haven't gotten into this band yet, check them out on SNL this Saturday. Another big reason to watch: Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute on The Office) hosts.

Apology for the Bloggap

2007-02-21T12:41:00.000-05:00

Hey folks,

We had a little trouble upgrading this thing but we've seen our way clear. Sorry for the gap in posting!

- The folks at WFUV

The Grammys Make Darren Puke!

2007-02-12T19:37:00.000-05:00

I watched the Grammys last night. I wasted three and a half hours. I should have shut the television at 8:04PM. So many things about last night's program annoyed me. In a nutshell, it was a frustratingly boring program filled with ordinary performances by ordinary talent. It was a showcase of the beautiful, not the truly talented. It was the industry machine on display in all it's glory. Honestly, the only thing I was looking forward to going into the broadcast was the reunion of the Police. I wasn't expecting much from the full show itself, yet I still came away with a headache from rolling my eyes so much at what I was watching.

First off, why was the performance by the Police so brief? I was hoping for at least two songs and maybe ten minutes. After all the hype about their reunion, all we get is one song at around three minutes. I guess we had to save room for that pointless tribute to the Eagles - THREE covers by Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood. Riveting.
The best they could do to pay tribute to James Brown was to have Christina Aguilera perform ONE song. Christina Aguilera?!
Why didn't someone shove a rag in Quentin Tarantino's mouth?
Could they post the winners for the awards presented before the telecast any faster? To me, these awards and the winners are much more interesting than those that make the broadcast.
Could they blow by those being honored any faster? Why bother even honoring them? If you sneezed, you missed the Doors, Booker T. and the M.G.'s, etc. They put the camera on the Doors' Robby Krieger and took it off so fast, you didn't have a chance to react.

It was nice to see Michael Brecker pick up a couple of posthumous Grammys. I was happy that Peter Frampton won a Grammy for his instrumental album Fingerprints (Best Pop Instrumental Album). Cheers to the "Jersey Boys" cast album for winning Best Musical Show Album. I love Tony Bennett, but Duets An American Classic is not a Grammy caliber album, although the competition for Best Traditional Pop Album wasn't tough (Tony won two Grammys). I know this is sacrilegious, but Bob Dylan did not deserve three awards. Modern Times is a fine album, but it is not an award worthy album. Ike Turner wins a Grammy? C'mon. It was a shame especially since it won over Dion's excellent Bronx In Blue album in the Best Traditional Blues Album category. I realize that Jonny Lang's latest album Turn Around had spiritual overtones, but was it worthy of winning in the Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album category? I know some who had a problem with Bruce Springsteen winning in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and Rosanne Cash, and her album Black Cadillac, coming away empty handed. Finally, the thrill of the night - Donald Fagen's Morph The Cat wins Best Surround Sound Album....YES!

DDD 2/12/07

John Platt on Odetta and Dee

2007-02-09T12:51:00.000-05:00

Please keep a couple of our favorite musicians in your prayers.

One of folk music's legends, Odetta, has been in Roosevelt Hospital on the recommendation of her cardiologist to treat an illness that hit her while she was in California last month. Now 76, she continues to tour, but her health has been frail, and since the death of her sister several years ago, she hasn't always been good about taking care of herself. She obviously won't be able to attend the Grammys in L.A., where she is nominated for Best Traditional Folk Album for "Gonna Let It Shine" (recorded on the Fordham campus for an audience of WFUV members!).

More seriously, harpist/singer/songwriter Dee Carstensen has been waging a battle against liver cancer. The wife of jazz musician Mike Mainieri and the mother of a young daughter, Dee recently received a liver transplant. Mainieri has started a journal at this website for friends and fans to keep in touch:
http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=deecarstensen

Call The Police

2007-02-01T05:46:00.000-05:00

In an effort to move past Corny's Mariah Carey obsession, I thought we could talk about some music. A reunion, in fact. As you may know, word came down that The Police are finally set to reunite at the Grammys on 2/11, with a tour planned for the summer.

Are you excited? Personally I've always dug The Police much more than Sting's solo stuff, but let's hear what YOU think...

Corny Explains the News

2007-01-31T14:58:00.000-05:00

So that's why Mariah Carey sued that porn star...

As previously reported, Mariah Carey took legal action back in December to protect her assets.

Zevon

2007-01-24T19:12:00.000-05:00

Standing here in the studio on Warren Zevon Day, I'm reminded of just how good a songwriter he was. And quite simply, it sucks that he's gone.

Enjoy every sandwich, people. And go to the doctor every now and again, too.

WFUV's Rita Houston has something to say about "My Dear Country"

2007-01-22T16:35:00.000-05:00

There's a song on the new Norah Jones album that has really caught my ear... here's the lyrics:

"My Dear Country"

'Twas Halloween and the ghosts were out,
And everywhere they'd go, they shout,
And though I covered my eyes I knew,
They'd go away.

But fear's the only thing I saw,
And three days later 'twas clear to all,
That nothing is as scary as election day.

But the day after is darker,
And darker and darker it goes,
Who knows, maybe the plans will change,
Who knows, maybe he's not deranged.

The news men know what they know, but they,
Know even less than what they say,
And I don't know who I can trust,
For they come what may.

'cause we believed in our candidate,
But even more it's the one we hate,
I needed someone I could shake,
On election day.

But the day after is darker,
And deeper and deeper we go,
Who knows, maybe it's all a dream,
Who knows if I'll wake up and scream.

I love the things that you've given me,
I cherish you my dear country,
But sometimes I don't understand,
The way we play.

I love the things that you've given me,
And most of all that I am free,
To have a song that I can sing,
On election day.

--Norah Jones from 'Not Too Late'

More Bad News for Satellite Radio

2007-01-19T13:56:00.000-05:00

Judge Rules Against XM in Suit by Record Labels

A judge has ruled against XM Satellite Radio, denying the satcater's motion to dismiss a suit brought by record labels. The suit claims that the "XM + MP3" Inno satellite receivers which allow listeners to store songs from broadcasts infringe on the labels' rights to the recordings. XM claims that the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 protects them, because it allows individuals to record music off the radio for their own usage. U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts did not buy that argument and said that the labels license their music to XM only for airplay. She added that by allowing listeners to store songs heard on the satcaster, XM is acting as both as a broadcaster and a music distributor, when it is only licensed to be the former.

Judge Batts also did not buy XM's comparison of its new technology to a cassette deck recorder, stating, "It is manifestly apparent that the use of a radio-cassette player to record songs played over free radio does not threaten the market for copyrighted works as does the use of a recorder which stores songs from private radio broadcasts on a subscription fee basis." [FMQB]

Hey Beckheads! (Or Information about The Information)

2007-01-18T11:02:00.000-05:00

Beck will release a deluxe edition of 2006's The Information on February 27. The expanded version will add three bonus songs, six remixes, a lyrics book, all four sticker sheets and even more videos than were included with the original release.

Now, if you haven't gotten this album yet, you might wanna hold off for the deluxe edition. I mean, you get all four sticker sheets! Seriously, you'll entertain yourself for HOURS with that.

If you don't know what the stickers are all about, here's the deal. The album cover is a blank canvas. A sticker booklet is provided with each CD so one could create their own album art, back cover, CD insert, disc design, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Don't believe me? Here in the office we spent half an hour just trying to find just the right sticker for the disc itself. No kidding.

Have fun! And post your work. Here's one we did. Creative design by Ben Jones, engineer NuJo Grimaldi and Russ Borris...

Patti Smith sez:

2007-01-15T12:31:00.000-05:00

some good words from patti smith
*******************************

greetings

The last ten days or so I have been the lucky
recipient of a lot of well wishing. For my 60th
birthday, New Years and for being an inductee
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2007.

I have to say it has been really nice
greeting the dawn picking the same old clothes
and used up socks off the floor and stumbling into the world
in search of coffee, encountering friends, neighbors
and passerby all with a kind and encouraging word.
So I want to thank everybody as well as send out a few
encouraging words myself. A new year begins and it
gives us an opportunity to reassess ourselves, physically,
emotionally and spiritually. There is no reason at all
why each of can't take stock of ourselves and better
our situation. For instance just simple things like
eliminating fast foods, soft drinks and excessive salt
is a start. Drinking more water. Getting one's teeth cleaned.
Saying a simple thank you or grace before eating.
Going through our possessions and letting go of what
we really don't want or need. If one has vices and can't
give them up, just cut down.

Start with the small things and as you feel better about
accomplishing them, add more challenging things. It's
an elemental concept but sound. Sometimes we ask
so much of ourselves that we feel defeated before we begin.
Don't defeat yourself. We are lucky to be alive. I always
think of the Jimi Hendrix line "Hooray I wake from yesterday".
Just being alive is a gift. We can build on that thought
every day.

Well, happy new year. And thanks everybody. I am going to
take my own advice and change my socks.
all good wishes.

patti smith

Claudia asks: What's on Jonathan Demme's iPod??

2007-01-12T14:55:00.000-05:00

The fare at the multi-plex sounds dismal, so I wanted to share a little gem of a rental I came across last week.

It's a raggedy but passionate movie called "The Agronomist".
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377031/
It is not a documentary about agriculture (!) but an eye-opening look at Haiti and the political turmoil and suffering caused by dictators and meddling U.S. goverment... er... meddlers. It is a true story of a beautiful land (in our own backyard!) centered around the Haitian activist and broadcaster, Jean Dominique. Sounds like steep stuff but it's a rich and rewarding journey.

I got interested in the movie while doing research for my interview last year with filmmaker Jonathan Demme about "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" (see the archives at wfuv.org) As in that movie, Demme's love of music beautifully informs "The Agronomist." What I wouldn't give to get my hands on HIS Ipod!!

I'll never feel quite the same about a Carribean vacation. And if you haven't heard about the amazing activism of Wyclef Jean, (http://www.yele.org/) check that out AND this film, too!

Let me know what you think: claudiamarshall@wfuv.org

New wfuv.org web site

2007-01-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

Hi folks,
We've revamped the wfuv.org web site. It's easier to get around and more attractive to boot. You can also bookmark individual pages, finally. Check it out and let us know what you think!
- Laura Fedele, WFUV Web Director
http://www.wfuv.org/

The holidays are over (by Darren DeVivo)

2007-01-02T15:56:00.000-05:00

The holidays are over. I hate when the holidays end. I love Christmas and New Years time. The lights, the decorations, the music. It's a special vibe, a glow, that takes over everyday life and makes it all a little happier. There's a coziness, too. Around the DeVivo house, it's colored lights, two trees, candles and decorations. The front yard has a multi colored glow. And of course, there's the music. (I was going to post my thoughts on my favorite Christmas music a few weeks back, but that never happened. Maybe later this year!) As George Harrison said, "All things must pass." So, we now set our sights to the quiet, cold, relatively slow winter months of January and February. Oh yeah, all the decorations have to get packed up, too!!

During Christmas / New Years week, the DeVivo's caught the movie "Night At The Museum" starring Ben Stiller. It was a lot of fun, much better than the reviews. It was a flawed movie, sure, but it still was clever and had many laughs. It gets 3 1/2 stars (on a scale of 0-5)! Great seeing Mickey Rooney (who is a riot in the film) and Dick Van Dyke, too. Although these stage shows have now closed with the passing of the holiday season, we also enjoyed seeing "Annie" at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden and "Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical" early in December at the Hilton Theatre. Actually, "The Grinch..." is still running until this Sunday, January 7.

Darren DeVivo
1/2/07

Welcome to 2007 and J - E - T - S! (by Darren DeVivo)

2007-01-01T14:37:00.000-05:00

First off...I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Welcome to 2007! Man, 2007...where are the years going?! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday season. I always hate when the holidays are over, and this year is no different.

Second...I am thrilled about the New York Jets!!! For those who don't follow football, the Jets finished the 2006 regular season yesterday with a convincing 23-3 win over the Oakland Raiders, the NFL's worst team. With the win, the Jets finished the year with a 10-6 record and qualified for the playoffs as the first of two wildcard teams out of the AFC. This is pretty significant because nobody expected much from this Jets team. Last year, they finished with a 4-12 record, and this year, I was expecting more of the same. But, first year coach Eric Mangini led the way, and along with quarterback Chad Pennington, who had the healthiest and best year of his career, they accomplished something nobody expected - a winning year and a playoff berth! So, 2007 will begin in exciting fashion for the green and white - a first round playoff battle with their hated rivals, the New England Patriots, on Sunday, January 7 at 1PM in Foxboro, Massachusetts. It's going to be a tough game for the Jets, they are big underdogs, but I'm all suited up and ready!!! Okay, chant along with me...
J - E - T - S! Jets! Jets! Jets!

Darren DeVivo
1/1/07

Secrets of Lennon's FBI Files

2006-12-20T16:26:00.000-05:00

The FBI agreed yesterday to make public the final 10 documents about the surveillance of John Lennon that it had withheld for 25 years on the grounds that releasing them could cause "military retaliation against the United States." Here are some of the more intriguing facts the U.S. tried to keep secret:

● John’s favorite color was not blue as reported in the June 1963 issue of Tiger Beat Magazine, but was in fact orange.

● While former manager Brian Epstein was known as the fifth Beatle, inside the group, John was known as the fourth Beatle.

● If you play “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” backwards, you can clearly hear John singing, “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine”.

● Paul really is dead. After the Ram album, with the help of a plastic surgeon and a vocal coach, he was replaced by Shawn Cassidy.

● The whole peace-loving hippy persona was a cover story dreamt up by the FBI and Lennon so that he could snitch out those actually attempting to overthrow the U.S. Government: Donovan, Tiny Tim and Sha Na Na.

- Corny O'Connell

Phormer Phish Phrontman Phoiled

2006-12-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, the embarassment! Trey's real name is Ernest!

Who knew? Trey Anastasio, the tie-dyed t-shirt wearing former frontman of the psychedelic jam band Phish, likes to catch a buzz now and again. According to the Times Union of Albany, New York, Trey was stopped by police this morning allegedly in possession of an assortment of prescription medications including hydrocodone, Percocet and Xanax, which were prescribed for another person. Naughty, naughty Trey. According to police, Anastasio was pulled over for failing to keep right. Failing to keep right? Trey, your street cred just went through the roof! Step aside Snoop Dogg. There's a new badass in town.

- Corny O'Connell

Rich Conaty: Danny Stiles & The Lost Monologue!

2006-12-15T11:26:00.000-05:00

I was invited to be among the guests honoring Danny Stiles for his 59th anniversary in radio. Historically, I've been billed as attending, with a variety of spellings of my surname, whether or not I was invited or had any intention of going. This year, I got a call from Danny himself. Danny has warmed up to me in recent times, and I appreciate it. For the longest time, his on-air position had been that he was the only guy playing old records. That ignored me, "college radio" doesn't count, but, significantly, Joe Franklin, who more or less invented the genre in the 1940s. Nowadays, Danny is unfailingly gracious, and frequently mentions me on his broadcasts.

My in-person introduction to Danny was probably at the Red Blazer Too on Third Avenue and 88th Street. They advertised on his WEVD show, and he was there frequently. The Blazer was the first spot Vince Giordano's Nighthawks played regularly. The group wasn't Danny's favorite, he was a big band guy, but he'd come in, get on stage, and sometimes do trivia questions. For somebody who's been in front of the public since the 1940s, Danny tends to be a little, ah, abrupt with audiences. They're not paying attention, they can't name the "Dead End Kid" he's after, etc. This was true the other night at his party. "Quiet! Nobody's listening! Can anybody hear me?"

Danny's 59th anniversary was held at John's Pizzeria on West 44th, a handsome, cavernous place. It was absurdly overbooked, the food was slow in coming, and Danny's mostly 55+ crowd was used to "Earlybird Special" hours.

Joe Franklin was in and out, but I stayed, and had a nice chat with "Uncle Floyd" Vivino, who was a guest on "The Big Broadcast" more than twenty years ago. I was on his show in 1984, presenting him with WNEW's 50th Anniversary book. (I've posted the picture.) He still listens, which was nice to hear.

In the course of the evening, Danny brought up his guests. Joe Franklin paid his respects, Floyd was a riot, Chuck (The Bayonne Bleeder) Wepner was a no-show. I was a "show," but not called up, which was a shame, because I'd written a killer monologue:

"Thank you! (Wait for applause to subside.) Thank you for pretending to know who I am. (Laughs.) Don't worry, even I've never heard of me! (More laughs.) You've heard of "The Vicar of Vintage," "The King of Nostalgia." I'm "The Sultan of Surface Noise."

I'm honored to be here tonight. No way was I going to miss this. Fifty-Nine years! Amazing. I've been on the radio thirty-five years. (Smattering of applause.) This is the only place people still call me "the kid." (Bewildered laughs.)

I remember the first time I heard Danny on the radio. I got so excited I fell out of my stroller! (Danny's not amused.)

I bring you greeting from my "Big Broadcast" listeners. Les Paul called last night to wish you a happy anniversary. (That's true.) And I got a call from (a radio personality I won't put in print). He wanted to be here, but his hair hasn't come back from the cleaners. (Silence. Too many rugs in the house.)

Seriously. (As if that were needed.) Danny Stiles is a major figure in radio. He has been a special part of our lives for all our lives. (Ahhhhhh.) May you continue to share with us the music that matters. Thank you and God Bless! (Warm embrace.)

I'm bringing it with me for Danny's 60th. Just in case.

Rich Conaty

Claudia: Somebody should Slap Ben Brantley

2006-12-14T11:47:00.000-05:00

On a good day, I feel for Ben Brantley. Today, however, I want to kick him in the shins. His snotty review has killed “High Fidelity.”

Oh, I know, other critics weren’t exactly charitable. But Brantley, the big-time, NYT reviewer, shot the sucker right between the eyes. And he should be ashamed. This was a show that was truly a ton of fun -- and now it’s closing this Sunday. And I’m pissed. Especially because I was SO SURPRISED to have enjoyed it so much!

After all, how could a Broadway musical possibly hold a candle to the film? Actor John Cusak was never better than in the lead role of the lovelorn music store owner. Jack Black’s career was made by his performance here – and Tim Robbins’ cameo as an obnoxious rebound Romeo deserves some kind of special award.

I fully expected to DETEST the Broadway version. But I was won over by the charismatic, lead actor, Will Chase, the inventive staging and yes, even the score – not the strongest on Broadway, but one which perfectly serves it purpose.

Critics can complain that this music can’t compete with treasured tracks celebrated by Hornsby’s book and featured in the film. True, of course. But it shouldn’t – and doesn’t – attempt to! Rather it riffs on many different styles of music, sending up Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Lyle Lovett. The Indigo Girls are name checked as are Belle and Sebastian. And one scene is played out several times in several different musical styles – with an hysterical satire of a rap video. My unscientific survey of fellow audience members found one complaint about foul language, but even the grannies were smiling. Now that’s an accomplishment for any show. It pleased the dentu-crème set – and the hard-core music fan alike.

And believe me, as a card-carrying music snob, I am sworn to detest stuff of this ilk. So here I am, putting my street cred on the line to say – this show does NOT suck!

Where does Brantley get off spoiling the fun for so many? He has every right to complain about the recent parade of crappy jukebox-i-cals and films-icles. The problem is, High Fidelity isn’t one of them. And in venting his frustration on this particular production, he has done a disservice to the many music fans who might just venture to a Broadway show (gasp!) and (shock!) actually enjoy it!

Coincidentally, the very production Brantely and his fellow old-media critics currently hail for breathing new life into this hidebound old institution of the Broadway musical sent me and my hubby scurrying to the exits at intermission!

So painful, juvenile and heavy-handed is the new-to-Broadway show, “Spring Awakening,” I barely made it through the first act. In spite of a great score from Duncan Sheik, this moldy-old story about the pain of growing up mystified me. I get it: being a horny teenager sucks. That just does not a Broadway musical make, no matter how many cast members you have masturbating on stage.

In any case, if you have any inclination to blow a few bucks on a Broadway show – I can recommend “High Fidelity” – but you better get moving, because Brantley’s assassination will effectively kill the show Sunday. R.I.P., High Fidelity. You deserved better.

Claudia

Blonde on Blonde: XXX

2006-12-11T18:07:00.000-05:00

Pop stars beware! Porn stars are trying to sexploit your good names.

I was shocked to learn today that Grammy-winning pop singer Mariah Carey has been forced to take legal action to prevent porn star Mary Carey from trademarking her similar-sounding name. How could anyone be expected to tell the difference between the two?

M. Carey.......or.......M. Carey?

I spent the entire weekend watching videos from both Mariah ("Glitter", "Honey") and Mary ("Boobsville Sorority Girls", "Bosom Buddies 6") in a vain attempt to distiguish between the two performers.

If Mary Carey is allowed to cash in on Mariah Carey's good name, what will stop other porn stars from doing the same? Kate Bush beware! Joe Cocker take heed! Leon Redbone, Kurtis Blow, Marcia Ball there's a porn star after your name. Please, someone warn the estate of Woody Guthrie.

- Corny O'Connell

Darren remembers 26 years ago

2006-12-07T13:24:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that it has been 26 years, December 8, that John Lennon was murdered. It's a day I remember well. It was a mild, damp Monday night. I was big into the Doors then. December 8 is Jim Morrison's birthday. I was listening to a commercial rock radio station play the top ten Doors songs (at 10PM) as voted on by its listeners (I voted for "The End," which was number one). The Patriots were playing on Monday Night Football (at least I seem to remember they were). I hate the Patriots. The 11:00 news came on and at the end, the news broke, but I went to bed not aware that John had died...just that he'd been shot.

I wasn't concerned. John Lennon couldn't possibly die. I heard the bad news when I awoke in the morning. I tuned into WINS as I made myself breakfast. I remember going cold. I was in my second year in high school. That week, I cried a lot. I kept a scrapbook, which hopefully is still around somewhere, of the newspaper coverage. I had my parents drive me down to the Dakota that Friday after school. I left a flower for the doorman to give to Yoko. The vigil was that Sunday afternoon...ten minutes of silence centered from Central Park. John and Yoko's album Double Fantasy had just come out a few weeks earlier. It was such a great time. It was terrific to have them back. These were John's first new songs in five and a half years. Six for Yoko. John's "(Just Like) Starting Over" was a hit. Then those shots were fired.

Darren DeVivo
12/7/06

Claudia sees a ghost - a cherry ghost - and mixes her musical references

2006-12-06T10:59:00.000-05:00

Rita’s smile was a mile wide as she announced his arrival. And she zeroed in on it right away. He was wearing suede pants, laced up the sides and the front. A snappy dresser, a confident, full grown man. (see the song, ‘Full Grown Man”) And believe me, he looked GOOD.

I didn’t expect it. In fact, I didn’t expect to see him alive again. It wasn’t until after the interview that I allowed myself to get a little teary, but I was feeling deeply emotional throughout.

It is truly a miracle that Alejandro Escovedo isn’t dead. He was ravaged by Hepatitis C and when that didn’t kill him, the Interferon treatment almost did. We heard nothing about him for months at a time and I would play his CDs on the radio, wondering how he was doing, feeling helpless and uninformed.

I had only met Alejandro once, but he made quite an impression. He is a man whose honesty and integrity draws you in immediately. I interviewed him a few years ago about his project, “With These Hands”. I felt we connected. So to see him again – it was almost like seeing a ghost.

Later, I reflected about his willingness to discuss his illness – something so, private. I felt slightly awkward raising all these questions about such a personal struggle, live on the radio. I think I even tripped over his name once. He was wonderfully gracious and if he noticed my discomfort, he didn't let on.

Not only has Alejandro Escovedo triumphed over a near-fatal illness, his CD, The Boxing Mirror, has been hailed as the best of a career that is already critically lauded. And Friday night can only be a triumph for him, playing Carnegie’s groovy space, Zankel Hall.

Trust me: go – if only to see what he wears!!

P.S. When the band arrived yesterday, we were in a meeting (yes, radio people have boring meetings, too – only maybe just a little LESS boring because we’re arguing about music half the time!). We glanced up to see an entire crowd of clearly COOL looking people fill the anteroom. Rock and roll had arrived at our door. I LOVE MY JOB!

Corny's Concern: When was the last time you got funked up?

2006-12-05T13:26:00.000-05:00

Check out this local New York City group I came across recently, The Sugarman 3

"Chicken Half"

"Take It As It Come"

Most of their material is instrumental funky soul à la Booker T & the MGs, James Brown and Pete Belasco (what ever happened to him?).

You can catch The Sugarman 3 this Friday night Dec. 8 as part of the Daptone Super Soul Revue at
Southpaw
125 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-230-0236
http://www.spsounds.com/

- Corny

Nothing shines like a Diamond

2006-12-05T07:28:00.000-05:00

Last year's Rick Rubin-produced 12 Songs from Neil Diamond was everything I had hoped it to be. The stripped down setting allowed the songs to connect on a personal level, not to mention that these were some of the best lyrics Neil had written in some time.

Next Tuesday, a special edition of the album will be released with a bonus disc of demo versions of all of the songs called Artist's Cut- 12 Sketches.

As if that wasn't enough to get excited about, word has come down that Rubin and the mighty Neil have agreed to work again on another album. It could be covers, all new songs, some kind of mix, but it's gonna happen, baby!

You know, some days the bastards get ya down, but one thing remains true. Neil Diamond will be there to pick you up. Every time.

Bless his sideburns.

- Russ

Tom Waits For No One AKA A Tom Waits Primer by Darren DeVivo

2006-11-29T23:48:00.000-05:00

First off...a round of applause for Russ Borris for that incredible post earlier today. Do yourself a favor and make sure WFUV is tuned in on weekdays at 5AM so you can hear Mr. Borris do his thing!!

Russ did get me to thinking 'bout Waits. I've been a Tom Waits junkie since 1985...getting introduced to him through the now out of print collection Anthology Of Tom Waits and his album Rain Dogs (both released in '85). A friend of mine had told me to check out Tom Waits. I'd heard the name, but that was about it. Around this same time, the two albums I just mentioned were brand new, so I started playing some tracks here on WFUV. It was a perfect way to get into his music - Rain Dogs introduced me to his cutting edge, newer sound while Anthology Of Tom Waits provided a sampler of the 70s "bohemian barfly" Waits, which to my virgin ears was a little easier to digest at first. So, 21 years later, I am still a Waits man and I have put together this guide for appreciating Tom Waits.

Tom's recorded history can be divided into three parts:
A) The "early" stuff covers the years 1973 through 1982. This is the singer/songwriter, nightclub/bar act, beatnik jazz stuff! His albums for Asylum Records are in this period and most of them are produced by Bones Howe. This era ends in 1982 with the soundtrack to the movie "One From The Heart" (originally on Columbia Records) which Tom did with Crystal Gayle.
B) Tom reinvents himself after changing his management and record company and taking over as his own producer. This "radical" era covers the years 1983 through 1993. He is now with Island Records.
C) The third period is really an extension of the '83-'93 era. After a six year gap between albums, Tom returns in 1999 on the indie label Anti-/Epitaph Records. This is the era we are presently in.

COMPILATION ALBUMS/ANTHOLOGIES:
If you are looking for one stop shopping, then the "best of" albums may work for you. Readily available today are:
* Used Songs 1973 - 1980 (2001) - This Rhino Records collection does a nice job covering the early stuff for Asylum Records.
* Beautiful Maladies The Island Years (1998) - The best of the Island Records recordings from 1983 through 1993.
(The "early" stuff for Asylum is also summed up on these albums, if you can find them: Anthology Of Tom Waits (1985), Bounced Checks (released in 1981 only in the U.K. and features rarities never issued here in the U.S.) and Asylum Years (released in 1986, also only in the U.K. ...and, by the way, the LP and CD versions differ).

ORIGINAL ALBUMS:
Tom has released 18 albums in his career, not counting compilations and soundtracks.
---The Asylum Records years ('73-'80) contain seven albums. I recommend all of them, but the first purchases should be:
* Nighthawks At The Diner (1975) - Tom's third album was recorded live and features Tom the nightclub act in fine form. Funny stuff combined with killer songs.
* Closing Time (1973) - Tom's debut album.
* The Heart Of Saturday Night (1974) - The second album.
* Foreign Affairs (1977) - The fifth album.
---The Island Records albums ('83-'93) are more of an acquired taste and can be difficult to swallow for the uninitiated. That said, check out:
* Rain Dogs (1985) - Tom's second album for Island and his ninth overall. This is the best album of his career.
* Swordfishtrombones (1983) - Tom's Island debut (eighth album) is a drastic musical departure from the "early" stuff. If you have got this far, then get:
* Bone Machine (1992) - Tom's first studio album of new material, not counting soundtrack work and a live album, in five years. His twelfth overall.
---As for his current period for Anti- Records ('99-present), I recommend all of his albums, but the ones that stand out are:
* Mule Variations (1999) - His Anti-/Epitaph debut. His fourteenth overall.
* Real Gone (2004) - Album number seventeen.
* Orphans Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards (2006) - His new one is a triple album featuring 56 songs...some new and some rare odds and ends.

And one more thing...will someone release Tom's concert movie "Big Time" on DVD!

Darren DeVivo
11/29-30/06

Tom Waits

2006-11-29T13:42:00.000-05:00

Today is Tom Waits Day on WFUV in honor of the new Orphans collection. I just wanted to take a second and encourage ANY Waits fan to go get this three disc set. Go. I mean, stop what you're doing, get out of your chair and go get it. Now. And I don't want to hear, "oh, but I'm at work." Please. If your boss doesn't understand your need for a Waits fix, then it may be time for you to find a cooler boss.

I hate to say this is a MUST HAVE for any Waits fan, simply because I don't like that phrase, but you should have this. You NEED to have this. You MUST HAVE this! Damn, I said it anyway...

Thanksgiving and the Beatles by Darren

2006-11-27T23:27:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving time, specifically the week leading up to Thanksgiving, puts me in my "Beatles head". Now, anyone who knows me, knows I am in my "Beatles head" year 'round! But when Thanksgiving week rolls around, the Beatles become an even closer companion. This all began eleven years ago...Thanksgiving week 1995...the week that "The Beatles Anthology" documentary debuted along with "Free As A Bird", the first new Beatles song in 25 years.

The buzz in 1995 was that the definitive Beatles history, "The Beatles Anthology", was coming and it would be a multi-faceted project: a video documentary, an archival audio portion on CD and, eventually, a book. The video documentary would come first to television in edited form and then, to video (VHS, then, eventually, DVD). The full length documentary would clock in at around ten hours...the Beatles telling their story themselves - setting the record straight. Even more significant was that Beatles fans would get their first official peek at the Beatles master tapes as tons of unreleased material from the vaults would be issued as the audio portion of the "Anthology project" - three double albums that would be released into 1996. But what was going to be the special aspect of the "Anthology project" was that new Beatles songs would be part of the experience. Yes, new Beatles songs!! There would be two new songs. There was almost three. Yes three. No, wait... only two! Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Paul McCartney, the "Threetles", gathered together with cassette demos of a few unreleased John Lennon songs ... and they created that Beatles magic. First in 1994, 25 years after Abbey Road, Paul, George and Ringo "completed" John's 1979 cassette demo of his song "Free As A Bird". Then in early 1995, the Threetles were back at it for a second go 'round with another of John's demos from 1979, "Real Love". (The third song never came to fruition.) George, Paul and Ringo working together again. As close as we could come to a reunion. Words can't describe...

Then came the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 19, 1995. I remember the great anticipation. I remember the excitement and tension building. That night, ABC would broadcast the first part of the video documentary, culminating with the video of the first new song - "Free As A Bird". The significance grew for me when I heard the news on WINS that afternoon...the broadcast of the first new Beatles song in 25 years was a major news story!

I was five years old when the Beatles broke up (1970). I vaguely remember the Hey Jude compilation album and the final Beatles album Let It Be being released. I had the singles, but had faint memories of the Beatles final two hits - "The Long And Winding Road" and "Let It Be" - on the charts. I kind of remember being in the Palace Theater (in the Parkchester section of the Bronx) seeing the "Let It Be" movie with my mother. Now I was 30 years old and married almost one year and I was finally experiencing the Beatles...something new...as if they had reunited.

That night, I was riveted to the television as ABC (WABC, channel 7 in NYC) broadcast part one of "The Beatles Anthology". At shortly before 11:00PM, they would wrap up with "Free As A Bird". What would it sound like (I had never heard the bootleg of John's demo)? What would they sound like? What would John's 15 year old cassette demo sound like combined with professional, state of the art, 1994 overdubs? The anticipation was intense!

Needless to say, I was not disappointed at all. "Free As A Bird" was a magical masterpiece. I would need another massive blog entry to express my feelings about the song. Then, of course, there was the documentary! We can't forget that! The new interviews with Paul, George and Ringo. Seeing them together again. Unbelievable. The archival footage. Hearing John talk about the Beatles. And we were just getting started! That Tuesday, November 21, 1995, Capitol/Apple would release the first album, The Beatles Anthology 1, which would open with "Free As A Bird". The archival material on the album would chronicle the Beatles from the mid/late 1950s until 1964. The "Free As A Bird" single would soon follow. On Wednesday night, November 22 (Thanksgiving eve), ABC would broadcast part two of the documentary. Then, on Thanksgiving night (November 23, 1995), the third and final part would be broadcast. It was sad watching the end. The Beatles have broken up, good night! I remember that on that Thanksgiving day, a commercial rock radio station (I forget which one) was playing the entire Beatles song catalogue from A to Z all day. I loved when stations did that. They would do it from time to time. Unfortunately, nobody has done it since then. I also remember frustrating my wife by telling her that we HAD to leave her parents' house EARLY that day, cutting short our Thanksgiving visit, so that I'd be home in plenty of time for the final part of the Anthology! We had over an hour drive home and we had to deal with the L.I.E.!! I wasn't taking any chances!! We had to leave EARLY!!!

In 1996, the second new Beatles song, "Real Love", was revealed in March, just before my 31st birthday. It was included on the second anthology album, The Beatles Anthology 2, and issued as a single. Man, it was almost as good (maybe as good) as "Free As A Bird". By the fall, came the final album, The Beatles Anthology 3. (Then, of course, the entire ten hour documentary was released and later, the book.)

The "Anthology"/"Free As A Bird" experience from Thanksgiving 1995 has stayed with me and created this Beatles vibe that will always live within me (and without me!) when the Thanksgiving holiday arrives and Christmas is right around the corner.

Now it's eleven years after that "Beatles Thanksgiving". I'm 41. I have two beautiful children and my wife and I have been married almost twelve years (this Saturday, December 2, will make it twelve!). My Dad died three years ago this Wednesday. I've moved out of my beloved Bronx. But, I am still at WFUV!!! Some things never change! The "Beatles Thanksgiving" vibe, or that "Beatles head" I referred to earlier, was renewed this year when last Tuesday, November 21, 2006, the new Beatles album Love was released...yup, during Thanksgiving week!

Darren DeVivo
11/27-28/06

Frankie Valli, but no Four Seasons by Darren

2006-11-27T23:04:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone reading this had a terrific Thanksgiving holiday. Welcome to the holiday season of 2006...it's here already!!! Unfortunately, for me, I spent a good part of the weekend sick. I was well enough, though, to take my mother to the Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall (the home of Jazz at Lincoln Center) to see Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in concert Friday night! The show was the second of four shows by the original "Jersey Boy". It's amazing, at the age of 69, how well Frankie's voice has held up after all these years! He sounded great. By the way, the billing was misleading. The Four Seasons are no more and this was actually Frankie Valli with his band.

Darren DeVivo
11/27/06

Darren DeVivo and Paul McCartney at Carnegie Hall!

2006-11-15T00:22:00.000-05:00

I just returned from Carnegie Hall where I attended the North American premier performance of Paul McCartney's new classical work Ecce Cor Meum. This was the second performance of the piece, which made it's world premier last week in London at Royal Albert Hall. As many of you know, Paul has numerous classical works already under his belt - 1991 saw the release of Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio. That was followed by Paul McCartney's Standing Stone in 1997. The album Working Classical from 1999 was a collection of shorter pieces and "classical renditions" of some of his pop songs. (Also, check out the benefit/tribute album A Garland For Linda from 2000.)

This was a really special evening at Carnegie Hall. Yes, I shaved and left my sneakers at home!!

First, the program. The evening was split into two parts. The first half of the show featured a selection of Paul McCartney compositions from his pop work and earlier classical works. The second half of the show was Ecce Cor Meum (Behold My Heart) performed in it's entirety. The first half featured the following songs:
1) My Love (the Wings song from the 1973 album Red Rose Speedway)
2) Warm And Beautiful (a Wings song from the 1976 album Wings At The Speed Of Sound)
3) Calico Skies (from Paul's 1997 album Flaming Pie)
4) Golden Earth Girl (from Paul's 1993 album Off The Ground)
5) Somedays (from Flaming Pie)
6) Junk (from Paul's first solo album McCartney from 1970)
7) Nova (a classical composition of Paul's from A Garland For Linda)
8) The World You're Coming Into (from Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio)
9) Ghost Suite (also from Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio)
10) Celebration (from Paul McCartney's Standing Stone)
The perfomers during this half were: soprano Kate Royal, tenor Andrew Staples, the Loma Mar Quartet and a chamber orchestra.
The second half was Ecce Cor Meum in it's entirety - first movement "Spiritus", second movement "Gratia", Interlude (Lament), third movement "Musica", fourth movement "Ecce Cor Meum".
The performers were soprano Kate Royal, the Orchestra of St. Luke's conducted by Gavin Greenaway, the Concert Chorale of New York, the American Boychoir and organist Colm Carey.

I am not an expert when it comes to classical music, but I can tell when something is pretty outstanding, and tonight's performance was outstanding! It amazes me that someone who has written some of the most important mainstream popular music of our time can also compose credible work in the classical field. But, knowing Paul's talents, maybe it shouldn't amaze me. Despite this, there were a couple of areas that I thought were a bit weak. It was slightly awkward to have a classical soprano and classical tenor tackle pop lyrics, like those in "My Love", for example. If a pop singer, like Paul, were singing to a string quartet's accompaniment, that might have sounded a bit more natural. That said, the strong melodies in Paul's pop songs allow them to work in a "classical" setting. In regards to the entire Ecce Cor Meum, there are moments when Paul's lyrics are a bit on the simple side, an occasional fault of some of Paul's pop material. Other than these minor critical observations, Ecce Cor Meum is a special work and tonight's entire performance was wonderful.

It was obvious by the entire program that this show was one for and inspired by Linda McCartney. Almost all of the pop songs that were performed in the first half were songs about and for Linda. Also, Ecce Cor Meum was composed during Linda's illness and completed after her death, so her spirit, and Paul's grieving, is very prominent in the piece.

Being that it was the only North American performance of this new McCartney work, it was no surprise that the evening was a star studded event. Spotted in Carnegie Hall's Isaac Stern Auditorium was Alec Baldwin, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Elvis Costello and a VERY pregnant Diana Krall, the wonderful concert promoter Sid Bernstein and others. Actually, it was my wife who spotted Elvis Costello and Diana Krall leaving the Hall after the show. I was chatting with WAXQ's (Q104.3) Ken Dashow in the lobby and missed them. My wife was blown away with how pregnant Diana Krall is (she's due to have twins real soon)! She said Diana looked real uncomfortable. As we were walking into the lobby before the show, we walked right past Alec Baldwin!!

It goes without saying, but Sir Paul McCartney was in attendence as well! Now you have to imagine the scene. I am sitting with my wife on the floor...uhh, we were in seats, but the seats were on the floor in the orchestra (the parquet). We are sitting dead center, in the back of the orchestra (uhh, parquet)...three rows from the very back. They were outstanding seats. Directly over our heads, about 15-20 feet above us, is the first tier. Guess who is sitting DIRECTLY ABOVE ME? PAUL HIMSELF!! He is merely 20-25 feet above me. When he leans forward, I can see his face. He's right there!!!! As my wife said, "So close and yet so far away!". Alec Baldwin was sitting to his right and Woody Harrelson and Steve Buscemi were to his left. Needless to say, the crowd went nuts when he arrived at his seat just minutes before the show began. I have to admit, I yelled up to him, "Hey Paul! Look down!". He didn't. After the show was over and the performers were taking their bows, Paul arrived on stage. He intoduced the performers and thanked them. And then the heavens opened...a blizzard of confetti blasted into the hall, snowing down on us. As it fell, we realized that the confetti were pieces of white tissue paper in the shape of hearts..."Behold My Heart"!

DDD
11/14-15/06

Rita Houston goes to Dylan Part 1 plus set list

2006-11-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

Bob Dylan at Nassau-Monday 11.13.06 on a very rainy nite.

This is possibly the most "ON" i've seen Dylan--EVER. He was SINGING, yes actually singing every word, AND he looked like he was having a good time. Every song was easily recognizable even the classics that had some unusual new arrangements. I'll post the set list below. I wish i had some photos of Bob as he looked great last nite in a skinny black cowboy suit and wide flat brimmed hat. There were moments when Bob was dancing behind his keyboard. I watched him closely as he called the changes in the songs and called for the endings. AMAZING. Seems the new songs have really inspired him and i was really inspired by the audience reaction to them. For example, Beyond the Horizon, which may be my fave from Modern TImes, came early in the show and the audience really knew the song. I wish i knew if Bob knows that or even cares--u gotta believe he does. "you think i'm over the hill, past my prime" the place went crazy letting him know we don't think that at all. I wondered if this was a show that would convince a non dylan fan. u know the one who thinks he can't sing or doesn't make sense. I dunno. but ibet maybe.

Why tho must we go to a sports arena for a rock concert? It's just so unfriendly and cold. I love how most security people assume you are a criminal trying to get over then just a person with a question. Ah, i'm so naive. AND, our seats were on temporary bleachers so they rocked the whole nite. I'm uncomfortable when the floor below me moves--post traumatic stress issue. But that's the critical end. I did amuse myself during Highway 61 by counting the shiny bald heads up in the few front rows. With the lights shining on them it created quite a glow. I was a guest at the Discussing Dylan class last week at the New School and one thing that came up is that Dylan fans are mostly male. More so than say Bruce or even Van M or def the Stones. Seems there are some obvious reasons for that but last nite was further proof of that.--especially the shiny dome section.

Here's the set list:

1.	Maggie's Farm
2.	She Belongs To Me
3.	Honest With Me
4.	Spirit On The Water
5.	It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
6.	When The Deal Goes Down
7.	High Water (For Charley Patton)
8.	Visions Of Johanna
9.	Rollin' And Tumblin'
10.	Ballad Of A Thin Man
11.	Tangled Up In Blue
12.	Nettie Moore
13.	Highway 61 Revisited

	(encore)
14.	Thunder On The Mountain
15.	Like A Rolling Stone
16.	All Along The Watchtower

So this is a blog?!

2006-11-11T00:24:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first ever blog from the mind and fingers of Darren DeVivo. So this is what blogging feels like! Nice!
If you ask some of my friends, they will tell you that I love to send lengthy, content heavy emails, just for the hell of it. I often feel the need to express my opinions, share my thoughts and generally "foam at the mouth (keyboard, in this case!)" about a variety of things and I use the random email as my forum. Now, I can lay my madness on all of you on the WFUV blog! I usually like to write about the thing that is dearest to me - music. Whether it's a concert I saw, an album I'm excited about, some bit of news I want to spread and share, here is where it will be. You know that I'll write at length about all things Beatles as well! I'll also want to share my thoughts on a lot of different things...like the Mets, baseball and sports in general, movies, my family, etc. Sometimes I'll vent on things that piss me off...or turn me on! Hopefully, you'll find these random thoughts somewhat entertaining.

For those of you who don't know me well, I am on the air weekdays from 10:00AM until 2:00PM. I have been a member of the WFUV staff for 23 years, having walked through the doors of the station for the first time in September 1983. My first appearance on the WFUV airwaves came on Sunday, February 26, 1984 from 6:00 until 8:00AM! In January 1991, I took over the afternoon drive slot (currently occupied by Dennis Elsas). Exactly a year later, I moved to morning drive (where Claudia Marshall is today). I woke WFUV listeners up for 9 years, until January (what's the deal with January!!) 2001 when I moved to my current midday slot. Recently, I hosted "The WFUV Long Player With Darren DeVivo" which was on the air on weekends for about 5 1/2 years. At various times during my time at WFUV, I was also the Production Director, Assistant Music Director and Music Promotions Director.

Check back often for my posts...and thanks for listening to WFUV.

11/11/06

Dylan Tribute at Lincoln Center-set list and more

2006-11-10T13:17:00.000-05:00

There I was sitting on a stool just sidestage as the house announcer for the Dylan tribute at Avery Fisher Hall. I introduced all the artists so I had quite a perch to view it all. Here's the set list:
Bob Mould-If Not For You
Joan Osborne-To Make You Feel My Love
Natalie Merchant and Phillip Glass-The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol
Al Kooper-It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry
Spottiswoode and His Enemies-The Times They Are a Changing
Sandra Bernhardt-Like A Rolling Stone
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah-Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Jamie Saft Trio-Ballad of a Thin Man
Lee Ranaldo-Positively 4th Street
Lauren Shera-Don't Think Twice It's Alright
Medeski, Martin and Wood with Oliver Wood-Buckets of Rain
Allen Toussaint-Mama You Been on My Mind
Jill Sobule-Ring Them Bells (with Cyndi Lauper)
Warren Haynes-I Shall Be Released (with Joan Osborne)
Rosanne Cash-License to Kill
Jay Farrar-Going, Going, Gone
Phil Lesh-Thunder on the Mountain (with Warren and Joan Osborne)
The Roots-Masters of War
Cat Power-Moonshiner (but it was actually House of the Rising Sun)
Ryan Adams-Isis
Patti Smith-Dark Eyes
Ramblin Jack Elliot with Jennifer O'Connor-Knocking on Heaven's Door (with Patti Smith and Al Kooper on mandolin)

Phil Lesh was late, ran in just moments before he was going on stage and then planned out the song with the band and Joan Osborne and Warren Haynes right before they went out--amazing. Cat Power was supposed to do Moonshiner but it sure sounded like House of the Rising Sun to me. The Roots rocked it so hard. I hope someone got a recording of that. I'll try to post some pics soon

Rita H goes to see 2 old guys playing and 1 is still very cool

2006-11-01T12:23:00.000-05:00

Rita goes to Carnegie! George Jones and Kristofferson at Carnegie Hall. i first heard Kristofferson when I was like 10 and i oddly ended up with Kris Kristofferson's Greatest Hits. First, I fell in teenage love with the cover and then the music got me in ways that belied my young years. I now look back on that album as my introduction to country music (in mount vernon, new york!) and beer. Well yes cuz the lyric " the beer i had for breakfast wasn't bad so i had one more for dessert" convinced me that I couldn't wait to be a grown up so I could try that someday too. For the record, it's not really that good.

It was Kris, solo, acoustic...told a few stories, gave many respectful shout outs--Johnny and June, Janis, Lennon..., and that catalog of songs. Sure, he's not the best singer and not the best guitar player but it SO doesn't matter with his honest, confident delivery. He did Sunday Morning, Help Me Make it Through the Night, For the Good Times and a newer one that we played on FUV and i was so happy that a lot of people in the crowd seemed to recognize it--This Old Road...great. He also seemed to be very into playing something that was more current for him. Ah, the curse of a mighty catalog!

George Jones on the other hand was just not really cool. well it was cool for a few songs but i got bored. The presentation, the band, it's was all so slick. Plus, his voice, bless his heart, was not in good shape. I was thinking about Tony Bennett by comparsion or even Frank Sinatra who I wished i was seeing last nite. There was also a slide show...a pandering, mellow dramatic, let's flash the images of dead people slide show....funny how the audience would clap for certain people--Johnny Cash and Patsy but then not so much for well, let's say Lefty Frizell.

So, i split a bit early, got in my car and listened to George Jones on my IPOD. That was much better

I had a great dinner before the show at Molyvos! Fantastic Greek food...check it out next time you're at Carnegie.

Next time for me will be Alejandro Escovedo w strings in December!

2006-10-30T16:01:00.000-05:00

Rita Houston here, FUV music director

It's all about the music...hey look at me, busting a well worn cliche right at the start here. Well truth is, I carry around alot of music in my head everyday...maybe a blog is what i need to free my mind and live a fuller, more well rounded life. Now, there's an incentive...

OK, music in my head right now...George Jones cuz i'm going to see him tmrw nite at Carnegie Hall with Kristofferson. And Dylan of course as his new album continues to engage me and he's coming to town in a couple of weeks. On the new tip, check out Christina Courtin--let me know what u think. I'll figure out how to post a video and make it easy for you eventually. On the FUV tip i've been working hard booking our annual benefit concert. Confirmed so far, JO and RJ.....

12:33 PM

What's it all about?

2006-10-27T11:58:00.000-04:00

We'll see as we go along! We make radio by hand every day, we can do this by hand too, right?