Give me your music, your art, your huddled masses of words and rhythms yearning to breathe free.
Dana Spiardi 
Last night I finally got to see guitar wizard and rock-n-roll funny man Joe Walsh play my favorite song from my favorite teenage summer. I dropped a helluva lot of quarters into the Student Union jukebox in 1978 to hear “Life’s Been Good,” a hilarious, iconic parody of the rich, spoiled rock star lifestyle. Now, … Read more
Singer/songwriter Bob Dylan just received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Bobby wore shades and never cracked a facial muscle as the Prez heaped all kinds of well-deserved praise upon him (“There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music.”). That’s our poker-faced Bob, the brilliant, eccentric minstrel … Read more
“Hey Bullfrog.” That was the original working title of the piano-driven Beatles song that ended up being called “Hey Bulldog” when Paul, for some unknown reason, began barking during the recording. Here’s a clip of the boys performing the song, which was, unfortunately, buried on the “Yellow Submarine” soundtrack. This is one of the few … Read more
As I slowly wind down from the excitement of seeing the legendary Glen Campbell perform his fabulous hits last night at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, I think back to those days when his “Goodtime Hour” was the hot show on prime time TV, and the time he made a surprise visit to a tiny … Read more
I’m noting two things today: first, the 20-year anniversary of Ellen DeGeneres announcing, “Yep, I’m gay,” on her popular prime time TV series, thus ending weeks of speculation regarding a “coming out” announcement from the star. Second, it’s National Hairstylists Appreciation Day. Here’s how I relate the two events. On April 30, 1997, I was … Read more