Lately the world has become quite bleak. The daily barrage of ugly includes war, political corruption, blatant ignorance on every perceivable level and frequent, well-earned natural disasters. I watch old episodes of No Reservations to remind myself that beauty still exists and what is offered on this planet, as expertly navigated and explained through the … Continue reading A Life Like Bourdain
My senior year of college is when my love affair with tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and wine began. I was dating a girl that was one hundred percent, ancestors straight off the boat, Italian-Catholic. During the couple of years I was in the picture, my exposure to all things Italian resulted in me gaining fifteen pounds … Continue reading Sundays with Soprano
There was something special about Scott Weiland. He had that indefinable quality of being cool without ever trying. It’s a skill few learn to master and even fewer are born with. He was completely unchained, beyond talented, unique, and absolutely knew it. The sadness that accompanied the brilliance when the crowd had stopped screaming eventually … Continue reading The Tortured Beauty of Scott Weiland
The first time I heard OutKast was my sophomore year of high school, when ATliens came out. The hip-hop game at that time was literally West or East coast. You came from NYC or LA, and that was it. Till OutKast. Atlanta’s favorite sons Andre3000 and Big Boi (aka Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton), out … Continue reading The Odyssey of the Omnipotent OutKast
In the summer of 2002, my younger brother Griffin, 15 at the time, had a request. For is 16th birthday he wanted to see his absolute favorite band, Blink-182. The stage had been set for the Vans Warped Tour, and I was to be the chaperone for the evening. Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand … Continue reading The Retrogressive Enlightenment of Blink-182 / Green Day
This past fall I was lucky enough to witness Incubus for the second time in my life. I say witness because watching Brandon Boyd is a religious experience…He even looks like Jesus, crossed with Swayze in “Point Break”. My first experience was at Pine Knob Music Theatre, now DTE Energy Music Amphitheatre in Clarkston, MI. … Continue reading The Immortality of Incubus
The Modern Renaissance Man 