In which the era of 80s hair metal bands named after their lead singer is fondly recalled
It’s like the New England Patriots calling themselves “Brady.” If every player cut their hair and dressed like Brady.
Help! I’ve fallen down a Beatles rabbit hole and can’t get (back) out
I, Walt, do sincerely apologize for the terrible title. I’ve never been much good at titles. But it’s true. I’m deep down in it. I didn’t even know the Get Back movie was coming. A good friend of mine, known to some as Ice Drummer, sent me a link to the trailer just a few…
Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back)
We were in Mexico, you and I, visiting your family, officially, but looking for your future wife, unofficially. You were, I mean — not me. Not that it matters. Anyway, you were lying on your bed, headphones on, listening to the new Flaming Lips CD, Clouds Taste Metallic, at my request. I asked what you thought.…
The Booth Option
Randy’s band is playing tonight. I haven’t seen Randy since that time I met him in that dive in Dallas. He got there ahead of me and was on his second beer, had his ear buds in at a booth by himself, black ball cap low over his eyes saying don’t bother me. And that’s…
Standing in the shower thinking
The heel of my hand accidentally hits the wall of the shower and a resonant bass note sounds. I strike the wall of the shower again, start to pound out a drum beat with my knuckles and the fat part of my fist. Long-dormant synapses fire, the beat of an old song rises in my…
Nothing seems to kill me
She said those lyrics were going to kill me. I said they’re just lyrics, imagining. Release. She said, “I don’t like them. They’re not you.” I set my phone on the nightstand, tossed off the covers, swung my feet to the floor. I gazed out the window into the night and considered hugging a moonbeam,…
In which the neophyte will enjoy a concise history of Metallica on the occasion of the band’s new release, which (at times) rocks one’s bollucks
Today Metallica released their tenth studio album, Hardwired…to Self-Destruct. At least two people alive now were not alive when the previous album, Death Magnetic, came out eight years ago. One of them is my daughter. The other is my other daughter. Both of them can read now (more or less) and both are being subjected…
17 Funny Moments in the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” Video
Have you spent 4 minutes and 2 seconds of your life watching this Stayin’ Alive thingy? No? Well then, let’s do it together. Words cannot begin to express how much return on investment you will get. Check out the video below, then read. Or vice-versa, the other way around backwards.
In which Kurt Cobain enables me to appreciate James Taylor somewhat (and Lukas Graham is also mentioned)
James Taylor was trending on Yahoo, and I clicked because I thought he’d died. Not that I want him to die, but famous musicians are dying fast this year (Prince, Glenn Frey, David Bowie) and I couldn’t think of another reason why James Taylor would be trending. Never did find out why he was trending…
The Post About Nirvana That I Need To Read Tonight
I think that in order to write really well and convincingly, one must be somewhat poisoned by emotion. Dislike, displeasure, resentment, fault-finding, imagination, passionate remonstrance, a sense of injustice — they all make fine fuel. ~ Edna Ferber
Multiple Ones
One of my favorite bands of all time is U2. One of my other favorite bands of all time is Metallica. One of my favorite rock singers of all time is Chris Cornell. (Many know him as That Guy From Soundgarden, but he’s also That Guy From Audioslave, where ((Audioslave = (Rage Against the Machine)…
Priests & Paramedics
A workboot pushes a shovel into earth. The blade lifts dirt over the grave digger’s shoulder. Dust falls on his white t-shirt, dissolves in sweat under his collar. He leans the shovel against the side of the hole. Smears his forearm against his brow. He blinks, distracted by beeps from a vehicle in reverse. He…
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