The Most Rock N Roll Band

In rock and roll still is the Black Crowes. I caught them Friday night at the Fillmore in San Francisco after a gap of seven years. These guys were hotter than I've ever seen and you can tell that they're enjoying themselves and the people digging the music. The hall was packed for the first of a five-night run and the boys blew the doors off the place for two and a half hours. Great setlist including some wonderful covers. The Crowes have always done their homework, except instead of blatantly ripping off their sources they show respect for their elders and those that came before them. The hot old tunes they threw at us were Don't Do It (by Marvin Gaye but in the vein of The Band a la The Last Waltz), I'm Going Home by Delaney and Bonnie, a Byrds tune (that eludes me, darnit) brought to them by Gram from Sweetheart, and the evening's closer, Don't Let Me Down by the Fab Four. Gripping set, plus it didn't hurt that I got to look at Kate Hudson all night. It was all happening.

Thirty-one years ago today, Dick. Thanks. By the way, Mark says "yep, I was him." Say hi to Pat. Your son-in-law's gonna lose, by the way to Hillary.

Yesterday, broadcast journalism lost a giant. Peter Jennings succumbed to his battle with lung cancer last night. I've really wrestled with this, as I've always watched national news on ABC for him instead of Rather. I'd watch Jennings even over Tom Brocaw, though I liked him, too. However, as a teacher, I use the video documentary series The Century as a major learning tool for my Twentieth Century lessons, and Peter Jennings narrated the series. I've come to memorize his written lines and directed cues to the historic news footage that has taught U.S. history to almost ten years of students. I told my wife this summer how weird it would be to watch the videos that included James Stockdale and William Westmoreland, since they both just died this summer, but now the entire ten decades will have a sad, nostalgic feeling to them. My students won't care less but at least I'll be able to listen to Jennings' commanding voice and solid present stare and know that even in the worst of times things were going to work themselves out. RIP.