tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74985442023-06-20T05:40:07.303-07:00Rants and RavesWelcome to my asylum for ideas and thoughts on movies, politics, culture, and all things Bruce Springsteen.Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comBlogger523125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-76666412413255120032014-01-09T21:49:00.000-08:002014-01-09T21:49:34.899-08:00The Easy Leaves and Pagey at 70 and Other Stuff.Wow; the second post in a week and a half and it only took me three years to do so. While people are beginning to pick up the flu and others running themselves ragged already this month, things have, for the most part, been okay. Last weekend, I dragged a bunch of friends to the Great American Music Hall to catch the Formal Western Evening of the Easy Leaves, a great band from Sonoma. I Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-41951613667110192652013-12-31T15:04:00.001-08:002013-12-31T15:10:10.878-08:00So Long, 2013, And My Music Faves...Gosh, I wish I had more time to keep this up. I simply wish I had more time. 2013 was a good year for my family and I. Even a second-story toilet overflow that pretty much demolished four rooms of the house has brought a nice face-lift to our ol' domicile. My children continue to get bigger and, thank God, remain healthy. They're doing well in school. I have two sections of music history, Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-58384122097701050552012-01-03T21:30:00.000-08:002012-01-03T21:37:41.481-08:00Thirty Years Burning Down the RoadBruce sat at his kitchen table to record a tape of demos. Rough outline sketches that would serve as a blueprint for the E Street's next album. He couldn't get past the vision of the music from the demos, even (supposedly) after recording the album with his band. Thank goodness, his manager, Jon Landau, said, "this is the album." What Bruce gave us was, not only half of his smash Born in the Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-77998686414632266292011-12-31T15:13:00.000-08:002011-12-31T18:22:54.971-08:00My Favorites of 2011It's been a while, indeed. '11 has been a kicker, though, and I'm glad to see it go. With that, I still found many treasures to make my life happy. My favorite novel is Amor Towles's Rules of Civility, a book I find myself thinking about nearly daily. I saw many concerts, including U2's 360 Tour, which was stunning, a beautiful Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the Branford Marsalis Quartet and lastPaul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-20994073883117792372011-10-05T20:29:00.000-07:002011-10-05T20:43:57.253-07:00Autumn MusingsDid I last write about the baseball game? National anthem, wonderful. A's and Giants fell to pieces in September. Looking to see the Brewers take the nation's hearts and the Yankees, the pennant. Won tickets to see Branford Marsalis Quartet at Yoshi's in the city with my friend Ana. Justin Faulkner's behind the kit now and he's the ripe old age of twenty. Eighty minutes, and the BMQ alteredPaul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-50399136774385728042011-09-18T22:07:00.000-07:002011-09-18T22:18:35.273-07:00Late, But...I wanted to at least log this before I filed and/or lost some things...Caught Truth & Salvage Co. twice (and a half) three weeks ago. Postings:August 26, at the Starry Plough, BerkeleyCall BackRise UpIslandBad TimesL.A.Skynyrd song (can't remember the title, again)Charm CityHeart Like a WheelSummertimeShePick Me UpJump the ShipOld PianoMiddle Island CreekLGPGiantSee HerE: Games People Play (Joe Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-33638098118442984742011-05-16T21:45:00.000-07:002011-05-16T21:59:54.806-07:00Thoughts of History and Personal NotesThe last two months have been much less stressful than the winter. It's been relatively cold and I've enjoyed the brisk weather. I need to be living somewhere that doesn't have so much heat. Watching my kids running around in the back yard with either little or no clothing in the sprinklers and bicycles makes me think I'm right. Of course my roots are here and yet it's tempting to look Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-78163087040818500712011-05-16T21:23:00.000-07:002011-05-16T21:42:49.318-07:00Love, Faith, Hope at the ParishLast Thursday (5/12) Truth & Salvage Co. rolled into Oakland for a sole Bay Area shot. With some much-deserved rest (and chances to write and jam), the band hit the New Parish stage for a ninety-minute set of stalwarts and surprises. This was my third chance to see bassist Frank DiVanna with the band. March's shows were great, with hints of new material and some alterations of some of their Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-88803297820018726742011-03-21T22:18:00.000-07:002011-03-21T23:01:37.455-07:00Sucking in the Seventies?For the last several weeks, I've been fixated on the decade of my birth. I recently completed the 33 1/3 on Big Star's "Radio City" and Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin. My beautiful wife and I watched "Man on Wire" and I've still been in the mode of my rock history class that just wrapped up the decade that Mick Jagger et al claimed that "sucked". And yet, so much of what I continue Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-26922807577823966172011-03-18T23:09:00.000-07:002011-03-18T23:44:52.594-07:00I Hear the Drizzle of the RainThis beautiful mid-March night and I'm in love. For the last day and a half, we've been blessed with lovely rain, something that we're soon to be missing as the fourth month arrives. Day Five of Spring Break and I'm torn; my kids are bored and frustrated that they can't go outside and they're getting into lots of mischief. I'm ready, keys in hand, when my wife arrives home from work, to go forPaul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-23101478545288013832011-03-13T10:20:00.000-07:002011-03-14T21:33:14.975-07:00The Wild Boys of the RoadCafe du Nord, San Francisco, 3/11/11Them JeansJump the ShipEnvyIslandBrothers, Sons and Daughters101Charm CityHeart Like a WheelStanding (Stuck) CenterWelcome to LAHail HailCall BackOld PianoSummertimeShe Really Does it For MeRise UpSee HerPure Mountain AngelE: Middle Island CreekGiantTruth & Salvage Co. roared back into the northern part of our wonderful state last week, stopping first in the Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-32639521124677221522010-12-30T21:56:00.000-08:002011-02-27T16:18:17.721-08:00Year's End Musings...As we're ready to kiss 2010 goodbye, we all need to give our thoughts to the twelve months we're leaving. Bittersweet year, professionally and personally but when it comes to music, it's probably been the best year of my life. I caught more shows this year than any other and while my collecting habits have become a bit safe and parochial (thank my age and the economy for that), I've ultimately Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-28390963901983378092010-12-20T19:53:00.001-08:002010-12-20T19:54:31.158-08:00Their Final FlightWhile my own review of last night's performance will come, we'll have to just read Jambands.com's review. Yeah, it was that good.http://www.jambands.com/features/2010/12/20/the-last-time-the-black-crowes-last-standPaul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-72535241862700852832010-12-08T20:46:00.000-08:002010-12-08T20:51:58.716-08:00JohnToday shouldn't be any easier or harder than the previous anniversaries. Not focusing on the monolithic "30" but the fact that I still miss and hurt. It is still painful. I found a clip on Youtube of the Monday Night Football game that I was watching when Howard Cosell broke the news to the nation. My memory was correct that the Miami Dolphins were playing; I don't know why I couldn't Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-38153261564876798252010-12-08T20:42:00.000-08:002010-12-08T20:45:47.346-08:00Why Aren't We Hearing This From the White House?And why Robert Reich continues to inspire here.I hate thinking it, much less printing it, but I'm ready to take my Obama sticker off the back of my car. Rolling over on tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans? Break another campaign promise? Want my support? You're losing it, sir. Rapidly.Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-21602287438022080112010-12-05T22:17:00.000-08:002010-12-12T23:09:14.483-08:00Oakland and SacramentoOne week later, and now I can give a short but decent review of a phenomenal weekend. T&S swept through northern California and delivered two amazing performances. Very well could be the two best performances I've seen by them. Not sure whether it's the familiarity of the songs in the extended sets, the band's hot performances or a little of both but these two shows left each respective Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-72880904715792473652010-11-24T21:31:00.000-08:002010-11-24T22:04:39.969-08:00Truth and Salvage (Bruce's Promise)Does one judge another by their treasures or their trash? This week, I've wrestled with this as I spin continuously Bruce's "The Promise", the two-disc set of unreleased "junk" from the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions. Old masters, a couple of outtakes, rejected singles and incomplete songs that the man and others have completed. It's amazing. As good as the album? No, and it's not Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-3291281370048914862010-11-10T21:43:00.000-08:002010-11-10T22:21:52.888-08:00AutumnI absolutely love November. I always say that September is my favorite month and think that October is the best but the reality is that November is just the greatest. Crisp and sharp mornings, clear mornings and warm sun on the skin, brisk days and cold nights. Once Halloween has past, families gear up for the holidays of celebration and in two weeks, families are to gather to give thanks for Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-9973151504881826312010-11-02T23:25:00.000-07:002010-11-02T23:46:35.708-07:00Dickens Is Still Right...Last night was beautiful - the San Francisco Giants won the World Series with an amazing 7th inning blast by Oscar Renteria to ultimately win the game for the self-proclaimed group of misfits. As I've evolved from a once-fan to a non-fan to a casual observer to an obsessive, I've been watching our Bay Area teams with fascination and excitement over the last few years. While the mediocre A's arePaul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-82072869025444362242010-10-30T21:28:00.000-07:002010-11-01T22:51:49.606-07:00In the Shadows of Mo-townNumber Nine, number nine, number nine, number nine...Bolted out of town yesterday afternoon with my friend and neighbor to head to Modesto, the quaint Valley city known for, well, I'm not sure what Modesto is known for now. George Lucas hails from there and gave us American Graffiti, which is supposed to be the story of his youth. Formed, like so many Valley cities, on a grid, little Modesto Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-11303243561024836242010-10-24T21:33:00.000-07:002010-10-24T21:47:02.325-07:00Broken ArrowHad a ticket for today's Bridge School Benefit concert. My friend and I (smartly) chose to pass on the day, with the rain falling all throughout the afternoon and my house needing a good straightening-up. Had I gone, I'd still be there watching the headliner and I'm just not ready to burn the candle at both ends just yet. The family was hit with the stomach flu all week and thankfully, I was Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-47412090518682439732010-10-19T22:23:00.000-07:002010-10-19T22:45:27.353-07:00Jester, Steal Another CrownDear Bob,I'm writing this letter out of frustration. I'm a grown man, just as adult as the other guy and hung up on the past, even more than others. But honestly, you're killing me. I'm a dad, a professional, an amateur musician and one who does all he can to keep every next day to be just as reliable and sane as the next. I hate most businesses, gimics and the re-packaging of previous trendsPaul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-76884657081140208342010-10-11T21:35:00.000-07:002010-10-11T22:17:11.927-07:00Down In San Diego Way...The trip to my brother's family was amazing. Three days of thunder and lightning and the opportunity to read New York. The kids played in the backyard and I drank coffee all morning with my hair pulled back and pined for the chance to watch baseball. Mellencamp's cd will now remind me of our wonderful trip just as Moondance did ten years ago. My brother wished to take me out for my birthday Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-50757946047741511902010-10-10T23:04:00.001-07:002010-10-10T23:17:38.525-07:00Welcome Back, KotterReady to return from a two-week break. Well rested? Not really. A week's vacation in San Diego was just nearly perfect, including three days of rain which made for relaxation, lots of reading time and opportunities for the cousins to play for hours on end. Was actually able to read my birthday present in its entirety, New York, the novel, at a whopping 860 pages. Wonderful book; a review is Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498544.post-82741429656212215722010-09-29T00:00:00.000-07:002010-09-29T00:03:22.887-07:009/28 Rise UpFun gig at Harlow's in the capitol city. Up and back and time for a decent bad night's sleep. Sound wasn't that great but no big deal. Great time. Set:Hail HailCall BackHeart Like a WheelWelcome to L.A.101GiantLGPSee HerShe Really Does It For MeRise UpPure Mountain AngelNice birthday present. Thanks, everyone!Paul in Brentwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733224891533205668noreply@blogger.com