21 March, 2022 2 2 Comments

It’s Only Rock N’ Roll (But I Like It)

March 21, 2022 By 2 Comments

Graham Nash still rocking at 80.

“Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die.” — Paul Simon.

We went to see Graham Nash in Coral Springs recently and it felt…well…it felt magical.

We bought the tickets more than two years ago only to have Covid wash everything away for a while. So, it felt extra gratifying to walk into the theater and see a live show.

I’m on a personal mission to see the legends while they’re still here. Graham Nash certainly qualifies.

At 80, he retains his distinctive tenor. He is a charming and dynamic performer.

We were swept away by the music and for two hours it might as well have been the 60s and 70s when Nash was playing arenas not small theaters in Coral Springs (which he mistakenly referred to as Coral Gables).

Most people think their generation’s music was the “best ever” made; only in our case we’re right.

Nothing beats classic rock.

Two nights before the Graham Nash show, we went with my dad and his girlfriend to see “The Liverpool Legends” a Beatles tribute band at Spanish River Church in Boca Raton. They were accompanied by the Spanish River Orchestra, and they covered the Fab Four’s catalog from “A Hard Day’s Night” to “Let it Be” with aplomb. And for just a moment, we were transformed to a better place.

Outside the beautiful church, our world is a mess.  Missiles are being fired at innocent Ukrainians an ocean away, gas prices are skyrocketing and Covid—that damn virus– was still claiming victims and threatening yet another surge. Even though we are done with the virus, I’m not sure the virus is done with us.

Yes, it’s quite a world.

It’s during these times that we seek solace, answers, and sustenance. We get it from music.

Are there words profound enough to describe the brilliance of The Beatles?
Not likely.

What it is about their music that 60 years down the road we are still dancing in the aisles and singing along?

Same with Graham Nash.

My high school friends and I saw Crosby, Stills & Nash, 40 years ago at the Nassau Coliseum. CSN were sort of an oldies act even then—a 60s era band but still making music that resonated.

The song “Wasted on the Way”  broke through for me. The song was released in 1982. It was senior year and despite being 17 years old, I was already experiencing regret for not taking more chances. Why was I so scared of talking to that brilliant brunette in my English class? What’s the worst that could have happened if I asked her to grab a pizza at Mario’s in East Setauket?

The lyrics to “Wasted on the Way” challenged me to think differently.

“Look around me

I can see my life before me

Running rings around the way

It used to be

I am older now

I have more than what I wanted

But I wish that I had started

Long before I did

And there’s so much time to make up

Everywhere you turn

Time we have wasted on the way

So much water moving

Underneath the bridge

Let the water come and carry us away

Oh when you were young

Did you question all the answers

Did you envy all the dancers

Who had all the nerve

Look around you now

You must go for what you wanted

Look at all my friends who did and got what they deserved.”

 

Yes, I envied all the “dancers” who had all the nerve but this song—in 2 minutes and 52 seconds—gave me hope. It told me that life could be different. That we can “go” for what we wanted, question all the answers and find a better world that would run rings around the way things used to be.

That song—among so many—provides hope, inspiration, and joy.

There is something about music that makes us feel fully alive.

The other day I left work dragging. I sat in a chair for 8 hours, answered endless emails and was all “zoomed” out.

But when I got to the car bracing myself for the rush hour traffic, I turned on Sirius and “Jumping Jack Flash” came through the speakers— the distinctive riff instantly lifted my mood. I turned it up—way up— and the worries of the day melted away. When that song ended, the opening notes of “A Hard Days Night” so ingrained that they feel a part of my DNA blasted through the speakers.

I was no longer tired. I was no longer beleaguered. I was renewed.

That’s what good music does to you.

Whether its Bieber or The Beatles.

Beyonce or the The Band.

We’ll let Bob Marley have the last word:

“One good thing about music,” he said. “When it hits you, you feel no pain.”

 

 

30 August, 2021 7 7 Comments

Visiting the Memory Motel With Charlie

August 30, 2021 By 7 Comments

Charlie Watts in all his sartorial splendor.

The death of drummer Charlie Watts hit hard last week.
Yes, he was 80.
Yes, we knew something was up when The Rolling Stones announced that he would not be joining them on their upcoming North American tour.
But Charlie was an icon and the Stones are timeless. How can this happen?

Of course, we know why. Our heroes are mortal. But that doesn’t make it hurt any less.

Growing up in the 70s and early 80s, I was raised on what is now called ‘classic rock’.
We listened to WNEW and WPLJ in New York and Long Island’s very own rock station WBAB in Babylon.

It was an amazing era for music and I never had enough money to buy all of the albums I wanted to own. We went to Sam Goody’s and Korvettes for our record fix and on occasion we drifted into the city where— magically— my friend David knew where we could get European imports and bootlegs in Soho and the village.
Hey wait a minute…how did he know where to go?  We were only 11 or 12?

We went to see our favorite acts at Madison Square Garden , Jones Beach, Westbury Music  Fair and the Nassau Coliseum. The Kinks, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Foreigner, Billy Joel, The Doobie Brothers, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Beach Boys, The Cars, The Police and more.

It was a golden era and I spent hours listening to Bruce Springsteen, Simon & Garfunkel, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elton John and scores of other amazing artists.
But at the top of the pantheon were the Big Four: The Beatles, The Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Who.

One of the radio stations, I can’t remember which, would have Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Who days—when the entire programming was devoted to those four bands. I listened all day and all of the night. (Kinks reference for you amateurs).

Those classic bands and so many others meant so much to me and my friends. So much to my generation and others too.
For my money, the 60s, 70s and 80s produced the best music ever made. Music that moved us, raised us, made us move and shaped how we viewed the world.

Is there a better love song than “Something?”

Is there a better guitar solo than the one in “Stairway to Heaven.”

Is there a better album than “Who’s Next” released 50 years ago this month.

Is there better rock music or more catchy riffs than the songs recorded by the Rolling Stones?

And now Charlie Watts is gone.

The steady beat driving the worlds greatest rock band has joined John and George, John Entwistle, Keith Moon and John Bonham in the hereafter. We’ve lost so many great ones. In recent weeks, we’ve lost Nanci Griffith, Poco’s Paul Cotton and Tom T. Hall, one of the truly great story songwriters (Harper Valley PTA). If you want to feel something just listen to Nanci Griffith sing about love on a late night in a grand hotel or take another listen to Poco’s “In the Heart of the Night.”
All will be missed.

Still, Charlie’s loss hit hard.
Delray’s Max Weinberg, a hall of fame drummer, called Mr. Watts a personal hero. He said he was devastated by the news.

When you love music, the players who create these magical sounds assume on an outsize influence on your life.
They are magical in so many ways because they  play notes that make you feel fully alive.
So when you lose someone who can do that…well, it stings. It really, really stings.

21 August, 2019 0 Comments

Don’t Stop Them Now, They’re Still Having A Good Time

August 21, 2019 By Leave a Comment

Queen co-founder and guitarist Brian May still rocking in his 70s.

Every generation believes their music is the best that’s ever been made.

In the case of the Baby Boomers though, it’s actually true.

Of course that’s my opinion, but many of my millennial friends agree.  Maybe that’s why I’ve been seeing more than a few 20-somethings singing along to the anthems created by the slew of icons coming through South Florida recently.

Sadly, most of these generation defining stars are on farewell tours but what’s astounding is how good they still sound and how well the music stands up 40 and 50 plus years since it was released.

Queen was the latest classic rock band to come to town.

The British band– which includes two original members guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor– is now fronted by former American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert, a talented performer who somehow pulls off the unenviable task of standing in for the late Freddie Mercury who has been gone but not forgotten since 1991.

It’s not an easy task because Freddie was larger than life. A true icon whose legend only grew after the release of last year’s hit film “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

I attended the show with a group of childhood friends and some of their 20 something kids who came in from Los Angeles, New York and Pittsburgh to experience Queen live and up close.

We got our money’s worth and that’s saying a lot because the tickets weren’t cheap.

Queen followed Paul Simon, David Byrne (Talking Heads), Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel and a few other 60s and 70s legends who have toured these parts recently. Of course, the Rolling Stones are still out there playing to huge crowds and rave reviews.

The movies are also full of classic rock fare these days—”Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Rocketman”, “Echo in the Canyon”, “Remember my Name: David Crosby”, “Yesterday” and the recently released “Blinded by the Light” which celebrates my hero, the boss.

Turn on the TV and you’re sure to run into a Woodstock retrospective, a PBS pledge drive featuring classic rock or an ad for a new drug featuring a song from a bygone era.

Some of this phenomena may be the sheer size of the Baby Boomer generation and their refusal to fade away.

I just finished a book on demography and the Boomers are expected to impact society and industry for many years to come. Florida is poised to feel the impact with a “tsunami (to quote the author) of  Boomers flocking to the Sunshine State eager to flee harsh winters and high taxation in the northeast.

So if that prognosis is correct, we can expect that our neck of the woods will continue to be a great place for classic rockers to perform—at least those who choose not to retire.

Which brings me back to Queen.

I went to the show after receiving a series of texts from my long time buddy Howard Cohn and his sister Linda. You may know Linda as a long time anchor on ESPN’s Sports Center. She’s an icon for female broadcasters, a true pioneer and legend in her field.

I know her as the “cool” slightly older sister who was able to drive me, her brother and our friends Scott and Dave to concerts and amusement parks. If I remember correctly, we made her laugh.

Five years ago, when we turned 50, she arranged for a sports weekend celebration in NYC. We went to the U.S. Open, a Mets game and roamed the sidelines at a Giants vs. Patriots pre-season game thanks to her connections in the world of sports. We created lifelong memories. We just made another.

This weekend, we recalled seeing a bunch of other shows together—Billy Joel, The Doobie Brothers, Styx, Foreigner and Beatlemania on Broadway.

It was nice to continue the old tradition and to add some family members—another sister and Linda’s kids who love the classics.

I was also thrilled that my friend Marisa Herman and her husband Lyle found a way to get last minute tickets. Marisa runs the Delray Newspaper and Boca Newspaper and while still very young she is what I would consider an old soul. We saw Paul Simon and Elton John together and she has also attended Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel and Eagles concerts. I know she loves the Bee Gees and Beatles too.

One could say she has odd tastes for a 20-something. But I just think she gets great music.

And that makes this old guy happy, because it means the music will live on and on. As it should.

 

 

 

3 April, 2019 0 Comments

A Can’t Miss Rock N’ Roll Experience

April 3, 2019 By Leave a Comment

Max and me…

Do you love music?
 I mean really love music.

Do you wake up with songs in your head?

Do you sing in the shower?
 Do you sing all the way to work listening to a great tune on the radio?

I do.

If you love classic rock—the best music ever made (along with Motown)—you have a unique chance to hear it played live by a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and his amazing band right here in Delray Beach.

On April 11 at 8 p.m., Max Weinberg’s Jukebox will play the intimate Crest Theatre at Old School Square. You don’t want to miss the show.

Repeat: Do not miss this show.

We caught Max and his amazing band last year at the Arts Garage, where he played two sold out shows which left people breathless, singing and dancing to music from the 60s, 70s and 80s.

The “jukebox” format is unique. The theater is ringed with TV’s scrolling the names of hundreds of classic songs. Audience members choose from the list and Max Weinberg’s Jukebox plays a faithful version. It’s interactive, fun, high energy and showcases the talents of a great group of musicians including Max or “Mighty Max” as he’s known to legions of E Street Band fans around the world.

Max Weinberg joined Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band in 1975 during the recording sessions for the iconic “Born to Run” album.

The rest as they say is history…but in Max’s case his legend transcends E Street to include a long stint leading the band on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, a seminal book about legendary drummers, acting roles, bandleader on the Tonight Show and several different musical bands including the Max Weinberg 7 and now the Jukebox which covers the landscape from The Beatles and the Stones to Bruce and beyond.

I got to know Max over a year ago. We met at the Arts Garage and later he joined my wife and I on a car tour through Delray where we talked about local history and future plans. Max is really into real estate and has become a student of Delray—soaking up visions and plans on the city’s websites. (P.S. we weren’t sure about the etiquette of driving him around: was it too goofy to play E Street Radio in the background? We decided to just provide narration with no background music.)

He’s also a good guy. And it’s really nice that he cares about his new home. It’s also nice when one of your heroes turns out to be a good person and someone you can talk to about ideas.

I’ve been a Springsteen fan (fanatic) since the age of 11, exactly when Max joined the band.

I still remember what it felt like to walk to the record store in Stony Brook N.Y. and buy the newest E Street Band record. The thrill of walking home and sliding the LP on my Technics turntable and hearing the first notes blast through Radio Shack speakers. Those were the days where you didn’t have instant streaming music, you had to wait for releases, listen to the radio, read rock magazines (Circus, Rolling Stone) and talk to the cool kids in home room to find out what was new and hot.

Back then, I never had enough money to buy all the albums I wanted, so I was judicious in my spending,  prioritizing my favorite musicians. Springsteen was one of the few artists that I just bought whatever they put out on day one. I knew the E Street Band  would deliver and they always did.

Darkness on the Edge of Town came out in ’78, The River in 1980, Nebraska during my senior year and the blockbuster Born in the USA in ’84 when I was in college in Oswego, N.Y.

We went to see the E Street Band at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse with a group of guys from my floor—it was the day before the “We are the World Sessions” and Bruce had a cold but the show was magnificent just like every show has been. And Max….well Max is just the best. Nobody works harder every night and nobody channels Springsteen quite like him. The music…it’s indescribable and touches so many emotions. It’s powerful and eternal. The best art endures.

So it’s a special thrill for me to know and occasionally hang with the musician who provides the driving beat for my favorite songs.

Come see the Max Weinberg Jukebox at The Crest Theatre on April 11. You’ll be glad you did. Click the link below and say hello. I’ll be in the second row singing along to the best music ever made.

https://oldschoolsquare.secure.force.com/ticket#sections_a0F0G00000SR9NqUAL

The Mighty Max

 

6 March, 2019 6 6 Comments

Mark Twain Was Right

March 6, 2019 By 6 Comments

I miss album covers (and vinyl too).

 

“I can live for two months on a good compliment.” –Mark Twain

It’s amazing the impact that a few kind words can have.

A well placed sentence delivered at just the right time can change your life.

It has happened to me—a time or two.

I’ll get to that in a moment,  but first I want to share how a few words changed two friends lives.
I’ll bet if you give it some thought you’ll find that a sentence or two changed yours.

Last week, I was at the gym when a really great song came on.
I’m a music fan and I can guess many songs if they were released between 1964 and the late 80s. After that, my ear gets fuzzy.

Anyway, I didn’t know this particular song so I asked who was singing and my friend said it was Dave Mason, a classic rock artist who once played Delray Beach’s Old School Square pavilion.

The song led my friend to share his Dave Mason story.

My buddy was writing  a music column for the school paper when a very pretty young woman suggested he write about Dave Mason. Of course, he agreed. But he didn’t know who Dave Mason was so after school he made a beeline to the local record store (remember record stores?) and picked up the new Dave Mason album.

He loved it.

And a lifelong appreciation of Mason’s music followed. He wrote about the album–made a new friend in the popular young lady–and enlarged his fan base at school.

But more than that, the brief but very positive interaction with one of the most popular girls in school gave my buddy the confidence to transform just about everything from his appearance to his outlook on the future.

Sounds like an exaggeration?
Guess again.

He showed me before and after pictures. It was dramatic…from shy and unsure to big man on campus.

Pretty powerful wouldn’t you say?

That’s the power of a well placed sentence delivered by someone you respect or in this case fancy.

I saw a similar experience play out with an old friend in junior high school. This particular friend struggled with a nerdy reputation which wasn’t helped by his “bowl” haircut and “flood water”  pants. He was relentlessly teased.
Then one day everything changed.

A few of us were there when one of the most popular girls in school complimented my old friend on his new haircut—no more bowl, but parted in the middle and feathered back which was the style at the time. That one compliment fueled my friend for a decade or more. I kid you not.

He hit the gym, changed his appearance and outlook and the rest is history.

But it’s not just the opposite sex that can work magic with a sentence.

It can be a favorite teacher who tells you that you are good at math, a favorite coach who tells you that yes you have potential or a business mentor who tells you that you have something special.

We have these opportunities to uplift every day, if we choose to look for them. Leaders look for opportunities to uplift.

Consequently, we also have the power to hurt people with a few careless words. A callous sentence can leave a lasting mark.

So what about my own experience?
Well, I’ve written a few times that a lunch and a few words with former Delray Mayor Tom Lynch two decades ago inspired me to run for public office. (So blame Tom when you see him).

I know another former mayor who was inspired to get involved when he stopped by the Chamber of Commerce when he came to town and was urged to get involved by former Chamber President Ken Ellingsworth.
And I’m pretty sure that a few words were the reason that a friend of mine decided to become an entrepreneur instead of going the safer route to corporate America.

Words matter.
Think about their impact on your own life.
And just as important think how your words can encourage, inspire and motivate someone else.

4 December, 2018 0 Comments

Art Endures

December 4, 2018 By Leave a Comment

I was in 6th grade at William Sydney Mount Elementary School in Stony Brook, N.Y. when Elton John released the album “Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy.”

I loved Elton and The Beatles, but by 1975 The Beatles had been broken up 5 years and Elton was at the height of his creative powers and still releasing new music. I “missed” The Beatles by being too young to appreciate them when they were active, but Elton…well Elton was cranking out the hits just about the time I was getting heavily into music.

By sixth grade, I was already a failed musician after three years of playing a horrible clarinet in the Setauket School band. Once again, we had moved and I was the new kid in school anxious to make friends and establish my credentials as one of the cool kids in class—or more realistically at least not one of the nerds.

So I brought my Captain Fantastic album to a school party but as soon as I got on the bus, I began to worry about whether my prized possession would make it back home intact. Could I smuggle it in past the bullies on the bus and would it survive the elementary school issued turntable with the needle that hadn’t been changed since A Hard Day’s Night was released in 1964?

Of course, when you’re a sixth grader trying to make an impression on three or four girls in your class, these little details go unnoticed until you are faced with them.

Suffice it to say, Captain Fantastic survived the short bus ride and made it safely into my desk which had a top that lifted up to provide storage.

As for the party, the Captain made it through intact. I explained to the 11 year-old DJ that albums had to be handled by the edges to avoid smudges and the needle had to be placed gently on the opening track which was “Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy.”

My sensitive mission was a hit and I left the holiday party with the phone number of one of the girls in my class. Now, she wasn’t any of the three girls I liked, but it didn’t matter. Elton delivered.

I got the album home and I still have it, much to the chagrin of my significant other who wonders why I can’t part with my vinyl even though I haven’t played a record in years.

Predictably, the relationship that came out of the sixth grade holiday party ended well before Valentine’s Day. But my relationship with Elton John and a generation of 60s, 70s and 80s rock stars endures to this day.

We saw Elton recently on his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour which ran through South Florida with a nearly three hour concert that featured a whole lot of hits and a slew of memories. To Elton’s credit, he could have played another three hours and not performed all of the songs that his fans love. Also to his credit, he still has the chops—as a piano player, singer and performer. He was accompanied by two of his original band mates, drummer Nigel Olsson and guitarist Davey Johnstone who still rock. It was a night to cherish. And we will.

I’m enjoying a rash of farewell concerts by the greats of my youth all of whom are making South Florida stops on their way to retirement. We saw Paul Simon, The Eagles (with Glenn Frey) and in a few weeks we will see Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman of The Byrds (who are not retiring). The Rolling Stones are kicking off a tour in Miami in April, we just saw David Byrne of The Talking Heads and travelled to Broadway to see Bruce Springsteen who better not ever retire.

Even for those who haven’t announced a farewell tour, you get the sense that it could be the last time. After all, as The Stones once sang “time waits for no one.”
Indeed, it doesn’t.

Going to these shows is a mix of joy, melancholy, memories and hope. It’s truly exciting to see the greats up close. Every generation says its music is the best ever, but in our case it truly is. (wink).

Sure it’s a little bit sad to see your hero’s age and step aside, especially when they still exhibit so much skill and talent. You want to tell the universe to give these folks a pass and keep them around because they are so amazing. But the memories are powerful and everlasting—like the music that was produced.

The songs—oh the songs—they brought us hope, they made us dance, they made us smile, they moved us and continue to do so.

There’s not many things that your 11 year old self would agree with your 54 year old self on—except maybe baseball and rock and roll. That’s the power of art.

It lasts. I think forever.

 

 

 

16 April, 2018 4 4 Comments

NYC Serenade: My Springsteen Obsession

April 16, 2018 By 4 Comments

“If the Beatles were about love and the Stones about sex, then Bruce is about hope. And hope springs eternal…as in Springsteen.” –Elliott Murphy, singer-songwriter.

In a few days, my wife and I will be making a pilgrimage to NYC to see Bruce Springsteen on Broadway.

While we are a hyperlocal blog, I ask for your indulgence because I want to spend a few moments on E Street, where I have lived off and on since 1975, when I was 11 and “Born to Run” was released.

The album is a classic. And I was instantly hooked on all things Bruce.

My Springsteen fixation has lasted 43 years and it is safe to say that it will be with me—happily—for the rest of my days.

My close friends know how much I love music—a wide range of it—at least in my mind.

Classic rock, 70s music, 80s music, pop, 60s music, disco, New Wave, Sinatra—even Neil Diamond—to the consternation of my wife and my ultra-cool friend Pame’ Williams.

(Just as an aside, there is nothing wrong with Neil Diamond. No one else can sing about chairs (“I am, I said”) and E.T. (“Turn on Your Heartlight”) like Neil and make it sound good—to my ears anyway.

But I digress.

My big five are the Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Beatles and Bruce; especially The Beatles and Bruce.

Sadly, while I have unbridled passion for music, I have absolutely zero talent. I can’t even play air guitar, but still I cannot imagine a life without music.

From an early age, I’ve found inspiration, solace, joy, motivation and a hundred other useful emotions from listening to great artists from the Allman Brothers to Warren Zevon.

But Springsteen is a touchstone. He’s the well, the mountain top, the apex— for me anyway.

His songs are cinematic, his writing is poetry mixed with journalism and his live performances are indescribable.

I can’t wait to experience his genius in a small venue.

So now the local part…Consider this:

-I built a talk I gave to Creative Mornings at the Arts Garage around the magic of his songwriting. The topic: genius. You can see it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5sz9scEoZ4

 

-E Street Band drummer “Mighty Max” Weinberg lives in Delray, played a benefit at the Arts Garage, loves Caffe Luna Rosa, has read our downtown master plan and has become a friend. They say never meet your heroes because you’ll be disappointed, but the truth is Max is just a great guy.

-Inspired by Bruce’s first album “Greetings from Asbury Park”, I based the design of the cover of my book “Adventures in Local Politics” on the album’s iconic poster card.

-Local event producer Bern Ryan might be an even bigger fan than I am—hard to imagine—but he’s seen Bruce and the E Street Band all over the world, in Asbury Park and on Broadway. Bern has warned me that three songs into “Springsteen on Broadway” that we will be in tears. (I cry when I read a Hallmark card so Bern’s probably correct).

Anyway, I don’t expect that everybody will get my happy obsession.

But let’s just say that music that touched my soul at age 11 resonates even more as I grow older.

Hope does spring eternal—and Springsteen’s music provides me with a reservoir of hope.