(N.B.: I joined the band Explone last year as their bassist.) I’ll be playing my first live gig with Explone on April 4th at the High Dive in Seattle. We go on early, 9pm sharp. We’ll be back at Litho recording the rest of our album the week before, so we should be especially tight for t...

Gone are the days when you could graduate from college, find a respectable employer, and remain at the same company until you received that 50-year anniversary gold watch, a generous retirement package, and a nice pension. And even if the old-school work model was still available, I suspect many of ...

Michael Jackson has finally announced a residency at London’s O2 Arena, two weeks after I reported on the rumors that these concerts were about to be announced. Jackson, Wacko Jacko, or The King Of Pop depending on your point of view will play 10 dates in July, with tickets going on sale on Ma...

There so many awesome shows going down this weekend, I thought I woud give you my recommendations: FRIDAY: Tindersticks at Brooklyn Masonic Temple Gil Mantera’s Party Dream at Europa Handsome Furs, Iran, Hundred In The Hands at Mercury Lounge Pete and J, The XYZ Affair, Young Galaxy at Music H...

Mississippi delta blues legend B.B. King is to hit the road in Europe this June and July. The tour dates in full are: Manchester Evening News Arena (June 24th) Birmingham NIA (25th) Cardiff International Arena (27th) London Wembley Arena (28th) Helsinki Icehall (July 1st) Gothenburg Tradgarn (3rd) S...

So last night Paul and I went out for dinner and then to a gig. Dinner was at Starters and Puds which a colleague of mine had mentioned to me a while ago and I'd found intriguing. Basically, the idea's in the name - they only do starters and desserts and you can have as many of each as you like. Whi...

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>> A Gig Harbor neurosurgeon who treated the teenage kayaker critically injured Sunday puts a twist on Steve Martin’s Famous song: “Oh, I'm picking out a thermos, for you / Not an ordinary thermos, for you.� The doctor substituted “picking�...

Song writing has been around for a long time. Probably longer than that! Recently I have noticed an increase in lawsuits in the music industry relating plagiarism of one form or another (ie Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. Tom Petty). As a song writer I have started asking myself, how many more combination...

Last we saw Mystery Jets , circa 2006 at Mercury Lounge, they were crusty youth who weren't sure whether they wanted to be Dexy's Midnight Runners or King Crimson. Fast forward two years and we're at a mostly packed Bowery Ballroom and a lot has changed for the band. Gone is 50-something...

Tomorrow begins the March Madness at Chez Shea. I head off to Walla Walla, WA, home of the ACME Birdseed Company as well as all the other fine ACME products that have served Wile E. Coyote so well. It is also the inspiration for this fine Walt Kelly poem: Deck us all with Boston Charlie,Walla Walla,...