It’s been another tough year of loss in the music community and the passing of Steven Lee Cropper (aka “The Colonel”) on December 3 was a massive loss. With Cropper’s passing we slip closer and closer to loosing the living history of musicians that were there and physically involved in the day, “that song”, was born or, “that album”, found it’s soul.

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While Cropper gained much notoriety to a new audience playing himself as the lead guitarist in the Blues Brother’s movies and backing band, his musical hand goes much further back and is greater than what many people know.

The Colonel’s early role in the Stax Records house band and as record producer at the storied label led him to a musical legacy most musicians only dream of.

The list of artists Cropper worked with is astonishing; Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Rod Stewart, Mavis Staples, Neil Sedaka, John Prine, Dolly Parton, Wilson Pickett, John Oates, and Etta James to name a few. Long live The Colonel!

If it wasn’t tough enough loosing The Colonel last week hit even harder with the passing of Raul Malo of The Maverick’s. I’ve had the pleasure to see the band on many, many occasions and I’m honored to call a few of the guys in The Maverick’s my friends.

The Maverick’s were in a category all their own. Most often heard and considered “country” with steady play on alt country radio stations, I wouldn’t pigeonhole the band as country by any means. It’s clear to see the Elvis influence in Malo’s stage performances and there’s no denying there’s some Hank Williams in the mix. It’s worth noting the band did open for Marilyn Manson in the early days when The Mavericks were a ska/punk outfit, so I wouldn’t say they were strongly rooted in any one genre.

Sometimes it’s best to let the deceased eulogize themselves because they were that giant, so great at what they gave us that our words can’t do them any more justice. Whatever you think The Mavericks and Raul were, they were damn good at it! If this doesn’t get you dancing in your seat check your pulse.

Interestingly, there is a loose Maverick’s/Cropper connection outside of the two artists passing within days of each other. Malo collaborated with Cropper covering vocals on “I Leave You In Peace” from Cropper’s 2024 release Friendlytown.

Long live Malo’s legacy!

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Cosmic

Since June of 2024 I’ve held down the drum seat for Raleigh, NC’s Cosmic Superheroes. A great band that plays a variety of tunes from their vast library of albums, and they can pull from a list of 250+ cover tunes if the occasion, or audience, calls for it.

While there has been a rotation of bassists and drummers since its founding in 2014, the core of the group consists of original founding member Brandon McLean on guitar/vocals, Paul Sanders on keys/vocals and Nadya Stratton on flute, keys and vocals. Just that trio alone can play about any musical setting for any audience, but toss in a solid bass player and drummer and the depth gets fuller and way more complex.

Standout songs include “Moonlight”, “Dr. Thunderhawk” and “Wants”, but there’s so many well crafted, clever songs that it’s hard to say these are, “the best of the bunch”. That said, one of my absolute favorites to play live is “Time Ago”.

Sadly, my time with the Cosmic gang has ended however, I recently closed a deal to purchase DrumSellers.com, a large drum and percussion only marketplace so that venture is going to require a lot of time and energy, so as us old schoolers say, “it’s all good”.

DrumSellers.com

DrumSellers.com was the brain child of my good friend (and fantastic drummer), George Lawrence. Many folks know George from his days behind the drum set with the band Poco when he stepped in to fill the seat left vacant by long time member George Grantham after Grantham fell ill during a performance in 2004.

Lawrence went on to open George’s Drum Shop in Ohio before shuttering that physical location to relocate to Memphis, TN where he started DrumSellers.com as an online marketplace to sell off the remaining inventory from his Ohio based drum shop. DrumSellers.com has grown organically over the years and George has done an incredible job of launching a marketplace for a niche product that enjoys robust business and a large community of drum sellers and buyers. I’m excited for the opportunity to step in and take DrumSellers.com through it’s next phase, and if you know any drummers that are looking to buy, sell or trade gear you know where to send them now.

18 Carat Affair and Vaporwave

One of the great things about having one of the coolest teenage daughters of all time is you get exposed to all kinds of great music that otherwise might not pop up on your my radar. That’s exactly what happened when my daughter walked in my office and said, “Dad, you should check out 18 Carat Affair”.

If you’re into vaporwave then you’ll love 18 Carat Affair. For those unfamiliar, vaporwave (according to Google) is a genre of electronic music and a visual aesthetic that emerged in the early 2010s, characterized by its nostalgic and surreal atmosphere. It draws inspiration from the 1980s and 1990s, particularly from consumer culture and technology of those eras, often incorporating elements of chopped and screwed, sampling, and retro-futuristic visuals.

Of course, I went dow the Spotify recommendations and a few other stand outs include Satin Sheets, Incorporeal Visions Deluxe and one of my favorites, SPORTSGIRL.

OK, that’s it for this update but I’ll try to be better about regularly posting.

Lastly, if you’re into real estate investing, learning more about operating a short term or long term rental business or structuring deals then you should check out my other writing over at Common Cents Real Estate.

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I appreciate all the new subscribers and thank you for being here and sticking with me!

As a reminder, I post only when I believe I have something of value to publish.

I don’t publish for the hell of it or to ask my subscribers for money. If you need something in your inbox on a set schedule you won’t get it from me because I want to make sure what I send out is quality, not quantity.

I don’t do “paid posts on certain days” and - for now - all my posts are free. The way I see it the universe will figure it out, and if you find value in what I put out there and a higher power says to you, “pay this guy”, then you will pull out your credit card and send me a few bucks. If not, no worries. I just appreciate you reading my work and hope I turn you on to something good.

Now, let’s get going on that something good….Khruangbin!

After a fantastic opening set from John Carroll Kirby, (his flutist was the star of the set) Houston, Texas trio, Khruangbin, took the stage Tuesday night in front of a sold out crowd at Raleigh, NC’s Red Hat Amphitheater.

Not familiar with Khruangbin (pronounced KRUNG-bin)? Check out the wiki here to get up to speed.

The band, consisting of the fabulous Laura Lee Ochoa on bass/vocals, Mark Speers on guitar/vocals and DJ Johnson on drums, keys and vocals, delivered a 2 hour show of intricately woven bass lines with Speer’s fantastic fret work over an underlying deep pocket from Johnson’s superb drumming.

The Relevant Things

Unlike so many musicians that change guitars and basses throughout a show (so the guitars can be tuned by their techs instead of on stage, or to achieve a different sound - i.e. a 12 string guitar or a guitar tuned in a different key) neither Ochoa or Speers switched instruments for the entirety of the show. The guitar and bass they started with was the guitar and bass they ended the night with. That’s rare and this kept the pace flowing with very little downtime between songs.

I believe it was almost 3/4 of the way through the show before Ochoa said “Hello, Raleigh.”. It was refreshing to not have someone from the stage yelling, “Let me see your hands” and constantly hyping the crowd with what I consider “filler” like, “Come on”, “I can’t hear you”, or “How’s everybody feeling out there tonight?”. There was an elegance and professionalism to the show that I don’t see very often.

The band was very deliberate in how they took the stage (see first video) to their movements at exact moments to how they moved around and exited the stage. You can tell the band takes time to plan the show’s visuals, which is great to see a group deliver a product that is so well thought out and detail oriented. I got the feeling that Khruangbin puts as much effort into the show as they do the music. Again, a professionalism thing.

DJ Johnson is probably the most unassuming, laid back drummer I have ever seen. Playing only a bass drum, snare drum, floor tom and a few cymbals, Johnson delivered a flawless performance that was heavy on the notes not played. A refreshing break from the, “play every note you know” drummers that inundate you with drum fill after drum fill after drum fill. Less is much, much more.

The band started the evening all together on the top of the stage (see first video). However as the night progressed Ochoa and Speers moved downstage closer to the crowd leaving Johnson tucked away up top to blend into the background, and it seems that’s the way he likes it. There was so much fog on stage that I could not get a clear picture of him all night.

When Ochoa and Speers moved towards the front of the stage they picked up their mic stands and brought them down the steps in a synchronized motion. No techs ran out to move their stands for them or adjust their mic stands.

Ochoa’s bass lines are funky. Pure and simple, the girl can play!! The notes seem to permeate fully through her entire body like a low tone conduit and if Ochoa’s not having a great time on that stage you sure can’t tell it. I kept wondering if she was wearing a fitness tracker? If so, I’d love to see the total number of calories she’s burning while on stage because she’s constantly in motion! The notes may start from her fingers but they move through her and she becomes a conduit that singularly moved the entire audience. A pleasure to watch such a talented performer.

Speers is a guitar playing machine. Just when I thought he had run out of notes and things to play he brought out another riff or progression that was just as good as the last. There were no weak parts, no filler and the guy is a player’s player that can translate complex guitar parts to the average music fan.

Lastly, I do have to put in my disclaimer that after about the first hour and a half my ears (and attention) were tiring. Although the band is incredibly tight and the music is good, the tempos can be similar and the mellowness of it can get a little monotonous to me.

It’s still worth seeing the band live so if you have the opportunity I highly recommend you go!

John Carroll Kirby joined the band mid-show to assist with some nice keys.

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My crazy gig schedule has slowed down a little so I’m getting caught up on Infectious Tunes.

Three items of note:

• I’m trying a little bit of a different format to feel things out. Let me know what you think of having a few items covered (like I’m doing below) instead of focusing on one subject, and

• I’ve noticed on Substack a lot of pieces I read are, well, really long. I’m like 99.9% of the country and I’m busy so my time is limited. Sometimes I scan the first few paragraphs of the article and the last few paragraphs and then I’m gone. When I write for my magazine gig my editors ask me to keep my articles to around 600 - 700 words. Now I know why. I’m going to try and do that here so I can get you to the point and not hold you up any longer than need be.

• Welcome to the new subscribers! Great having you here and thank you so much for your patience and for sticking around! I hope you’ll help me spread the word on Infectious Tunes and share my work.

  Thank you for reading Infectious Tunes. This post is public so feel free to share it.

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If you’re intersted in hearing a warm-up show I played with a great local band Cosmic Superheros this past Friday evening (5/24/24) at a little venue in downtown Raleigh check out the audio track below.

A few show notes:

1. This opens with a quick soundcheck jam then a break before we launch into the set.

2. The drummer for the second band of the evening was nice enough to allow me the use of his very nice Pork Pie drums so I didn’t have to lug mine in and out. I brought my bass drum pedal, stick bag, my tactile monitoring seat from Porter and Davies and a secondary auxiliary Ludwig Supraphonic snare I like to use. Always interesting to play somebody else’s set up.

3. The drums were un-mic’ed so the audio is from the stage mics, which actually didn’t come out too terrible.

4. We did not use in-ears, which I’m accustomed to, and there was only one stage monitor so it was difficult to hear anything other than the guitar.

5. By the time we hit the last 2 tunes I was just getting used to the drum set up, my hands were warmed up and I was starting to hit my stride, then we were done.

I had some flubs, missed some breaks, but seeing as how I did this on one quick rehearsal and from listening to the band’s tracks off Spotify, it was still a lot of fun to play the show. And isn’t that what it should be about? Fun? Thanks for listening!

Rick Allen’s Raven Drum Foundation

Def Leppard’s Pyromania peaked on Billboard’s Top 200 charts in 1983 and has now reentered the Top 200 charts for the first time in over 6 years with the 40th anniversary deluxe reissue.

This reminded me of the opportunity I had several years ago to work with Def Leppard drummer and founding member, Rick Allen, while I was serving a term on the executive board of the Percussion Marketing Council (playdrums.com). The PMC is the organization that’s responsible for International Drum Month (IDM) held each year in the month of May. Rick was kind enough to donate his time to give a few free drum lessons to a lucky winner of a contest we were running for IDM that year.

Millions know Rick from his work with Def Leppard but have no idea about Rick and his wife Lauren’s work through their Raven Drum Foundation.

Rick joined Def Leppard in 1978 at just 15 years old and made headlines in 1984 when he was involved in a terrible car accident that caused him to lose his left arm. In what would be a career ending outcome for most drummers, Rick quickly bounced back and rejoined the band with the aid of electronic percussion and foot triggers that allow him to play the parts of each song with his left foot in place of his left arm.

As a professional drummer Rick has always been inspirational to me however, meeting Rick in person and hearing him talk about the foundation cemented my admiration for not only Rick as a musician, but as a human being.

Rick and Lauren turned up at the playdrums.com press conference to announce Rick as our celebrity artist for that year’s IDM contest, but Rick quickly turned the attention away from himself and Def Leppard to focus on Raven Drum Foundation and all of the first responders that have suffered through crises.

Per the Raven Drum Foundation’s website, “Founded in 2001, Raven Drum Foundation’s approach was born from the idea that unconditional love and support is the most powerful healer and that each of us is responsible for our own health and soul growth through dark and challenging times. Raven Drum Foundation engages drumming as a tool for healing, allowing participants to use rhythm, mindfulness, and energy-medicine techniques as an avenue for connection, and supports complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) programs for trauma recovery.”

Please check out Raven Drum Foundation and all the great work they are doing.

Black Keys Postpone US Dates

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of the band Black Keys were planning to tour in support of their latest album, Ohio Players, but have announced that their upcoming North American run has been postponed amid reports of slow ticket sales.

In a post shared on their social media outlets, a rep for The Black Keys said: Following the recent run of shows in the UK & Europe, including stops at iconic venues like Brixton Academy and the Zenith in Paris, we have decided to make some changes to the North American leg of the International Players Tour that will enable us to offer a similarly exciting, intimate experience for both fans and the band, and will be announcing a revised set of dates shortly.

The tour, was scheduled to start later this year in September with shows scheduled at arenas across the U.S. through November 12th when the tour was set to wrap at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

The band posted a statement saying, “Thank you for your understanding and apologies for the surprise change… We’re pretty sure everyone is going to be excited when you see what we have in mind though, and look forward to seeing everyone soon,”.

Fans who did purchase tickets will receive a refund and will be offered a chance to secure passes for the rescheduled tour when it goes on sale.

That’s it for today but I’m working on a couple of podcast episodes and a few other odds n’ ends. Would love to hear from you so leave a comment or join the chat.

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Running 4 store locations is no small feat. Especially in the music retail/music lesson space. I know first hand how hard it is. I founded, grew and operated a 4 location music lesson/retail business, Progressive Music Center, for 26 years. Knowing what I know, I can’t imagine trying to operate and manage 45 locations as Sam Ash Music did successfully for so many years.

I knew Sammy Ash, the company’s COO and most visible family member, personally. When Sam died in 2023 from cancer I started to wonder how the company would fare without him. While I don’t think Sam Ash Music is closing simply due to Sam’s passing, I do think it has a role to play. What really did the retailer in is pretty simple - the internet.

Reverb.com has grown to be the leader in online sales. Even Sam Ash sold products on the marketplace, and competition from other retailers such as Guitar Center and Sweetwater have eroded Sam Ash Music’s ability to stay competitive, so it’s no surprise that the long time music retailer faced a decline.

The real issue is the loss of another place where the budding player could get a start and be surrounded by a like minded community. When stores close we sometimes loose so much more than just a place to spend our money. We loose a valuable resource.

In this podcast I’ll discuss the deeper loss of the music retailer. My apologies for that little “popping” sound. I’m not sure what that is and I couldn’t edit it out, but I’ll chase that down to eliminate it for future episodes.

Would love to hear your comments and if you were a customer of the venerable retailer, please leave me a note below.

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I’ve been asked to sit in with a terrific band out of the Raleigh, NC area, Cosmic Superheros, pictured above. I’m not in the photo but what a great looking band photo, right? The rehearsals, along with life’s obligations, has put me way behind on my articles lately so I missed posting last Thursday’s article.

However, I’ve got a small break in rehearsals this week so I’m back on the keypad scratching out some fresh stuff for my regular Thursday release, and to make up from last week I’m doing two articles this week, and maybe a podcast. Maybe. Coming up on Thursday we’ll discuss the closure of Sam Ash Music Stores and it’s impact on the music products industry and musicians.

However, a quick bit of thought food in today’s piece. If you’re a fan of the pop-punk band, All Time Low, you may have heard they had to cut their show in Singapore short after the band’s frontman, Alex Gaskarth, became ill from food poisoning. Gaskarth was later taken to the hospital and released the following day, according to a post shared on Instagram by promoter LAMC Productions.

However, it seems some fans were upset after LAMC Productions released a statement saying fans will not be offered a refund for the truncated concert, but instead will be eligible for a $30 promo code that they can use at any LAMC show in the next year.

This reminded me about a Tom Petty show that I attended in 2006. I was in Indianapolis for a conference and knew Petty was playing the local amphitheater while I was in town, so my wife and I decided to grab tickets and head out the show. After all, who wouldn’t want to hear Tom sing the lines, “But she grew up tall and she grew up right, with them Indiana boys on an Indiana night” in Indiana?

After the Black Crows came out and played a tiring 45 minute set of music that nobody had ever heard before TP&HB’s took the stage and ripped straight into, “Listen to Her Heart”. About six songs in the band came to the crowd favorite, “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”. Unfortunately, by this time a major midwestern thunderstorm had blown up and although we were seated under the pavilion shed, the wind, rain and dangerous lightning forced the show to be called off. After the power was knocked out twice Tom announced that it was too dangerous to keep going and told the audience they needed to get off the lawn and get to safety and immediately left the stage.

It was a let down for sure, but I understood the danger. I didn’t receive a refund and didn’t expect a refund. However, it was evident as we walked to the car through the parking lots that many fans were clearly angry that the show was cancelled and they were not going to get a refund.

I’d love to hear if you’ve had a similar experience. Did you get a refund, a credit to another show? Do you think you should have received a refund? Why or why not?

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Back when MTV was still showing music videos and Seattle was the epicenter of the music universe, there was buzz of “Who will be the next ‘Seattle’?”. Chapel Hill/Carborro and Raleigh, NC were churning out strong contenders for the title of “Next Big Music Town”.

NC based bands like Superchunk, Polvo, Flat Duo Jets, The Veldt and many others were putting NC on the map as the next hot spot over other locales such as Austin, TX and Athens, GA. Check out this news special from MTV circa 1991….

Formed in 1986 in Raleigh, NC by twin brothers Daniel and Danny Chavis, along with original members Marvin Levi on drums and Joseph Boyle on Bass, The Veldt took their name from a Ray Bradbury science fiction story where the word, veld, was used to describe an open grassy area of low scrub and grasses in Southern Africa.

Capitol Records signed the band to a deal in 1989 and a US tour ensued along with supporting slots for Cocteau Twins and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Their 1992 album, Marigolds, released on Island Records was recorded with Lincoln Fong, bass player of the band Moose, but soon after The Veldt switched labels to Mercury Records and released their album Afrodisiac in 1994. That album was produced by Ray Shulman (The Sundays, Bjork, Sugarcubes) containing the popular college radio songs “Revolutionary Sister” and “Daisy Chain”. Their single form that album, “Soul In A Jar”, was an underground hit.

At the time, my band, Fountain of Youth, was tapped to play several supporting dates for The Veldt on the east coast. I had the pleasure of watching The Veldt from multiple vantage points and I can testify the band had a sound unlike anything anybody was doing at the time.

The Veldt rotated through several members, having various bass players and drummers on several occasions, then going back to the original line up periodically. However, the anchor was always the twins, and no matter who was on the stage sharing the musical space with Daniel and Danny, the sound was always ethereal and all encompassing. The Veldt was in control and from the stage the audience got a single unit pushing boundaries and doing music on their terms and in their way.

In the late 90’s the hype over who would be the “next Seattle” had pretty much dissipated and the North Carolina music scene had changed dramatically. By then the brothers had relocated to NYC and dropped the band name The Veldt and started working under the name Appollo Heights. A 2008 self-released album, White Music for Black People, found the brothers expanding their sonic offerings, with by then, permeant collaborator Hayato Nakao.

With a name change back the The Veldt, the band released 2017’s The Shocking Fuzz of Your Electric Fur: The Drake Equation EP followed in 2017 by the 6 song EP Thanks to the Moth and Areanna Rose, a single in 2022, “Sweeter”, the 2022 album Entropy is the Mainline to God leading up to the singles, “The Everlasting Gobstopper”, “Aurora Borealis” and “Angel Heart” in 2023.

After a fantastic performance, Daniel and Danny discuss the band’s beginnings and early years in the video below.

While I enjoy the entire catalog of the band, if I had to pick just one album it would remain 1992’s Marigolds featuring the fantastic tracks “Tinsel Town” and “Willow Tree”.

The Veldt, like so many great bands, deserve a much wider audience, and after 40 years maybe that day is coming. The brothers seem more focused now, the music is as fantastic as ever, and the band has been playing more shows lately. Add in the reach of the internet and maybe The Veldt will finally get that large scale attention.

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Hopefully you made it out to Record Store Day and found some gems on vinyl, CD or cassette to add to your library, and maybe saw a great band or artist perform live in store. Here’s my rundown of what I picked up at my local RSD on 4/20/24. While I purchased the vinyl versions I’ve put links to Spotify for each album. Enjoy!

Vanilla Fudge - Rock & Roll (1969)

My daughter and I started our day at 8 AM at School Kids Records in Raleigh, NC (schoolkidsrecords.com) and although the line was long things moved pretty quickly and we were in the door after about a 25 minute wait.

Once inside I skipped the RSD special release bins located right at the front and went to my usual spot where the “bargain bin records” are located. These are usually priced in the range of $4 and up depending on album/artist. Not that there weren’t great titles in the RSD bins, but nothing this year jumped out at me (sorry Taylor, I had to skip your latest release).

My first pick was Vanilla Fudge’s Rock & Roll. I’m a professional drummer so I’m always looking for work with great drummers playing on it. I’m very familiar with drummer Carmine Appice’s catalog, and I know Carmine personally, so when I see something with Carmine on it that’s not currently in my library, like Rock & Roll, I grab it.

For a mere $4.00 I got a great album from a band of amazing musicians. Appice, who was also in Beck, Bogart and Appice, Blue Murder and cowrote Rod Stewart’s, “Do You Think I’m Sexy” and “Young Turks” along with band members Mark Stein, the late Tim Bogert and Vinnie Martell, deliver a great album of well arranged songs.

Vanilla Fudge has been credited as being hugely influential to bands such as Deep Purple, Yes, Styx, Led Zeppelin, and Uriah Heep. Carmine has told me some amazing stories of his time with Led Zeppelin during Zeppelin’s first tour of the U.S. Zeppelin was brought on to open for the Fudge on that tour and Carmine was responsible for getting Zeppelin’s drummer, John Bonham, his endorsement deal with Ludwig drums. And the rest, as they say, is history……

Russ Ballard - Russ Ballard (1984)

I bought this album for two reasons; It was only $7.00 and more importantly it has the incredible Simon Phillips on drums. Actually, I really bought it for 3 reasons. The third being that the first time I heard the track “Voices” I was a mere 10 years old and watching the original Miami Vice television show on a Friday night in late 1984 when the song accompanied what now has become a classic scene from that particular episode. Crocket (Don Johnson) and his partner Tubbs (Phillip Michael Thomas) are in a Crockett’s “go fast” boat racing across the Atlantic on a mission to find and arrest (or kill) the drug kingpin, Esteban Calderone, played by the late actor Miguel Pinero (1946 - 1988).

The track is played almost in it’s entirety in that sequence, and I remember clearly the imagery. I was thinking how cool the guys looked in that boat racing across the ocean jumping the waves and riding into what was sure to be a climatic shot ‘em up scene with the dangerous villain, Calderone.

What really stands out in my memory is the song was so damn good. Sure, it’s macho 80’s rock but the arrangement is terrific and the drumming….well, it’s Simon Phillips on drums so the drumming on not only “Voices”, but the entire album, is exquisite.

Phillip’s is a left hand player on a right hand set up, meaning he plays in what we drummers and musicians refer to as “open” playing so his right hand is not crossing over his left snare hand. He plays his snare with his right hand and hi hat with his left hand in an “open” position, which helps facilitate his unique playing style, as demonstrated by Phillips here:

There’s elements in his playing that I believe can only be pulled off by a drummer playing in this fashion, and it creates a more dynamic phrasing style, making “Voices” have a staccato feel in certain parts with a laid back overall groove throughout. Put any other player on that tune and the feel of the song will be completely different, and with 7,547,982 streams it’s safe to say 7+ million think it’s a good tune as well.

If I had to give a 4th reason that I purchased this album it would be that Ballard is a tremendous songwriter. Many folks would be familiar with Ballard’s illustrious writing skills from hearing songs he pinned like, “Liar” by Three Dog Night and the seminal rock anthem, “Since You’ve Been Gone”, for the band Rainbow that was the group’s hit of 1979. I strongly urge everyone to check out the amazing credits from an amazing musician.

The Allman Brothers Band - Live At Fillmore East (1971)

I was fortunate that I saw ABB live on multiple occasions, even riding their tour bus with them to direct their driver on how to get to a venue the band was playing in Greenville, NC in the late 80’s. That’s another post for a later date.

I also have a lot of ABB in my collection but I did not have this album, and although I I’ve listened to it many times on Spotify, there’s nothing like the vinyl version, and at $29.00 for a double album from a a band of this caliber, I think it’s a bargain. I’m playing it right now as I write this and the sound over my late 1960’s RCA speakers is nothing short of magical.

I also picked this record up for a few other reasons. The first being in honor of the incredible guitarist, Dicky Betts, whom we just lost this past week on 4/18/24. This album is also a double disc set that features Betts and the late, great Duane Allman together at their finest, especially on the amazing twenty-two plus minute long version of what I consider one of the greatest tunes the band ever played, ”Whipping Post”.

However, I’ve just always loved the cover. The band on the front side and the road crew (roadies) on the backside with their tall boy PBR’s, denim jackets and long hair in front of the colossal stack of road cases stamped with the band’s name. Bands on this scale don’t move or function without the road crews, and for the ABB to put those guys on that cover spoke volumes of how much the band thought of their crew.

Sadly, Duane would die in a tragic motorcycle accident on October 29, 1971, shortly after the release of the Fillmore album.

You can read a more insightful documentation of this classic album here, but this is truly a groundbreaking work from a legendary band.

Wes Montgomery - A Day In The Life (1967)

I’m a big Wes Montgomery fan and when I saw this album for just $9 I had to add it to the library.

The lineup of musicians backing Montgomery on this album is fantastic. Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass with Grady Tate on drums and Ray Barretto, Jack Jennings and Joe Wohletz on percussion. Rounded out by harpist Margaret Ross, Montgomery is joined by strings, horns and flutes to deliver a rich sound throughout each track.

Interestingly, from the liner notes I learned that Montgomery had not heard the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s album when he recorded this album, so A Day In The Life is from Montgomery’s own interpretation of the sheet music and not what he heard from the original creators. A splendid album showcasing a master at his finest.

Metallica - …And Justice For All (1988)

My splurge at $34.99, I had to have this album. Although I bought the original vinyl pressing in 1988 and have since lost that album, this is a remastered release on 180G vinyl and still one of my all time favorite albums.

Yes, I’m a metal head.

Yes, I love old school Metallica and yes, I think this was their last great album.

I saw the band for the first time with original bassist Cliff Burton on tour opening for Ozzy - in support of not only Ozzy as an opening act - but in support of the fantastic album, Master of Puppets. Today’s opening bands are usually not allotted the elaborate stage set up Metallica had on that tour. Aside from the stage props, the band was electric, in your face, aggressive, loud and in command. They left it all on that stage and gave the audience more than we ever thought we’d get for our ticket money. I remember being so charged up to see Ozzy, but after Metallica left the stage all I really wanted was for them to come back out and do it all over again. Ozzy who?

I saw the band again in the midst of their tour supporting …And Justice For All and they were hitting on all cylinders both times. However, there was a musical maturity the band displayed on …And Justice For All that was not there on record or in their live shows for previous tours and albums. That’s what happens when you play on that level every night for that many years and hone your art to a razor sharp skill set. You transcend to greatness.

It’s my opinion that …And Justice For All was the last “long song form” album from a band that changed the trajectory of metal, thrash and rock music forever. Metallica wrote long, intricate songs that had many twists, tempo changes and surprise elements. Sure, Death Magnetic was a great album, and I don’t even want to discuss St. Anger or the latest, 72 Seasons, even though there’s a few decent tunes on each offering, but …AJFA will forever be in my top 5 albums.

Did you attend Record Store Day? If so, what dd you pick up? Any surprises you didn’t expect? What’s your top finds? See any great indy bands playing in store?

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U2 is clearly the breaking new ground and setting earnings records with single-venue residencies.

U2’s total Sphere residency, from September 29, 2023 through the last show on March 2, 2024, brought in $244.5 million with 663,000 tickets over 40 shows.

The latest run from January 26 - March 2, brought in just north of $55 million from just 10 shows and 166,000 tickets sold, meaning just those 10 shows brought in 22% of the total $244 million overall (actually it’s exactly 22.9508197%).

The 166,000 tickets sold for just 10 shows is 25% of the total tickets sold for the entire run (actually it’s 25.0377074%). U2’s numbers are impressive, but there’s other artist posting string numbers. Granted, they are incurring the expenses of producing a tour that moves from venue to venue, but lets look at some other artists on the Top Tours list for perspective.

Of the top grossing tours in February 2024 (the latest data available) Pink was second to U2 holding down the 6th, 8th and 10th spots in Top Boxscores with 437k total attendance over 9 shows for a total of $48.3 million.

Pink played for 271k more fans with one less show than U2, but she was still $8.2 million behind U2 in gross earnings, and U2 didn’t pack up and go anywhere.

In her Australia run, Pink brought in $9.8 million on February 9-10 in Sydney playing for 78.5k fans, $11 million in two days on February 16-17 in Brisbane, Australia where she drew 94.6K fans and capped it off with an impressive $13.2 million on February 23-24 in Melbourne for 124k fans.

Coldplay was $39.6 million behind U2 and holds the number 3 slot on Top Boxscores with their two shows on February 3-4 in Bangkok for 106k fans bringing in a total of $16.9 million.

Billy Joel had a great February as well with his one night stadium stand on February 24 in Tampa, FL. Joel played for 54.5k fans with a total gross of $13.2 million. Personally, I think that’s pretty impressive that in just one show Joel grossed 23% of U2’s total gross over 10 shows. Joel’s one night attendance of 54.5k is 32% of U2’s 166k they played for over 10 shows.

Still, The Material Girl, Madonna, came in 5th with $31.4 million playing for 146k fans in 10 shows.

Ed Sheeran was 6th at $31.1 million with 213k fans in attendance over 6 shows.

The Eagles hold the number 9 slot of top tours bringing in $22.9 million with a total attendance of 83.8k over 7 shows while Bad Bunny holds the 10th place spot with $19.5 million gross with 74.9k fans in just 5 shows.

These are all impressive numbers and U2 has clearly set another standard that we’ll have to watch to see if upcoming residencies by Dead & Company and Phish can get close to with shows slated at Sphere later this year.

I do have to ask, is it that U2 can have that draw/success even if they hit the road, or was the band assisted with attendance by the lure of the amazing venue?

Were you one of the 166k that attended the U2 Sphere residency, or any of the top 10 tours?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Top Tours, attendance, show notes, etc… in the comments.

Thanks again for reading and being here, and don’t forget to listen to some music or better yet, make music because music makes you smarter.

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The Attic was a small nightclub that held maybe 500 people and was ranked as one of the top venues for live music on the east coast. It was right up there with legendary venues like The 9:30 Club and The Stone Pony. The Attic was also right in my backyard and it played an influential role in my early music education.

When the the Ramones were scheduled to play The Attic in late 1991 any musician in a 50 miles radius of Greenville, NC that considered themselves to be any good had tickets to the show. I was the only budding musician that couldn’t go because I was underage and The Attic was 18 and over. However, the good lord was looking out for me and, if memory serves me correctly, I was skateboarding around the venue the morning of the show when the owner asked if I wanted to work as a local stage hand. Does a bear shit in the woods? Of course I wanted to be a local stage hand for the Ramones! I’d do anything, including whatever local stage hands do to see the band.

I was told by the owner that if I even looked at an alcoholic beverage while I was in his venue he would kick my ass then throw me out and ban me forever. I wasn't remotely interested in alcohol, I just wanted to be involved in music any way possible.

I showed up later that afternoon around 1 PM to find a nondescript semi truck backing down the narrow ally which served as the entrance to the club. I was impressed the driver was skilled enough to get that big truck into such a tight space. The truck driver jumped out of the cab and I noticed right away what looked to be an old scar from maybe a bullet hole on the guy's face. He didn't say anything and I could tell by his demeanor he was not to be messed with. The semi trailer doors swung open and it was packed like a game of Tetris from top to bottom, back to front with road cases.

The Attic had an enormous PA that was legendary on the east coast, but the Ramones brought their own PA and lights. It was the first time I had seen a self contained touring act. I had been assigned to be the local "drum hand" and was tasked with cleaning Marky Ramone's piano black Pearl drum set, hardware and Paiste cymbals. I helped the band's drum tech get the drums, hardware and cymbals out of the cases and I was handed a bottle of cleaning solution, a few rags and instructed to make everything look like mirrors. I noticed all the equipment already looked like mirrors and there were no fingerprints, hand prints, dust or scratches. It was all pristine gear, almost as if they had just bought it from the music store across the street from The Attic. I thought I had done an excellent job when the drum tech looked it over and pointed out areas I had somehow missed, so I was told to keep cleaning. In hindsight this was probably just done to keep me busy and out of the way, but I tried my damndest to deep clean everything. If I scrubbed any harder the paint would've come off the drums, the chrome off those stands and the finish off the cymbals.

Late that afternoon the stage was set and the road crew did the sound check and there was no sign of the band. No tour bus parked outside or on the curb in front of the club. I left to grab dinner then returned to the venue around 9:30. There was no opening act and I was lucky enough that I could sit behind the mixing console with the band's front of house engineer. This was probably arranged so an eye could be kept on me by the owner to make sure I didn't try to sneak a beer.

The band seemed to be running late and a thunder storm had formed making the power flicker on and off a few times. Somewhere around 10:30 PM the theme song from the movie, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly started over the PA and the house lights went dark. The stage filled with smoke from the two smoke machines the band had on stage and you couldn't see your hand 12 inches in front of your face.

Suddenly out of the darkness with no warning we heard the infamous, "1,2,3,4!" and the stage lights came on in a flash and the Ramones, louder than anything I had ever heard in my life, were right there in front of me in their leather jacket's, torn jeans and worn out Vans. I remember thinking to myself, "How did they get on stage?" There were no flashlights showing them the way to the stage, they weren't in the club and suddenly they just appeared? My skin crawled and my life changed in an instant.

The Ramones played a solid two hours with almost no breaks. The only time I remember Joey saying anything to the audience was to introduce the song "Pet Cemetery", and even then Marky kept a steady beat going between his floor tom and snare.

After the band finished they retreated to the tiny dressing room just off the side of the stage and I was summoned to start the breakdown/load out process. I wanted to say something to the band but as I walked onto the stage Joey was escorted past me and out a side door and down a flight of steps to the tour bus waiting by the curb. As I was breaking down the drums to put them in the road cases Marky walked by on his way out and I said something to the effect of, "great show!”. Marky stopped and pulled out a pair of drumsticks he had used that night and hands them to me and walks off. A small gesture to Marky, but to me it was like handing fresh water to a person that was lost at sea for 5 months.

After 30 years my recollection of the night pretty much stops there, but the sticks are sitting right here on my desk as a constant reminder of how that band and one night would alter the course of my life and send me down the road of an amazing musical journey over the next 30 years.

Gabba Gabba, Hey!

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My daughter and I were riding down the highway the other day when she was scanning through the stations on SiriusXM and came upon Ricky Martin’s, “Livin’ La Vida Loca”. I tried to listen, but to my daughter’s disappointment, I had to turn to another channel. I explained that the song was on every radio station and played every hour on the hour when it was released in 1999. You couldn’t escape it. It was so overplayed, and now when I hear the opening upbeat swing of the horns and keys it makes my skin crawl. I feel the same about a lot of songs.

Led Zeppelin’s, “Black Dog”, Black Sabbath’s, “Paranoid” and Green Day’s, “When September Ends” have been on heavy rotation at every rock station on both terrestrial radio and SiriusXM since they were originally released. To be fair that speaks to how well these songs were crafted. They are great, classic songs that have survived for decades and are still finding popularity with listeners.

I also have to be transparent and mention that I founded and operated a large chain of music schools for 26 years. I have been credited with starting one of the first “school of rock” programs back in the early 90’s where we put our music students into performing bands that rehearsed for a week with a “band coach” leading up to a week ending grand finale concert. Every summer when our Rock Academy summer camps rolled around we had lists of songs that were not allowed to be played by the student bands. There was no “Stairway To Heaven”, “Back In Black”, “We Will Rock You” or “I Wanna Be Sedated” allowed. The list expanded every year to include songs like The Cranberries’ “Zombie” and Joan Jett’s, “I Love Rock N’ Roll”.

Again, these are all great songs by talented artists, and I certainly have never written a tune that ended up in the charts or earned me a Grammy, but everything can overstay it’s welcome.

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One of the reasons I subscribe to SiriusXM is to escape the tendency for FM radio to overplay certain songs, but even XM radio can have its steady rotation of songs that are seemingly stuck on repeat.

Here’s a few more excellent songs in no particular order that are the darlings of DJ’s.

“Don’t Stop Believin’”, Journey (1981)

“Believe”, Cher (1998)

“Pour Some Sugar On Me”, Def Leppard (1987)

“Freebird”, probably tied with “Sweet Home Alabama”, Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973 and 1974)

There’s so many songs that get a lot of airplay, and I’m sure there’s a lot of lists out there. What’s your list? Let’s discuss it further in comments.

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Who doesn’t love tacos? Who doesn’t love a shot? Who doesn’t love Stevie Ray Vaughan?

Usually when I’m cooking I’ve got something playing in the background. Music can make or break a meal, and not just the music that’s playing while you’re eating, but what’s playing when you’re preparing.

I didn’t have a cold shot, but I was spinning SRV’s excellent 1987 album, “Live Alive” last night while I whipped up some classic middle school tacos. A compilation of several live performances, there are a few stand out tracks that showcase the musicians and made my time in the kitchen fly right by.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Double Trouble drummer Chris “Whipper” Layton. Whipper and bassist Tommy Shannon really were just that, Double Trouble, but the addition of Reese Wynans on keys warranted that the band should have been dubbed Triple Trouble. If there ever was a rhythm section that was so locked in I’d have to say it was Whipper and Shannon, and the playing on “Live Alive” is standout stuff.

While the opening track, “Say What” is a good warm up for the band, things really start to fall into place around the middle of the second track, “Ain’t Gone And Give Up On Love”. Listen closely and you’ll hear Shannon’s solid bass line and Whipper playing a subtle shuffle pattern on the hi hat and ride cymbal that moves the tune along without making it feel rushed. All the while SRV is being, well, SRV and Wynans is laying down some beautiful accompaniment.

Perhaps my favorite track is “Love Struck Baby”. The song shuffles along and you can’t help but dice onions and cilantro to the beat of Whipper’s snare shuffling along to SRV’s solos and Wynan’s boogie woogie playing.

We would lose SRV in August 1990 but his playing lives on. If you get a chance to catch any of the members of Double Trouble, which are all still very active and out touring, do it. They’re every bit as good as they were backing SRV, and if you need something to play while you’re whipping up your next meal you can’t go wrong with SRV, and a cold shot.

I love street tacos, classic middle school tacos, soft tacos, hard tacos, taco pastor, and even tacos with chicken in it. I’ll take a taco anyway you give it to me.

Here’s my go to, easy Taco Tuesday recipe for classic middle school tacos.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef - I like 85% lean but you can make it with a much leaner meat if you prefer.

• Hard and soft taco shells - You can make you’re own but to be fast I buy Old El Paso stand and stuff and a pack of La Banderita corn tortillas

• Taco seasoning - I sometimes make my own but for efficiency I use Old El Paso Low Sodium Seasoning.

• 2 large tomatoes diced

• 1 large white or sweet onion diced

• 1 large head of lettuce cut in half and cut into shreds. The other half of the lettuce head can be used for sandwiches later in the week.

• 1 can pickled jalapeños if you like it spicy.

• Shredded Cheese - I’m lactose intolerant so I use only cabot cheese.

• Low Sodium black beans, undrained.

• 1 Package of brown rice.

Tools:

Hand held shredder

Food chopper

Sharpe Knife - I still use my grandmother’s set of Rada knives that I’ve had for many, many years.

Large spoon

Spatula

Cookie sheet

Cutting board

Pam Cooking Spray

Prep It:

- I slice and dice my lettuce, tomatoes and onion before I start cooking the meat. I don’t try and multi task here. I have everything ready to go so I’m not distracted while cooking the meat. Work smarter not harder.

- Tomatoes in one small bowl with a spoon for serving, onions in another with a spoon for serving and lettuce on a large plate or cutting board. These items are set on the counter along with a small bowl of the pickled jalapeños so everyone can self serve and put the exact amount and toppings they want on their tacos.

- I do not shred the cheese until the shells are ready. I then shred the lettuce with the hand held shredder directly on the shells since the shells are hot and the cheese melts a little on the shells. I finish off the toppings with a fresh shred of cheese on top of the toppings.

- I put the black beans in a small pot on the stove top but not heating just yet, and I have the rice ready to go for 90 seconds in the microwave.

Cook It:

**I cook on a gas stove top so my “medium heat” may be different from your medium heat of you’re cooking on a electric stove top.

1. Cook the meat in a skillet breaking it into smaller pieces with a spatula until it’s browned. I prefer this metal skillet with Pam cooking spray to keep it from sticking. I use the food chopper to finely chop up my meat right before I add the taco seasoning.

2. Add taco seasoning with half a cup of water. Mix together in the skillet and set back over medium to medium-low heat.

3. While the meat simmers put the taco shells on the cookie sheet and put in the over 7 - 8 minutes or until they are crisp.

4. Warm the soft tacos in another skillet over medium heat making sure you flip them so they do not burn. You just want to brown them. I spray my soft shells with a little Pam cooking spray.

5. Heat the black beans.

6. When the shells are done remove from oven and shred cheese into the bottom of the shells. Same with the soft shells.

7. Cook rice in microwave.

Put It All Together:

Add beef to the shells; this will melt the cheese further. Add toppings. I like to finish off with my shredded lettuce then add more shredded cheese on top. My wife likes to put her black beans directly in her tacos but my daughter and I like to put our rice and black beans together in a bowl as a side. A an option sometimes I’ll add fresh avocado or some lime wedges.

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That’s me in the photo above right around the time I was in the 10th grade. I was setting up my drums for a rehearsal in my band’s practice space, which was the back yard garage we commandeered from my best friend’s dad.

When I wasn’t in that garage behind that Tama drum set, or playing a show in a local bar with that band, I was at home listening to music on my stereo in my bedroom, at a venue listening to a band or hanging out at a friends house talking about music and bands.

I was lucky, fortunate and blessed I had found “my thing” very early on. When other kids my age were asked what they were going to study in college, or what they dreamed of doing after high school they usually had no answer, or they said they were “going school to figure it out”. That was cool for them, but I already knew for certain what I was going to do. I was already doing it. I was already in the music business.

From around the ninth grade on I’ve spent my life involved in music in some form or another. The month after I turned 16 and received my drivers license I drove 14 hours to Sag Harbor, NY to seek drum lessons from the legendary teacher Jim Chapin so I could learn to play drums from the best. This was back when you had to find your way with a paper map and use pay phones. I founded a drum publication in 1993 to get media credentials just so I could get into my first NAMM Show in Nashville, TN. I recorded numerous albums and played and recorded music in a lot of bands. I founded and operated a multi location music school with retail shops for 26 years, and I’ve pinned a hugely popular column for Music Inc. magazine since 2010. I’ve been a adjunct professor in music business studies at Appalachian State University, featured in ad campaigns for cymbal, drum stick and drum head companies as an artist, and written a column for Modern Drummer Magazine. I’ve been on the cover of numerous magazines and part of delegations lobbying on Capitol Hill in senator’s offices for funding and support for music education in schools. I’ve been to parties at rock star’s houses in Malibu, planned national and international drum and percussion marketing campaigns for The Percussion Marketing Council and playdrums.com and been a featured speaker on music education and the effects of music and the brain. I’ve shared the stage with Gene Simmons of KISS, been in the presence of musical greatness on more than one occasion and I can tell you what separates the pros from the amateurs. Now I’m putting those years of musical experiences to work in this newsletter, infectious tunes.

I eat, sleep and breath music in all forms.

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That’s me in 2023 after playing a benefit show for a good friend, Vance Moore, who is pictured on my front bass drum head. Vance was a phenomenal guitarist that took many musicians, myself included, under his wing and introduced us to various styles of music and was always in the front row at shows to support local bands.

Unfortunately, Vance passed away a few years ago and the benefit was raising money to get Vance a head stone. (I’m happy to report we raised the cash and got that headstone for our friend).

Music, and musicians like Vance, saved my life. I was a lost teenager searching for “my thing”. Like many folks, I was hanging with the wrong crowd and on a path to nowhere. I started getting into trouble in 8th grade. My dad would drop me off at school in the mornings on his way to work and I’d walk in the front door of the school, go down the hallway, and walk right out the back door of the building to go skip school with my friends.

One day I came home after an exciting day of doing nothing when I should have been doing math and science in school to find my mom and dad waiting on me when I walked in. The punishment they dished out that afternoon didn’t do much to deter me. I was right back out doing the same things the following week. It took me a few years to find a better path. However, this newsletter isn’t about how I found salvation in the church of Marshall amplifiers and Ludwig drums.

Music wasn’t a foreign concept in my house. My dad was in a band when he was in high school and had a tremendous singing voice. He attended Duke University Seminary and was a Methodist minister, singing in the church choirs at each house of worship he was assigned. My mom pulled double duty as a retirement home administrator and amazing homemaker. While my dad was a man of the cloth he was a rock n’ roller at heart that never lost his love for music of all genres. You could tell where our priorities were just by looking at our entertainment options. Where most families had a nice, large color TV we had a small Magnavox 19” black and white TV in the den. What we lacked in the TV department we made up for in the music department. We had a full size 1977 Seeburg jukebox in our dining room. We’d sit around the dining table and listen to the jukebox while my mom made dinner, or on the rare occasion, when I worked on homework.

My dad introduced me to Elvis, The Righteous Brothers, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, The Bee Gees, Aretha Franklin, James Brown and so many other artists.

My parents weren’t big on my tastes in bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer, but they also didn’t outlaw it in the house. I just had to keep the volume down when they were home.

Music quickly became like another best friend. I had my buddies Steve, Don, Read, Dean, Karl and I had my other buddy, music. If one of the guys wasn’t around I could hang out with music anytime.

When I was down I had music. When I felt like I didn’t have anything or anyone to turn to after a terrible day I had music. When I felt misunderstood I had music. My drums and my radio were my sanctuary.

My drums were also an escape and a differentiator. There were other kids that could run fast, throw a football or baseball further and jump higher. There were smart kids, popular kids and rich kids. But there weren’t many that could play the hell out of a drum set. I’m still playing drums and working in the music business while many of those sports kids have long since hung up their cleats, gloves, helmets and shoulder pads from age or injury.

I’m also still listening to new music and discovering new artists every day. I’m still listening to that same jukebox that my dad had in our dining room. Granted, I’ve added some new 45’s to the rotation, but I still love hearing that jukebox scroll through the albums and the warm crackle of the needle on the vinyl.

It’s been said that everybody has a soundtrack to their life. I’m always working on my soundtrack and my life’s playlists. It’s my hope we’ll turn each other onto something new to add to our soundtracks.

I’m a drummer and musician. Most of all I’m a music fan.

Thanks for being here and participating.

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