Darren’s Great Unknowns »
Great Unknowns: Off Broadway
This column is dedicated to featuring those bands that aren’t household names but, to my ears, should be. Growing up in a small town in southern Michigan, the closest major city was Chicago. We
Read More »springsteen circa ’81
In 1975, music critic Jon Landau, having seen Springsteen’s performance at the Harvard Square Theater, wrote the immortal words, “I saw rock and roll’s future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.” Print
Read More »the knack at carnegie hall
From the moment I heard Bruce Gary’s infectious drum beat on the intro to “My Sharona”, I was hooked. I had never heard of this band, The Knack. Then, of course, they were everywhere.
Read More »Amy Winehouse BBC Sessions
One of the most dramatic success stories of 2007 is Amy Winehouse, who first captivated us with her stunningly retro hit, “Rehab”, then flew off the rails in a haze of drug and self-abuse.
Read More »Boston – alternate "Boston"
I was such a wee lad when the first Boston album came out in 1976 that I remember little else from the time, but I distinctly remember how much an impact the record had
Read More »Snow Patrol – Alternate Eyes Open
I dig Snow Patrol. There, I said it. I liked Snow Patrol back when they were just an Irish band getting some BBC airplay for their first album. In hindsight, the first album sounds
Read More »Alternate Beatles: Help! and Abbey Road era
The Beatles were my first love, musically. I remember being a young kid and having my uncle play me a copy of “Help!”. I hadn’t even heard of the Beatles and, from the first
Read More »part two: cheap trick live ’79 (l.a. forum)
In our second installment of tracks from Cheap Trick’s legendary New Year’s Eve show at L.A.’s Forum, we’re going to forego any further delay of gratification and focus on the hits. “Give the people
Read More »cheap trick live at l.a. forum new year’s eve 1979
On New Year’s Eve 1979, Cheap Trick, riding a crest of massive international success via the multi-platinum At Budokan record (and the newly released Dream Police), came to L.A.’s Forum arena and rocked it
Read More »Boots Week: Cheap Trick Germany ’83
In trying to figure out which Trick tracks to make available this week, I figured I’d showcase a particular show that included some material that we as Trick fans haven’t already heard ad infinitum
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