RIP: Johnny Winter & Elaine Stritch

RIP: Johnny Winter & Elaine Stritch

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Two serious soulful performers gone. A guitar god who sometimes placed speed (in both ways) ahead of pitch or accuracy, and one of the most galvanizing stage performers (for whom pitch was thankfully never the point) I've ever seen with a particular penchant for the music of Stephen Sondheim....
Predicting the Oscars

Predicting the Oscars

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It is Oscar weekend, with the award show happening this Sunday night. I know there are alot of Oscar watch parties around -- including one at Theatre N downtown. If you are a cynic about this entire business, you'll want to see Deadspin's The 2014 Hater's Guide To The Oscars. The best thing about this take is the commentary on 12 Years A Slave (and I hope they are wrong about this movie's chances of winning):
12 Years A Slave: This movie isn't winning Best Picture. I can guarantee it. And you know why I can guarantee it? Because people are cowards. Schindler's List made over $100 million and has been broadcast on network television unedited and without commercial interruption. Ditto Saving Private Ryan. And every installment of the Saw franchise mints a new fortune. Holy shit, are we fascinated by seeing white people killed. Kill them, torture them, mutilate them, have a white girl assaulted on SVU weekly—WE WILL BE THERE. Can't get enough of it. It's important to let white people know we support them in their time of suffering. But ask people to watch a movie about slavery? "WHOA HEY THAT SOUNDS LIKE HOMEWORK! And, God, it just sounds so brutal, you know? I much prefer movies about race to congratulate me and my fellow white theatergoers on our broad-mindedness. Let's go watch fucking Crash instead."
El Somnambulo Hosts Blues Bash This Saturday!!

El Somnambulo Hosts Blues Bash This Saturday!!

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Yes, this is shameless self-promotion. In one of my many other incarnations, I am Symphony Steve, and I am a volunteer producer with the Arden Concert Gild. I'm bringing in a killer blues/blues-rock show to the Arden Gild Hall this Saturday night at 8 p.m. The opener is the Mikey Junior Band. Mikey Jr. is an amazing harp (harmonica, for those of you who are not blues aficionados) player and showman. Originally from Trenton, Mikey is making a big name for himself regionally and nationally. He's made it to the finals of the International Blues Competition in Memphis. He always has a kicking band, and now he's got a new CD as well. Check him out for yourself inside...
El Somnambulo’s 25 Favorite Songs of 2013

El Somnambulo’s 25 Favorite Songs of 2013

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I am El Somnambulo, and I'm a listaholic. I listen to lots of music so that you don't have to. I don't like my Top 25 list this year, I love my list this year. If you sample these songs, I can almost guarantee that you'll find some stuff you'll want to investigate further. (BTW, Cecile McLorin Salvant's 'Womanchild' would have been high on this list if only I could have found an online version. She's great and, if there's any justice, she'll make tons of money.) So here we go, as always, counting down from #25 to #1:
My Thoughts On The Miley Cyrus “Incident”

My Thoughts On The Miley Cyrus “Incident”

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First, I refuse to buy into the parent "outrage" over their precious children witnessing such an "outrageous" display.  Hello?  It's MTV.  It's what they do - it's their flippin' business model.  Second, if you're one of those people who still thinks MTV is a music video channel... let me enlighten you.  Here's a sample of MTV's programming lineup: 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Real World, Engaged and Underage, Jersey Shore, Lingerie Football League, and, of course, Snookie and Jwoww.  There's plenty more, but that gives you the idea.  So, I'm not going to waste my time over parents who were shocked by a show on MTV. Back to the Miley incident...  (If you haven't seen the VMA video, here it is.) I am not disgusted or outraged by her performance.  I am embarrassed for her.