A.J. Swoboda’s latest book, The Dusty Ones, has a title evocative of a Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western. However, the actual content of The Dusty Ones deals with a different kind of grit, namely the interrelationship between wandering and spiritual maturity. For anyone caught somewhere between Egypt and the Promised Land it is a worthy read. […]
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert launched last week and the first shows demonstrate great promise but some weaknesses as well. As a big Colbert fan, I must admit that I’m rather biased in favor of rooting for his success. Thankfully, there is plenty to root for. – I’m glad to see Colbert has embraced […]
Death Cab For Cutie’s new album Kintsugi is more Death than Cutie, but it still has plenty of Cab to make it a worthwhile journey. The album’s title, Kintsugi, comes from the Japanese art of repairing or transforming broken pottery with gold, silver or platinum lacquer. Instead of hiding the breakage lines of the pot, […]
The Holidays are a whirlwind of busyness. Consequently, I don’t have much spare time to write this review. Thankfully, I don’t really need to write that much to fully communicate what I thought of the 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of A Christmas Story: The Musical. So here I go with as few words as possible… […]
The national touring company version of the recent Tony Award winning revival of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess has reached the 5th Avenue Theatre. If you desire to hear powerful melodic voices sing haunting harmonies and melodies within a surprisingly complex musical drama, then buy a ticket before Porgy and Bess leave town. The choreography […]
My older brother Jeff gave me Noah Gundersen’s album Ledges as a birthday present. Before I received this gift, I knew nothing about Gundersen’s work. However, when Jeff called to see if I had downloaded the album yet, I began to suspect that I was about to hear something really good. Jeff and I don’t […]
This morning someone forwarded me an anonymous email from the Emmy planning committee. I assume it came from the NSA or a 14 year-old hacker who was upset that Glee was once again shut out of the winner’s circle. Anyway, this email might shed light on why this year’s broadcast seemed to have some consistently […]
Last night I experienced the touring production of the Tony lauded musical Jersey Boys at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre. The show hunkers down in Seattle until May 4th, after that, it’s back on the road for the world’s best Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons cover band. If you enjoy catchy tunes sung really well, […]
Meredith Willson’s The Music Man is so catchy, the Center for Disease Control reports there is still no known cure. After coming into contact with The Music Man, some individuals report difficulty peeing. Primarily because P rhymes with T and T rhymes with P and that stands for pool. This makes little sense to the […]
I don’t know if I actually like Lana Del Rey’s music or perhaps her voice is holding me hostage. I first heard her on Saturday Night Live. Her performance seemed to contrast the “live” aspects of the show. While watching her “sing” it appeared to me that a highly sedated villain from a 1970’s bond […]