Hedwig storms onto" East Bra"

                                 "I was born on the other side

                                  of a town ripped in two

                                   I made it over the great divide

                                      now I'm coming for you"

Neil Patrick Harris explodes back onto Broadway, or as Hedwig proclaimed on this night " East Bra", in the opening number " Tear Me Down" and she never lets up for an emotional and celebratory 85 minutes of one of the best rock operas ever written.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch takes back this wicked little town by searing this inspiring cult phenomenon into the collective consciousness of a new and broader audience, while remaining true to it's origins and die hard fans and not sugar coating a thing. This new revival, with  book by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, of the off Broadway production is now front and center with a 21st century Hedwig, who has never gone out of style, reincarnated in an electrifying performance by Mr. Harris.

                                         After the first Saturday 10:00 PM show.

This work with its universal themes of searching for self, traumatic suffering, survival, love, and rebirth , weaves these complex emotional motifs with some of the most original rock music to hit the great White Way. Music that draws off the raw power of early punk and classic 1970's glam rock and for good measure throws in a beautiful ballad that would make Phil Collins envious.When one considers Hedwig's dual past, first there is the original off-Broadway show and second the cult classic film, starring and directed by the incomparable John Cameron Mitchell. So why tamper with perfection? Well folks this show was always destined to reach Broadway and its messages  are needed more now than ever.

I won't give too much away but as it has  already reported Neil's Hedwig is ready to interact with the audience spontaneously and with biting sarcasm. I highly recommend that you do not walk in late for the 10:00 PM performance as you will come under the full scorn of Hedwig's eye as she calls you out in her sultry German accent " How can anyone be late to a 10 o'clock show?"

The stage direction by Michael Mayer is in your face and raw but equally intimate and insightful. To this reviewer what propels this show to greatness is the lighting by Kevin Adams, which embraces the best of both worlds. Allowing your eyes to indulge in the spectacle and hues of live performance rock as well as the emotional nuances of a dramatic musical.

                                          The Hurt Locker Musical?

Hedwig's partners in crime are  Yitzhak, the multi-talented and glorious Lena Hall, and her band the Angry Inch. Featuring guitarist and musical director Justin Craig, bassist, guitars, keyboards Matt Duncan,  guitarist Tim Mislock, and drummer Peter Yanowitz who are all exceptional and understated in their stage presence.This band lets the music speak their dialogue and not their wild hair. 

Foremost this show is about the music and this sextet soars and rocks as they perform a re-worked glam rock version of " Sugar Daddy" to a ripping orgasmic version of " Exquisite Corpse". If you are a  rock fan you will be  very pleased as the music is load and clear...oh what a great sound system will do. This ensemble also provides luscious rich harmonies which are showcased in the reprise of " Wicked Little Town".

If you are a traditional Broadway fan you might subscribe to that old belief that " the music should never be louder than the voices"...well prepared yourself for a "Tommyesqe" journey and rock out with the rest of the audience and leave your inhibitions at the door.

Neil brings all of his professional tools and gifts to this memorable performance. From his torch light rendition of " Wicked Little Town"   to a moving interpretation of " The Origin of Love" Mr. Harris has moved the goal posts considerably.

Lena Hall is her Romeo, or better yet her Yitzhak, and brings street cred to mainstream audiences with a complicated and endearing transgender character. Ms. Hall especially shines on " The Long Grift" which painfully documents Hedwig's world as it starts to come apart, but just as quickly Neil's serenades us with a deeply moving and confessional " Hedwig's Lament". Despair quickly disintegrates into  one more release of rage as Hedwig moves closing to become whole again and finding her/his true self as the mind bending " Exquisite Corpse" has Hedwig leaving it all on the stage.

Audiences may have trouble  following  Hedwig's final transformation as  it may have been necessary to give more details to how we got there but working in one act may have made that a challenge.

The rapturous " Midnight Radio" will leave you beaming from ear to ear and celebrating with Hedwig and Yitzhak as you have just witnessed the best thing happening on Broadway at this moment.

I will note that Neil's Hedwig is buff, very buff, in this role. The physicality that the role demands possibly could not have afforded anything less but to to this reviewers eyes JCM's Hedwig was gorgeous and more feminine.

Neil's Hedwig is harden and almost too masculine at times and a magnified exaggeration that would almost suggest a bad drag queen...which we all know Hedwig would never be. Regardless the end destination for both Hedwig's is the same and as equally moving. 
                                 "Breathe feel love
                                       Give free
                                  Know in your soul
                                  Like your blood knows the way
                                  From your heart to your brain
                                  Knows that you're whole"

                                           Lena Hall working that line.
  

  

Studio 59~ A cultural renaissance yearning to be discovered

It is always wonderful when you come about to something new and refreshing. That discovery is even more rewarding when it becomes a moving cultural and musical experience. Much gratitude goes out to a brief mention in the weekend section of The Registrar Citizen, which I came upon just by chance at work, I discovered a new and wonderful oasis that had gone unnoticed to me and my partner, and I am sure for many others for far too long...Studio 59.

Nestled on a quaint unassuming street in Torrington your host, creative director, and proprietor Timothy Alexandre Wallace will warmly greet you as your climb the steps of this  Victorian era former church.

On this snowy February night I attended with my sweetie to celebrate Valentine's Day  and to enjoy  Mr. Wallace perform the program Rachmaninoff the Romantic.

Stepping inside this spectacular space you are  greeted with an abundance of Victorian inspired charm with warm inviting winged back chairs, shelves of antique books that range from the Greek classics, to the great English poets to New Age  books on Atlantis. There is a mishmash of beautiful throw rugs, numerous candelabras,two roaming cats, luscious plants, eclectic medieval inspired wall hangings and Tiffany and Art Deco lamps galore.

You are also entering Mr. Wallace's personal home as well as his performing space and the details of his decorating nearly cover every inch of this inviting space, one which you could spend hours investigating and being delighted at with what you discover. At the center piece of this grand room is his majestic Steinway piano. I have to add his kitchen was a delight as well and he served his guests on this night a variety of sweets and a wonderful tea punch.

Mr. Wallace is as equally a generous host as he is a virtuous on the piano. He is also a passionate resource of endless insights into the music that he loves and performs. He began this magical night by humbly introducing the program and sharing the historical significance of the great Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. (1873-1943) His demeanor is both sincere and self-effacing, he is also a teacher of music and that quality shines through in his approach to relating the music to the audience. Mr. Wallace is also passionate and laughs frequently as he was brutally honest about the challenges of playing any of this master works.

 

I am far from an expert on classic  music but I do know great music and playing and right out of the gate Mr. Wallace plunged in with joyful abandonment and precision into Preludes, Op. 23 (composed 1901-03).

The second piece of the night No. 4, D major: Andante cantabile was stunningly beautiful as it was transforming as you hung on every sweet note.

Another thrilling highlight of this evening was Mr. Wallace breath taking set ending explorations of Etudes Tableaux, Op. 33 ( composed 1911)  both No. 7, G minor: Moderato which was haunting and No. 9 C Sharp minor: Grave which was exquisite in its reach and mastery. 

A short intermission ensued and that gave us pause and the chance to wander around the space and mingle in the kitchen. The evening closed with the final set as we were treated to more of the soul moving Russian Romantic master.

I have to say the most  moving piece came near the end of the set as Mr. Wallace blew us away with his reading of Etudes Tableeaux, Op. 39 No.5, Eminor: Appassionato. In this piece you see hear a transition in Rachmaninoff's composing as he clearly introduces  the influences of music from America, hints of ragtime interposed with an almost Bernstein- Copeland twist are a  refection of the changes occurring at the dawn of the 20th century.

For the final piece Mr. Wallace played possibly Rachmaninoff's most familiar piece Rhaspsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 18th Variation. But first he treated us to playing Paganini's original theme to give us the scope of and depth of Rachmaninoff's interpretation. The piece was elegant as it was simple.

For the encore Mr. Wallace treated us to a piece of improvisational classical music, a personal passion of his and quite rare these days. He later explained to me that it has  sadly become a forgotten piece of classical music history as both Brahms and Mozart were quite  renowned for this type of spontaneous playing.

Mr. Wallace prefaced, this never performed piece, by  sharing that after playing the works of Rachmaninoff his influence would spill over into this composition.

It surely did and it was a joyous and moving composition that danced between the past and present, joy and longing, greetings and goodbyes, and left all of us smiling and reflecting on the beauty of creation as well as the fleeting quality of life as sadly this piece would be never be performed or heard of ever again.

Bravo! Mr. Wallace.

2014~ The Year Of "Who Do We Have More In Common With?"

I am not one to predict how the future will unfold but I am a  believer in how our intent in the present moment can influence and create outcomes...positive or negative as we all move forward into 2014.

So looking back, from the American perspective, on 2013 it was a year of manufactured distractions, gridlock, and standing by your principles in American politics.

I prefer not having to regurgitate the pathetic statistics of the performance, or rather lack of any performance, by the members of Congress this past year but if we all exhibited even just one week of the type behavior in our own professions, it would be  quite clear that the majority of us would have been fired from our jobs.

As a member of Congress with this type of performance you still receive a base salary of $174,000 a year, weeks of vacations time, a work week that is barely four days a week,  excellent health care benefits for you and your family, and a pension after five years of service at age 62.

So what would motivate you to do any more or work any harder for your constituents?

An election? Hardly. The way the 2014 mid-term elections may play out is any one's guess. What I do foresee are two things.
First continued manufactured crisis' to distract the American public from the real issues of Main street.

Secondly the  continued influx of the obscene amounts of money that will flood into local and national elections races by Super Pacs and other special interests.

The greatest and most appalling fact is the America public gives both houses of Congress a  big pass on either of these two points.

There is no public outrage or accountability directed to the members of Congress to address these excesses.

On one side you hear the battle cry " We need to take our county back!" First you have to ask from whom? I say this because when the majority of money fueling this narrative is from billionaire capitalists, you have to wonder is it their own special interest they have at heart or the interests of the working class people of America?

If you look at the economic data it is the latter.

On the other side you don't really have one clear message but the underlying theme is we are going to hell in a hand basket at the excesses of the cultural wars, corporate greed, and special interests in America.

From a polling perspective it is still a 50/50 split on these two views.

The more we stay divided the more things stay the same.

Americans do need jump in the driver's seat and begin steering the car but who are  you going to trust with the keys?

Your neighbors? Or some patriotic sounding Super Pac running endless TV commercials? Or a self-promoting politician?

I think 2014 needs to be the year of "Who do we have more in common with?" The wealthy special interests? Or our own neighbors, co-workers, and strangers we wait in line with at the grocery store?

Sadly over the last  few decades we have lost a sense of community and civic pride as we have been pushed into a partisan driven illusion of days past and greatness lost.

Things are different today in many ways and if you want to live in a romanticized Norman Rockwell painting... well the 21st century is clearly not for you.

People are yearning for what will be this generation's calling. It is clearly not war or terrorism but it needs to be something closer to home and right on our own streets. A good quality of life, a well paying jobs with  benefits, and good quality schools for all of our kids.

That is not so complicated or even hard to achieve but if you are stuck inside the beltway it is a million miles away and unsolvable.

People clearly " don't trust the government" anymore and that may be  a sad necessity of the times but why would you trust a Super Pac or a corporation even more? Both have proven to have, and continue to, abuse and manipulate the public trust and the harsh reality is when it comes to corporatism and Super Pacs there are very few if any check and balances to their power and influences.

Do you ever wonder why not one Wall Street executive has not been convicted of a crime  connected to one of the greatest economic collapses that occurred back in 2008-09?

There are numerous reasons why and sadly they start in both the Executive and Legislative branches of our government and thanks to the Citizens United ruling the Judaical branch can be included in this as well.

The majority of people in America believe in equal and fair treatment for all but that is not the case anymore.

If you would just take the time to talk to a neighbor or a stranger at the grocery store you will begin to see this. The simple fact is that the majority of Americans are all in the same boat, but it may be pride,foolishness, or ignorance that we just don't allow ourselves to accept this fact.

Acknowledging this fact that you are just like everyone else is not a sign of weakness or failure it is what makes this country great. It also makes us part of something bigger than ourselves and includes us in a place, our country, were we  can all  freely be who we want to be.

This fact should empower us not divide us.

So steeping into 2014 later tonight think about all those strangers around you...they are the future or our country. A future that needs to be fairer and works for the common good of all. A future that will need all of us working together toward a more perfect Union.

Remember these are the people who you have more in common with, so reach out your hand and introduce yourself and lets begin manifesting that future we all dream about right now.

Happy New Year everyone.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

   ― Mahatma Gandhi

NRPS~ Bridge Street Live~ December 27th, 2013

A full house greeted the New Riders on a crisp December  night in cozy Collinsville, Connecticut.

The first set was excellent as the set was rich in upbeat twang but also featured many of the tracks off the band's landmark first album.
Dave Nelson and company launched into a rolling " Where I Come From" which set the mood nicely. They next  jumped into a sweet version of " I Don't Know You". It was clear that Buddy Cage, who is battling Multiple Myeloma, was in fine  form and his solos were very sweet, prolific, and beautiful through out the set.

The band continued on grooving with tracks off their first album by offering fine renditions of  " Last Lonely Eagle" and " Whatcha' Gonna Do"  both which featured rich harmonies and that still very relevant plea for environmental awareness. The  band might find it  cool that numerous bald eagles do winter on this stretch of the Farmington River these days.

Dave then pulled out an  old classic " Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie" made popular back in the early 1980's by the Grateful Dead. The Riders next launched into a joyous an rambunctious reading of " Henry". Bassist Ronnie Pengue  nailed it and the entire band pushed it along a barrel neck speed as Henry raced down below the border. Once again Cage soared on this one as his solos were vivid and joyous. This continued on with a newer song " Joy Is in The Journey" which featured drummer Johnny Markowski's vocals and some fine picking by Dave.

They also played some wonderful covers. Guitarist Michael Falzarano made sure that Bob Dylan received proper credit for penning " Lo & Behold" which the audience loved. One of the best songs of the night "Contract" which was all you could ask in a tune, a great groove and a compelling story.
Buddy was in his element on this one too.

They closed out the first set with a majestic " Louisiana Lady" once again featuring rich harmonies and that story telling that only the NRPS can do. The icing was put on the cake with that old Stones' classic " Dead Flowers."

Set II  took off with a barn burning reading of the Hunter/Nelson tune " Barracuda Moon" with Dave really stepping out on it. Buddy played some wild stuff as well. This set featured more vocal  driven tunes such as " Lockinvar", which was drummer's Johnny Markowski's best song of the night, and others that featured great harmonies and slower melodies.  Songs like Suite at the Mission symbolized this.

 Dave reluctantly played " Panama Red" but did share his hilarious efforts at learning the song backwards, since he played the song way too often for his likings.

The  night ended with a fan offering a cool gift to the band, a blanket with Pig Pen's image woven into it.

Dave shared the story, on the search for an after party, from nearly five decades ago of how Pig Pen was bestowed his name. They played a sing -a-long version of " Ripple" for the encore in his honor.

If you would like to make a contribution to help assist Buddy Cage in defraying his recent medical expenses, his  good friend and fellow musical spirit Pete Sears has created the Filaments Project. It features  bracelets made from strings from a Washburn guitar that Pete owns. All profits from the sale of the bracelets will help Buddy.

Syria: Obama's Self-Fulfilling Prophesy

This coming Tuesday night President Obama takes his flawed and risky foreign policy argument for a military response against Syria, for their use of chemical weapons against civilians, to the American people.

It  is clearly becoming the biggest political risk he has ever taken after five years in office and could set the stage for even more dysfunctional strife and complete inaction with Congress in the last 39 days of this current session if his Tuesday night sales pitch fails with the American people.

After more than a week of vague classified references and high ranking politicians, of both parties, warning of an eminent threat to our  national security, all the rhetoric eerily similar to the lead up to the Iraq war. It is clear where the people stand;the over whelming who have contacted their elected officials by email, fax, phone, and at town meetings, the American people want nothing to do with striking Syria and honestly seem to be much more cognitive of the unknown risks that could result from an unprovoked attack against Syria.

Americans are not unsympathetic to the plight of the Syrian people nor are they not shocked by the horror of more than 100,000 lives killed in this bloody civil war. It the simple realization that this war  has spun completely out of control and the despot Bashar al-Saad is set on destroying his own country to stay in power and every willing jihadist is now or soon will be fighting in Syria to try to defeat him.

With that reality why would the United States ever want to jump into this awful civil war?

Now Obama's red line has turned into the world's red line and after leaving the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg Friday with his tail between his legs, it is clear the world is not in the mood for drawing any red lines either in Syria.

The biggest flaw in this dangerous contemplation is we have not even been presented the evidence by the Obama Administration yet and this as the world awaits the results of the U.N. chemical inspectors.

A rush in judgment could results in another decade of armed conflict for our country in the Middle East.

On Washington Week Friday Susan Davis of USA Today shared that AIPAC is ready to pound the halls of Congress next to win votes in the House for a military strike against Syria,

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said it would cost " tens of millions" to support a military strike. This will surely jump to the hundreds of millions after Senator McCain's change in the language in the  Senate Foreign Relation Committee Resolution on Syria which states " Whereas the objectives of the United States use of military force in connection with this authorization are to respond to the use, and deter and degrade the potential future use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government;"

The key words are "degrade" and " weapons of mass destruction"  which leaves the door wide open for a longer and more costly armed conflict. Just to put things in perspective it cost $40 million a week to keep the aircraft carrier U.S.S Nimitz in the Perisan Gulf with out firing one missile.

So for Obama is this a humanitarian or moral calling?

Or is it simply just another excuse to prolong and embed our country in the never ending war which only benefits the tentacles of the terrorist industrial complex?

Tuesday night you be the judge.

Photo courtesy of Greenwichtime.com

Blue Jasmine: Watered down Woody

Woody Allen's return to Manhattan is  not the city it was thirty five years ago. Gone are the thick skinned native New Yorkers who openly complain bitterly and with sarcastic irony their love/ hate relationship with the city that never sleeps. Also gone are the neurotic self absorbed intellectuals trying to make sense, any sense of it all.

New York was the city that once promised the keys to a new life as Sinatra once proclaimed "" If I can make it there..I'll make it anywhere" Fast forward to today to bear witness to a gentler and safer city, one where even Brooklyn has fallen into the fold. A gentrified play land for the uber wealthy, who's latest cultural achievement is the cronut and who openly wheel and deal on Wall Street in the generic office towers manning the machines that make  hundreds of micro trades per seconds. All in the name of profit.

With a  story  line that pulls right off the heels of the Bernie Madoff Ponzie scheme, one that pilfered $18 billion off thousands of duped investors, who sadly at times fought over one another to get into Madoff's elite action.
The film begins with what I do believe is Woody's first foray into CGI, as a artificial looking jet liner streams west above dreamy white puffy sun soaked clouds with  our protagonist Jasmine Blue aboard.

What is the greatest short coming of this film begins right off as Jasmine, the compelling Cate Blanchette, painfully demonstrates that she is the worst airline  passenger that never stops talking and to boot she is a drinker too. This scene is  funny but also reveals the greatest weakness of the film, we do not talk to each other anymore...we only talk at each other. For Woody Allen fans this is a fate worse than death.

Photo courtesy of Indiewire

Jasmine is heading to the other wickedest city in the world... San Francisco, another city that is not what it once was; to crash with here estranged sister Ginger, played affectionately by Sally Hawkins. Jasmine's life has been turned inside out and upside down after her husband Hal, the miscast Alex Baldwin, illegal business dealings finally catch up with him, which result in the lifestyle of this excessively rich couple coming to an abrupt and crashing halt as the government takes everything and sends Hal up the river.

 Once at Ginger's cramped apartment Jasmine has her first "social" outing. One that is part blind date and  rude awakening of  how the other 99% live. As Jasmine continues to pound down one Stolie martinis after another she is berated with question by Ginger's  fiance Chili, played old school by Bobby Cannavale, who presses her on how  she will now "make it" without her millions.  It is here the delusions that mirror the archetypal Blanch DuBois begin to show them self. Jasmine barely emotionally survives this prodding from Chili, but once again the dialogue which could have occurred never occurs. Chili basically talks at Jasmine and there is nothing clever or revealing that comes out of this exchange. Jasmine was more than capable to go toe to toe with Chili but instead she just surrenders in her martini glass.Should we pity Jasmine or hate her? The one good thing that comes of this is Jasmine get a  job tip from her would be blind date. 

In a series of flash backs Allen  sets the story in motion as we  see Jasmine and Hall blossom in their life together as theirs becomes a magical and disconnected one from  most people's reality. Allen does not make serious commentary about this it is only part of Jasmine story until Ginger and her former husband Augie, played convincingly by Andrew Dice Clay, come to New York to visit. It is in this scene that you see the disdain and blatant self absorption that both Jasmine and Hal display as they are the world's most selfish hosts.

Just by chance in the limo provided by the "generous" Hal to secretly give Jasmine the day off to playing  host for Ginger and Augie's Manhattan tourist adventure, Ginger witness' infidelities by Hal outside a restaurant with another woman. She sadly does not tell Jasmine this fact but does confide in a drunk Augie who agrees she should do the right thing.

Tragically that does not occur and the next day while in the Hamptons Augie commits his recent lottery winning to Hal's winning investment strategy.

For all who are  touched and seduced by Hal and Jasmine's life only bitter heartbreak will follow.

Cate Blanchette carries this movie but  sadly she carries it alone. It is an Oscar worthy performance by her  a portrayal that will have you gradually becoming more emphatic to her delusions, whether real or constructed, and hoping that some semblance of normalcy will await her. Tragically that is not to be. 

Unfilled dreams are often the a hallmark of a Woody film and there is plenty of misery to go around in this one. The only justice in the film is a cruel twist of fate as Augie delivers the crushing and appropriate blow to a broad sided Jasmine.

Watching this film you are left feeling incomplete. Not by the fall of the once  vibrant and sophisticated Jasmine or even by the heartbroken and lost Jasmine but by the complete lack of any compelling, quick witted and biting Woody dialogue between characters. That is what is sorely missing in this film. The dialogue that opens,expands, and challenges emotions as well as the story arch of the characters involved who need to intellectually fence with each other, regardless of what level they may be on, to claim there own ground. Too many of the players performance's are squander to the point of being cliche. Sadly Ginger role is most evident of this as she never comes into her own or holds Jasmine accountable for her role in her fate and unhappiness.

Is it a sign of the times? A painful fact that we just don't have the  time, or the patients, anymore to expect movie makers to write characters beyond the obvious? When it comes to Woody Allen movies we do expect  that and more.

Woody's love affair with the New York skyline is sadly over too as their are no panoramic full screen views of this changed city. Is that deliberate? Is this city no longer a place of bewilderment? Maybe. Well at least we got a couple good shots of the Golden Gate.

                                         Photos courtesy of World's Best Places

A great read on a cool crisp Saturday morning.

Regardless if you are a Progressive, Conservative, Socialist, Libertarian, or Tea Party person. This recent speech from Noam Chomsky, which he presented in Bonn, Germany, is exceptional.
For many of us  folks who are concerned about a wide variety of political, economic, social and environmental issues. This piece will help to stimulate a  deeper understanding of the world we live in, the role of historical events presented in a different light, and the urgent need to deal with our problems in ways that contradict our accepted known beliefs .
If you prefer for a deeper intellectual, but also quite honest, escape from the 24/7 rhetoric of the moment...
dive in.
If you would like to hear Professor Chomsky speak sometime like his  Facebook page or visits his web site.
Here is the link to the speech.
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/17/chomsky_the_u_s_behaves_nothing_like_a_democracy/

"In the attics of my life, full of cloudy dreams unreal."

It has been eighteen years today since Jerry Garcia passed on. His thirty year legacy of music is still as relevant now as it was back in 1995. For the hundreds of thousands who lives crossed with Jerry's musical life it became a life changing experience. Whether it was through the many Grateful Dead and solo project records or the different projects he collaborated on and contributed to with the many like minded artists ranging from the Jefferson Airplane, he played on Today, to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with Jerry's classic pedal steel guitar on Teach Your Children.

What clearly was the greatest force of grass root exposure for his music was the cassette tape. More specifically the cassette tapes of live Grateful Dead concerts. All through the  1970's, 1980's and 1990's the Grateful Dead performed hundreds of concerts and many of these were recorded by their  fans, as well as the band. A practice that as time moved on was "allowed" and by 1984, eventually endorsed by the band  as they created a  section behind the sound board for tapers.

You could say the Dead were "Occupying" the record industry as their libertarian take on the music  business led them to even " leak" sound board recordings of many shows. Some of these  boards  had legendary status with Dead Heads, such as ones that their early sound man Bear recorded or the "Betty" Cantor- Jackson  boards from 1977 to the Wall of Sound shows from 1974.  These were coveted and what was the most important detail was what generation it was?

You might be wondering what that meant but back in the days of analog recordings the  more you copied a cassette tape the more the  sound quality could, or more likely would, deteriorate. This could be a result of the equipment used, the type of tape and if it was normal or high bias, or whether  noise reduction;most notably Dolby, was  used or not used on multiple generations of copies of the tape. Tapers wanted " crispy" boards and 1st or 2nd generation audience recordings.Many of us  had "hissy" boards from 1972 or 1973 but it was still acceptable to listen to. Actually it was required listening.

Generally if you wanted high quality cassette tapes of Dead shows you had to  know a taper or start trading.
The majority of us were traders. We would slowly build our collections trying to find the best sounding copies that were out in circulation first in our home towns trading with our  friends or the older heads in town. Next it was the neighboring towns and then entire state. We would network with other traders at shows and and more than likely some older taper with hundreds of tapes would throw you a bone and ask for your list and give you his mailing address. This would  create much excitement in the hearts of young Dead Heads. Eventually we would type up our tape list and rate the sound quality, you had to be  very honest in this regard as if you tried to misrepresent what you actually had you were violating taper edict. Finally you had to list  all the tapes in chronological order in your collection.

If you had an address from a head from the last show you saw you would drop your list in the mail and wait. The day that this older heads  tape list arrived in your mail box was like Christmas day. Words from this taper's list would jump out at you like golden beams of light. Shows from 1969, 1972, 1974, or 1977. Legendary locations  such as Veneta, the Filmore West, the Warfield, or the Greek held mystical status. Or simply descriptions such as sound quality excellent or a 2nd generation sound board. You would be quickly over whelmed and overjoyed. Which ones should I choose? Back in the days before Dead Base. It was the lore spoken  by fellow heads of the must have shows from the past. Places like Winterland , to run down coliseums in the northeast or Red Rocks these where the pantheons of our culture. Plus the Dead made sacred ground where ever they played so choosing was not always easy. The other condition was if the other person only wanted 3 or 4 tapes from your list, then that is all  you could ask for in exchange. This was the perfect barter system. Another condition was the tape of choice preferred by the majority of all tapers the Maxell XLII-S.

The other aspect of  being a taper is  you needed two tape  decks to make copies so you would reel off the copies of what your new buddy asked for as quickly as you could, this might mean running your  tape decks for hours on end and into the wee hours of the morning. Then you would drop in a short note of thanks and package them and drop them in the mail.

Within in a couple weeks you would get your  new tapes and begin making  copies for all your friends who were not traders. That was also the other rule of tapers, they always made copies for their friends.
Granted it was a pain in the ass sometimes but you did it none the less. You  had a responsibility to share the magic.

Another fun and rewarding way of connecting with other traders was to go through the classifieds of fan mags like Dupree's Diamond Blues or Relix's and mail your tape list to some other head hundreds or thousand miles from you in the hope that he or she, the majority of tapers were male, would be interested in your list. This was also a  way you could meet these people at shows if you or they traveled. You might be juggling two or three other trader's requests at one  time and running  your decks 15 hours a day. You would start doing five, six, or ten tapes at a time for these new  friends and very quickly  your collection would blossom to 100 or 200 tapes or more.

You also had to start buying your Maxell tapes in bulk as the  traditional retail store was too expensive.  It was very common to buy them by the case, or "brick", through the mail from Terrapin Tapes.  As your collection went beyond 200 tapes you would  become much more selective in what you wanted and particularity the sound quality. You would  go through folks list with a fine tooth comb cherry picking their best and they would do the same with you. A tape a that six months  ago was rated very good, but was actually a  good, was no longer acceptable. Tapers always want to up grade the quality of a killer show, and since cassette tapes  could be taped over it was easy to do.

Then there were the tape covers you could make or buy on tour to personalize your collection. Next you needed storage racks, if you had a  girl friend this was always a problem, and you wanted them on full display in the living room. So that you  could easily access them any time your wanted. This of coarse included organizing them in chronological order and constantly rearranging sections of your collection to accommodate the newest tapes you collected.

By this point you could  have major issues with your relationship because  all of your free time was taken up making copies and then after a tour? It only  got worse...or better. It was a never ending cycle . Bay area shows at Chinese New Years. Spring tour in late March. Summer tour. Fall tour in September  I eventually joined a taping Co-Op out of California and  would real  off dozens of copies of FOB, front of the board, audience tapes as I would get first generation masters for my service.

To say it was a labor of love and that is an under statement. As Bob Weir sang " Too much of everything is just enough"

Then on August 9, 1995 it all  came to a crashing halt..well sort of.

Enter the 21st  century... everything changed the community of tapers/traders changed. We have the Archive now so you can stream almost any show you want, at any time, any where.
We now have Youtube where now all the " illegally" taped concert videos are popping up every day. Plus you get the killer official releases from deadnet too.
We also have couch tour in which the modern day tapers live stream shows they are taping through UStreams and  you can  join in from the comforts of your home.

It  has a created a new freedom for all us former traders but it is not the same.
We  have lost that community. A community in which we interacted in many ways that honored the  human condition more and the spirit of the counter culture movement.
We had a living culture that we helped document and shared. A culture that was one of the  funniest and most adventurous cultural oddities of the 20th century... The Grateful Dead and boy were we were head over heels in it.

Garcia's music in the 21st century continues to inspire a new and younger audience as well as a new generation of performers.
That is what is important.
No longer does the  love affair for documenting and enjoying live music need all the work that so many of us did 18 years ago.
All you need now is a Ipod, a lap top, and a good wifi connection.

So the next time you are in the attic or that forgotten closet remember all those millions of  feet of magnetic tape sitting in boxes collecting dust and as Jerry sang,
"Polished like a golden bowl
The finest ever seen
Hearts of summer held in trust
Still tender young and green
Left on shelves collecting dust
Not knowing what they mean"

Lucky for us we were blessed with Jerry's live music presence to know what "they  mean" and we are all still very grateful all these many years later.
God speed Jerry.

                                                             " So Many Roads" 9/28/93

" Honey the bridge done washed out!"

Williamstown Theatre Festival is currently hosting the world premier of the new Marsha Norman and Jason Robert Brown musical The Bridges of Madison County  which is slated to begin  it run on Broadway in January.
As the trend of reproducing iconic movies and novels continues on Broadway this may be one of the most highly anticipated new shows for 2014 but even more importantly one of the most challenging to adapt.

The Robert James Waller novel sold over 60 million copes and was on the New York Times best seller list for over three years. It was adapted into a very popular film directed by and staring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep, who was nominated for an Oscar for her  role as Francesca, in 1995.The film  grossed over $71 million dollars domestically and worldwide took in over $110 millions is ticket sales.

The novel, which was initially scoffed at by critics and the publishing elite, became a pop phenomenon and was embraced by it's fans, who still consider it one of the most  passionate and compelling romance novels written in the late 20th century. So to say this is not an easy undertaking to adapt and  transform this work to a musical and Broadway is an understatement to say the least.

Staring Elena Shaddow as Francesca the Iowa housewife and Steven Pasquale as Robert the wandering Nation Geographic photographer, who is sent to Iowa to photograph covered  bridges. Their random meeting is the result of the Robert being lost and asking for directions. This begins the four day odyssey that will change the  both of them forever.

Is this housewife escapism fantasy? Yes and hardly no as Francesca was complex, strong, and intelligent in both the novel and the film. This is revealed in this quote about her feelings for Robert. " And in that moment everything I knew to be true about myself up until then was gone. I was acting like another woman, yet I was more myself than ever before" No shame or guilt in that realization.

Sadly this musical does not take, or even use, the source material to create a modern romantic, passionate and compelling feminist interpretation of this story. Instead Norman chooses to  desecrate the  romance of Francesca and Robert and reduce it to cliche gender stereotyping of the worst kind.  The wife with two bratty kids and a well intention husband who has willfully lost his spiritual and sexual connection to his wife years ago and only expects a well cooked dinner on the table.

She is over worked and under appreciated. Just another disappointed and stuck Midwestern woman.
The complete opposite of the literary and film versions of Francesca.

Robert, who abandon his young first wife,  is the artist and the wandering beatnik. He is the white knight in blue jeans and cowboy boots who comes to her "rescue".

Marsha Norman also injects a nosy neighbor and best friend, who is the traditional family moral consciousness of the show, but  who continually adds comic levity peppered with sexual innuendos that instead work to undermine the importance of why these two people make a connection in the story and sadly prevent it from being explored as Francesca and Robert do in the novel and film. These sub-characters and the amount of time spent telling " their" stories is both unnecessary and a complete distraction.

As for the music the first act does have some  beautiful orchestration written by Jason Robert Brown, who chooses to pull on many modern influences to try to create the depth and insight needed to understand and be drawn into Francesca and Robert's romance. You get a early Joni Mitchell inspired " Another" sung by Robert's ex-wife. Robert and Francesca's first number together is " Wondering" which is the seventh number of the show and is good but does not drawn you into their world. The lyrics are the weakness in many of the songs in this show, as many are rather simple and prevent any real emotional expression or depth for the characters. Norman's book only compounds this as the interactions between Francesca and Robert are often limited to surface only interactions. The intelligence and insights of the novel are neglected which prevents the audience from  understanding these characters' choices and feelings. Plus the lack of chemistry between Shaddow and Pasquale is also disappointing as well.

One of the best number is " You're Never Alone" which is sung by Bud, Francesca's husband played by Daniel Jenkins, and is  about the community they  live in but sadly does nothing to propel the story. "The World Inside a Frame" does a good job of providing details into Robert's passion for photography, light and noticing the moment. The nosy neighbor Marge, Cass Morgan sings a bluesy tune that is the soundtrack to Robert and Francesca's slow dancing which leads to their first  kiss is also quite good. " Falling Into You" is good but leaves you wanting more from this romance so far. Shaddow and  Pasquale do get to showcase their vocal prowess on this closing number.

The second act opens with the redundant " State Fair" with a  chorus of "Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh... at the state fair" repeated so  often I felt like I was in a episode of Glee. The romance of Francesca and Robert is almost complete abandoned in this act as we are continually forced feed back story that deludes the romance even more. The number that brings back together Francesca and Robert is " One Second and a  Million Miles" left me wondering why? " We are only one second with a million miles to go" If this is the pinnacle moment of their  romance please take me out to barn and shoot me now.

This is  followed by the worst and most unnecessary number in the show. " He Forgave Me"  It begins as a letter read by Francesca's fourteen year old daughter Carolyn, played by Caitlin Kinnunen, which was sent from Francesca's promiscuous sister Chaira back in Naples. This is simply the whore Madonna complex number of the show. As  men are reduced to boys with toys and woman are unapologetic adulterers who are in complete control of their far from equal partners. This  song  borders on misogyny and completely invalidated Francesca's experience as a woman who can explore her own sexual destiny on her terms.

This is followed by the nail in the coffin of this show by the return of  Bud and the kids from the state fair in Indianapolis. They come home to a Francesca, who has now become a frantic housewife who forgets to make dinner for her returning family and is racked with guilt for her "sins" after romping around with Robert for the last four days.Any dramatic opportunity for a real exchange between this husband and wife is simply squandered as Bud quickly surrenders after he does sense something has occurred while the family was away and quietly goes off to bed.

The next two numbers fast track years of  ups and downs with her family as well as Robert's life in ways that are devoid of any really drama or feeling. Its  simply to tie up the very loose ends by reaffirming that being a a" good" mom and wife for the rest of her life was Francesca's destiny.
June Cleaver would have been proud.

Then you get the "convenient" death of Bud but then guess what? You get the neighbor Charlie, who also kicked the bucket, and Bud singing the clever " When I'm Gone" but it is too little too late.
Freedom for Francesca? Liberation to follow her heart?

First we need to hear from the beatnik cowboy...who is now full of regret wondering if Francesca ever called and is quitting his job,burning old photographs, and disappearing to who knows or rather who cares where.

The closing number " Always Better" could not come close to capturing that spark of spiritual love and mutual certainty that the novel granted Francesca and Robert with. A  brief deep sexual and spiritual connection, that both in the book and movie, enhanced these characters and was part of who they were and to become. It was a positive life changing experience and not a painful selfish mistake that was meant to haunt them for the rest of their lives with regret.

A far more effective approach would have been to dump the sub-characters and focus solely on Francesca and Robert using duets  between them to express their feelings and the depth of their brief and life changing connection.
Instead we are left with predictable and generic fare that carries no emotional weight at all.

Grateful Dead~Morning Dew 3/25/93

The spring of 1993 is often overlooked in Grateful Dead history. I do disagree with this view. Jerry was sober and back playing. His energy and voice were very clear and there was new material to boot.  On this tour there was also another major difference in the fan's reaction to Jerry' s recovery compared to the spring of 1987 return. On that tour Jerry was worshiped at every show and would give fist pumps during songs and fanned his guitar as well aka. like Pete Townsend.
It was quite special. On this tour people were very grateful but it was more business as usual in many ways. The Chapel Hill shows were noteworthy for the music as well as soundman Dan Healy throwing out a patch to the tapers, who were pleasantly shocked, and it was a  first. The music from both nights were the best nights of that tour.
The first night is most often spoke of, with the Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds , which is one of the best  version they ever did play, but the second night's second set is much longer and deeper and ends with this quintessential version of Morning Dew.
With clarity and conviction  Jerry's playing is simply majestic on this version. He is emotional and present in his  vocals and his playing is subtle as it is poetic and played with an intent and focus that is pure Garcia. With this  great camera shot you see all of it.
The bridge and the finale is very  sweet and beautiful as Jerry plays softly hitting every note he reaches for and perfectly builds it  up to a dramatic peak and even Jerry knows it. This reading is easily one of the best of the 1990's
So all you Jerry heads crank it up!

Visions Of Johanna, 2/21/95 ☮ Grateful Dead

It is always welcoming when  a soft steady mid-summer rain lulls to sleep. You enter that world of deeper sleep and dreams. With soft grey skies at dawn you are still very much in a deep  restful sleep, and at least for me, it was a morning when you  hit that snooze button a couple more times... maybe even three?

This beautiful song will help you stay in that dream like state all morning.

Mark Mulcahy's newest album: Ear candy for the soul

In today's music world the majority of music listeners now limit themselves to the one or two tracks of an artist they like or think are cool. They download one song and it quickly get lost in the shuffle of the hundreds already on their device of choice. The pleasures of listening to an artist's record in its entity has become a thing of the past... unless you are a fan of Mark Mulcahy.

Mark's solo records quickly become a sound track to the listener's life. Each track you listen to grows in fondness and familiarity for you.What separates him from his contemporaries is what  he can do with his voice, his music, and especially his lyrics. He is simple one of the best song writers out there.

His newest release in over eight years is Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You  and is available through the Mezzotint label. In many ways it is his best solo record to date. Unlike the celebrated, and cerebral, In Pursuit of Your Happiness . This record jumps out at  you. In the opening track  I Taketh Away Mark delivers a punchy get up and move anthem on the frustrations of avoidance and choices peppered with religious commentary that is equally sarcastic as it is  insightful.

This street level  insights continues with the next track Everybody Hustles Leo which begin with a shuffling drum beat that is sexed with the clangy guitar riff of Mark's rich sounding electric hallow body guitar. This song seduces you with the opening line "She tried to sell me some sky, she kept it in her wonder bra" is the song that places you on that seedy avenue on the wrong side of town where the protagonists Leo is a willing  participant at the  hands of street folk and happens to fall in  love with the dealer or is it the white stuff ?

This is  followed by the next track that deals out infatuation with an S & M twist with a woman who is in complete control of her man. She Makes The World Turn Backwards is hilarious as it is seducing. Who is she? Have you know her? Do you want to know her? Will she hurt you? In Mark's world when he sings

 " black and blue that is the way with you. The worse is yet to come. The crowds are yelling jump!  Its jump you fool" We all have a voyeuristic desire to be controlled by dominant and unforgiving sexual force of nature. In this song you are  more than willing to go for the ride.

Mark's fourth track is a funky Dada type number that is part Animal Farm and a late night cartoon and could also be an ode to the zoo animals of Forest Park in his hometown of Springfield. Let the Firesflies Fly Away is  lyrical gem, filled with wild metaphors on a cast of characters from the ark as Mark sings with conviction and power as he drives the tunes through with a gospel inspired passion for freedom. He ends it with a child  like fancy as the title reveals.

What will also strike you by now is the wonderful production on this record. Co-produced by both Mark and Henning Ohlenbusch  the sound is rich, bright and has an analog warmth to it. Henning is also a vital part of Mark's current band along with Ken Maiuri.

Mark continues to populate this record with characters that are obsessed with religion like with He's a Magnet with its soft core chorus. To friends who may be always be there to recharge our batteries in My Rose Colored Friend a song that  we can all relate to as Mark sings in the chorus " All we want is a straight story from somebody"

Bailing Out on Everything Again with its chop stick keyboards melody is as  beautiful as it is haunting as the singer  fall in love in things he hate and is not filled with rage  but instead with a romantic complacency.

Badly Madly is possibly the most bittersweet song Mark has every written on being in a love triad. With its lilting English country ballad music dancing  with an accompanying flute like syn sounds. Mark's poetic  lyrics illustrate both a plea and a warning for his love choosing the wrong man. Mark's rich and sweet voice is not demanding her affection, but instead using clever prose to express his heart " I don't believe you feel as badly. If he loved you madly... like I do, like I do"

This is juxtaposed with the poppy Posion Candy Heart, possibly an reaction to be dumped in the previous song? Or is she from that seedy avenue Leo inhabits? Once again Mark takes the role of a man done wrong but is more than a willing victim as he sings "Your serious but wonderful...reckless as a chainsaw...thrilling in the bedroom and I am average in so many ways"

This triad of love songs ends with the most amazing track on this record. The Rabbit. Once again Mark shows his brilliance as a lyricists as he displays such yearnings tempered with contempt for the predicament he  has once again placed his heart in ." Wilting willingly your too much to handle...and I am just a  Chinese candle on the window sill." In once sentence Mark's mastery of perception of two lovers is put on full display. Who can write such lyrics? Sadly not many these days. The music is both sad as it is is beautiful a lap steel guitar helps foster the sense of loss or is it acceptance?

The final track is Where's The Indifference Now?  is a powerful commentary on suicide and our celebrity obsessed society. One in which we want to know everything but honestly are not moved  emotionally to do anything about such tragedies. We just rubber neck or even worse are inconvenienced by such events as the unknown character declares " Don't interrupt my evening. I am on the phone and watching TV" upon finding out about the poor kid next store.

Lucky for fans of Mark Mulcahy's music we are paying attention and do notice and appreciate the nuances , insights, and paradoxes in the worlds that Mark paints and we are very well rewarded for such efforts on this record.

You can be as well and  in less than thirty five minutes too.