The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir [Netflix, 2014]

One of my favorite things is discovering a band that is already established, and you get to immerse yourself in their entire catalog, seeing the choices they made from one album to the next, etc. It’s been a while since there’s been a band I dove headlong into like that, but here I am withContinue reading “The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir [Netflix, 2014]”

Quarantine Pop Culture Recommendations

So, things are bad. Like, real bad. Bleak, dystopian-novel-bad. I live in Kansas, where some people are so hard-headed that they are ignoring the CDC and spouting “it’s just the flu” and mad that their gym is closed. I won’t get into a rant, but my point is that most of you are probably goingContinue reading “Quarantine Pop Culture Recommendations”

The Perks of Being a Tear-Harvesting Deity

The past week has been…interesting. For those that may not know, along with writing and photography, my other passion project is a music website and podcast I handle with my friend in California (you can visit Kill Boring Music to read reviews, check out our concert photos, and listen to episodes of the show, orContinue reading “The Perks of Being a Tear-Harvesting Deity”

Reverend Horton Heat/Fishbone 09/30/17—The Cotillion Ballroom, Wichita, KS

You could make a lot of assumptions about the city of Wichita, KS. You could assume it’s a flyover state hellhole devoid of any culture or art, but you’d be (mostly) wrong. You could assume it’s a city full of hayseeds and rednecks who don’t take kindly to outsiders, but you’d be (mostly) wrong. YouContinue reading “Reverend Horton Heat/Fishbone 09/30/17—The Cotillion Ballroom, Wichita, KS”

The Black Dahlia Murder 08/20/17—The Crown Uptown, Wichita, KS

I’ve been a Wichita resident for eleven years, and a metal fan for considerably longer. Until recently, those two things—being a metal fan and residing in Wichita—rarely intermingled, as live bands playing anything but country or classic rock were few and far between (Steve Miller Band, anyone?). There  was the occasional metal show here andContinue reading “The Black Dahlia Murder 08/20/17—The Crown Uptown, Wichita, KS”

Chaos with a Smile: Andrew W.K.’s The Power of Partying Tour

In  the pantheon of great motivational speakers, certain people come to mind: Saturday night, thanks to an overwhelming sense of curiosity and a girlfriend who’s always up for something new, saw me at a venue normally associated with rock performances, hosting a rock singer. This, however, was different. It was a spoken word appearance byContinue reading “Chaos with a Smile: Andrew W.K.’s The Power of Partying Tour”

So It Goes; Russian Circles

So, August turned out to be a pretty shit month for me and a lot of people I know. I try not to be one to complain, but…just wow. Talking about it here, in a (relatively) public forum, may seem to some people like I’m oversharing or not keeping something private that others may notContinue reading “So It Goes; Russian Circles”

In Defense of Amy Winehouse

Her reputation preceded her—in my case, anyway. I was vaguely aware of “Rehab” and thought it was catchy, but it seemed like a gimmicky novelty song playing on people’s nostalgia of the old girl groups of the sixties. I liked the rebelliousness of the lyrics, though as time went on it became clear that rebelliousContinue reading “In Defense of Amy Winehouse”

Auditory Time Machines and The Concert from Hell

A while back on Facebook there was a thread going around to list the first ten albums that sprung to mind that were special to you and had stuck with you over the years. It was a lot of fun, and not just in making up my own list but seeing the lists my friendsContinue reading “Auditory Time Machines and The Concert from Hell”

The Grammy Awards: Your Uncool Uncle

“The Grammys is the one award that doesn’t matter to anyone until they win one.” For 15-20 years, I dismissed the Grammys as utter crap. It all started back in 1989, when they decided to branch out and recognize heavy metal and hard rock with its own category/award. And in a year when Metallica’s …AndContinue reading “The Grammy Awards: Your Uncool Uncle”