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Anthrax's Frank Bello Brings the Noise—and the Memories

Anthrax's Frank Bello Brings the Noise—and the Memories

Warren Haynes and Gov't Mule Get Heavy into the Blues

Warren Haynes and Gov't Mule Get Heavy into the Blues

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Children's Book Details the Journey of Willie and Bobbie Nelson

By Bob Ruggiero
Nov 22, 2021

In an era where facts can be “alternative” and the political divide in the Lone Star State is yawning to an epic gap, there’s at least one thing that almost all Texans can agree upon: Willie Nelson is a state treasure. Hell, the most famous son of Abbott a national...
Alan Walden's Song of the South with Otis, the Allmans, and Lynyrd Skynyrd

By Bob Ruggiero
Nov 19, 2021

If you had to compare the size of a city to level of musical influence, it would be hard to beat the yawning gap of Macon. After all, it’s there in “The Heart of Georgia” where Little Richard honed his performing chops, Otis Redding brought his deep R&B and soul...
An All Access Ticket to the Rock Show—From Those Who Were There

By Bob Ruggiero
Nov 18, 2021

It’s common among a performer or band’s superfans to note something along the lines of “Yeah, their studio albums are great. But you really need to see them live.” Outside of the different sheen a live performance can put on a song though, that’s not the reason people go to...
Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy Finally Get Their Documentary Due

By Bob Ruggiero
Nov 9, 2021

On many a Classic Rock fan’s shortlist of groups who have thus far been denied by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Thin Lizzy is usually high on the ranking. And though mainstream U.S. audiences only know “The Boys Are Back in Town” or (perhaps) “Whiskey in the Jar”...
Graham Nash's Life Through the Lens

By Bob Ruggiero
Nov 5, 2021

Graham Nash has been making music for more than 60 years. First with friend Allan Clarke, then as the pair co-founded the English Invasion group the Hollies, and later as a member of Crosby, Stills and Nash (and sometimes Young). He also had a consistent and intertwining solo career. But...
Robby Krieger Opens the Doors of His Memories

By Bob Ruggiero
Oct 25, 2021

Of all the classic rock bands, the Doors might have the most solid connection with literature. After all, they were named after Aldous Huxley’s must-have-hippie-bookshelf-title The Doors of Perception. Singer Jim Morrison wrote reams of poetry and lyrics, anthologized in this year’s The Collected Works of Jim Morrison. The late...
Dion Goes Wandering Around the Blues [UPDATED]

By Bob Ruggiero
Oct 15, 2021

Long before most music stars were big enough to go by one name like Cher, Madonna or Bono—there was Dion. One of the last remaining performers from the Golden Age of Rock and Roll, he’s best known for his impressive string of vocal group hits both with and without backing...
Go-Go's Drummer Gina Schock Gets Snappy in New Book

By Bob Ruggiero
Oct 8, 2021

Almost as much as music, Gina Schock has had a love for an interest in photography for her entire life. And that includes before, during, after, and again during her career as the drummer for the Go-Go’s. Backstage, onstage, at house parties and in various airports and hotels, Schock always...
Houston Concerts Unearthed from Texas Bluesman Mance Lipscomb

By Bob Ruggiero
Oct 7, 2021

When college campuses and music cognoscenti were in the grip of the folk/blues revival in the early 1960s, it seemed that every few months a new blues performer was “discovered.” These were Black men often tracked down by record collectors and music historians like Alan Lomax and Dick Waterman who...
Purple Prose and Pictures Tell a Prince's Tale

By Bob Ruggiero
Oct 4, 2021

Since the sudden and shocking death of Prince in 2016, there have been several books released on the Purple One. Among them the bios and photo books like My Name is Prince, Prince: A Private View and Nothing Compares 2 U; detailed works on his studio sessions and a memoir...
Mike Barfield Comes Home. And He's Ready to Dance!

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 30, 2021

It’s the morning after Mike Barfield has played his regular Thursday night gig at the Continental Club in Austin, so he’s shaking off a bit of fuzziness. The ragweed count around his house isn’t doing his allergies any favors either. Still, he’s more than happy to be able to say...
Yes Keyboardist Geoff Downes is on a Proggy Quest

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 29, 2021

When MTV recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, the old trivia question about “What was the first video ever played on the channel?” came around again. It was, of course, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the English duo Buggles, made up of singer/bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes. In 1980...
The Many Mugs of Stevie Van Zandt Come Together in New Memoir

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 27, 2021

When talking to the multi-hyphenate man Stevie Van Zandt, it’s a challenge to pick just which version of him to discuss first. The guitarist/best bud of Bruce Springsteen and core member of the E Street Band who also has a thriving solo career? The actor in groundbreaking cable series like...
This Kingfish Swims in the Deep Blues Sea

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 23, 2021

In Blues Mythology, there are few geographical locations more sacred and storied that Clarksdale, Mississippi. In the heart of the Mississippi Delta, it’s the area where many contend the music was born, fermented, and bred its earliest stars (though residents of New Orleans might beg to differ). Plus, it’s just...
Rickie Lee Jones Won't Run Out of Chances

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 16, 2021

It’s common for musicians to feel that their work lets listeners into their minds, their souls, or their hearts. It’s less common that fans are invited into their actual homes. But that’s what many artists did — at least virtually — when the pandemic caused mass cancellations of tours that...
Gordon Gano on the Violent Femmes' Reissue and Return to the Road

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 13, 2021

The Violent Femmes are just three gigs into their first live shows since the pandemic started. And singer/guitarist Gordon Gano is pretty much just picking up from where he left off. “Well, the stage is the place to be after 40 years of us doing it. In the past, we’ve...
John Mellencamp's Life of Roots, Rock and Rebellion

By Bob Ruggiero
Aug 31, 2021

It’s telling about John Mellencamp that his nickname, “Little Bastard,” is not only a sobriquet that he revels in, but does his damnedest to live up to. His tough-as-nails/loud-as-a-motorcyle-engine persona and songs have helped define an image and put him on the same shelf as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger and...
The Drive-By Truckers Book a Road Trip of Music and Geography

By Bob Ruggiero
Aug 27, 2021

First, let’s start off with that name. It was never meant to stick, only a dark humor-laden joke among band members for a group whose sound, home base, and even lineup were meant to be fluid back when it all began in 1996. “If we had known people were going...
Memory Builds The Monument: Documentary Celebrates Fifth Ward's Club Matinee

By Gladys Fuentes
Aug 25, 2021

Last September the State of Texas officially honored Houston’s Fifth Ward by designating it as a Cultural Arts District, making Houston the city with the most Cultural Arts districts with a total of seven neighborhoods. “This area down Lyons that is just known for its history and heritage,” says Harrison...
The Metal Magic of Ronnie James Dio Shines in Posthumous Autobiography

By Bob Ruggiero
Aug 19, 2021

When Ronnie James Dio—announced in 2009 that he had stomach cancer, it certainly gave him an impetus to complete the autobiography that he’d been working on for a while. He’d already had a sizable chunk of the manuscript written down in what his widow Wendy Dio said was his “beautiful...