Russ Giguere of The Association Words He Uses to Describe… by Jay S. Jacobs In the introduction to his new autobiography Along Comes the Association, long-time band member Russ Giguere good-naturedly explains to the reader who exactly he is and why he felt the need to write about his life in The Association. It is a joke, obviously the reader knows who he is – they wouldn’t be reading the book otherwise. However, it does have a note of truth to it, as well. Even though The As

Jane Birkin Cultural Icon/Singer/Actor/Writer Presents a One-Time Concert – Birkin Gainsbourg The Symphonic by Brad Balfour In the late-'60s, a French song, "Je t'aime, moi non plus," came out and stirred both controversy and accolades as well as becoming an international pop hit – even getting considerable airplay in the very uptight USA. As sung by Jane Birkin, with her hushed, breathy, half-whispered vocals, it prompted explicit sexual fantasies – just as Serge Gainsbourg,

ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON AND THE BAND Featuring Robbie Robertson, Ronnie Hawkins, Dominique Robertson, Jonathan Taplin, John Simon, Elliott Landy, David Geffen, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Martin Scorsese, Van Morrison, Peter Gabriel, Taj Mahal, Jann Wenner, George Semkiw, Grant Smith, John Hammond, Jimmy Vivino, Bill Scheele, John Scheele, Larry Campbell and archival footage of Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, George Harrison and Bob Dyl

Greta van Fleet – The Met – Philadelphia, PA – December 29, 2019 – Photo by Bailey Allen © 2019 Greta van Fleet – The Met – Philadelphia, PA – December 29, 2019 Greta Van Fleet Completes Triumphant Year, Wowing Crowd in Philly Greta Van Fleet hit the Met in Philadelphia for the first of two make-up shows to conclude a year of worldwide touring. The show made up for any delay and put an exclamation point on the band’s trajectory. The new darlings of updated retro rock delivere

David Crosby: Remember My Name DAVID CROSBY: REMEMBER MY NAME (2019) Featuring David Crosby, Jan Dance, James Raymond, Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, Henry Diltz, Enrico Merlin, Stephen Barncard, Cameron Crowe, AJ Eaton and archival footage of Graham Nash, Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Paul Shaffer and Glenn Frey. Directed by AJ Eaton. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. 95 mi

Barbara Rubin & the Exploding NY Underground BARBARA RUBIN AND THE EXPLODING NEW YORK UNDERGROUND (2018) Featuring Ara Osterweil, Amy Taubin, Jonas Mekas, Wendy Clarke, J. Hoberman, Joey Freeman, Stella Jane, Richard Foreman, Stephen Bornstein, Gordon Ball, Rosebud Feliu-Pettet, Susan Baustman, Debra Feiner Coddington, Randall Bourscheidt, Bracha Dean, Ahron Horowitz, Rafael Weingot, Selma Katz, Brett Aronowitz, Itka Brill and archival footage of Barbara Rubin, Allen Ginsberg

Nico, 1988 NICO, 1988 (2018) Starring Trine Dyrholm, John Gordon Sinclair, Anamaria Marinca, Sandor Funtek, Thomas Trabacchi, Karina Fernandez, Calvin Demba, Francesco Colella, Freddy Drabble, Matt Patresi and archival footage of Andy Warhol and Nico. Screenplay by Susanna Nicchiarelli. Directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli. Distributed by Magnolia Pictures. 93 minutes. Rated R. 80s cult-favorite new wave band named Gene Loves Jezebel released a single called “Nico Superstar” from

The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY (2016) Featuring Elsa Dorfman. Directed by Errol Morris. Distributed by Neon. 76 minutes. Rated R. Errol Morris is arguably the best documentarian of the last 30-40 years. He’s certainly one of the most diverse. In recent years, he is best known for doing long, detailed interview films with men who are extremely controversial, to the point that they have been called war criminals b

Richard Barone, Steve Addabbo & Eric Bazilian – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – June 17, 2017 – photo by Chris Sikich © 2017 Richard Barone, Steve Addabbo & Eric Bazilian – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA – June 17, 2017 World Café Live was transformed into a 1960’s era venue last Saturday, as Richard Barone brought his covers album Sorrows & Promises: Greenwich Village in the 1960’s to life. With help from the expert musicians Steve Addabbo and Eric Bazilian, the sho

Wesley Stace and Eric Bazilian – Tin Angel – Philadelphia, PA – February 1, 2017 – Photo by Chris Sikich © 2017 Wesley Stace and Eric Bazilian – Tin Angel – Philadelphia, PA – February 1, 2017 On February 1, I took my last trip to the Old City venue Tin Angel before it closed for good of February 4. A place steeped in memories for so much of Philadelphia for 24 years and for me as well (one my first dates with my wife was to see Andre Lipke there in 2009), to see two titans o

Kris Kristofferson Kris Kristofferson – The Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA – January 25, 2017 Songwriter.  Movie star.  Outlaw.  Rhodes Scholar.  Addict.  Singer.  Soldier.  Character actor.  Sex symbol.  Penitent.  Athlete.  Storyteller.  Poet.  Party Animal.  Silver-Tongued Devil.  Military brat.  Rebel.  Highwayman.  Janitor.  Half of a celebrity couple.  Cowboy.  Old coot.  Legend. Kris Kristofferson has worn a lot of hats in his eight decades on this mortal coil.  Howeve

Petty Fest 2016 Petty Fest – The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – September 13, 2016 As the fortieth anniversary of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was upon us, people of The Best Fest decided it was only right to host a tribute show, hosted by The Cabin Down Below Band. Among several guests, the lineup included The Shelters, Brandon Boyd of Incubus, Norah Jones, and Matt Schultz and Matthan Minster of Cage the Elephant. A dedication to the 80s band, the show brought in peop

Kiefer Sutherland – World Cafe Live at the Queen – Wilmington, DE – May 11, 2016 – Photo by Jim Rinaldi © 2016. Kiefer Sutherland – World Café Live at The Queen – Wilmington, Delaware – May 11, 2016 Onstage, actor Kiefer Sutherland – best known for the TV series 24, but who has also done many movies over the years including Stand By Me, The Lost Boys, A Few Good Men and Mirrors – good-naturedly acknowledged that he had taken on a different business model for his first cross-c

Jill Hennessy – World Café Live – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – December 2, 2015 Photo by Jim Rinaldi © 2015. Jill Hennessy A Little Bit of Comfort by Jay S. Jacobs There is sometimes a bit of mistrust of actors who suddenly decide to become musicians.  And while it is true that some of them are trying to exploit their name recognition, more and more often it is turning out that those actors really are talented singer/songwriters who just became well known in a different mediu

Warren Zanes Warren Zanes Writing the Book on Tom Petty by Jay S. Jacobs Thirty years ago, Warren Zanes and his brother Dan led a hip rock band called The Del Fuegos.  The Boston-based band released three albums on the cutting-edge Slash/WB label, gaining a cult following, but never quite making the breakthrough that was expected.  Probably their career high was getting the coveted opening slot on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Southern Accents tour. Zanes, who had grown up

Jeff Lynne’s ELO – BBC Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park JEFF LYNNE’S ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA – BBC RADIO 2 LIVE IN HYDE PARK (2015) Featuring Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy, Milton McDonald, Lee Pomeroy, Donovan Hepburn, Marcus Byrne, Bernie Smith, Melanie Lewis-McDonald, Mick Wilson, Iain Hornal, Chereene Allen and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Directed by Janet Fraser Crook. Distributed by Eagle Rock Entertainment.  173 minutes.  Not Rated. Electric Light Orchestra was one of the premier

Adam Horovitz, Amanda Seyfried, Ben Stiller & Noah Baumbach at the NY Press Day for “While We’re Young.” Ben Stiller, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Horovitz & Noah Baumbach Examine Life While They’re Young by Jay S. Jacobs What happens when hip young professionals in New York City reach their forties and realize that they are no longer as hip nor as young as they had always imagined? This is the quandary behind Noah Baumbach’s latest film While We’re Young, his second collaboration w

Roméo Testa performing at the Union Transfer in Philadelphia on October 12. Photo copyright 2014 by Ally Abramson. Roméo Testa Contemplating The End by Ally Abramson Roméo Testa is a young singer hailing from Los Angeles. At only nineteen years old he is blowing up the music scene. Testa recently released his debut EP “The End.” The EP has six songs, each with its own special meaning to Testa. The songs range from heartfelt ballads to more upbeat and lighter tunes, but all ar

Mary Wilson Mary Wilson Supreme Talent By Mark Mussari Mary Wilson is standing on stage in the amber glow of a spotlight and singing “Here’s to Life,” a jazzy autumnal number about embracing the passage of time.  Could any voice be better suited to this wistful tune?  Wilson reaches deep into her warm alto for the bluer notes and then opens into full throttle for the song’s more expansive moments.  With its emotional twists and turns, the performance is a tour de force, a mov

Jaci Velasquez JACI VELASQUEZ AMAZING GRACE by Abraham Kuranga Jaci Velasquez has been a bonafide superstar in Contemporary Christian Music for quite some time now.  She has accumulated numerous awards and accolades including a Dove Award, the CCM genre’s equivalent of the Grammy Award.  All the success in such a short time has not taken away from whom Jaci Velasquez truly is. “I’m just a normal person,” confesses Velasquez.  “Okay, so my family says I’m not so normal!”  Whet