My First Day at Punk Rock Bowling 2024 Delights Me With Old Favorites and Introduces Me to Some Great New Bands, by Holly Homan “The final act I saw on the first day was my beloved Billy Bragg. I’ve been a fan of his since the late 80s and always see him when he plays …
Mavis Staples is one of the very true American voices left. She sang with the Staples Singers and had many hits with that group. Mavis early on became the featured singer there given her unique sound. Her voice was low and passionate and the only one of its kind. Mavis is a national treasure. I …
Illustrious English singer/songwriter Billy Bragg blends elements of folk with punk all with twangy but grinding acoustic guitar licks. Bragg’s songs focus a lot on left wing politics, pointing out injustices of war and crimes against humanity. Some of his songs are about relationships. Imagine Woody Guthrie meets Bob Dylan meets Joe Strummer and combine …
“I’m celebrating my love for you with a pint of beer and a new tattoo.” For all of his politics, Billy Bragg’s gift for relating the pinnacles and pitfalls of human relationships has always been quite remarkable. I know my friends in East Portland can dig it. – Steve Stav
“Art triumphs over tragedy, music can heal us, can repair us, can take us to another dimension…” – Kerry Candaele, summarizing the message of Beethoven’s Ninth I found a fascinating documentary project on Kickstarter today. With 11 days left, they’re quite close to securing funding. It’s a feature length film about the impact of Beethoven’s …