Free Fallin' - Mississippi Moon Bar

Music has interesting beginnings for all of mankind, some of those beginnings are very, very good, some are quite strange, and some are just downright bad. Spawned from the roots of music, the beginnings can involve singing, instruments, high-energy, low-energy, and even sometimes writing about music. Every one of these beginnings has humble roots from within each and every one of us. For musicians and singers alike popular music often becomes their roots. The problem facing these musicians is whether or not they wish to create original material, or continue forth performing through their influences and material.  So...

Survivor - Halfway Jam

Survival is a tenuous position, you either survive or you become high-grade loam so its very easy to delineate between the two, if you succeed in surviving I suppose.  Depending on your beliefs of life-after-death you may know which way your cookie crumbled but survival is never that easy.  Second chances must be figured into the equation if not for the simple reason that survival and second chances are kind of the same thing.  In the world of music second chances are as close as their next performance.

Banjo Loco - The White House

A whirlwind would be the best way to describe the trip I took in July 2011.  I was in a mad dash to get to Royalton, Minnesota and my very first "Halfway Jam".  On the books that night was the solo act of Stephen Pearcy (Pearcy is also in a band called "Ratt") and as the sound checks were being completed we arrived.  During the show a friendship was born and a new chapter in this blog began.  Why do you care you may ask, well...

Bang Tango - Mississippi Moon Bar

The number two has an amazing power on each of us, at least it seems like it.  It can mean everything from a two-year anniversary or a two-for-one special on pizzas if your name is Giorgio.  It's true that all numbers have amazing "powers" over us but unlike many others two can be used in another capacity, that being a place, second for example.  Second can be used in the capacity of "second place" for example.  I still own a t-shirt from many years gone now with the simple phrase "Second place is the FIRST loser" emblazoned upon its back.  There is still another option to examine, time.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - America's River Fest

Tragedy is the great equalizer.  Tragedy can be reflected in our eyes, our hearts, our minds and our demeanor.  I would chance a guess that with the exception of newborn babies we as a whole have had some tragedy in our lives.  I'm not talking about failing 3rd grade, or breaking up with that girl in 5th grade either.  Not even for the most shallow of people can attempt to justify failing 3rd grade as a tragedy and if you do then you should be put in the attic for twenty years.  Tragedy can also have unintended consequences.  How you ask?

Halfway Jam - The Tenth Annual Family Reunion

Summertime is one of the most highly anticipated times of the year for families as well as those of the single persuasion.  Between softball games, trips to the swimming pool, fireworks and barbeque's on the deck it always seems like the summer is completely full.  It seems that between all of those things that upon learning about a "family reunion" schedules can be rearranged and subsequently trips can be planned.  This summer I did just that, I planned a trip to a "family reunion", but why is that on a music blog?  Well...

Survivor - America's River Festival

Adversity is a phenomena that plagues everyone at some time in their lives.  What happens to a person that faces adversity is really up to the individual.  Yes we all have faced some type of adversity whether it be a test in high school or one's station in life but survivors overcome adversity.  Sometimes one has to have guts just to get to the glory and at other times you have to go the distance and never stop.  Sounds familiar doesn't it?  Why you ask, well...

AD/HD - Wausau, WI

One of the interesting things about travel is the opportunity to catch the pulse of a community by visiting local bars and just take in the ambiance of the establishment and the locals that reside there.  Depending on the day you might be able to catch a baseball game, hear some quality gossip or perhaps a story or two.  If that day happens to be a Friday or Saturday there might be something a little different to take in.  What could it be you may ask?

Styx - i-wireless Center

I've always been intrigued by bands that have some sort of "catch phrase" inevitably it becomes their identity.  Despite the best efforts of many of these bands to avoid those songs in which the catch phrase exists, often times said songs become nothing short of a sore point with them.  Its sad really because for many of these bands that little phrase can keep your career flowing regardless of sales and it can increase their fan base too.  The '80's were teeming with bands that are instantly recognizable and often the title of the song is replaced with that single catch phrase.  Why is that important?  Well...

REO Speedwagon - i wireless Center

Growing up in a "trucking" family I was always aware of different types of trucks (semi and pickup too for that matter) thus there has always been a certain amount in learning about their history.  My Grandfather (Lyle White), two uncles (David and Dale) and my Dad (Jim) have been members of the trucking fraternity so I would be remiss if I didn't assume that this is where my interest lies.  Trucks have always been of interest and the honestly run through the gamete happiness and sorrow.  Why do I mention that? Well...

BB King - Mississippi Moon Bar

Americans have some interesting people we look to as our heroes.  Of course athletes seem to fill our lists of heroes but there is a fascination with royalty and legends.  Its not much of a stretch to think that the "legends" list is filled with professional athletes and movie stars.  The fascination with royalty is an odd one for me but not for the reasons one may think.  Certainly the mixture of legend and royalty is as rare as ice in purgatory but when it happens it can be a beautiful thing.

Todd Kerns - An Interview with "Dammit"

The year of 2012 had a significant impact on this blog (and me too), it featured many bands from the "hair metal" era.  There were so many in fact that I could barely keep up but one show sticks out for good reason.  That show being "Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators".

Joey Ramone

As I was preparing to begin an article on a hard rock staple I was listening to some Quiet Riot and something was triggered in my remaining brain cells.  A realization that the iconic voice of the band, Kevin DeBrow, had left us in 2007 made me think about other famous musicians had left us as well.  Obviously the everyday flock in which we all reside has losses daily from a plethora of reasons but how many of you would want to read about the loss of nobody?  That brings me back to that trigger...

Ted Nugent - i wireless Center

Politics make strange bedfellows, at least that is what we are told by...  Who knows really but one thing is for sure some of those people "in the know" can be just a bit freaky.  Yes we all are guaranteed by the First Amendment freedom of speech therefore we enjoy the ability to voice our opinions.  The problem isn't with their exercising their rights its often what they say that is confused and just plain uninformed.  While what is called the "left" has the point - counterpoint part of their beliefs on a level track its not always on the mark.  What does that have to do with a music blog, well....

Lita Ford - Mississippi Moon Bar

During the era of "hair metal" there was a phenomena that to this day is still perplexing.  At this firestorm that "hair metal" became one had to be cognizant of what they were looking at on the cover art of the associated bands.  The rationale being that some of the sexiest women on the covers were actually men and often were better looking than some women in the world of "pop" music.  Its interesting to think about that comparison, its a legitimate argument BUT was there a deficiency of women in "hair metal"?

Queensrÿche - Halfway Jam

It would be surprising that there isn't some time in our lives that we didn't have that "know where you were" moments.  The attacks of September 11th, the Challenger explosion, the shooting of President Reagan, my high school graduation (trust me that one was touch and go) all are potential moments.  In 2012 I was really starting to hit my stride with this very blog and I had one of those moments.  Why am I telling you?  Why do you care?  Keep reading...

Hairball - Act Three

I had the strangest dream recently, Friday March 8th, 2013 to be exact.  I had this dream about music but that isn't what made the dream strange.  I would chalk the strangest part of the dream to those that made an appearance, and they were some interesting ones.  Yes I could have opened up in therapy, to a psychiatrist or I could even bought a book on dreams, but what fun would that have been.

Trixter - Halfway Jam

Magic, Silly Rabbit's and kids, levitation, David Blaine, Cheap Trick, Vegas and Harry Houdini, each of these are associated in some way to "tricks".  Whether it be magicians, cities, or breakfast cereal we all have a curiosity with tricks.  While we were young, we would stare intently, watching someone doing some type of magic trick, and we would sit mesmerized as the magician (or an uncle at a family gathering) did some type of trick whatever it was.  In the summer of 2012 I felt like that child as I stared at a stage in Royalton, MN.  You may ask yourself, why?  What does magic and Royalton, MN have to do with magic?  Well...