Category: Everything Else

Hey Beach Boys fans, who would you rather go see live: Brian Wilson and his band, or cousin Mike Love and his band?

Team Brian: You get an all-star lineup of a composer in the same league as Beethoven and Gershwin, former Beach Boy Al Jardine, and legendary everyman Blondie Chaplin. Also included in the package is a larger-than-life backing band, both in sound and quantity. The last of the Wilson brothers may be immensely physically fragile amid his troublesome past, but even the coldest of people can’t help but get chills when that quivery voice croons out God Only Knows.

Team Mike: The more corporate version of The Beach Boys, featuring the original lead singer, and semi-original member Bruce Johnston. Their setlist consists of 30 mostly earlier songs per night, and Mike, whose voice has remained fresh for his age, does a damn good job keeping up with the times. (he’s a frequent user of autotune when remaking those timeless Beach Boys jams for his own solo credit.) But when the nasal-voiced frontman hits the stage, note that he almost always wears his own merchandise.

Remember back in 2012 when Brian and Mike put their differences aside, and conducted a Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tour with Jardine, Johnston, and David Marks? Well, it’s very likely that in 2021, they’re gonna do it again. (I’m so sorry.)

In a recent interview, Chicago Concert Reviews asked Al Jardine what it would take to get the group back together. He confirmed that there’s probably no need for negotiations as such. “Oh, it will happen. We’ll probably do about 20 or 30 [shows] together next year…That’s the 60th anniversary next year.” he announced.

Supposedly, Mike Love has also expressed interest in celebrating the California quintet’s big 6-0. In his own less-recent interview, he expressed that his first concern was if Brian is up for it. “I hate to see him in bad shape, because [he’s] my first cousin and we did such great things together and stuff.”

So will the hatchet be buried, yet again? Brian, among many others, has expressed much disinterest towards his cousin in the last few years, but music is what keeps him going. Despite everything Mike put him through, hopefully he can, somehow, find it in his heart to sing with him one last time. Just so we can see those five together again in the flesh.

Heck, if a tour does happen, maybe John Stamos will show up. Or even better, Blondie Chaplin.

Hey, hey, it’s…two of The Monkees.

Two years ago, original members, drummer-singer Micky Dolenz and sporter of the wool cap Michael Nesmith united for their first ever tour as a duo, properly titled The Monkees Present: The Mike and Micky Show. Nez very seldom toured as a Monkee until Davy Jones’ shocking passing in 2012, only sitting out the bulk of the group’s 50th anniversary tour in 2016 from then on. Micky, on the other hand, has been there for literally everything the band has ever done. Every tour, every album, every song, he’s been there.

If you’ve ever given a thorough listen to some of those older (and newer) Monkees recordings, you’ll probably notice that Micky and Nez’s voices have always sounded like honey when blended together. That’s the whole idea behind this tour: Not only to celebrate the two Monkees who are left, but also to commemorate the true musicianship that these two shared, and continue to share.

I was lucky enough to have caught this incredibly special affair on an early stop in Denver, and of the three Monkee shows I’ve seen, (Davy Jones in 2008, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz in 2016, and this one) it remains the most memorable. So based on the setlist, of which both die-hards and casual fans could agree on, I was ecstatic to read the news that the tour had been documented, and set for a CD and vinyl release. While we still have two months until we get to hear it on wax, fans still got a general release on streaming and CD on April 3.

While the dynamic duo managed to squeeze in most of the Monkees’ greatest hits (Last Train To Clarksville, I’m A Believer), the factors that truly made this album a home run were the deep cuts they threw in. I remember dropping my jaw in shock at the actual show, because I never thought I’d get to hear I’ll Spend My Life With You live. While that one was (sadly) axed from the release, you’d be crazy to complain about the setlist. As for Nez tunes, Sunny Girlfriend is only the second track out of 25. The live version of The Door Into Summer was the second of two singles released to promote the album. And a literal “missing link,” St. Matthew, has never in written history been played live until this tour.

Micky got his heart-stopping chance to show off his chops through deep cuts, too. There weren’t as many as Nez had, but Micky had most of the hits that show, so give him a break, alright?! Though it’s a lesser-known song, As We Go Along, off of 1968’s Head, has been a frequent addition to Monkee setlists in the 21st century. But with that said, Auntie’s Municipal Court is Micky’s St. Matthew – – never performed live before The Mike and Micky Show started.

Now, don’t confuse new songs with deep cuts: They’re not all that obscure. If you weren’t aware, Good Times!, a record featuring all four Monkees, in one capacity or another, released in 2016. Two of the more recognizable tracks from the album were thrown into the mix – Mike and Micky’s harmonious Ben Gibbard contribution, Me and Magdalena, and their more hard-rocking, Gallagher-Weller penned Birth Of An Accidental Hipster, to be exact. Oh, and just my opinion: Good Times! is the best Monkee work since Head.

There was also a minimal amount of transposition. The most notable usage of it was during M&M’s acoustic set, when they delivered a stirring performance of one of the earliest tunes written by a Monkee, for The Monkees, Papa Gene’s Blues. “We used to sit around the campfire, we used to call it, in between shooting scenes in the show, and invariably, we would end up playing Nez tunes because he was the only one writing any songs!” Micky chuckled while introducing the timeless Monkee classic.

Remember when it was just the four Monkees playing onstage and that was it? Not anymore. The duo had an absolutely superb backing band that consisted of a few extra additions that weren’t present on the last few Monkees tours: Nez’s son Christian playing guitar, as well as a slide guitarist, and a multi-instrumentalist responsible for the banjo on St. Matthew. Early in the tour, he actually opened the song with the fiddle introduction heard on the original recording.

Obviously, every show has its flaws. I mentioned earlier that the show was all about Nez and Micky blending their golden voices together. To be honest, other than a few songs on the album, it was mainly one of the two, and the female backup singers, one of which was Micky’s sister Coco. Not to say that they sounded bad at all, but the magic behind why this whole show was conceived is pretty much gone when something like that takes up the bulk of the show.

On another topic, the album has been edited and cut so much, all we get is the music. Just from the eyes of a die-hard Monkee fan, it doesn’t feel like an authentic show from the tour, if that makes sense. Normally there’s banter, a few jokes, and maybe even a few stories of the past on live albums that promote a single tour. And at the actual Mike and Micky Show, what took up about a quarter of the show? Nez goofing around, and Micky trying to reminisce about the past.

But on the other hand, we’re lucky that even with half the band in the grave, the two sole survivors even agree to make music anymore, let alone together and on the road. And one of those guys hardly ever hit the road period.

Neither of their fallen brothers were snubbed, either. For Pete’s Sake ended with Micky calling out the name of Peter Tork, who passed away of cancer up to a few months before the show was recorded. And for Davy, there was Micky on leads for A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You, and much later, Daydream Believer.

But what if Davy were there? Or Peter? It may have been a far different album. Maybe they’d boot St. Matthew so Davy could prance about on Daddy’s Song. Or maybe Peter would replace Auntie’s Municipal Court so he could sing about another auntie: Grizelda. But hey: Forget the hypotheticals. It’s the 2020s, and there’s a new Monkee album. Hallelujah.

Last year was a close call for Mick Jagger: Heart surgery forced The Rolling Stones’ highly anticipated US leg of their critically acclaimed No Filter Tour to be postponed a few months. But as we all know, Mick and Keith Richards are immortal, so their return to the stage only two months (!) following Mick’s surgery was triumphant to say the least.

Since the tour came to an end in August, Stones fans have been dying to know what’s next for the band. Well, we just might have an answer. According to international Rolling Stones fan club website IORR, the series of stadiums the Jumpin’ Jack Flash rockers blew up last summer may have just been act one.

“The Rolling Stones are working on a tour in North America lasting from May to July 2020, rumoured to be announced next week.” the site reported. “Cities rumoured for shows are San Diego, St. Louis, Atlanta, Cleveland, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Baltimore, Nashville, Charlotte, Tampa and Atlanta, all USA, and Vancouver Canada.”

The Hall Of Famers ran through Miami and Jacksonville last year, and in 2015, Orlando was given a night on the Zip Code Tour. As for Tampa, there hasn’t been any sign of the band since 2005, when they rocked the St. Pete Times Forum (now Amalie Arena) to promote their most recent album of new material, A Bigger Bang. Their last few tours haven’t had much promotion of anything new, with the very possible exception of their 2016 album comprised of covers, Blue and Lonesome. So a No Filter show mainly contains greatest hits, and a few deep cuts for the die-hards in the crowd.

So, are The Rolling Stones playing Tampa? If so, which venue would they blow up? While the most realistic answer is Raymond James Stadium, there’s no doubt that should a show be announced, no matter what capacity, there’s no doubt that resale tickets, with prices up in the thousands, would be put up for sale within the hour of sales beginning.

With all that said, there was supposed to be an AC/DC tour announcement back in July, and we still haven’t gotten anything.

January: Weezer – The Teal Album

Other than all the massive concerts I had tickets to this year, (Weird Al, Queen + Adam Lambert, Elton John, etc.) my musical hype for the first two months of the year, new release wise anyway, was the fact that Weezer would be releasing the long-awaited Black Album in March. Little did I know, Weezer ride-or-dies would receive an entire album to hold us over until March 1. An entire album of covers, that is.

Without any kind of notice, The Teal Album dropped on the 24th. This tribute to the bands that came before Weezer opened with their practically identical, yet groundbreaking cover of Toto’s Africa, following ear worms from the 60s-90s. Tons of these have become memes online, and if you know Rivers Cuomo…yeah. Happy Together (The Turtles), Take On Me (a-ha), Mr. Blue Sky (ELO), and No Scrubs (TLC) are some of the key moments on it. Everything above, as well as Brian Bell singing lead vocals on Black Sabbath’s Paranoid.

February: Dream Theater – Distance Over Time

This album gave me so much respect for Dream Theater to be honest. Metal’s not really my forte, but man do these guys have it. Excellent production, some intense guitar licks, and the mix of genres in the songs is perfect. Practically every song is as hard as the next, but you know, that’s just metal. Although, Jordan Rudess’ keyboard playing on Out Of Reach would be an ideal slow dance for metalheads. To me, anyway

March: Jon Anderson – 1000 Hands

Since I already did Weezer’s surprise Teal album for January, just to keep it diverse, I’m not gonna talk about Black. Instead, let’s dive into one of the most distinctive voices in prog’s new solo album that was almost 30 years in the making.

Jon Anderson’s material outside of Yes, be it with Aphrodite’s Child’s Vangelis, or solo, sound nothing like 1000 Hands. The songwriting sounds just like a normal Yes record. They don’t make immediate sense, but there’s meaning behind most of the lyrics. He mixes in modern beats with strings, sitars, and of course, those trademark Anderson harmonies. And don’t get me started on the album’s personnel. Jean-Luc Ponty, Robby Steinhardt, Ian Anderson, and Rick Derringer, just to name a few, play on the album. Even members of Yes’ classic lineup, including the late, great Chris Squire, made contributions, which causes Jon to want a final reunion with as many original members as possible. He hasn’t lost it; and it doesn’t sound like he’s going to anytime soon.

April: The Cranberries – In The End

My final summer vacation was on the horizon when the remaining members of the Cranberries released their final album, which was being recorded when Dolores O’Riordan died last year. In terms of sound, it sure doesn’t feel like a swan song, yet it’s a bit eery that there are songs on there about death. The production is so incredible, and has darker harmonies, yet much lighter and more fun melodies than Cranberries albums past.

“It’s all an illusion, this is my conclusion for now.” RIP Dolores.

May: Little Steven and the Disciples Of Soul – Summer Of Sorcery

I saw these guys in concert last summer, thinking that this would be the closest I’d ever get to seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. Little Steven put out an album two years ago, Soulfire, which was his first solo record in almost 20 years. He must have loved it so much, he did it again.

What’s amazing is that unlike on Soulfire, he actually wrote every song on here, and the Jersey vibe isn’t on every song. Party Mambo! may have those horns, but the bongos in the back differ strongly from anything like he’s done.

June: Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars

June was a hard month – I almost left my job, until I got an incredible promotion, being bumped all the way from cleaning crew to pastry cook. And how do you start a new adventure? With new music from The Boss, of course! Western Stars, his first new music in 5 years, is a solo album with orchestral elements throughout every single song.

I absolutely adored the movie companion, but really wish Bruce would play some shows to promote this album – I’ve never seen him live. And also, Chasin’ Wild Horses is one of his most relatable pieces yet, which is probably why I see it as the most melancholic on the album. It tells of “being up before sunup, on after sundown,” and living without expecting something new, or higher to come along. I felt that way about my job for a long time, hence why honestly, I haven’t felt such a lump in my throat over Springsteen since the first time I heard Racing In The Street. Think of this to be styled after Nebraska, crossed in a Western setting, with an orchestra present.

July: Ed Sheeran – No. 6 Collaborations Project

Six days after I turned 18, Teddy released another collaboration project. I totally shamelessly love everything Ed has released, so this was an incredibly exciting announcement to hear. The technical side makes it sound more like the radio pop that we heard on Divide, rather than the soothing, yet rambunctious acoustic guitar on X back in 2014. Sure, there were rap and autotune elements, but Ed still actually sang on everything. Even I Don’t Care (feat. Justin Bieber) wasn’t a terrible song. Though I gotta say, I’m still pretty livid that there was no Snow Patrol collab. They toured together for God’s sake!

August: Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!

Every time I hear a new Lana Del Rey song, I ask myself how she does it. In an era of autotune and inauthenticity, there’s only her raw talent, along with her heart and soul, coming out of her records. Her latest album makes me ask that question all over again, and with more passion. It honestly took me a minute to tune into Lana’s latest work. I honestly regret it, because I think Norman Fucking Rockwell! is her best album, front to back, since Honeymoon. I was fascinated by the all-over-the-place synth section at the end of Venice Bitch, and the jump to the brief, yet sudden, guitar backup on The Next Best American Record. Basically, my final analysis is as follows: If this is the beginning of a new era for Lana, count me in!

September: The Lumineers – III

This one was basically The Lumineers trying a rock opera, in their own Denver style. Divided into three parts, this is probably their most personal work, featuring songs about addiction and depression, in the eyes of three people. Almost reminded me of Snow Patrol’s Wildness from last year, which was about Gary Lightbody’s alcoholism, and father’s (who unfortunately passed away a week or two ago) diagnosis with dementia. I really hope to catch the band when they tour this album next year, and then some. The Lumineers have only been around for a few years, and as far as I’m concerned, III is only the beginning!

October: Ringo Starr – What’s My Name

I’ve got a lot to say about this album. This time next year, Ringo will be 80 years old. Eighty! It’s a wonder he still makes music. His latest release is most certainly an improvement from 2017’s Give More Love. The only complaint I have about the record is his cover of Money. Ringo’s voice is in better shape than McCartney’s, in all honesty, which is why I feel that RoboRingo, as my friends have called him, was not needed to recreate the rockabilly classic. But if you push that aside, and pay attention to his collaboration with McCartney, the John Lennon penned Grow Old With Me, and pretty much all the rest of the album’s tunes, there are hardly any flaws. By the way, his name is Ringo.

November: Jeff Lynne’s ELO – From Out Of Nowhere

The second consecutive release from probably the most authentic reincarnation of the Electric Light Orchestra has the exact same sound and production that the original band brought to the light. According to Jeff Lynne, the lead single, which shares a title with the album was inspired by where the idea to release another album came from. Also included is Time Of Our Life, which tells about the group’s 2017 gig at Wembley Stadium. It’s a pretty big accomplishment to sell Wembley out the way they did. I caught them live in Tampa with Dhani Harrison the day after my eighteenth birthday, and I’m almost certain that Jeff and the guys weren’t the only guys having the time of their lives at Wembley.

December: The Who – WHO

No doubt in my mind, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have both still got it. But it’s hard to call this a Who album, the same way it’s hard to call 2006’s Endless Wire a Who album. Would you call an album with just John Lennon and Paul McCartney a Beatles album? Anyway…there are some real hard rockers on here. Ball And Chain throws it back to older days, sounding somewhat close to the material on A Quick One.

Hero Ground Zero is the highlight of the album for me – Pete actually took advantage of the orchestras he’s currently touring with, and blended them into the background. I caught them live this year too, where they actually gave us a sneak peek of the two mentioned. Considering the fact that this is the first Who album in 13 years, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the last one. If it is, in fact, the end of Pete and Rog’s recording career together, they’re not going out with a whimper.

Honorable Mentions:

Weezer – The Black Album

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – The Best Of Everything: The Definitive Career Spanning Hits Collection

Sheryl Crow – Threads

Snow Patrol – Reworked

Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars OST

Rocketman OST

Neil Young And Crazy Horse – Colorado

Leonard Cohen – Thanks For The Dance

I thought for sure that Sir Elton John’s sparkling farewell extravaganza at Amalie Arena on November 4 would be his last time here. I was proven wrong one morning last week. A second show in Tampa, set for May 26, 2020, was added, since the tickets not only went so fast the first time around, but also, prices skyrocketed both on TicketMaster and third-party sites.

It took a ton of soul searching and honestly, there’s a chance I’ll regret this. But I made the conscious decision that I won’t be in attendance for the maestro’s second final show in Tampa.

In short, this is still Farewell Yellow Brick Road, just like the show I saw on November 4. I feel that getting a ticket to see the same show that so many people worldwide (many being bigger fans than myself) have to travel for, just because their hometown show sold out, would be pretty intrusive on my part. I got incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to drive 45 minutes, as opposed to 45 hours, to say farewell to Elton. Let me go a little bit more into depth:

I got my ticket to the first Tampa show on January 30, 2018, originally scheduled for November 28 of that year. I signed up for that stupid Verified Fan code lottery, and was thrown on the waiting list for a presale code. But somebody I knew from Tom Petty Nation, a lifelong die-hard fan of Elton, was a member of his Rocket Club, and all members got presale codes, no matter what. She graciously offered to help me get into the show by getting me a nosebleed, and I’d pay her back a few weeks later. I humbly accepted. I took a look at the event on TicketMaster that Friday, when tickets officially went on sale to the public.

All gone.

The ones that became available much later were either $2000 resale seats, or one of TicketMaster’s bullshit platinum seats that could be a nosebleed, and you’d pay like, $300 before fees, if you’re lucky. Farewell Yellow Brick Road easily became one of Tampa’s highest anticipated, and sought after shows of 2018. Then, only a day before it was supposed to happen, after almost a year of waiting, Elton got sick in Orlando, and postponed the show to almost exactly a year later.

This was a chance for those who failed to snag tickets to, in a sense, try and get a resale ticket. But even when the rescheduled date of November 4 dawned in nearly a year later, there were still die-hards in the area struggling to obtain any seat in the house. I felt pretty bad about that, because here’s the thing: Elton’s music has been in my life from the beginning, and he’s one of my top 15 artists of all time. I listen to some of the deep cuts, as well as the hits. However, while I’m a bit more than a casual fan, I certainly don’t consider myself a die-hard, unlike many Tampa people who had to miss the show.

Granted, I most certainly did not attend the show just to say that I got to see Elton John live once. He was on my bucket list since I was thirteen years old. He played for three hours, and it was genuinely one of the top 10 shows I’ve ever seen. Also, they say that there’s no time like the first time. It’s the most special one. I treated the first show in Tampa like it would be the last time I’d ever get to see him, because that’s what I thought from the start. Harsh as it sounds, I’d personally like to keep it that way, solely because of how special that night was to me.

With all that aside, I still couldn’t help but think about those local die-hards who were stuck at home that night. It could have been their last chance to see their hero live, unless they were willing to travel, of course. Basically, I see this second date as another chance for those who missed getting tickets back in 2018 to try again. Every single fan of Elton’s, no matter how long they’ve been following him, deserves to see Farewell Yellow Brick Road.

This most likely is going to be Tampa’s official final chance to experience the legend live, and there’s a chance I’ll regret not being there at least a little bit. What if he totally Springsteens the setlist between now and May 26? Well, there’s a good chance that there’ll be some songs from the first show that will be omitted from the second one entirely, being replaced by tunes he ignored the first time around.

If you missed out on the first show, and are getting tickets at 10:00 Friday morning, I’m rooting for you. And if you already got your tickets, congratulations. You’re going to adore the show. Oh, and by the way, no shame at all if you’re a massive fan, saw the first show, and are going to this one, too. I’m seeing Billy Joel for the third time next year, so no judgement whatsoever.

But if you really don’t care, or are a scalper who’s taking away from all those real fans, for shame.

If not for one man leaving this world two years ago today, the last two years of my life could have been much different in terms of music.

I could have travelled to Gainesville to see a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band blow up a sold-out 40th anniversary homecoming gig. When the band played the Hollywood Bowl, it had been eleven years since their last gig in Gainesville proper.

I could have been at a release party for a new album of entirely new material. Perhaps it would be in celebration of 40 years of rock and roll. Maybe it could include some tunes written by Benmont Tench and/or Scott Thurston. Instead, I attended a release party for an archives/greatest hits collection. I met so many fans that night, just imagine how much harder we could have partied if it were brand new studio material, rather than a collection of deep cuts and unreleased recordings.

I could have seen Fleetwood Mac in concert, with Lindsey Buckingham. Had a tragedy not occurred some four-or-so months prior, Stevie Nicks could have brushed aside the fact that Lindsey was chuckling behind her at MusiCares. Instead, guitarist Mike Campbell, found himself teaming up with Neil Finn of Crowded House to take Lindsey’s place. Mike could have done a full-scale tour with his side project, The Dirty Knobs, rather than putting it on hold for something bigger, yet again.

I could have experienced a post-Roy and post-George Traveling Wilburys reunion. Maybe a new collaboration between him and Jeff Lynne to celebrate the 30th anniversary in 2018 could have released. Maybe even a one-night only concert could have been staged, probably at the Hollywood Bowl.

I could have finally owned a copy of Wildflowers on vinyl. He probably would have finished Wildflowers: All The Rest by now, and released an affordable reissue of the original album alongside it, because his fans meant as much to him as he meant to us.

I could have finally seen a Mudcrutch concert in Florida, on a second leg of their tour promoting their 2 album from 2016. Talk about returning to his roots.

But what I could, and should, have been doing sometime in the last two years, is preparing for, and evidently attending a show on this man’s promised Wildflowers Tour, coinciding with the release of Wildflowers: All The Rest. He said he’d perform the album all the way through, and then some. Even Norah Jones signed on. Exactly two years ago today, I had $75 saved for my ticket, no matter where the closest show to Tampa would be held.

Instead, this year, I’ll be attending a tribute concert, honoring the late performer.

I’d like to send a huge “screw you” to the medication that killed Tom Petty on this day in 2017.

Petty forever.

Freddie’s gone, and Deaky’s retired. But as long as Brian and Roger are there, they’re still Queen as far as I’m concerned. The two, along with singer Tim Staffell actually formed the band Smile before Deaky and Freddie came along. The band would later evolve into the better-know Queen, but if you think about it, both guys from the very beginning are still with the band.

They’ve been to the US many a time, with and without Freddie. But the closest they ever got to Tampa was Lakeland a few times. There was only one show in Tampa, with Mahogany Rush and Kansas, but it got cancelled due to the capacity of the venue being too small to fit everyone who bought tickets. Things are about to change.

In the wake of the Bohemian Rhapsody movie’s groundbreaking success, there had to be a tour of some sort to go along with it. Sure enough, the band’s first show in Tampa was part of The Rhapsody Tour city roster. The show sold out before the tickets even went on sale to the public. The Internet could have crashed with all the people looking around for pre-sale codes. I couldn’t find any for myself, unfortunately. But after hours of communications with fellow music fans who had codes, and Google searches, I bought my $200 floor ticket in my English class that day, with my phone, which didn’t charge the night before, slowly dying. As soon as I saw the screen that said “The tickets are yours, get ready for goosebumps!”, it shut off. I was so glad it held on and fought through a dead battery the way it did.

If you didn’t know, Q+AL’s stage is shaped like a huge guitar, and from what I’ve seen, there’s a part of the show where Brian sits on a stool at the foot of the stage (the headstock of the guitar) and plays a few acoustic songs. When he does that, I’ll be three rows away from the man.

Tampa has had some pretty huge shows in the last few years. Barbra Streisand in 2016, both living Beatles in 2017, Bob Dylan last year, and this year has already seen Hamilton. As for everything else rolling into town this year, no other will compare to Queen, even if Peter Gabriel or Adele announce late fall to early winter shows here. They too have never played Tampa, but as of now, there hasn’t been an Oscar-winning blockbuster about either of their lives.

Excited is too weak of a word to describe how ready I am to welcome Brian May, Roger Taylor, Adam Lambert, Spike Edney, Neil Fairclough, and Tyler Warren to Tampa in three days. And if you’re going to join me in the welcoming, I’ll see you in Tampa!

– Josh Dezern, 8/15/2019

I’m pleased to announce that I’m working on a book! I Don’t Have A Car: My Concert Stories, has been in the works for three years now, and I’m so excited to finally be writing what I hope will be an interesting recollection of one of my biggest hobbies. The bulk of it will revolve around some of the most memorable shows I’ve ever seen. It will not be every single one, as I can’t fit all of them in, so I’ll only be doing the ones that have incredibly special meaning to me. I’ll confirm right here that I will be doing Paul McCartney, Hamilton, my first Billy Joel show, and yes, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

This is not going to be a compilation of the reviews you see on this site, either. They’re going to be freshly written chapters more about my personal experience at the show, how I got into the band/artist, maybe the merchandise I bought, etc. It’s more of a memoir than anything else.

While I don’t have a solid release date yet, I’m hoping to release this around Christmas or maybe even 2020, as there are some experiences I’m going to write about in here that haven’t even happened yet. Also, this isn’t going to be posted on my blog or anything – it’s actually going to be published on iBooks, and probably some other platforms. I don’t think I’m going to go through the trouble of a publishing company to print physical copies, but I’ll still keep you informed.

I’m very happy to finally see my vision come to life on the digital page, and can’t wait for you to read it!

– Josh Dezern, 3/25/2019

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and you’ve returned home from risking your life at Target. Somehow, you’re hungry all of a sudden, with a fridge full of leftovers.

Whatever shall you do?

Here is a recipe for a killer Thanksgiving pie that works ideally for leftovers, or if you’re feeling lazy, the main meal. I wrote this recipe with the help of many different people in my culinary class. It was for a pie competition being held by Sonny’s BBQ, where the grand prize was $700 per person. Yeah, no way I could pass that up.

The idea was conceived by my partner Eileen’s mom, who was just throwing around ideas. Eileen gave me the motivation to do this, so for an entire month, we fiddled with the pie in so many ways. The original pie had all the ingredients used, but was very different. The potatoes were unseasoned, and stood alone, almost the whole can of corn was dumped on top, the turkey was cut into smallish pieces and drenched in just the drippings, and the cranberry sauce and stuffing topped the turkey with no style whatsoever. The top crust was also the other half of our pie crust, which is the recipe written by the Jacobson Culinary Arts Academy. (the school we’re at.)

People always asked us for a piece, or how we were doing with it, or what kind of adjustments we were making. This kind of pie is unique to this competition especially, solely because about 95% of the pies are sweet. Not to say that’s a bad thing, but there will come a point where the judges will get sick and tired of sugar, and some of the pies may even begin to taste all the same to them. My pie can be seen as sort of a relief, if that makes sense. “Finally, some salt!” they’ll exclaim!

Here is the recipe I used. Most of these ingredients came from Sprouts, and everything is 100% authentic without hormones and such. Do what you will with this. Get creative if you must, there’s always something that can be adjusted, no matter how perfect it tastes.

Thanksgiving Pie 

Crust

3 1/3 cups flour

.6 tsp salt

5 oz butter, diced

.6 cups shortening

.6 cups water

Filling

½ turkey breast, shredded and pressure cooked

½ cup flour (for gravy)

¼ cup turkey drippings (for gravy)

½ cup butter (for gravy)

4 potatoes, peeled and mashed

½ can corn

½ can cranberry sauce

½ serving stuffing (see below)

Stuffing

3 tbsp butter

10 0z chicken sausage

1 carrot, minced

1 onion, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

2 cups turkey or chicken stock

1/3 cups olive oil

2 tbsp roughly chopped sage

1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut into 1” pieces

Crust

• In mixing bowl, mix flour and salt together, set aside
• In separate bowl, using two forks, combine butter and shortening
• In a KitchenAid, whisk together both mixtures until contents resemble coarse crumbles
• Sprinkle water a little at a time over mixture and continue to mix until a dough forms.
• Form dough into disc shape and chill at least 30 minutes before serving

 

Ciabatta Sausage Stuffing

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in 1 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, stirring and breaking up meat into medium pieces, until browned. 8-10 minutes. Transfer sausage to large bowl, set aside.
• Add remaining butter to skillet; sauté carrots, onions, and celery until soft, 5-7 minutes. When finished, move to sausage bowl. Add stock, oil, sage, bread, salt, and pepper to bowl, toss to combine.
• Spread evenly in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake until golden brown and bread is slightly crisp on top, 30-35 minutes.

Filling

• Peel and boil potatoes in boiling water. When tender enough, strain in colander. In a mixing bowl, mash and mix in corn.
• Once turkey is pureed and pressure cooked for about 16 minutes, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir constantly until lumps have disappeared. Add turkey drippings and stir in until concoction thickens. Add salt and pepper. It’s very easy to burn a roux, or even the drippings, so watch your heat!
• When gravy is finished, shred turkey breast as you would for pulled pork, and mix half the breast in with the gravy.
• Smoothly layer the pie as follows, bottom to top: Crust, potatoes and corn, turkey with gravy, dollops of cranberry sauce, stuffing.
• Throw in oven, 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.