Category: Culture

The 1970’s was a great time for rock music. Great acts like Peter Frampton, Rush, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Rush, the Eagles, Styx, Yes, and many others rose to prominence during that decade. Experts and fans often debate which group was the most influential, the most innovative, the most significant.

All I know is that the band I went to see more than any other was Heart. And this video is one reason.

This is the original formation of Heart, featuring Roger Fisher on lead electric guitar, his brother Mike Fisher on drums, Steve Fossen on bass, Howard Leese on guitar, Ann Wilson on vocals, and Nancy Wilson performing the extended intro on acoustic guitar. From Nancy’s compelling opening to the double-lead of Fisher and Leese, Heart makes it clear in this video that they were a unique rock band with a powerful pop edge that was both complex and thoroughly enjoyable.

It’s worth noting that Howard Leese has long been a customer of Paul Reed Smith guitars.  Smith is in our Skere9 Gallery of Stars.

The world of Skere9 has been quite eventful lately!  Just a few examples:

On November 22, Cindy Bauchspies led the United States Navy Women’s Glee Club that she directs in their performance at the JFK Library in Boston, in memory of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.  Performing with Cindy and the Glee Club was pop music legend James Taylor.  Click here to see the full video at the C-Span archives.

Jeff Krulik‘s film Led Zeppelin Played Here has been shown at more film festivals, including a screening at the famous CBGB Music and Film Festival, where Jeff did a live question-and-answer session with the audience, as well as a film screening, on October 11 and 12 in New York City.  Upcoming shows include December 11th and 12th in various locations in DC, details are at Jeff’s website.

I had a great lunch get-together with the incomparable Llewellyn King, as we caught up on his most recent fascinating activities, none of which I’m at liberty to share.  Yet.  But I can say that it involves the work of the brilliant Linda Gasparello.  Stay tuned on this one.

I was also fortunate enough to attend the Fall Hoot 2013, and join legendary photojournalist John Metelsky and others at the table of former National Press Club president John Cosgrove, who just turned an elegant and energetic 95 years old a few weeks earlier.  This regular event honors veteran members of the National Press Club with memberships of at least 25 years or more.  I’m a ways off from joining that illustrious group myself but there’s nothing like the company of these folks, they are remarkable people and always the epitome of grace and fun.

Doc Scantlin and Chou Chou continue to wow star-struck crowds, especially at the first annual Grand Masquerade at the Bethesda Jazz and Blues Club on Halloween night!  I was able to catch up with them both at a great dinner in Baltimore we enjoyed, where Doc and Chou Chou wowed and charmed the exclusive restaurant I shall not name (but might give you a hint about later), starting with their arrival in style in their classic 1937 Buick.  If you missed them on Halloween, don’t despair – they are performing throughout this holiday season, starting soon at the most amazing recreation of a 1930’s big band supper club, Alexandria’s own Carlyle Club, on November 29th.

Doug Hayden and Chris Pendarvis continue to rock the world of political entertainment with their regular weekly publication of Insanity Island cartoons, which are hysterically funny and gathering momentum!  Their weekly videos (published every Tuesday) are featured in their own YouTube channel that’s climbing the charts – as of this posting the channel is showing 93,172 views – which is the number of times their videos have been viewed, and that’s simply amazing!  You really need to watch these two, they’re heading for bigger audiences and Skerinators everywhere know they are destined to become household names!

I could go on – and I will eventually – but that’s just a sampling of the events of this past fall.

We all have a lot to be thankful for this fall, as we enjoy seeing our gallery of Skere9 stars share their amazing talents with the world.

Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a very happy Thanksgiving!

Folks, I owe Chris Pendarvis a huge apology.  The creative genius behind Insanity Island is not just my cousin Doug Hayden, it’s also Chris!  He stated as much in a comment here at Skere9.com dated July 3, and of course he’s absolutely right.  I knew that already, I was just busy bragging about my cousin Doug, but Doug has always told me about Chris’ involvement as well, that’s never been a secret.  So – my apologies to Chris, it was never my intent to omit him, but I largely did up to now and the fault is all with me, not Doug – he’s always shared credits with Chris from the start.  I’ll be sure to do the same from now on!

As for the rest of the Skere9 universe – folks, I’ve been remiss, a lot has happened in the past few months, including:

• Jeff Krulik‘s premiere of his uber-hip documentary Led Zeppelin Played Here, along with fantastic screenings in the DC and New York City areas, including some prominent film festivals;
• Major developments with the work of Mark Joseph and Doonby;
• Todd Bauchspies‘ brilliantly outstanding performance at Paul Reed Smith‘s own PRS Experience event this fall, including intense audience reaction like I’ve never seen in a live show in my life;
• A great private dinner with Doc Scantlin and the lovely and charming Chou Chou, who wowed the patrons in the restaurant where we met just by being their with their 1937 Buick and all their charm, grace, and style;
• A new musical performance I just learned about that features the music of Eva Cassidy;
• Lots of developments in the iPod/wrist-watch industry created by Eric Migicovsky;
• A whirlwind of jazz festival performances and other activity in the world of Frank Russo;

… and that’s just a few items!  So stay tuned, I’ll catch up soon!  In the meantime – check out the latest from Insanity Island, just in time for Halloween!

 

For my money, the best voice in all of pop music today is the voice of Martina McBride.  Here’s a great video clip of her performing live on American Idol in 2007 when she introduced her song Anyway for the first time.  She’s better live in this clip that many recording artists are in the studio.

Toward the end of the song, McBride hits a crescendo and belts out a series of notes that are at full strength, starting at 3:09 and lasting until 3:25.  It’s brilliant songwriting and you can’t not be inspired by this song, but when you reflect on her stunning breath control and how she’s singing so long, so strong, without taking a breath, it’s even more striking.

There’s a little bonus in this clip, which is the brief chat after the song (at 3:44) with Ryan Seacrest and McBride’s daughter Emma, who is about 9 years old in this clip and really steals the show and is very cute and funny.   The reference to “Paula” in that chat is to American Idol judge Paula Abdul, who was known to find something nice to say about everyone, and the reason for the reference.

The entire clip is 4:44.

I recently saw the movie “Spinal Tap” for the first time in years, and maybe it was just me but it didn’t come across as funny as I remembered it.  But this one scene still definitely holds up, it’s a classic, one of the all time great scenes in film as far as I’m concerned, and most musicians I know love this scene and quite it often.

The Navy Chief noticed a new sailor and barked at him, “Get over here!  What’s your name sailor?”

“John”, the new seamen replied.

“Look, I don’t know what kind of bleeding-heart pansy crap they’re teaching sailors in boot camp these days, but I don’t call anyone by his first name”, the chief scowled.  “It breeds familiarity, and that leads to a breakdown in authority.  I refer to my sailors by their last names only:  Smith, Jones, Baker, whatever.  And you are to refer to me as ‘Chief’.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Aye, aye, Chief!”

“Now that we’ve got that straight, what’s your last name?”

The seamen sighed.  “Darling.  My name is John Darling, Chief.”

“Okay, John, here’s what I want you to do …”