News, reviews, and features about artists and their work
What’s the best thing you can consume to fuel your creativity? For Americans, the nectar of the gods isn’t honey. It’s coffee. Some claim ‘black gold’ is addicting. Personally, addicting or not, I can’t imagine starting the day without coffee. Same goes for the afternoon. How much do you really know about coffee?
Every so often I do an update here about what the girls and their fellow musicians are up to. It looks like 2019 will be another busy year, but we’re hoping for a little more space in between gigs than we had in 2018. Rebecca learned that four gigs in the span of a week makes for one tired musician. If you work as a musician, you know how it is. You’ll have gigs on the book for a certain week, and a too-great-to-decline offer comes up. So you put it on the calendar. That happened quite a few times
Gladys Knight spoke about singing the national anthem for Super Bowl Llll in an interview posted by the NFL on YouTube. Amid criticism from a small but vocal collection of activists, Knight has maintained her calm and is sticking to her decision to sing the anthem. Knight has seen and participated in all aspects of the Civil Rights movement, recounting having to give separate performances for white and black audiences in the South of yesteryear.
Tongues wagged for a week about a Gillette ad purporting to set behavioral standards for US males, with many including me, criticizing the corporation for sanctimony and stereotyping. The ad dominated social media like tabloid Twitter for days. Another ad aired during the championship football games on Sunday, sponsored by Verizon. “The Team That Wouldn’t Be Here,” stands in sharp contrast to the Gillette messaging.
Does the moon inspire you? If so, Sunday evening into Monday should send your imagination soaring. Late Sunday evening into the wee hours of Monday, a total lunar eclipse will occur. The moon will appear to be red. Many of us in the US, barring clouds, will be able to see it. The January moon is popularly called the wolf moon. Thus, we have a Super Blood Wolf Moon. Do people really get a little crazy when natural phenomena like this occur?
Florida musicians have a talented advocate working quietly in the background at bars, festivals, and other venues. Mike Hamilton is becoming the persona grata in the world of Sunshine State music, and he’s drawing well-deserved attention for the many images he’s shot of musicians working in different genres. The first time I saw Mike, I had no idea who he was. He was shooting photos of Rebecca and Jennifer at one of their gigs. Later he posted some pics on Facebook and it was obvious he has a good eye for composition. I saw that he was photographing different bands,
Sam Ash Music Stores recently opened a new store in Jacksonville (FL), at the former George’s Music location on Blanding Blvd. in Orange Park. Several thoughts occurred to me as I read comments on a Facebook thread about the new store. Searching for information, I learned some interesting things about the latest option in shopping for the Jax music community.
If you’re a creative in any art form, you know the need for that special place. You have to have a place to create and refine your art. If you’re a mom, you may need that special place even if you aren’t interested in creating art. Now media are taking note of “she sheds”, the fem equivalent of man caves. These sheds are outdoors. The term may be new, but the concept is old.
Anyone in the music business is aware streams of artists’ music play a vital role in their success. While indie artists’ fans often ask for CDs or vinyl, streaming stats supply numbers guaranteed to impress media and fans. Whether streaming numbers translate to similar numbers in fans is up for debate. Now Norway authorities are investigating US musician Jay-Z’s Tidal, alleging millions of “fake streams” for some artists. If true, this would result in disenfranchising others because of the way revenue is tabulated for artists.
Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer became a film against all odds. Why? The subject matter is one of the most debated political topics in the nation.
