It's summer time here in the USA. Is it the fact that I'm getting older, or am I changing? The Grateful Dead just had their last show ever in Chicago. I didn't get out to see it, but some friends did and they said it was awesome. I was reading a journal article from CalPoly by Alyssa Santos called "Theories of Culture, Identity, and Ethnomusicology: A Synthesis of Popular Music, Cultural, and Communication Studies" …I read about the meaning of 'popular music' in our culture. It's hard to define this because all music in some way is a hybrid of…

I remember one of the best shows to see in DC on the Mall was the annual Beach Boys shows with the huge crowds. They played these from, I believe, around 1979 to 1982. I remember the alcohol and drug use running rampant. Lots of cops and police from all around …all different jurisdictions and the Secret Service. Really hairy.

The following from Wikipedia sums up the festivity: …"from 1980 through 1982, the Beach Boys and The Grass Roots performed Independence Day concerts at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., attracting large crowds. However, in April 1983, James G. Watt,…

On 15 Mar 2011, 04:02 assifrage wrote:
I hate music critics. They represent yet another small elite group of discerning listeners -AND MOST OF THEM DON'T KNOW @@#$! If you will know music in your heart and soul, you don't need someone to tell you what music to put on your iPod. Some of the best music I've heard was stuff that the critics hated or ignored. So what is the purpose of this job? Nowadays the digital landscape has made this funky colored pigeon an anachronism. Can I get a witness?

People sometimes tell me that I have some…

One time, I was downtown in the city with some friends. I must have been around 12 or 13 years old. There was a huge stage set up on the National Mall near the monument. People from all across the country (and the world) were there. Giant concert. From what I remember it wasn't the typical 4th of July celebration. It was some other concert and demonstration. People were still sorta hippi-ish then. (this was the late 70s) The fashions were turning more a)Grateful Dead/earthy b) early preppie look.

My first time taking acid. So at the beginning I only…

I remember seeing some amazing live music when I was a kid. The National Mall in D.C. was the scene of some great outdoor concerts. I can remember Parliament Funkadelic, Earth, Wind, And Fire, Kool and the Gang, Gloria Gaynor, lots of blues artists (such as local favs the Nighthawks, Cephas and Wiggins, Blind Willie McTell, and many others). I'm dating myself here so bear with me. Washington D.C. is heavily African-American so, of course, most of the entertainment centers around R&B. I can remember the hype around Beatlemania in 1978-79. This was something different and I was lucky enough…

Everyone should check out a new site called "Wiki Setlist" that lists live concerts and shows and the treasured set lists of the songs played. I enjoy finding a few old gems that I remember from the old days, but I never was much of a concert goer myself. I do have a couple of fond memories. The Clash, R.E.M., UB40, a few others that I can never remember. …there are a couple of Spinal Tap memories in my past. For example, trying to drive over the bridge into Maryland to see Van Halen and the car breaking down <lol>…

This is from a message board about an actor who appeared in the movie "Death in Venice" way back in the early 70's. I thought it had some character so I hope they don't mind if I repost it here:

Dear Bjorn,

It may sound inadequate, if not intrusive to address you by your first name when we've never met and you don't have the slightest idea who I am. But I can't help it. As thousands of authors have pointed out, there are two worlds, not just one, in which we live. One is the external world where social…

I was at a club recently in Maryland, USA. The dj was playing a bunch of metal stuff. Everybody loved GnR's "Welcome to the Jungle" and old stuff like Van Halen and Judas Priest. Then, all of a sudden, the Pantera and Metallica. …some Megadeth. More Priest and Iron Maiden. I hated all the Nine Inch Nails and 90s metal stuff. Some kid comes up to me and starts talking about music. He says Slip Knot and Audioslave are better than any "old school" groups that I know.

I said, "Come on, man, you forget who laid the foundation of…

As a sometime DJ, I'd much rather play the 80's, 90's, trance, and "real" goth
stuff, rather than the former, 80's "not-that-fake-goth-crap-stuff". The
Cure comes to mind first since it is soooo popular -even today. But what about a mixture? Play an 80s classic then something copying
that, then something by the same band in a more original style, then by an
associated band. Compilations are wonderful for that.
They do it all. BUT what I notice is that the newer stuff in the similar
style draws noticeably less people to the dance floor (or results in
people leaving). a…

As an old fogey, I need one of those songs that grabs me by the internal
organs and throws me onto the dancefloor played or I won't get up. Most of
them are 80s, sure but there must be at least 200 80s anthems to choose from. There's also the 90s stuff like Incubus, Dark Beauty, Closer, Beautiful People (don't groan) and about 6 I don't know the name of. Once I'm out there I tend to stay there. I'm not sure what you mean by "anthems" but if you mean 200 songs from the 80's that lots of people…