This is how the headliner becomes a policeman. You walk toward the stagewearing the invisible badgeof contractual responsibility. You become Officer No Encore,Sergeant That’s Enough,Chief Inspector We Discussed This. You […]

It paid to obey the chiropractor: ice, heat, the yoga positions where the body resembles furniture folded for storage. Also paid to visit the doctor and acquire chemical assistance of […]

With the release of the new Rolling Stones record, I have found myself less interested in the songs than in Mick Jagger’s interviews. He speaks about John Lennon, David Bowie, […]

The open stage: A retired accountant arrived with a Martin guitar and sang a ballad about his wife of forty-three years. His voice wandered in and out of tune as […]

The musician wasn’t opposed to activism. Some of the greatest songs ever written were acts of protest. They opposed wars, exposed hypocrisy, confronted racism, and gave courage to people who […]

Fave part of the open stage was the woman all dressed in black, never played here before, took the stage and introduced her first song in a gentle kind voice, […]

Playing Hugh’s Room next weekA strange gratitude about TorontoIt has been less a backdrop to this lifethan asprawling rehearsal hallevery decadeleaves one more ghostleaningagainst the wall smoking A unique listening roomstill  standingwhere songs still have a chanceto arrive intactinstead […]

There is sort of a hush in the room just before a solo. A collective inhalation. Everyone present understands that a small trial is about to begin. The audience hopes. […]