The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Links to writings. Musings on life. Photography. Travels. Skulls.
The organizers behind Record Store Day have struggled this year, first needing to push their namesake holiday back and then into three separate “RSD Drops” days this fall across a series of months. It’s all worked out pretty well thus far, but now comes what used to be known as “Back to Black Friday,” heretofore... Continue Reading →
Right about now, I should be chilling in a hot pot in the land of ice and snow for the annual Iceland Airwaves music festival, which I’ve been covering for nearly a decade. The coronavirus pandemic has put a hold on pretty much everything entertainment-wise though, and it’s become impossible to draw large groups of... Continue Reading →
Today marks 15 years since my grandfather, Charles F. Higgins Jr., passed away. It got me thinking about the small role he played in shaping the history of early rock and roll. Below is an article I wrote for The Daily Times a couple weeks before he died, and I thought now would be a... Continue Reading →
Even the most casual readers of this column know I’ve always been a big fan of Van Halen, evident in the number of articles written about them since taking over Rock Music Menu a decade and a half ago. It would be an understatement then to say how much of a shock it came when... Continue Reading →
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen passed away today at the age of 65. It's a brutal blow to music and to me personally as his namesake band was one of my favorites - hands down - when it came to rock and roll. I've got many memories from over the years involving Van Halen, and will be... Continue Reading →
When the Rolling Stones announced their return to the road in the summer of 1989, it was the guaranteed to be the hottest ticket in town as the band had been absent for an excruciatingly long seven years. The run to support the album Steel Wheels was filled with Philly tie-ins – it kicked off... Continue Reading →
It’s been nearly two decades since the shocking murder of Jam Master Jay, the pioneering DJ of legendary hip-hop act Run-DMC. Up until this week, no one had been charged in connection to the crime, leaving one of the most frustrating cold cases in music history. Tuesday afternoon, as part of a 10-count indictment that... Continue Reading →
Back in February Afghan Whigs leader Greg Dulli released Random Desire, his eagerly anticipated first official solo album. Reviews were off the charts and a tour from one of the most enigmatic frontmen to break out of the grunge era with a unique spin on rock and soul next lined up a tour which was... Continue Reading →
Pop icon Madonna came under fire this week after she posted a video to her official Instagram account featuring Dr. Stella Immanuel, the Houston, Tex. based physician who has made controversial claims that she has successfully treated hundreds of patients suffering from COVID-19. “The Truth will set us all Free!” the singer wrote in a... Continue Reading →
Following on the heels of last week's Rush roundtable, I sat down with some of my esteemed colleagues over at Ultimate Classic Rock to talk about Metallica. Specifically, we broke down whether the band was better in the '80s or the '90s and why. Both periods had their merits, with the Cliff Burton era coming... Continue Reading →
