The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Music • Culture • Film • Travel • Photography • Vinyl
Certain artists hit at just the right time. And for a small number, they hit generations over and over again. In the case of Violent Femmes, it's typically during the late-high school/early-college years sweet spot. Tracks like "Blister in the Sun," "Add It Up" and "American Music" have that folksy but funky swing while still... Continue Reading →
Philadelphia has a long history with Aerosmith – and it hasn’t always a been good one. But all that was swept under the rug as one of the contenders for America’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band launched their “Peace Out” farewell tour at the Wells Fargo Center to a packed house last weekend. Led by... Continue Reading →
Music festivals have become the epitome of the clichés “dime a dozen” and “here today, gone tomorrow.” That appeared to be the case with In Between Days, which debuted last summer in Quincy, Mass., less than 10 miles south of Boston. Despite a single day, semi-solid indie bill, headed up by Manchester Orchestra and seven... Continue Reading →
Australian indie outfit Middle Kids have been a group I first dialed into back in 2016 when I was eyeing up bands to catch at that year's Iceland Airwaves music festival. Their song "Edge of Town" grabbed me instantly, and I couldn't wait to see and interview them in the 101. Unfortunately, life had a... Continue Reading →
It's always a pleasure catching up with Johnny Beane, host of The EVH Show on Exclusively Van Halen, and last night I guested live to discuss the just announced Van Halen box set The Collection II, which focuses on the Sammy Hagar era of the band. Also in on the chat was Dane Zimmerman, checking... Continue Reading →
There was always something deeper going on under the surface with Sinéad O’Connor. From the moment she burst into the mainstream with the worldwide smash single “Nothing Compares 2 U,” the Irish singer-songwriter was both a curiosity and lightning rod for controversy. When news spread of O’Connor’s death at the age of just 56 years... Continue Reading →
I'd been warned that Andy Summers doesn't suffer fools during interviews. And at 80 years of age - along with having to deal with Sting all those years - it's not exactly unexpected that he'd be a crotchety old man these days. Thankfully, the ex-Police guitarist and I got along like bank robbers when I... Continue Reading →
There’s a bit of a misconception when one hears the words “jazz” and “festival” placed next to one another. It conjures up images for some of smoky nightclubs and endless improvisation by highly trained musicians. Kicking off this Thursday (June 29), just north of the Canadian border in the most populated city in the province... Continue Reading →
I've been trying to nail down Glen Phillips for a Vanyaland 617 Q&A for a bit now. Whether it was on one of his solo runs or with his primary outfit, Toad the Wet Sprocket, there was some things I wanted to ask him about. During our chat ahead of the Toad show in Boston... Continue Reading →
Rarely is it an easy road treading the same ground as a parent in music, but perhaps never more so when your father was the frontman for a legendary band that also experienced more than its fair share of drama. Still, Andrew Hagar is intent on pursuing the dream as a singer and musician, following in the... Continue Reading →
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 