The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Links to writings. Musings on life. Photography. Travels. Skulls.
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 →
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 →
Chris Cornell should've turned 56 today. Not "would've" - should've. Crippled by depression, he took his own life three Mays ago at 52. It was so incredibly unexpected, heartbreaking and brutal. That day sticks with me like the JFK assassination does for boomers. Seriously - it was that intense and I'll never, ever forget the... Continue Reading →
The closer we move to a summer without live shows to experience in person, it becomes more and more likely that the second half of the year will follow suit. The past several days has made that certain with the cancellation and postponement of some of the biggest musical events of the year, and final... Continue Reading →
The idea seemed like a good one at the time. Members of the music industry at large joined a “blackout” this past Tuesday, one where they would halt operations in favor of reflecting on issues of social justice spurred on by the May 25 death of George Floyd in police custody and other recent victims... Continue Reading →
Did you catch the Rolling Stones at the Linc last summer? How about Paul McCartney at Citizens Bank Park back in July 2016? Count yourself among the lucky then, as it very well could be the last time those acts will tour in front of such substantial crowds, another unfortunate side effect from the coronavirus... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, as part of the 7th anniversary of Vanyaland celebration, I linked to a piece written for the online magazine about seven artists I personally think should be way, way more popular than they are. That was the first of two features I did for the landmark occasion, the second being seven revealing things I've... Continue Reading →
Yesterday marked the 7th anniversary of the online magazine Vanyaland, which I've been a part of since it launched back in 2013. To celebrate the milestone, the core team behind the site were asked to contribute something personal to them involving the topics about which they typically write. It's always boggled my mind over the... Continue Reading →
States across the country are beginning to reveal their plans to reopen in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, hoping to restore some sense of normalcy and boost the economy. Though it remains to be seen if those movements were premature, one element of life that will not be coming back in the near... Continue Reading →
Today marks the 25th anniversary of Van Halen's final studio album with Sammy Hagar at the helm, the uneven Balance, which was released January 24, 1995. Though it wasn't clear at the time, the band was falling apart from the inside out, which had quite a bit to do with the mess laid down on... Continue Reading →
