The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
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Think of the dozens of bands throughout the history of rock and roll that can never be seen again. The Beatles, The Doors, Van Halen, Nirvana – all of them are gone for good, with key members either six feet under or those surviving knowing better than to mess with the legacy lest they turn... 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 →
The way the music popularity pendulum has swung in recent times, rock and roll is on the backburner in favor of country pop, dance, hip-hop and K-pop are way ahead. In fact, if there were a backburner to the backburner, loud guitars and heavy-footed drums would be there. Upstarts like Greta Van Fleet, Thundermother and... Continue Reading →
Welcome to this year’s edition of Rock Music Menu’s “New Year’s Resolutions for Rockers Who Need Them,” where we assist musicians with setting goals for the coming 12 months. It’s not an easy job, but one that begrudgingly must be done. Rockers, rollers and performers of all sorts are just like us: they make resolutions... Continue Reading →
Two things happen when an artist has been around long enough. First, they begin to transcend generations, like when Led Zeppelin T-shirts show up year after year in high school hallways as students continue to discover them. Then there’s the backlash to sustained popularity. At this critical juncture in time, that means being “canceled,” and... Continue Reading →
Now that the audiobook for Van Halen: The Eruption and the Aftershock is available, I went back onto Johnny Beane's Exclusively Van Halen show to discuss the process, how I ended up narrating the project and more. You can watch the whole episode below, and be sure to check out Johnny's YouTube page and subscribe.... Continue Reading →
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame revealed its nominees for the Class of 2022, and at a mind boggling 17 artists, it’s going to be nearly impossible for even the most discerning music fan to whittle it down to the five to seven inductees who will be announced in May. Ok, deep breath. The... Continue Reading →
Welcome to this year’s edition of Rock Music Menu’s “New Year’s Resolutions for Rockers Who Need Them,” where we assist often otherwise occupied musicians with setting goals for the coming 12 months. It’s not an easy job, but one that has to be done. Just like you and I, there are rockers, rollers and other... Continue Reading →
It's one thing to have what is arguably the greatest crossover heavy metal song in history. It's quite another to be accused to finding major amounts of inspiration in said song not just in independent acts from a parallel label, but the guitarist and co-founder you fired many years prior. An unknown Los Angeles band,... Continue Reading →
The Sammy Hagar vs. David Lee Roth debate will likely go on forever, but the first time any real comparison could be made was when the latter dropped his debut solo LP, Eat 'Em and Smile, in July 1986, a scant few months after Van Halen released their first effort with Hagar at the mic,... Continue Reading →
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 