The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Music • Culture • Film • Travel • Photography • Vinyl
The last time I saw Thievery Corporation, it was at The Wiltern in Los Angeles in 2023. They just happened to be in town at the same time I was there to see AFI celebrate the 20th anniversary of their landmark Sing the Sorrow LP by playing it in full. But even though that weekend... Continue Reading →
If the Rolling Stones were one of the hottest bands of the late '60s, then frontman Mick Jagger was on fire. An expert at preening and posturing, it was only natural an opportunity to appear on the big screen would eventually come calling for the singer. His debut acting role in 1970’s Performance, however, looked... Continue Reading →
It's hard to contain my nerding out when it comes to bands I absolutely adore, like Phantogram. The electronic rock/pop/psych/indie pair made up of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter are so damn talented together. More importantly, they seem to have cracked the code of getting better with each ensuing release. Their latest, Memory of a... Continue Reading →
Back in 2023, I spoke with Marty Friedman for Metal Edge. He was touring the U.S. in support of Queensrÿche at the time and told me how it was all a part of his grand plan to reintroduce himself to the country, as he'd lived in Japan for over 20 years at that juncture. Now,... Continue Reading →
Welcome to this year’s edition of “New Year’s Resolutions for Rockers Who Need Them,” where we offer some assistance to the musicians out there who may have trouble lining up goals for the coming year. It’s not an easy job, but one we’re more than happy to take on because, hey, these folks are busy.... Continue Reading →
You've heard of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Well, this year over at Vanyaland, we did something like that...but not really like that at all. The staff compiled a dozen of their favorite songs, films, comedy moments, and more from the past dozen months to close out another loop 'round the sun for "The Year... Continue Reading →
One year ago I was in Portland, Maine for Thanksgiving and to work on some writing. Looking for something to do, I hit up ‘Beatles Night’ that Saturday at the State Theatre, expecting very little. Fab Four tributes are always good for a few laughs but tend to get old fast. That wasn’t the case... Continue Reading →
Earlier this month, I sat down over Zoom with Ryan Adams for an interview to preview his show at the Shubert Theatre in Boston tonight. It was to be part of my ongoing 617 Q&A series with Vanyaland, the name inspired by the Boston area code, where I run through six questions, ask the subject... Continue Reading →
Roundly recognized as one of the top films of the '90s, A Bronx Tale first began as an autobiographical one-man play by Chazz Palminteri, who went on to star in the cinematic adaptation, which is also notable as it marked the debut of Robert De Niro as a director. Perhaps most interesting, Palminteri has continued... Continue Reading →
Musicians taking up the paintbrush is nothing new. From Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood to John Mellencamp to the late David Bowie, it seems like anyone who randomly wandered into a Blick art supply store while on tour found a new hobby throwing paint on canvas. That wasn’t quite the case for Paul Stanley. The... Continue Reading →
