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 →
Montréal Jazz Festival Kicks Off 43rd Year
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 →
Regrets, Greatest Hits and Barefoot Playing with Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Glen Phillips
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 →
Andrew Hagar Talks Music, Mental Health and Being Up Close for the Van Halen Drama
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 →
Festival Report: Boston Calling Review + Photo Gallery
It’s hard to believe Boston Calling celebrated its 10th anniversary this past weekend, and that’s more a comment of how long it’s lasted than how quickly time flies. But the three-day music festival, which got it’s start as a two-day event in the heart of downtown at City Hall Plaza, has made all the right... Continue Reading →
A Double Dose of Love Metal with Ville Valo
Many years ago, while in the Finnish gothic rock band HIM, Ville Valo coined the term "love metal" to describe the type of music he made. And while that band may have said goodbye in 2017, Valo is still waving the genre's flag on his first solo full-length, Neon Noir. Recently he and I sat... Continue Reading →
Foo Fighters Make Return to the Big Stage at Boston Calling
Foo Fighters returned to the big stage last night with a headlining slot at Boston Calling, a gig three years in the making. Delayed twice; first by the pandemic and then the tragic passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins, the loss of the latter hung in the air all night long, with frontman Dave Grohl doing... Continue Reading →
Photo Gallery: Coheed and Cambria with Deafheaven
Progressive metal and post-metal made for a sold out show at Roadrunner in Boston last night, May 4. Here's some shots from the evening.
Bradley Jay on Travel, Woodstock ’99 and the Post Punk of Bridge Bender
When I was doing promotion for my Depeche Mode book, I was linked up with Bradley Jay through mutual friends. A longtime Boston radio staple, Jay and I clicked pretty instantly over music, with him a fellow aficionado of all things synthpop. When he decided to launch his own post punk duo, Bridge Bender, I... Continue Reading →
Stephan Jenkins Explains Why Third Eye Blind is Indie Rock…Among Other Things
I've always had a soft spot for Third Eye Blind, for a myriad of reasons. When I was in college at Temple University in the late-90s, the band was just breaking big. And while it didn't really fit in with anything else I was listening to, it was - on the surface - fun music.... Continue Reading →