Late in May, I got a sonic treat of epic proportions when Gary Tanin, our friend at Daystorm Music in Milwaukee, sent us an early copy of Peggy James’ new album. First the disclaimer – I have had the opportunity to preview several of Peggy’s albums. With each and every one of them, I […]
On February 28, 1980, AC/DC played the last date of the tour that introduced both their album Back in Black and their new singer, Brian Johnson, to the world. It had been one year and a day since they played their last show with singer Bon Scott. The concert a few nights earlier, (February […]
The Bangles had a lot going for them when they broke into the big time in the 1980s. One burden they did not have to carry was that of being the first all female rock band (see Vixen, The Runaways, The Go-Gos, etc). Earlier all-female rock bands were viewed as a novelty and most […]
REO Speedwagon came charging out of Southern Illinois and made a national name for themselves in the 1970s and 1980s. With the band’s name pretty much retired as of December of 2024, it seems a fitting time to chart the ups and downs of the band. The REO story, from its inception in 1967 […]
Blues Music Magazine is a quarterly publication I have subscribed to for many years. I have been a fan of all types of music for years but it was former WOAS-FM General Manager Mike ‘Zenith’ Bennett’s over the top love for the genre that got me deeper into the blues. BMM is published quarterly […]
At the end of 2024, I took some time to repay a long overdue debt. Over the last decade, Gary Tanin from Daystorm Music in Milwaukee has been kind enough to send me music from a host of artists he has worked with. Corresponding via email, I got to know a bit about Gary […]
Michigan has been the home of numerous rock stars. Near the top, if not on the top, of that list would have to be Bob Seger. Detroit born, Ann Arbor raised, Seger went from the barrooms to arenas before he retired from touring in 2019 (at the conclusion of his Travelin’ Man Tour), but his […]
Wait…what? Who is Eddie and why are we happy that he is 50? First off, my father’s given name was Eddie Rudolf Raisanen and there is a 50 year connection to that moniker, but we will come back to that a little later. The Eddie in the above title is the beloved mascot of […]
“The Nazz Are Blue,” Lee said in reference to nothing in particular. “Who are they and why are they blue?” I asked. Lee was the bass player in my second band, Knockdown, and this discussion took place when I was dropping him by the IGA grocery store at the Marquette Mall. Lee’s wife worked […]
‘Derringer’ was probably the perfect stage name when nine year old Rick began playing Country & Western tunes in the bars around Fort Recovery, Ohio with his uncle Jim. It was 1956 and he had only recently gotten a Harmony-type guitar model with one pickup and a copy of Mickey Baker’s Complete Course in […]