Okee dokee folks… I hate to beat a dead horse, mostly because I am an animal lover, but it is imperative that folks get out on November 6 and exercise their right to vote. We are in dark times, people, and it is getting darker. If it gets much worse, we may never be able […]
Okee dokee folks… Back in 1985, I came across an article in Time magazine about the crisis of family farmers that inspired me to write a song called “The Final Harvest.” Later that year, John Cougar Mellencamp released his Scarecrow album with its title cut about the farm crisis, and he, along with Neil Young […]
Okee dokee folks… Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra famously said, “It’s deja vu all over again,” and this certainly applies to this year’s RI primary elections. So why am I writing about elections in a music column? Two reasons: It’s my damn column and maybe if enough people talk about what happened more folks will […]
Okee dokee folks… The other night I went to check out a show featuring two classic rock bands at Twin River’s Event Center. The bands were Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas, and The Guess Who. I have never had the chance to see these bands live before, but have seen a few of the original members […]
Okee dokee folks… I would like to thank all the folks who made the fifth annual Providence Folk Festival such an amazing day — the volunteers, the performers, the sponsors (Motif being one of those!) and of course, the audience. Now let’s talk volunteers. The coffeehouse season is about to begin, and many venues operate […]
Okee dokee folks… I had the chance to speak with one of the headliners of this year’s Rhythm and Roots Festival, Steve Earle. Here is our conversation. Read on… John Fuzek: Hello, Steve? Steve Earle: Hello… JF: Where are you calling from? SE: I’m outside of Detroit. JF: Are you playing a show tonight? SE: Yes, […]
Okee dokee folks… I honestly was not aware of Cindy Lee Berryhill before my friend Ken Shane mentioned that she was coming to the Odeum in East Greenwich and asked me if I would be interested in talking to her. We were at the Autumn Defense show at Pop a couple of weeks ago and […]
Okee dokee folks… “I’ve got a golden ticket!” That is the way I used to feel when I bought a concert ticket. A ticket was special. It wasn’t just a piece of paper, it was a thing of beauty that we would save as mementos. I have hundreds of them and some of them were […]
Okee dokee folks… Those of you who read this column or know me are aware that I am a huge fan of Neil Young. When I was in my teens, I figured out a way to meet him. My plan was simple — I knew when they did sound checks at the Civic Center so […]
Okee dokee folks… “It’s Different For Girls” got things going for Joe Jackson on Monday night at The Strand in Providence. Jackson sat down at his digital keyboard and performed a touching, solo rendition of the song from his 1979 album I’m The Man. The refrain, “You’re all the same…” faded the song to the […]