Why this, and why now?

Why, indeed? I'm not sure if it's the music junkie in me that compels me to write about it or if there's a need to apply my background knowledge in writing to something other than my day job, but the time has come (again). I wrote for and was published by the now defunct Examiner.com from 2010-2016 and did mostly concert reviews along with the occasional local feature, editorial, or review of a new record. While this blog won't have the same sort of digital distribution, I plan to continue to write about those topics, to introduce and dig into a few others I've not yet attempted to write about, and to seize the opportunity to organize and share my thoughts and opinions about my musical interests and passions, whether a large number of people read them or care about them or not.

At one point, it seemed like pretty much everyone was in a band.  If you weren't, you knew people who were in a few very well and probably helped them out by going to shows that were overpriced, far away, not good, or a combination. These days, it seems like pretty much everyone has a blog. Sure, they write about all sorts of interesting topics, and I click and read (and skim) as much as anyone.  Honestly, there is no good reason to just now start yet another blog to clog up the interwebs, especially not one about music as the subject is already covered quite thoroughly, but the stuff I used to ramble about, argue about, and geek out about with my friends in high school and college still need to be said (or at least typed), so here we are. This is sort of like venting the pressure of a music nerd so he does not explode with random facts and opinions about what he is listening to or thinking about at a given time. As a writer, teacher, and musician, I just have a knack for devoting a lot of time, effort, and energy to things that make very little money!  Then again, is that all life is about?

My musical tastes are quite broad, but I generally prefer the higher quality songs and artists of the "rock era", 1955-present, or even the last 35 years of the 20th century, to get more specific.  I have love and appreciation for anything with talent and originality, regardless of the era or genre, but my favorite music tends to be rock and roll in its many forms, including the vast amounts of music that led to the creation of rock and the countless sub-genres that have developed over its 63-year-history. Rock history goes hand in hand with cultural and social history, and music reflects the time in which it is made both because of technology (both limitations and innovations) and because it reflects "what's going on", to quote Marvin Gaye. Listening to a certain song, album, or collection can take a listener right back to a moment in time, a specific memory, or even evoke feelings one connects to experiences or the people with whom they were shared. In fact, music can do these things to a greater degree than even photos, video, or written notes from a diary or journal.

I have had a deep love affair with rock music for over 25 years, and I hope to be able to share some of my knowledge and passion for it with anyone who is interested in reading.

Ultimately, it's just another music blog.