YouTube (again)

Yes, I realize that spouting off about how addictive YouTube is isn’t exactly groundbreaking stuff, but from a musical standpoint I’m consistently amazed by the performances I can find on the site. Pat Metheny and Pete Townshend jamming on the Who’s “Magic Bus?” I never would’ve imagined, but there it was, with Herbie Hancock on keys. Bizarre? Indeed. Then there’s the “lump in the throat” inspiring performance of the Metheny classic “Are You Going With Me?” performed with the Metropole Orkest, where the guitarist tears off one of the most expressive solos I’ve ever heard. Amazing. Remember that weird Spiderman TV series from the 70’s? Found it. Hilarious and fully oddball short films by local guerilla filmographer Jesse Romine? Yes, they’re all here, and more. I can learn fancy country guitar licks, laugh my ass off and watch some of my favorite (and all these years later, I realize were pretty awful) Saturday morning shows any time I desire. Nerd heaven, without a doubt.

Summer in Sylva

The July 4th celebration was, at least for me, a rowdy good time. Sometimes I reflect on living in Boston, missing the constant buzz of people and city life that a town like that can offer up in spades. And while there’s no comparing this little mountain village with that giant New England town, every year I’ve spent here has seen the streets come more and more alive with activity. The Friday Night Live series has brought more music to Sylva and Dillsboro on a regular basis, Guadalupe’s new patio is always full of townies and ripe for conversation (as well as great food and drink,) and as the Bridge Park Project inches closer to completion, we can look forward to a fantastic outdoor venue tailor made for any number of seasonal activities. Now that I can actually get a veggie dog at 553’s weekday hotdog stand, it truly feels like summer has arrived.

The Return of Big Hair? Really?

Sooo ... in the last four months or so, Whitesnake, White Lion, Dokken, Night Ranger and Motley Crue have released albums of new — yes, “new” — material. Winger released a live DVD, for Pete’s sake. For a guy that did some growing up back when music like this was actually considered cool, it’s a little disorienting. I’m not saying these bands don’t have the right to continue making music or anything, but wow — maybe it’s that I fear I’ve reached an age and demographic that’s missing the good old days of circulation inhibiting blue jeans and two-tone Camaros so much that there’s actually a market for this stuff again. Nostalgia goes a long way, you know. Out of sheer morbid curiosity, I tried to listen to a little bit of the White Lion CD. It was even worse than I could have imagined. Never liked Dokken. Night Ranger? Can anyone explain the lyrics to “Sister Christian” to me? Didn’t think so. I’m not one for biblical hysteria or anything, but when this many bad pop rock bands from the 80’s start making comebacks all at once, I start worrying about things like the four horsemen, hordes of locust and general impending apocalypse type things. It’s probably just me, though.

— By Chris Cooper