Month: January 2022

Sundance Hit ‘Mass’ is a Tragic Tale of Loss (Review)
Features, Film, Reviews

Sundance Hit ‘Mass’ is a Tragic Tale of Loss (Review)

For most of us, it's hard to imagine the pain that would come from the loss of a child. I don't know how many people ever would also stop to think about the pain for those whose children take the lives of other kids. That's at the heart of the directorial debut feature film from actor Fran Kranz. In 'Mass,' two sets of parents entangled in a lawsuit meet up for a private conversation in a neutral zone. In a utility room at a church where none of them attend, the four adults finally sit down face to face with each other. Martha Plimpton and Jason Isaacs star as Gail and Jay. They lost their teenage son in a school shooting. Ann Dowd and Reed Birney star as Richard and Linda. Their son, who was also a student at the same school, pulled the trigger. As they all sit dow...
Blues Rocker Katie Henry Set To Release New Album On My Way
Music

Blues Rocker Katie Henry Set To Release New Album On My Way

New Jersey-based singer/songwriter Katie Henry will be releasing her new blues album this month. On My Way is set to be released on January 28th on Ruf Records. The highly anticipated album is a follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2018 debut release High Road. Having been compared to Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin at their most magnetic, the future is bright for Katie. On My Way is a very personal album that was recorded in May of last year in Brooklyn, New York's Degraw Sound. Produced by guitarist Ben Rice, the project also features Antar Goodwin (bass/slide guitar), Kurt Thum (piano/organ), Greg Wieczorek (drums/percussion) along with British harpist Giles Robson. As for the recording process, Katie had this to say, "we recorded the album live during the pandemic, and it was so ...
Star-Studded David Bowie Tribute Set For Saturday
Music

Star-Studded David Bowie Tribute Set For Saturday

A tribute to the legendary David Bowie, organized by a longtime collaborator, will take place on Saturday on what would have been his 75th birthday. A Bowie Celebration will mark the sixth anniversary of the icon's passing and is the second year in a row a live stream tribute is planned. According to a recent press release, performing alongside his alumni band, the lineup includes the likes of Noah Gallagher of Oasis, Def Leppard singer Joe Elliot, Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon, and a host of others. The performance was organized by Mark Garson and will live stream for a full 24 hours for anyone who purchases access. The evening will celebrate Bowie's legacy and the 35th anniversary of the classic film and album, Labyrinth. Directed by Jim Henson and with George Lucas as executive pro...
Clooney Fails to Connect With ‘The Tender Bar’ (Review)
Features, Film, Reviews

Clooney Fails to Connect With ‘The Tender Bar’ (Review)

With his eighth feature film as a director, George Clooney has taken on J.R. Moehringer's acclaimed memoir of the same name. Unfortunately, as with his last several films in the director's chair, 'The Tender Bar' is inherently quite watchable, but failed to connect with me on almost any genuine level. For the film, J.R. is played by talented newcomer Daniel Ranieri as a young boy raised by his single mother (Lily Rabe) who really never gets to know his father, a disc jockey who exists in his life almost exclusively as a voice on the radio dial. They end up moving in with his grandparents (Sondra James, who gets almost no dialogue, and Christopher Lloyd, who does little else except for grunt and fart) on Long Island. J.R. falls under the spell of his uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck), a b...
Bacon Brothers Announce Spring ‘Out of Memory’ Tour
Events, Music, Uncategorized

Bacon Brothers Announce Spring ‘Out of Memory’ Tour

The well-known Bacon Brothers will be making a run up the east coast this spring on their 'Out of Memory' tour. Kicking off April 3rd at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut, tickets are on sale now. The pandemic has been a prolific time for the brothers having released a brand new album and series of accompanying videos. They're excited to hit the road, Michael had this to say according to a recent press release, "It feels good to get back in the saddle, vocal exercising, building up callouses, and hanging with my brother and our amazing band." Growing up, the Bacon Brothers were drawn to music having been raised on a steady diet of the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Motown classics. They've since spent the last 20 years as a band, releasing 10 studio albums and performing hundred...
Americana Duo The HawtThorns to Release Tarot Cards & Shooting Stars February 25th
Music, Reviews

Americana Duo The HawtThorns to Release Tarot Cards & Shooting Stars February 25th

The new year is shaping up nicely for new music releases and on February 25th we can expect a new album from husband/wife Americana duo The HawThorns. The album, Tarot Cards & Shooting Stars is set to drop on Mule Kick Records. When you combine the lush vocal harmonies, sun-kissed songwriting, and versatile guitar work of K.P. and Johnny Hawthorn, the result is something special. Spending time in both Nashville and Los Angeles to record the album, it also serves as a nod to both sides of the group's geographic and musical roots. K.P and Johnny came together to form The HawThornes with accomplished careers of their own already under their belt. K.P., a nationally tour artist with CALICO and her own solo work, and Hawthorn, a multi-instrumentalist who'd shared the stage with the l...