Changing of the Guard

Tomorrow we turn another page on the calendar; May turns into June. But June 1st will also see another auspicious pop culture moment as one of the most revered seats on television gets a new as…um, as Conan O’Brien takes over for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show.
Jay, of course, took over that seat seventeen [...]

Under The Radar: The Downbeat 5

The Downbeat 5 was formed a decade ago by legendary Boston rocker J.J.Rassler, whom many of you might know from the band DMZ (along with future Lyres member Jeff Connolly). Rassler’s then-wife Jen shared a love for all things Dolls, Stooges and garage, tempered with a melodic pulse yet a fiery pace, and her prowling, howling vocals [...]

T.G.I.F. – Ten Song Phil Spector Edition

Guns N’ Roses
The Clash
Elvis Presley
Frank Zappa and Sting
Bee Gees
Johnny Cash
The Kingston Trio
John Mayall
Alice Cooper
Cher

NEW ALBUM! Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels

It’s only appropriate that the band plays the theme from The Godfather before Mitch Ryder takes the stage. After all, Mitch is the Godfather of Detroit Rock’n’Roll. On this new live album, Ryder and the current version of the Detroit Wheels prove that Ryder is still a vital force forty years after smashing through transistor [...]

Stand Up Wit…Dov Davidoff

Dov Davidoff doesn’t walk out onto the stage in a conventional manner. Tumbling and shuffling in from a side angle, he looks like a guy who’s opened the wrong door but instead of panicking and going back, he  says ”what the hell, let’s do this!”. He rambles and paces, makes abrupt turns, stutters and segues in and [...]

R.I.P. Jay Bennett

Gone in a puff of smoke

Goddamn.
It’s difficult enough to lose people when they are elderly; to have someone suddenly pass away at 45 is shocking and unfair. But on May 24th, we lost another one. It goes without saying that heartfelt sympathies go out to family and close friends, but Jay Bennett also had a [...]

Happy Memorial Day – and Thanks!

Because of you, I continue to enjoy a life of freedom.
Call a veteran today and let them know you appreciate what they have done. Thank them for serving and protecting our country.

Happy Birthday, Bob Dylan

I’m Dreamin’ Of You / That’s All I Do / But It’s Driving Me Insane

Jimmy Mac and Johnny Bee

The rock music industry is a young person’s game, and when you get older you get relegated to revival tours because the audience you’ll draw wants to relive their youth through you. If you’re not a giant (Dylan, Neil, Springsteen) who can continue to command attention and create new music, you’re either getting by on [...]

T.G.I.F. – Ten More Clips

This week’s group of command performances spotlights the Rooftop Comedy site. The main page offers an ever-changing list of hot video clips, but you can also use the exhaustive directory to find clips from hundreds of comics. They people at Rooftop have assembled a pretty amazing collection of videos from well-known favorites as well as [...]