Phish and Richards Both Smokin’
After Phish performed “Loving Cup” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’s last night, there was a loud sound and a little commotion. No, it wasn’t applause. It was a fire alarm, set off by none other than the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards smoking in his dressing room. Undeterred, the legendary guitarist then came out to…
Telluride Won’t Bust Scalpers
In a battle of free-market Colorado spirit versus a quaint town’s desire to keep out extra hippies, the Telluride town council rejected a proposed ordinance that would slap a heavy fine on ticket scalpers. It came down to a 4-3 vote after two council members did a late about face on the measure and sided…
Breaking News: Clarence Thomas May Be a Lesbian
Let’s look at the facts. Clarence Thomas is not married. He’s pretty stout. Look at that haircut. He went to college in Massachusetts, which we all know is a hotbed of lesbianism. And no one has ever issued an official statement that he isn’t a lesbian. All of this is to say, I don’t give…
Putting Democracy in Your Hands (Literally)
One thing that’s great about living in the 21st century is that if you want to connect with your elected representatives and tell them which way to vote on a particular issue, there actually is an app for that. Visible Vote is a free application, available for most smart phones, Facebook, PCs, and Macs, to…
HeadCount Human Rights Issue Update: Immigration Law
By now, you’ve probably heard about the controversial new immigration law that will take effect in Arizona on July 28. The legislation, known officially as the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act or Senate Bill 1070, gives local police the ability to demand a person’s identification and detain that person if they believe there is reasonable suspicion…
Interview: Jim Lauderdale On ‘Patchwork River’ And Robert Hunter
Robert Hunter’s best lyrics since his Grateful Dead heyday embellish Patchwork River, singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale’s 19th album. Lauderdale has written hits George Strait, Patty Loveless, and the Dixie Chicks, but his second album-length collaboration with Hunter (following 2004’s Headed for the Hills) are on another level altogether. The loping and lovely title track alone, like…
Interview: Chris Fanning on “Outdoor Nation”
This June, thousands of young people will descend upon New York City’s Central Park to participate in the first ever Outdoor Nation Festival and Summit. Along with some rock climbing, kayaking and fishing in the world’s iconic urban park, more than 500 young leaders from across the country will engage in some heated policy discussion…
From Casual “Hangout” to a “Concert for the Coast”
The chance to make a difference sometimes comes in unexpected packages. Huka Entertainment, a popular concert promoter in Mobile, AL, set out to produce a large-scale concert festival on the beach in nearby Gulf Shores. With the white sands and emerald green water of the region as a primary selling point, they garnered a healthy…
The Cultural Politics of “Phan” versus “Scholar”
I have a doctoral degree in performance studies. I teach at a fairly reputable West Coast university, only three years away from that holy grail of educators, tenure. I consider myself a scholar, in that I’ve worked long and hard — reading, writing, and thinking a lot — in order to be able to gain…
Nashville Needs Our Help
Although I’m a native New Yorker, now residing in Texas with stints in St. Louis and Los Angeles in between, there is “no place I’d rather be” than Tennessee. Memphis and Nashville have been frequent vacation destinations and logical road trip stopping points for me over the last near-decade of my life. This is not…