Visitors to The Back Room have enjoyed our occasional updates on musician and poet Donovan’s various activities. He is a big part of Appleseed Recordings‘ recent release, Roots and Branches, which also features Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Tom Morello, Joan Baez, Ramblin, Jack Elliot, Judy Collins, Levon Helm, and more. Rolling Stone calls the three […]
Last Wednesday, I went to see Johnny Marr at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland. Well known for his years as The Smiths‘ guitarist and co-songwriter, I became more interested in The Smiths and Marr from Nalinee Darmrong’s book of photographs, The Smiths, published by Rizzoli. I went on to organize an exhibition of […]
I was stunned to hear last night that Paul Allen passed away. Paul, who co-founded Microsoft, created the Experience Music Project museum (now called the Museum of Pop Culture) in Seattle. He was inspired by the musical artistry of Jimi Hendrix to establish the museum. It was a great honor for me to […]
This photo was taken by Leroy Woodson Jr. in October of 1971 at the opening of Yoko Ono‘s exhibit at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, around the time of Lennon’s 31st birthday. Photographer Leroy Woodson Jr. passed away in February of 2015. Enjoy this recording of Janis Joplin singing happy birthday to […]
Max Lakin wrote a front page story in The New York Times Arts section today about photographer Jonathan Mannion’s amazing exhibition at The Compound gallery in the South Bronx. Lakin in The NY Times story writes: “Mr. Mannion has been something of hip-hop’s house photographer since the ’90s, when he shot the cover of […]
Leo’s Tavern 50th anniversary banner. Photograph by Carlotta Hester. I was just looking at the cover of the first issue of Rolling Stone magazine, from November 1967. Donovan was the inaugural interview and is referred to on the cover as the “manchild of magic.” Artist Carlotta Hester outside Leo’s Tavern. Photograph by Chris Murray. Donovan brought his […]
Earlier this week, Bruce Springsteen joined Tangiers Blues Band to celebrate the reopening of Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ. What an incredible gig it was!! The rebirth of the bowling alley/music venue is thanks to the renovations by Jay Sugarman of i-Star, which has also launched the adjacent Asbury Hotel. After Tangiers Blues Band and Bruce’s […]
DJ Fontana, Elvis’ original drummer, passed away on Wednesday. DJ was integral to Elvis’ magical sound in 1956. Alfred Wertheimer took the greatest photographs ever of Elvis Presley in 1956. Here is a great one of DJ playing drums at the earth shaking recording session on July 2, 1956 at RCA Studios in New York, where […]
Bruce Springsteen and David Sancious, Central Park, 1973. © The Estate of David Gahr. Backstreets magazine just published a terrific story and interview on the making of Bruce Springsteen: From Asbury Park, to Born to Run, to Born in the USA (Rizzoli). It is an account of how Bruce Springsteen and photographer David Gahr came together and […]
Tom Petty, Bonnaroo, 2009. Photograph by Danny Clinch. Just a couple of weeks ago I attended the opening of The Soundry in Columbia, Maryland, the newest fine music venue in the Washington area. It was a remarkable evening. Tom Meyer, President of the Clyde’s group, commissioned Newmyer Flyer Productions to present a concert to open The […]