Felix Dennis

In case you forgot just how mesmerizing poetry can be:

25th Anniversary Rock and Roll HOF Concert

The anniversary concert airs this Sunday on HBO. And going in, you know it’s going to be a circus. One filled with all kinds of stunts and gimmicks. Like this here: Mick Jagger and Fergie singing “Gimme Shelter” with U2 as their backing band:



Well, all I have to say is...

Bring it on! Gimme stunts! Gimme gimmicks! I can’t wait. It’s just six days away...it’s just six days away...

Strict Joy

Glen Hansard (of the little-known band The Frames) made his presence on our cultural radar a lot more pronounced when he teamed up with Marketa Irglova in the movie Once. The two of them are back with a new band — The Swell Season — and a new album called Strict Joy, which yours truly recommends without hesitation.

Meanwhile, here are Hansard and Irglova rocking Austin last night with the song that made them semi-semi-famous.

Fleisher Art Memorial

The Fleisher Art Memorial is hosting a town hall this Thurs., November 5th, at 5:30 pm, which is slated to be an “open discussion with Fleisher staff to learn about our efforts to evaluate Fleisher’s programming, gather ideas, and brainstorm solutions.”

“Solutions?” you may be wondering. “To what?” Well, the answer seems to appear on another part of their website:

“The current economic climate has reduced some of our investment income, and challenged staff to think creatively about how we deliver our programs.”

A benevolent little birdie is telling us that, sadly, all that creative thinking has resulted in this decision: Jack up the prices.

For more than 100 years, Fleisher has provided tuition-free art instruction to city residents of all economic and cultural backgrounds. Please help protect this wonderful gift. If you can, please get to the town hall this Thursday and be a part of the discussion.



In advance, I thank you, thank you, thank you.

“Jimmaaaay!!!”

This is just great. Henry Hill reacting to Jimmy Rollins’ walk-off double to end Game 4 of the NLCS.



Anyway, all fun aside, the time has now come. The Evil Empire must be taken down. Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. (Goethe did not say that.) Go Phillies.

Stevie Nicks

Riveting footage of Stevie Nicks, caught backstage in 1981, singing “Wild Heart” while her makeup is being applied.

History, as it’s thus far been written, has gotten Stevie Nicks wrong; she was a singular talent, and isn’t respected nearly enough.



...on the other side of it, she was good for making fun of:

Mario Puzo

The late novelist/screenwriter would’ve turned 89 this week. In this clip, he discusses, among other things, the process of adapting his novel, The Godfather, to the screen.



(NOTE: I’ve argued — always to the wild disapproval of friends and family — that the murder of Fredo was unnecessary. Here, the author shares that he never intended for Fredo to be killed, but that Coppola kind of forced his hand. Hmm.)