Elvis Ate Dynamite

Bruce Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt, RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland, May 2023.

As I said in my original post, I write about music because music is a refuge. And, as it turns out, it doesn’t really matter what kind of music you listen to. It’s all a refuge.

To say that I have eclectic taste in music would be an understatement. The best way I can explain it is to provide a partial list of the acts I’ve seen in concert over the years:

And that doesn’t take into account dozens of small, local acts I’ve seen at bars and clubs around Chicago.

It also doesn’t take into account bands and artists that had a huge impact on me but I never had a chance to see live — especially Joe Strummer and the Clash, who probably had the biggest influence on me of any artists. Aside from listening to endless hours of the Clash and Joe’s solo music, I’ve spent endless hours practicing Clash songs on the guitar. The Clash and Bruce Springsteen account for a good 90% of the songs I’ve learned to play, and for good reason: They put out great songs that are really fun to play.

But, in the end, your choice of music is extremely personal and no matter what you listen to, it’s all good. If it means something to you, that’s all that matters. 

So feel free to drop a note in the comments about your favorite bands and artists, including those you’ve seen in concert, those you haven’t gotten around to seeing, and those you regret not seeing before they passed away or retired.