Mitch Blum

Scene: The Crossroads
“Hey buddy, I’ve got a deal for you. How would you like to make a living doing what you love – playing the guitar and making music? You’ll play to sold-out venues across the country. You’ll make a good living. You’ll explore the greatest tunes in the American songbook. I’ll make your dreams [...]

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Most every music fan has their guilty pleasures and mine is the super-cheesy soft rock of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Among the guiltiest of these guilty pleasures is the band Ambrosia. Now, don’t fret if you don’t remember Ambrosia. They were big enough to garner a few Grammy nominations back in 1980 but [...]

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Everyone loves to marvel at rock and rollers like The Rolling Stones that keep on rocking well into their golden years. But isn’t it also incumbent on us to tell certain rock and rollers when they should just give it up? I’m not talking about retirement here – I’m just saying that there are some [...]

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The term “legend” is tossed around pretty carelessly these days. If you write a good book or win a few games the next thing you know you’re a legend. But in my estimation, a true legend is that rare individual that makes an indelible impression on our culture-at-large. Whether their gift is for art or [...]

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I’d be remiss not to comment on the big news in the (Grateful) Dead world. As you probably already know, Bobby Weir & Phil Lesh, coming off the now-completed Dead reunion tour, have announced that they’re forming a new band called Furthur and will be playing three shows in Oakland, CA soon (9/18-20/2009).
The band will [...]

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While it’s tempting to write a full-on review of The Black Crowes’s new release, “Before the Frost…Until the Freeze”, we thought that perhaps it would be best to let the initial excitement wear off a bit before making any final judgments. But since Don and I are dying to obsess about it, we figured that [...]

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Concert Review:
The Black Crowes
August 27, 2009
Bank of America Pavilion
Boston, MA
The big fear amongst long-time Crowes fans has been that after 20 years the band had lost their edge. That they were no longer capable of writing the well-crafted songs or performing the type of ferocious rockers that made them “the most rock and roll band in [...]

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The Black Crowes Album Project:
The Lost Crowes: The Tall Sessions (2006)
Band Members:
Chris Robinson, vocals, harp
Rich Robinson, guitar
Steve Gorman, drums
Johnny Colt, bass
Marc Ford, guitar
Eddie Harsch, keys
Additional Musicians:
Gary Louris, backing vocals
Andy Sturmer, backing vocals
Eric Bobo, percussion
Karen Grotberg, backing vocals
Bruce Kaphan, pedal steel
Produced by:
The Black Crowes
Engineered by:
Jim Mitchell (1994)
Mixed by:
Paul Stacey (2006)
Mitch’s Review:
In 2006 The Black Crowes finally [...]

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Concert Review:
The Black Crowes
June 19, 2009
Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Hampton Beach, NH
I’ve long been a believer in the theory that the venue defines the vibe at a rock and roll concert. Over time you begin to construct a virtual database in your head, mapping out the best and worst venues for particular bands.
It’s hard for me [...]

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