On Ben Rector’s New Album: Nostalgia, Manhood and Magic

Ben Rector is not the only songwriter in recent memory who’s been inspired to wax poetic upon the birth of his first child. Example: In 2016, Sturgill Simpson released “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,” an album-as-letter-to-his-newborn-son…

Concert Review: A Night in Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden State of Mind

#BadDateFiles: Killer Tofu

Brooklyn, Spring 2016: It was just after doors, and I was waiting for a friend and having a pre-concert drink at the venue bar when I noticed the cute guy sitting a few stools over. The idea of meeting a guy at a show has always appealed to me as a hypothetical perfect scenario…

#BadDateFiles: The Unsolicited Second-Date Mix CD

“Harry” and I matched on the Hinge dating app, which at the time indicated that we were connected within a few degrees of mutual Facebook friends. He was friendly, upbeat, and gainfully employed in an industry closely related to my own. For our…

Seven Tips for Summer Concerts & Festivals

Summer has a lot going for it here in the US of A: it is beach/barbecue/baseball/wedding/Hollywood blockbuster season! Kids (and teachers!) don’t have to go to school! For the next 3–4 months, there is a 0% chance you will have to dig your car out of a…

Glittering Jewels & Beating Drums: an Ode to a Deep Cut

Every music fan has at least one: that elusive song that no matter how many concerts you’ve been to, you’ve never heard your favorite band or artist play live. Whether it’s a little-known B-side, an overlooked album track, or a…

#BadDateFiles: Reject, Refresh, Repeat

I joined OKCupid (for the first time) around the same time as I acquired my first iPhone…