When I started this blog, I didn’t know what kind of a blog I was starting.
My interests are all over the map and I’m intensely curious about everything.
I looked at what I professed this blog to be about when I started it, some X years ago and decided to try to narrow my focus.
Mindfulness is something I’m interested in and try to practice every day, but write about it? Do we need another middle aged jackass preaching about his meditation practice. It would have bored me to write it as much as it would you to read it, so cross that off.
Movies! Well it’s true I am a film fanatic, obsessively so, and those are fun, I love cinema. Especially true in the midwinter when award season starts. I eat that stuff up so, I’m keeping that.
Parenting! I’ve been a parent for 12 years now and I still don’t have a clue. He’s raising me for all intents and purposes so that goes.
Politics, yeah..well that’s a sticky one. Like all reasonable people I am constantly worried, angry and quite honestly puzzled by some segment of my fellow citizens as pertains to our feeble minded, racist shitbag president but there are far better writers, writing more thoughtful pieces than me. Plus I am getting tired of being so angry. You want to read stuff I vent about politically, follow me on Twitter but no more politics in the blog. It’s not healthy for me. It doesn’t, as they say, “spark joy”.
What I am passionate about is music. So for the most part this is a music blog with a strong focus on Syracuse music.
If you don’t know, Syracuse is in the middle of a glorious renaissance and music and art and fashion is everywhere. What’s going on here is amazing. I can’t play, I can’t sing, what I can do is THIS, and hopefully it’s a contribution.
I’ve been around the Syracuse music scene since I was,, god..17? (underage in a funky bar)
I realized that with the demise of the Syracuse New Times, and the changes to the Post Standard/syracuse.com there is nobody writing about music in this town anymore other than the indispensable folks, Fred Reed and Misse Thomas at CNYAlive.com, not really. In a city with SO much music that’s a crime, and since nobody else is doing it, I may as well do it.
One thing to know, in my world, the big national acts are at the same level in my mind as the folks playing clubs (and waffle shops), there are no rankings. In fact most of the music I call “my favorite” these days is locally sourced.
Another thing to know, is while I guess what I write are considered reviews, I am no critic. If a band, or an album doesn’t resonate with me, it might with you, and who am I to judge? I write from the heart and you will never hear me slag on ANY artist. (I may get a bit snarky on what passes for country music these days, what did Tom Perry call it? “Bad rock music with fiddles” but I try to do it with humor.)
The more I write the better I write so I’m not going to be so lazy anymore. Once a week at minimum. If you want to be notified with an email linking back to the newest content just fill in the form at the bottom of the page. No marketing, no sales, just us. I promise.
You may even get some extra ramblings now and again.
Maybe you will like what I put here. Maybe you won’t. At least you gave it a shot and that’s all I can ask.
So music, art and culture, that’s my beat.
If you do like it please share.
I’m on Spacebook too.
What I can tell you is, I am from Syracuse NY, where I live with my family. Wait til I tell you about my neighborhood. You will want to move here. No kidding. I went to Syracuse University. I am on my, I think, third or fourth career. I have seen a gazillion concerts. Maybe most importantly I am a proud citizen of Red Sox Nation.
If you are so inclined, you can email me john AT jjtierney.com