If you like acoustic music specficially fingerstyle guitar playing, then it behooves you to make the trek to Ferndale to catch a show sponsored by the Michigan Fingerstyle Guitar Society. These guys have been hosting performances and workshops all centered around this specific style of guitar playing. It’s very listenable music and can make for a very enjoyable evening of watching highly skilled musicians ply their craft. The shows take place at The First United Methodist Church in Ferndale, which is a great venue for an acoustic performance. The artists aren’t household names but there’s a good chance that you’ve heard some of their handiwork in the background of some mega-star’s band (ex: Lawrence Juber-McCartney, Pat Donahoe-house band on A Prarie Home Companion). This past weekend I caught Peppino D’Augustino (voted Best Acoustic Guitarist of 2007 by Guitar Player magazine). Not only was his guitar playing amazing to watch but he’s equally entertaining with the storytelling that prefaces each tune. For the most part singing is kept to a minimum to showcase the virtuosity of each performer and primarily most shows feature just a solo performer.

The concert schedule typically runs from fall through spring and  the final show of the season is on May 16 featuring the incredible Billy McLaughlin. Like all of the acts invited to a Fingerstyle show, he’s a guitar virtuoso, but Billy adds a lot of visual dynamics to a performance.  You can catch a clip of him at the official Michigan Fingerstyle Guitar Society site and also read more about this fine organization, striving to bring the best in acoustic music to the area.

Well it’s exciting news for some people . . . here’s a link to more info and a video.

Looks like Paul and Artie are on speaking terms again and will launch a tour that starts in New Zealand and Australia in June. Further international dates have yet to be announced.

After a nine month absence, I’ve discovered that since I don’t have anything better to do, I might as well resurrect this miserable excuse for music blog. But I’m not alone in the comeback department . . . you can’t fling a broken Stratocaster neck without hitting an old lost rocker back on the road again. Speaking of which, the original J. Geils Band are back in the saddle and will be appearing at the Fillmore Detroit on Friday, April 24. And after all these years, it will be even more poignant to hear Peter Wolf make a personal request to the ladies in the audience to “pull out your false teeth mama so I can suck on your gums!!

And if that isn’t enough to whet your rock and roll appetite for some 70s nostalgia, you’ll be busting a G-string to hear that the original Mott the Hoople has reformed to play six consecutive shows at the Hammersmith Odeon this October. A DVD will most certainly come out of this venture along with additional stimiulus funds for Ian Hunter and the rest of the boys. I’m a dude, yeah!
And closer to home, there’s a rumor that Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes (Journey to the Center of Your Mind) will be sharing a stage together again. Stay tuned for details.

Okay, it’s not really been discovered. It’s always been there, just the usual legal complications of who owns the release rights. I’m not a betting man, but my guess is it’s not the artist. Regardless, word has it these original unheard recordings by early Pink Floyd (with Syd Barrett), Queen (with Freddie Mercury) and Bowie (without Ziggy) are finally going to see the light of day. Apparently the BBC had them in a vault all these years and now have cut a deal with the artists’ label EMI allowing them the release rights . Who knows what else is out there? Maybe some early undiscovered Spice Girl tapes.

Poster artist Alton Kelly whose graphics defined the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene died this week of complications associated with osteoporosis. Kelly designed posters and album covers for Journey, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix and even the Beatles, but is probably most noted for creating The Grateful Dead’s skull and roses logo. He was 67.

Lead singer for Yes, Jon Anderson was hospitalized several weeks ago for a severe asthma attack. Posts on a fan Web site by those close to the band hint that plans for the current tour will be called off due to Anderson’s ailments. Yes are scheduled to make an appearance at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights on July 19.

Revolving World wishes the Yes-man a speedy recovery.

Classic grunge-rocker, Neil Young will be the keynote speaker at Sun Microsystem’s JavaOne Conference in San Francisco. What does a musician representing the Woodstock Nation have to do with advancing technology? Good question?

Who is Ed Cassidy you might ask? Ed was the drummer for one of my favorite (underrated) West Coast bands of the sixties; Spirit. Featuring the late guitarist Randy California, Spirit was a staple on FM rock radio with “Nature’s Way,”,” Mr. Skin” and that early ode to the ecology; “Fresh Garbage.” Ed turns 85 today and can still blow out the candles on his cake while doing a rimshot.

YouTube-Spirit-Nature\’s Way

When former Floyd man, Roger Waters performed last week at the Coachella Valley Arts Festival, he brought the old inflatable porcine prop out of mothballs to entertain the crowd during “Pigs on the Wing.” Unfortunately the pig really did wing it out of there when it broke loose from it’s tether.