A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:
Rick Lee of Las Vegas (formerly of St. Cloud):
1 Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale, Miss. A short drive from Robert Johnson’s grave, the museum celebrates Johnson, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf and many more blues pioneers. The exhibits amply demonstrate that “blues is the roots. The rest is the fruits.”
2 Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, Iowa. Most famous for hosting the last show before Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (the Big Bopper) died in a 1959 plane crash (the day the music died), The Surf stands tall in its rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia. Hundreds of photos and other memorabilia show off its long history of hosting many famous rock artists, and it remains an active live music venue.
3 Bob Dylan Center, Tulsa, Okla. Adjacent to the Woody Guthrie Center in downtown Tulsa, this terrific museum takes a deep dive into the long and storied career of our guy Bob. Younger folks, who may know Dylan only as the old guy with the gravelly singing voice, will be amazed at his decades-long music and cultural influence. Terrific way to spend an afternoon.
Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:
1 “Fairytale of Philadelphia” by Jason and Travis Kelce. A takeoff on the Pogues’ 1987 Christmas tune “Fairytale of New York,” this is a fun novelty number featured on “A Philly Special Christmas,” a charity album by Philadelphia Eagles players Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata with such Philly music guests as Patti LaBelle and Amos Lee. The Kelce brothers rework some of the lyrics to mention Broad Street, Silver Ages Choir and “youse a crum bum” (a slang expression courtesy of former Mayor Frank Rizzo). Don’t expect Travis to sing a duet with pal Taylor Swift anytime soon, but Swifties have reportedly pushed this single up the iTunes chart.
2 “The Underboss” on “60 Minutes.” Correspondent Jon Wertheim’s profile of Stevie Van Zandt, the ultimate wingman, shines a light on Bruce Springsteen’s best friend and consigliere, who gained attention for his unexpected acting role on “The Sopranos.” The report doesn’t break any new ground, but it gives the colorfully dressed, socially conscious and education-minded guitarist some worthy recognition.
3 #BobDylanCore. There is a trend on TikTok of young men wearing thin, clearly not-warm-enough jackets in cold weather, walking down an urban street and gazing at the ground a la the iconic cover of the 1963 album “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.” Another example of Dylan’s enduring cultural impact. Who knew?
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