Category: Writing

(On Saturday I went to see Aretha Franklin play the S.B. Bowl. Here’s my review from the News-Press.)


If the history of Aretha Franklin’s career is that of a frustrated talent held down under her early Capitol Records deal, and then being allowed to flower under Jerry Wexler’s production at Atlantic Records, then her struggle since the early 1970s has been a story of trying to find another worthy partner and living up to early promise.
There have been plenty of producers since, some very big names, from Curtis Mayfield to Narada Michael Walden and Babyface, but they’ve been either terribly mismatched or have resulted in some stultifyingly dull albums, glomming on to trends from disco to ’80s drum machines and syrupy balladeering.
For the Queen of Soul, there’s been much laurel-resting and Saturday night’s appearance at the Santa Barbara County Bowl suggests she’s content to do just that.
But for fans, it must be frustrating. Franklin tours with a huge band, which opened up the show with that most depressing of Las Vegas-style maneuvers, the “medley of hits,” while the singer prepared offstage.
A medley is, on the whole, an admission that no surprises are to come either tonight or in the years to come, a living museum piece.
But perhaps Franklin’s appearance made up for it. She’s 63 now, and overweight, but still looking lovely in a dazzling white evening dress and purple chiffon scarf.
The singer launched directly into “Respect,” but there was something lifeless about it. And then the dancers came on.

Read More

Apparently, Friday is a good day. I have an article on the Rosenzweig Dance Company in the News Press (you may have to log in to see it), and an article on the low, low, low possibility of bringing light rail to S.B. County.

After turning it in a week ago, the Valley Voice have finally printed my review of The Nederlands Dans Theater II. Check it out. I did.

I like to think that someone out there, possibly in Taiwan, is learning more than they ever thought they’d know about Santa Barbara County politics, after following my series of portraits of the Board of Supervisors. This week I take on Gail Marshall who has been the most controversial of them all–and not intentionally.
I also got to review Laurel Canyon, which stars the lovely Kate Beckinsale. Which reminds me, whatever happened to Whit Stillman? Isn’t he due for a new movie sometime?

Apart from my blogging comments on Divine Intervention, I got write a full blown review of it for the Valley Voice. Here ’tis.
Divine Intervention Turns a Comic Eye on Occupation

It’s Friday and my profile on Naomi Schwartz has come out in the Valley Voice. For those of you outside S.B. County who don’t know that Schwartz is one of our County Supervisors, the article may mean nothing. But give it a shot anyway.
Full circle with Naomi Schwartz:
First District Supervisor looks back on her career and ahead to looming state crisis

I completely forgot that Friday was when my most recent piece was published in the Valley Voice. Here I tell you all you need to know about bioswales. What’s a bioswale, you ask? Click and find out.

It’s Friday, and two of my most recent writings have been published. The first is the Valley Voice’s cover story on Harriet Phillips and the Goleta Valley Land Trust. The second is my review of Narc
Enjoy and please send feedback if you’d like!

Spent today writing an article on the Goleta Valley Land Trust, which is a local organization awarding grants to organizations that want to preserve our open space. The president, feisty 79-year-old Harriet Philips, has a long history of politics and volunteer work, and you’ll have to wait till next week to read my profile on her.
Jessica and I also went to see Narc, which featured Jason Patric and Ray Liotta yelling at various people in the first two-thirds of the film, only to end up yelling at each other. Again, you can read my review later.
In the meantime, here’s a review that got published last month of Gangs of New York under my nom de plume. UPDATE: That review can be found here.