Hi, this is Buzz Night bringing you some sad news about a gentleman that was a guest previously on the Taking a Walk Podcast. Steve Morse, a dear friend of ours. Steve was the iconic rock critic from the Boston Globe. He was teaching it to Berkeley as well. Just an all around great guy. Did some work for me while I was involved with one of the Boston radio stations, and he passed away. In memory of Steve, we.

Hi, this is Buzz Night bringing you some sad news about a gentleman that was a guest previously on the Taking a Walk Podcast. Steve Morse, a dear friend of ours. Steve was the iconic rock critic from the Boston Globe. He was teaching it to Berkeley as well. Just an all around great guy. Did some work for me while I was involved with one of the Boston radio stations, and he passed away. In memory of Steve, we.

Bring you back to this episode.

Bring you back to this episode.

It was back May seventeenth of twenty twenty three. I went to visit Steve and we took a walk around his Cambridge neighborhood. Rest in peace, the great Steve Morse on the Taken a Walk Podcast.

It was back May seventeenth of twenty twenty three. I went to visit Steve and we took a walk around his Cambridge neighborhood. Rest in peace, the great Steve Morse on the Taken a Walk Podcast.

Hi, Steve, so great to be with you, boss. That was quite an intro. I don't get that every day.

Hi, Steve, so great to be with you, boss. That was quite an intro. I don't get that every day.

I was going to go deeper when I figured we got to save some of this for this episode, right, I hope. So it's so great to be with you. We're walking the mean streets of Cambridge, yep. And it's a beautiful day. And to take a walk in person is always a joint, but reconnecting with you as a joint as.

I was going to go deeper when I figured we got to save some of this for this episode, right, I hope. So it's so great to be with you. We're walking the mean streets of Cambridge, yep. And it's a beautiful day. And to take a walk in person is always a joint, but reconnecting with you as a joint as.

Well, yeah, we go way back, so thank you.

Well, yeah, we go way back, so thank you.

So do you remember the first time you walked into the Boston Globe news room?

So do you remember the first time you walked into the Boston Globe news room?

Oh boy, I was a terrified kid freelancer and I just was in way over my head. I mean, the Globe became a goliath. You two thousand people worked at the Globe and it's heyday now. Of course newspapers have a fraction of that, so you know, you were on your heels right from the get go. And I had an appointment with some interview with some woman who grilled me, and all of a sudden, they said, hey, let's let him do some freelancing. And I started freelancing music reviews and I did a club past see David Bromberg and Vassar Clemens and two you know legends in their own way, Chicago blues. Ambassa was a fiddle player from down South. And I just got turned on, you know, by the music, turned on by the whole energy of the Globe, and I just kept pushing and pushing and pushing. It took me four years to get hired, but it was well worth it. So what year did you get hired there? Seventy eight? Started freelancing in seventy five and hired in seventy eight. But I'd grown up around Boston. I really had a kind of a blessed path around here because you know, I've cut all the shows at the old Boston Tea Party ten years after you know, Fleetwood Mac all the British bands would come to Jet Throw Tull and then I went nineteen sixty nine, I went over to England for the summer. I was in an archaeological dig. I somehow conned my way into an archaeological dig and I got free room and board, and I saw led Zeppelin twice, and I saw the Rolling Stones at Hyde Park with four hundred thousand people right after Brian Jones died in the swimming pool accident. And it was Mick Taylor's first gig, very exciting. The Hell's Angels did security, and of course the Hell's Angels in England were a very tame watt compared to the Hell's Angels in California, because later that summer Altamont happened where the Stones hired the Hell's Angels in California, and you know, someone was killed, you know, terrible tragedy. But I was in the right place at the right time, and I just worked it up from there, and I believe it or not, I went out to catch music two hundred and fifty nights a year for thirty years. You never let up.

Oh boy, I was a terrified kid freelancer and I just was in way over my head. I mean, the Globe became a goliath. You two thousand people worked at the Globe and it's heyday now. Of course newspapers have a fraction of that, so you know, you were on your heels right from the get go. And I had an appointment with some interview with some woman who grilled me, and all of a sudden, they said, hey, let's let him do some freelancing. And I started freelancing music reviews and I did a club past see David Bromberg and Vassar Clemens and two you know legends in their own way, Chicago blues. Ambassa was a fiddle player from down South. And I just got turned on, you know, by the music, turned on by the whole energy of the Globe, and I just kept pushing and pushing and pushing. It took me four years to get hired, but it was well worth it. So what year did you get hired there? Seventy eight? Started freelancing in seventy five and hired in seventy eight. But I'd grown up around Boston. I really had a kind of a blessed path around here because you know, I've cut all the shows at the old Boston Tea Party ten years after you know, Fleetwood Mac all the British bands would come to Jet Throw Tull and then I went nineteen sixty nine, I went over to England for the summer. I was in an archaeological dig. I somehow conned my way into an archaeological dig and I got free room and board, and I saw led Zeppelin twice, and I saw the Rolling Stones at Hyde Park with four hundred thousand people right after Brian Jones died in the swimming pool accident. And it was Mick Taylor's first gig, very exciting. The Hell's Angels did security, and of course the Hell's Angels in England were a very tame watt compared to the Hell's Angels in California, because later that summer Altamont happened where the Stones hired the Hell's Angels in California, and you know, someone was killed, you know, terrible tragedy. But I was in the right place at the right time, and I just worked it up from there, and I believe it or not, I went out to catch music two hundred and fifty nights a year for thirty years. You never let up.

I mean I would go to a fair amount of shows, but I don't ever.

I mean I would go to a fair amount of shows, but I don't ever.

Believe I went to a show around.

Believe I went to a show around.

The Boston area where I didn't see you at the show.

The Boston area where I didn't see you at the show.

Wow, Well that's kind of scary. My ex wife would probably agree with you. Yeah, it's a tough field in terms of a family life and so forth, you know, because you're just you're out at night, I mean a lot, and I wouldn't go to bed till four thirty in the morning usually, But you know, Willie Nelson said the nightlife ain't no good life, but it's my life, and that quotious resonated with me, and you know, I'd show up. You know, it's a later marriage. We had a son, and I'd show up at the school bus day and whatnot wearing a Metallica T shirt and the only man there. All the rent were women, and they looked at me like I was from hell. So when did you know you had this attraction with music? At what point of your life? Well? I you know, played classical piano as a kid. My mother tried to get me into that unsuccessfully, and I just gravitated towards rock and roll instead. Saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show and again, Right place, right time, and I couldn't play well enough to be a professional. But I found a way to get into the music business as a music critic, and you know, I just just never never looked back. I mean it was something that you know, you don't meet a music critic every day for big daily newspapers, so you know, I was very fortunate. And then I got on the nominating committee of the Rock Hall of Fame, and you got the ball rolling on ac DC. You got them nominated. And now I teach Berkeley College of Music. I teach the online rock history course, which I wrote. They came to me and said, hey, you know, we've had two guys who flopped didn't write it. You know, it's not an easy course to write. It took me a year and a half to write it, but I duckled down and it's been a big success, and I can do it out of my home. I just do a video chat once a week online and got some great kids I've got Amelia Presley this semester. She's she's, you know, distant cousin of Elvis Presley. So you know, Bernie Taupin's daughter took the course last semester. So yeah, it's it's it's been very exciting. I've had a continual kind of curve, you know, since I was a kid.

Wow, Well that's kind of scary. My ex wife would probably agree with you. Yeah, it's a tough field in terms of a family life and so forth, you know, because you're just you're out at night, I mean a lot, and I wouldn't go to bed till four thirty in the morning usually, But you know, Willie Nelson said the nightlife ain't no good life, but it's my life, and that quotious resonated with me, and you know, I'd show up. You know, it's a later marriage. We had a son, and I'd show up at the school bus day and whatnot wearing a Metallica T shirt and the only man there. All the rent were women, and they looked at me like I was from hell. So when did you know you had this attraction with music? At what point of your life? Well? I you know, played classical piano as a kid. My mother tried to get me into that unsuccessfully, and I just gravitated towards rock and roll instead. Saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show and again, Right place, right time, and I couldn't play well enough to be a professional. But I found a way to get into the music business as a music critic, and you know, I just just never never looked back. I mean it was something that you know, you don't meet a music critic every day for big daily newspapers, so you know, I was very fortunate. And then I got on the nominating committee of the Rock Hall of Fame, and you got the ball rolling on ac DC. You got them nominated. And now I teach Berkeley College of Music. I teach the online rock history course, which I wrote. They came to me and said, hey, you know, we've had two guys who flopped didn't write it. You know, it's not an easy course to write. It took me a year and a half to write it, but I duckled down and it's been a big success, and I can do it out of my home. I just do a video chat once a week online and got some great kids I've got Amelia Presley this semester. She's she's, you know, distant cousin of Elvis Presley. So you know, Bernie Taupin's daughter took the course last semester. So yeah, it's it's it's been very exciting. I've had a continual kind of curve, you know, since I was a kid.

It's like a joy to be for your work in and around music, your life.

It's like a joy to be for your work in and around music, your life.

Well it is. I mean, it's you know, I covered live AID, I covered major events. I covered the you know, the last two Woodstocks Woodstock two, Woodstock three, nineteen ninety four, nineteen ninety nine, respectively, and I just you know, you're sitting there like a live AID and it led Zeppelin reunions going on, and I'm thirty feet away down in Philadelphia with one hundred thousand people around me, and that excited me. The bigger the show, the more excited I got. And you had a press from home with about seventy five writers from around the world, and that really fueled my competitive instinct. I was always very competitive as a basketball player as a kid, and I just love competing on deadline against other writers from around the world.

Well it is. I mean, it's you know, I covered live AID, I covered major events. I covered the you know, the last two Woodstocks Woodstock two, Woodstock three, nineteen ninety four, nineteen ninety nine, respectively, and I just you know, you're sitting there like a live AID and it led Zeppelin reunions going on, and I'm thirty feet away down in Philadelphia with one hundred thousand people around me, and that excited me. The bigger the show, the more excited I got. And you had a press from home with about seventy five writers from around the world, and that really fueled my competitive instinct. I was always very competitive as a basketball player as a kid, and I just love competing on deadline against other writers from around the world.

Well, as you know, on this podcast, Joel Selvin, the San Francisco Chronicle critic of record author, was on. So you guys were friendly and also rivals as well.

Well, as you know, on this podcast, Joel Selvin, the San Francisco Chronicle critic of record author, was on. So you guys were friendly and also rivals as well.

And it was a spirit right we hung out. I remember once after you two opened its PopMart tour. It was a nineteen ninety one I think, and that was in Vegas and Joel and I hung out later that night. And he's just a fun guy. I wouldn't say, you know, competitive, just go to mutual respect. You know, he's a veteran. I'm a veteran, so you know, you don't meet the every day people who kind of do your job. As I say, it's an unusual job. And now there's fewer music critics because everybody's a blogger. Now you know, everybody is podcaster. Well some are better than the others, and you're you're one of them. But so you know, that's why people want to talk to you, because you've got to experience in the field, and you know you're not just kind of popping out of the woodwork. So it's it's but yeah, you're right. I mean the Globe now doesn't even have a staff music critic. They just do freely use freelance isn't that a good shame? It is. I mean, look at.

And it was a spirit right we hung out. I remember once after you two opened its PopMart tour. It was a nineteen ninety one I think, and that was in Vegas and Joel and I hung out later that night. And he's just a fun guy. I wouldn't say, you know, competitive, just go to mutual respect. You know, he's a veteran. I'm a veteran, so you know, you don't meet the every day people who kind of do your job. As I say, it's an unusual job. And now there's fewer music critics because everybody's a blogger. Now you know, everybody is podcaster. Well some are better than the others, and you're you're one of them. But so you know, that's why people want to talk to you, because you've got to experience in the field, and you know you're not just kind of popping out of the woodwork. So it's it's but yeah, you're right. I mean the Globe now doesn't even have a staff music critic. They just do freely use freelance isn't that a good shame? It is. I mean, look at.

All media right where it's changed. You know, the way the radio business has changed, the way television has changed, the way print journalism.

All media right where it's changed. You know, the way the radio business has changed, the way television has changed, the way print journalism.

It's shifting quickly. Yeah, well I did my radio stint. I did that one once a week. I had to show more sun music for w b O S. Come on and talk about in the hallway. Do you see me in the hallway? Right? Occasionally a little hungover, probably had a steak and cheese sandwich with me to perk me up. That is the magically. But you know, Greg Alman would call in, you know, we had a lot of fun. I called in my chips, you know, some of the people I'd known through the years. And I enjoyed radio. But my forte was writing. And that's what I did. You know, I think the best and and the Globe, you know, top ten paper, so it's just immediate respect and a lot of the acts would only do one interview and each market and that would be the Globe. You know, you do the biggest paper. So I was really writing a high. My whole life, my professional life has been on a real high and personal life. While that's a whole other story, whole other podcast. But life, I just can't complain at all. So let's talk.

It's shifting quickly. Yeah, well I did my radio stint. I did that one once a week. I had to show more sun music for w b O S. Come on and talk about in the hallway. Do you see me in the hallway? Right? Occasionally a little hungover, probably had a steak and cheese sandwich with me to perk me up. That is the magically. But you know, Greg Alman would call in, you know, we had a lot of fun. I called in my chips, you know, some of the people I'd known through the years. And I enjoyed radio. But my forte was writing. And that's what I did. You know, I think the best and and the Globe, you know, top ten paper, so it's just immediate respect and a lot of the acts would only do one interview and each market and that would be the Globe. You know, you do the biggest paper. So I was really writing a high. My whole life, my professional life has been on a real high and personal life. While that's a whole other story, whole other podcast. But life, I just can't complain at all. So let's talk.

About some of those interviews in some of your favorite interviews that you've done through your career, because I know you talked to pretty much everybody at one point.

About some of those interviews in some of your favorite interviews that you've done through your career, because I know you talked to pretty much everybody at one point.

Well, one of my favorites was Bob Marley. I went down to the Essex Hotel in New York, right by the Central Park and they were on about the fourteenth floor. It was eleven o'clock in the morning interview, and I took the shuttle. I might even have been the Trump shuttle in those days. Trumper Trump had the shuttles from Boston to New York. And I arrived zip over there, but at eleven couldn't find the room. And there's this lady, you know, you know, working in the hallway and I said, gee, do you know where Bob Marley's room is? And she said, go down here, take it right and follow your nose. I go, oh, what am I getting into? So I walk in. You know the two giant splips, you know, king size Jamaican slips, you know the five inch jobs. Yeah, it's just eleven in the morning. He's got lea scratch Perry's in there, the famous Jamaican producer, his band is in there. There's a whole entourage. They're kicking the soccer ball around the room, and and you know, nobody's paying any attention to me. You know, I'm the Babylon, you know what am I doing there? And Bob's in the corner reading in a sitting on the couch, reading the Book of Revelations, lying the Judah, you know, the home kind of basis for us to Fireanism and occasionally people, you know, stop the soccer ball and said, oh, brother Bob, Brother Bob, you you know, start talking in tongues, and I'm not quite with the program because I've got to get an interview here. He was going to do to play the Monola concert, which is a famous peace concert at Harvard Stadium, you know, the next week or so. It's a big interview for him in for me. And I just finally erupted. I said, Bob and Globe, I appreciate the Bible reading, but I really need to get something on your music. And the rest of the room wanted to kill me. The guys looking get him out of here, and Bob looked at me even in the eye and he said, you're right, mane, and he calmed down everybody and Henry come over, sit in the couch. Gave me a great interview for about twenty minutes or a half an hour, and then I was shepherded out, and the soccer balls continued, you know, banging off the windows and everything, and the two joints continued as well, and I was gone, great interview, huh, amazing, it must have been. Yeah, well, you just never knew what was gonna happen. Sometimes I love the scene, you know. Another favorite was Dolly Parton. Boy, what a sweetie. She's like a little tiny button. You know, She's like four foot ten and I'm six foot five. So she got a big kick out of that. But you know, I was just just lucky. I mean I was interviewed Springsteen, a bunch, the Stones, the whole bunch. Keith Richards was probably my favorite. You know. He was so down to earth and you know he'd rather talk about you know, guitar strings or something like that rather than some room Mick gets into, you know, went to the London School of Economics, and Mick knows everything that in the world, you know, and it would be the first to tell you, yeah, he was something else and I talked to him, you know, in succession was it was Mick first and then Keith separate rooms at Rolling Stone Records when they had remember they had their subsidiary label. And Mick, you know, legs a joint and does not you know, share make any attempt to and he's flying after about five ten minutes, and I said, Mick, I'm here. I had two tape recorders because I was afraid one might break down the redundancy factor, redundancy fan. He's laughing his ass off, look at you the two much? And I goes sor right, If I blow this, I'm in trouble. And and you know, I said, look, I'm not going to ask you about your sex life. He'd been linked to some supermodel from Thailand that week, you know how it was, and he said, well that would be refreshing. And five minutes later he's talking about his sex life. And I didn't bring it up, but I figured, oh, I'll intelligence a minute, just kind of getting through this, and I said, well, Mick, what did you have any mood music you put on? You know, did you play the Stones music at all? You've got a lady and you know, in your room, and he says, oh, no, I never play any Stones music. I don't play any music at all. I just cool in their ears and that pretty much. I was cooling out the door at that point. I love that. I just coo in there. I love it.

Well, one of my favorites was Bob Marley. I went down to the Essex Hotel in New York, right by the Central Park and they were on about the fourteenth floor. It was eleven o'clock in the morning interview, and I took the shuttle. I might even have been the Trump shuttle in those days. Trumper Trump had the shuttles from Boston to New York. And I arrived zip over there, but at eleven couldn't find the room. And there's this lady, you know, you know, working in the hallway and I said, gee, do you know where Bob Marley's room is? And she said, go down here, take it right and follow your nose. I go, oh, what am I getting into? So I walk in. You know the two giant splips, you know, king size Jamaican slips, you know the five inch jobs. Yeah, it's just eleven in the morning. He's got lea scratch Perry's in there, the famous Jamaican producer, his band is in there. There's a whole entourage. They're kicking the soccer ball around the room, and and you know, nobody's paying any attention to me. You know, I'm the Babylon, you know what am I doing there? And Bob's in the corner reading in a sitting on the couch, reading the Book of Revelations, lying the Judah, you know, the home kind of basis for us to Fireanism and occasionally people, you know, stop the soccer ball and said, oh, brother Bob, Brother Bob, you you know, start talking in tongues, and I'm not quite with the program because I've got to get an interview here. He was going to do to play the Monola concert, which is a famous peace concert at Harvard Stadium, you know, the next week or so. It's a big interview for him in for me. And I just finally erupted. I said, Bob and Globe, I appreciate the Bible reading, but I really need to get something on your music. And the rest of the room wanted to kill me. The guys looking get him out of here, and Bob looked at me even in the eye and he said, you're right, mane, and he calmed down everybody and Henry come over, sit in the couch. Gave me a great interview for about twenty minutes or a half an hour, and then I was shepherded out, and the soccer balls continued, you know, banging off the windows and everything, and the two joints continued as well, and I was gone, great interview, huh, amazing, it must have been. Yeah, well, you just never knew what was gonna happen. Sometimes I love the scene, you know. Another favorite was Dolly Parton. Boy, what a sweetie. She's like a little tiny button. You know, She's like four foot ten and I'm six foot five. So she got a big kick out of that. But you know, I was just just lucky. I mean I was interviewed Springsteen, a bunch, the Stones, the whole bunch. Keith Richards was probably my favorite. You know. He was so down to earth and you know he'd rather talk about you know, guitar strings or something like that rather than some room Mick gets into, you know, went to the London School of Economics, and Mick knows everything that in the world, you know, and it would be the first to tell you, yeah, he was something else and I talked to him, you know, in succession was it was Mick first and then Keith separate rooms at Rolling Stone Records when they had remember they had their subsidiary label. And Mick, you know, legs a joint and does not you know, share make any attempt to and he's flying after about five ten minutes, and I said, Mick, I'm here. I had two tape recorders because I was afraid one might break down the redundancy factor, redundancy fan. He's laughing his ass off, look at you the two much? And I goes sor right, If I blow this, I'm in trouble. And and you know, I said, look, I'm not going to ask you about your sex life. He'd been linked to some supermodel from Thailand that week, you know how it was, and he said, well that would be refreshing. And five minutes later he's talking about his sex life. And I didn't bring it up, but I figured, oh, I'll intelligence a minute, just kind of getting through this, and I said, well, Mick, what did you have any mood music you put on? You know, did you play the Stones music at all? You've got a lady and you know, in your room, and he says, oh, no, I never play any Stones music. I don't play any music at all. I just cool in their ears and that pretty much. I was cooling out the door at that point. I love that. I just coo in there. I love it.

Oh my god, did you get Springsteen early on?

Oh my god, did you get Springsteen early on?

No? No, I think it was. Well, let's see it was it was back in the River, so yeah, I guess that was late seventies. That's right. I was down in Providence, Rhode Island, and Bruce kept me waiting. He's a night owl, and I didn't get in the room until about two in the morning. I still had to drive back to Boston, an hour away. But we started talking about Hank Williams because he was getting into Hank and you know, there's the imagery from down by the River and you know all that, and you know, he said, I'm driving my band up a wall because all I want to do is play Hank Williams on the bus. But he was just a wonderful guy. And another time I interviewed him down in Hartford, Connecticut, and you know, again a late interview, but this time it was because he was greeting Make a Wish kids. They were about ten twelve, Make a Wish kids and wheelchairs and whatnot, coming up to them backstage in the corridor there and attention. He talked to each one of them for five to ten minutes. It was in some meet and greet where he just shake hands and run And I had the utmost respect for him to do that. To see the kids were crying and we got Bruce Springsteen's really caring about me, asking questions about me, and you know, it was just a lovely moment. So yeah, I have a lot of respect for Bruce. Any beatles h McCartney a couple of times he's he's a struggle. He's kind of a quipster, you know, he likes to choke around with the media. I don't have any breakthrough moments, and Ringo is kind of ridiculous. Ringo would do phone interviews for five minutes Max and I remember in my watch, I had four minutes and forty five seconds. I was still trying to cram in a and ring say, okay, last question, you know, you know, come on covering some slack. But he didn't have much respect for the media at that point, so yeah, I sometimes had to follow in the footsteps of real asshole you know interviewers. And Emmy La Harris was one example, a quick quick story about her at Tanglewood. Interviewed her at Tanglewood and she had had somebody I think from the Washington Post come on her bus and then turned a savager in a magazine pace. So she was really down on the media, and I really had to prove myself. And Phil Kaufman, her manager, who'd also been you know, Graham Parsons manager, and he's the one who burned Graham Parsons body in the desert and you know California of rock rock and roll story. He comes up to and turns around right into my face and takes his pants down and wounds me and he goes, okay, interview over. Oh my god, so loves laughing at the what's going on? God? Yeah, I guess I've had a few and eventful ones.

No? No, I think it was. Well, let's see it was it was back in the River, so yeah, I guess that was late seventies. That's right. I was down in Providence, Rhode Island, and Bruce kept me waiting. He's a night owl, and I didn't get in the room until about two in the morning. I still had to drive back to Boston, an hour away. But we started talking about Hank Williams because he was getting into Hank and you know, there's the imagery from down by the River and you know all that, and you know, he said, I'm driving my band up a wall because all I want to do is play Hank Williams on the bus. But he was just a wonderful guy. And another time I interviewed him down in Hartford, Connecticut, and you know, again a late interview, but this time it was because he was greeting Make a Wish kids. They were about ten twelve, Make a Wish kids and wheelchairs and whatnot, coming up to them backstage in the corridor there and attention. He talked to each one of them for five to ten minutes. It was in some meet and greet where he just shake hands and run And I had the utmost respect for him to do that. To see the kids were crying and we got Bruce Springsteen's really caring about me, asking questions about me, and you know, it was just a lovely moment. So yeah, I have a lot of respect for Bruce. Any beatles h McCartney a couple of times he's he's a struggle. He's kind of a quipster, you know, he likes to choke around with the media. I don't have any breakthrough moments, and Ringo is kind of ridiculous. Ringo would do phone interviews for five minutes Max and I remember in my watch, I had four minutes and forty five seconds. I was still trying to cram in a and ring say, okay, last question, you know, you know, come on covering some slack. But he didn't have much respect for the media at that point, so yeah, I sometimes had to follow in the footsteps of real asshole you know interviewers. And Emmy La Harris was one example, a quick quick story about her at Tanglewood. Interviewed her at Tanglewood and she had had somebody I think from the Washington Post come on her bus and then turned a savager in a magazine pace. So she was really down on the media, and I really had to prove myself. And Phil Kaufman, her manager, who'd also been you know, Graham Parsons manager, and he's the one who burned Graham Parsons body in the desert and you know California of rock rock and roll story. He comes up to and turns around right into my face and takes his pants down and wounds me and he goes, okay, interview over. Oh my god, so loves laughing at the what's going on? God? Yeah, I guess I've had a few and eventful ones.

So Boston during that era that you describe early on in particular, had some amazing venues that have disappeared.

So Boston during that era that you describe early on in particular, had some amazing venues that have disappeared.

Talk about maybe a few of those.

Talk about maybe a few of those.

Venues and maybe some shows that you remember at some of those places.

Venues and maybe some shows that you remember at some of those places.

Well, let's see Boston Tea party is one of the legends, you know, just sor a lot of acts there. It was at a tabernacle down in the South End, and you know, I was sorry to see that place go. It was a ballroom. The early rock and roll rooms tended to be ballrooms. And then later on there was a called the Crosstown Bus which hardly anyone remembers. It was in Brighton and it was only open for two weeks because they didn't have an entertainment license. But the first week they had the doors. Wow. So Jim Morrison and the doors and they put up go go cages for women to dance in. They tried to recreate a sunset strip la mystique in Brighton, which is kind of those days, a working class you know the city. And you know Morrison was chugging every bottle that was handed to him. In those days, they didn't frisk you at the door very well. Jo bottles coming up and he's drinking everything. At the end of the night, he was just completely hammered, rolling around on stage and there's Lizard King motions and everything. His nickname was Lizard King. And afterwards, coming out of the men's room and Jim is weaving his way towards the men's room. They didn't have a backstage men's room. It was just a small little place. And I just held up my hand and and you know, I'm real tall, and he took it as a guide and he said, oh, thank you, and he came to he steered his way into the men's room, and we high fived each other. Oh wow, And I said, oh my god, this is this is I've got to do this as a career somehow, but a moment. Yeah.

Well, let's see Boston Tea party is one of the legends, you know, just sor a lot of acts there. It was at a tabernacle down in the South End, and you know, I was sorry to see that place go. It was a ballroom. The early rock and roll rooms tended to be ballrooms. And then later on there was a called the Crosstown Bus which hardly anyone remembers. It was in Brighton and it was only open for two weeks because they didn't have an entertainment license. But the first week they had the doors. Wow. So Jim Morrison and the doors and they put up go go cages for women to dance in. They tried to recreate a sunset strip la mystique in Brighton, which is kind of those days, a working class you know the city. And you know Morrison was chugging every bottle that was handed to him. In those days, they didn't frisk you at the door very well. Jo bottles coming up and he's drinking everything. At the end of the night, he was just completely hammered, rolling around on stage and there's Lizard King motions and everything. His nickname was Lizard King. And afterwards, coming out of the men's room and Jim is weaving his way towards the men's room. They didn't have a backstage men's room. It was just a small little place. And I just held up my hand and and you know, I'm real tall, and he took it as a guide and he said, oh, thank you, and he came to he steered his way into the men's room, and we high fived each other. Oh wow, And I said, oh my god, this is this is I've got to do this as a career somehow, but a moment. Yeah.

Yeah, But two weeks the place existed two weeks, and the second week was the Jay Giles band.

Yeah, But two weeks the place existed two weeks, and the second week was the Jay Giles band.

And I talked to Peter Wolf later and he said, yeah, we had to bring our amplifiers down the back fire escape to get away as the police were closing it down. So those are kind of wild and crazy days. Wow back then.

And I talked to Peter Wolf later and he said, yeah, we had to bring our amplifiers down the back fire escape to get away as the police were closing it down. So those are kind of wild and crazy days. Wow back then.

But but then of course the old Boston Garden.

But but then of course the old Boston Garden.

The old Boston Garden where Billy Joel had a great comment about that. He said, Steve, even even even hockey sounds bad at the garden. He's talking about the acoustics. Even hockey sounds bad. And remember that a terrible coasty Oh god, yeah, terrible. But you saw a few shows. There many shows there. Billy Joeve He tour every year, whether he had a new album or not. And you know, most people only toured with an album in those days. The labels didn't want them over you know, overplaying unless they had product to sell. But Billy said, hell with that, I'm going out. And every show in those days he would end it by saying, don't let the bastards get you down. Wow. He still does that once in a while, I don't know how often, but in those days it was automatic. He would say that because he had trouble his own His own wife was his manager at one time and they broke up and he ended up in court with her. You know, he had bad, bad counsel. So he was very cynical about the music business.

The old Boston Garden where Billy Joel had a great comment about that. He said, Steve, even even even hockey sounds bad at the garden. He's talking about the acoustics. Even hockey sounds bad. And remember that a terrible coasty Oh god, yeah, terrible. But you saw a few shows. There many shows there. Billy Joeve He tour every year, whether he had a new album or not. And you know, most people only toured with an album in those days. The labels didn't want them over you know, overplaying unless they had product to sell. But Billy said, hell with that, I'm going out. And every show in those days he would end it by saying, don't let the bastards get you down. Wow. He still does that once in a while, I don't know how often, but in those days it was automatic. He would say that because he had trouble his own His own wife was his manager at one time and they broke up and he ended up in court with her. You know, he had bad, bad counsel. So he was very cynical about the music business.

Do you remember the famous James Brown show at the Garden.

Do you remember the famous James Brown show at the Garden.

I was not at that show. I remember talking to Peter Wolfe extensively about it. He and Muddy Waters couldn't get in. He was hanging out with Muddy Waters and the police wouldn't let him in. You know, it's because if they were so worried about the night after Martin Luther King died and there was going to be an eruption, and there's a good book about that, The Night that James Brown Saved Boston because they broadcast that. It was on NPR. It was on the NPR channel, which never used to broadcast live conscience. But they did it as a community service to keep people at home. So Boston didn't have any significant you know, rioting or burning and looting like some of the other places other cities did so. And James Sullivan is a writer, you know, to this day, he's around here now. He wrote the book The Knight James Brown Save Boston, And yeah, I would talk to James like in the phone later the years, and the mayor at that at the time of that show with Mayor Kevin White, and James would hop ons how's Mayor White doing? Well, he hadn't been mayor for ten years? How's he doing? Tell them? James says hello, because they really bonded.

I was not at that show. I remember talking to Peter Wolfe extensively about it. He and Muddy Waters couldn't get in. He was hanging out with Muddy Waters and the police wouldn't let him in. You know, it's because if they were so worried about the night after Martin Luther King died and there was going to be an eruption, and there's a good book about that, The Night that James Brown Saved Boston because they broadcast that. It was on NPR. It was on the NPR channel, which never used to broadcast live conscience. But they did it as a community service to keep people at home. So Boston didn't have any significant you know, rioting or burning and looting like some of the other places other cities did so. And James Sullivan is a writer, you know, to this day, he's around here now. He wrote the book The Knight James Brown Save Boston, And yeah, I would talk to James like in the phone later the years, and the mayor at that at the time of that show with Mayor Kevin White, and James would hop ons how's Mayor White doing? Well, he hadn't been mayor for ten years? How's he doing? Tell them? James says hello, because they really bonded.

You know.

You know.

White came out and did the MZ role and you know, he took an active, proactive, you know night. But it was tremendous. I mean I was not there, but I feel like I was because I've heard so much about it.

White came out and did the MZ role and you know, he took an active, proactive, you know night. But it was tremendous. I mean I was not there, but I feel like I was because I've heard so much about it.

How about Dylan moments either concert wise or ever have a shot to interview him.

How about Dylan moments either concert wise or ever have a shot to interview him.

Dylan moments. Most of what I remember is people running the opposite direction because you know, his shows would kind of devolve into these you know, he'd do his songs, and he do them so differently that people didn't know what they were remember, you know, he would change the arrangements. And I got the one show and people are literally almost trampling me to get out. It was the Boston Garden, almost trampling me to get out because they were so fed up that he wasn't doing the songs the way they wanted to hear them. But that's Dylan, you know. And I went up to Woodstock. He lived near Woodstock when the whole festival took place in sixty nine, and this was about ten years ago, and they have an amphitheater now, you know, next to the grounds of the original Woodstock, and he was playing and he said, oh, here's a chance for him to say something about Woodstock. I mean, he regrets that he didn't play the festival. He didn't say a thing. You know, Dylan the famous for saying nothing. Like the Grateful Dead rarely talks, and Dylan barely says anything. And I was pissed. I drove all the way up to Woodstock, thinking, oh, this could be a cultural moment here, you know, saying I'm sorry I miss Woodstock, and but no, nothing, just the same show of reinterpreting his hits so you didn't know what the hell they were. I mean, I have a lot of respect for him, don't get me wrong. He's a songwriter, but as a performer he can be just so quirky, up and down, up and down.

Dylan moments. Most of what I remember is people running the opposite direction because you know, his shows would kind of devolve into these you know, he'd do his songs, and he do them so differently that people didn't know what they were remember, you know, he would change the arrangements. And I got the one show and people are literally almost trampling me to get out. It was the Boston Garden, almost trampling me to get out because they were so fed up that he wasn't doing the songs the way they wanted to hear them. But that's Dylan, you know. And I went up to Woodstock. He lived near Woodstock when the whole festival took place in sixty nine, and this was about ten years ago, and they have an amphitheater now, you know, next to the grounds of the original Woodstock, and he was playing and he said, oh, here's a chance for him to say something about Woodstock. I mean, he regrets that he didn't play the festival. He didn't say a thing. You know, Dylan the famous for saying nothing. Like the Grateful Dead rarely talks, and Dylan barely says anything. And I was pissed. I drove all the way up to Woodstock, thinking, oh, this could be a cultural moment here, you know, saying I'm sorry I miss Woodstock, and but no, nothing, just the same show of reinterpreting his hits so you didn't know what the hell they were. I mean, I have a lot of respect for him, don't get me wrong. He's a songwriter, but as a performer he can be just so quirky, up and down, up and down.

Yeah, just like this guy Van Morrison too.

Yeah, just like this guy Van Morrison too.

Oh yeah. Van. He used to live around Cambridge and wrote part of astral Weeks here in nineteen sixty eight. And I interviewed him later on and I said, you know, I asked him about Cambridge. He said, why are you asking me that? And I said, well, I don't I get a little local color here, you know you I'm not good in local color. Next question. You know, he could be so grumbly, you know, and I'm just skidding you. By that point, I'm going, oh my Jesus.

Oh yeah. Van. He used to live around Cambridge and wrote part of astral Weeks here in nineteen sixty eight. And I interviewed him later on and I said, you know, I asked him about Cambridge. He said, why are you asking me that? And I said, well, I don't I get a little local color here, you know you I'm not good in local color. Next question. You know, he could be so grumbly, you know, and I'm just skidding you. By that point, I'm going, oh my Jesus.

You know, was he hanging around with Pete Wolf at that period?

You know, was he hanging around with Pete Wolf at that period?

Yes? See what he still does? Yeah, yeah, he still has stories with them. Careening through Harvard Square, you know, hitting the bars down there. You know, they're they're good friends. That's boys, They're that's good boys. My god, I love it. But yeah, he was a grateful dead. I got a classic from nineteen sixty nine. They played the Boston Tea Party and pig Pen was with him at the time, you know, keep player, and he fell off the stage during Lovelight, Turn on Your lovelighte big climactic song, and just he was so drunk. He just fell off the stage and the band continued to play. They didn't stop, and you know, say, if what happened, you know, they just I remember Jerry Garcia and Bob, we're exchanging glances. Oh, he fell off stage again, Let's just keep vamping. So they just vamped their way through the song the Road. He's dusted, big pan off and got him back up and he finished the song. Oh my god.

Yes? See what he still does? Yeah, yeah, he still has stories with them. Careening through Harvard Square, you know, hitting the bars down there. You know, they're they're good friends. That's boys, They're that's good boys. My god, I love it. But yeah, he was a grateful dead. I got a classic from nineteen sixty nine. They played the Boston Tea Party and pig Pen was with him at the time, you know, keep player, and he fell off the stage during Lovelight, Turn on Your lovelighte big climactic song, and just he was so drunk. He just fell off the stage and the band continued to play. They didn't stop, and you know, say, if what happened, you know, they just I remember Jerry Garcia and Bob, we're exchanging glances. Oh, he fell off stage again, Let's just keep vamping. So they just vamped their way through the song the Road. He's dusted, big pan off and got him back up and he finished the song. Oh my god.

Have you seen Bob Weir's workout that he does before shows these days? No, Oh my goodness. It's this intense weight training. He's swiveling weights over his head and doing various you know, just I don't.

Have you seen Bob Weir's workout that he does before shows these days? No, Oh my goodness. It's this intense weight training. He's swiveling weights over his head and doing various you know, just I don't.

Know, stretching moves, certainly, but a lot of weight related stuff.

Know, stretching moves, certainly, but a lot of weight related stuff.

He looks like he's in great shape.

He looks like he's in great shape.

Yeah. Well, I got a lot of respect for him. He's done me a lot of favors through the year. You know, I interviewed Jerry four times. I was lucky to do that. But I interviewed Bob Moore. You know, Jerry, you never knew what his condition was going to be. But Bob would back do the backup interviews, and you know, I have a lot of He did an interview for my course at Berkeley College of Music, Wow, and talked all about the acid tests and the ken Casey days doing acid up in ken Casey's ranch and just fantastic stuff. I love that stuff. My god.

Yeah. Well, I got a lot of respect for him. He's done me a lot of favors through the year. You know, I interviewed Jerry four times. I was lucky to do that. But I interviewed Bob Moore. You know, Jerry, you never knew what his condition was going to be. But Bob would back do the backup interviews, and you know, I have a lot of He did an interview for my course at Berkeley College of Music, Wow, and talked all about the acid tests and the ken Casey days doing acid up in ken Casey's ranch and just fantastic stuff. I love that stuff. My god.

Well, let's talk about WBCN during that era two and what integral part it was around the music scene of Boston.

Well, let's talk about WBCN during that era two and what integral part it was around the music scene of Boston.

Well, the BCN was the station, I mean, wasn't it The free form rock station, one of the leading lights of the whole new free form FM movement where DJs could play what they wanted, you know, before the consultants came in and sort of said here's what you've got to play now, And it was just exciting. You know. You listen to the radio and you'd hear about Gee, led Zeppelin's in town, tonight and the bands used to do three nights Thursday through Saturday, and the Thursday they'd be like half a house. You know, people might not have heard too much about them, and by Friday and Saturday there's a lot of word of mouth. Word of mouth was big, and you know, the smoke shops was coming in. Some people talk about you know, he't cocy Zeppelin, They're really good. So by Saturday night there'd be lines at the door to get in. But BCN was just part of They were just another part of that whole revolution taking place. And they were quite political in those days too. They were involved with you know the Harvard protests, you know, Vietnam protests, and you know they smuggled some papers out of Harvard, remember that whole thing. Yeah, you know Danny Schechter, the news dissector they call him.

Well, the BCN was the station, I mean, wasn't it The free form rock station, one of the leading lights of the whole new free form FM movement where DJs could play what they wanted, you know, before the consultants came in and sort of said here's what you've got to play now, And it was just exciting. You know. You listen to the radio and you'd hear about Gee, led Zeppelin's in town, tonight and the bands used to do three nights Thursday through Saturday, and the Thursday they'd be like half a house. You know, people might not have heard too much about them, and by Friday and Saturday there's a lot of word of mouth. Word of mouth was big, and you know, the smoke shops was coming in. Some people talk about you know, he't cocy Zeppelin, They're really good. So by Saturday night there'd be lines at the door to get in. But BCN was just part of They were just another part of that whole revolution taking place. And they were quite political in those days too. They were involved with you know the Harvard protests, you know, Vietnam protests, and you know they smuggled some papers out of Harvard, remember that whole thing. Yeah, you know Danny Schechter, the news dissector they call him.

Ye.

Ye.

So you know, they were exciting, very exciting station. And you know you listen to the just just every minute, but you know they'd played twenty minute songs. Who does that? You know today you don't hear that anymore.

So you know, they were exciting, very exciting station. And you know you listen to the just just every minute, but you know they'd played twenty minute songs. Who does that? You know today you don't hear that anymore.

But yeah, we had Charles Lacuadera on the podcast and Charles was talking about this one event where when he was doing Late Nights.

But yeah, we had Charles Lacuadera on the podcast and Charles was talking about this one event where when he was doing Late Nights.

I guess Jerry Garcia, Dwayne Olman, they came up and hung out there in the show and I think played as well.

I guess Jerry Garcia, Dwayne Olman, they came up and hung out there in the show and I think played as well.

I think somewhere, yes, yeah, yeah, exists. That's says they did a documentary. It came out a couple of years ago, and that's they get some footage of that, I believe a little bit. And BC end they had for a while there the studio right behind the tea party, right in the ballroom, so that, you know, the guys could come off stage and go right back there. So imagine how exciting that was in those days. Yeah, thank god.

I think somewhere, yes, yeah, yeah, exists. That's says they did a documentary. It came out a couple of years ago, and that's they get some footage of that, I believe a little bit. And BC end they had for a while there the studio right behind the tea party, right in the ballroom, so that, you know, the guys could come off stage and go right back there. So imagine how exciting that was in those days. Yeah, thank god.

So what are you listening to these days?

So what are you listening to these days?

Oh? Well, coming full circle Stones.

Oh? Well, coming full circle Stones.

That but.

That but.

I still listen to Aftermath is my favorite Stones record, Painted Black is on. It's the first album they wrote all the material for. They didn't do covers, so I listened to a lot of the old stuff. And to be honest with your old Yardbirds, I've been Jeff Beck died not long ago, so it got me back into listening to, you know, the Yardbirds, and I saw them as well, So I just sort of coming full circle a little bit to the sixties. And as far as current rock, acts. I'm I'm open to suggestions. Who's really good. I'm not, you know. I like the Susan Tedesky Tedesky trucks and some of that Roots rocks, you know stuff. But I'm looking for the next U two or the next Nirvana like everybody else is. And if you have any suggestions, let me know. I appreciate it. I appreciate you vit on taking a walk. This is an absolute joy. Yeah. Well, good to see you, Buzz. It means a lot to have you talk to me.

I still listen to Aftermath is my favorite Stones record, Painted Black is on. It's the first album they wrote all the material for. They didn't do covers, so I listened to a lot of the old stuff. And to be honest with your old Yardbirds, I've been Jeff Beck died not long ago, so it got me back into listening to, you know, the Yardbirds, and I saw them as well, So I just sort of coming full circle a little bit to the sixties. And as far as current rock, acts. I'm I'm open to suggestions. Who's really good. I'm not, you know. I like the Susan Tedesky Tedesky trucks and some of that Roots rocks, you know stuff. But I'm looking for the next U two or the next Nirvana like everybody else is. And if you have any suggestions, let me know. I appreciate it. I appreciate you vit on taking a walk. This is an absolute joy. Yeah. Well, good to see you, Buzz. It means a lot to have you talk to me.

I thank you for taking a walk with Buzznight is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I thank you for taking a walk with Buzznight is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.