Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I can't think of a better place to spend the holidays than in Petoskey with family and friends.  Come hell or high water I always make it to Petoskey for Christmas; in fact, I've only missed one Christmas in northern Michigan and that was 1992 during my year in Los Angeles. Petoskey has a quintessential "All American Town" feel to it and the town works hard to maintain a high quality environment for its citizens and tourists that flock up north for summer water sports, the fall color season and winter skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. Petoskey's gaslight district comprises a 4 block area of downtown and is a shopper's delight with non-chain shops and cafes offering unique products and delicious seasonal cuisine.  Some of the my favorite establishments include Chandler's, McLean & Eakin Bookstore, American Spoon Foods and their Gelato Cafe, Symon's General Store, the Circus Shop, Dave's Boot Shop and Murdick's Fudge. Petoskey is situated on Little Traverse  Bay, the second largest bay on Lake Michigan and is in the northern northwest tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan.  Petoskey and the surrounding area are notable for being the setting of several of ...

Seasons greetings from Ann Arbor.   This is the home of the University of Michigan and the Big House.   It's also the home of one of my favorite Japanese restaurants, Godaiko.   This unassuming jewel is located in a strip mall off of Saline Road, about a 5 minute drive off I94. I haven't been here in a couple of years and the new single malt scotch bar is a nice touch just to the right as you walk in.    Featuring hardwood floors and a minimalist decor, this restaurant is an excellent place to satisfy your Sushi or Sashimi cravings. The extensive list of Godaiko Special Rolls deserves special mention; the portions are large and the variety and quality ingredients are top notch.   Two personal favorites are the Ultimate Spicy Tuna Roll (Spicy Tuna and Avocado wrapped in a thin layer of Ahi Tuna) and the Dynamite Crab Roll (Crunchy Soft Shell Crab with Lettuce, Avocado, Ma sago and Spicy Chili). I had a pint of Bell's amber and finished with some freshly brewed organic Green Tea.   A great lunch. Godaiko, Ann Arbor, Michigan 3115 Oak Valley Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, (734) 930-2880

A power punk trio with pop leanings; this was Hüsker Dü. They were the first "underground band" to sign to a major label, Warner Brothers in 1985.  Although never experiencing commercial success, Hüsker Dü influenced a number of later pop punk and alternative rock bands, including the Pixies, Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Green Day. Bob Mould delivered slabs of guitar and feedback while Greg Norton's bass provided the bottom.  Grant Hart rounded out the group on drums.  Hart and Mould were the chief songwriters and clashed frequently over song placements on their albums; something which ultimately contributed to their eventual breakup in 1988. Those wishing to check out the band would be advised to find their remarkable cover of the Byrd's "Eight Miles High", released as an EP single alongside their landmark 1984 album, Zen Arcade. The cathartic "Celebrated Summer" came only five months following Zen Arcade on the "New Day Rising" Album.   Hart's incessant snare drives the track while Mould unleashes torrents of fuzzy guitar over the top only to subside to Mould's acoustic strumming and hushed vocals at the middle bridge and again at the end of this remarkable song. The final 1987 double album, Warehouse: Songs and Stories delivered a polished ...

Did you miss the Replacements?  Good news is that this past April Rhino Entertainment released re-mastered 'deluxe editions' of the bands 1st four Twin/Tone albums with rare bonus tracks and in September Rhino released the later Sire albums as deluxe editions. For those that may not know, this was the band from Minneapolis that should have been contenders but were ultimately destined to be cult favorites up until their demise in typical shambolic fashion on the fourth of July, 1991.  Longtime critical favorites, the band literally imploded onstage midway through their final gig at Chicago's summer festival, "Taste of Chicago" in Grant Park.  This concert was broadcast live on WXRT and documented the festivities.  Each member left the stage only to be replaced by various roadies to finish the concert. The band was comprised of half brothers, Tommy and Bob Stinson, Paul Westerberg and Chris Mars.   Bob Stinson was kicked out of the band due to alcoholism and an internal power struggle with Paul Westerberg in 1986 to be replaced by Slim Dunlap.   Mars quit in 1990 to be replaced by Steve Foley.  Foley recently passed away in Minneapolis from an accidental prescription drug overdose. Tommy and Paul recently got together in a ...

Is this the greatest song of the Rock era?  The argument can certainly be made.  Let's take a look at some memorable performances of this Paul Simon classic. Aretha Franklin made it her own in 1971: Paul Simon reinterpreted it following 9/11 and again on the Old Friends tour: But this amazing song will always be about Art Garfunkel and the definitive version he delivered on the 1970 final Simon and Garfunkel album.  Before recording the song Garfunkel had reservations about taking a solo vocal and wasn't sure it was right for him.   Paul Simon convinced him the song worked best with Art's singular voice -- a decision Simon has reportedly regretted after the sensational reviews and accolades came in for Garfunkel's performance. Simon would famously pull Garfunkel's vocals off of the Simon solo album originally conceived as a reunion Simon and Garfunkel album, Hearts and Bones in 1983. Simon and Garfunkel perform Bridge Over Troubled Water, 1981

Fleetwood Mac are reforming again with Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie all on board for a US tour kicking off in March 2009.   Tour rehearsals commence in Los Angeles on Monday January 5th. The tour is being dubbed "Unleashed" with what will essentially be a greatest hits set list with no new album to promote.  Hopefully the band will also revisit some other deep album cuts that weren't played live in 2003 or 1997 this time around.  The band have not ruled out a new studio album which could come together later in the year. Thankfully, Sheryl Crow will not be joining the band for this tour as previously rumored. Fleetwood Mac live in 2003

Neil Young and his "Electric Band" have been opening most of the shows on Neil's current North America arena tour with "Love and Only Love"; the 10 minute plus standout track from Neil and Crazy Horse's return to form 1990 album Ragged Glory. Back in 1990, Young had resurfaced following his critically acclaimed 1989 Freedom album.   That's the album that featured bookended versions of "Rockin' in the Free World", both acoustic (recorded live at Jones Beach, New York) and the glorious electric version.  Young had used a similar strategy on Rust Never Sleeps with bookended versions of "Hey Hey, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)", released a decade earlier. Neil Young had spent the 2nd half of the 1980's producing a mishmash of albums to varying success including This Notes for You, the all out country Old Ways and the 1986 overproduced oddball, Landing on Water.  Freedom marked a strong return to form and the Ragged Glory album reintroduced Crazy Horse to new Neil Young fans. Fast forward to today and Neil Young has announced the impending release of another album recorded with Crazy Horse during the same time period that was ultimately shelved and never released.   The only song that has ...

From South Carolina by way of Seattle came Band of Horses, currently at work in the legendary Muscle Shoals Studios on their third album.  Signed to Sub Pop back in 2005, the band has released two critically acclaimed albums and delivers an introspective blend of southern tinged rock and early '70s Parsons-esque Americana.  Ben Bridwell's voice and appearance invoke easy comparisons to Tonight's the Night era Neil Young but the band have managed to carve out a vibrant fan base with their mix of retro influences and anthemic ballads. Touring tirelessly over the past two years, the band continue to wow fans and critics alike and have scored some influential gigs along the way including David Letterman's Late Show, the UK's Glastonbury Festival and Roskilde in Denmark.

Núñez de Prado Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil is recognized by connoisseurs as one of the finest Olive Oils in the world. This Olive Oil is First Cold Pressed, Unfiltered and is produced, packed and numbered at the Family Estate near Cordoba, Spain. Núñez de Prado is widely available in grocery stores throughout southern Spain but is not easily sourced in the United States. Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil and counts Italy as one of its largest bulk oil customers.  It's not widely known that current European Union rules allow Italy to market Italian extra virgin olive oil as "Italian" yet the minimum percentage of actual Italian oil required is minimal.  This so called "adulteration" of olive oil and olive oil regulation is a hot topic among foodies and connoisseurs in Europe and the USA. Baena, the home of the family estate, is a picturesque town in the heart of Andalusia's olive oil region.  The rolling hills throughout the region feature row upon row of olive trees as far as the eye can see providing a serene vista against the Andalusian blue skies. In Spain, where others harvest by beating olives from the trees with sticks, the Núñez de ...