Tag Archives: Bruce Springsteen

Episode 17: The Ireland Episode

I’m back after a few weeks off, a good part of which I spent in Ireland, traveling from Dublin to Sligo, my mother’s ancestral home, and back to Dublin to see Bruce Springsteen in concert. Needless to say, it was quite a trip.

On this week’s episode, I talk about Joe’s and the Clash’s connections to Ireland (that is, in addition to Joe’s filling in for Shane MacGowan from time to time, which I’ve talked about before), from the band’s support for the Irish republican cause (including the H Block protests in 1976) to Joe writing the song “46664 (Long Walk to Freedom)” with Bono and Dave Stewart to honor Nelson Mandela. 

Having spent some time at the James Joyce Centre in Dublin and having watched the documentary Bono and the Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman, I also share my thoughts on the respective roles of Joyce and U2 in Irish cultural history, and how the latter, somewhat maligned these days, played a role in moving the country in the direction of a modern, progressive democracy. (By the way, the drag queen Dave interviews is Panti Bliss — how could I have forgotten her name?!)

Dublin City Center, May 2023

From there, I talk about Springsteen’s phenomenal show in Dublin — and, yes, there’s a Clash connection here too! As I’ve mentioned before, it turns out that Joe was quite a fan, as this letter demonstrates. All in all, it was a great trip and it gave me a lot to think about!

Anyway, please give this week’s show a listen and share your thoughts in the comments below. And remember, as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.”

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Episode 14: Selling Out?

This episode was supposed to be all about country music, inspired by going to see Latin-influenced alt-country legends the Mavericks, but, as often happens … I got a little distracted along the way.

Researching the possible connections between London Calling, Bruce Springsteen’s The River, and Sandinista! (and not finding much, no disrespect to Martin Popoff’s book, The Clash: All the Albums, All the Songs), I stumbled across folks accusing Bruce of being a “sellout,” based, I guess, on ticket prices for the US leg of his current tour and the fact that he sold his catalog to Sony Music for $500 million. Which reminded me of the many instances in which people accused the Clash of “selling out,” almost from the beginning of the band’s existence. Signing a major label record deal was a sellout, they said. London Calling was a sellout, they said. Having Top 40 hits on Combat Rock was a sellout, they said … 

So, that got me thinking about what “selling out” means and whether artists owe it to us to live in poverty and deprivation (spoiler alert: no, they don’t). In fact, I think the Clash did, and Bruce has done, a pretty good job of threading the needle between getting their music out, making a living, and still taking a stand. 

And while we’re on the topic of Bruce and the Clash, please check out my friend Jesse Jackson’s Springsteen podcast, Set Lusting Bruce, which is really great. Both my wife and I have appeared on Jesse’s show and we had a blast.

So, after this extended digression on “selling out,” I finally get to country music and my occasional Great Artists, Good People segment, featuring, as I say, the Mavericks, who originated in Miami and came to dominate Nashville in the mid-1990s. After a hiatus, they were back and better than ever in the 2000s and they continue to make records and tour to this day. They are easily one of our favorite live acts, and we’ve been fortunate enough to see them multiple times from the ’90s to the present. 

But, as the theme of this segment suggests, they are more than just great artists. They seem to be genuinely good people. While not overtly political, they are not afraid to share their values, including support for immigrants and LGBTQIA people, and simple things like, you know, loving, respecting and valuing other humans. All-around standup guys, and you should definitely buy their music and go see them live.

Anyway, please give this week’s show a listen and share your thoughts in the comments below. And remember, as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.”

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Episode 13: The Clash on Broadway

I lied to you, dear listener, when I said I would not delve into the issues surrounding the indictment of a former president, because, you see, I couldn’t help myself. The lawyer in me got the better of me, so I took some time to share my thoughts on Ford pardoning Nixon, holding presidents accountable for their crimes (of course, the song I meant to refer to here is “Clampdown,” not “London Calling”), and the many, many examples from my home state of governors, legislators, and, yes, even a sitting supreme court justice, having cuffs slapped on them and being led off to jail. 

But, as David Letterman would say, that’s not why you called. So I also talk about Bruce Springsteen, the Clash, and the previously unknown assertion (unknown to me, that is) that The River was a response to London Calling and that Sandinista! was a response to The River. Who knew. And then, because I cannot let a certain congressperson’s defamation of New York go unchallenged, I delve into the Clash’s love affair with Gotham and my own fondness for it, too, before turning to a great, seriously underrated New York artist: Garland Jeffreys.

Garland Jeffreys is the definition of “great artist, good people.” He’s been Coney Island’s number one troubadour — to me, any way — since “Wild in the Streets” in the ’70s and Escape Artist in the early ’80s. I was fortunate enough to connect with him through social media when he made his comeback in 2011 with the fantastic album, The King of In Between, and that’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of the past decade. My wife and I have seen him play in Chicago many times, and we traveled to New York for his 2019 farewell concert that featured an all-star cast including Vernon Reid, Chuck Prophet, Laurie Anderson, and Ivan Julian, among others. 

Even better, we’ve had the opportunity to chat with and get to know Garland and his lovely wife, Claire, and they’re just great people. All I can tell you is this: If you don’t know his music, get to know it. You will not be disappointed.

And while we’re on the subject, Garland and Claire are producing a documentary on his life and music called, Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between, which should be out soon. Please check out the film’s website and donate to the cause, because this is a story that must be told!

Anyway, please give this week’s show a listen and share your thoughts in the comments below. And remember, as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.” 

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Episode 9: The Reluctant Bandmate

This week’s episode is a Paul Simonon appreciation episode. Inspired in part by Paul’s new project and upcoming album with Galen Ayers called Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day?, I talk about Paul’s background as an artist, his unlikely meeting with Mick Jones in the mid-1970s, his unlikelier transformation from visual artist to punk rock bass player, and how he both christened the band “The Clash” and provided the band’s signature, albeit evolving, look. I also talk about Paul’s post-Clash artwork and a recent exhibition in London that featured at least one painting that is reminiscent of a 1937 Clyfford Still painting featured on Antiques Roadshow in 2012. By the way, the Still painting appraised for … a half a million dollars. 

For more on Paul and his artwork, see:

Paul’s Instagram page.

Galen and Paul’s Instagram page.

“Paul Simonon: The Clash’s Ace of Bass,” by James Medd on The Rake.

“The Clash Interviews: Paul Simonon, Part I,” by Howie Klein on Down With Tyranny. 

And here is the video for the new Galen and Paul song, “Lonely Town.”

I also came across this quote on the Joe Strummer Instagram page that got me thinking about voting with your dollars for — and against — things that you support and things you don’t: 

“This is my new philosophy. Use your vote, your dollar bill is your vote. It’s time we stopped giving it in the bucket-loads to these giant corporations. They’re not to be trusted with that amount of money. They’re only gonna bland us out, robot us out. They’re gonna crush us and pulverize us. All they want is our money.”

Finally, on this week’s Great Artist, Good People segment, I feature Jake Clemons, nephew of E Street Band legend Clarence Clemons and a great artist in his own right. Check out Jake’s website and his latest album, Eyes on the Horizon, which is fantastic.

So please give this week’s show a listen and share your thoughts in the comments. And as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.” 

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