Bob Dylan's Never-Ending Tour Comes to the Southern United States in March and April

 

The big announcement came very early this morning.  Will Dylan use the same setlist as he did in late 2021?  He is coming to Tulsa on April 13.  I must assume he will be given a private tour of the Bob Dylan Center while he is in Tulsa.  It is scheduled to open to the public on May 10.  Will he meet with the people at the University of Tulsa?  I am sure that Scott Warmuth is thrilled since Dylan will play in his hometown of Albuquerque on March 6.

March 2022:

3 Phoenix, Arizona – Arizona Federal Theatre

4 Tucson, Arizona – Tucson Music Hall

6 Albuquerque, New Mexico – Kiva Auditorium

8 Lubbock, Texas – Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts & Sciences

10 Irving, Texas – Toyota Music Factory

11 Sugar Land, Texas – Smart Financial Centre

13 San Antonio, Texas – Majestic Theatre

14 San Antonio, Texas – Majestic Theatre

16 Austin, Texas – Bass Hall

18 Shreveport, Louisiana – Municipal Auditorium

19 New Orleans, Louisiana – Saenger Theatre

21 Montgomery, Alabama – Montgomery PAC

23 Nashville, Tennessee – Ryman Auditorium

24 Atlanta, Georgia – Fox Theatre

26 Savannah, Georgia – Johnny Mercer Theatre

27 North Charleston, South Carolina – North Charleston PAC

29 Columbia, South Carolina – Township Auditorium

30 Charlotte, North Carolina – Ovens Auditorium

April 2022:

1 Greensboro, North Carolina – Steven Tanger Center

2 Asheville, North Carolina – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

4 Chattanooga, Tennessee – Tivoli Theatre

5 Birmingham, Alabama – BJCC Concert Hall

7 Mobile, Alabama – Saenger Theatre

9 Memphis, Tennessee – Orpheum Theatre

11 Little Rock, Arkansas – Robinson Center

13 Tulsa, Oklahoma – Tulsa Theatre

14 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre

Game Shows that I Watch

 Since the 1960s I have been a big fan of Game Shows which fall into one of two categories:

• Word Games
• Quiz Shows

Below is a list of game shows that I watch with some degree of regularity:

• 25 Words or Less Hosted by Meredith Viera
• The Chase - The Game Show Network version airs reruns with Brooke Burns as the host.  New shows are on ABC on Wednesday nights hosted by Sarah Haines
• Common Knowledge hosted by Joey Fatone
• Tug of Words hosted by Ahmed Rashad
• Chain Reaction hosted by Dylan Lane
• Jeopardy (my favorite since the 1960s when it was hosted by Art Fleming)
• Wheel of Fortune

The Meatloaf- Phil Rizzuto Connection - Paradise by the Dashboard Light

 

Sadly, the rock star and actor Meatloaf whose birth name is Michael Lee Aday passed away last night.  There is a connection between him and Yankee Hall of Famer and announcer Phil Rizzuto.  If you watch this video of Paradise by the Dashboard Light there is a clip of a Yankee game when Phil is giving a play-by-play description.

Congratulations to Jim Kerr for 20 Years on Q-104.3

Yours Truly with Jim Kerr at one of the

Oldies Meet and Greets

Many radio personalities come and go, but Jim Kerr just celebrated his 20th anniversary as morning DJ on Q-104.3 in New York City.  He also worked at WPLJ, and WYNY among other radio stations.  He is a member of the Radio Hall of Fame.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jim at two of the Oldies Meet and Greets that we held at Ben's Deli in Manhattan. I do not recall the year when I had the above photo taken with him.  In 2019 Jim cam unexpectedly to our gathering. 

I certainly wish Jim many more years at Q-104.3.

 

How Many Games Will Amy Schneider Win on Jeopardy?

 

As of this writing, Amy Schneider has won 34 games and trails only Matt Amodio (38) and Ken Jennings (74) as winning the most games on Jeopardy.  She uses the traditional approach by starting at the top of the board and working her way down.  Her betting on Daily Doubles is conservative.  In recent games,  she has missed a few Final Jeopardy questions, but that does not matter since most of her victories were runaways.

Her next milestone is to exceed Matt Amodio's streak of 38 victories.  How far will she go?  It would be ironic if Ken Jennings hosted the shows if she ties or breaks his record.

I am Hesitant about Upgrading to Windows 11

 

For a few months, I have had an icon at the bottom of the screen inviting me to upgrade to Windows 11.  My laptop is running well on Windows 10 since I bought it about two years ago.  How greatly will Windows 11 enhance my computing experience?  I guess I am thinking that if it is not broken, don't fix it.  I'll have Windows 11 on my next computer.

Where the Boys are by Connie Francis - Oldie of the Day

 

Connie Francis was Cousin Brucie's guest on tonight's show.  He obviously played her biggest hit.

Ronnie Spector Performs Live @ Meadowlands Fair Palisades Park Reunion with Cousin Brucie 2013

Yesterday we heard the sad news that Ronnie Spector passed away at age 78.

Family Statement on the Passing of Ronnie Spector:

Our beloved earth angel, Ronnie, peacefully left this world today after a brief battle with cancer. She was with family and in the arms of her husband, Jonathan.

Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude.

Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her.

In lieu of flowers, Ronnie requested that donations be made to your local women’s shelter or to the American Indian College Fund.

A celebration of Ronnie’s life and music will be announced in the future.

The family respectfully asks for privacy at this time.

Billy Preston was Indeed The Fifth Beatle

 I am currently watching the DVD version of Get Back that was originally shown on Disney+.  I am watching it in 1 1/2 hour segments.  Last night I saw Billy Preston come to the studio to play with the Beatles.  Below is a clip of the group with Billie rehearsing "Don't Let Me Down".  He is certainly "The Fifth Beatle."

Three Tribute Songs to John Lennon

 I should have posted this on December 8th, but here goes.

Empty Garden by Elton John

All Those Years Ago by George Harrison

Here Today by Paul McCartney

Mobile Sports Gambling is Now Legal in New York State but I am Not Interested

 

There is an excellent article in the Gothamist reporting on mobile sports gambling which just became legal in New York State.  Anyone can place bets from their smartphone as long as you are in the state.  I am sick and tired of seeing commercials from Draft Kings and Fan Duel advertising sports gambling in neighboring states.

I have absolutely no gambling spirit which is likely for the best.  I want to enjoy watching a sporting event and not worry about money.

On the positive side revenue from sports betting goes to elementary and secondary education and helps with property tax relief.

Real vs Electronic Friends

I just looked at my Facebook account and saw that I have 621 friends.  How many of them are "real friends".  I made friends with many of them since there is a shared interest such as:

• Baseball
• Oldies Music
• Bob Dylan
• Librarianship
• Chemistry
• Radio
• Former Classmates
• Former Co-workers

How many of them have I actually met?  I think the number is very small. Many of them I have not seen in years if not decades.  There is also the "phone friend."  You speak to them over the phone with some degree of regularity but rarely see them.  Some of these "phone friends" live at a distance so it is impossible to meet.

I think the COVID situation has prevented people from meeting face to face.  I think that sadly COVID has created a new normal when it is less likely for people to want to meet.

I guess the bottom line is that an electronic friend is better than no friend at all.

 

Will the COVID-19 Crisis Ever End? I Don't Have the Answer

 

I am not a physician or an epidemiologist and do not have the answer.  When COVID hit in early 2020, who thought the crisis would be around two years later?  At least 800,000 have died in the United States while the worldwide total exceeds 5 million.  I guess I will raise more questions:

• Will there be more variants?  Will they be more transmissible?
• Will the anti-vaxers prevent herd immunity?
• Will everyone need boosters every year?
• In future years will cases, hospitalizations, and deaths decline?

Only time will tell.  I thank all the physicians, nurses, and other medical who have helped patients over the past two years.

I Got Hold of a DVD Version of the Beatles Get Back Movie

 

I refused to subscribe to Disney+ just to see the 8 hour Get Back movie.  A few weeks ago I received an email from Kaleidoscope Video stating that they had limited copies of that video.  I purchased some music DVDs from them in the past.  I guess I was lucky to be able to get a copy from them.  I assume that eventually, more copies will be available from other sources.

I watched the first 90 minutes of it last night.  It should how songs were written at a recording session and eventually put on the Let it Be album.  I thought there was just too much banter among the four Beatles and their support staff in the film.  60 hours of film was cut down to 8 hours, but perhaps there could have been more editing.

Is Hey Jude the "Best" or Most Popular Beatle Song?

 

Every year Rewound Radio surveys its listeners for their favorite record of all time.  Inevitably Hey Jude by the Beatles tops the chart.  Can someone speculate why it is the #1 song of all time?  I find it somewhat boring since it lingers on for over 7 minutes repeating "Na Na Na Na Hey Jude".  I guess the casual listeners of oldies must really like it.

Hey Rob Manfred and Tony Clark - Let's Talk and Reach a Settlement

 

Monday, January 3 is the first business day of the new year.  Rob Manfred, representing the owners, and Tony Clark must negotiate face to face to come up with a fair settlement.  If Spring Training is delayed or games are lost it is a lose-lose situation for all parties, especially for the fans.  There could be a backlash by the fans.