From Korea with Gangnam Style

I learned a few days ago in Gangnam, Korea about a new hit everybody was doing in the local Karaoke joints. I thought this is something I have to share with my kids and friends, nobody should know about it. Little did I know my kids has already been playing for weeks. Last week it was at 160M views, and today it has passed well over 200M. Huge for a K-Pop song, and another lesson in how such things can go globally viral.

What Can I Do

KFOX has been playing an early Zep song I haven’t recognized. How is that possible? Sat down and found it. It’s Hey Hey What Can I Do — their only tune that never got to an album. Recorded in 1970. It just flows on like their top pieces do. I recommend playing it in the middle of the night with appropriate speakers and enough volume. Carries that legendary artsy sound with messages from a time long gone …

Live Music Capital of the World

Went out last week in Austin, Texas to check out how the city meets its marketing label “Live Music Capital of the World.” Pretty well. I don’t know many places on this earth to have at least ten bars on one street with live bands at a random weekday night. Austin does. The most interesting artist I found was Jamie Krueger who player pretty solid classic blues and rock stuff, finalizing his show with a cover of Are You Experienced? Now that’s a song I’ve never heard anyone else playing live before.


Jamie Krueger on guitar and vocals.

Long live YouTube!

A follow-up on the Dio post. Perhaps the best concert I’ve ever been — in terms of feeling — was a Dio concert in Irving Plaza, New York, April 29, 2000. Now I found a taped video of that particular show, featuring almost every song, on YouTube! If I remember correctly I actually stood somewhere near where this taping guy was.

The set-up is classic: it’s Vinny on drums, Craig on guitar and Jimmy on bass. Dio and his voice were great. The climax of the show was the last one, a medley of silver mountain and long live. See it here and hear how the whole club sings along:

When I found the clip, it felt simply unreal to get into the moment again. It really happened! It was also amazing to hear Dio’s words again, just like I remembered them: “Long live new york city, long island, …, and rock and roll!” Those words have run through my head many times thereafter.

Dio lives!

dio_horns

I was supposed to work all night long. The easy landing goes through crawling the news… for some reason I spotted the latest news on Dio and his recovery from cancer. The man himself. The rest of the night, meaning the last four hours, I have just listened to Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven & Hell. So much for the work. This may be more important. Really.

Dio is the living spirit and ambassador of heavy metal. He has written and performed minimum ten überclassic hard rock / metal songs I would at any day take with me to an empty island on the sea. I have seen him live five to six times. More than any artist. Every time he has given his 100%. Horns up that there is more to come!

I can hear it screamin’ in my mind
Long live rock and roll
Long live rock ‘n’ roll
Long live rock and roll
Let it live, let it live, let it live