Tag: Abba

Theater Review: Last Weekend to Catch San Jose Stage Company’s Production of Mamma Mia!

(L-R): Best friends Tanya (Allison F. Rich), Donna (Adrienne Herro), and Rosie (Jill Miller) hit the stage for old times’ sake. Photo courtesy of Dave Lepori, 2019.

Featuring three possible fathers and a collection of ABBA hits, Mamma Mia! tells the story of mother-daughter Donna and Sophie as they navigate love, loss, and self-discovery. Widely staged throughout the world, SJSC’s production brings a level of intimacy to the story. Due to the space and set design (Michael Palumbo), the show feels a bit like the movie starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried where the focus becomes less about theatrics and more on the interactions between cast members. Songs include big hits such as Dancing Queen, Voulez-Vous, Lay All Your Love on Me, and the musical’s namesake, Mamma Mia. Continue reading “Theater Review: Last Weekend to Catch San Jose Stage Company’s Production of Mamma Mia!“

The 7 Rules of the Best and Worst Cover Songs

What else would I put on an article about cover songs? Jeff Buckley? That's been done.

Someone was tweeting something about cover songs, and I immediately went to work on twittering away the rules of cover songs. I got to rule #3, remembered that I’m the editor of a music blog, and went to work writing the other rules down. And now, I present to you, everything you need to know about cover songs. Is there anything I left out? Let me know below. But first, we’ll start with rule #1: Continue reading “The 7 Rules of the Best and Worst Cover Songs”

Spinning Platters Picks Six: Gems from My British Top 30 Tape

I'm pretty sure this was the model of my first tape deck. That was a while ago, though. Could be wrong.
I'm pretty sure this was the model of my first tape deck. That was a while ago, though. Could be wrong.

Getting my first tape deck was an amazing event in my life.  I went from constantly living on the whim of the DJ to being able to program my own little radio station of my favorite songs.  The one recorded-from-radio mixtape I listened to most often before it met its sad and sudden end at some point in the early 90s was a 60-minute cassette of songs recorded in 1985 off of a radio show called The British Top 30.  This show was amazing because it played songs by bands I’d never heard of, and surely never would.  And then some songs from bands I had heard of, but new songs!  How exciting!  Imagine being able to hear songs that magically appear from all the way around the world! Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six: Gems from My British Top 30 Tape”