Full report to follow but it’s great to be sitting watching baseball in 80 degree weather. Loved the heart-shaped pinstriped pin with The Boss giveaway for spring training opening day!
300 Yards, 300 Miles
That's Jesus Montero wearing No. 83 in 2010. He will be one of the most watched Yankees in Tampa -- and hopefully New York -- in 2011.
Tampa, Fla., February 26, 2011 — Our Spring Training Trek starts anew Saturday, and we’re continuing our 2010 strategy, hoteling it just a short walk from George M. Steinbrenner (GMS) Field. So our 10-day trek is a series of short strides and long(er than ideal) drives. Saturday begins with the 1,000-mile flight South, shuttle to the hotel, and shuffle to the park to watch the Yanks host the Phillies, with Bartolo Colon throwing the first Yankee pitch of the preseason — 300 yards.
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Taj Mahal and Los Lobos at Tarrytown
Taj Mahal and Los Lobos at Tarrytown Music Hall
Feels like we got two shows for the price of one Friday night! Kudos to the folks doing the booking at Tarrytown Music Hall — what a treat to see Taj Mahal and Los Lobos on the same bill. Each did a set solo, with the Taj Mahal Trio opening the show and performing material from an impressive catalog developed over his 40-plus years performing, including classics such as “Fishin’ Blues.”
Los Lobos came on about ten and mixed in covers like “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” (and a “Turn on Your Lovelight” tease) along with their original material, including tunes from their latest “Tin Can Trust.” Just a little after 11 p.m., Taj Mahal joined them for a two-song encore of “Guantanamera” and a favorite of Deadheads everywhere, the Hunter/Garcia “Bertha,” that had the whole music hall crowd up and dancing.
Hot Off the Presses
Although I just served as a grunt (and lowly scribe), I’m delighted to announce the fifth annual Maple Street Yankee Annual, this one subheaded 2011. Compiled by the brilliant writer, editor (and Yankee fan) Cecilia Tan, the annual is a grab bag of everything a Yankee enthusiast would want at this soon-to-be magical time of year. Continue reading
The Music of Neil Young: Live Rehearsal at City Winery
Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield with Larry Campbell's house band at City Winery
So sorry that we are booked, but so excited that we were able to make the live rehearsal show at City Winery (fabulous Manhattan venue, by the way) for the Carnegie Hall benefit that’s happening Thursday night. From having attended the concerts showcasing the music of Bob Dylan (at Lincoln Center) and Bruce Springsteen (at Carnegie Hall with an appearance by Bruce himself), there was no doubt that it would be a great evening of music and this show did not disappoint (showcasing Neil Young, how could it).
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Escape From Winter
We've seen the best — and the worst — accompanying a Yankees trip to Dunedin to play the Blue Jays.
The Pettitte Two-Step
Andy Pettitte Retirement Press Conference
Bronx, N.Y., February 3, 2011 — We all have our favorite Andy Pettitte moments. How to pick one or two? For me, it’s actually rather easy. When it comes to Andy P, think Peter O’Toole, because 1996 is My Favorite Year. Any Yankee fan who has been watching this team since that stunning season could easily point to magical Game 5 of the World Series, October 24, when the young Yankee southpaw stunned baseball by outpitching a superb John Smoltz in a 1-0 Yankee win in Atlanta.
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Gotta Go to Mo’s
Enjoyed a great steak dinner here in what has become an off-season tradition for us.
In what has become an off-season tradition for us, Dan and I braved the snow flurries to head in to New Rochelle for dinner at Mo’s New York Grill with fellow Yankee fans Sharon and Bob. We’ve been scheduling up a dinner at Mo’s with them between the end of the season and an annual trek down to Tampa for spring training for a couple years now.
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New Year’s for Grown-ups
That’s how the Tarrytown Music Hall billed their January 1 show with headliner Gregg Allman, and it didn’t disappoint. Jamoie’s Jasssz Band opened — blues, R&B and so much more; we’re used to seeing him on percussion with the Allmans but this band is a treat!
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Let’s Go Crazy…
When I first saw the stage setup diagram on Ticketmaster for last night’s Prince show at Madison Square Garden when buying tickets, I was having trouble imagining how the glyph was going to translate into a stage environment. There was no need to have spent a moment thinking about it — it was fabulous! As was his purpleness, breaking out many of the tunes we all not-so-secretly wanted to hear from his catalog.
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