Coming soon, another bar for Cowboys and Cowgirls

I must admit, I was a bit sad when Toby Keith’s joint called it quits at Syracuse’s mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Destiny USA. Not that I was a regular at the country music star’s restaurant and bar. But my dear wife Karen and I did share a meal and music at or three…

Coming soon to a parking lot near you

The tiny sign off the side of the road caught my eye, over to the right, in front of the turn that takes you to where so many of my fellow city folks used to make their living crafting that fine Syracuse China. Ah, yes, I remembered hearing the radio ad and seeing the news…

If you want to sing in public badly enough, you can

I enjoyed judging the karaoke contest Saturday night at Village Lanes in East Syracuse. The nine singers who signed up ranged in talents, certainly, from very good to very brave. That’s one of wonderful things about karaoke. Anybody who wants to sing can. It’s really the great equalizer. You don’t have to be great. Maybe…

All the world’s a (Syracuse) Stage

Sometimes I get so caught up in my world of movie and music writing and love of live sports that I forget all about how thrilling a trip to see live drama is. Big mistake, that. And in Syracuse we have much. In October, I reviewed ‘Book of Mormon’ when Famous Artists brought that traveling…

Catching up with Julia Goodwin’s story

I told you how excited I was about my latest piece of freelance writing for Central New York The Good Life Magazine. Baker High School junior Julia Goodwin’s smiling face makes the cover extremely attractive, does it not? And I think editor Linda Bien and graphic designer Peter Allen put together a most memorable package…

Grammys leave me feeling half empty

Most every year I can’t get to sleep after the Grammys telecast has signed off because the annual celebration of what makes music move us has reminded me of great things past and present and stirred hopes for the future, too. Last night I watched the local news, thought about how I’d have to get…