Good news, Kaitlyn Jackson fans. She made ‘American Idol’ group night

One of the most maddening pursuits in “American Idol”-land is the hunt-and-search for a favorite contestant during Hollywood week. After the successful audition by Kaitlyn Jackson, the teen country singer from Norwich, N.Y., I promised here more to come about her progress in season 13. I could not spot her last night as FOX made…

Music is timeless, but the Grammys is a show for the ages

Watching the 56th edition of the Grammy Awards unfold across my flat screen on Sunday night, I couldn’t help but be struck again about music’s relationship with time. Put a great song on a record, or on tape, or in the digital world, and time stands still, forever thereafter. In one hour, in January, 2014,…

The Cheesecake Factory will open in Syracuse with a Big Bang for us

A cheer erupted within The Cheesecake Factory-to be at the mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Destiny USA in Syracuse, N.Y. This I know because my face was pressed up against the window, like the proverbial kid and the candy store. (Grown me, though, made sure not to leave any tell-tale nose prints.) We’ve been…

The Palace Theatre reminds me why I like it in Syracuse

Sometimes when the thermometer is struggling to reach 0, the wind won’t stay below 20 and the ice seems to make every path in front of you glisten with menace, you wonder. Why, exactly, do I live here? My latest winter pass by my local Syracuse city neighborhood theater gave me a marquee reminder. We…

What do you call the event to honor the best musicians in your city?

Perhaps you have heard of the Gramophone. That’s the machine invented to listen to recorded music. Alexander Graham Bell was involved. Then Emile Berliner came up with a process in 1887 that used records. Records evolved to black vinyl, topped with grooves. The early record players were equipped with a horn-shaped speaker of sorts. That’s…

I think it’s ‘About Time’ you check out the link for my weekly film reviews

On Mondays, my movie reviews run on the syracusenewtimes.com site. This weekend, I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated “About Time.” The Brits have a winner with this romantic comedy. Because the Syracuse site has just undergone an extensive redesign, I thought today would be the right and proper time to share the link. http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/take-time-see-time/ By the…

Cool cars and the people that adore them gather for the Syracuse Nationals

Those of us of a certain age remember the 1973 movie “American Graffiti.” That’s the one in which red-haired and freckled Ron Howard and friends — Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford and Cindy Williams among them — came to terms with becoming an adult in a time where cruising the boulevard and racing in the streets…

It’s time to enjoy (place your product name here)

Cross-promotion has become part of our modern lives. At first I used to hate it. I did not want to see the “American Idol” judges slugging from those huge, red Coca-Cola glasses. Bet it was a different beverage in each cup. Then it just made me squirm a bit. Maybe NASCAR driver Tony Stewart really…

The voices of Ralph Kiner, Bob Uecker and Doug Logan all made me smile

The universe conspired on the day of America’s birthday party to urge me to build this gift of recognition to the voices that help mark our lives. As you saw in my post yesterday, we took Ellie B to march in the Manlius Fourth of July parade with the group from The Dog Gone Inn.…

Three Fat Guys plumps up with food, music

The thought struck when the platter of chicken tenders and fries was put in front of me. The trio behind the bar named Three Fat Guys may well have been three skinny guys until they started eating the food so well put together in the kitchen in the green bar at 3898 New Court Avenue…