Ben Yakas

I get hundreds of pitches a day that fall into the chasm of my work email. But when you get a ridiculously cryptic email inviting you to see a "first-of-its-kind grilling innovation that combines grilling and music" with almost no other information except for the fact that said machine has been miraculously named DJMOTHERFUCKINGBBQ5000, you do not miss that email.

I spoke to the band and some of their most loyal fans about the origins of the annual Hanukkah celebration: eight nights of indie comedy and rock 'n' roll filled with surprise guests and unexpected jams with some of history's greatest Jewish songwriters.

For the past 40 years, legendary musicians and guitar aficionados have been flocking to Mandolin Brothers, the Staten Island mom-and-pop guitar emporium.

An eight-part series on the photography of Rowland Scherman, "the Forrest Gump of Photography," who consistently stumbled into the right place at the right time. He was there to document some of the most iconic moments of the 1960s and 1970s.

When Smoke went dark for the bulk of 2021, it looked like it would become yet another piece of the city lost to the pandemic.

Petty wasn't someone whose life or work seemed that far removed from this plane of existence—he wrote simple, empathetic anthems about regular people struggling to survive day-to-day, striving for better lives, and fighting to keep the people they love. They were rebels, refugees and losers raised on promises. Petty always had a curiosity for the lives of dreamers, whether they fumbled, failed or were learning to fly.

For as long as Dylan has been writing songs, he has been writing to, for and about New York City. It's the place Bob Dylan set off on his calling, surrounded by the musicians, personalities and culture that would irrevocably shape the rest of his life.

ARC, which was founded in 1985, is steeped in rock lore: among the aisles and aisles of records are Michael Jackson air fresheners, a blown-up photo of Iggy Pop signing a woman's breast, original Steve Keene artwork, and the album Music To Massage Your Mate By, featuring a pre-fame Burt Reynolds on the cover.

"The River" is very overwhelming, ambitious, and undeniably brilliant. It's also long and repetitious and meandering and a little boring at times, but hey, that's why there are about 200 peppy songs on it dedicated to Bruce's penis, uh, I mean, cars (looking at you, "Ramrod").

David Bowie has died at the age of 69. He was the coolest popular musician in history, but he was not immortal, despite all appearances.

Leonard Cohen is kneeling as he sings...Sometimes he's praying, sometimes he's pleading with a lover. Sometimes he is begging forgiveness, and sometimes he is too exhausted to get up.

Brooklyn was treated to what passes for an intimate performance by the world's greatest Guns N' Roses cover band, which just happens to feature original lead singer Axl Rose. Or at least, it features someone in a novelty-sized fedora who resembles Axl. Axl Rose is only as Axl Rosey as the bandana he's wearing, and since he refused to take off his fedora, the world may never know if it really was him.

On "Nebraska:" In which Bruce suddenly transforms into the ghost of Flannery O'Connor, living inside a hollowed-out reverb-drenched acoustic guitar, for a set of spooky 4-track demos that were better without the E Street Band. This is the Springsteen album non-Bruce fans say they love the most, because it sounds more like an intellectual Suicide than anything brewed up in Asbury Park. This is Springsteen's most hypnotic record by a mile.

On "Self-Portrait:" I see it as a window into the real Dylan, not the guy who chased folk stardom or filled his body with so many uppers that even his hair was reaching toward the sky. This was Dylan embracing the role he has long since inhabited: a song interpreter on the never-ending tour of life. Dylan never saw himself as the voice of a generation—he was just another singer passing through history.

What does it mean to be a Rolling Stones fan today? Is it worth shelling out hundreds of dollars and putting up with long lines at Port Authority to be able to see the band 40+ years after their prime?

Because I'm a huge party pooper, I decided to ask people if they knew about the numerous credible sexual misconduct allegations against fired director Bryan Singer.

Whatever he's seemingly lacking in world-conquering hits, Travis Scott more than makes up for in pure spectacle and crowd enthusiasm.

But as with David Bowie only a few months ago, Prince's death was a total shock. Maybe it's because, like Bowie, Prince seemed like a mythological creature, a space alien, an androgynous rock star who touched us and encouraged us to touch ourselves unapologetically.

When you see Arcade Fire live in 2017, there will be plenty of moments when you'll be sure you're watching the real deal, and not a remarkably convincing impression of Arcade Fire.