David Masciotra is the author of Working On a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen (Continuum Books). He is currently writing his second book, Faith That Won’t Die, a work of literary journalism about life in the American rust belt. He has written for the Daily Beast, Truthout, Relevant, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. He is 27 and lives in Indiana. For more information, an article archive, and blog visit www.davidmasciotra.com.
Features
Wednesday, January 9 2013
Getting Away with Murder: A Conversation with Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes
Warren Haynes is a one man weapon of mass destruction. Rolling Stone ranked him as one of the 25 greatest guitar players in rock, and he is easily one of the genre’s best signers. We talked about the Gov't Mule's new release -- The Georgia Bootleg Box, his band’s history, and the future of his music.
Wednesday, August 22 2012
The Love of Light: Gore Vidal, 1925 - 2012
We must approach any consideration of Gore Vidal's vast body of work with fear and trembling, because if we do not properly understand and absorb his wisdom, we will have missed yet another opportunity to truly grasp American history and identity.
Thursday, March 15 2012
Revisiting 'The Bodyguard': A Romantic Blockbuster for Adults
The legacy of the The Bodyguard, beyond the greatness of Whitney, the vision of Kasdan, and the wisdom of Costner, is that it's possible to please the public and produce profit on a massive scale by intelligently presenting the complexities of adult love.
Wednesday, February 22 2012
Real Life Intensity: A Conversation with Warren Haynes
Warren Haynes is the greatest living practitioner of blues-based, soul-inspired rock ‘n’ roll music. We discussed his new album Man In Motion, his life on the road, and the magic of “real life intensity” in music.
Friday, July 1 2011
Drop the Needle and Pray: Mourning Clarence Clemons, 1942 - 2011
The mystery and sensuality of Clarence’s sax on “Spirit in the Night", the triumphant conclusion to “Thunder Road", and the epic solo in “Jungleland", are a few of the prodigies among Clarence and Springsteen’s many children -- children conceived by the spiritual love affair that they had for nearly 40 years.
Columns
Wednesday, March 13 2013
We Saw Your Hypocrisy: Seth MacFarlane, Hollywood, and the Liberal Media
When PC people manufacture controversies such as the uproar over Seth MacFarlane's Oscar humor, they reveal that they are oblivious to how they consistently confirm every unflattering stereotype depicting them as humorless bores.
Wednesday, February 13 2013
Queen of Disco: The Legend of Sylvester
As America moves forward into a new era of equality, it would be only right for music fans to look back on the career of Sylvester with both enthusiasm and regret.
Wednesday, November 14 2012
Takin' It Easy for Us Sinners: The Dude and Jesus Christ
Even a cursory look at The Big Lebowski and the Gospel reveals that Jesus of Nazareth was an original Dude and Lebowski of Los Angeles is, in his own way, a practitioner of Jesus’ way and life.
Tuesday, September 18 2012
The Way You Do The Things You Do: Sex Education and Smokey Robinson
In his golden years, Smokey Robinson is more convincingly and excitingly sexual and sensual than nearly every young performer who will join the parade of sensationalistic imagery on the MTV VMA awards.
Tuesday, August 14 2012
What Happened to Romance and Joy in Music?
Pop music should not merely raise brand awareness in slick advertisement campaigns; it should also seek to inject the culture with love, hope, and joy.
Reviews
Tuesday, October 16 2012
John Condron: ...If Any or At All
Those who see John Condron perform live will get a firm grasp on the excitement and contemplative growth associated with the era that belonged to folkies carrying guitars through city cafes and small town bars. …If Any or At All is a sonic postcard representing that experience and presenting Condron’s thoughts and talents to anyone willing to take the musical and spiritual ride.
Friday, November 18 2011
Daryl Hall: Laughing Down Crying
After a 14-year hiatus from releasing new, original music, Daryl Hall is back to prove himself, yet again, as a songwriter. His new album, Laughing Down Crying, represents all the varied musical styles that live within the artistry of Hall.
Wednesday, November 16 2011
Warren Haynes: 17 October 2011 - Chicago
I expected the performance of the Warren Haynes Band at the Vic Theatre to be good. I did not expect it to be one of the best displays of musical mastery and performative passion I have ever seen.
Thursday, June 16 2011
Ronnie Dunn: Ronnie Dunn
“I’ve waited 20 years to make this record,” Ronnie Dunn says in a video on the making of his first solo album. His patience wore out and now he’s clawing at our eyes and screaming in our ears for attention. He wants us to listen, and we should.
Friday, November 20 2009
Bob Dylan: 31 October 2009 - Chicago
On Halloween night when Bob Dylan and his band took the stage at the Aragon in Chicago, the audience members, some of whom were clad in costume, erupted in wild applause.
Blogs
Friday, May 6 2011
Enrollment Begins: Undressing Promises about Video Games with McLuhan
Anyone who would make the claim that video games are the new literature has all of his work in media studies ahead of him.
Friday, May 7 2010
Ben Tanzer’s Fiction: A Tragicomic Exploration of Life and Pop Culture
Ben Tanzer is a writer with enough heart to pump life into nearly any literary scene. He encourages the reader to use their empathy for his characters to explore their own relationships, decisions, and identity.
