Wolfgang's Vault, awesome new music site with vintage concerts.
Via Expecting Rain, the center for all things Bob Dylan related, I found this incredible new web site full of vintage concerts available for free listening. It turns out the great concert promoter Bill Graham made master soundboard recordings of just about all of the shows he ever produced. These tapes have been purchased by these folks who have been transferring them to digital form and making them available for listening off the web. They're all at Wolfgang's Vault (Wolfgang was Bill Graham's real name).
I can't believe the quality and variety of the music here, over 300 concerts so far and more coming on a regular basis. Graham made a point of showcasing and combining many different performers in his shows, so this isn't just rock music, but all different kinds of music, jazz, country, folk, rock, reggae, you name it. Miles, Emmylou Harris, great early Sly and the Family Stone, Pentangle, early Who, Asleep at the Wheel, Steve Earle, nearly every rock performer you've ever heard of extending well into the 80s, lots of singer songwriters of all types, it goes on and on and on. All in a very well designed web site which is easy to use, and quick to stream. Extremely impressive. I'm listening to this 1968 concert by Sly and the Family Stone as I write this, very early stuff just before they made it big, and my toes are tapping so hard I can barely write. Wow! In addition to the individual concerts, there's a radio stream where they play selected cuts, lots of assorted other goodies as well. No Dylan though, except this one show where he plays with Neil Young, Levon Helm, Rick Danko and other friends, but there's all the live Dylan you'll ever want over at Expecting Rain so that doesn't matter.
Found this great version of John Prine doing his song Flag Decal on YouTube. Although written in 1970 or so, it seems more relevant than ever. Especially note his pointed remarks about our "draft-dodging" so-called president at the end.
Wood s Lot. Maybe the most consistently interesting weblog out there. Superb selections on all sorts of topics, especially art and literature. Tons of links too.
Fairvue Central hosts the Bloggies, awards for best weblogs in different categories from all over the world. See the nominees for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (in progress).
