“A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 4″ Drops December 16
Last Sunday afternoon, a dozen New York City's finest and kindest musicians gathered at Galuminum Foil Studios in Brooklyn to record our fourth "A Holiday Benefit" group single. This year, the group tackled Tom Petty's "Christmas All Over Again."
"A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 4,", the fourth installment of our annual charity compilation CD, features brand-new holiday recordings from Chris Abad, Clyde, Bryan Dunn, Wes Hutchinson, Casey Shea, Charlotte Sometimes, Rachel Platten, Dave Pittenger, Kelli Rae Powell, Benjamin Wagner, Zach & Sarah, ...
Sweet Baby James: Benjamin Wagner’s “Forever Young” Track-By Track
Jeff Jacobson and Patrick Riley have never met, and are separated by a thousand miles of Heartland. Still, they helped me create one of the most-beautiful recordings of my life.
For nearly twenty years, I've described my brand of singer/songwriter fare as "Less James Taylor, More James Hetfield." It's a stretch for those who know my music, but a necessary recalibration for those who don't and expect softly-strumming guitars and a gentle tenor.
That is, until lately. More and more over the last few years, I've let the distortion slip away ...
You Are My Sunshine: Benjamin Wagner’s “Forever Young” LP Track-By-Track
Funny how things change.
Years ago now, I was in a country cover band called The Smith Family. Almost Home producer Kevin Anthony had tired of of his techno outfit, Electroland, so formed the band with a nod to his Galveston, TX, country roots. I eagerly signed on.
Kevin and I split front man duties evenly, though I enthusiastically saught out the mic for the rockers: "Honky Tonk Blues," "Whiskey River," "Wine Me Up." And "You Are My Sunshine."
See, The Smith Family closed most shows with a rousin', rockin', sing-a-long version of ...
2010 Chicago Marathon In 4:03:49
"It's not the heat," I Tweeted in the wee hours of Sunday morning, "It's the uncertainty."
Ends up it was both.
See, Chicago has a bit of history with extreme weather. In 2007, one runner died and another 100+ were rushed to area hospitals on account of too much heat (the mercury topped ninety!), and too little water.
That Sunday's forecast, then, called for a high of 86 degrees was, well, cold comfort (or it's conceptual but not thermal inverse).
Still, as Chris, Mike and I sat around Saturday afternoon (one isn't really a tourist ...
Mr. Tambourine Man: Benjamin Wagner’s “Forever Young” LP Track-By-Track
It may not be immediately apparent, but the "Forever Young" track list is intended to reflect the arch of the day.
From from "Rainbow Connection" through "Moon River," the lyrics, instrumentation, and production start bigger and brighter, then transition to more somber and sleepy.
"Mr. Tambourine Man," then, is all about the transition to night.
"I know evening's empire has returned into sand," Dylan first sang on his 1965 LP, "Bringing It All Back Home." "Vanished from my hand, left me blindly here to stand but still not ...
Top Seven “Forever Young” Benefit Show Moments
This weekend's two "Forever Young" Benefit CD Release Shows were something special. We performed two: one for kids, and one for folks who like booze. Both were outstanding, and filled with inspiring, outrageous, and silly moments. Here are my top seven:
7 - Fundraising Is Fun We raised nearly $1000 for children's media research and advocacy in 24 hours. But we can do better. Download your copy of "Forever Young" on iTunes now!
6 - We Are Stardust Man, how lucky am I? A couple of emails and a handful of bona fide New York City's rock ...
The Only Living Boy In New York: Benjamin Wagner’s “Forever Young” LP Track-By-Track
Growing up, "The Boxer" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" were in far heavier rotation than "The Only Living Boy In New York." Sadly (perhaps), it took 2004's "Garden State" to re-introduce this Simon & Garfunkle classic, the b-side to "Cecilia."
Apparently, Simon wrote the song as a thinly-veiled message to Art Garfunkel when he jetted off to Mexico to act in Catch-22" leaving Simon alone in New York writing songs for what would become "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
In the intervening years since re-discovering this gem, I've spend hours ...
Forever Young: Benjamin Wagner’s “Forever Young” LP Track-By-Track
In the summer of 1971, my mother was learning to play acoustic guitar.
I was born in September, deep in the heart of the Singer/Songwriter Era: James Taylor, Carol King, Bob Dylan Jackson Brown, John Denver, Crosby, Stills & Nash were all on heavy rotation on The Wagner Family hi-fi.
My birth announcement was the lyrics to Elton John "The Greatest Discovery" superimposed over a family photo.
Little wonder, then, that -- thirty-eight years later as my wife and I counted down to our daughterMaggie's birth -- I began to frame her ...
Rainbow Connection: Benjamin Wagner’s “Forever Young” LP Track-By-Track
Though "The Muppet Movie" was released in June, 1979, I didn't see it until hit cable the following winter.
My parents had just separated. My father was living alone in "our" old house while my mother, brother and I lived across town.
Chris and my model airplane-strewn bedroom was barren, so my father purchased matching futons from JCPenny and put them in the otherwise sparsely-furnished tv room. It was there that I first heard "Rainbow Connection."
Whether its the context or the song itself, I'm not sure, but -- as with the bulk of ...
Benjamin Wagner’s “Forever Young” Teaser Trailer Premieres
It's arguable that I have no business covering Bob Dylan not once but twice on my new album (which borrows a title from Mr. Zimmerman as well), "Forever Young."
As Abbi and I counted down to Maggie's birth, though, all I could wish for her was, well, everything. And no song that I'm aware of better captures sentiment than "Forever Young."
"May you have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift," Dylan sings to his brand-new son, Jakob, "May your heart always be joyful and may your song always be sung."
My new album (due ...
