Two blogs ago I shared taking in a show via the Internet. For the first time in six long months, last night I got to see a band play....LIVE. Yes we wore masks. The band played on a street corner literally. Outside a restaurant where we grabbed dinner.. I later remarked to the drummer -- Curt Arnel, a long-time friend from Hofstra law school that I never recalled a set or even a segue on the radio where Peaceful Easy Feelin’ (Eagles) got sandwiched between What’s Goin’ On (Marvin Gaye) and Aint No Sunshine (Bill Withers). And it actually worked! I also found it nice when a great song not known for a dancin’ kind of groove gets presented and played that way. It is something that helped make Off The Record a multi-winner of Gotham’s Battle of the Bands®.

Earlier I was streaming one of my favorite podcasts, Inside The Hive, which generally focuses on politics and current events. I had started it in the late morning but finally got to finish it in the later afternoon. It struck me when the hosts of the Vanity Fair featured show discussed what they were listening too.  Joe Hagan talked of the first album by the Pretenders which included Stop Your Sobbing and Brass in Pocket.  Emily Jane Fox talked of wearing out during her runs Wild Honey; she described it as a Carl Wilson-dominated Beach Boys album; It includes the original version of Darlin’ and Let the Wind Blow and Wild Honey; certainly his sweet voice which I prefer to Mike Love, predominated on lead vocals. Their discussion on music grew out of a chat on how they get away from the tumult of a never-ending new cycle that certainly can overwhelm one if your do not step away.

Sometimes in the car, rather than news or even sportstalk, I stream my self-created A Good Feelin’ to Know radio station in Apple Music. I can catch up on the news of the day via email alerts, twitter and cable news. So hearing two fave journalists share music I enjoy made a nice setup for last evening’s festivities. The OTR set included some other of my fave tunes, including Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad (Eric Clapton’s classic band, Derek and the Dominos); I find it cool when I can correctly guess a song upon hearing just a few notes. I also enjoyed hearing a moving version of Greg Allman’s Melissa found originally on The Allman Brothers Band Eat A Peach LP. They even played a rocking version of Dave Mason’s Traffic song that Joe Cocker made even more famous and give this commentary its title. Good live music leaves this commentator happy....very happy.