Email Author John Freeman

2009 Stories by John Freeman

• Yuletide Shredding

  published December 24, 2009

  If someone were to propose the idea of a progressive symphonic metal band with dozens of touring members, elaborate synchronized light shows and... More >>

• Farewell to the 'Dance

  published December 3, 2009

  Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it some sort of involuntary muscle spasm? No, dear friends, it is the incredible, unexplainable phenomenon known... More >>

• Christmas Wildfire

  published December 3, 2009

  Michael Martin Murphey was born in Oak Cliff, but his heart belongs to the deserts and mountains of the Old West. With a background in the... More >>

• Badges?

  published December 3, 2009

  There are some movies that just could not be made in today's politically correct climate. Blazing Saddles is near the top of that... More >>

• The W. Stands For Wicked

  published November 26, 2009

  Michael W. Smith is the George Michael of the contemporary Christian music scene. Well, maybe he's more like the Phil Collins, but without... More >>

• Billy, Crystal Clear

  published November 5, 2009

  There is a long, checkered history of "one-man shows" and "performance art" dating as far back as Hal Holbrook, Karen Finley and the Fluxus art... More >>

• A Calendar's Favorite Pianist

  published October 29, 2009

  George Winston is a musician who seems to be sideswiped by each passing fancy and dives in with a deep, inspired passion. He first came to... More >>

• Ash Sings!

  published October 22, 2009

  As someone who has written several musicals based on great movies, I am happy when someone takes an awesome flick and turns it into an awesome... More >>

• He Want Friend Like Him

  published October 1, 2009

  The Bride of Frankenstein is a demented classic of horror and camp and quite a pleasant surprise. Its interesting prologue--where... More >>

• We Spy A Chevy

  published September 24, 2009

  Does anybody remember when Chevy Chase was funny? At one point he was actually one of the funniest people in the entire universe. I'm serious.... More >>

• Bam-A-Lam

  published September 24, 2009

  The life of a stripper must be tough. Having to deal with being pawed by gaggles of slobbering, sex-crazed guys night after night ain't no picnic.... More >>

• Blush And Bashful

  published September 17, 2009

  Pink started off as a charter member of the "girl singer" onslaught that trampled the pop charts at the turn of the century. She broke out a few... More >>

• Looking Quite Odd

  published August 27, 2009

  The Webb Gallery has always had a soft spot for art relating to secret societies. Whether it's Masonic aprons or hand-painted banners welcoming... More >>

• Sailing On Air

  published August 20, 2009

  The super-mellow sounds of the pop music sub-genre AM Gold reached a fever pitch as the 1970s came to a close. However, two of its biggest stars... More >>

• Silly Brits

  published July 23, 2009

  Ever since the first episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus aired on our own KERA back in 1974, the silliness has caught on like the... More >>

• A Dish Called Wanda

  published July 9, 2009

  Her voice walks a full block ahead of her body, sort of comforting in the same way that Fran Drescher's voice is a knife in your brain. But... More >>

• Blizzard's A-Comin'

  published June 26, 2009

  The tribute band's goal is to bring the full concert experience of a "famous" touring group to a more intimate setting. If you've ever wondered... More >>

• 30-Year-Old Grit

  published June 18, 2009

  Since the heady days of the 1966 flower power uprising, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has been trucking along the country-rock highway.... More >>

• A Bigger Boat

  published June 18, 2009

  A lone, naked figure swims in the deserted ocean. The ominous, two-note score stalks the ears. The camera floats at the sea level. Then, sudden as... More >>

• Yearning for Yanni

  published June 11, 2009

  Women want him. Men want to be him. He can conjure any emotion with just a few notes on the keyboard. He is Yanni, the uber-king of "new... More >>

• Audience Participation

  published June 4, 2009

  When Mystery Science Theater 3000 was originally on the air, a group of friends and I used to begrudgingly view it and say, "Man, I could... More >>

• The Screen Is Spinning

  published May 14, 2009

  Alfred Hitchcock's twisted psychological thriller Vertigo is a strange and wondrous film, a bit of a departure from Rear... More >>

• Rhythm & Boz

  published May 7, 2009

  Master of blue-eyed R&B, Boz Scaggs has been laying down grooves since he was 12 years old. Raised in Dallas, he met Steve Miller (you... More >>

• Crazy Good

  published May 7, 2009

  The timeless story of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of triumph and tragedy within a cruelly run mental institution. We are... More >>

• Renaissance Men And Women

  published April 30, 2009

  The smell of turkey legs wafts through the air. In the distance you hear the tones of a hammered dulcimer conjuring hazy musical memories. The... More >>