Jon Calderas's Profile

Janet Jackson has been a superstar so long, it’s profoundly easy to forget she was once a little girl from Gary, Indiana, trying to make her mark and move out of the influence of her father and the long shadow of her successful brothers.

It’s easy to take Jackson Browne for granted; that’s one of the drawbacks of being so good for so long.  He’s been in the business for over 50 years and it feels like he has always been a part of the musical tapestry.

John Flansburgh was kind enough to take time out from their fifty-city U.S. tour to answer some questions in advance of their upcoming show at the Madison Theater. He shared insights on revisiting Flood in its entirety, the mysteries of why parts of the new album rock, the potential pitfalls of writing “kids” songs and how caffeine and fans factor into their longevity.

In 2004, not long before Wussy released their first album, Kanye West sang, “You know what the Midwest is? Young and restless”. After sixteen years (as a group) and seven studio albums, Cincinnati’s Wussy may not qualify as young any more, but they are still staunchly Midwestern. And, surprisingly, they’ve managed to become even more restless.

He’s about to kick off a tour with The Dukes to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Copperhead Road, but last night we were fortunate to have Steve all to ourselves in the stunning Mercantile Library. It’s a gorgeous space, huge but intimate, a blend of glass, warm wood and metal. Thousands of volumes of words surround us and the remainder of the evening light filters through the tall arched windows as Steve takes the small stage.