The Real Memphis Mike (don't settle for imitations)

There comes a time in every one's life where they have to stop blaming others for their unhappiness. Sure, pop psychology says it's OK to blame your parents for your upbringing, or to blame the bullies who picked on you, or the ice cream man who touched your secret no no place. But seriously...at some point, one must own up to their own life. If you had a bad childhood...I'm sorry to hear it. So did I. So did most of the people I know. Few of them are total and complete emotional wrecks. Why? Because they took ownership of their own life. Life is hard. There are NO guarantees except eventual death. (Now doesn't that sound just cheery!) But...it's what YOU make of YOUR life that counts. To sit back and whine and complain and mope and bitch about how life and everyone in it has done you wrong is just counterproductive. If for some reason or other you are incapable of coming to grips with life on your own, get a therapist. Or a dog. Or both. If the therapist a...

I am once again in search of a proper dive bar. This is becoming a lot harder than it should be. One would think that with our economy as crappy as it is, dive bars would be doing great business. If they are, no one knows about it! Which could be the secret to their success. Allow me to take a minute and give my definition of a dive bar. It's not the same as a shit hole. A dive bar was probably once a nice place. Years and years of drinking has gone on in there. Time has taken it's toll. The regulars are old. The place is dimly lit. The booze is cheap. There should be a long, dark (preferably) oak bar with, if possible, a hand-carved (oak) back bar. The bar stools should be well worn. There should be booths. Leather or Naugahyde. A patterned tin ceiling is a nice touch but not a must. Same with cool floor tiling.  The bartender should be old and cranky...not necessarily mean but perhaps nursing some lingering ailment...like lumbago. Nothing life threatening! The barkeep sho...

I've had a long-standing friendly argument with a couple of friends about guitars. This has gone on for 20+ years. We're all pickers, and we're all usually lumped under the rockabilly category too. They both love Gretsch guitars. I can take them or leave them. Rockabilly fans have asked me many times why I don't play a Gretsch, which is often associated with rockabilly music.   First, I point out that what I play ain't exactly rockabilly. Sure, there's a definite rockabilly influence...but there's also blues, jazz, surf, garage, punk, country, Tex-Mex, and even some Gypsy & African influences in my music. A Gretsch just ain't gonna cut it. Don't get me wrong, Gretsches have their place and their own, unique sound. But...for a picker who is coming from the afore-mentioned influences, a Gretsch just ain't gonna cut it.   The new Gretsches, mostly reissues, are well-made guitars. MUCH better made than the original ones, which tended to ...