Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with STEVIE WONDER!

When Stevie Wonder played this song at Aretha Franklin's funeral today it took on a whole new importance to Johnny. He's always loved this song but this is the song Stevie wanted to send off his dear friend and Detroit compatriot to. There will always such a bigness to this song for Johnny anymore. Add to it a proper church chorus and it was magic. 'As' getting us started tonight.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE POLICE!

If you ever sent Johnny's LP records back scratched that'd be crossing the line. Put up your dukes woman. There are some lines a person cannot cross. A man's record collection IS that line.

The Police with 'I Can't Stand Losing You'

What the hell happened to Ace Face from Quadrophenia? He'd kick this guy's ass. This is like early Waldo shit right here.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SANTANA!

While a freshman at Northern Michigan University, Johnny met one of those guys you meet in college who has a big impact because they too have an awesome music collection so the bonding is strong. Add to that a daily Gary Du****u buzz club in the adjoining suite and you get deep into the Santana collection. Johnny always got a kick out of this song on the Zebop album. Not every Santana fan's go-to album but it's got a great track to send you out on tonight, 'Over and Over'

On a record player, the way the Old Gods intended.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Pssssst, one of the best things about the Jersey City Desk returns Saturday night

Long-time readers and college football fans know what Saturday night is around here, the Saturday Night Scoreboard Show! It's back for another season every Saturday night through Thanksgiving. We pull some of our best numbers on the Scoreboard Show. Kids love it!

Late night open thread

You'll probably be happy to get a new late night open thread after a week of Mickey Mouse fucking cheese...

According to Genesis 1:20-22, the chicken came before the egg. (Sure Johnny's an Atheist but anything for a hand grenade in the room on this topic)

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE PIXIES!

Like Mrs Johnny used to say, "monkeys are gold." 'Monkey Gone to Heaven,' 'Shock the Monkey,' The Monkees, you get the drift.

On the list of songs that should not be hold music on a suicide prevention hotline this is probably in the top ten. Also, sludge? New Jersey? Oh come on now Pixies, don't be fence-builders. 99.999 % of that sludge was from New York. That's what Johnny told the cops at the time.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with CAROLE KING!

The new Queen of all things music, Carole King (Johnny's from Detroit he can say that). Johnny will be taking no questions but he will play the timeless 'Jazzman'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with HEART!

It is THE perfect late summer night out there kids. Set Johnny to thinking as he was at a rooftop party in his building tonight about perfect summer songs. We also like to have a big song for our last one of the evening (unless we don't) and this is a perfect match, 'Barracuda'

Not many songs sound better on a summer night.

If you're in the band and your place on the album cover is behind the goat, well, your paycheck is smaller.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with ROMEO VOID!

Ok, you kids head to bed, the adults have a really fucking great song to dance and sing along to. No, bed, NOW. Sorry, sometime the Bigs have to do their thing. This is one of those times.

Note the producer on this song on the record in the picture. Cool eh? 'Never Say Never' starting things off with a bang tonight.

You might like Johnny better if we slept together...

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with RILO KILEY!

This song has grown on Johnny. A song that comes across the iTunes every so often and after 3 or 4 plays Johnny has a hankering to play it on the Music Series. See how that works? Rilo Kiley and 'Under the Blacklight'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE!

Johnny loves this song. Loved hearing it live at Radio City years ago. A good way to send you all off into this steam bath tonight, something ghostly. 'Seven Devils' wrapping up another Music Series.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's finally sinking in

Probably the greatest singer of this era of rock and roll, pop, that began back in the mid 50's in earnest (Elvis also died on this day so the King and Queen curse of 8/16 can begin) has passed. Rolling Stone polled their best and brightest writers and researchers along with people in the music business and Aretha Franklin not only win top female artist ever, she won best singer ever, boys OR gurls. A titanic presence on so many fronts.

'Chain of Fools' on Aretha Franklin Day. If Johnny were Mayor of Detroit tomorrow he'd rename all the streets Aretha Franklin Boulevard for 24 hours. Probably a good thing he's not Mayor of Detroit.

Remember when Mick Jagger redid 'Beast of Burden' with Bette Midler?

In the mid to late 80's Mick Jagger and Keith Richards weren't having much of each other. All those years together had reached critical mass. Oil and water, The Glimmer Twins. It is not known if Mick redid the Stones classic 'Beast of Burden' with the magnificent Bette Midler to get under Keith's skin or not. Keith sure thought so. He decided to redo another of their classics in 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' and if you're gonna even gonna try and one up the Divine Miss M there's only one person on this earth you can call. The Detroit area code is 313.

Keef will have his revenge in the person of Aretha Franklin...

Hallelujah!

More with the Queen of Soul this morning

On an all-Aretha Thursday. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.

RIP to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin

Just awful news (on the same day Johnny finally got his wife's updated death certificates after six months) from Detroit this morning. Detroit legend and their gift to the signing world, well, one of them anyway, has passed at 76. We're going to spend the day playing Aretha Franklin songs to help fill a great void.

'I Say a Little Prayer' to start off

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE BRAVERY!

A four song Music Series tonight just to have some fun. it's been so hot let's enjoy some music and forget about it. Now, on to song #1 tonight.

Air drummers, do your exercises now. We'd hate you to pull a muscle on this one. A great song from The Bravery, 'This is Not the End' to get things started and again, if you're the air drumming type have a cold beverage ready in another three minutes fifty-nine.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with HOWARD JONES!

Here's this week's "Oh damn, I haven't heard that song in forever' cut. Since it's been a while why don't you go on up and try and hit that "I DO" hit part you were so good at back when. 'Things Can Only Get Better' on a four-song Music Series this week.

Look kids, a record.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA with THE COLLINS KIDS!

The Collins Kids? Johnny, we're used to a little 'out there' music from time to time on Friday nights but who are these Collins Kids?

Well friends, this story starts out sad but end in a brilliant rockabilly song. Johnny saw on Twitter then read on the NYT that 1950's contemporary of Wanda Jackson, Lorrie Collins who performed to some live success with her brother Larry, passed away this week. The Times had an awesome writeup on her career with her brother (If you click here you can see a very famous song Larry wrote long after the Collins Kids had stopped performing together) and how the pair from Oklahoma really wowed audiences with their frenetic rockabilly style but radio never knew what to do with them and their record company didn't exactly do much to promote them. Do read the article, it's a good one.

Yes, Johnny promised a really good song and he'll now deliver, 'Hoy Hoy' from 1958. So fucking good.

Be kind and pick up your candy wrappers and drink cups, we don't think Ranch Party has the budget for a cleanup crew.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with LOS LOBOS!

We normally send you on your way on the Music Series with something upbeat. Tonight, with as steamy as it is how about a little Latin beat and a smoky sound that might sound great coming from any open window. 'Kiko and the Lavender Moon' was one of Mrs. Johnny's favorite tunes ever.

She had good taste.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE HIVES!

Move the furniture back. Starting this Music Series off on a cardio trip. 'Hate to Say I Told You So' putting the dance moves in your hips and feets tonight.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JANE'S ADDICTION!

No, Johnny didn't tell you to move that furniture back where it goes. You can do that for the next song (and since we're in a brave new world in New Jersey, you might just wanna do a bong hit for the next one as well) but you leave it where it is for now. 'Been Caught Stealing' keeping your heart rate up tonight.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with LED ZEPPELIN!

If you're ever in the Powerhouse Arts District after dark most weeknights or weekends, and happen to walk by the corner of Bay St. and Provost take a look up at the bar that used to be Transmission, the one the neighborhood association chased out for having a shit clientele (Mayor Fulop and Council President were in it one night when it was raided) that were louts who picked fights with people in the neighborhood just trying to live their lives. It's a new place now called Head Room (cue the Beavis and Butthead laughtrack) and in the month since this place opened there has been exactly one video on their big screen TV: Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains the Same. Every goddamned night on a loop. Seriously, it's getting ridiculous. Is the bartender Robert Plant? Early in the evening, late in the evening or just, well, 'In the Evening'

Led Zeppelin's great but get some new tunes in there, Head Room.