Author Archives: michaelpatrickwelch

Look at that woman! Man. And that’s whatshisface all the way on the right. After I wrote a preview of Sade’s Soldier of Love tour for Gambit Weekly, the band’s management told me they could not comp a ticket for me … Continue reading →

Russell Simmons and Rip Van Winkle Since I met Def Jam records founder Russell Simmons in 2011, he’s faced rape accusations that look credible. It’s tough to admire him any longer. But regardless of my feelings, he remains one of America’s … Continue reading →

I‘m stretching the definition of “famous” here a lil bit. But people seem really impressed when I tell them I sometimes fish with Tulane University historical geographer, Richard Campanella, “famous” for his comprehensive books and NOLA.com articles about New Orleans. … Continue reading →

A good bloke Four quick, funny scenes: 2004 A hush would fall inside my neighborhood coffeeshop whenever the Kinks’ Ray Davies entered, but no one ever bothered him. During one of Davies’s NOLA visits, some fool snatched his girlfriend’s purse, and … Continue reading →

Quintron came to my class and did a killer presentation on sound. Nation of Ulysses/MakeUp leader Ian Svenonius told me he considered international touring organist Quintron and his puppeteer wife Miss Pussycat “America’s greatest living artists.” I don’t disagree. I … Continue reading →

Plug 4 Prince Paul legendarily produced De La Soul and Stetsasonic — though the word producer feels incorrect, since Prince Paul’s face and voice and, most importantly, his sense of humor, meant as much to De La and Stet as Paul’s boundary-slaughtering … Continue reading →

Y’crazy for this one F’Real In the early aughts around the time I met Pharrell for a sit-down interview, The Neptunes production team dominated most weeks’ pop charts, producing hits for Mystikal, Snoop Dogg, Usher, L.L. Cool J, Jay-Z and … Continue reading →

We missed more than a few concerts by our favorite bands before my younger sister and I realized that our parents couldn’t ground us badly enough — no punishment imaginable compared to the pain of not getting to see Jane’s … Continue reading →

Morris Day (R) and one of his musician buddies. The world best knows Morris Day as Prince’s musical and sexual rival in the movie Purple Rain. In real life, Day played drums in Prince’s high school bands. One of their bands got very … Continue reading →

Pete Buck (L), Michael Stipe (M), and bassist Mike Mills (R) My first ever band, in highschool, could play literally every single R.E.M. song up to and including those on Out of Time. I don’t have much nostalgia for R.E.M. now — … Continue reading →