Category: Music

One Hundred Conversations Later: Celebrating My 100th Morning Call Interview

When I sat down to interview Mike Score of A Flock of Seagulls recently, I knew I was talking with one of the defining voices of the MTV generation. What I didn’t realize until afterward was that our conversation marked a personal writing milestone: my 100th interview for The Morning Call.

It’s a number I’m incredibly proud of—not because of the total itself, but because of everything those one hundred conversations represent.

As someone who grew up obsessed with music, I never imagined I’d someday have the opportunity to speak directly with the artists whose songs helped shape different chapters of my life. What began as an occasional assignment gradually became one of the most rewarding parts of my career as a journalist.

Over the years, those interviews have taken me across nearly every musical landscape imaginable. I’ve spoken with Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Grammy Award winners, legendary singer-songwriters, virtuoso musicians, comedians, rising stars, and artists performing in intimate clubs as well as sold-out arenas. Every conversation has offered a different perspective—not just on music, but on creativity, perseverance, and the lives lived behind the spotlight.

One of the greatest surprises has been discovering how remarkably generous musicians are with their time and stories. Behind every platinum record or iconic hit song is a person who still remembers the uncertainty of getting started, the excitement of writing that breakthrough song, or the challenges of staying creative decades into a career.

Those are the stories I’ve always tried to tell.

Rather than simply asking about tour dates or new albums, I’ve enjoyed exploring the experiences that shaped the artists themselves. Sometimes that means discussing songwriting. Other times it leads to conversations about family, loss, inspiration, mental health, aging, or the changing music industry. Those unscripted moments often become the most memorable parts of an interview.

Reaching interview #100 with Mike Score feels especially fitting. A Flock of Seagulls helped define an era of music that still resonates with fans today, and speaking with Score reminded me why these conversations continue to matter. Music connects generations. Long after the charts have changed, the songs remain part of people’s lives.

Looking back, I’m grateful to The Morning Call for trusting me with these stories and allowing me the opportunity to meet so many fascinating people along the way. I’m equally thankful to the publicists, managers, record labels, venues, and artists who made each interview possible.

Most importantly, I’m grateful to the readers.

Whether you’ve read one interview or all one hundred, your enthusiasm for live music and the artists behind it has made this journey worthwhile. Every time someone tells me they discovered a new performer because of one of my stories, or attended a concert after reading an interview, I’m reminded why I continue doing this.

One hundred interviews may sound like a finish line, but it doesn’t feel that way.

It feels like another milestone in an ongoing conversation.
There are still countless artists with stories waiting to be told, albums waiting to be discussed, and concerts waiting to be experienced. If these first one hundred interviews have taught me anything, it’s that every musician has a unique journey worth sharing.

Here’s to interview #101 —and whatever comes after that.


Thanks for reading, and thanks for coming along for the ride.

The futuristic hairdos are gone, but A Flock of Seagulls will still bring the ’80s nostalgia to Lehigh Valley-area show

Few bands are as instantly recognizable as A Flock of Seagulls. From the futuristic hairstyles and fashion to timeless hits like “I Ran (So Far Away)” and “Space Age Love Song,” the Liverpool-born group became one of the defining acts of the MTV era.

More than four decades later, frontman Mike Score is still performing, writing new music and introducing audiences to songs that extend far beyond the band’s familiar catalog.

As A Flock of Seagulls prepares to return to the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg Saturday as part of the “I Love the ’80s” tour, Score continues to look forward rather than back — a fitting approach for a musician whose career was built on imagining the future.

In my new interview, Score discusses the enduring appeal of ’80s music, the band’s rise to fame, and why he believes there’s still plenty of new music left to make.

Q: What can fans expect from your upcoming performance?

A: Of course, we’ll play the songs people know from the ’80s, but we’ll also play a few songs from our last album and some songs from different periods of the band’s history. As the show builds, fans start hearing more songs they know, and then at the end we do the big hits. Everyone goes away smiling.

Q: What do you think makes the music of the 1980s so timeless?

A: I think people were generally having a good time in the ’80s. It was a really exciting period because the kids had something that belonged to them. They had the music, the fashion, the hairstyles. I loved seeing kids come to shows with their hair styled like mine. Before that, you could grow your hair long, but you couldn’t really be “Seagulls stylish.” When we started out we decided we were going to be futuristic. We were going to wear the silver suits and do crazy things. When we got to America, the kids understood it immediately and wanted to be part of it.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Mike Score by Clicking Here!

Kansas bringing 50 years of rock history to Wind Creek show

(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

With a career that spans more than five decades, Kansas has secured its place as one of the most enduring and influential acts in American rock history.

Since their formation as a garage band in Topeka in the early 1970s, Kansas has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and produced a catalog of songs that remain staples of classic rock radio and pop culture alike. Anthems such as “Carry on Wayward Son,” “Dust in the Wind,” “Fight Fire with Fire” and “Point of Know Return” continue to resonate with generations of fans.

The band’s remarkable documentary, 2015’s “Miracles Out of Nowhere,” chronicles the band’s rise from the Midwest bar circuit to international fame. Even after decades on the road and in the studio, Kansas continues to push forward creatively. Their 2020 studio release, The Absence of Presence, debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard charts, ushering in a new era in the band’s legacy.

On Friday, Kansas returns to the Lehigh Valley for a performance at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, for a show that promises familiar favorites, deep cuts, and the musical virtuosity that’s defined Kansas for more than half a century.

I recently spoke with Kansas keyboardist Tom Brislin about the band’s return to the region and how the band continues to keep its music alive for longtime fans while inspiring a new generation of listeners.

Q: How did you become a member of Kansas?

A: A few of the members of the band were familiar with me through my work with Yes and a few of the other 70s rock acts I had played with. In 2018 I was working with a group called The Sea Within and we were label mates of Kansas. So it was also our label that brought me to their attention, and when they needed someone they gave me a call.

Q: What was it like for you to be asked to join such a legendary band and did you feel you were ready for such an endeavor?

A: It was really unexpected, as have all the calls I’ve gotten through the year have been. I was fortunate that one of the first big calls I received was from Meat Loaf back when I was 24-years-old. That was the one that really set me on a path of playing big stages. He really took me under his wing and helped me become calibrated to that type of touring and work. I’ve taken my music seriously ever since.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Tom Brislin by Clicking Here.

The Bangles’ Vicki Peterson and The Cowsills’ John Cowsill bring harmonies, hits to Sellersville Theater

Photo: Henry Diltz

For Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, singing and touring together wasn’t part of a grand design. It began almost accidentally — a casual blending of voices that revealed an undeniable spark.

As songs emerged and their unique harmonies locked in, it became clear that the married pair shared more than just a personal bond. They had discovered a rare creative chemistry. Drawing on decades spent inside some of pop music’s most influential bands, Peterson and Cowsill quickly developed a musical shorthand that transformed a chance collaboration into a fully formed partnership.

Peterson first captured the spotlight as a founding member of The Bangles and some of the most indelible hits of the 1980s, including the global smash “Walk Like an Egyptian.” Cowsill’s resume is equally storied, beginning with the platinum-selling family group The Cowsills and continuing through more than 20 years as drummer and co-vocalist with The Beach Boys.

Together, they bring a deep well of pop history to a project that honors classic songwriting while embracing an avant-garde spirit.

That spirit is especially evident on their debut Americana album, “Long After the Fire,” a deeply personal collection built upon songs written by John’s late brothers, Barry and Bill Cowsill.

Many of the compositions date back more than half a century, carrying an unmistakable AM-radio warmth, while never once feeling nostalgic. Instead, the songs sound fresh and immediate, animated by the duo’s distinctive harmonies and shared devotion to their craft.

Fans of Peterson and Cowsill — as well as devotees of their respective bands — will have the opportunity to experience that chemistry firsthand when the duo performs at the intimate Sellersville Theater on Tuesday.

I recently spoke with Peterson and Cowsill about their upcoming performance, the making of “Long After the Fire,” and the remarkable stories that have shaped their careers.

Q: Both of you have performed on some of the world’s biggest stages. What do you enjoy about having the opportunity to perform in a smaller, more intimate venue?

Vicki Peterson: When it’s just John and me, I prefer the more intimate settings. We can hear each other because it’s just two guitars and two voices. From where you’re sitting, it gives you the sense of being in someone else’s living room, hanging out and singing songs. The interesting aspect is that, even though we’ve both been doing this for decades, this is the first project where each of us have our own name on it and not being part of a collective. It’s exciting to be alive at this point in time and have something completely new and challenging ahead of you.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill by Clicking Here!

Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas previews intimate Wind Creek performance benefiting Sidewalk Angels nonprofit

For the past two decades, multi-platinum, Grammy-winning artist Rob Thomas has made it a tradition to kick off the new year with a series of special benefit concerts supporting his Sidewalk Angels Foundation.

Founded with his wife, Marisol, the nonprofit provides critical funding to more than 20 no-kill animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country, with all proceeds from the shows going directly to the cause.

Thomas, of course, needs little introduction. From fronting Matchbox Twenty to a wildly successful solo career, he’s been a defining voice in modern pop and rock. His collaborations are just as legendary, including the iconic 1999 hit “Smooth,” which he co-wrote and then recorded with Carlos Santana. The song spent 12 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard charts, earned three Grammy Awards, and was once ranked as the second most successful song in Billboard history.

On Friday, Thomas will bring his stripped-down, acoustic Sidewalk Angels performance to Wind Creek Event Center. The intimate evening will feature career-spanning hits, deep album cuts, and personal stories behind the songs that shaped his journey.

I recently caught up with Rob Thomas to talk about the Sidewalk Angels show, Matchbox Twenty, memorable moments and more in this new interview.

Q, What inspired Sidewalk Angels?

Thomas: When we started off my wife and I would go to this place in Middletown, N.Y., called Pets Alive and would donate money and our time. We began to realize we were missing an opportunity with all of the platforms I had. We thought if we wanted to do something on a bigger scale, we could figure out a way to help out with all of the organizations. The foundation is still small in that it’s still me, my wife and her mother. The thing that helps make it work is that my business managers donate their time. So we don’t have the overhead of salaries or giant galas that we have to pay for. If we raise a million dollars in a year, then a million dollars goes directly to no kill shelters and animal rescues.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Rob Thomas by Clicking Here!

From classic rock to comedy, Broadway to children’s music, here are some of the top shows coming to the Lehigh Valley in 2026

The arrival of 2026 can mean only one thing: another year packed with the best live entertainment the Lehigh Valley has to offer.

Over the next 12 months, the region’s stages will welcome something for everyone — from world-renowned artists and top-tier comedians to Broadway sensations and beloved regional favorites. As we do at the start of each year, here’s a look at some of the highlights music and performance fans can look forward to across the Lehigh Valley in 2026.

Several legendary acts will make what may be their final visits to the region as they embark on farewell tours. The sendoffs begin at Allentown’s PPL Center, where two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Sir Rod Stewart brings his One Last Time Tour to town on Saturday, March 14. The evening promises a career-spanning set filled with unforgettable hits from his more than 50 years in music.

Classic-rock icons Journey follow on Thursday, June 11, with their Last Frontier Tour. Billed as a special “Evening With” performance, the show reunites guitarist Neal Schon and  keyboardist Jonathan Cain from the band’s pivotal ’80s lineup for an extended, all-Journey set with no opening act.

Also in Allentown, Archer Music Hall rings in the new year with a diverse slate of artists.

Alternative rockers Seahaven perform their album Winter Forever in its entirety on Tuesday, Feb. 3, celebrating its 15th anniversary. Maggie Lindemann brings her ethereal pop sound to the stage on Sunday, March 1, followed by melodic death-metal favorites Nekrogoblikon on Thursday, March 12.

Read the rest of my Morning Call feature on the entertainment lineup for 2026 by clicking here!

Concert pick: Gogol Bordello at Allentown’s Archer Music Hall

Fueled by a relentless blend of primal drive and unshakable optimism, Gogol Bordello roots its sound in hyper-charged, forward-leaning post-punk textures.

The band has long prided itself on pairing infectious, techno-driven rhythms with sharp social and political commentary. That approach continues on the recent single “Hater Liquidator,” taken from the forthcoming album “We Mean It, Man!” — a defiant, high-energy track that plays like post-punk revenge set to a dance-floor pulse.

Led by Ukrainian-born frontman Eugene Hütz, Gogol Bordello is closing out the year with a run of East Coast dates, including a stop at Archer Music Hall in Allentown on Sunday.

I recently spoke with Hütz about the upcoming Allentown performance, the new album and more in the interview below.

Q. What can fans expect from the band’s upcoming performance at Archer Music Hall in Allentown?

Hütz: We just came back from touring Europe and spent two months sizzling up to perfection our new material. So it’s a safe time to say the new material is fully activated. We’re not going to be testing it out. It’s fully blazing. It’s going to be a broiler and a boiler.

Is there a way you can put into words what the music of Gogol Bordello is all about?

As a band we wanted to do something that was going to be chimney for our love of music. We have all of these logs burning with our love for punk rock, gypsy music, classical, hardcore and techno in this one fireplace called Gogol Bordello. It’s a synthesis of all of these elements. By margining this orchestra pit with mosh pit aesthetics we stumbled into this Frankenstein of high energy sinful, gypsy and hardcore folk punk.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Eugene Hütz and subscribe for more feature content by clicking here.

Concert pick: Banjo player Tony Trischka brings holiday show to Godfrey Daniels

Banjo player Tony Trischka performs Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem. (Greg Heisler)

There’s no question that Tony Trischka stands as one of the most preeminent banjo artists of our time. For more than 50 years, his innovative style, dazzling speed, and musical ingenuity have shaped and inspired generations of bluegrass musicians.

Beyond his celebrated career as a performer, Trischka has authored 15 influential instructional books, produced artists like fellow banjoist Steve Martin, and recently released “Earl Jam,” an album paying tribute to one of his own musical heroes, Earl Scruggs.

Trischka continues to maintain an active touring schedule, and on Thursday, the Syracuse native will bring a banjo-fueled celebration of the season to Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem.

I recently spoke with Tony Trischka about his upcoming performance and more in this new interview.

Q. What can you tell me about your upcoming performance at Godfrey Daniels?

Trischka: I’ve got a great band and we’ll be doing Christmas, holiday and seasonal tunes. Many of which are not the standard ones you hear. We have Hannah Read from Scotland who’s an incredible singer/songwriter. We also have Tim Eriksen, who’s been doing these Christmas shows with me for the last 27 years. Then there’s Jared Engel on bass and my son, Sean, who’s also in the band playing drums and mandolin.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Tony Trischka by Clicking Here.

Lehigh Valley concert pick: John McCrea of Cake previews SteelStacks performance

It’s hard to pigeonhole the music of Cake into one single slice. That’s because the band, which formed in the early 1990s, has a sound genre reminiscent of all the best elements of country, jazz, folk and bluegrass.

Cake’s ubiquitous American flavor and hits like “The Distance” and “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” have earned them both critical acclaim and a loyal following. Their last release, 2011’s “Showroom of Compassion,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and in the years since they have put out a live album as well as a collection of B-sides and demos.

The band plans to release a brand new, and long-awaited, studio album in early 2026, one which will include their latest song, “Billionaires in Space.”

Fans of the band can hear the classic songs, new material and more when Cake performs at The Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks on Sunday. I recently spoke with vocalist John McCrea about Cake’s upcoming performance and more in this new interview.

Q: Cake has been together now for more than 30 years. When you think about that milestone with so much perspective, what thoughts come to mind?

John McCrea: It’s unusual in the music industry for a band to live this long. I remember when we were first starting out there were a lot of bands that were a way bigger deal than us, but then they’d be gone in three years. Then there’d be another group of bands that were really important, and three years later they’d be gone too. It almost felt like we worked at McDonald’s for too long and saw people just come and go [laughs].

What can fans look forward to from the band’s upcoming performance here in Bethlehem?

A messier, louder version of the studio recordings that are a little more energetic. We also have a few new songs that we throw in every so often that will be featured on our next album. There’s a new song called “Billionaires in Space” we’ve been playing that has been going over well along with a George Jones cover that we just started playing this year. We stopped using a set list because it allows us more freedom to do what we want to do. So we probably won’t know what we’ll be playing until we’re standing up on stage. We’ll play it by ear and see what feels right for the situation.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with John McCrea by Clicking Here.

GoodReads Giveaway: “Beyond What We Know”

With most major outlets sold out of the print edition of my new book, “Beyond What We Know” it makes sense to give everyone a chance to win one of the paperback copies for free!

Enter now to win one of 5 signed copies of James Wood’s 80’s-themed new adult thriller, “Beyond What We Know.” With an ending you’ll never see coming! The five random winners will also receive a BWWK bookmark, cover card and stickers.

Riddled with guilt over the death of his father, high school graduate Mike Collins spends his last summer at home disquieted by thoughts of leaving behind his mother and first love as he prepares to depart for college. 

Unbeknownst to him, Mike will soon meet his musical hero, Chris Steele, whose perspective of life will teach him to believe in the possibility of second chances.

Filled with rich imagery from the 1980s, “Beyond What We Know” is a coming-of-age story exploring life’s obstacles, the music and the machinery, while illuminating the power of friendship with the metaphysical transcendence of the unknown, and an ending you’ll never see coming!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Beyond What We Know by James          Wood

Beyond What We Know

by James Wood

Giveaway ends October 13, 2025.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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