Frank Marzano

First of all, a sincere and hearty congratulations to all the winners of the Erie Reader’s “Best of 2019” poll. 

Those of you who know me well know my opinion of the Erie Reader. When my album American Proust came out in 2015, the Reader wouldn’t even acknowledge my existence. But when one of their cronies from the King’s Rook Club puts out an album, the Reader can’t hunt-and-peck a four-star review fast enough. 

I’m fully aware that I’m not the Erie Reader’s target demographic. (The fact that their poll…

Boy, did I get blowback from that last newsletter. Four people unsubscribed! The main point of contention was the “bottom ten” list of songs that, given the chance, I would ban from ever being played onstage again:

1. “Wagon Wheel”
2. “Sweet Caroline”
3. “Last Dance with Mary Jane”
4. “Folsom Prison Blues”
5. “Wish You Were Here”
6. “Brown Eyed Girl”
7. “Me and Bobby McGee”
8. “All Along the Watchtower”
9. anything by the Beatles
10. Wonderwall”

My point was that everybody and their brother plays these songs, and that I was tired of…