Bruce Rusk

Ian Anderson's name may not be on a lot of lips today, but his alter-ego in the form of the band Jethro Tull is a phenomenon dating back over 40 years whose work is recognized around the world. His songs are ubiquitous on American classic rock radio, and he’s still on the go at 64, staying busy touring both with Jethro Tull and as a solo artist. Back in 1972, flush with success from their groundbreaking release Aqualung, the band recorded a concept album consisting of a single 45-minute track titled Thick As A Brick. Concept albums were nothing new,…

The rain let up over Boston just in time to spare the fans queuing up for a night of great music. The House Of Blues sits in the shadow of Fenway Park, and happy rockers lined up noshing bratwurst from street vendors, extolling the virtues of the Sox, and waiting for one of the rare U.S. performances of Porcupine Tree, one of only 12 North American shows on this tour. (This was a sold-out show so the venue was packed, a testament to their growing popularity). Opening the show were veteran rockers Kings X (Doug Pinnick – bass/vocals, Ty Tabor…

It’s 1976, and guitar player Daniel Travers is twenty. He lives in a suburb of Sacramento, wrestling with the loss of his brother in Vietnam, an alcoholic mother, a dependence on speed and a very dysfunctional band who might be either on the brink of making it or on the brink of complete implosion. Anyone who’s been in a band can appreciate the details author Roger Trott uses to flesh out Dan’s dysfunctional family of musicians. Dan is too full of personal angst and confusion to effectively manage his role as ad-hoc band leader, and finds himself struggling between following…

Nine Inch Nails -- aka Trent Reznor -- has a lot to sing about. Literally, with four albums released in the past two years, which is a truly unprecedented blast of activity from a guy known for lingering obsessively over an album for four to five years. Having not seen them live for several years, I was excited to hear gobs of new material along with the venerable faves, and I was not disappointed. The VWA was a cozy little venue, with about 2,500 souls on hand. Opening act Health was a completely unknown quantity prior to the lights going…