Dee Culp

LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Keep your post-election safety pins – we need action now against bigotry

LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Keep your post-election safety pins – we need action now against bigotry

The past few days have been extremely difficult for me. My feelings come in waves, and they revolve between anger, depression, fear, and despair. I literally quaked in fear on Tuesday evening as I sobbed and had to have a friend drive me home. I did not sleep for at least 24 hours and, when […]

 John 'Fud' Zavacki

BUT I DIGRESS: Singing (or rather playing) the praises of underrated guitar solos

BUT I DIGRESS: Singing (or rather playing) the praises of underrated guitar solos

Wellsir, this week’s edition of the “Uncle Fuddy Won’t Pipe Down” show almost didn’t happen. I can hear the collective groan upon discovering that it did, nevertheless, happen. Sucks, right? Sorry. Anyway, it almost didn’t happen, but not for the reasons I’m sure most of ya naysayers have in mind. I haven’t had to secretly […]

 Bret Alexander

THE REAL GIG: Steamtown Music Awards remind us that musicians are local heroes too

THE REAL GIG: Steamtown Music Awards remind us that musicians are local heroes too

Last night, I went to the Steamtown Music Awards at The V-Spot in Scranton. It was a great night of catching up with friends and fellow Northeastern Pennsylvania players, writers, and producers. As I got up this morning, I found myself thinking about an event that happened to me 20 years ago. I was at […]

 John 'Fud' Zavacki

BUT I DIGRESS: Thoughts and memories after seeing Black Sabbath for the last time

BUT I DIGRESS: Thoughts and memories after seeing Black Sabbath for the last time

I saw Black Sabbath live for the very last time in my entire life on Friday, Aug. 19 in Camden, New Jersey. It was an amazing show, and the power and brilliance of the performance ultimately took some of bite out of the fact that it was, as the title of the tour indicated, “The […]

 John 'Fud' Zavacki

BUT I DIGRESS: When I say I’m an unapologetic metalhead, I mean it – sorry, not sorry

It seems I rankled a few hackles with not only the sentiment of last week’s column about hipsters and metalheads, but in my replies to some folks who disagreed with the sentiment of that column. First and foremost, let me assure you, I have not been asked to apologize, nor would I, had I been. […]

 Dee Culp

LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Don’t give up on government just yet – passing LGBT equality in Wilkes-Barre

LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Don’t give up on government just yet – passing LGBT equality in Wilkes-Barre

Last night, I did something that I have only dreamed about my entire life. I stood up, as myself, and faced the establishment. I made my voice heard. I made a difference. And it felt wonderful! On Aug. 11, Wilkes-Barre City Council met for a regular session where they would vote on a proposal brought […]

 John 'Fud' Zavacki

BUT I DIGRESS: As a metalhead, I just don’t get hipsters, the nonexistent generation

Sorry I wasn’t here last week. Sometimes I have to adult, despite my continued protests. As contrition, I offer the following satirical dissertation, lingua deposited firmly in bucca. So here goes… I don’t get it. Seriously, I don’t. See, I’m a metalhead. When someone would scream “Metalhead!” out of a passing car in a derogatory […]

 Dee Culp

LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Sarah McBride is another woman who made history at the DNC

LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Sarah McBride is another woman who made history at the DNC

They’re calling it the first time an openly transgender woman has addressed a major convention. Indeed, on a night of firsts, I was brimming with pride to see Sarah McBride take the podium at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday. The first time I read about Sarah was her heartbreaking story of courage […]

 John 'Fud' Zavacki

BUT I DIGRESS: Learning to love ‘Dawson’s Creek’ in my 40s – a lesson in open-mindedness

BUT I DIGRESS: Learning to love ‘Dawson’s Creek’ in my 40s – a lesson in open-mindedness

I’m Fud, and I love “Dawson’s Creek.” Hang on, that’ll need some clarification… In 1998, I was 30 years old. That’s also the same year “Dawson’s Creek” premiered. So, being 30, I assumed the show was just another pedantic, predictable teen drama (to those under 40, allow me to qualify – although in 2016, saying […]

 John 'Fud' Zavacki

BUT I DIGRESS: David Lee Roth people vs. Sammy Hagar people – the rise and fall of Van Halen

BUT I DIGRESS: David Lee Roth people vs. Sammy Hagar people – the rise and fall of Van Halen

I’ve decided that whenever I meet a new person, I am going to use one simple, succinct question whose answer will decide whether or not any further discourse with said person will be worth my time. This question is a simple, three-word utterance that defines and encapsulates the personality traits of each individual based on […]