I don’t normally name my guitars, but this time, the name fits — In 1977, the rock band, Stillwater, released a song called Mindbender. The song tells the story of a man who notices an old guitar in a pawn shop and the guitar begins talking to him, saying, “My…

A series set between life and death Chapter 5 — A Glimpse of Hope and Fear — Jack followed Andy and Jiro along the banks of the river. The day had grown hot, so he carried the leather jacket with its stuffed pockets slung over his left shoulder. The great trees towered over them on both sides of the river, and the ground sloped downward as they…

A series set between life and death — Chapter 4 — The Water of Life The fly landed on Jack’s face, and the tickling sensation forced him to open his eyes and shoo it away. Dim light streamed in through the Firebird’s dew-covered windows. Jack sat up in the back seat and rubbed the sleep from his puffy eyes. His body felt stiff from sleeping…

A series set between life and death — Chapter 3 — Jack And The Giant Jack stared at his laminated driver’s license. The plastic scent was loud in his nostrils as he studied his long-awaited prize. The day had finally come, his 16th birthday and the key to his freedom; a Class C North Carolina driver’s license. His long fingers turned it over and over…

A series set between life and death — Chapter 2 — Nightmares and Awakenings Andy plunged through the dim forest with the slowness of dreams. The Beast pursued him tirelessly. Its red eyes shone above the bear-like snout, its horns curled back in a loop, then divided into four sharp barbs pointed forward on either side of its yellow-fanged mouth. …

A series set between life and death — Chapter 1 A cloud hides the sun April 12, 1986 The final chord of Andante resonated in Andy’s ears, chest, and in his clarinet. Its magnitude filled his world as thirty-six wind, and percussion instruments sang as one. His clarinet hummed with a life of its own until, at the practiced gesture of Mr. …

Detoure rides the wind with her first album — Anti Exes — “I’m old enough to know better but young enough to still have fun” Conney Lemke is not another fresh-out-of-school aspiring artist but a mature woman who has lived, loved, lost, and picked herself up to begin anew. She has raised children and built careers. …

A sneak peek at Forevermore, the upcoming album By Oblivion A.D. — Sometimes fortune smiles upon us. Wednesday, August 24th, 2022, was such a day for me when a chance encounter with an old friend, Steve Young, landed me a pre-release copy of Forevermore, the upcoming album from Oblivion A. D. Steve Young is one of the founding members of Oblivion A…

Write about local music in your hometown — Bar Chords is a publication dedicated to local music happening now. Music is everywhere, from the big city to the one-stoplight town, and the people who make it are more common than you may realize. Most of the world’s musicians are not famous. They don’t appear on television and you…