2007

In the most exciting baseball/music collaboration since MTV’s Rock n’ Jock, Hidden Track is kicking off our preview of the 2007 Major League Baseball season today. Over the first six months of our existence we have stayed completely focused on music. But Ace and I are just such big baseball fans that we wanted to tie our two passions together in an interesting way.

We have talked to a number of your favorite musicians about their love for America’s Pastime, and over the next few weeks we will bring you their thoughts on the upcoming season. And at the All-Star break and at the end of the season we will check back with these guys to see how things have turned out.

Today we start with an essay on being a Pirate fan by Umphrey’s McGee bassist Ryan Stasik. Stasik grew up as a diehard Pirate and Steeler fan in Pittsburgh. Here’s Ryan’s take on his beloved and dreadful Bucs prospects for 2007…

Where to begin is the question when you have witnessed every season go under .500 since the days of Bonds (beat it), Bonilla, and my hero Andy Van Slyke in 1992. Well, let’s start with hope since we finished the second half of the ’06 season over .500 and out of the cellar in the NL Central by a game to the Cubs. What a day it is to brag about your team being better than the Cubs!

Here we are again ready for a new season and living in Chicago I am able to breathe that hope in the air for those dreadfully cursed Cubs and their fans, yet I am a realist and know both our teams will blow it! The Pirates by playing like a high school team bountiful of errors and mental mistakes, and the Cubs by injuries and long lasting slumps.

Read on for Ryan’s full preview of the Pirates upcoming season…

Earlier this week we announced the return of music’s biggest dork: Phil Lesh has been nursed back to health and he’ll play two shows at SOB’s in New York. But

Asheville, North Carolina city councilman Carl Mumpower was granted free access to Friday night’s RatDog concert, and he shared some astute observations with the city manager. Kick down to get

Want some Canadian lovin’ in your Minnesota summer? The 10,000 Lakes Festival today announced the addition of some more bands to the lineup, including our northern neighbor’s heroes, The Tragically

I must admit up top, Jupiter One doesn’t exactly jive with the rest of the music we regularly feature on this here blog. Nonetheless, tonight at the Mercury Lounge this