Punk Rock Energized My Life Exactly 25 Years Ago Today

In the spring of 1995, I experienced my very first punk show. It was Rancid with the Lunachicks at the Metro in Chicago. I was 15. And in that crowd of about 1,000, I felt like I belonged. I had found my tribe. It was a moment that would transport me on a decades-long excursion, one that finds my punk rock heart still beating now and forever.

When Music Triggers Visceral Memories — The Power of Matt and Kim

Music is an intensely powerful and hellaciously galvanizing force. It fuels our existence, feeds the mind, and scorches the soul. Some of us get goosebumps when we hear our favorite music. In my case, I heard some live music recently that brought back some intense memories of an old boyfriend, who is no longer with us.

Lady Gaga: Oscar Winner and Mental Health Champion

Tonight at the Academy Awards, Lady Gaga won Best Song for “Shallow” from the movie “A Star Is Born.” But it was at the Grammys earlier this month that she shined a spotlight on mental illness.

Movie Review: “Ben Is Back” — A Lukewarm Film About Addiction Rescued By Julia Roberts

The winter of 2018 featured a flurry of upstanding films exploring addiction — from Beautiful Boy to A Star Is Born and now Ben Is Back, starring Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges. A glimpse into the world of addiction, Ben Is Back reinforces the idea that addiction is a family disease. The movie is also a testimony to how the opioid addiction can affect any community.