To celebrate Father’s Day, we’ve compiled a list of TV’s best and worst dads. While these dads are completely fictitious, these men have had a heavy influence on the way Americans approach fatherhood. We’ve got representatives from the “aw shucks” 1950s dad to the bumbling idiot dad of the 21st Century.

TV’s Best Dads

Andy Taylor- The Andy Griffith Show
As a single dad, Sheriff Taylor did a fantastic job raising his son Opie. In every episode, Sheriff Andy taught his son and the rest of America one important lesson- do the right thing.

Not only did Andy teach little Opie important life lessons, he also made sure to spend plenty of time with him on fishin’ trips.

Homer Simpson- The Simpsons
I originally put Homer on the worst TV dad list because he’s a perfect example of television’s bumbling idiot dad.

Sure, he is a poor example of physical health. Sure, he constantly abuses Bart through strangulation. But at the end of the day, the man would do anything for his kids. One of my favorite examples of this was when Homer, unbeknownst to Bart, acted like a robot so Bart could win the Robot war competition. In the process, Homer got bludgeoned and poked with sharp metal objects. Ah, the abiding and hilarious love of a father.

Hank Hill- King of the Hill
Hank Hill may just sell propane and propane accessories, but he’s the best damn propane seller in Heimlich County. Hank does a fantastic job of teaching his son Bobby the meaning of hard work, dedication, loyalty to friends and family, the importance of Dallas Cowboys football and Texas pride, and of course, the stupidity of political correctness.

Yeah, Bobby is awkward, and sometimes Hank is overly concerned about Bobby being a sissy, but he’s always there when Bobby needs him.

Steve Douglas- My Three Sons
My Three Sons was one of many dad sitcoms from the 1950s and 60s based around a widowed father raising their kids. Steve Douglas was an aeronautical engineer trying to raise three sons first in the Midwest and then in Los Angeles, California.

The show ran for 12 years and during that time, America saw Steve’s three sons move out, go to college, and get married. Raising well adjusted and successful family men definitely makes you a great dad.

Ward Cleaver- Leave It To Beaver
Ward Cleaver embodies the stereotypical 1950s dad. Ward might have been idealized, but that doesn’t mean men shouldn’t be inspired to be the kind of father he was. Ward Clever was a businessman that took his job as seriously as his family. Even when frustrated, the man hardly raised his voice.

He read Mark Twain to his sons. When he did give bad advice, (like telling the Beaver to get in a fight with a girl) Ward would admit his mistake and teach his sons a lesson in the process.

Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable- The Cosby Show
Cliff Huxtable was able to manage raising five kids while being a successful doctor. On top of that, he amassed the most awesome sweater collection in the history of TV fatherdom. Dr. Huxtable’s advice to his children was always based on common sense mixed with a wisecrack.

Dr. Huxtable taught his children that personal responsibility is the key to success in life. For example, even though his son, Theo, had dyslexia, Dr. Huxtable still expected him to excel in life and not use his learning disorder as an excuse.

Mike Brady- The Brady Bunch
Mike Brady, a widower, was faced with the challenge of integrating his three sons with another woman’s brood of three girls. He handled the situation by being both a strict disciplinarian and an empathetic guy. He had a home office/studio in his house so he could work part of the time at home, and even when he went to his real office, he came home around the time the kids returned from school.

He won “Father of the Year” on the show after Marcia submitted an essay in his praise to a newspaper. While clearly a stellar dad, Mike gets docked for abandoning his man haircut for a curly perm, and pulling a no-show for Greg’s high school graduation

Howard Cunningham- Happy Days
Mr. Cunningham (or “Mr. C.” as the Fonz lovingly called him) was not only the dad to Richie and Joanie Cunningham, but he also acted as a father figure for the Fonz (who Mr. C let move into the family garage), Ralph Malph, and Potsie.

He always laid down the law in his house. He was never his kids’ friend, but was always their loving authority figure. Although he loses points for not losing any sleep when his son Chuck disappeared in the second season, in general, Mr. C was a great dad.

Worst TV’s Dads

Tony Soprano- The Sopranos
Sure, Tony was able to provide for his family as a “garbage man,” but other than that, the guy was a lousy father. It’s tough to be raised by a professional criminal who knocks off people, including your boyfriend, with little remorse.

Tony cheated on his wife and had a strained relationship with his children. As a result, his kids suffered from some serious emotional issues.

Al Bundy- Married With Children
Al Bundy had no redeeming qualities. He was loser who wished he could go back to his high school days when he was a football star. Sitting on the couch with his hand in his pants, he doled out criticism to his family with apathetic aplomb.

He was stuck in a dead end job as a shoe salesman, and couldn’t even excel in that capacity. He was up to his ears in debt. His relationship with his kids was poor and his attitude toward women, including his wife, was deplorable. If you want a lesson on how not to be a man, watch Married with Children.

Archie Bunker- All in the Family
All in the Family was a critically acclaimed show that broke boundaries in regards to race, religion, and gender all thanks to Archie Bunker, the most bigoted old man in television history. Archie pretty much spent his entire time sitting in his living room chair spouting off racial epithets and calling his son-in-law “Meathead.”

While Archie started to soften up as the series progressed, he was still pretty much a racist jackass.

Peter Griffin- Family Guy
Peter Griffin is a lousy father. He makes fun of Chris, pays no attention to Stewie, and treats Meg like crap. His selling of Meg to pay off a debt at the local drug store is a perfect example of his failure as a dad. A father that sells his daughter into slavery deserves to be hit across the face with the baseball bat.

Of course, if that happened to Peter, it would be hilarious. And probably involve some kind of wacky TV sitcom flashback.

Gob Bluth- Arrested Development
Gob (pronounced like the Biblical character Job) works as a part-time magician and beauty contest judge. He was formally a male stripper, working as one of the “Hot Cops.” During one of Gob’s many one night stands during high school, he unknowingly fathered Steve Holt. Gob doesn’t find out that he’s Steve’s dad until Steve is a senior in high school.

Gob doesn’t know how to deal with this new found responsibility and Steve is surely disappointed that his long lost dad scoots about town on a Segway. On the upside, his magic show set to the tune of Europe’s ” The Final Countdown” is gold.

Jack Bauer-24
Sure, having a terrorist fighting bad ass for a father would be really cool in many ways. But his passion for his job has enormously detrimental effects on his family. Bauer’s job is to save American lives, but this puts the lives of his family at risk.

His own life is always in danger, he’s never at home, his wife Teri is killed, his daughter Kim is kidnapped several times, and her relationship with her dad is understandably strained.

Ray Barone- Everybody Loves Raymond
Ray is a good natured and funny guy, but definitely falls into the “incompetent man-child” stereotype currently dominating the airwaves. He’s not good at communicating, and cracks a joke instead of dealing with things seriously. He’s still tied to his mom’s apron strings and can’t confront her.

He’s not sure how to relate to her since she’s a girl and so buys her gifts to solve her problems or makes his wife deal with it.

One of the things I love most about Madison is its great summer festivals..and now the first one has already come and gone! I had a blast at the Marquette Waterfront Festival, even though it was a little cloudier and windier than I had anticipated. Note to self: how hard is it to throw a sweatshirt in the car?

I’d never seen Robbie Fulks before and was very excited..but have to admit it was not what I expected at all. I missed probably the first half hour..but the songs I heard were not the twisted hard drinking alt-country songs I was expecting. And I certainly didn’t think he would  cover Michael Jackson (This Girl Is Mine). He did do “Let’s Kill Saturday Night,” so I had to let him off the hook.

I didn’t really pay attention to the Campbell Brothers..although I could tell they were very talented musicians and singers. I guess I just wasn’t in the mood for gospel.

The Bottle Rockets did not disappoint. Totally balls to the wall alt-country/rock and roll. They did most of the songs I was hoping for, including Radar Gun, I’ll Be Comin’ Around, and of course..Radar Gun.

I can’t wait for the next summer neighborhood festival. I’ll keep ya posted!

Check out the following backstage interviews from Warren Haynes, Ray LaMontagne, Justin Townes Earle, The Walkmen, The Decemberists, & Freelance Whales:

Warren Haynes Int

Justin Townes Earle INT

Walkmen Int

Decemberists Int

Freelance Whales Int

*Photo provided by Music Allies*

Arcade Fire captured the attention of the entire mass of 100,000+ people Friday night.

15 minutes before they took the stage, faces turned up to the sky as around 7 parachutists trailed what looked like pounds of glitter on top of the audience.  Shouts of awe rang across the field as what we all thought was glitter started raining down in a random pattern across the sky.  As it began to get closer, the mystery of the falling objects progressed into further confusion.  It wasn’t glitter – it was something else.  As I managed to jump up and grab a package, I realized that it was a packet of several bands with different colored blinking lights on them.  After people connected to lights to either their bodies or a piece of clothing, a gargantuan sea of flashing lights surrounded the main stage. 

Better yet, Arcade Fire’s energized performance catered to the stereotypical Roo attendee by having a movie screen playing clips/short films behind them that coordinated with the theme of each individual song.  There were repeating images of people dressed in strange, almost doll-like outfits, a short film of people riding bicycles that looked as if it had been produced in the 70s, & colorful or colorless patterns that was designed to induce a particular feeling as you listened to each individual song’s lyrics.  You couldn’t have walked away if you wanted to.  It was absolutely magic.  If you haven’t seen Arcade Fire perform live – I would strongly suggest finding out where they’re touring this summer and buying a ticket, today if not sooner.

*Photo by MusicAllies*

Yesterday at Bonnaroo, you couldn’t get a free moment if you tried.  The lineup was stacked with artists that couldn’t be missed, performances that had to be heard.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying stage hopping in order to hear the wide variety of artists whose performances exceedingly overlapped.  Here’s how my day went…

Ben Sollee 1-2pm

Belafleck & the Flecktones: The Original Line-Up 2-3:15pm

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals 3:15-4:30

Warren Haynes Band 4-5:30pm

The Decemberists 5:30-7

Ray LaMontagne 6:15-7:45pm

Florence + the Machine 6:45-8:15

Bobby Long 8-8:50

Arcade Fire 11-12:30

+ MORE!

I had a hard time making decisions – who to see, how long to stay at which performances, & when to eat/sit.  Straight from Vermont, Grace Potter proved that her music was “rock” label worthy as thousands of people watched – her voice captured a tone that most singers could not pull off in a controlled manner as she masterfully does herself.  She also impressed with her guitar skills & simultaneous head banging/luring electric piano playing.   And the Nocturnals entertained with solos from their guitarists + the happiest face that you will ever see from any drummer out there. 

Ray LaMontagne also mesmerized the crowd with his shy/humble demeanor and calming voice.  His song choices included several songs off of his recently released album, “God willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise.”  And believe me when I say they are as good live as they are recorded.  You wouldn’t have even been able to point out a discrepancy had he not sang as freely as he did. 

The highlight of Friday night – the headliner. Arcade Fire, captured the attention of the entire mass of 100,000 people attending Bonnaroo.  About 15 minutes before they took the stage, something that no one will forget happened…read on to the next post for the details…

Listen to the Ray LaMontagne interview below!

Ray Lamontagne Int

*Pictures taken by MusicAllies and Bonnaroo 2011 Cams*

It’s the 10^th Anniversary of Bonnaroo and you can feel the excitement in the air as people are lining up at the main entrance from the campground.  The vendors have fully prepped everything and await the arrival of those who forgot to bring the essentials with them – food, beer, sandals  (yes, that happened).  They know that since the fest itself sold out, they’re bound to make a killing.  And they will! 

I took an hour or so to check out the various stands that were set up – handmade nomadic shoes, hammocks that you can fold into a pouch, hand-crafted jewelry and clothes, it’s all there, and it’s all unique in some fashion.  It’s basically the most amazing assortment of gift shops that you’ve ever seen. 

And the food – oh the food! You can find anything and everything there – as long as it’s fried or it doesn’t need to be refrigerated.  So, ya know, almost anything.  The food ranges from corn dogs to Thai food and your taste buds can be satisfied in under 5 minutes if you so choose.  Heaven in your mouth? The answer to that question is Yes, YES!

There are 5 large stages – THAT tent, THIS tent, WHAT stage, WHICH stage, & the OTHER tent.  Last night, the Band of Skulls was the highlight of the 1^st day of Bonnaroo.  They pulled the crowd in with music that made you want to move along with the beat – even if you’re not the dancing kind.  The crowd was up for anything and everything – they couldn’t get enough of it.  So much so that crowd surfing to the front of the stage became the “IT” thing to do because it was the easiest way to make it through the crowd, which fanned out far beyond the reach of the tent.  Never having listened to them much myself, I found myself making a note to buy their CD once I left.

That’s the best part of this festival – there are so many bands that you’ve never heard of but when you make an effort to go watch them perform you could find your new music love! What will today have in store? 

The line-up is stacked with Triple M artists and I’ll have an update for everyone tomorrow morning – Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, Ray LaMontagne, Florence + the Machine – they’re all here! Check in tomorrow for your ROO update!

Yes, that was THE best 3am quote of the car ride…here’swhy…

As we left on the car ride to Manchester, TN all I could think was, “only 14 hours of hell crammed into a tiny car and you’re there!”  Thankfully that 14 hours magically turned into 10 at our driver’s refusal to stop for anything other than 1 – 1 single -  pee/gas break.  As my bladder screamed at him, my thoughts were only those of gratitude.  We were that much closer, that much sooner.

After the miracle car ride, we finally made our arrival at the Bonnaroo campground at 3am. Our hearts sank as we realized that on the opposite side of the road there was a line of cars on the right shoulder that went on for at LEAST 15-20 miles.  It was an endless sea of bright lights, tents littering the grass next to various cars, and people standing outside stretching their legs as they wait in anticipation to begin pitching their tent and actually getting settled in for the weekend.  People were waiting for UP TO 7 HOURS!  Either they seriously love music, or they seriously love to party.  My guess is that it was a combo. 

Getting set up was the least of our worries.  It was quick, simple, but HOT.  HOT HOT HOT.  I’m talking 90 degrees at 9am hot.  Sweat dripping down your face as you empty the first item out of the back of your car.  It may sound bad…but once you’re done it’s all friendly neighbors, smiling faces, beer & of course, music! 

Read the next blog to hear about the highlights from Thursday!

You’ve gotta hand it to the folks with the Marquette Neighborhood Association..they’ve put together a great lineup for this weekend’s Waterfront Festival.

I’m particularly exited about two of the acts–Robbie Fulks, who plays Sunday afternoon at 2:45, and the Bottle Rockets later on at 6:15.

Robbie Fulks is a gifted singer-songwriter who is just twisted enough to keep it interesting.  I’ve never seen him live, so I’m really looking forward to it.

I’d say the Bottle Rockets are going to end the festival with a bang (because of their name)…but that sounds a bit trite. So I’ll just say this is rock and roll…wait here’s a line I can steal that sums them up perfectly. The Spartanburg Herald says “If Uncle Tupelo is the Beatles of the alt-country movement, the Bottle Rockets are certainly the Rolling Stones. Featuring a brash, in-your-face sound with as much of a Lynyrd Skynyrd influence as Gram Parsons.” I’m not sure where Spartanburg is, but I love the quote! I saw the Bottle Rockets twice..once they opened for John Fogerty in Milwaukee..and the second time I saw them at the Annex in Madison and I’m a big fan.

The Marquette Waterfront Festival is this Saturday and Sunday (June 11th &12th) at Yahara Place Park, on the shore of Lake Monona where it meets the Yahara River..just a couple blocks off Williamson Street. It’s the first of a lot of great Eastside festivals..with plenty of food and beverage vendors. They depend on sales of beer to break even or hopefully make a profit..so don’t bring in your own beer. That’s just lame.

See the full schedule here.

Mat Kearney – he may just be the love of my life.  No joke, the man’s as sweet as his music.

Today, Mat came in to perform live in Triple M’s very own Studio M.  His previous albums featured an     acoustic base with hints of spoken word – full of substance.  His upcoming record takes a different direction.

While he continues to deliver style without sacrificing substance, you’ll hear hip-hop beats, pop choruses, acoustic folk and spoken verses all moving effortlessly together.  Despite this stylistic change, Kearney states that he, “Wants to write something that will rip your heart out.  Hopefully there is a depth and intimacy of the songwriting that goes beyond the novelty of a funky guy with an acoustic guitar.  Great songs connect beyond genre and style.”

As you’ll see from the Live from Studio M video of Kearney that will be posted within the next few days, you can hear the distinctively innovative sounds that have gotten Mat’s career rolling.  Make sure to keep an eye out for the video!

Like many of us, I was introduced to lots of new music from my older sister. She received the very first Bob Dylan album for her Sweet 16. Considering he only sold about 2500 copies of his first album I came in on the ground floor of his career.

One of the first concerts I ever attended was a Dylan show in 1965! It was in October at Carnegie Hall. My birthday was ten days later and I asked my parents for tickets to the concert instead of a party. I took my kid brother Michael and my cousin Michelle. I was so excited to see him I could hardly contain myself! We had seats in the very back of the orchestra. The first set was acoustic and the crowd loved it. However, when he plugged in for the second set, people left in droves. This was just a few months after he got booed at the Newport Folk Festival for doing the same thing. Well, their loss was our gain and we ended up moving to about the 10^th row for the remainder of the show. I remember it as if it were yesterday.

As a birthday present my cousin gave me 3 Dylan albums, where I proceeded to put a check mark next to each song he had sung that night. I still have the albums.

Here’s what he sounded like at the Newport Folk Festival!