Erica Banas: Writing Samples

Specializing in rock/classic rock news coverage and commentary with the occasional flair for wrestling/TV/film/cocktail culture.

WGA Reaches Tentative Deal with Studios and Streamers

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a tentative deal with the major studios and streamers. This deal follows a labor strike that has lasted 146 days. Strike captains for the WGA emailed the media Sunday evening (September 24) confirming the news. They said in a statement, “We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language.” The statement noted, “We can say, with great pri

Taylor Swift Spotted at Chiefs Game with Travis Kelce's Mom

Taylor Swift and her budding relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has taken a significant step. The pop superstar was spotted at the Chiefs’ game on Sunday (September 24) against the Chicago Bears. It was one thing that she was wearing Chiefs colors and sitting in Kelce’s suite. However, Swift was also sitting next to his mom, Donna. Weeks ago, it was reported by Page Six that Swift and Kelce were “hanging out” and spending some private time together. On top of that, the

Vince Neil Cuts Set Short Over Active Shooter, One Person Shot

Vince Neil was forced to cut his set at the Oklahoma State Fairground short on Saturday night (September 23) due to an active shooter. Neil shared via X (formerly Twitter), “At a concert in Oklahoma City Crazy night last night. 3/4 of the way thru the set people started running. We were told to get in dressing room. There were shooters shooting people. Thank you fans for your understanding.” Neil issued a second X post sharing police details from the active shooter incident. His post stated, i

5 Rock Bands Americans Just Don't 'Get'

Rock is a far more diverse genre than it often gets credit for. If you want proof, look no further than our friends from the U.K. and Ireland. There are a bunch of very popular bands in the U.K. and Ireland that just haven’t taken off in the States for one reason or another. One of those bands is The Darkness, whose debut album, Permission to Land, turns 20 today (July 7) In the States, the LP is best known for its wild single “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” but the album also boasts killer

10 Women Artists Who Have Yet to be Inducted into the Rock Hall

From May 2011 to February 2012, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame featured an exhibit called “Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power.” From September 2012 to August 2014, the exhibit traveled around to various museums in the United States. It made its final stop at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. While at that museum, I was given a private tour of the collection of over 70 different performers. These performers ranged from Janis Joplin and Tina Turner to Chrissie Hynde and Stevie Nicks. T

Tina Turner: 10 Iconic Performances from the Queen of Rock & Roll

Tina Turner was a one-of-a-kind performer that plenty of artists, regardless of gender, have tried to emulate. Alas, there was but one Tina, and her energy and presence were truly all hers. Turner’s death yesterday (May 24) at age 83 leaves a massive void in the music world that will never be filled. How lucky we are as fans to be able to revisit her many incredible on-stage moments over and over. Here are just 10 examples that show just how iconic of a performer she was and how there will neve

Josh Freese: 14 Songs the New Foo Fighters Drummer Played On

Josh Freese is a noted session drummer that’s also currently a member of the punk band The Vandals and new wave icons Devo. Now, he’s added a third band to that short list: Foo Fighters. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band lost their longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins in March 2022 when he died suddenly at age 50. Since Hawkins’ death, the Foos were silent for 17 months about who would be their new drummer. They broke their silence on May 21 when Freese was unveiled as the new Foo drummer during a s

Dolly Parton's Rock Album: Every Confirmed Guest Appearance

Dolly Parton’s rock album has been getting a lot of attention for many months now. Since the iconic singer/songwriter was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, she pledged to put out a rock LP. Aptly titled Rockstar, the album will be released on November 17. Rockstar is now available for pre-save on streaming platforms here. Meanwhile, fans can pre-order physical copies of the album at DollyParton.com. The album features a staggering 30 tracks, with nine original songs and 21 co

5 Mint Julep Variations to Try During the Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is May 6. When the masses descend on Churchill Downs in their finest Derby duds (and hats), they’ll be ordering Mint Juleps like crazy. Per the Kentucky Derby’s official website, “Each year, almost 120,000 Mint Juleps are served over the two-day period of Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs Racetrack. That’s a feat that requires more than 10,000 bottles of Old Forester Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail, 1,000 pounds of freshly harvested mint and 60,00

3 Major Takeaways from the 2023 Rock Hall Induction Class

The 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction class was announced this morning (May 3.) As is tradition every year, the list of inductees has already led to a lot of discourse on social media. To put it bluntly and succinctly: A lot of people are excited about this class, and a seemingly equal amount of people are furious about it. Much like death and taxes, controversy around the Rock Hall is always a certainty. Without further ado, here are three major takeaways from the 2023 Rock Hall induc

We’re Parents to Trans Kids. Here’s What Paul Stanley Has Wrong About Gender-Affirming Care.

Paul Stanley made headlines in the past 48 hours due to his social media post regarding gender-affirming care. Stanley’s entire statement can be read below, which he titled “My Thoughts On What I’m Seeing.” According to Stanley, what he is seeing are parents “encouraging participation in a lifestyle that confuses young children into questioning their sexual identification as though some sort of game.” Additionally, he says, ” … Some adults mistakenly confuse teaching acceptance with normalizing

Metallica: All Songs Ranked Worst to Best

Metallica is one of the most revered bands of all time with a catalog any up-and-coming band could only dream of having. It’s impossible imagining the rock/metal landscape without them. With this in mind, we did a deep dive on the mighty Metallica catalog focusing only on albums/EPs with new material (sorry, Garage Inc.) but excluding Lulu, their infamous 2011 collaboration with Lou Reed for obvious reasons (not sorry about that.) Buckle in for a wild ride that will likely get very opinionated
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