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From The Desk Of Steve Wynn: The Louis Armstrong House

On Sept. 5, 1982, the Dream Syndicate played a 2 a.m. gig at the studios of L.A.’s KPFK-FM. Broadcast live, the raw, ragged set documented on The Day Before Wine And Roses (Omnivore) found the quartet—singer/guitarist Steve Wynn, guitarist Karl Precoda, bassist Kendra Smith and drummer Dennis Duck—blazing and brooding its way through songs from its self-titled debut EP, covers and tracks that would end up on the seminal The Days Of Wine And Roses LP, released a month and a half later. A reconvened version of the Dream Syndicate has been playing shows since 2012. Wynn is also busy with his national pastime-themed band, the Baseball Project, whose third record, the aptly titled 3rd (Yep Roc), is due later this month. Wynn is also guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.

louis_armstrong

Wynn: Louis Armstrong lived his last 30 years in Corona, Queens, the neighborhood that also was the home of Archie Bunker—oh, and try getting the chorus of “Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard” out of your head when you’re hanging out there. Anyway, the home where he and his wife lived is now a museum and worth a visit, if nothing else for the glimpse of the future of furnishing and home decorating circa 1966. My wife and I are hell-bent on duplicating their kitchen. You can hang out in his studio and hear recordings of him chatting with Tony Bennett, or even visit his ornately decorated bathroom and hear about his obsession with laxatives (he supposedly gave a gift of a box of his favorite brand to members of the royal family on a visit to the U.K.). See? How can you resist?