Month: September 2011 Page 1 of 2

Org: Asylum at Club Oberon Tonight!

On September 30, 2011

In Boston Bands, Indie Music, Show Previews

by http://www.opacity.us/

Org: Asylum ~ featuring Jaggery, Amanda Palmer, Michael Pope, Ginger Ibex, Hello Dust & others
Friday, Sept. 30, 2011 at 8pm
Club Oberon, 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge
18+, doors: 7:30pm; show starts at 8pm | $20/$15| tickets

Curated by Singer Mali (of Jaggery), the Org is an ongoing series of performance events that features an extremely eclectic range of performers and artists in a multimedia extravaganza — music, dance, visual art, film, performance art, spoken word… In this Org, Mali and her friends explore insanity and sanctuary, in what I can promise you will be a unique, fascinating, and probably disturbing evening (but in an awareness-expanding sort of way).

“Org: Asylum includes a short film shot on location at a local abandoned state mental institution, a butoh interpretation of Vaslav Nijinsky, a body-painting storyteller sharing tales of art-making and suicide attempts, and much more.”

Featured artists include: Jaggery, Amanda Palmer, Michael Pope, Bryan Papciak, Ginger Ibex, Karen Montanaro, UnAmerika’s Sweetheart Karin Webb, Hello Dust, Sarah Jocelyn, Jennifer Hicks, and others.

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The Humans (featuring Toyah Willcox) with The Army of Broken Toys at Church of Boston tomorrow night!

By julie

On September 24, 2011

In Indie Music, Show Previews

photo by Karen Moshowitz

The Humans with special guest Walter Sickert & The Army Of Broken Toys, Kid Savant
Sunday, September 25 at the Church of Boston
Doors at 7pm; 8pm show | 18+
Tickets: $12 in advance; $15 day of show

There’s so much about Toyah Ann Willcox I never knew. I was familiar with this wild-haired, exotically dressed creature from another planet that was pretty much the norm in the 1980s, though her voice set her apart. I remember her album, The Changeling, released in 1982. It was dark, gothic and sensuous, and a staple of my musical diet at the time. But I had no idea that she was also deeply immersed in an acting career – stage plays, film and television – since the mid ‘70s. She worked with Derek Jarman on his punk film Jubilee and The Tempest, and in 1979’s Quadrophenia. She appeared with Katharine Hepburn in the made-for-television movie The Corn is Green, and in many live theatrical roles. At the same time, she fronted a few bands before embarking on a solo music career in 1985.

A little nostalgia for the old folks…

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Tomorrow is Crazy Thursday – Get Thee To A Rock Show!

By julie

On September 21, 2011

In Boston Bands, Indie Music, Show Previews

(clockwise from top left: Brown Bird, Space Balloons (a.k.a. Michael J. Epstein and Sophia Cacciola), Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Somerville Symphony Orkestar, and The Human League

Every so often the stars align and we have an auspicious evening on our hands here in Boston. Tomorrow night is such a night. You have (among other things), the choice between old-time-folky Brown Bird (whom I can wickedly highly recommended, after having seen them at the Newport Folk Festival) along with Coyote Kolb and Mister Sister; a multimedia extravaganza in tribute to the immensely brilliant (and my favorite author), Kurt Vonnegut Jr; and a time-travel adventure back to the ’80s with The Human League and Men Without Hats (bring along your big hair).

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George Glass: Welcome Home

By julie

On September 20, 2011

In Band Profiles, Indie Music

Coming out of their previous incarnation as Death To Anders, in Autumn 2009 Nicholas Ceglio (guitar, vocals) and Peter DiBiasio (bass) joined forces with a “mysterious Bay Area drifter,” drummer Nathan Kondor, to become George Glass. They released their debut self-titled EP in October 2010, and performed around Silver Lake and Echo Park, Los Angeles. This is their debut music video from their self-titled EP released in October of last year. The Buster Keaton-style video features the effervescent Sarah Negadhari of The Happy Hollows.

I’m not feeling terribly clever today, so I’ll just say that I first came across these guys as Death to Anders, in the midst of my Silver Lake Awakening a few years ago, and mentioned their George Glass rebirth back in February of last year, when Web in Front first streamed their demo “Call it Whatever.” Since their self-titled debut, they also released a 3-track EP called Sunshine.

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The Ames Sessions: A Free Music Series in Woodward Park at Boston’s Ames Hotel 9/20, 9/27 & 10/4

By julie

On September 17, 2011

In Band Profiles, Boston-area news, Indie Music, Show Previews

(clockwise from top left): Anna Rose, The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, and Kim Boekbinder (photo by Shami Kiely)

Presented by Morgan’s Hotel Group, The MuseBox and DigBoston

There’s an exciting new showcase for up-and-coming bands, a free music series called The Ames Sessions, taking place on three consecutive Tuesday evenings in Woodward Park at Boston’s Ames Hotel. Not to be confused with The Ames Sessions that were in collaboration with WFNX (which was indoors, very limited capacity, and you had to win tickets), this one is completely free and open to the public. The performances are September 20th (this coming Tuesday) with Anna Rose and Leo Blais, September 27th with The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players and Supercute, and October 4th with Kim Boekbinder and Audrey Ryan. In addition to hearing some fine music in an intimate setting, there will be specials and prizes to coincide with each event.

It seems the Ames Hotel is requesting that people R.S.V.P. for the shows they’d like to attend. This is probably because Woodward Park is actually the outdoor patio area of their Woodward Tavern (meaning, it’s *very* small and intimate). It looks like an amazing setting for live music.

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Expanding Awareness: Dowsing

By julie

On September 17, 2011

In Expanding Awareness

Right at this moment (yeah, sorry about that), Victor Robert Venckus and his guest are discussing the art of dowsing. They’re at 90.3FM in the Boston area, or this show can be heard after the fact on the WZBC Archive. All of ‘ZBC’s shows are online for two weeks.

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Rademacher’s new song from BabyHawk II: “Magic Words”

By julie

On September 13, 2011

In Gigs, Indie Music

One of my favorite bands, Rademacher, have just released a little taste from their second in a series of BabyHawk EPs, which is due out October 4. It can be pre-ordered here. The track listing is as follows: Orchestra, Magic Words, Honestly, Up In The Air, Success, Orchestra (reprised). This EP trilogy is about the rise and fall of a fictional indie rock band named BabyHawk. The song below is “Magic Words,” and it’s classic Rademacher – smart, sentimental, sweet, and wistfully sad, with acoustic guitar, warm percussion, softly swelling organ lines and just a pinch of electronics. Oh, so good.

Rademacher – “Magic Words” by BabyHawk

“It was a pretty good gig, I guess
for dinner and drinks and tips
sometimes I wanna go back there
I just wish that I could find the address
and sometimes I wish time would move backwards
wish I knew which magic words worked best
I woke up from a dream…” – Magic Words

They’re playing a batch of terribly unhelpful California shows (see below). Well, it’s great if you happen to live there. For the rest of us… we wait.

Sep 23 w/Built Like Alaska @ Black Box Theater – Merced, CA
Sep 30 FUSE Festival – Fresno, CA
Oct 06 w/Light FM @ Fulton 55 – Fresno, CA
Oct 09 w/Matt + Kim @ Festival of Hope – Tulare, CA
Oct 11 w/Manhattan Murder Mystery @ The Satellite – Los Angeles, CA
Oct 14 Luigi’s Funhouse – Sacramento, CA
Oct 15 Sophia’s Thai Kitchen – Davis, CA
Oct 22 The Starry Plough – Berkeley, CA

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Fenway Recordings Sessions @ Brighton Music Hall TONIGHT and TOMORROW

By julie

On September 13, 2011

In Show Previews

(clockwise from top left): Grouplove, You Am I, Young Man

Fenway Recordings Sessions Presents:
Grouplove with Young Man
Tuesday, September 13 ~ Brighton Music Hall
Doors at 8 PM; Show at 9 PM; 18+ show

Fenway Recordings Sessions Presents:
You Am I / Sloan
with Taylor Locke & The Roughs
Wednesday, September 14 ~ Brighton Music Hall
Doors at 8 PM; Show at 9 PM; 18+ show
Advance Box Office Price $15 – BUY TICKETS

Yes, I’m getting to this one just as the first band is coming on. However, I’ve been remiss in mentioning this wonderful concert series that has been going on for some time now, put on by the folks at Fenway Recordings and featuring marvelous ‘up and coming’ buzz bands, plus a few more well-known favorites in surprisingly intimate venues. More on these guys and their great shows when time isn’t of the essence. Tonight and tomorrow, they have two of these showcases on tap, at Brighton Music Hall. Tonight there’s the upbeat energy and pretty harmonies of Grouplove (a band comprised of two New Yorkers, two Los Angelinos, and a Londoner) with the gentle, dreamy acoustic sounds of Young Man (a.k.a. Colin Caulfield). Tomorrow night, Aussies You Am I are joined by Toronto-based Sloan and from Los Angeles, Taylor Locke (formerly of Rooney) and the Roughs. That’s a hell of a lot of geography covered.

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Expanding Awareness: The Hopi Prophesies

By julie

On September 9, 2011

In Expanding Awareness

Actually, due to technical difficulties, this show never happened. It’s been postponed until Saturday, 9/24…

On Expanding Awareness tomorrow morning, Victor and his guest will be discussing The Hopi Prophesies of 2012. This has been a perennial subject for years, having to do with the end date of a particular cycle in the Mayan calendar. According to researcher Joseph Robert Jochmans, “Both the Hopis and Mayans recognize that we are approaching the end of a World Age… In both cases, however, the Hopi and Mayan elders do not prophesy that everything will come to an end. Rather, this is a time of transition from one World Age into another. The message they give concerns our making a choice of how we enter the future ahead. Our moving through with either resistance or acceptance will determine whether the transition will happen with cataclysmic changes or gradual peace and tranquility.” Always an interesting subject with many different opinions, and until recently, rather far away. Right, not so much anymore. What do you think is going to happen? Anything? Nothing? Tune in and call up to discuss. They’re at 90.3FM in the Boston area (the interview begins at 10am), or this show can be heard after the fact on the WZBC Archive. All of ‘ZBC’s shows are online for two weeks.

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Welcome to the War

By julie

On September 3, 2011

In Musings

Once again I wake up with the fear. What am I afraid of? I say I want to write, that in my heart I know that’s what I’m meant to do, but then I can’t, or just won’t. Am I afraid of taking a chance, afraid of making a wrong turn, afraid of what the future holds, afraid I may use the wrong words? I’ll force myself anyway, come what may. Because I can’t continue on like this for another moment. The thought of fully entering into the realm of madness fills me with more fear than anything else. So I’ll take the chance. My salvation perhaps, that which keeps me free of yet another drug addiction, socially acceptable or not.

The worst part is this inability to concentrate. It’s full-blown warfare inside my head. The battle rages, but the soldiers are no longer under the orders of a central commander. Instead they run this way and that with various odd weaponry and ammunition. A cannon here, a musket there. Someone has an AK-47; another has what appears to be some sort of nuclear device. And all with wild looks in their eyes, under their own delusional orders, with unshakable faith in their own personal gods or demons.

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