Arriving 30 minutes before the start time for the first night of Andrew W.K. and The Calder Quartet‘s ‘Piano and Strings’ performance, I figured I would be the first one there, and wondered what sort of turnout there would be for this rather bizarre pairing. Clearly I knew nothing about Mr. W.K.’s massive hardcore fan base, as I stood there dumbfounded, taking in the sight of hundreds of people already in line.
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Those who arrived early for this Assembly of Dust performance at the Paradise Rock Club had a marvelous treat in store. I wasn’t familiar with Nathan Moore or the Emmitt-Nershi band, but I was very impressed by the excellence of these guys. You don’t always get really great support acts (I’m hesitant to even call them that, as either could be headliners), so this was a nice surprise which made for a wonderful evening of music.
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I wasn’t familiar with O’Brien’s Pub, which is a rather low-key establishment (maybe a lit up sign at night would help) located at the corner of Harvard Ave. and Cambridge Street in Allston. I was surprised and impressed to find an actual, decent-sized stage in the corner, with professional lighting and good sound. I see now that O’Brien’s is a serious rock venue. I assumed it was “just a bar” when I first heard that Division Day were playing there, and from the outside, one wouldn’t think otherwise. Well, it is a neighborhood bar, but it also regularly books local and national rock acts.
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John Forte @ The Paradise, Boston
Wednesday night, I had an epiphany. I had gone to the Paradise to see a performance by singer, songwriter and producer John Forté. After checking out his music, researching for a profile I was doing, I saw he was playing here and decided I had to see him. Standing there before his set and listening to piped in hip-hop, I realized this was the first time I had ever gone to see music of that genre. Like many people, I think, I had a certain preconceived notion of what rap and hip-hop was. Happy to say, that notion would be tossed out the door that night.
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(from her MySpace page)
So I said in my review of Laura Lee’s Toad show that I would make up for not attending her Lizard Lounge performance by doing a write-up for her CD “tomorrow”, which is now seven days ago. That’s how it is sometimes.
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(from her MySpace page)
Wow. Seriously… wow. Yes, it’s been four days since the show and much of this time has been spent fretting about my camera meltdown (more about that later), but I have to say something about this wonderful performer, before more time goes by, and just ahead of another show she’s doing tomorrow night at The Lizard Lounge.
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Reeves Gabrels and his Imaginary Friends @ The Regent Theatre
It’s always difficult to begin a story, and none so much as this review of Reeves Gabrels and his Imaginary Friends at The Regent Theatre in Arlington.
See, Reeves and I go way back. The last time I’d seen him play was… my god, was it one of the Tin Machine shows from 1991?? Or maybe a Bentmen extravaganza from around that same time? Whatever it was, it feels like a previous lifetime, one that swirls around half-remembered in my consciousness like a scene from Un Chien Andalou.
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cover art by Leonard Cohen
My first introduction to Sharon Robinson’s music was at Leonard Cohen’s amazing performance at the Wang Theatre a few weeks ago. He had brought with him a stellar collection of musicians, each one fascinating in their own right. Sharon, I learned, is not just a gifted vocalist, but has collaborated with Mr. Cohen for many years, and has written quite a few songs with him, including one of my all-time favorites, “Everybody Knows”. She, along with the Webb Sisters, contributed lovely backup vocals, and she did an amazing solo performance of “Boogie Street”, to enthusiastic cheers from the audience.
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Blind Pilot @ T.T. the Bear's Place
The last time I saw the wonderful Silverlake band The Local Natives (also at T.T.’s, with The Union Line & Voxhaul Broadcast) was back in January, and I was amazed at how good they were. It was a Sunday night, the weather was cold, slushy and miserable, and there were maybe 20 people in the audience, most of them the other band members and their friends. Even so, and considering they had come from L.A. cross-country to play for us, they put on an enthusiastic, fantastic show, and this really impressed me.
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I recently introduced my parents to Leonard Cohen’s music; needless to say, they’ve become huge fans. Upon hearing that I would be seeing him in person, my mom said to me “make sure you bring a handkerchief”. Which is like telling someone to bring a teacup, in the event of a tsunami. At first glance, some might see Leonard Cohen’s music as dark, cynical, or at the very least, melancholy. But there’s a quiet joy that runs through his songs. A reverence and deep respect for the mundane – and quite often the bawdy – aspects of everyday life. Tears, yes. But more of release, rather than sadness.
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