musings from boston

screams, whispers and songs from planet earth

Tag: Middle East Upstairs

Nightmare Air – New Vinyl Release and NYC/Boston shows!

By

On February 21, 2014

In Indie Music

L.A. band Nightmare Air are back in town! They’re playing a few shows in support of a brand new vinyl release (Goodnight Records) for last year’s debut album, High In The Lasers. It’s not out until March 25, but it will be shipped out on March 11 to those who preordered. There’s also a special package available that includes the “California Adventure Pack” (band branded frisbee and koozie).

If you’re in or around NYC, you can see them performing tomorrow night (Saturday, Feb. 22) as part of the Goodnight Records showcase, and they’ll have the new vinyl available at the show. This is at Death by Audio (49 S 2nd St, Brooklyn) with The Big Sleep, KNTRLR and Sun Club. Nightmare Air are on at 10pm.

They’ll be at Elevens in Northampton, MA on Sunday night (2/23) and at The Middle East (Upstairs) on Monday night, 2/24. In Boston, they’re up second to last, with inAeona headlining and André Obin and then Lehnan opening.

web | facebook | twitter | soundcloud

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Warm Weather Comes To Boston! (the band, but the other will too)

By

On May 7, 2012

In Boston Bands, Indie Music, Show Previews

Warm Weather with The Cultured, Fort! The Band, and Friendly People
@ The Middle East Upstairs
Monday, May 14 at 8:00 p.m.
18+ | $10 advance/ @ door
facebook event

So I wrote about these three guys from L.A., Warm Weather, back in March, and now they’re here on their virgin East Coast tour! Their first show is Wednesday night in Philly, stopping off at the Middle East Upstairs next Monday. They have a lovely and upbeat sound, with kaleidoscopic 3-part harmonies that are ridiculously uplifting almost to the point of spiritual.


Musically they’re just as cheery, with accompaniment that is sometimes folky, sometimes with rocking guitar riffs; driving rhythms and melodies. Wildly tuneful and sophisticated, this is happy music without the shame.

Also on the bill at the Middle East show – funky Boston trio The Cultured, Allston’s wacky and punky Fort! The Band, and also from Boston, folk-tinged indie rockers Friendly People. Nice line-up! Get out there and show these Los Angeles kids some love on their first foray to the Eastern wilds. And appropriately, it looks like they’ll be bringing warm weather along with them; looks like it’s going to be getting up into the 70s when they get into town. Thanks, guys!

Warm Weather Debut East Coast Tour!

5/9 Philadelphia, PA — Kung Fu Necktie
5/11 New York, NY — Pianos NYC
5/12 Lewiston, ME — Bates College
5/14 Boston, MA — The Middle East Upstairs
5/15 Montreal, QC — L’Absynthe
5/16 Burlington, VT (at 6PM) — Radio Bean Cafe
5/16 Winooski, VT (at 10 PM) — The Monkey House
5/17 Hamden, CT — The Space
5/18 Hanover, NH — Dartmouth College, Phi Delt Block Party

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Sounds of Venus, SchoolTree, Jaggery, and BENT KNEE at the Middle East… don’t forget your crayons!

By

On November 14, 2011

In Boston Bands, Indie Music, Show Previews

(clockwise from top left): Jaggery (Noah Blumenson-Cook), BENT KNEE, Lainey SchoolTree (Caleb Cole), and Sound of Venus (http://www.jenniferbmorgan.com).

(clockwise from top left): Jaggery (Noah Blumenson-Cook), BENT KNEE, Lainey SchoolTree (Caleb Cole), and Sound of Venus (http://www.jenniferbmorgan.com).

Coloring Party with Sounds of Venus, SchoolTree, Jaggery, BENT KNEE @ the Middle East Upstairs
Thursday, November 17, 2011
9pm doors | 18+ | $10 | facebook event | tickets

Sounds of Venus, SchoolTree, Jaggery, and BENT KNEE cordially invite you to their Coloring Party. For one night only, the Middle East Upstairs is transformed into an interactive art space. Draw while you listen; let the music inspire you to artistic heights (or depths). Bring crayons, pens, pencils, pastels, oils, acrylics, calligraphy sets, stone tablets, etch-a-sketches, play-dough, paper, etc. ~ additional art supplies will be provided.

Read More

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Big Boston Band Night Out – tonight!

By

On January 14, 2011

In Boston Bands, Boston-area news, Indie Music, Show Previews

A few bands performing for the Livestock Boston series: Streight Angular, Eli 'Paperboy' Reed, Lenkadu, and TonyBear

A few bands performing for the Livestock Boston series: Streight Angular, Eli 'Paperboy' Reed, Lenkadu, and TonyBear

Yep, big doings tonight for the local Boston music scene. Predictably, I’ll be working. But you should definitely get out tonight. Don’t get bummed if you don’t have tickets for the sold out Deer Tick guys; there’s other noteworthy stuff going on – a brand new club’s opening night (with live music – and FREE admission!), and a bunch of local bands playing for a worthwhile charity.

Read More

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Boston Bands This Week…

By

On August 8, 2010

In Boston Bands, Show Previews

The New Collisions, John Powhida (and The International Airport), What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? (photo by Katrine Wheeler) and Goli (photo by Karen Clunes).

The New Collisions, John Powhida (and The International Airport), What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? (photo by Katrine Wheeler) and Goli (photo by Karen Clunes).

For this edition, we’re starting the week on Sunday (today), since I forgot to mention tonight’s Bent Wit Cabaret show last time. Their theme is “Mystery,” and the performance will feature spoken word artist Jha D, magician Dezrah the Strange, burlesque by Penny Candy and Abby Normal, The System of Soothing (a 7 minute opera by Frank Pesci based on a story by Edgar Allen Poe), and much more. There’s The Boston Waterfront Performing Arts Festival at Christopher Columbus Park (in the North End) on Tuesday (8/10), featuring Sarah Borges and The Broken Singles and the New Collisions. On Thursday, Club D’Elf are playing at the Lizard Lounge. On Friday, there’s three things of note: Agent Bishop Presents The Lucky 13 Bash at Church of Boston; Goli Going East (members of Fluttr Effect) and Cabiria‘s CD release party; and Jo-Jo’s (who’s Jo-Jo?) Birthday Roast featuring John Powhida’s International Airport. On Saturday, Otis Grove plays a free show at the Middle East Corner, and “Boudoir Noir” – billed as “an intimate carnival of delight and revolt” – promises to be quite cool, what with The Slomski Brothers, What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? and HUMANWINE.

Read More

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Boston Bands This Week: Vivian Darkbloom

By

On April 13, 2010

In Boston Bands, Reviews, Show Previews

Vivian Darkbloom at the Royale, Boston

Vivian Darkbloom at the Royale, Boston

TONIGHT: Vivian Darkbloom @ the Middle East Upstairs, with Seven Shades Of Grey, Hannah & The Bloodlines, and See Green

I’m going to profile one band this week, Boston’s Vivian Darkbloom. I had the pleasure of seeing them perform with The Airborne Toxic Event last week, in a special ‘invite only’ show, part of Jack Daniel’s Studio No. 7 series. I was going to do the review first, tell you how much I enjoyed these ace musicians and technology geeks from MIT and Harvard, and then give some background and highly recommend their upcoming show at the Middle East as part of my ‘Boston Bands This Week’ feature. But I had a problem. As soon as I began to wade through my 140 photos and 10 videos, I came to a realization: if you’re a Boston band and you’d like this particular reviewer to give you some blog love in a timely fashion (they’re playing the Middle East Upstairs Wednesday night) it might not be the best idea to perform on the same bill as Airborne Tox. So I’ll have this serve “double duty” – a few words about Vivian Darkbloom’s powerful set at the Royale to an appreciative audience, and a mini-profile/show preview.

Read More

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Boston Bands This Week (04/05/10)…

By

On April 5, 2010

In Boston Bands, Show Previews

Merrily James, Margaret Glaspy, Black Tape For A Blue Girl (Nicki, Athan & Sam. Jan 2010. by Kyle Cassidy. http://www.kylecassidy.com/), and Sans Nomenclature (photo by Zak Taylor)

Merrily James, Margaret Glaspy, Black Tape For A Blue Girl (Nicki, Athan & Sam. Jan 2010. by Kyle Cassidy. http://www.kylecassidy.com/), and Sans Nomenclature (photo by Zak Taylor)

As I’m heading into what promises to be one wacky month of delicious music, once again I’ll be featuring just two shows for this week. First, there’s some smooth R&B/jazz/pop performers at cafe 939, including Merrily James, for her debut CD release party. I don’t cover this style of music too often, but these folks are really good, and café 939 is a wonderful stripped-down and intimate venue. That’s the sort of place to hear some pretty singing… seriously. At the completely opposite end of the spectrum is the Middle East Upstairs “Goth Fest” (with some folk and electro-industrial) on Sunday, with 1476, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Emmy Cerra, Lucretia’s Daggers, and Sans Nomenclature.

Read More

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Delta Spirit, The Willowz @ The Middle East Upstairs ~ February 1, 2010

By

On February 5, 2010

In Indie Music, Reviews

Sean Walker, Kelly Winrich, Brandon Young, Matt Vasquez, and Jon Jameson of Delta Spirit.

Sean Walker, Kelly Winrich, Brandon Young, Matt Vasquez, and Jon Jameson of Delta Spirit.

A wonderful evening at the cozy Middle East Upstairs with L.A. bands The Willowz and Delta Spirit. It was really great to be able to see Delta Spirit after getting a small taste of their music via a guest appearance from Matt Vasquez at a recent benefit show in Los Angeles that was (very happily) webcast in the middle of the night…

Read More

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Boston Bands This Week…

By

On December 16, 2009

In Boston Bands, Gigs

The Elevator Drops, Cassavettes, Your Favorite Ex, Harry & The Potters

The Elevator Drops, Cassavettes, Your Favorite Ex, Harry & The Potters

Well, I guess this isn’t going to be a weekly feature, but here’s some Boston-area bands playing this week anyway.

You can see The Secret Sea at Great Scott on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, Supa Dupa! plays T.T. The Bear’s. On Thursday, Hallelujah The Hills is at the Middle East (downstairs). On Friday, Monique Ortiz performs at Toad, and Elevator Drops plays at the Middle East (downstairs) for, apparently, a one-time-only reunion. On Saturday, Your Favorite Ex does an afternoon show at the Middle East (upstairs) as part of a “Boston Music Spotlight”, and Street Dogs play the Paradise. At Toad on Saturday, folk-rock/Americana group Cassavettes are performing with the rootsy Don’t Kill Antz. There’s a cool show on Sunday at the Middle East (downstairs) – The 5th Annual Yule Ball, a Harry Potter-inspired extravaganza featuring Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, Whomping Willows, MC Kreacher, and more. And Street Dogs are at the Paradise again.

Read More

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

The Deli Magazine New England’s Launch Party @ The Middle East Upstairs – 11/28/09

By

On December 1, 2009

In Boston Bands, Boston-area news, Indie Music, Reviews

Meghan Chiampa, Associate Editor of Deli Magazine New England

Meghan Chiampa, Associate Editor of Deli Magazine New England

It was a lovely evening of New England bands, hand-picked by Deli Magazine New England‘s Associate Editor, Meghan Chiampa, and as diverse as the website’s eclectic musical focus. This was to celebrate The Deli officially making its welcome foray into the New England states. Now based in Boston, she started writing for them in Burlington Vermont. This excellent online magazine covers the indie music scenes in NYC, L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, Nashville, and elsewhere.

Read More

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén