Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys (Courtesy of Jenny Bergman)
Performing LIVE at The Sinclair on Friday, September 9 with Ruby Rose Fox and Mount Peru == ::: BUY TICKETS NOW!! :::
Now for something entirely different. Well, not so different if you’ve been a regular reader of Musings from Boston, as we’ve often spoken fondly of Walter Sickert and The Army of Broken Toys. As always, they’ve been up to crazy big doings. Their amazing new album Come Black Magic will be officially unveiled at The Sinclair in Cambridge in what promises to be one of those legendary events that people will bragging about having been at years from now. The new album was premiered with a fascinating profile of and interview with the band by WBUR’s The ARTery.
As I’m racing to get this posted, all I will say about this fine music is 1) It’s ever bit as powerful and completely overwhelming as anything this phantasmagoria of a musical theatre troupe has ever done, and then some and 2) you might not want to listen to it just before you go to bed.
Get thee to The Sinclair on Friday night in your most exotic finery. And sweet dreams.
Holy crap, it’s the end of the year already!? If you’re like me and the closing of this crazy year has caught you flat-footed, you might appreciate a few suggestions of how to regain your equilibrium and get 2016 started off in grand style. We’re taking a little break from introducing you to new bands to check in with a few old friends and see what they’re up to on New Year’s Eve.
First Night Boston is alive and well, and though stripped down from its former self, it’s now completely free! This family-friendly event actually begins at noon on New Year’s Eve and runs through the next day. Check out the schedule. Even if you have NYE plans, you still have time to catch the annual “People’s Procession” that moves from Copley Square to Boston Common, culminating in everyone’s favorite early-bird “Family Fireworks” right on the Common.
If you don’t have plans for later in the evening, there are some cool events happening in the Boston area. The few things I’ve caught wind of in the midst of my mad work mode are Hallelujah The Hills at Great Scott, the inimitable Andrew W.K. at the Paradise (performing I Get Wet in its entirety, certain to be a wild and woolly adventure) and something that especially caught my eye — an evening of four top-shelf bands at ONCE Ballroom (Cuisine en Locale).
Cuisine en Local, if you haven’t been there, is an extremely cool caterers featuring locally sourced food. In addition to top-notch catering and meal delivery, they also opened their ONCE ballroom, which is a really nice function hall with a lounge upstairs that overlooks it. This is a prime location for concerts, and they’ll be celebrating their 10th anniversary with a huge blow out on New Year’s Eve. It’s a tremendous lineup featuring Eastern European Gypsy Party Punk band Somerville Symphony Orkestar, Ruby Rose Fox, Cask Mouse and Cactus Attack. I’ve had the great pleasure of seeing the Orkestar and Cask Mouse over the years, and I can attest to the fact that these are top tier bands. The others sound great as well, so if you’re a local music aficionado, this looks like the place to be.
If that’s not enough to entice you, ONCE will be designing a special menu of munchies centered around “traditional local foods” and tickets will include a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. So ::: purchase tickets now ::: and you’ll have a warm, cozy and fiddling place to ring in the New Year with great, festive music!
