musings from boston

Show Preview: Scissormen, Peter Parcek, and The Ten Foot Pole Cats @ Lizard Lounge, Cambridge MA, 11/14/09

On November 13, 2009

Scissormen, Peter Parcek, and The Ten Foot Pole Cats
at Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, MA
Saturday, November 14, $8
1667 Massachusetts Avenue
(downstairs from Cambridge Common restaurant, North of Harvard Square)
Cambridge, MA
(doors at 8:30pm; 21+ show)

Ted Drozdowski

The last time I saw Ted Drozdowski, it was back in the 90s performing with the experimental guitar, bass, and electronics orgy known as Blood Blister, which also included the irrepressible Reeves Gabrels on bass and a myriad of devices. At that time, Ted was also in bands like Vision Thing, Devil Gods, and probably others. Oh yeah, and he also did music reviews for The Boston Phoenix. I just learned that Ted had relocated, some time back, to Nashville, but he’s back in Boston with Scissormen, a bluesy, garagy, slide-guitar loving outfit that I guess is him and “some drummer”. Not sure who that drummer will be, but they’ll be over at Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, along with special guests Peter Parcek and The Ten Foot Pole Cats. Nor’easter be damned, I plan to be there.

P.S. The Scissormen will also be at Cantab Lounge in Cambridge on Monday night (11/16), as guests of Boston folk legend Geoff Bartley. It’s part of a “famed acoustic music night” at the Cantab. Open mike is at 8pm; they’ll go on around 9:30pm. The Cantab is located at 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA (Central Square).

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Red Cortez’s new demo “Western Front” and squirrel madness

By julie

On November 13, 2009

In Indie Music, Music News

This was one of my favorite Red Cortez songs as performed at their recent shows with The Airborne Toxic Event and The Henry Clay People. Absolutely wonderful that they’ve just released this as a demo. And as a special bonus – a completely incongruous and f***ing hilarious video. I’ll never look at squirrels quite the same way again.

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Expanding Awareness: Karma and Reincarnation

By julie

On November 12, 2009

In Expanding Awareness

On Saturday’s Expanding Awareness show, Victor and his guest will discuss karma and reincarnation. Listen on Saturday morning at 10am on WZBC 90.3 FM (in the Boston area) or check him out online. You can also listen after the fact on the WZBC archive. P.S. Victor also does past life regressions as well as psychic Tarot card readings, and can do readings long-distance by phone.

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Sad Boston-area news: the passing of Cambridge storyteller Brother Blue

By julie

On November 7, 2009

In Boston-area news

from The Boston Globe

(Cambridge Community Television press release):

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of storyteller Dr. Hugh Hill, known as Brother Blue. Brother Blue, perhaps the original performance artist, has entertained generations of children and adults with his tales, often accompanied by tambourine and foot stomping. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Hill; together they produced hundreds of hours of storytelling in CCTV’s studio, on Cambridge Community Radio, and BeLive.

CCTV will show a retrospective of Brother Blue’s programs in December.

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Expanding Awareness: Mysticism

By julie

On November 7, 2009

In Expanding Awareness

On today’s show, Victor and his guest discussed the topic of mysticism. Listen to the show on the WZBC archive.

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Silversun Pickups, Cage The Elephant, & An Horse at The Webster, Hartford CT 10/20/09

By julie

On November 5, 2009

In Indie Music, Reviews, Road Trips

The final show of my ‘seven shows in eleven days’ odyssey, and what a marvelous evening it was! Silversun Pickups is one band I’ve been enjoying for a little while now and never had the opportunity to see live. Cage The Elephant were a surprising and delightful wallop over the head at last summer’s WBRU Block Party in Providence, so I knew I had to see them again, if at all possible. An Horse I had vaguely heard about, so the three of them together was definitely worth the drive down to Hartford.

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Happy Hollows at T.T. The Bear’s Place, Cambridge MA, Oct. 18, 2009

By julie

On November 2, 2009

In Gigs, Indie Music, Reviews

Sarah Negahdari, Chris Hernandez, and Charles Mahoney of The Happy Hollows

Toward the end of my ‘Silverlake East Coast Revue’, there was this marvelous miracle of an appearance by highly regarded (and rightly justified!) eastside L.A. band, The Happy Hollows, at our lovely little dive, T.T. The Bear’s Place in Central Square. I don’t know how on earth they got plunked onto a bill that sandwiched them between two swampy Southern rock bands, but bless all the pagan gods that they did. [as Sarah said to me afterward, “we were the odd ducks in the middle”. Odd and immensely talented ducks, I’d say!]

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Expanding Awareness: Paganism and the true meaning of Halloween w/Joanie Sullivan

By julie

On November 1, 2009

In Expanding Awareness

Yes, once again I’m late with this, but you can listen to Victor Robert Venckus and his wonderful Expanding Awareness program on paganism (and the true meaning of Halloween) with his guest Joanie Sullivan on the WZBC archive.

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Built To Spill at The Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA – 10/11/09

By julie

On October 26, 2009

In Reviews

It feels like I went to see this show years ago, though in reality, it’s only been two weeks. One hell of a two weeks, but two weeks all the same. So I approached the chore of writing this review with some trepidation. For one, while I really, really like this band and have great respect for their place in indie rock history, I can’t say I’m completely familiar with their entire catalog, even enough to reconstruct a set list of what they played. Secondly, my notes, while amusing, are pretty fucking useless. I labeled the night’s proceedings as “Hipster Heaven”, and indeed it was. But I still had only (probably incorrect) fragments of lyrics to try to identify to tell you what was performed, and with four other reviews breathing down my neck, little time.

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Show Preview: Andrew Hoover & Sister Hazel at the Paradise Rock Club, 10/21/09

By julie

On October 21, 2009

In Gigs, Indie Music, Show Previews

Andrew Hoover, Sister Hazel (headliners)
at the Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Wednesday, October 21 7pm, $25
967 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston, MA
(doors at 7pm; 18+ show)

Singer-songwriter Andrew Hoover

Better late than never; that’s what I always say. Especially this past week and a half.

Singer-songwriter Andrew Hoover will be opening for Sister Hazel at the Paradise Rock Club on October 21 (that’s tonight, in a few hours from now). Bluesy and soulful with pop influences; a nice sound that probably transfers very well live. Have a listen.

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