 |
 |
 |
|
 | |||
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| | |||||||||||
| | | ||
Rock!Hub clubs retool with new showcasesWhen people talk about the rock scene in Boston, "ebb and flow" is a phrase that comes up often. In fact, there is no single, homogenous scene or categorical description that covers the myriad strains of locally made and played music - and possibly there never has been. It's that eclecticism and diversity that give the Boston rock scene its vitality, strength, and character. All of which seems more crucial than ever.
At a time when musicians, promoters, and booking agents bemoan a flagging economy, an unpopular public smoking ban in Boston and Cambridge, and the slow winter months, that diversity seems more important than ever. During the past year, we've seen signs of distress, with the closing of the intimate Kendall Cafe and the nation's first House of Blues, both in Cambridge, among others. On the plus side, newer hot spots like the All Asia Cafe (334 Mass. Ave., Cambridge) and the Abbey Lounge (3 Beacon St., Somerville), have become prime locales to catch an earful of noise. And as always, independently owned live music stalwarts such as the Middle East (472-480 Mass. Ave., Cambridge) and T. T. the Bear's Place (10 Brookline St., Cambridge) continue to draw some of the most consistently exciting rock, punk, and pop happening on a national and local level. With a new year underway, we've taken a close look at just a few examples of the new and creative programming that has been making headway in the city's nightlife, despite obstacles that can make putting together live music showcases more a labor of love than a commercial windfall. These events, and the music-minded folks behind them, illustrate the ever-changing local live-music scene at its ingenious best. As Lexi Kahn of Somerville's Low Budget Superhero Promotions aptly says, "The venues are just rooms. It's the people who do it." Chords & Discourse Thanks to a calendar loaded with live music showcases, local art, and photography exhibits, the Paradise Lounge, situated in the front room of the Paradise Rock Club, has fast become one of the coolest pre- and postshow hangs in town. The "Chords & Discourse" series, hosted by Kristen Bennett of Mad Cat Productions, is a big reason why. Every month, local rockers gather to offer musical tributes to performers ranging from Motorhead to the Clash to the Replacements. "It's been such a blast," says Bennett. "One thing that I've really enjoyed, as exemplified partially by `Chords & Discourse,' is the singer-songwriter aspect of both punk and rock. I experimented last summer by having a show that featured the lead singers of popular local bands playing their original songs acoustically. I wasn't sure how it would fly, but it was very impressive." The next installment, which salutes the music of Elvis Costello, happens Feb. 28. Performers include, among others, Ray Neades (Beefy DC), Hayley and Elgin James (Elgin James & the Suicide Gang), Ryan Dowd (Kicked in the Head) with Andrew Mauriello (ex-Dirty Water), and Matt Pynn. Doors at 9 p.m. Harpers Ferry Blues Jam We all know the huge debt rock 'n' roll owes the blues and, as Harpers Ferry talent buyer Dan Millen is quick to point out, the open blues jam that happens every Monday night (doors open at 8 p.m., music starts at 9 p.m.) at Harpers Ferry often gets, well, very rocking. It's also a lot of blues bang for your two-buck cover. Since you're never sure just who might show up to show off their chops, the entertainment value can be priceless. "Good music at a good price" is how Millen sums up both the night and club's goal for 2004. Another objective is to bring more rock and pop to the venue, which has long been known as mostly a haven for jam bands like local faves Jiggle and Entrain. The blues jam attracts, he says, "a good mixture of oldsters bringing their axes and young Berklee kids. It's gotten to the point where there's a strong posse of people coming. The moments of brilliance more than make up for those [bad] moments when you sit there and scratch your head." Manic Mondays/Americana Saturdays This pair of weekly events are just two of the terrific live music showcases that have transformed this cozy Brookline Village drinks-and-dinner meeting place into a thriving nightspot refreshingly off the beaten path. Credit music booker Jason Waddleton with seeing the space's potential for adventurous programming that spans everything from jazz to funk to reggae to DJs spinning souped-up grooves. "Boston is one of the richest cities in the world that you can check out regularly and on a shoestring," says Waddleton, who knows whereof he speaks, having lived in London, San Francisco, and New York. "Why give a corporation a huge chunk of your paycheck when you can support the local economy by going to see something that may not have the marketing clout behind it but is undoubtedly as good - and costs you a fraction?" Manic Mondays feature an eclectic roster of up-and-coming local talent ranging from shoegazer folk (Meowskers, Jan. 26) to underground pop (Pretty the Boat, Feb. 2) to smoky singer-songwriter fare (Bourbon Princess, Feb. 9). Meanwhile, the roots-music-minded Americana Saturdays take over every weekend in February, with performances by Jimmy Ryan, Frank Morey, the Scissormen, and Great American. Old Dogs, New Tricks Like John Cusak's character in novelist Nick Hornby's screen adaptation of "High Fidelity," music writer/promoter Lexi Kahn describes herself as "a professional appreciator." It's that quality that sparked the idea behind her "Old Dogs, New Tricks" series, which obliges artists to do something radically different than they ordinarily would onstage. The series takes place the first Thursday of each month at the Linwood. "It started with me wanting to put together my dream bills," says Kahn, founder of the Somerville-based Low Budget Superhero Promotions, who organized the first "Old Dogs" installment last summer. Rockers rapping, rappers rocking, drummers reciting poetry amid candles, Christmas lights, and a cabaret atmosphere - the free showcase provides just about anybody with the opportunity to experiment in a friendly environment. Wanna play a few Pixies covers or espouse your love for Air Supply in a haiku you've written? Go for it. "It's a very loose forum," Kahn says. "People get a bunch of friends together, hang out and schmooze, and when it's their turn, they get up, do their thing, and it's fun." On tap for Feb. 5: Bentmen bassist Mark White sings and plays guitar; the Downbeat 5's JJ Rassler and Jen Rassler cover the seminal LA punk band X. Rising Tide The idea behind Anngelle Wood's club-roving Rising Tide series was borne of frustration. "Rising Tide was a way to support local female musicians who, for a long time in rock radio, weren't getting any attention," says Wood, who's also a morning-show DJ for WFNX. "You didn't hear girls on rock radio at all, ever. It was discouraging, [but] I thought that I could use my place doing commercial radio and try to drum up more support. A lot of people think of girls as doing a Joni Mitchell kind of thing. I want people to know that girls rock just as hard as any guy." With the help of her friend Ed Burbeck, Wood put together a bill of female musicians last March. It went so well that three months later, she decided to make it a somewhat-regular series. "I think we need to be a little more creative at times to get people excited about coming out to hear music, and this is one of those things," Wood says. "The main focus is to book bands that vary in style. We want a lineup that is so different and diverse that you wouldn't see [it] anywhere else." Next up in the Rising Tide series: "Heart-Shaped Rock" with Chroma, the Kitty Kill, Sugabomb, and Drab, Feb. 14, at 9 p.m. $7, 21+. Soul Low Everybody knows that the Lizard Lounge, with its low lighting, plush Persian rugs, quality live music, and laid-back vibe, is one of the most soul-nourishing hangs in town. Just when you think the room couldn't get any cooler, Lounge booker Billy Beard (who also books its sister venue, Toad, at 1912 Mass. Ave., Cambridge) is about to prove you wrong. Starting Feb. 3 and continuing five nights a week (maybe six if all goes well) between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., Beard is launching a freebie hang dubbed "Soul Low." Much like an open-mike format, anyone can take the stage to perform, whether it be music or spoken word. The idea, he says, is to get more people into the club earlier, before the regular 9:30 p.m. live shows, and to provide a loose, anything-goes musical format. "I'm a live-music guy, and this idea expands the live music aspect a little bit," says Beard, a drummer who has performed and toured with countless artists, ranging from Kris Delmhorst to Dennis Brennan to Patty Griffin, among many others. "It gives (the audience) a chance to see and hear what they might not ordinarily." Who knows? Beard himself might even sit in. Unhappy Hour Leave it to veteran promoter/booker Lilli Dennison to turn a drab Monday night into a musical antidote to the workweek. "Unhappy Hour," which happens every Monday at 10:30 p.m. at ZuZu!, is the linchpin of the live music showcases that Dennison has been booking into the tiny storefront space (capacity: about 50) for the past year. "It's continued to get bigger-name performers from around town doing their sad songs, and that's been going great," says Dennison. "Unhappy Hour" performers have included singer-songwriters Joe Pernice, the Willard Grant Conspiracy's Robert Fisher, and Pixies frontman Frank Black, who did a three-night stand at the venue last year. Other regular live-music programming includes Rockabilly Sundays, featuring a different band each week (on tap for Jan. 25: Lynette and the Trailer Park Two), and Dennison anticipates bringing more rock to ZuZu! in 2004. Next month marks the arrival of "Indie-Pop Thursdays" at the venue. "I was always afraid of people playing too loud, but with the Lyres playing on New Year's Eve, it worked out really well," she says. "I've been finding that people can come in there and rock." On tap for "Unhappy Hour" Jan. 26: singer-guitarist Aaron Shadwell. © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
|
|
 |
| |||
| | | |
