WHO IS THE BIG SHOT? No – the Rathskeller can not be the Big Shot. But someone standing atop of this legendary Kenmore Square building, especially if he wore only a jock strap, could be. Click on the photo to see who would do such a thing. From Rita & Lolita’s 1984 pillow book, Rock Jocks. Photos by T Max. … Read More >>
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JOHNNY ANGEL WENDELL Smut and Politics 5 tracks Johnny has always been a super songwriter. Starting with his days as a garage punk pioneer in The Blackjacks and The Swinging Erudites to his more recent incarnation as a left coast parent. His social observations, playfulness, biting and opinionated lyrics attached to hook-laden melodies have kept him relevant and, when compared to the mediocre music released today, the heart, soul and conscience of an older but wiser generation. “Size” is a … Read More >>
BOY WITH THE AMPLIFIER HEAD (Sal Baglio and friends) 9 Wallis, Beverly, MA 10/21/17 A trek up to the North Shore at a new club showcasing ole friends. For 40 years, as leader of The Stompers, Sal Baglio has delighted local audiences with his majestic rockin’ tunes, spunk, and passion. Over recent years, he has also demonstrated another side to his prodigious energy – creating a sweep of low-key, pop-savant meditations about family, heritage, and other memorable characters. Brutally beautiful … Read More >>
RITA AND LOLITA RAT RECOLLECTIONS Rita: Thanksgiving is coming up and it reminds me of when I first came to Boston and Jimmy Harold, owner of punk paradise The Rat, asked me out for dinner to show my gratitude. Lolita: I was the cute red head from Simmons College dancing the watusi at a Gang Green gig and he takes you out? Rita: So I jump in his white cadoo and he drives us all the way up Route 1, past The Golden Banana in Peabody, to a … Read More >>
“+” after an act implies there are more acts on the bill … Fri Dec 1 T MAX @ Breaking Grounds Cafe, Peabody, MA Fri & Sat Dec 1 & 2 HEATHER MALONEY (EP release shows) @ The Parlor Room, Northampton, MA Sat Dec 2 JULIE DOUGHERTY & SUSAN CATTANEO @ Cat in the Cradle Coffeehouse, Byfield, MA Sat Dec 2 SIDEWALK DRIVER + @ Middle East, Cambridge, MA Sat Dec 2 TERRY KITCHEN + @ The Armory Cafe, Somerville, … Read More >>
THE NEW ANALOG: LISTENING AND RECONNECTING IN A DIGITAL WORLD By Damon Krukowski. The New Press, 2017. 225 pages, hardcover. Review by Francis DiMenno If you have ever wondered why CDs and digital media sound different from vinyl LPs and live performances, and if you have ever marveled at how much the world has changed since the late 1980s due to digital media, then this book will go a long way in explaining the how and why. Some noise, first: … Read More >>
KINGDOM OF LOVE – EARNING THEIR KARMA by Harry C. Tuniese There are many directions that bring you home. Some start very young with parents, siblings, and friends encouraging uniqueness and experience. Some ideas may take and others may just drift on by (“What about your soul?/ I can’t hold on, but I can’t let you go!”). Positive good vibrations – taking nothing for granted – adds to the luster of each Life. Having seen Linda Viens in numerous band … Read More >>
ROZ & THE RICE CAKES by Eric Baylies Roz & The Rice Cakes have been playing and touring for roughly a decade. The Providence based band is a strange hybrid of pop hooks and prog rock. I spoke with lead singer Roz Raskin about the future and past of one of Rhode Island’s brightest … Read More >>