Bradley’s Almanac

Posted on August 5, 2002 at 9:11 am | No Comments

I just finished perhaps the tastiest Dunkin Donuts medium regular coffee I’ve ever had. The woman behind the Back Bay T-station’s Dunkie’s counter somehow found the ideal mix of sugar and cream… and from now on, I’m gettin’ in her line, every single time. She has won my undying loyalty.

10 days of dust on the blog. Been living life, not documenting it. I should be able to do both, right? Well, better more of the former than too much of the latter…

Breakin’ the Law, Breakin’ the Law…

Our Mission: to see the movie Signs this past Friday night. Our Plan: to arrive early, ensuring tickets and good seats. The Outcome: Failed. Well, sort of. You see, it was sold out waaaaay early. Surprised us both. So we bought tickets to Goldmember, instead. We’re flexible like that.

Goldmember was, uh… very vierd, as the Dutch say. Sure, we laughed at parts… but mostly we were left with an overwhelming feeling of ‘Huh?’, and other times ‘Ewwww’. I mean, Mike Myers is nuts… and sometimes not in a very amusing way. That said, the intro credits were hysterical, and I’ll never get enough of that internet monkey that smells his finger and falls over. Now that’s comedy.

Soooo…. Goldmember ends, we walk out of our theater… and guess what’s playing next door in ten minutes? Signs. I see that glimmer in Amie’s eyes, and I know what she’s thinkin’. Oh, yeah.

Now, this presented a moral dilemma for me. I was never one of those ‘sneak into the movies’ kids. Not even once. Son of a cop and all that. Amie, however, is an old pro. So in we went. When they haul us away in the paddywagon, I’ll be what’s known as an ‘accessory to the crime’, but she’s the mastermind behind the caper. I was all “but what if it’s sold out and two people who actually paid don’t get seats?”, and she was all “oh, relax, it’ll be fine.” Y’know what? She was right. Everyone got a seat, no one did a ticket check, no one gave us the suspicious evil eye. I did not, in fact, have ‘guilty’ plastered on my forehead. And in the end… Hey, Double Feature! All total, we were at the movies from about 7pm to 11:30pm. Whew.

So, was Signs worth it? I gotta go with the thumbs up. Not straight up, but damn close. I tell ya, I’ve become a major Waah-keem Phoenix fan. A fine actor, and he did an excellent job in this movie… I just loved his delivery. Mel was alright, the kids were cute, and the story drew me in… and got me sufficiently scared. The religious angle made me a tad uncomfortable, but hey, that’s just me. Call this movie the ‘Anti-Independence Day’, in the best way. I don’t want to give anything away, but you’ll know what I mean when you see it. And you should.

The rest of the weekend? Lots of bike riding… downtown, the Minuteman Bike Trail, the Esplanade, the streets of Cambridge and Belmont, a car-free, closed down Memorial Drive, the Commons. I’m paying for it painfully today, though. Caught a bit of the Saturday afternoon performance of Henry V on Boston Common, took a boat cruise out the George’s Island in Boston Harbor. My second trip out there, and my first with Amie. Loved checking out the granite walls and former confederate-filled jail cells of Fort Warren


There’s so much history in our little harbor, and it’s seems like mostly tourists ever get to see it. If you’ve ever got an extra $10, head down to the docks next to the Aquarium and grab a round trip ticket. You can take a 4-hour boat ride to Provincetown from there, too. Sounds good to me …

Saturday night brought the American Analog Set to town, in the middle of a tour with Her Space Holiday. Holy jeebus, was it crowded, and too damn hot. I didn’t even try to get a look at Her Space Holiday (not that I could have seen them… it was either pitch black or a smoky, strobe-lighted mess during their set). Things cleared out just enough for AmAnSet, though, and I grabbed a spot up front. Kenny & Co. were even better than they were last September… the new songs got me, and they played the oldies more solidly than before. I loved the Her Space Holiday cover they did, and it made the purchase of their new EP worth it. Honestly, I’m usually disappointed in ‘remix’ EPs, and this one was no exception. A bunch of bleep-bloopin’, some distorted beats… not my thing. But that one HSH cover saves it.

After a bike-pedalin’ Sunday afternoon, it was a late dinner at Boston Beer Works as we watched Pedro & the Sox crush the Rangers again. Satisfying, all around. Now that’s what I call a weekend.

Ok, so I want this


Y’see, I’m a sucker for all things Hellboy, but the top eBay bids are looking too pricey (going for upwards of $100). Curse those limited editions, curse my restraint, and curse my sorry-ass bank account.

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  • BOSTON-AREA LIVE SHOW ACTION
    Saturday, December 20th
    The Del Fuegos
    early & late shows
    @ City Winery

    Sunday, December 21st
    Samantha Fish
    Cedric Burnside
    Jon Spencer
    @ the Wilbur

    Saturday, December 27th
    John Oliver
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, December 28th
    The Felice Brothers
    Charlotte Cornfield
    @ the Sinclair

    Monday & Tuesday
    December 29th & 30th
    The Disco Biscuits
    Monday @ the Sinclair
    Tuesday @ the Royale

    Thursday, January 8th
    Ms. Ezra Furman
    doing what she wants
    with Ryan Walsh
    (of Hallelujah the Hills)
    opening with a solo set
    @ the Rockwell

    Wednesday, January 14th
    Bishop Allen
    Mates of State
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, January 15th
    Cate Le Bon
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, January 15th
    Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
    "Piano & Voice" performance
    @ the MFA Boston

    Saturday, January 17th
    Silver Screams
    Static Friction
    Screw Cart
    Fear is a Mind Killer
    @ the Midway Cafe

    Monday, January 19th
    Shame
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Thursday, January 22nd
    Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers
    @ the House of Blues

    Thursday, January 27th
    The Residents
    Eskimo Live! Tour
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Thursday, January 29th
    Bad Bad Hats
    performing "Psychic Reader"
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Friday, January 30th
    Greg Freeman
    Golomb
    @ the Red Room at Cafe 939

    Saturday & Sunday
    January 31st & February 1st
    Something In The Way Fest 2026
    with Explosions In The Sky,
    Sunny Day Real Estate, Citizen,
    Tigers Jaw, The Hotelier, Momma,
    Angel Dust, February, First Day Back,
    Glitterer, Glixen, Gollylagging, Guv,
    Graham Hunt, Horse Jumper of Love,
    How Much Art, No Warning, Pelican,
    Park National, Pool Kids, Sheer Mag,
    Wicca Phase Springs Eternal,
    and Teen Suicide
    @ Roadrunner

    Thursday, February 12th
    Brandi Carlile
    The Head and the Heart
    @ TD Garden

    Friday, February 13th
    Nine Inch Nails
    @ TD Garden

    Friday, February 20th
    Marissa Nadler
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Saturday, February 21st
    Margo Price
    @ the Royale

    February 28th
    Ratboys
    Florry
    @ the Sinclair

    Tuesday, March 3rd
    Spiritual Cramp
    @ the Sinclair

    Wednesday, March 4th
    Cat Power
    "The Greatest 2026" tour
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, March 6th
    Michael Shannon,
    Jason Narducy,
    & friends play REM's
    "Life's Rich Pageant"
    with opener
    Eugene Mirman
    @ the Royale

    Friday, March 13th
    Quarters
    Paper Lady
    @ the Royale

    Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
    March 13th, 14th, & 15th
    Dropkick Murphys
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Tuesday, March 17th
    Dropkick Murphys
    @ House of Blues

    Thursday, March 19th
    Julianna Barwick
    & Mary Lattimore
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Friday, March 20th
    The Hives
    The Chats
    @ House of Blues

    Saturday, March 21st
    Cass McCombs
    Chris Cohen
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Saturday, March 21st
    Joyce Manor
    Militarie Gun
    Teen Mortgage
    Combat
    @ House of Blues

    Sunday, March 22nd
    Maria Somerville
    @ the ICA Boston

    Monday, March 23rd
    Westerman
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, March 26th
    The Format
    Piebald
    Adult Mom
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, March 29th
    Ladysmith Black Mambazo
    @ Sanders Theatre

    Wednesday, April 1st
    Wednesday (the band)
    @ Roadrunner

    Thursday, April 2nd
    On Cinema Live! with
    Tim Heidecker
    & Gregg Turkington
    @ the Wilbur

    Friday, April 3rd
    Patrick Watson
    @ Somerville Theatre

    Friday & Saturday
    April 3rd & 4th
    Hayley Williams
    Water From Your Eyes
    @ House of Blues

    Saturday, April 4th
    The Dirty Three
    @ the Sinclair

    Saturday, April 4th
    Puscifer
    Dave Hill
    @ the Wang Theatre

    Wednesday, April 8th
    Mclusky
    Pile
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, April 9th
    Circle Jerks
    Gorilla Biscuits
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, April 16th
    Rhiannon Giddens
    @ the Orpheum

    Saturday, April 18th
    The Last Dinner Party
    Florence Road
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, April 19th
    Heavenly
    Swansea Sound
    Jeanines
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, April 30th
    Oklou
    @ the Royale

    Monday, May 4th
    Yumi Zouma
    Ducks Ltd.
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, May 14th
    Melody's Echo Chamber
    @ the Royale

    Tuesday & Wednesday
    May 19th & 20th
    Belle and Sebastian
    play "Tigermilk" (19th) and
    "If You're Feeling Sinister" (20th)
    @ the Orpheum

    Thursday, June 11th
    Echo & the Bunnymen
    @ Roadrunner

    Tuesday, June 23rd
    Wolfmother
    @ House of Blues

    Wednesday, June 24th
    The Church
    The Singles Tour
    (rescheduled from 8/1/25)
    @ Somerville Theatre

    Tuesday, July 14th
    Joe Jackson
    @ the Chevalier

    Friday, September 4th
    Peter Hook & the Light
    play New Order's "Get Ready"
    @ House of Blues

    Saturday, September 12th
    Rush
    @ TD Garden