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recommended boston area events

thursday, september 2nd

lou barlow + the missingmen

wye oak

the unfamiliars

@ the middle east upstairs


saturday, september 4th

mg lederman (ex-victory at sea)

cd release show with

the wrong reasons

the beat awfuls

brant deatley

@ the plough & stars


sunday, september 5th

sweet apple

(w/j mascis on drums)

black helicopter

zombie radio

@ the middle east downstairs


sunday, september 5th

the milling gowns

what time is it, mr. fox?

faux ox

jaggery

@ harper's ferry


monday, september 6th

wallcreeper

@ charlie's kitchen


monday, september 6th

shellac

helen money

@ the middle east downstairs


tuesday, september 7th

tortoise

greg davis

ben vidas

@ the paradise


tuesday, september 7th

someone still loves you boris yeltsin

telekinesis

golden bloom

@ tt the bears


tuesday, september 7th

kele (from bloc party)

does it offend you, yeah?

@ the royale boston


wednesday, september 8th

hot hot heat

22-20s

hey rosetta!

@ the middle east downstairs


wednesday, september 8th

airborne toxic event (acoustic)

with the calder string quartet

@ the somerville theatre


thursday, september 9th

apple betty

this blue heaven

the backup factor

apollo run

@ tt the bears


friday, september 10th

i, pistol

black fortress of opium

the crushing low

@ precinct


friday, september 10th

the charlatans uk

sherlock's daughter

@ the royale boston


saturday, september 11th

school of seven bells

active child

@ the middle east downstairs


saturday, september 11th

neutral uke hotel (nmh covers on ukelele)

the michael j. epstein memorial library

@ cafe 939, berklee


saturday, september 11th

28 degrees taurus

magic shoppe (record release!)

@ the rosebud


saturday, september 11th

jamie lidell

@ the royale boston


friday + saturday

september 11th + 12th

the life is good festival

lots of bands, raising money for kids

over 2 days in canton, ma


sunday, september 12th

jarrod gorbel

(of the honorary title)

air traffic controller

@ great scott


sunday, september 12th

blondie

@ the house of blues


sunday, september 12th

vampire weekend

beach house

dum dum girls

@ the boa pavilion


monday, september 13th

dirty projectors

owen pallett (final fantasy)

@ the wilbur theatre


monday, september 13th

isobel campbell

mark lanegan

willy mason

@ the middle east downstairs


tuesday, september 14th

rush

@ the td garden


wednesday, september 15th

laura veirs + the hall of flames

the watson twins

led to sea

@ tt the bears


thursday, september 16th

of montreal

janelle monae

@ the house of blues boston


friday, september 17th

one happy island

kevin dunn

cotton candy

7:30pm @ the lily pad, cambridge


friday, september 17th

broken social scene

@ the house of blues


friday & saturday

september 17th & 18th

the 5th annual

viva la vinal festival!

with live performances from

audrey ryan, kingsley flood,

this blue heaven, bridget + the squares,

the international string trio, & justin shorey

6-10pm on friday + 12-9 on saturday

@ somerville community growing center

on vinal ave. in somerville's union square


saturday, september 18th

pavement

jenny (lewis) + johnny (rice)

@ agganis arena


saturday, september 18th

wavves

@ brandeis university, waltham


sunday, september 19th

thee oh sees

the human tail

thick shakes

@ the magic room gallery, brighton


sunday, september 19th

caribou

holy fuck

emeralds

@ the paradise


monday, september 20th

girlfriends

carnivores

weekend dads

@ o'brien's


tuesday, september 21st

superchunk

versus

@ royale boston


tuesday, september 21st

basia bulat

the acorn

john shade

@ tt the bears


tuesday, september 21st

sea wolf (alex acoustic)

sera cahoone

patrick park

@ the middle east upstairs


wednesday, september 22nd

phantogram

railbird

@ the paradise


wednesday, september 22nd

david bazan

the mynabirds

@ tt the bears


wednesday, september 22nd

field music

@ great scott


thursday, september 23rd

aloud (album release party!)

st. claire

old jack

with special emcee

poet/author james caroline

@ church of boston


thursday, september 23rd

stars

wild nothing

@ the house of blues


thursday, september 23rd

!!! (chk chk chk)

fol chen

@ the royale boston


thursday, september 23rd

bettie serveert

meandjoancollins

the painted lights

@ tt the bears


friday, september 24th

eels

@ the royale boston


saturday, september 25th

teenage fanclub

@ the royale boston


saturday, september 25th

james

ed harcourt

@ the paradise


sunday, september 26th

come (reunited!)

wussy

@ tt the bears


sunday, september 26th

mr. sister (debut album release!)

coyote kolb

tallahassee

@ great scott


sunday, september 26th

mates of state

@ the paradise


monday, september 27th

rogue wave

midlake

peter wolf crier

@ royale boston


tuesday, september 28th

lcd soundsystem

sleigh bells

@ the orpheum


tuesday, september 28th

best coast

male bonding

@ the middle east downstairs


wednesday, september 29th

quilt

paper castles

toothache

@ the lilypad


wednesday, september 29th

foals

esben + the witch

@ the paradise


thursday, september 30th

mc frontalot

@ tt the bears


thursday, september 30th

menomena

suckers

@ the royale boston


thursday + friday

sept 30th + oct 1st

built to spill

revolt revolt

pretty & nice

@ the paradise


friday, october 1st

the tallest man on earth

s. carey (of bon iver's band)

@ the somerville theatre


friday, october 1st

ra ra riot

chikita violenta

we barbarians

@ the royale boston


saturday, october 2nd

gayngs

(with bon iver's justin vernon)

glasser

@ the paradise


saturday, october 2nd

film school

the depreciation guild

static of the gods

night fruit

@ tt the bears


sunday, october 3rd

the xx

@ the orpheum


sunday, october 3rd

tom tom club

caravan of thieves

tony castles

@ the paradise


sunday, october 3rd

lost in the trees

@ tt the bears


tuesday, october 5th

the vaselines

jeffrey lewis

@ the paradise


tuesday, october 5th

chapterhouse

ulrich schnauss

@ the middle east downstairs


tuesday, october 5th

ratatat

dom

@ the house of blues boston


wednesday, october 6th

gorillaz

@ agganis arena


wednesday, october 6th

the hold steady

wintersleep

@ the royale boston


thursday, october 7th

the walkmen

a.a. bondy

blood feathers

@ the royale boston


friday, october 8th

death

@ the middle east downstairs


friday, october 8th

fountains of wayne

marshall crenshaw (solo)

@ the paradise


friday, october 8th

bell x1 (acoustic)

@ the brattle theatre


saturday, october 9th

paul f. tompkins

@ the brattle theatre


sunday, october 10th

deerhoof

xiu xiu

father murphy

first show @ the paramount!


sunday, october 10th

miike snow

@ the house of blues


sunday, october 10th

primus

mucca pazza

@ the orpheum


tuesday, october 12th

ingrid michaelson

@ the house of blues


wednesday, october 13th

dead kennedys

@ the paradise


thursday, october 14th

the thermals

cymbals eat guitars

@ the paradise


thursday, october 14th

the morning after girls

the lovetones

the december sound

ghost box orchestra

@ tt the bears


friday, october 15th

nick lowe + his band

graham parker (solo acoustic)

@ the somerville theatre


friday, october 15th

jimmy eat world

@ the house of blues


friday, october 15th

bowerbirds

death vessel

@ tt the bears


friday, october 15th

belle + sebastian

@ the wang theatre / citi center


saturday, october 16th

deerhunter

real estate

casino vs. japan

@ royale boston


sunday, october 17th

the henry clay people

the dig

@ tt the bears


monday, october 18th

greg dulli

(afghan whigs/twilight singers)

first-ever solo tour

with opener craig wedren

(of shudder to think)

@ the brattle theatre


monday, october 18th

bad religion

the bouncing souls

@ the house of blues


monday, october 18th

the drums

the hairs

@ the paradise


monday, october 18th

phoenix

two door cinema club

wavves

@ agganis arena


tuesday, october 19th

massive attack

thievery corporation

@ the orpheum


wednesday, october 20th

the pains of being pure at heart

yuck

eternal summers

@ the paradise


wednesday, october 20th

helmet

@ the middle east downstairs


sunday, october 22nd

gary numan

rasputina

playing 'the pleasure principle'

@ the paradise


saturday, october 23rd

local natives

the ruby suns

union line

@ the house of blues


sunday, october 24th

woven bones

frankie rose & the outs

@ tt the bears


monday, october 25th

the corin tucker band

hungry ghost

darren hanlon

@ the paradise


wednesday, october 27th

a sunny day in glasgow

candy claws

@ great scott


wednesday, october 27th

black prairie

(members of the decemberists)

sarah jarosz

@ the middle east upstairs


thursday, october 28th

the tt's halloween bash

with members of mean creek + campaign

for real time (as talking heads)

john powhida (as todd rundgren)

preacher roe (as guided by voices)

@ tt the bears


friday, october 29th

frightened rabbit

plants and animals

the phantom band

@ the paradise


saturday, october 30th

hallelujah the hills

magic magic

boy without god

@ great scott


sunday, october 31st

florence and the machine

the smith westerns

@ the house of blues


monday, november 1st

blonde redhead

pantha du prince

@ the paradise


monday, november 1st

social distortion

lucero

frank turner

@ the house of blues boston


tuesday, november 2nd

junip (jose gonzales)

sharon van etten

@ the royale boston


tuesday, november 2nd

black mountain

the black angels

@ the paradise


wednesday, november 3rd

the dandy warhols

blue giant

@ tt the bears


wednesday, november 3rd

land of talk

suuns

little scream

@ tt the bears


thursday, november 4th

through sunday, november 7th

the international pop overthrow

4 nights @ pa's lounge


thursday, november 4th

matt + kim

javelin

@ the house of blues


thursday, november 4th

blitzen trapper

@ the paradise


friday, november 5th

guided by voices

blitzen trapper

@ the paradise


sunday, november 7th

drivin 'n cryin

@ tt the bears


monday, november 8th

clinic

the fresh & onlys

@ the paradise


tuesday, november 9th

the morning benders

@ the paradise


thursday + friday

november 11th + 12th

sufjan stevens

@ the orpheum


thursday, november 11th

shearwater

horse feathers

damien jurado

anais mitchell

@ the house of blues


thursday, november 11th

deer tick

@ the royale boston


thursday, november 11th

mumford & sons

cadillac sky

king charles

@ the house of blues


friday, november 12th

bottomless pit

black helicopter

chris brokaw

@ the middle east downstairs


saturday, november 13th

roky erickson

@ the royale boston


saturday, november 13th

grinderman

(nick cave, warren ellis, + more)

@ the house of blues


sunday, november 14th

elizabeth mitchell (of ida)

and friends

(a children's show!)

4:30pm @ club passim


sunday, november 14th

man or astro-man?

@ the middle east downstairs


monday, november 15th

la roux

@ the house of blues


tuesday, november 16th

a night of springsteen covers

with chris keene (mean creek),

corin ashley, dave aaronoff,

brendan little, hilken mancini,

the dirty truckers, drew o'doherty,

and more to be announced

marking the release of the new

6-disk 'darkness on the edge of town'

box set @ tt the bears


tuesday, november 16th

the posies

brendan benson

aqueduct

@ the royale boston


wednesday, november 17th

cornershop

@ the middle east downstairs


thursday, november 18th

kate nash

@ the paradise


thursday, november 18th

bear in heaven

@ the middle east downstairs


friday, november 19th

township

the lights out

the organ beats

@ tt the bears


saturday, november 20th

delorean

lemonade

@ the middle east downstairs


wednesday, november 24th

idlewild

happy hollows

@ the middle east downstairs


thursday, december 2nd

director/actor kevin smith

@ the house of blues


saturday, december 4th

peter hook + the light

play joy division's "unknown pleasures"

@ the royale boston


saturday, december 4th

killing joke

@ the paradise


visit tourfilter for more shows






Friday, June 27, 2003

Review - TMBG's Gigantic : A Tale of Two Johns
On the last night of it's one week run at the Brattle Theater, I was able to check out the new They Might Be Giants documentary "Gigantic : A Tale of Two Johns." I was as much motivated by an escape into air-conditioned comfort as I was by the film's limited release, but either way, I'm pretty glad I made the solo trip.

The obligatory (and perhaps overly long) backstory : For about four years, maybe late '87 to early '92, I was a rabid TMBG fan. Possibly obsessive. Knew all the lyrics on the first couple records, called the Dial-A-Song service nearly every day for awhile (even bought a telephone recording adapter so I could make compilation tapes of the calls). When they started playing outside of NYC, I caught as many shows as I could, nervously shaking their hands after some, sayin' thanks. I tracked down bootlegs, bought all the merch, made collections of all the b-sides. I freaked out when Lincoln was released. Flood, too. I was in complete shock when they appeared on the Tonight Show. I was Mr. Horrible. Through college, as I went from early-alternative-boy, to goth-boy, to industrial-boy, back to alternative-boy, to indie-rock-boy, TMBG was always there.

Until 1992, when the love affair ended. I'm not sure exactly why, although it's probably not a coincidence that '92 marked their first tour with a backing band, rather than the two-guys-and-a-backing-tape action of their previous shows. To me, that was TMBG at their peak ... just the two of them, up on stage, jumping around, unlike any other band I'd ever seen. The accordian, the saxomaphone, the guitar, the Stick, the reel to reel, the songs. For me, up until Apollo 18, the songs were good enough to make up for any perceived 'lack of stage presence' that others saw.

The documentary addresses this subject very specifically, explaining that it was primarily outside forces (aka 'label/management folks/friends') who persuaded the Johns to find backing musicians. Nothing against the talent of the guys they got to play with them, but to my ears, they just never needed it. If anything, the two-man show was 'concentrated-Giants', and the full band just diluted their art. They became like so many bands before and after them... two guitars, bass, keys, drums. Granted, the sax and accordian stayed around, but it was never the same as those early, sweaty college shows.

Apparantly there were even fans who 'boycotted' the band from that point on, going as insanely far as standing outside shows with 'no band!' petitions. Yeesh. My reaction wasn't quite that strong, I just had too many other bands to discover, and not enough time to spend with one that I used to love so much more. (It also didn't help that my obsession with TMBG was shared with someone very close to me, and in '92 their sudden absence in my life made the early stuff TMBG stuff kinda hard to take. To this day, 'She's An Angel' is still a bittersweet listen.)

In 1995, I did something I never thought I'd do. I actually walked out of a TMBG concert. I hadn't heard 'em in years, hadn't seen the full band thing since that one time in '92, but they were playing in my freakin' hometown, at the big local theater on Main Street. Red carpet, red seats, red stage curtain, the whole deal. I mean, how could I not go? So a friend and I bought our tickets, sat down... and found ourselves apathetic. The memory of the old shows were just too strong... the energy, intensity, originality. I felt too uninvolved, sitting several rows back, the crowd so well-behaved, the band so distant and above us all on the massive stage. It happens. About halfway through the show, Mike and I just looked at each other with "I'm bored" written all over our faces. And so we left.

Flash forward to 2003. The Johns are still around, doing their thing, plugging away... I just haven't really been paying attention. Hell, I didn't even know they'd written the Daily Show's theme song, something I hear every single weekday (so technically, yes, I still listen to 'em, 20 seconds at a time). I nearly didn't go check out Gigantic, but the other day I was able to put myself back in the brain of the college-me. I can picture the former-me shaking the now-me, saying "but it's a They Might Be Giants movie! You used to LOVE them. It's playing at one of your favorite theaters. You owe it to me to go." And y'know, he was right. The band was a huge part of my life for awhile, and the songs still sit there somewhere in the back of my mind, waiting to get dusted off occasionally, nostalgically playing along with nothing but the best of memories. An evening of cinematic mental time-travel was in order.

So how was the thing? Well, I tried to look at it from both a former-fan's perspective and a "who the hell are these two guys?" perspective. Obviously you're going to get a hell of a lot more out of it if you have some appreciation for what the Johns have created together. It starts off slowly, however, with a bit of history on Honest Abe, leading to TMBG's hometown of Lincoln, Mass, then on to a few fairly obvious and uncomfortably delivered interview bits. Straight away we get some full-band live footage which, of course, didn't connect with me very well. After the first 15 minutes, I was enjoying the A/C more than the movie, but as soon as they dove into the early years, the dial-a-songs, the Bernstein videos, the Carson appearance, I was hooked. Admittedly, even a couple of the live songs grabbed me, especially 'She's An Angel'. I'm not sure it's even possible to make that song sound bad.

In addition to their manager, tour managers, critics, and label people, several note-worthy celebs are interviewed throughout about the Johns, including Syd Straw, Frank Black, Ira Glass, Josh Kornbluth, Janeane Garofalo, Dave Eggers, and others. Visits to the Daily Show, Tonight Show, and Conan O'Brien are included as well, along with entirely random spoken-word performances by Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and Andy Richter. Then again, it wouldn't be a TMBG documentary without a little dash of randomness.

As I said, I'm really glad I went... it was like hanging with an old friend for a little while. I was reminded of so many great songs, so many fun shows, and of just how much I used to worship the two Johns. If you ever loved a They Might Be Giants song, track down Gigantic if it's playing anywhere near you, or check out the bound-to-happen DVD.

Jeez, this post has gone on far too long, and taken up waaaay to much of my breaktime today. Time to go do the dumb things I gotta do. Oh, and touch the puppethead.











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