bradley's almanac - a boston music blog

boston area shows of note:

friday, july 25th

comedian joel mchale

(from the soup)

@ the wilbur theatre

saturday, july 26th

bon iver

bowerbirds

@ the museum of fine arts

sunday, july 27th

the new collisions (debut)

red quiet

melt

@ tt the bears

sunday, july 27th

sunfold

antiques

@ the middle east upstairs

wednesday, july 30th

we are scientists

@ the middle east downstairs

wednesday, july 30th

earlimart

@ the middle east upstairs

wednesday, july 30th

spiritualized

the dirtbombs

@ the wilbur theatre

thursday, july 31st

the police

elvis costello & the impersonators

@ the tweeter center

friday & saturday

august 1st & 2nd

eddie vedder

liam finn

solo @ the opera house

saturday, august 2nd

wolf parade

@ the paradise

monday, august 4th

coldplay

@ the garden

tuesday, august 5th

(and every tuesday this month)

neil cleary's 'doozy'

a guest-packed 4-show residency

@ the lizard lounge

wednesday, august 6th

neil halstead (slowdive/mojave 3)

rogue wave

jack johnson

@ the tweeter center

saturday, august 9th

margot & the nuclear so and so's

@ the middle east

saturday, august 9th

melvins

@ the paradise

sunday, august 10th

ho-ag

six finger satellite

the in-out

certainly, sir

@ great scott

tuesday, august 12th

thao nguyen with

the get down stay down

david schultz & the skyline

pepi ginsberg

@ tt the bears

tuesday, august 12th

(and every tuesday this month)

neil cleary's 'doozy'

a guest-packed 4-show residency

@ the lizard lounge

wednesday, august 13th

radiohead

grizzly bear

@ the tweeter center

thursday, august 14th

grizzly bear

violens

outside in the courtyard

@ the museum of fine arts

friday, august 15th

the ex

getachew mekuria

debo band

@ the middle east downstairs

saturday, august 16th

+/- (plus minus)

broken river prophet (cd release!)

animal hospital

ba-na-nas

free kickass cupcakes from 9-10pm!

@ the middle east upstairs

tuesday, august 19th

(and every tuesday this month)

neil cleary's 'doozy'

a guest-packed 4-show residency

@ the lizard lounge

wednesday, august 20th

human league, belinda carlisle, abc,

flock of seagulls, naked eyes

@ the bank of america pavilion

thursday, august 21st

yndi halda

caspian

irepress

@ tt the bears

friday, august 22nd

obits (ex-hot snakes/rftc)

@ the middle east

saturday, august 23rd

amo joy!

franklin bruno

(from nothing painted blue)

one happy island (ep release!)

@ the lily pad

saturday, august 23rd

newbury comics / unnatural axe

30th anniversary bash

the meatmen, queers, nasties,

unnatural axe, sleazies

@ the middle east down

tuesday, august 26th

the final installment of...

neil cleary's 'doozy'

a guest-packed august residency

@ the lizard lounge

wednesday, august 27th

liz phair performing

'exile in guyville'

@ the paradise

wednesday, august 27th

xiu xiu

prurient

@ the paradise

monday, september 1st

the juan maclean

@ the middle east downstairs

friday, september 5th

silver jews

@ the middle east downstairs

saturday, september 6th

my morning jacket

@ the bank of america pavilion

sunday, september 7th

ryan adams & the cardinals

@ the bank of america pavilion

tuesday, september 9th

paul weller

@ the berklee performance center

saturday, september 13th

wfnx disorientation 2008

the kooks, flogging molly,

alkaline trio, rogue wave,

and more to be announced

@ bank of america pavilion

monday, september 15th

james

@ the paradise

tuesday, september 16th

a place to bury strangers

@ the paradise

thursday, september 18th

the walkmen

@ the middle east downstairs

friday, september 19th

sigur ros

@ the bank of america pavilion

friday, september 19th to

sunday, september 21st

all tomorrow's parties

with my bloody valentine, low

built to spill, mogwai, shellac,

polvo, yo la tengo, lilys, autolux

dinosaur jr, mercury rev, & more

@ the catskills in nyc

monday, september 22nd

mogwai

fuck buttons

@ the wilbur theatre

tuesday, september 23rd

writer dennis lehane

(release day for 'the given day')

@ the coolidge corner theatre

wednesday, september 24th

low

@ the museum of fine arts boston

saturday, september 27th

built to spill

performing 'perfect from now on'

dinosaur jr.

meat puppets

@ the orpheum

sunday, september 28th

the bird and the bee

willoughby

@ great scott

thursday, september 30th

boston spaceships

(gbv's robert pollard)

big dipper

@ the paradise

sunday, october 5th

pinback

@ the paradise

monday, october 6th

the wedding present

@ the middle east downstairs

monday, october 6th

stereolab

monade

@ the paradise

wednesday, october 8th

wire

@ the middle east downstairs

sunday, october 12th

the residents

@ showcase live, foxboro

sunday, october 12th

the notwist

@ the roxy

tuesday, october 14th

cold war kids

@ the paradise

friday, october 17th

jonathan richman

with drummer tommy larkin

@ the somerville theatre

saturday, october 18th

ra ra riot

walter meego

the morning benders

@ the middle east

tuesday & wednesday

october 21st & 22nd

billy bragg

@ the somerville theatre

wednesday, october 22nd

lyle lovett & john hiatt

(acoustic, on stage together)

@ the orpheum

thursday, october 30th

of montreal

@ the orpheum

saturday, november 1st

henry rollins (spoken word)

@ the orpheum

monday, november 3rd

coldplay

@ the td banknorth garden

visit tourfilter for more shows

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

On Seeing Sodastream

As tough as I figured it'd be to take in a late Sunday show (insert Danny Glover-style whining here), it ended up feeling like the perfect day of the week for Sodastream at the Zeitgeist Gallery in Inman Square. Relaxing, captivating, mellow in the best way. Easing me softly into a new week.

Sodastream are two gents from Australia who've been spreading their gentle-pop across the U.S. since Austin's SxSW fest in mid-march. It's apparantly been an up n' down journey for Karl and Pete, disappointing at times, rewarding at others, buoyed by people they've met and fans they've made. On this part of the tour they're playing a few dates with Chris Ziter from the Essex Green, and joined by locals Shumai for the Boston show. When Pete hopped on a laptop during a little pre-show meal at our place, I asked if he was going to update their tour diary. "No, it's been abandoned I'm afraid. No reason to write when there's little good to share," he replied jokingly, with a slight shade of seriousness.

karl, pete, & chris

It may have been the road-weariness talking, but his momentary bout of doubt certainly didn't impact their performance that night. It was just wonderful. Ashamedly, I'd only heard a few of their songs before, so I was ready to love their set... but in a live setting it brought on the major chills. They really make the most of their two-man setup, with Karl's stunning voice and light acoustic, Pete beside him on a stand-up double bass. He had the low-end covered, either plucking the notes or beautifully drawing a bow across, and his baritone backing vocals contrastedly strikingly with Karl's highs. A bonus for us, the Zeitgeist had a grand piano, so Karl sat down for a couple songs. I'm a sucker for strings... throw a piano on top of that and I'm gone.

The high point of the night by far was "Constant Ships", off their latest cd "A Minor Revival". Wow. Rise and fall, Karl's voice alone for a moment, then the instruments come back in and it builds to goosebumps. Pete kindly offered me the disc after the show, but I'd have paid generously for a recording of that one song alone.

Chris Ziter is a friend that does me the favor of writing songs I genuinely like, so I'm never tempted to offer up half-sincere post-set compliments. I've never had the chance to hear him alone like this, just his songs, his guitar, and a harmonica. His band, the Essex Green, is about the variety of multiple songwriters, a Jeff song here, a Sasha song there, a Chris song in between. In this solo setting, my appreciation for both his voice and songwriting skills swelled... he was right on, despite a bit of a cold. His slightly-lowered range actually allowed him to more-easily treat us to an old Guppyboy song, instantly bringing me back to Burlington days. He appreciated the crowd's ultra-attentiveness enough to thank 'em for it, and I do as well. No mumbling, no background rustling, just the songs and the occasional whoosh of a car on the wet, rainy roads outside. Pretty much perfect.

Shumai had what they referred to as an 'off night', and it musta been tough following up the beauty of Sodastream with some full-on louder pop, but I was glad to finally see 'em all the same. We've got a few friends in common, and as a Boston pop-fan they were always on my 'should probably catch them' list. Yeah, they were a little loose, and the sound was a little rougher since it was full-bandish, but the catchy moments came through, and I really dug Collin's vocals. They debuted a new song by the bass player, and her bass line is still sorta stuck in my head. Speaking of bass lines, when one started a particular song, I was ready to cry "Shenanigans!" and call them on their Small Factory-stealing... until the guitars kicked in and I realized they were in fact playing the Factory's "Valentine" (technically a Lois cover, I know, don't indie-nitpick me). Nice to hear the sounds of Small Factory living on beyond our own meager attempts.

All in all, such a great night of music, and one that should have been better attended. Blame the Sunday night, blame the rain, blame the non-club location... but hopefully when Sodastream returns the stars will align and bring them the crowd they deserve. Fingers crossed that it will be soon, too.

posted by brad at 12:49 PM | direct link | rss (1 :2) | |

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