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sunday, march 14th
a special screening of the
white stripes tour documentary
"under the great white northern lights"
free admission / prize pack drawing
10pm @ the otherside cafe
sunday, march 14th
carbon leaf
@ the paradise
monday, march 15th
one happy island
standard fare
summer cats
@ great scott
monday, march 15th
letting up despite great faults
the brother kite
plumerai
singing bridges
@ the middle east upstairs
tuesday, march 16th
bacchus king
croquet
cathy cathodic
the ugly fucklings
@ the middle east upstairs
wednesday, march 17th
joanna newsom
@ the sanders theatre, harvard
wednesday, march 17th
henry rollins (spoken word)
@ the somerville theatre
thursday, march 18th
apollo sunshine
drug rug
@ the paradise
friday, march 19th
i, pistol
mascara
planetoid
forgetful jones
@ tt the bears
saturday, march 20th
the whitehaus family blastfest
needy visions, manners,
morgan shaker, avi jacob,
and many more
@ cambridge ymca theatre
saturday, march 20th
air
am
@ berklee performance center
sunday, march 21st
the clientele
field music
@ great scott
wednesday, march 24th
extraneous noise presents...
golden spurs
spirit kid
some say fire
the novel ideas
@ the middle east upstairs
thursday, march 25th
"thursday night alright!" with
the beatings
aloud
action camp
hello ninja
@ great scott
thursday, march 25th
the donnas
@ the paradise
friday, march 26th
eldridge rodriguez (the beatings)
ryan lee crosby
ted billings (age rings/hot protestants)
@ the somerville armory
friday, march 26th
basia bulat
marissa nadler
lady lamb the beekeeper
@ tt the bears
saturday, march 27th
your say party! we say die!
the new collisions
static of the gods (cd release)
@ tt the bears
saturday, march 27th
the big pink
a place to bury strangers
magic magic
@ the paradise
saturday, march 27th
spoon
deerhunter
@ the house of blues
sunday, march 28th
beach house
bachelorette
@ the paradise
monday, march 29th
the soft pack
nodzzz
beaters
@ great scott
tuesday, march 30th
shearwater
wye oak
hospital ships
@ tt the bears
tuesday, march 30th
manchester orchestra
the features
biffy clyro
o'brother
@ the paradise
wednesday, march 31st
japandroids
love is all
girlfriends
@ the middle east downstairs
wednesday, march 31st
miike snow
delorean
@ the paradise
wednesday, march 31st
a sunny day in glasgow
pants yell!
bearstronaut
@ great scott
thursday, april 1st
girls
dum dum girls
@ the paradise
friday, april 2nd
the xx
jj (late show only)
two shows @ the paradise
friday, april 2nd
drive-by truckers
lucero
langhorne slim
@ the house of blues
saturday, april 3rd
cassavettes
the grownup noise
kingsley flood (cd release)
spouse
@ the middle east upstairs
saturday, april 3rd
black rebel motorcycle club
alberta cross
@ the house of blues
saturday, april 3rd
nada surf
dawn landes & the hounds
@ the paradise
sunday, april 4th
serena maneesh
depreciation guild
black fortress of opium
@ tt the bears
tuesday, april 6th
wilco
@ the orpheum
tuesday, april 6th
ben fold & a piano
kate miller-heidke
@ the house of blues
wednesday, april 7th
florence & the machine
@ the paradise
wednesday, april 7th
rocky votolato
brooke waggoner
@ great scott
thursday, april 8th
faces on film
hands & knees
st. claire (cd release!)
mr. sister
@ tt the bears
thursday, april 8th
thom yorke + atoms for peace
flying lotus
@ the citi/wang theatre
friday, april 9th
midlake
@ the paradise
saturday, april 10th
xiu xiu
tune-yards
@ the middle east downstairs
saturday, april 10th
ted leo & the pharmacists
obits
screaming females
@ the paradise
saturday, april 10th
pissed jeans
confines
sqrm
@ great scott
sunday, april 11th
fanfarlo
lawrence arabia
robert francis
@ the paradise
monday, april 12th
the wedding present
play their 1989 lp 'bizarro'
with openers girl in a coma
@ the middle east downstairs
monday, april 12th
titus andronicus
the babies
@ great scott
thursday, april 15th
jakob dylan with guests
neko case + kelly hogan
@ the wilbur theatre
thursday, april 15th
red sparowes
doomriders
@ the middle east downstairs
friday, april 16th
guillermo sexo
freddie t and the people
(ex-june of 44 / hoover)
travels
ghost box orchestra
@ pa's lounge
friday, april 16th
have nots (vinyl release!)
the appreciation post
razors in the night
wicked whiskey
the swaggerin growlers
@ tt the bears
saturday, april 17th
kaki king
an horse
@ the middle east downstairs
saturday, april 17th
the morning benders
miniature tigers
@ tt the bears
sunday, april 18th
heavy trash (w/jon spencer)
the konks
the cobra-matics
@ tt the bears
sunday, april 18th
the thermals
past lives
@ the middle east downstairs
monday, april 19th
trans am
@ the middle east downstairs
tuesday, april 20th
owen pallett (aka final fantasy)
@ the ica boston
tuesday, april 20th
elvis costello & the sugarcanes
@ the orpheum
tuesday, april 20th
the low anthem
timber timbre
@ the paradise
tuesday, april 20th
quasi
let's wrestle
@ the middle east downstairs
wednesday, april 21st
the church
special 30th anniversary
acoustic career retrospective
@ the somerville armory
wednesday, april 21st through
wednesday, april 28th
the 8th annual independent film festival of boston
@ various boston area theatres
including the somerville + brattle
thursday, april 22nd
the mary onettes
@ great scott
saturday, april 24th
graham parker with
the figgs
@ johnny d's, somerville
saturday, april 24th
los campesinos!
here we go magic
@ the paradise
sunday, april 25th
harlem
@ the great scott
monday, april 26th
echo + the bunneymen
hatcham social
@ the paradise
wednesday, april 28th
gogol bordello
devotchka
jesse malin
st. mark's social
@ the house of blues
thursday, april 29th
frightened rabbit
@ the paradise
friday, april 30th
the everyday visuals
the lights out
the flying machines
aloud
@ tt the bears
friday, april 30th
corinne bailey ray
@ the house of blues
friday, april 30th
the album leaf
sea wolf
@ the paradise
wednesday, april 28th
little boots
dragonette
fan death
@ the middle east downstairs
saturday, may 1st
white rabbits
here we go magic
@ the paradise
monday, may 3rd
yeasayer
sleigh bells
@ the paradise
tuesday, may 4th
gregory & the hawk
lady lamb the beekeeper
@ tt the bears
tuesday & wednesday
may 4th & 5th
public image ltd.
@ the royale (formerly the roxy)
wednesday & thursday
may 5th & 6th
jonsi (from sigur ros)
@ the house of blues
thursday, may 6th
shout out louds
@ the paradise
friday, may 7th
ok go
earl greyhound
robert francis
@ the paradise
saturday, may 8th
local natives
@ great scott
tuesday & wednesday
may 11th & 12th
dr. dog
deer tick
@ the paradise
thursday, may 13th
small brown bike
bridge and tunnel
your skull my closet
wallcreeper
@ great scott
saturday, may 22nd
killing joke
@ the paradise
tuesday, may 18th
spectrum (featuring sonic boom
from spacemen 3 + e.a.r.)
with the broken river prophet
@ the middle east upstairs
tuesday, may 25th
the smittens
allo darlin'
one happy island
hearts!attack
a smile and a ribbon
horowitz
@ the lizard lounge
wednesday, may 26th
reverend horton heat
cracker
miss derringer
@ the house of blues
friday, may 28th
mono
the twilight sad
@ the middle east downstairs
wednesday, june 2nd
kings of convenience
franklin for short
@ the paradise
wednesday, june 2nd
ryan bingham & the dead horses
@ tt the bears
wednesday & thursday
june 2nd & 3rd
the national
@ the house of blues
friday, june 4th
brian jonestown massacre
@ the paradise
friday, june 18th
reigning sound
movers & shakers
triplethick
@ tt the bears
saturday, june 19th
james taylor
carole king
@ the garden
sunday + monday
june 20th + 21st
isis
melvins
totimoshi
@ the paradise
thursday + saturday
august 19th + 21st
tom petty + the heartbreakers
my morning jacket
@ the comcast center
|
Friday, July 30, 2004 The Village / Manchurian Candidate / Vague Angels Ok, I admit... I really liked The Village. People are going to rip this sucker apart, call Shyamalan a hack, slam him for yet another attempt at a twist ending (which, of course, I won't reveal here). Yes, the critical assault has already begun. Some context: I enjoyed the Sixth Sense, loved Unbreakable (sorry, comic book geek here), didn't care much for Signs, but admired what it tried to do. I like Shyamalan because he has a very specific vision, offers up something different than your average Hollywood fare, even when it doesn't quite work. So why did I dig The Village? The main reason: Since I figured out the twist months ago when I saw the first trailer (no, I'm not braggin'... it's not too hard to guess it. Go ahead, take a shot. Storytelling 101.), and was so sure I was right, I was able to pay attention to how he got there there instead of guessing what he was going towards. The acting, the visuals, the details of the deception, the score. His films are mood-pieces, and this variation hit me just right. It wouldn't have worked at all without Bryce Howard. Opie Cunningham's daughter is a revelation in this thing... she just plain shines. Carries the film on her shoulders with some solid help from Joquain Phoenix. There's a scene between the two of them, sitting on a porch at night, that just kills... adds an emotional weight to the story that was sorely needed, given the fairly stiff 19th century dialogue the film was saddled with. There's one major plot hole that bugs me a bit... if anyone else sees the film this weekend, leave a comment so we can discuss it. I'd be curious to read what you think.  Yesterday's free-flick double feature included a screening of The Manchurian Candidate, in honor of all the political goings-on around town this week. The original is one of my favorite films, so this one had a lot to live up to. I went into it trying not to compare, and had heard there were enough changes in the script to do so, but left slightly disappointed that it wasn't more different than it's namesake. Mostly, it felt like it didn't know what it wanted to be. It tried to be a serious thriller, a commentary on our times, but veered into parody and unintentional comedy at a couple spots. The tone shift was occasionally jarring, a couple of the performances so hammy, cliche, and over the top that it disconnected from reality. Something closer would have cut harder, I think. Knowing the ending, the entire final act, naturally removed most of the tension for me. Without plot tweaking, I doubt it could have won me over... I was paying too close attention to the differences that didn't come, looking for more than just a 'modernization', so the letdown was inevitable. I should mention the good things about the film, though... lots of welcome and familiar faces filled out the supporting cast. I was especially surprised to see musicial genius Robyn Hitchcock in a fairly important speaking part, although remembering that directory Demme helmed his live concert film explains that. Bruno Ganz makes an appearance as well, and his face will always hold a warm place in my cinema-loving heart thanks to Wings of Desire, one of my favorite films ever. Geoffrey Wright's in there, too, and rocks as usual. Another recognizable face was Pablo Schreiber, who played Nick Sobotka in the excellent second season of The Wire, easily one of the best dramas on tv. (Y'know, I didn't connect it until just now, but he's Liev Schreiber's brother. How 'bout that.) That's not all the great bit actors that fill out the film ... Dean Stockwell, BeBe Winans, Charles Napier (the go-to guy for movie generals/sheriffs), Miguel Ferrer (Twin Peak's Albert, Robocop's Bob Morton) is in there, Tracey Walter (Repo Man and a million more), too. More than one person from the cast of 24 shows up as well. It's a freakin' who's who. The familiarity didn't stop with faces, but with songs as well. The Dead Kennedys, Gang of Four, Mission of Burma, TV on the Radio... gotta love Demme's choices. The biggest surprise of all was seeing Chris Leo's name in the film's credits. When it first appeared I thought... "Naaaah... couldn't be the same Chris Leo." Singer/guitarist from the Lapse, the Van Pelt, and the Smiles. Brother of Ted. A damn great songwriter. The "performed by" in the song listings said "Vague Angels", so unless he had a new band, it probably wasn't him. Then I saw the song title, "The Difference Between This, That, and the Other Thing", and knew it was Chris. That's an old Lapse song, from their criminally unreleased album. Hot damn, he made it onto the soundtrack. Ah ha! A quick web search brings up this Vague Angels page. So glad to learn that Chris is out playing again... and damn! looks like I just missed them here in Boston. Argh, not going to let that happen again, that's for sure.  |
sparklehorse
live at the paradise
in boston, mass.
on monday, february 26th, 2009
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boston music media
boston live show / event info
music blogroll
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music audiocasts
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