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

tuesday, september 23rd

cut copy

the presets

@ the paradise

wednesday, september 24th

low

tulsa

@ 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

sunday, october 12th

jamie lidell

@ the paradise

tuesday, october 14th

cold war kids

@ the paradise

thursday, october 16th

ben kweller

whitley

@ 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

Monday, April 10, 2006

Mp3s: Silver Jews in Cambridge, MA

As DC Berman said from the stage when he and his Silver Jews came to town a few weeks back: "It's not a once in a lifetime thing...". Before this first ever Joos tour, most of us figured it'd be a "not in our lifetime" thing, but Berman, his wife Cassie, and some musical friends made it happen. Only took him 15 years or so, and he even promised they'd return to these parts again.

Until then, or until another Silver Jews album arrives, here's something to hold onto... the entire set from their show at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA. It was the 8th night of the tour, and according to someone there who'd also seen the two previous NY shows, it was a night that they really came together as a 'band'. I've got nothing to compare it to, but it all worked for me.

The only real drawback? People, of course. While most of the sold-out crowd was there to see and hear the something special, there seemed to be a disproportionate number who were there to be seen and heard, who'd read that it was 'the place to be', and spent the set both jibbering and jabbering. You'll hear what I mean when you listen to the mp3s... there's a constant buzz of conversation throughout.

Fortunately the mix helps mightily. The usual difficulty of mixing in the confines of the low-ceilinged Middle East downstairs was overcome by their touring soundman, who just happened to be Pavement drummer Steve West. I thought I recognized him when checking to see if it was cool to record the show (and of course, it was), and sure enough, he was along for the trip. Definitely explains why the drum sounds, which can be the first things to get lost in a sometimes-muddy MidEast mix, come through pretty damn clear. This equal-parts Joos & Pavement fan got a little kick out of seeing West behind the board when his ex-bandmate (and now tour manager) Bob Nostanovich came on stage to drum on a couple songs. I've loved "Trains Across The Sea" for what seems like forever, and having him play his original part was a real treat.

Here's the show, more links below...

The Silver Jews

Live at The Middle East Downstairs
Cambridge, MA
Sunday, March 19th, 2006

(note: files removed on 10/1/2006)

01. intro
02. Black & Brown Blues
03. Animal Shapes
04. banter 1
05. Smith & Jones Forever
06. Pet Politics
07. Buckingham Rabbit
08. Trains Across The Sea
09. How Can I Love You If You Won't Lie Down
10. How To Rent A Room
11. I'm Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You
12. Random Rules
13. Horseleg Swastikas
14. banter 2
15. The Poor, The Fair, & The Good
16. Slow Education
17. There Is A Place
18. Punks In The Beerlight
19. I've Loved Them Every One (TG Sheppard cover)

Although the setlist indicated they'd close with "Inside the Golden Days of Missing You", they decided against it...

For an excellent recollection of the night, head over to False 45th.

The Phoenix has a nice SJ article and review of the show as well.

For an entirely wrong-headed write-up, read this Boston Globe one.

Some pictures from the evening can be found over at donut muse, and well as planetswest.

Not only to the Joos have a very detailed fansite, The Corduroy Suit, but they've also got a myspace page that's maintained by a friend o' the band. Good stuff.

Want some more live Silver Jews? Into the whole torrent thing? You can grab the entire March 21st set from the Starlight Ballroom in Philadelphia over at dimeadozen.

Again with the fine print: If anyone has an issue with this live set being made available, just say the word (email link on left). Songs recorded with a Sony Sony ECM-719 mic and a Sony MZ-RH10 minidisc, converted to .wav and then to 192kbps mp3s. And keep in mind, sets are made available for a few weeks, and cannot be reposted once removed.

Labels: livemp3s