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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






Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Mp3s: Touch & Go's 25th - Day Two
Part two of my audio/visual look back at the Touch & Go Records 25th Anniversary Celebration that took place out in Chicago in September. While the opening Friday night gave us a mere five bands, the second day brought over a dozen: The New Year, Uzeda, Pegboy, Tim & Andy (of Silkworm & Bottomless Pit), the Ex, Killdozer, Jon (Mekons) & Kat (The Ex), Didjits, P.W. Long, Negative Approach, Sally Timms (Mekons), Scratch Acid, Man or Astro-Man?, Big Black, & Shellac.

For words and songs from the first night, look here. The third and final day should be up within the next week or two. Enjoy...









The New Year

Mp3: "Chinese Handcuffs" (live)

Mp3: "Reconstruction" (live)

When I learned that one of my favorite bands, The New Year, would be playing at noon on the second day, my first thought was "they're so not a sunshine band"... but they proved me wrong. Halfway through the set it hit me how their melodic, beautifully hypnotic four-guitar build-ups were an ideal start to a long day ahead. If I ran the world, they could be our stadium rock, sending their perfect chords out through the open air, reverberating into the world. Yeah, those words might look hyperbolic on your computer screen, but standing there listening to them, I sure as hell felt 'em.

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace)





Uzeda

Mp3: "Gold" (live)

Mp3: "Steel Man" (live)

And if I ran the world, you'd be watching 'Rockstar: Uzeda', and singer Giovanna Cacciola would be just right for their band. Fronted by what could be described as a female David Yow (minus the bare skin), the Italian four-piece put on one seriously powerful performance. If the New Year eased us into the day, Uzeda followed with a swift boot to the head.

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace)





Pegboy

Mp3: "Superstar" (live)

Mp3: "Dangermare" (live)

I don't think I laughed as much during any other weekend set as I did while Pegboy was on stage. Two o'clock in the afternoon and singer Larry Damore was already rip-roarin' drunk. I don't think I've ever seen anyone flip-off a crowd as affectionately as he did, and he didn't let the photographer's pit prevent him from heading into the crowd for some fan face time. A truly entertaining frontman, I dug watching him as much as he seemed to enjoy performing. Pegboy's been around forever, and the guy still looks like he feels lucky to be up there rocking out.

(T&G band page / Wikipedia page / MySpace)





Andy Cohen, Tim Midgett, & Biznono Kadane
(of Silkworm / Bottomless Pit)

Mp3: "LR72" (live)

One last song, for Michael...
"I've come for good reason, because you and I were friends..."

"...let me drink and weep, and see that a friendship was here"
(Silkworm site / T&G band page / Bottomless Pit site)





The Ex

Mp3: "Sister" (live)

Mp3: "title unknown" (live)

While I can appreciate the creativity and longevity behind these respected Dutch noise-makers, I must admit that sonically they don't do it for me. If any fans out there happen to know the name of song two above, fill me in with a comment below.

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace)





Killdozer

Mp3: "New Pants & Shirt" (live)

Mp3: "Le Grange (ZZ Top) / Cyst" (live)

Ahhh, Killdozer, how you remind me of my college radio days. Hearing "King of Sex" put me right back at WRUV, circa 1990. A great set, well-loved by the festival crowd, and frontman Michael Gerald is still a cocky wiseass. I do mean that in a good way.

A side note: Near the end of their set, this guy (who may or may not go by the name Timebomb Tom) completely freaked out (video). I mean, a total abandonment of all mental faculties. And distinctively not in a good way. Festival security yanked him for everyone's safety, including his own (trust me, he woulda got punched), and it was no easy task. I saw him literally frothing at the mouth as they dragged him towards the festival exits. I mean, Killdozer is damn good, but they're not "go insane!" good. Word is the guy snuck back in, only to be taken out again in 'cuffs. Timebomb, indeed.

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page / MySpace)





Jon Langford (from The Mekons)
& Kat (from The Ex)


Mp3: "You Must Have Walked Across My Mind Again"
(live George Jones cover)

Mp3: "Last Fair Deal Done Down" (live)

A short, stripped-down four-song interlude from Mr. Langford & Ms. Kat cleansed our musical palate in between the dirty-noize of Killdozer and the impending pop-punk assault that was on deck...

(Mekons site / Jon Langford's site / The Ex site)





Didjits

Mp3: "Plate In My Head" (live)

Mp3: "Who's Ready To Get High" (live)

Wow. Didjits. What can I say? I'd never heard 'em, and was pretty well blown away by the old-skool pop-punk they served up. I wasn't the only one... the cheers and applause were loud and lengthy. Singer/guitarist Rick Sims is a born showman, and any time that goes by without him fronting some loud-ish band playing fast-ish songs is a musical crime. Such a great set.

It was made even better when I glanced over to my right to find Rick and Rose from the Poster Children alongside me, enjoying the sounds from their Champaign-spawned brethren even more than I was. Rose's near-non-stop pogo action was super-infectious. Three cheers for the PKids. (you have heard Radio Zero, Rick and Rose's podcast, have you not? )

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page / MySpace)





P.W. Long

While I saw and dug P.W.'s low-key acoustic songs, a recording glitch means I can't share any of his set here. Hit up his MySpace page for three streaming tracks.

(Wikipedia page / T&G artist page / MySpace)





Negative Approach

Mp3: "Pressure / Fair Warning" (live)

Mp3: "Dead Stop" (live)

Mosh pit!! With the very first note of NegApp's first song, the pit came to life. Like an unforeseen whirlpool, I got sucked right into the middle, and I loved it. For all of about 10 seconds. Then I realized my recording was going to come out sounding totally ass-tastic if I didn't escape, and soon. So I swam to the edge and became one of the border-guards, protecting myself from flailing arms and falling bodies as I pushed people back in. It was the best kind of pit... asshole-free and relatively safe, which I suppose could be attributed to the average age of the guys inside. Let's just say they had obvious pit experience. Good times.

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page / MySpace)





Sally Timms with Jon Lanford
(from the Mekons)


Mp3: "Corporal Chalkie" (live)

Mp3: "God's Eternal Love"
(live Mark Eitzel cover)

I'm not sure what twisted genius put Sally Timms smack dab between the madness of a reunited Negative Approach and Scratch Acid, but somehow it worked. If her songs didn't seem to fit in that spot, her punk rock attitude sure did. She put the crowd in its impatient place, and got us ready for the imminent Yow...

(Official site / T&G band page / Mekons site)





Scratch Acid

Mp3: "Monsters" (live)

Mp3: "El Espectro" (live)

Does my cred take a hit if I admit I've never owned any Scratch Acid records? Ah well. Sure, I'd heard 'em, but even though I'd been a total Jesus Lizard freak, my love never bled over into David Yow and David Sims' previous band. That's not to say I didn't know exactly what the Touch & Go crowd was in for, and that's exactly what we got: unfiltered and indecipherable Yow, all intensity and insanity, but thankfully without the nudity. I've seen enough of his twig & berries to last a lifetime, thank you very much.

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page)



Man or Astro-Man?

Unfortunately, Man or Astro-man? gets the same short end of the stick as P.W. Long but for a different reason: I was stuck on the other side of the festival lot among the masses waiting for Big Black and Shellac to rock us. MoAM?'s set sounded solid from a distance, and if I hadn't seen 'em years ago in a small club, it would have been a far tougher decision to skip their set.

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace)





Big Black

01: "introduction"
02: "Cables" (live)
03: "Dead Billy" (live)
04: "Pigeon Kill" (live)
05: "Racer X" (live)

As a reunited Big Black assumed their positions, frontman/guitarist Steve Albini kicked off their short four-song set by igniting a pack of firecrackers. No one in the crowd needed that to draw their attention; we'd been waiting for this for a very long time. Actually, that's not quite true... since no one expected this would ever happen, no one was really waiting for anything. Albini was joined by Jeff 'Stretch' Pezzati on bass, Santiago Durango on guitar, and of course Roland on drums, who I'm guessing had to be reprogrammed entirely from scratch. Couldn't resist sharing up all four songs here, along with the crackling intro.

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page)





Shellac

Mp3: "Canada" (live)

Mp3: "Billiard Player Song" (live)

During Shellac's unbelievable set, I truly felt that I was witnessing a band at the absolute top of its game. It seemed that they had the massive crowd completely captivated, totally entranced. I got lost in it, in the tension, the energy, the pure skill coming from the stage. I've never heard them tighter, better mixed, or more powerful... there is no one that can make the sounds they do, simply one of the most unique rock trios off all time.

They played a bunch of the songs that will likely make up their long-awaited next record, "Excellent Italian Greyhound", most of which have been floating around the internet for awhile now... here's hoping the wait for that full-length isn't much longer.

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page)


A few related links...
  • If you're familiar with torrent-style file sharing, you can grab full festival sets courtesy of some other tapers at DimeADozen: Pegboy / Jon & Kat, Killdozer, Didjits, Sally Timms, and Big Black / Scratch Acid.

  • Check YouTube for various T&G 25th-related video clips, including one of Tim & Andy's performance of the song above.

  • Easily listen to all the songs shared here on The Hype Machine

  • My first Touch & Go Fest post had lots more links, and live songs from Shipping News, Supersystem, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Girls Against Boys, and !!!.
  • Congrats to Denise in Mississauga, Ontario, who was the winner of my extra limited edition "Claws" single that Shipping News gave out on the festival's opening day. And as I said, the third and final post in this T&G trifecta will be up as soon as I can throw it together...

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