bradley's almanac - a boston music blog

boston area shows of note:

thursday, august 21st

yndi halda

caspian

irepress

@ tt the bears

friday, august 22nd

varsity drag

lump

charcoal lavage

jake and the jakes

@ o'briens

friday, august 22nd

obits (ex-hot snakes/rftc)

viva viva

dead cats dead rats

sunday morning music

@ the middle east

saturday, august 23rd

the soft drugs

higgins

the toothaches

drama queens

@ pa's lounge

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

sunday, august 24th

don cabellero

ponytail

irepress

@ harper's ferry

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

friday, august 29th

liz phair performs

'exile in guyville'

@ the paradise

monday, september 1st

the juan maclean

@ the middle east downstairs

wednesday, september 3rd

ryan's smashing life presents...

justice of the unicorns

tigers & monkeys

spanish armada

wild business

@ the middle east

friday, september 5th

silver jews

hallelujah the hills

who shot hollywood

@ the middle east downstairs

saturday, september 6th

my morning jacket

@ the bank of america pavilion

saturday, september 6th

matt pryor (get up kids)

kevin devine

mike fiore (faces on film)

@ harper's ferry

sunday, september 7th

ryan adams & the cardinals

@ the bank of america pavilion

tuesday, september 9th

paul weller

@ the berklee performance center

friday, september 12th

mission of burma

in-store performance

7pm @ newbury comics, newbury st.

friday, september 12th

buffalo tom

as part of the boston arts festival

@ christopher columbus park

saturday, september 13th

wfnx disorientation 2008

the kooks, flogging molly,

alkaline trio, rogue wave,

and more to be announced

@ bank of america pavilion

sunday, september 14th

lymbyc systym

this will destroy you

arms and sleepers

@ harper's ferry

monday, september 15th

lagwagon, mxpx,

only crime, & tat

@ harper's ferry

monday, september 15th

sunset rubdown

@ the middle east

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

saturday, september 20th

mike viola (solo)

(1st of 3 weekly residencies)

with guest blue and their

band, the major labels

@ the lizard lounge

saturday, september 20th

noah & the whale

@ toad

sunday, september 21st

the low lows

magic magic

ryan lee crosby

@ tt the bears

monday, september 22nd

the broken west

@ the middle east

monday, september 22nd

oxford collapse

love as laughter

takka takka

@ tt the bears

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

weezer

angels & airwaves

tokyo police club

@ the tsongas arena

tuesday, september 23rd

cut copy

the presets

@ the paradise

wednesday, september 24th

joan as policewoman

@ the middle east

wednesday, september 24th

low

tulsa

@ the museum of fine arts boston

saturday, september 27th

mike viola (solo)

(2nd of 3 weekly residencies)

@ the lizard lounge

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

sunday and monday

september 28th and 29th

ratatat

@ the paradise

thursday, september 30th

boston spaceships

(gbv's robert pollard)

big dipper

@ the paradise

thursday, september 30th

say hi

jukebox the ghost

@ the middle east

thursday & friday

october 2nd & 3rd

baltimore round robin

29 bands playing in a circle,

non-stop, one song at a time,

with you in the very center

with dan deacon, beach house,

creepers, the death set, adventure,

and everyone listed here

@ mass art

friday, october 3rd

death cab for cutie

@ agganis arena

friday, october 3rd

the fratellis

airborne toxic event

electric touch

@ the orpheum

saturday, october 4th

mike viola @ friends

(3rd of 3 weekly residencies)

@ the lizard lounge

sunday, october 5th

old 97s

@ the wilbur theatre

sunday, october 5th

pinback

@ the paradise

monday, october 6th

the wedding present

the jealous girlfriends

@ the middle east downstairs

monday, october 6th

fleet foxes

@ the somerville theatre

monday, october 6th

stereolab

monade

@ the paradise

tuesday, october 7th

liam finn

the veils

@ the paradise

wednesday, october 8th

wire

@ the middle east downstairs

thursday, october 9th

chuck ragan (of hot water music)

ben nichols (of lucero)

tim barry (of avail)

with guest jesse malin

@ the middle east

saturday, october 11th

the feelies

@ the roxy

sunday, october 12th

the residents

@ showcase live, foxboro

sunday, october 12th

the notwist

@ the roxy

sunday, october 12th

jamie lidell

@ the paradise

sunday, october 12th

against me!

ted leo & the pharmacists

the future of the left

@ the wilbur theatre

monday, october 13th

tv on the radio

the dirtbombs

@ the wilbur theatre

tuesday, october 14th

cold war kids

@ the paradise

thursday, october 16th

ben kweller

whitley

@ the paradise

thursday, october 16th

jonatha brooke

glen phillips

(from toad the wet sprocket)

@ the wilbur theatre

friday, october 17th

hallelujah the hills

wonderful spells

capstan shafts

@ tt the bears

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

sunday, october 19th

the spinto band

frightened rabbit

@ the middle east

monday, october 20th

magnetic morning

(adam swervedriver & sam interpol)

julie ocean

springhouse (w/jack rabid)

@ great scott

tuesday, october 21st

minus the bear

annuals

sylvie

@ the wilbur theatre

tuesday & wednesday

october 21st & 22nd

billy bragg

@ the somerville theatre

wednesday, october 22nd

yeasayer

@ the paradise

wednesday, october 22nd

lyle lovett & john hiatt

(acoustic, on stage together)

@ the orpheum

thursday, october 23rd

lykke li

@ the paradise

thursday, october 23rd

deerhoof

experimental dental school

@ the middle east down

friday, october 24th

fujiya & miyagi

@ the paradise

sunday, october 26th

broken social scene

land of talk

@ the wilbur theatre

monday, october 27th

matthew sweet

@ the paradise

wednesday, october 29th

legendary pink dots

@ the middle east down

thursday, october 30th

of montreal

@ the orpheum

friday, october 31st

the rumble strips

birdmonster

@ tt the bears

friday, october 31st

david byrne

performing the songs of byrne & eno

@ the wang center

saturday, november 1st

henry rollins (spoken word)

@ the orpheum

monday, november 3rd

coldplay

@ the td banknorth garden

sunday, november 9th

the hold steady

drive-by truckers

@ the orpheum

tuesday, november 11th

deerhunter

times new viking

the vivian girls

@ the paradise

wedneseday, november 12th

kings of leon

we are scientists

the whigs

@ the orpheum

tuesday, november 18th

m83

school of seven bells

@ the middle east down

thursday, november 20th

bishop allen

@ the middle east

saturday, december 13th

neil young

wilco

@ the dcu center, worcester

visit tourfilter for more shows

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Kevin Drew + Broken Social Scene Played Boston

Well, technically, they played Cambridge. TT the Bears, to be exact...

Last night's free, full-capacity, MySpace-sponsored "secret" show was an absolute sweaty blast, and marked the debut of the new incarnation of Broken Social Scene, which includes mainstays Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, and drummer Justin Peroff, along with three new faces: Andrew Kenny (of the dearly departed American Analog Set), Sam Goldberg (Hawaii, Uncut, Bodega), and Bill Priddle (who is actually a now-returned founding BSS member). The band will be touring off and on through December, and playing mostly songs off Kevin's soon-to-be-out solo album, "Spirit If...". But make no mistake, even with just a couple old BSS faves in the setlist, and despite the lack of female vocals, strings, or horns, this was a Broken Social Scene show through and through. The energy, the three-guitar goodness, the all-out catchiness of the new songs, have no fear. BSS fans can rejoice, because they are back.

Sam Goldberg, Brendan Canning, & Kevin Drew of BSS

TTs started handing out the bright pink wristbands for the show just before 2pm that afternoon, and within a couple hours all 300+ were gone. The steady queue wrapped around the block and into a nearby construction area, and as we waited, a van pulled up, Kevin jumped out, and immediately start doling out high-fives to every fan in line...

Kevin Drew hi-fives the fans

Ryan Walsh from Hallelujah the Hills really was the perfect opener (which made sense, as he was personally picked by BSS), playing stripped-down HtH songs through an amplified and sometimes pedal-fied acoustic guitar. No mellow singer/songwriter was he, as the songs kept the urgency and energy of their recorded versions, and Ryan kept the eager crowd's attention throughout. Afterwards, I heard more than a few new fans comment on his performance while waiting for Kevin & co. to hit the stage. It was a pretty special gig to be invited to play, and he made the most of it, showing off those songs, and solidifying HtH's spot as my favorite Boston-based band at the moment. Buy their excellent Misra Records debut disc here.

Ryan Walsh of Hallelujah the Hills

Before I comment on my personal BSS highlights, for the curious, here's what they played. I'll say this though: If you plan on seeing the band soon, look away, as I know you'll appreciate the set-ending surprises...

Broken Social Scene
playing Kevin Drew's "Spirit If..."
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
TT the Bears, Cambridge, MA

01. Lucky Ones
02. Safety Bricks
03. F-ked Up Kids
04. Tbtf
05. Back Out On The...
06. Hit the Wall (a Brendan Canning song)
07. Farewell to the Pressure Kids
08. Broke Me Up
09. Bodhi Sappy Weekend
10. Frightening Lives
11. Superconnected (BSS)
12. Canada vs. America (BSS)
13. Lover's Spit (BSS)
14. Major Label Debut (BSS)

Sam Goldberg, Andrew Kenny, Kevin Drew, & Bill Piddle of BSS

Highlights: "Safety Bricks" (which Kevin called 'a responsible song'), and Andrew Kenny's keyboard work throughout the whole set, especially on that one; Brendan Canning's new song, "Hit the Wall", (which will supposedly be the single off his own upcoming "Broken Social Scene presents..." solo album, out in early 2008) made me eager to hear more of his own stuff; Kevin's random John Legend / R. Kelly / the Secret ramble; seeing Kevin's smiling, birthday-celebrating brother watching the band rock out on "Superconnected" from the side of the stage; Kevin asking how many in the crowd had already downloaded the leaked version of his album (answer: a bunch); Kevin handing out sage advice like "call your parents" and "go look at a tree"; "Bodhi Sappy Weekend", which is sure to be a beautiful highlight of "Spirit If..."; The dynamic "Farewell to the Pressure Kids", which will be the album's first single. Seeing Andrew pick up a guitar and head to the mic for the last song; And, of course, those four BSS numbers that finished up the set.

Andrew Kenny & Kevin Drew of BSS

Kevin requested that I not share my recording of the performance, and of course I'll honor that... totally understandable since the album isn't even out yet. The new songs should first be heard how he wants them to be heard, y'know? But I'm sending him a copy, and maybe he'll be cool with sharing some songs later on. We'll see.

Keep an eye on the current list of tour dates to make sure you can catch Kevin & Broken Social Scene on the road this fall. They play tonight at McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn, then head overseas through October, until I assume they return to North America for dates through December.

To bide time until "Spirit If..." arrives on September 18th from Arts & Crafts, here's what's been made available so far...

The song "Tbtf" can be downloaded at Kevin's A&C page, and on his MySpace page, where you can also stream "Back Out On The..." and the non-album track "Cocaine Skin".

P4K premiered the video (which is essentially a filmed party with Kevin, Brendan, Dinosaur Jr., and many others) for "Backed Out On The..." back in late July.

A footnote: I talked a bit with Andrew Kenny, and he's got a lot of new songs, and a new band to perform them, in the works. Demos are down, studio time is planned after all this BSS touring, and he's playing bass this time around ("If I played guitar, it'd end up sounding exactly like American Analog Set"). It'd be an understatement for me to say that this news is the good kind.

posted by brad at 7:00 AM | direct link | rss (1 :2) | |

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