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recommended boston area events

wednesday and thursday

february 10th and 11th

the magnetic fields

laura barrett

@ the wilbur theatre


thursday, february 11th

v66 reunion

with rod & cones, big city rock,

the fools, o positive, animotion,

right turn, digney fingus, ernie boch jr.,

lizzie borden and the axes, & more

@ house of blues


thursday, february 11th

found audio

the first annual

the rockefeller fortune

boone

@ oliver's / cask 'n flagon


friday, february 12th

kings of convenience

franklin for short

@ the paradise


saturday, february 13th

one happy island

human hearts (with franklin bruno)

boy genius

free! @ toad, cambridge


saturday, february 13th

a benefit for haiti

the okay win

new son rising

the elevators

@ copperfields


saturday, february 13th

tegan & sara

holly miranda

@ the orpheum


sunday, february 14th

we were promised jetpacks

bad veins

royal bangs

@ the middle east downstairs


monday, february 15th

a benefit for haiti

with big bear, ketman,

chris brokaw, monique ortiz,

art decade, & the dirty dishes

@ the middle east downstairs


tuesday, wednesday, & thursday

february 16th, 17th, & 18th

3 nights with jonathan richman

@ the middle east upstairs


thursday, february 18th

editors

the antlers

@ house of blues


friday, february 19th

28 degrees taurus

el jezel

the broken river prophet

metal feathers

@ o'briens, allston


friday, february 19th

taken by trees

el perro del mar

@ the cambridge ymca theatre


saturday, february 20th

dawes

corey chisel & the wandering sons

jason boesel (rilo kiley)

@ great scott


monday, february 22nd

boy without god

ryan lee crosby quartet

the wailing wall

sleepy very sleepy

@ tt the bears


wednesday, february 24th

wild beasts

still life still

dj carbo

@ great scott


saturday, february 27th

hadoken (cd release)

caspian

irepress

slowest runner

@ tt the bears


monday, march 1st

rogue wave

@ the paradise


tuesday, march 9th

jet

crash kings

@ 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


wednesday, march 17th

joanna newsom

@ the sanders theatre, harvard


wednesday, march 17th

henry rollins (spoken word)

@ the somerville theatre


sunday, march 21st

the clientele

field music

@ great scott


saturday, march 20th

air

am

@ berklee performance center


thursday, march 25th

aloud

action camp

hello ninja

@ great scott


thursday, march 25th

the donnas

@ the paradise


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

@ 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

nada surf

@ the paradise


sunday, april 4th

serena maneesh

depreciation guild

@ tt the bears


tuesday, april 6th

wilco

@ the orpheum


wednesday, april 7th

florence & the machine

@ the paradise


wednesday, april 7th

rocky votolato

brooke waggoner

@ great scott


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

@ the paradise


saturday, april 10th

pissed jeans

confines

sqrm

@ great scott


monday, april 12th

the wedding present

play their 1989 lp 'bizarro'

with openers girl in a coma

@ the middle east downstairs


thursday, april 15th

red sparowes

doomriders

@ the middle east downstairs


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

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

@ the paradise


tuesday, april 20th

quasi

let's wrestle

@ the middle east downstairs


saturday, april 24th

los campesinos!

here we go magic

@ 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

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


monday, may 3rd

yeasayer

sleigh bells

@ the paradise


thursday, may 6th

shout out louds

@ the paradise


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


tuesday, may 25th

smittens

allo darlin'

one happy island

horrowitz

@ toad


wednesday, may 26th

reverend horton heat

cracker

miss derringer

@ the house of blues


wednesday, june 2nd

the national

@ the house of blues


friday, june 4th

brian jonestown massacre

@ the paradise


saturday, june 19th

james taylor

carole king

@ the garden


visit tourfilter for more shows



Sunday, January 27, 2008

Happy Birthday Cal: A Live Mp3 Compilation

Two years ago today, Janet and J. Robbins welcomed son Callum into their music-filled world. To Cal, Janet and J. are just mom & dad, but to the rest of us, he's got veritable rock stars for parents, with J. having played in the seminal Jawbox, Burning Airlines, & Government Issue, and alongside Janet in Channels. Hanging around the recording studio will surely feel completely normal to the little guy, as J. spends much of his days in his Baltimore-based Magpie Cage studio, tracking and mixing a whole bunch of damn good bands.

As recounted here, 8 months or so after Cal was born he was diagnosed with the genetic disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy, or Type 1 SMA. While research into a cure is ongoing, right now it's incurable, and those who live with it are in for costly therapy and assistive medical devices. That's why, as word spread of Cal's diagnosis, the Robbins' friends and fans rallied with benefit shows, the excellent "For Callum" compilation, and even a benefit disc of Jawbox covers performed on cello.

One of those benefits, which took place over two nights last summer at Somerville's PA's Lounge, brought a bunch of Boston-area (and one NY) bands together for Cal's cause. And regardless of reason behind it, the shows were easily in my musical highlights for the year: Solo sets from Mark Robinson (Teenbeat/Unrest/Air Miami/Flin Flon) and Drew O'Doherty. Duos in the form of Dan & Liz from Ida, benefit organizer Geoff Farina (Karate/Glorytellers) & Jodi Buonanno reunited as Secret Stars, and Chris Brokaw with Geoff, dusting off some old-tyme covers. Then the full band performances: the mighty trio Helms, who were absolutely on fire that night, the noisy Neptune, who gave us a bunch of new songs, and an admittedly ramshackle but rockin' set from Thalia Zedek and her band, with Hilken Mancini (Shepherdess/Fuzzy) guesting on a song or two.

Ida served up some old faves, new ones from their almost-out "Lovers Prayers" album (one they played, "Lolo Sang", is the vinyl-only closing track), and a couple children's songs for Cal. Secret Stars gave us magical versions of their best work. Drew played stuff from his "Starts", along with the track he contributed to the "For Callum" compilation. And Mark Robinson even sang us the seldom-heard Lowell, Massachusetts theme song. All in all, eight performances over two nights filled with special moments, appreciative fans, and many warm vibes for a worthy cause.

So here's the deal: I'd like to let those benefit performances keep on giving. As a present for their growing boy, I'm offering up this "Happy Birthday Cal" Mp3 compilation, with 18 live songs from most of bands who played at last summer's Somerville shows, with their permission. And if you download it, or have ever downloaded and enjoyed any of my recordings here on the 'Nac, I'd be psyched if you'd consider dropping a few dollars for the Robbins family in the Paypal bucket (by clicking the button below), or send a check if Paypal isn't your thing (info at DeSoto). I've just kicked things off with a donation of my own, so as you spend time listening to all the great songs below, pretend you were there at the shows with me, and send a cover charge their way...


Happy Birthday, Cal...

Recorded on July 13th & 14th, 2007
at PA's Lounge in Somerville, MA


- download all 18 Mp3s as an 85MB zip file -

01. Drew O'Doherty - "Angels Live In My Town"
02. Drew O'Doherty - "You'll Believe A Man Can Fly"
03. Chris Brokaw & Geoff Farina - "St. James Infirmary" (Animals)
04. Chris Brokaw & Geoff Farina - "It Hurts Me Too" (Meldon London)
05. Chris Brokaw & Geoff Farina - "That'll Never Happen No More" (Blind Blake)
06. Helms - "There's No 'i' In Team But There's One In 'Tina'"
07. Helms - "Fat Bird"
08. Helms - "More Blackouts Than I Care To Remember"
09. Secret Stars - "Shoe-In"
10. Secret Stars - "5,000,000,000"
11. Secret Stars - "Eyelashes"
12. Mark Robinson - "There's A Lot To Like About Lowell"
13. Mark Robinson - "Fantastic and Spectacular"
14. Mark Robinson - "Isabel"
15. Ida - "Little Bird, Little Bird"
16. Ida - "Tellings"
17. Ida - "Lolo Sang"
18. Ida - "Les Etoiles Secretes"


Update 1/29/08: A number of very cool benefit items are starting to appear on eBay, the proceeds from which will all go to Cal's cause. So far, you can bid on items donated by Kristin Hersh (a Toby Snax pack), Geoff Farina (a guitar lesson), Zach Barocas (a drum lesson), and Dan McCarthy (a gorgeous rare screen print). More should be added soon, so keep checking here.

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