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Wednesday, April 27, 2011  Happy IFFBoston Kickoff Day, everyone. Yes, today marks the start of the 2011 Independent Film Festival Boston with an opening night screening of "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey" at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. Eight days and over 100 carefully-chosen films from now, this 9th edition of the fest will wrap up with a showing of "Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" in Coco's hometown of Brookline. The documentary, which chronicles his 2010 I get giddy about this event every single year, as the lineup announcement heralds the arrival of Spring and of a whole bunch of special films to the Boston area. Last year's lineup was killer, with early looks at many movies that would go on to larger attention and acclaim. My personal 2010 highlights included "Winter's Bone" (screened well before its summer U.S. rollout, and before all the potential Oscar talk, of course), "American: The Bill Hicks Story", Katie Aselton's "The Freebie", Amber Benson & Adam Busch's "Drones", the fantastic doc "The Parking Lot Movie", Jeunet's magical "Micmacs", and of course the music documentaries: "Searching For Elliott Smith", and "Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and The Magnetic Fields". This year will have a tough time measuring up, but I'm ready to let it try. Running down what I'm most looking forward to, focusing on the music-related items first (y'know, 'cuz that's what I do)...  Color Me Obsessed: The Potentially True Story Of The Last Best Band, The Replacements. screening at 6:45pm on Thursday, April 29th at the Somerville Theatre The music documentary I'm most excited about this year is about one of my favorite bands of all-time, The Replacements. Actually, I should confess and say that I'm looking forward to seeing it again, since I was lucky enough to get an early viewing of the film when I volunteered to write up a synopsis for this years IFFBoston program guide. Here's what I had to say (the online version was edited a bit, so here's the original)... For a certain segment of aging music fans, or kids with a hankering for musical history, the Replacements are Rock and Roll defined. The Minneapolis quartet took teenage punk attitude, threw it in a blender with classic and pop rock, then poured it straight into a middle-American pint glass. Over their 12-year existence, their live sets were either magical or a total mess - depending on your mood or their alcohol level - and quite often both. They were also responsible for hands-down the most ear-blistering show of my teenage years, the first that made me seriously consider buying earplugs."Color Me Obsessed" director Gorman Bechard will be there for a post-screening Q&A.  "Following the Band: Docs that Rock" Panel starting at 3pm on Friday, April 29th at the MassArt Tower Building As psyched as I am to have contributed that Replacements doc write-up, I'm even more honored (and more, uh, nervous) to be moderating one of the IFFB's filmmaker panels this year. On Friday afternoon at MassArt, I'll be helping out at the "Following the Band: Docs that Rock" panel. Joining me will be the aforementioned Gorman Bechard (director of "Color Me Obsessed"), Jeff Broadway (producer of "Cure For Pain: The Mark Sandman Story"), and Demian Fenton (co-director of "Last Days Here", about Pentagram frontman Bobby Liebling). Looking forward to grilling those guys about their experiences, and hoping a solid crowd helps me out with some good questions.  "Cure For Pain: The Mark Sandman Story" screening at 10pm on Friday, April 29th at the Somerville Theatre I'd like to be able to say I had beers with Mark Sandman, but I wasn't old enough to drink when I met him in the late 80s on board a Burlington, Vermont ferry boat. Yeah, he was drinking, but I was just a wide-eyed kid interning for WIZN, the local rock station that was playing the hell out of Treat Her Right's "I Think She Likes Me". They'd invited the unconventional Boston band up north to play what they called a "Blues Cruise", so I took my dad with me and had a blast, working up the nerve to chat up Mr. Sandman after their set. He defined approachable cool for me, and defined Boston music for so many - the impact of his life and 1999 on-stage death on this town can't be understated. This Friday night screening, which should be packed with his friends and many Morphine fans, is sure to be an emotional one. Co-directors Robert Bralver and David Ferino, producer Jeff Broadway, and Mark's Morphine bandmate and friend Dana Colley will all be hanging around afterwards for a post-film Q&A. and a couple other music docs worth checking out... Last Days Here screening at 9:45pm on Friday, April 29th at the Somerville Theatre The story not just of Pentragram's lead singer, Bobby Liebling, but of super-fan Sean "Pellet" Pelletier and his attempt to get Liebling off drugs and back on stage with his pioneering 70s doom-metal band. Pellet and co-director Demian Fenton will both be at the screening for a Q&A. Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre on Tour screening at 9:45pm on Saturday, April 30th at the Somerville Theatre Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill), J.D. Samson (MEN), and Johanna Fateman were Le Tigre, and this doc chronicles the trio's final tour in 2004, incorporating both on-stage and backstage footage. Some of the narrative feature films that jumped out at me... A samurai action film from director Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition)? Yes, please. The New England premiere of a this sci-fi flavored drama, which had well-received screenings at Sundance and SXSW. Directed by Mike Cahill and starring co-writer Brit Marling along with William Mapother (Ethan from Lost). Guy with a Road Warrior fixation meets girl who can eat more crickets than he can. Directed by (and starring) Evan Glodell, who will be at the screening with co-star Tyler Dawson. Director/star Miranda July's first feature-length film since 2005's "Me and You and Everyone We Know". She'll be here in person for a post-film Q&A. Two Japanese siblings get stuck in a small California town on their way from Japan to San Francisco. Star Atsuko Okatsuka will be at the screening. Shot entirely in Rhode Island and directed by Mark Heller, who will be at the screening along with actress Daniella Alonso. There's also a chance that co-star Joe Morton (Brother From Another Planet, Eureka, Terminator 2) will be there as well, but don't quote me on that. I'm a longtime fan of Joe's work, so my fingers are very crossed. Starring a trio of my favorite actors, Deadwood alums Garret Dillahunt (who plays the title character) and Molly Parker along with Donal Logue. Director Ryan Redford and Dillahunt (who's also been in "Winter's Bone", "The 4400", "The Road", and the Terminator TV show) will both be at the screening, where I'm sure Dillahunt will not creep me out in real life at all. I'm a sucker for gorgeous icescapes, and this drama built around two Eskimo brothers takes place entirely in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in the United States. Director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean will be at one of the screenings (not sure which one yet), and I'm sure he has some great stories to tell. Star John C. Reilly is, unsurprisingly, getting great early reviews for his role at an assistant principal in this high school-set dark comedy, which also stars Creed Bratten (yes, Creed from The Office). Really looking forward to this one, although not to the sadness that's sure to seep in as I watch Tracy Wright's final film performance (the actress, a frequent on-screen and in-person part of past IFFBostons, passed away last year). In "Trigger", which makes its US premiere here, she stars with Molly Parker as friends reflecting back on their now-distant days in a Canadian rock band. IFFB fave Bruce McDonald directed the film, which also features appearances from Wright's husband Don McKeller, Sarah Polley, and Callum Keith Rennie. Be sure to pick up a copy of this year's official IFFBoston program guide, which will include a special tribute to Tracy Wright. A follow-up of sorts to Michael Winterbottom's 2005 comedy "Tristram Shandy", it stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon reprising the (possibly) exaggerated versions of themselves from that film. Winterbottom sends the two on a road trip of Northern England and, no doubt, hilarity ensues. I'm all in for a faux documentary about a man hunting trolls (yeah, trolls) in the wilds of Norway, and the student filmmakers who discover him. Director Andre Ovredal will be at the screening to tell us exactly how much D&D he played growing up. A based-on-true-events drama about human trafficking, this one has a killer cast: Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Redgrave, Monica Bellucci, and David Strathairn. And finally, a few non-music documentaries that intrigue me... 7:30pm tonight @ the Somerville Theatre As the dad to an almost-4-year-old, I have a newfound appreciation for Elmo and his creator, puppeteer Kevin Clash. He'll be at the screening (Elmo on hand) with director Constance Marks. 8pm next Wednesday @ the Coolidge Corner Theatre Is there any chance this won't be a great time? Nope, not really. A packed house of the hometown hero's family, friends, and fans will get to see this documentary about last year's traveling Coco roadshow. Director Rodman Flender will be there, and word is that advance tix are already way sold out. Keep in mind that there will be a last-minute rush line, so show up early to the Coolidge to take your chances. A look at a family who has turned a Portuguese monastary into their own personal artistic playground, focusing on the son who reanimates dead animals using electronics. Not exactly standard documentary fare, which makes it all the more appealing, as does the promise of Larry Dolan's score. Director Jarred Alterman will be in attendance at one (maybe both) of the screenings. Throw the word "dragon" in the title of your film and I'll probably investigate. Unlike "Troll Hunter", this one's title isn't so telling - it's a personal portrait of Josh "Skreech" Sandoval, an untethered skateboarder wandering through his world. Director Tristan Patterson will be in attendance. This one will be packed with MIT students & staff, for sure. From the IFFB site: "Follow MIT’s 'free spirit' as he digs through trash, encodes DNA with lines of poetry, and tries to send bacteria into space." Director Peter Sasowsky will be at the screening, and he's bringing Joe along with him. Each year I ask the IFFBoston staff to recommend me special films that might not otherwise jump out at me, and this was one they gave me. I trust them implicitly, so check out the film's synopsis and do the same. This is the films U.S. premiere, and director Jeff Silva will be at the screening for a Q&A. I'm a sucker for films like this (see: "Wordplay"). This one follows six burgeoning magicians as they compete to be Teen World Champion at the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas. Director J. Clay Tweel will be at the screenings. Directed by James Marsh, the man behind 2008's excellent "Man On Wire", this film is about a chimpanzee, Nim, who was the subject of 1970s experiment that attempted to socialize him with a human family. Nim's best friend Bob Ingersoll will be at the screening to answer questions. A film with strong local ties, to say the least. Boston-based filmmaker Rudy Hypolite helms this in-depth look at Roxbury's Madison High School basketball team and their coach, Dennis Wilson. Both Hypolite and Wilson will be at the screening (and you can bet that many of the students will be in the crowd, too). Another film right in my geeky wheelhouse, director Michael Barnett documents the exploits and motivations of a bunch of real-life superheroes - not the quiet, behind-the-scenes kind, but the costume-wearing, danger-flirting kind. They're out there, and Barnett will be at the screening to tell us even more about them. 150 years ago, the last known Wampanoag speaker died, and this film tells about the inspiration and efforts to revitalize this lost Native American language. Director Anne Makepeace chronicles the history and current state of the tribe, based in southeastern Massachusetts, and how the Wopanaak Language Reclamation Project is helping bring back their spoken word. Makepeace will be at the screening for a Q&A. Check out the links above to trailers and to pick up individual screening tickets, or grab full festival passes over here. One thing to note: If you get a message that says "There are no tickets defined" when you try to buy tickets to a film, that means advanced tickets are sold out (at the moment, it looks like the Conan O'Brien and Replacements documentaries are full up), so your only chance is to arrive early and wait in the rush line. There are a ton of films I wasn't able to write about (I gave especially short-shrift to the short films), so make sure you do some digging of your own at the fest site. Every year there are films I regrettably ignore, or hidden gems I take a chance on that stay with me long after. Remember, the Independent Film Festival Boston is entirely non-profit, and put together by a volunteer staff of film lovers... so when you attend, treat those in staff t-shirts kindly (especially if they already look stressed out), and listen to anyone holding a walkie-talkie. Pick up some cool merch and a program guide to help fund the fest, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates. See you tonight over in Davis Square...  Monday, April 25, 2011
Here's a giveaway that's been very long in the posting... since Autumn, in fact, when Kristin Hersh's debut memoir, "Rat Girl" was published in the U.S. and I started putting together this little contest to mark the occasion. Life got in the way, Kristin kept planning more cool stuff I thought I'd wait for, and I kept saying "next week". Well, next week is now - time to get this very special package in the mail to one of you. Read on (and on) for details on what you could win and how to enter, as I recall my reaction to reading K's book over a few long-since-passed Fall days...  Sitting here on a barstool trying to write, but I've got Kristin Hersh's very first book, a recollection of her tumultuous 18th year on Earth entitled "Rat Girl", sitting on the bar next to me. So I'm torn. Torn because I need to come up with words to accompany this giveaway, but I mostly just want to finish this mind-sparking book. I'm almost finished with it, and it's the very definition of a "painful-to-put-down" read; not because it's a suspenseful action-thriller, or course (although there is action - and thrills!) but because you want to know the next thoughts and bits of life-history that will tumble out of her once-upon-a-brain. Pages full of striking words, perfectly-insightful little mineral deposits that start as small piles and build towards major claims. Infinitely rewarding when you cash in.Anyone who knows me in real life, or knows me from the over-sharing I've done on this site, knows of my deep appreciation for the songwriter, guitarist, and human being that is Kristin Hersh. I could gush, though I've done plenty of that. I could share stories of how she has both directly and indirectly impacted my own lifestory, but I'll refrain. Simply said, she means an awful lot to me, and so does the art she's been sending into the world for the last 25-or-so years. I've been listening to what she has to say, mostly in lyrics backed by exceptional music, for a couple decades now, half of my own life. Her words rarely fail to reach me, even when near-indecipherable or too obtuse to decode. Even her between-song-banter at live shows strikes a chord in me, revealing someone with a remarkable ability to toss thought-provoking gems into a crowd. It's much more recently that I've felt the power of those words when they stand on their own, through her own blog posts or when guesting on other sites around the web. I always thought she might have one hell of a good book inside of her, and whaddya know, she damn well did. It exists in "Rat Girl", and for example, here's one of my favorite parts so far, about Betty Hutton, a one-time bonafide Hollywood Movie Star (tm), who Kristin befriended in college... "Betty grew up in the golden age of Hollywood, back when movies were Broadway on film, so her idea of music is 'singing as entertainment,' and you can't call what I do singing or entertainment. I hiss and yell and wail. Sometimes I make seagull noises, unfortunately. Music is something I have almost no control over. Like well-rehearsed Tourette's.Kristin's relationship with Betty is perhaps the heart of the book, and it's got a very strong beat. Betty comes and goes during that long year, but mostly she stays, with Kristin and with you, and with me long after the you're done reading. It's a life-altering connection between to very different souls, and it speaks fiercely. There's so much simply beauty in it to be found... Betty: "Aren't movies wonderful? Beautiful people living beautiful lives."  That's what this book gives you. Real Lives. And for longtime fans of Kristin's first band, Throwing Muses, there are little easter eggs - not-so-hidden surprises that pop-up during Kristin's story - that will no doubt make you smile. Within the memoir's very first paragraph, she writes about a cross hanging the wall of an apartment she used to crash in, and a Jesus nailed to it with fish-like scales. A song will come into your head... "I have a fish nailed to a cross on my apartment wall."For Muses fans, that's a seminal line, from the band's "Fish". It immediately reveals that Kristin lyrics, as unearthly as they often felt, were very much grounded in her own very surreal world. Later in the book, a sidewalk talk with a mohawk-sporting, tie-wearing, pamphlet-wielding kid on a Providence street corner. As their conversation, and Kristin's recounting of it, starts to include phrases like "smack freak" and "blame society" and "the holocaust", you're suddenly inside the beautiful genesis of a major piece of Muses history - the birthplace of the disturbingly anthemic "Hate My Way". Reading that page gave me chills. It's not just the Throwing Muses ephemera that connects, though. If you're not yet a fan, but a fan of music, there's much more to be found. Little pearls of wisdom within... "I don't listen to much music. The more you love music, the less music you love, 'cause you get picky -- we take our religion seriously. Bad music is angrifying and good music is so painfully intense." Last July, I wrote about Kristin's wonderful art-book/album combo, "Crooked", previewed the arrival of "Rat Girl", and mentioned a bunch of other recorded projects she had in the works. I also said something to the effect of "2010 is a great year to be a Kristin Hersh fan", not knowing that 2011 would be equally rewarding, maybe moreso. And so, in honor of the remarkably productive phase that Kristin finds herself in, I'm pulled together a bundle of greatness to pass along to one reader...  What you see above is a copy of the "Crooked" album/book, along with copy of "Rat Girl" that Kristin signed, the debut disc from her rock trio 50 Foot Wave, and a limited-edition (and long-since unavailable) t-shirt commemorating Kristin's 2007 live appearance at the Brattle Theatre with her longtime bandmate, step-sister, solo artist, and former Belly frontwoman, Tanya Donelly. If you want a shot at having all that merch in your mailbox, send an message to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com with "KH" in the subject line. Include your full name and city of residence (North American residents only, unfortunately), and get it to my inbox before next Monday evening, May 2nd, at 5pm. That's when I'll pick the winner and contact them for a mailing address. Simple as that. For more on Kristin, "Rat Girl", and her ongoing musical output, here's a wealth of links... Alright, get with the emailing - this present needs a happy home. Labels: giveaways Wednesday, April 13, 2011  Despite the fact that my posting frequency here on the 'Nac has taken a relative nosedive over the past couple years, I've still been doing a fair share of show-organizing on the side. Nothing crazy, no huge shindigs that might label me a 'promoter' or whatever, but more the kinds of random music-related events that pop up and need a host or a helping hand. There was that Pains of Being Pure At Heart album release party a couple weeks ago, David Bazan playing in my living room last weekend, my imminent return to the DJ booth at River Gods, and the sure-to-be-great New England debut of the Austin-based Karaoke Underground at TT's in May.But nothing I've had a hand in setting up excites me more than what's happening this weekend: Ida is back, and they're playing at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square this Saturday.  In my all-time top 10, Ida sits high. Their early Simple Machines 7-inches, striking full-length records, transcendent live shows - over the past 15-ish years they've affected me deeply. In particular, the album "I Know About You", which arrived during a pretty rough time in my life and helped me make it through. The emotional connection I made to the band during that period guaranteed a fan for life, or at least until they stopped making music... and I'm infinitely grateful that time has yet to come. The core of the band has almost always been Elizabeth Mitchell, Dan Littleton, and Karla Schickele, with a small and very talented supporting cast of drummers (Dan's brother Miggy in the early years, and most recently Ruth Keating) and string players (including artist Ida Pearle and current member Jean Cook). Over the past five years or so, Karla's involvement has been a bit less frequent, while married couple Dan & Liz continue on with random and all-too-rare Ida appearances between what has become a fast-growing concern: Liz's career, with Dan's involvement, as a truly wonderful childrens musician. As their own daughter Storey has grown, Liz and Dan have have brought the sincerity and soulfulness of what they are as Ida to kids everywhere, easily steering clear of the all-too-common cheesiness and condescension that such artists often frequent in. As the dad of an almost-4-year-old, their presence on my son's life-starting-soundtrack is a gift. Making a short story short: After Liz, Dan, Storey, & friends brought their kid's music set to a sold-out Club Passim last November, we got to talking with them about larger, more suitable places they could play next. Amie suggested the Brattle, Liz's reply was "Let's do it!", so I put them in touch with the theatre's Ned Hinkle, and lo and behold, there's another kid's show happening: This Saturday, April 16th, at 11am, Elizabeth Mitchell and the band she calls You Are My Flower (the title of her very first children's album from 1998) will bring their very special songs to a crowd of parents and little ones, including us and our Brendan. The fact that Liz, Dan, & co. will then return to the Brattle stage later that day to play a (hopefully lengthy) set of Ida songs is, well, a minor miracle. It was on a wishful-thinking whim that I wrote to Liz, while getting her in touch with Ned, that "Hey, y'know, maybe you could play an Ida show while you're in town"... never thinking that would actually happen. Well, it is happening, and not only that - they're bringing the absolutely amazing Tara Jane ONeil (Rodan, Retsin, The Sonora Pine) along with them, and have invited Boston's own Drew O'Doherty to open as well. We're getting an honest-to-goodness present this weekend, and Mr. Hinkle had better prepare himself for a bear-hug. From a 1997 7-inch, here's the original version of "Maybelle", which was rerecorded for the "Will You Find Me" full-length... Parents, pick up your tickets to the Saturday morning kids show featuring Elizabeth Mitchell and You Are My Flower with local opener Barbara Brousal online right here. Everyone else (or parents who have secured a sitter like we have), make sure you get tickets of your own to see Ida on Saturday night over here. And get this: The band is taking setlist requests at their Facebook page. I just put in my vote for "Maybelle". Couldn't resist. Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Officially released today, the 12th of April, 2011 on Sub Pop is Low's gorgeous new full-length, "C'mon". Here's what it looks like...  So, uh, yeah, I took that photo. The Minnesota trio has been one of my favorite bands since I fell for their second album, 1995's "Long Division", and each of their LP covers has become utterly iconic to me. The fact that a picture I took, and with my low-budget point-and-shoot camera, now graces the front of one of them absolutely blows my mind. If I wasn't sitting here in sight of a beautiful vinyl copy of the record and a framed poster of the artwork, I still wouldn't believe this really happened. If there's a lesson to be learned in how the hell this came to be, it's this: Always tag and title your Flickr photos. I assume that's how Low's Alan Sparkhawk found this shot (taken at their February 5th, 2005 Somerville Theatre show with Pedro the Lion) and emailed me in December asking if they could potentially use it for the album. "Um, wait, let me think... HELL YES YOU CAN." I figured it might be incorporated into the design - maybe inside the CD booklet or LP sleeve - but never imagined it becoming the cover. A follow-up February email said, yeah, looks like it'll be on the front. Here we are in April and I'm holding it in my hands. Surreal seems insufficient. It feels ridiculous that I was actually paid for the contribution (talk about icing on an already-delicious cake), and that the album ranks among their best work fills me with an enormous amount of joy. [MP3] Low - "Try To Sleep" Low plays the gorgeous Paramount Theatre in downtown Boston on Friday, April 29th (tickets here). I'll be the guy stuck staring slack-jawed at the merch table, still in a state of total disbelief.  Monday, April 11, 2011  There are precious few no-bullshit performers out there, but David Bazan is one of 'em - in his lyrics, interviews, and between-song Q&A sessions you'll get nothing but the unvarnished truth from the guy, truths I just happen to mostly agree with. Reviewers who have been following him since his Pedro The Lion days like to focus on his longtime struggle with (and eventual shunning of) a religious upbringing, but his songs deal with so much more - personal and romantic relationships, fatherhood, the music industry, and more recently the (sorry) cultural and political state this country has found itself in.The latter is the theme at the heart of his upcoming full-length, "Strange Negotations" (out May 24th on Barsuk). It's an intense record, one that grabbed me on first listen and hasn't let go in the week I've been lucky enough to have it. His previous album, 2009's confessional "Curse Your Branches", took awhile to sink in, but this one is urgent and immediate - on many of the tracks, his electric guitar is at the forefront, keys are used more sparingly, and the production is a bit more raw (drumstick clicks, mid-track coughs, and studio banter are purposefully left in). Unlike CYB, this one was recorded with his band, and I think it's all the better for it. The rock songs makes the softer ones stand out even stronger - it might be the most dynamic record he's ever put out. Not sure a Bazan-made album has hit me this hard since 2002's "Control", and that's saying a hell of a lot. First shared on the pedrothelion.org forum, here's a look at the appropriately striking album art... Worth owning on vinyl? Um, yeah, think so. Here's the tracklist... David Bazan | Strange NegotiationsIf you squint at the fine print, you'll see tracks 6 and 7 ("Eating Paper" & "Messes") were co-written with Starflyer 59's Jason Martin. But enough about an album you won't be able to hear for another month and a half. Let's talk about the fact that Dave played a set in my freakin' livingroom just a week ago.  He's been doing house-show tours for awhile now, dates that usually sell out pretty quickly through word of mouth on his mailing list and forum. His in-progress road trip started out west near his Seattle home, headed East (stopping at my place in Allston), and he's currently on the southern stretch of the return trip before traveling back up the West Coast just as April ends. I was wary of volunteering to host a house show of our own knowing we'd be cutting it very close to the requisite capacity of 50 people - but we took a shot and I'm so glad we did. The crowd of good friends and kind strangers couldn't have been more considerate and appreciative. Even without Dave's ultra-intimate performance, it would have been one great party - in fact, I wish I'd had more time to hang and chat with pals and unfamiliar faces. I'm sharing just a few songs from his set, holding the new stuff until after the new record is released - I'm totally on board with Dave's belief that the album is best heard all at once and as a whole. He's consciously decided to shorten the window between LP completion, its announcement, and subsequent release - a practice that I'm glad is becoming more and more common. Doesn't mean you won't get something special below, though: An absolutely stunning cover of Gillian Welch's "April 14th, Part I"... David Bazan | House Show SetlistAfter the album hits, David puts his band back together in June and does the country all over again for 6 summer weeks, including a stop at Cambridge's TT the Bears on 6/19. Tickets here, and you'd best jump on it. His shows are always well attended, but once the album arrives, a sell out shouldn't be far behind. Wednesday, April 06, 2011  Next week, on Tuesday the 12th, Baltimore's Wye Oak returns to town for a headline show at the Middle East in support of their stunning new album, "Civilian". The duo was last in Boston in late-January for a two-night stand opening up for the Decemberists, where they no doubt cultivated a new crop of fans at the sold-out House of Blues. I caught one of those sets, the second time I've seen Jenn & Andy in a venue that large, and was again left wondering how the hell two people can combine to create a sound moody and massive enough to fill such spaces. It's some kind of magic.[MP3] Wye Oak - "Civilian" My only complaint about that night was, of course, the too-short set that an opening slot demands, so I'm thrilled they're back for a show of their own so soon. Wanna go? Of course you do. I've got a pair of guest list spots to hand out, and entering is easy: Fire off a quick email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com titled "WYE OAK!" and include your full name. Make sure it hits my inbox by Noon this Friday, April 8th, when I'll pick a random winner and send them the good news - that they'll be on the Middle East guest list with a +1 for Tuesday night's Wye Oak / Callers / Jaggery show. Look for me near the front. |
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