Boston Ticket Giveaway: Robyn Hitchcock at the Coolidge on 6/8
Posted on May 31, 2010 at 8:19 am | No Comments
When it was announced that singer/guitarist/eccentric-genius Robyn Hitchcock would be making a special appearance when Jonathan Demme was given the Coolidge Award at Brookline’s Coolidge Corner Theatre earlier this year, I had no idea what we’d be in for. I was already looking forward to seeing Demme in the flesh as he introduced his latest live concert doc (“Neil Young Trunk Show“), so getting what was rumored to be “a short set” from Mr. Hitchcock (a frequent Demme collaborator) was just about the best bonus ever. Well, his set certainly was short. A single song, in fact.
Hey, I’m not complaining – the new song, “Born On The Wind” off his most recent album with the Venus 3, “Propellor Time”, was a keeper. And a little Hitchcock does go a long way… but even after a I see a full length RH set, I’m left wanting more. So when he quit the stage too quickly, I was in my seat wishing he’d get back up there.
Well, it took a few months, but my wish is coming true. On Tuesday, June 8th, Robyn Hitchcock returns to the Coolidge for a solo show, and I’m pretty well thrilled. Seems he must have felt pretty comfortable up there on that Brookline stage, considering how quickly he’s coming back. It’s the first of just four dates he’s booked this spring (and his first area show since he performed “I Often Dream Of Trains” as a trio in Somerville in late ’08), with two nights in Toronto and one in western Massachusetts to follow. We should consider ourselves lucky, to say the least, so here’s hoping we can pack the place for the man.
To help do just that, the Coolidge crew has generously given me 5 pairs (yes, five) of tickets to hand out to ‘Nac readers. Easily the most tix I’ve been able to give away for a single show, that’s for sure. I’ll be doling out three pair the usual way (from emailed entries), and the others on Twitter over the next few days. And yeah, feel free to enter each one separately to increase yer chances.
The email details: Send a message to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com before Noon this Friday, June 4th. Use “Visible Hitchcock” as the subject, include your full name, and make sure you can be at the show on Tuesday, June 8th. I’ll pick three random winners who will each have a pair of tickets waiting for them at the box office that night.
For the Twitter giveaway, keep an eye on my account tomorrow, and again on Thursday, when I’ll be randomly tweet a message that says “First person to reply gets a pair of tickets to Robyn Hitchcock at the Coolidge on 6/8”. Which, y’know, is pretty self-explanatory.
For non-free tickets to the show, click over to the Coolidge, or visit their Brookline box office. The other dates on Robyn’s short tour are…
June 8th at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline
June 9th at the Iron Horse in Northampton, MA
June 11th + 12th, 2010 at the Drake Hotel in Toronto
Other goings-on in Hitchcock’s world…
Every few months, he lets loose a free digital single that he’s calling a “Phantom 45”. Each two song download is free for a short time after they get posted, after which you can buy them from his web store (and they’re pretty top-notch so far). He’s put up two 45s (four songs) already, with the third pair arriving on July 15th, so the cost-conscious should keep an eye on this page to score the freebie. When Robyn played at the aforementioned Jonathan Demme event, Demme gave audience members free reign to film the performance, after which he said “something will happen” with the footage – ideally it would be compiled, edited from all those involved, and shared for fans. Well, it was never really made clear how that would happen, but fortunately Bostonian Mr. Bill T. Miller was in attendance, and he’s shared his own edited footage right here. Robyn recently took part in the excellent “Black Cab Sessions” video series, performing “Born On The Wind” for them as well, and here are the results… It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a live show, rather than a film, inside the Coolidge (anyone else remember the stunning Ida/Low double-bill years back?), so I’m really hoping this gig signals a new trend. Make it so, Coolidge.
Alright, send off those emails, keep an eye on my Twitter, and look out for a couple more ‘Nac giveaways this week.
Boston Giveaway: THE NATIONAL – Tix to House of Blues shows + Autographed 7-inch
Posted on May 27, 2010 at 12:25 pm | No Comments
Yes, I’ve clearly shifted into giveaway mode, and this time brings another wonderful slice of vinyl alongside a pair of free concert tickets…
To mark the recent release of The National‘s new 4AD long-player, “High Violet”, the team at Beggars has ponied up an autographed 7″ single for the track “Bloodbuzz Ohio“, along with two spots on the guest list for one of the band’s two upcoming shows at the House of Blues in Boston (Wednesday + Thursday, June 2nd + 3rd). I’ve long-since grabbed my tickets for the Wednesday show, but the random winner of this one will get to choose the night that works best for them.
To varying degrees, and varying lengths of time, all of the National’s albums have been growers for me, rather than showers. They always take awhile to sink in, revealing their depths only after many listens. 2007’s “Boxer” took the least while, with a few tracks that grabbed me from the get-go (opener “Fake Empire” and personal fave “Mistaken For Strangers” especially), and 2005’s “Alligator” slightly longer, but in all honesty, “High Violet” is taking the longest so far. It may even require seeing these songs performed in person for my strong like to turn into the love I expect will come.
I’ve never been disappointed by a National live set, and I’ve seen my share – from TT the Bears to the Comcast Center to a special gig at downtown bar Paddy O’s – so I’m naturally looking forward to next week’s tour stop. Especially after watching the D.A. Pennebaker-directed live show that happened at The Brooklyn Academy of Music last week (watch various clips on YouTube for a limited time).
So if you want to check out one of those two House of Blues shows next week, and snag that signed “Bloodbuzz Ohio” 7-inch as part of the deal, here’s what to do: Fire off an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, put “NATIONAL ACTION!” in the subject line, let me know which night you’d prefer to see (6/2 or 6/3), and include your mailing address (don’t worry, it won’t be shared). Make sure it arrives in my inbox by next Tuesday, June 1st, at Noon, when I’ll pick a random winner and share the good news. One catch, obviously: You’ve gotta be able to make it to the show, so don’t enter if you can’t be there.
Here, enjoy the 7-inch version of “Bloodbuzz Ohio” while you type out that email…
Speaking of giveaways, in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve got one running on Twitter right now for 2 tickets to see a reunited Concrete Blonde (who are marking the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough “Bloodletting” album) at the Royale Boston next week. The contest ends tomorrow at Noon, so head here for the 140-character details.