Tomorrow at Noon – FOR AMIE: A Breast Cancer Awareness Benefit
Posted on October 16, 2009 at 11:01 am | No Comments
Well, this is a strange one to write. To say I’m a little close to the subject at hand would be a slight understatement. For friends and followers who already know that the ‘Amie’ in the title of this post is my wonderful wife of 8 years, for strangers who can sympathize, and for Boston-area readers and music fans looking for a special show tomorrow, this one’s for you. Most of all, this post is for Amie.
About a month ago, after a self-examination prompted an appointment, Amie was diagnosed with breast cancer. The ‘C’ word. The one that no one ever wants to hear and only those who’ve had it could ever fully understand. The past few weeks have been a rollercoaster of shock, resignation, fitful sleep, doctor’s visits, more bad news, insurance questions, and major mood swings. Getting downsized by my corporate overlords in fairly brutal fashion just after her diagnosis didn’t exactly help (too much extra time to think, though I’m of course glad for the extra family time), but compared to what Amie’s dealing with, that’s nothing, really.
For those who know Amie, if asked to describe her, the words “not shy” are near the top of the list. So there was no question of sharing the news with all the people in and around our lives. Once it got out there, well… our hearts have been absolutely overwhelmed by the notes, emails, calls, and sincere well wishes. From friends both new and old, even relative strangers who reached out and offered their own stories and words of support. It’s still happening, and it’s blowing us away.
Two of those notes got me thinking – Jay from Clicky Clicky and Jen from Band In Boston both emailed me separately, offering to help organize a benefit. At the same time, Billy O’Connell, who is both married to and manages the amazing Kristin Hersh, offered to help in any way they could. While the idea of gathering funds makes me a bit uncomfortable (yes, we could use it, but we’re better off than many, and have a strong support system), the prospect of a pre-surgery party for Amie was too perfect. Something to lift her spirits before the big day.
And so, tomorrow at Noon, after emails and invites and the generous acceptance of our friends and favorites, it’s actually happening…
So join us downstairs at the Middle East at high noon tomorrow, Saturday, October 17th (during what also happens to be National Breast Cancer Awareness Month), for special sets from our friends The Broken River Prophet, Colin Clary (of the Smittens, driving down from Vermont), Drew O’Doherty (coming up from the Cape), Travels (Mona & Anar!), Bill Janovitz from Buffalo Tom, and Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses & 50 Foot Wave. This is kind of a dream for us, and everyone’s invited to share in it.
Tickets are $10 and should be available at the door, and we’re splitting the proceeds with breastcancer.org, an online resource that Amie has found invaluable. It was very important for us to make this family friendly, so it’s not only all ages – kids 12 and under get in free, and the drum-free stage setups should be safe for little ones’ ears. The kind crew at Somerville’s Kickass Cupcakes are also donating tasty treats, so arrive early to make sure you score one of those. There’s a Facebook event page, and you can buy tickets online, although I hate directing you to Ticketmaster, where the fees are disproportionate to the ticket price and won’t go to the cause. If you’re able, stop by the Middle East’s box office today before 7pm to avoid that. Some people have asked about a way to donate if they can’t make it to the benefit, but after thinking it over, this really isn’t about the money – what we’d really like is for everyone to either get their boobs checked or convince someone in their life to do the same.
To everyone playing, to Jay and Jen for the inspiration, to Kevin and the Middle East for hosting, to Kickass Cupcakes, and to everyone who’s emailed and RSVP’d and offered to help, we could never possibly thank you enough. See you tomorrow…
Live Mp3s: Loney Dear in Allston, MA
Posted on October 13, 2009 at 11:50 pm | No Comments
When I eventually sit down to figure out my favorite live shows of ’09, there’s one spot filled for sure: Loney Dear‘s springtime set at Allston’s Great Scott. It wasn’t my first time seeing Sweden’s Emil Svanangen and his wonderful backing band, but it was easily the most intimate, and most moving, so far.
There’s something very special about Emil, a welcoming, warm demeanor that brings you into his world, that allows easy access to his hopes and heartbreak, that lets you ride the rise and fall of his gorgeous songs and their breezy melodies. There are pop songs with heart, speedy tunes that propel perfectly forward, and delicate numbers that build like spiderwebs and disappear in the wind of their final chords. There was one particular moment that May evening, just after the first few notes of “I Love You“, that Emil stepped to the front of the small stage, almost into the crowd, leaving the microphone behind him. His voice unamplified, accompanied only by his guitar, singing directly to those of us up close… it felt like we were being let in on a secret. The band joined in subtly – a light cymbal wash, some soft keyboard, light floor tom – and the secret spread as he stepped back to the microphone and the music swelled behind him. Just magical.
And lucky us, we get a chance to experience these moments of magic again this very night, when Loney Dear returns to that same venue on the tail-end of a two-week cross-country tour with Asobi Seksu and fellow Swede Anna Ternheim. If you don’t already have a ticket, take a listen to the shared songs below, and head over here to remedy that. I’ll see you at Great Scott tonight, and if Emil asks you to hang around for a ‘minor party’ after the show, take him up on it.
Live at Great Scott
in Allston, MA
on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
01. I Was Only Going Out
02. Everything Turns To You
03. Harsh Words
04. Under A Silent Sea
05. Airport Surroundings
06. Carrying A Stone
07. I Love You (In With The Arms)
08. Saturday Waits
09. Hard Days
10. Violent
11. any questions?
12. The Meter Marks OK
13. Sinister In A State Of Hope
14. banter
15. Dear John
Some Loney links…
His official site, regularly-updated Blog, MySpace page, Wikipedia entry, and Polyvinyl label page. Additional Audio: There are a couple of mp3s (“Airport Surroundings” and “Ignorant Boy, Beautiful Girl“) available on the Polyvinyl page. The later song can be found on Polyvinyl’s upcoming re-release of Loney Dear’s excellent 2004 “Citadel Band” album. The disc was a relative rarity until now, and will be available on vinyl for the first time ever. Pre-order it here for arrival next month. And while you’re there, purchase Loney Dear’s latest, “Dear John”, which arrived last January and still sits squarely in my ’09 faves list. Video: There are, of course, a number of videos on YouTube, including official clips for “I Am John“, “Airport Surroundings“, and “I Was Only Going Out“. Baeble Music welcomed a four-piece version of the band to their Manhattan “Guest Apartment”, where they performed the seldom-heard “Here Comes The Lonely Ones” and live set highlight “Violent” on a comfy couch. OPBMusic had them in their studios for a five song performance and interview session. Photos: My Flickr-hosted shots are here. Check out the full Loney, Dear Flickr search. Upcoming tourdates: Just a few dates left on the current tour…
Tonight, 10/14/09 @ in Allston, MA at Great Scott
Thursday, 10/15/09 in Hoboken, NJ at Maxwell’s
Friday, 10/16/09 in New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom
Saturday, 10/17/09 in Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda’sEasily stream any and all ‘Nac-hosted Mp3s at the Hype Machine.
the fine print… If anyone has an issue with these tracks being made available, just let me know (my contact info is in the ‘nac faq linked above). Live sets are captured with a Sony minidisc recorder, converted to .wav, then edited to 192kbps Mp3s. Files are made available for a limited time, and are not reposted once removed.