Information for this column can be sent to wachtelaj@gmail.com
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PERFECT PLACES
Rita: August is the best month of the year for camping out and communing with nature and Mother Earth. Lolita: Ha! You only camp out on bar stools but August is the ideal month to hang out in a cool club and see a hot local band. Rita: Which is a good way to ask our Question of the Month: “Tell us something about the current venue that you are most likely to be found playing (or hanging out if you are not a musician).” Let’s first ask our favorite lounge lizard JESSE MAYER (Diablo Gato): I tend to hang out at Once Ballroom in Somerville and Opus in Salem. Great rooms with a great vibe that are booking solid shows. I also love playing both venues and Diablo Gato has cool shows coming up at both this fall. We are at Once Ballroom with Barrence Whitfield & the Savages on Thursday September 29. Opus is Friday, October 7 with Gold Blood & Associates, Tom Baker & The Snakes. *** MICHAEL J. QUIRK (Club Linehan A Go Go/ Hopelessly Obscure): Many great places to choose. Pick one? Midway Cafe in JP. Easiest place to park, load in, find a bite before the show, and always an entertaining bill whenever I’ve been there. Also the place where I met Joe Coughlin for the first time. *** GRETCHEN BOSTROM (Gretchen Bostrom Music): If I’m not gigging, you’ll likely find me hanging out at The Plough & Stars in Cambridge on a Monday night for Downbeat Mondays with Matt Stubbs & the Antiguas. Has to be one of the most unique shows you’ll go to. Matt and his band play verbed-out guitar twang, they have psychedelic images and movie clips on a big screen above the band, Five dollar cocktails… can’t beat that! Musicians on their night off might come and sit in. One week Matt even had go-go dancers! You never know what’s going to happen. I love playing Sunday Funday at Brodie’s Seaport Cafe in Salem with Chris Fitz and Steve Peabody. It’s known around Salem as the “Sunday church service” and everyone who is anyone comes. Each week they have a different feature (I was one of the features in July). Great music, tons of dancing, great neighborhood vibe. The Salem music fans are some of the most supportive and loyal music lovers I’ve ever known. It’s always a great hang. *** PHIL PEMBERTON (Roomful of Blues): The most current venues I’m most likely to hang out in if I’m playing or not are Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry, or R’evolution in Cranston, RI. First two have great national acts of all kinds, never a bad show or sound… the third is a small restaurant/ bar that has a great New Orleans thang led by my Roomful trumpeter Doug Woolverton every Wednesday. *** SYMPLI WHITNEY (Sympli Whitney Productions): The current venue Sympli Whitney can be found jamming is a mix of delightful delicacies and old school jams with a new school energy that fills the night sky and allows you to lose yourself in the memories of old… rhythm and blues, soul, funk, neo-soul all served up on a groovin’ platter for your enjoyment! Birch St. Bistro in Roslindale, MA, Pho Dakao in Framingham and Worcester, MA, Angry Ham’s in Framingham, MA and two Sympli Whitney favorites right in the heart of Boston, MA: Sonny Walkers in Roxbury, MA and Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen in Dorchester, MA. It’s a whirlwind but I love it! Keep ryzin!
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NOTABLE NOTABLES
Rita: Now is the perfect time to spread the word about what’s going on in the New England music scene. Lolita: I hate when you make sense. TOM BIANCHI tells us THE LIZARD LOUNGE just marked their 500th Open Mic Challenge Show. *** DUKE ROBILLARD has a new CD Blues – Full Circle coming out the second week of September. *** North Shore guitarist extraordinaire BOB LEGER has a new release due out this month Imaginary Dream with ten songs produced by him and JOE CANNATELLI. “Dreams Are Hard To Find” is the hit. Leger was in the 1966 Battle of the Bands held at the Boston Garden with his group Richie & The Renegades. ALIZON LISSANCE (The Love Dogs) plays keys and JEFF CASPER drums on his new release. *** South Shore teenage hip-hop artist MARC VINCENT has a new song “Thank You Hip-Hop” and his debut album Words Of A Heathen will be out soon. This cat is creative and talented and his influences are 2Pac, Big L, and DMX. The music has a grimy ’90s NYC feel to it. Songs “To The Sky,” “Cold Streets,” and “Anthrax” are extremely dope. Stay tuned. *** Vermont folk/ pop band THE DUPONT BROTHERS are ZACK and SAM DUPONT. They are from Burlington and are a sibling indie/ folk/ Americana duo currently working on their second full length and first ever vinyl release A Riddle For You, produced by MICHAEL CHORNEY. They recently gigged at PASSIM and they sound like a new Simon and Garfunkel mixed with a bit of John Denver and Neil Young but with twice the guitar. *** Northampton art rockers BELLA’S BARTOK have a new single “Ramona” produced and directed by ALEKSANDER SASA BREZAR and the corresponding visual has a disclaimer that says: “No animals were hurt during the making of this video but two cats were really annoyed.” They are currently on their east coast/ midwest summer tour. Amazing and unique! *** Publicist DEBBIE CATALANO from Catalano Creative tells us about the BOSTON ROCK OPERA’s latest venture Stardust to Blackstar: The Lives of David Bowie which is sure to be the ultimate Bowie tribute. Performers include: MICK MONDO, MATT SULLIVAN, PETER MOORE, GENE DANTE, JOHN POWHIDA, PHIL AIKEN, ALBINO MBIE, JESS JACOBS, ANDREA GILLIS, MELISSA GIBBS and many more. The all-star band will be under the direction of RUSS GERSHON (Either Orchestra). It’s gonna be an incredible and emotional night at ONCE in Somerville at the end of the first week of this month. *** Portrait painter PAUL LOWE and wife KATIE had a busy month and were seen presenting his works of art to subjects LUTHER GUITAR JR. JOHNSON at THUNDER ROAD, EDGAR WINTER at THE LOWELL AUDITORIUM and MIKE ZITO at CHAN’S in Rhode Island. *** GIRL ON TOP has two new albums out singer KAREN DIBIASSE let us know about. Live For It and Army Nation have JOHN FANNON from NEW ENGLAND helping out with the production. Check out her new music. *** LAY LOW MOON had a great gig at Plymouth’s HEDGE HOUSE LAWN. *** Musician Satirist CHANCE LANGTON has two great cool songs “Bluebells” and the new and improved version of “Love The Babies.” He plays guitar and the songs are sung by a wonderful twenty nine year old female singer. Great stuff. Guitar legend ROY BUCHANAN introduced us to this great local artist many moons ago before asking him onstage to play at a JONATHAN SWIFT’S gig. *** LIZZIE BORDEN & THE AXES said their last reunion show two years ago would be their last. We guess it’s never say never again because LBA will be playing one more show up at THE ZORBA MUSIC HALL in Lowell at the end of September. CARISSA JOHNSON is on the bill too. They are playing FLIGHT OF FIRES’ CD release party for Path of the Phoenix. Liz is producing this new grrrl band and was overheard saying: “Time to remember how to play bass again.” *** Plan ahead folks. CHRISTINE OHLMAN and her band CHRISTINE OHLMAN & REBEL MONTEZ are kicking off the MYSTIC BLUES FESTIVAL in Stonington, Connecticut with ROOMFUL OF BLUES and THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS in the middle of the month. DR. JOHN appears Saturday night and DUMPSTAFUNK on Sunday night. Christine will be at her main gig fronting the SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE BAND at Rockefeller Center in NYC on Saturday night. *** Right now ROOMFUL OF BLUES is on tour. San Antonio, Midland, Dallas. Then to Little Rock, Kansas City and Chicago. Lot’s and lot’s of driving and many horns honking onstage and on the road. *** If you’re on Martha’s Vineyard and want to go see an intimate summer concert – only sixty tickets available – don’t miss SALLY TAYLOR‘s Consenses Art show the first week of the month. BEN TAYLOR, SOPHIE HILLER and KORI WITHERS are the other performers. There will also be a Consenses Art Final Auction and Fundraiser at the end of the month in Vineyard Haven in “The Cloud” above MIDNIGHT FARM. *** Boston acid blues band BEES DELUXE released their latest CD Bluesapocalypse and just had a great gig at THE BULL RUN in Shirley opening for THE DARRELL NULISCH BAND. Bluesapocalypse is an annual benefit for THE ARLINGTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS and members of the band include CONRAD WARRE on guitar and vocals, CAROL BAND on keys, PATRICK SANDERS pounding and ALDO DORR on bass. After playing their gig and second encore a fan slipped the sound engineer a bootleg recording of their entire performance so they released the CD! *** JON BUTCHER currently on his Holy War Tour promoting his brand new release 2Roads East. He recently played at a special Red Sox sponsored retirement party for Big Papi David Ortiz where Jon played a custom Fender Strat with Ortiz on the front. He also performed “The Star Spangled Banner” on it the next night at Fenway Park before the game. All the Red Sox were in attendance at the party. Just incredible. BERKLEE Professor TOMO FUJITA who often jumps onstage with Jon to duel, once taught JOHN MAYER and ERIC KRASNO (Soulive) in his classes. *** HUMMINGBIRD SYNDICATE has an electric tremolo, echo, B bender version of the band with JON MACEY on vocals and 12-string guitar, LYNN SHIPLEY on vocals, LENNY SHEA (The Stompers) behind the kit, TOM HOSTAGE on guitar and vocals, CHRIS MACLACHLAN on bass, and ANDY HOLLINGER on electric mandola and B bender guitar. They have a new album coming out mid-September called Pop Tricks. The party will be at THE DILBOY POST in Somerville at the end of September. *** RUBY ROSE FOX recently released Domestic and had a cool party at THE MIDDLE EAST DOWNSTAIRS with opening acts JULIE RHODES who has great vocals and soulful blues, WEAKENED FRIENDS and their noise/ junk sound fronted by SONIA STURINS and ANNIE HOFFMAN on guitar and bass and CAM JONES on drums and NYC’s JEREMY & THE HARLEQUINS. Ruby had THE GLORIA STEINEMS adding backing vocals too. They are MALLY SMITH, COLLEEN MCNAMARA, and JULIA MARK. And her band is DAVE BROPHY on drums, JOHN BRAGG on guitar, MATT GIRARD playing bass and JOSH FRIEDMAN on keys. We love their song “Ronald Reagan Killed The Radio” and “Rock Bottom” about Rosemary Kennedy’s lobotomy. *** Check out North Shore guitarslinger GARY HOEY‘s latest release Dust & Bones. The song “Boxcar Blues” is killer. Turn this up loud and then break off the knob. *** Maine singer/ songwriter BUCK CURRAN from the alt/ folk rock band ARBOREA has a solo album just out along with a ROBBIE BASHO tribute album he’s produced. Immortal Light is good psychedelic folk. SHANTI from his main gig sings backup on “New Moontide.” *** Maine metal band CRUEL HARD LOVE have a great new cut “Dead Eyes Watching.” Loud arena rock at its best. Their new album Your World Won’t Listen due out September 9. They’re like METALLICA but more fun. *** Surf rockers TSUNAMI OF SOUND recently played for the first time outside Fenway Park during a Sox home game on Yawkey giving THE HOT TAMALE BAND a break. RICK SANGER insists he was drumming up a storm and they all had a blast. *** Blues organ legend RON LEVY produced and mixed with FRANK COAKLEY x’s & y’s by HENRI NIGRO and had the record release party at FLORA in Arlington. The music is now available at CDBaby. *** Progressive blues band MONTY’S LOBSTER have their self-titled debut album out featuring LUKE BRATSOS, BAXTER HALL and MIKE JONES. “She’s My Girl” and “Monty’s Lobster” are the hits.
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MORE PERFECT PLACES
Rita: Enough gossip. Let’s ask another local legend where he likes to hang out. PARKER WHEELER (Parker Wheeler Band): Enjoy playing Sundays at the Grog in Newburyport for the 25th year. Good friend and 2016 Grammy Award winner Tom Hambridge returns on Sunday August 14th. When I am just out and about I like listening to my saxophonist Amadee Castenell play some very cool jazz at Chianti in Beverly and at his new residency upstairs at the Grog on Thursdays. Best part of living on the North Shore are the wonderful musical choices each week. *** KATHY BURKLY (Diane Blue Band): You could say Howling Wolf up here in Salem, they have good cold beer and Mexican food with their music – also sticking my toes in the water at Winter Island (Salem again) or playing pinball and Asteroids at the Willows (Salem… again!) does that help? *** DIANE BLUE (Diane Blue Band): Basically, wherever you find Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, I am there. I’m now officially the lead singer for the band. I still do gigs with my band occasionally. All my dates are on my website. *** MOEJOE MARINO (MoeJoe Vision): If we have to pick one venue, you’re most likely to find us at The Bull Run Restaurant. Plenty of parking, with great food and a fantastic staff. You’re never more than four tables from the stage and George Tocci is consistently booking and bringing some of the best national blues acts in the country to our area as well as providing opportunities for local musicians to showcase their skills as opening acts or features at The Bull Run’s monthly Blues Wednesday series.
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INSIGNIFICA
Lolita: Back to babbling. Harp player SATCH ROMANO and his band LICKITY SPLIT is back at DADDY”S BEACH CLUB in Hull. *** BRUCE MARSHALL hosts an open mic night once a month at BEEF AND SKI in Bridgton, ME. The first Thursday of every month. *** Folkies THE HONEY DEWDROPS have a new record out Tangled Country. They are playing at Passim the second week in August. *** Speaking of Passim MOLLY VENTER and her band GOODNIGHT MOONLIGHT TRIO with her husband EBAN PARISER recently played at this cool Harvard Square club too. Molly’s voice bends from a sweet moan to a gritty shout and their co-written hit “Willow Tree” was a Number One hit on the Folk Charts in 2014. The group tours as a trio with ADAM CHILENSKI on upright bass. *** Young guitar ace JIMMY BEZ just had a great gig opening for blues vet TINSLEY ELLIS at THUNDER ROAD MUSIC CLUB. *** MAUREEN MEDEIROS tells us her band the AMADEE CASTENELL QUARTET have been playing at CHIANTI’S in Beverly for a couple of years. AMADEE is a legend on flute and sax, BEN brings it in the keys, BOB ENIK does it all on guitar and bass and Maureen keeps the groove on drums, congas and timbales. Enik plays an un-fretted left handed instrument. *** THE NORTHEAST BLUES GUITAR SUMMIT is during the third week of August at BLACK-EYED SALLY’S in Hartford, Connecticut with MATT STUBBS, CHRIS VITARRELLO, CHRIS ‘STOVALL’ BROWN, THE BRUCE KATZ BAND and THE KOSHER KID. *** PAUL WILLIAMS owns and runs THE BRICKHOUSE in Scarborough, Maine. Check it out if you can get a ticket to get in! *** Check out THE GENERATION BLUES BAND from Connecticut with singer BONNIE SPERZEL and harp player BOBBY HARP the songwriters of the group. *** THE BRIAN MAES BAND recently played a gig at THE RED ROCK PARK concert series in Lynn and BARRY GOUDREAU (Boston/ RTZ) came onstage and did a great version of the band Boston’s “Long Time.” Barry on guitar, Brian on vocals and keys and TIM ARCHIBALD on bass used to play together in RTZ. The rest of the band onstage was Brian’s wife MARYBETH LINEHAN MAES sharing vocal chores, MARK EARLY (Roomful of Blues) on sax, and ANTHONY DEPIETRO on drums. *** DAVID HULL‘s (James Montgomery Band) younger brother CHRIS HULL used to be in THE SHIVERS with his other brother Matt. He is now in THE PEASANTS and they just shook the roof at THE TAVERN AT THE END OF THE WORLD in Charlestown. Great pizza and burgers there too, folks. *** Go to the Boston Public Library every Wednesday night at six to hear a wide variety of BERKLEE performers in the library’s courtyard. *** DUKE LEVINE (The J. Geils Band) has some of his music grace the score of the new supernatural thriller movie Blessid. Duke adds a new dimension to this award winning little indie film with the big sound. *** GREG HAWKES UKULELE TRIO member TIM MANN tells us the threesome has been on hiatus since playing at JOHNNY D’s last December. Greg took his family to Japan for the first time since THE CARS 1980 tour. Tim is working on a new album called Silver Sun. New songs include: “The Worrying Kind,” “Late Afternoon Sun,” and “Safe Again.” Mann just played a great gig at an early show at TOAD opening up for local blues great BARRETT ANDERSON. *** TOKYO TRAMPS played at the Malden City Hall for the 2016 MALDEN SUMMER CONCERT SERIES. We suspect that PETER LEVINE who is PREACHER JACK‘s manager was involved. Peter tells us the Preacher is still convalescing in a North Shore nursery home but he does accept visitors! *** Check out RAM live every Thursday in East Providence at TEE PLAZA at seven and then later on in the night at GARDEN ZEN in Coventry, RI. *** After twelve years in Londonderry, NH, THE TUPELO MUSIC HALL has found a new home in Derry. The new sight is a former health club and the move will increase the seating capacity. Very cool. Owner SCOTT HAYWARD is looking to get the new hall open for New Year’s Eve. *** There IS a player who impresses judges on “America’s Got Talent.” Somerville resident JON BERNHARDT is an M.I.T. grad and a full time actuary who plays the theremin an electronic instrument that relies on hand motions and high frequency oscillators to produce a ghostly, melodic sound. Even Simon Cowell seemed amused by the offbeat performance with Jon plucking the air. *** WARD HAYDEN from GIRLS, GUNS & GLORY tells us that the band’s next album Fireworks And Alcohol is getting ‘mighty close to the halfway point of being done.” We can’t wait to hear their cover of “Hot Burrito” by the FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS and their original single “Wild & Free.” *** RONNIE EARL and his band THE BROADCASTERS have a new album Maxwell Street due to be released September 9. An album of traditional, healing and soulful blues in honor of legendary blues pianist DAVID MAXWELL who recently passed and a nod towards Chicago’s Maxwell Street. *** JALAPENOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT in Gloucester has a great band every Tuesday night. Check out DAN KING, WOLF GINANDES, DAVID BROWN and DAVE MATTACKS. *** THE MIDWAY CAFE in Jamaica Plain has a neat Friday night gig called THE HIPPIE HOUR with music from THE GRATEFUL DEAD by UNCLE JOHNNY’S BAND. *** Have you checked out THE SPOTLIGHT TAVERN in Beverly? For the past five years they’ve been giving the people on the North Shore an incredible music and performing arts experience. If you are in the area go there to see a band and then write it up for all of The Noise readers who couldn’t make the great show. *** Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays MICKEY BLISS hosts CLUB BOHEMIA at THE CANTAB LOUNGE in Cambridge. Great music every night on Mass. Ave. Check it out! *** THE FOOLS from Ipswich donated three grand to THE NORTH SHORE VETERANS COUNSELING SERVICE CENTER in Beverly. They may be fools but they are also loyal and generous. MIKE GIRARD, STACEY PEDRICK and RICH BARTLETT toured the Center and presented the check in honor of FRED MOZDZIEZ an Ipswich native who worked for the band for many years and who passed away last year after a scuba-diving accident. Seriously, folks.
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FINAL PERFECT PLACES
Rita: And now for the last of our answers. JIM TAFT (D.K.’s Full House): These days, I find myself playing in quite a variety of venues. In July, I played the Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury, MA. again with Mike Girard’s Big Swinging Thing. That is a place large enough to accommodate a big crowd (including the 20 we had on stage!), with full size stage, sound and lights. They have national touring acts there all the time, yet if you can fill enough seats, they’ll book local talent in there, as well. I love that! I play with so many different bands right now, that I’m fortunate to play in many different venues around New England. The type of event or act that it is, determines the type of venue. When I play with the well-established wedding band Brick Park, I end up in the mansions of Newport or an elegant hotel ballroom in Boston or on Cape Cod. When I sing with Danny Klein’s Full House, I’ll find myself on a large outdoor stage like the one at the Portuguese Festival in New Bedford. In contrast, when I play a solo gig or with Inspirado, the duo that I have with Tom Groleau (formerly of the Mud Hens and the Flutie Brothers Band), we’ll be playing some funky little pub in downtown Boston, doing requests and sing-a-longs. Without a doubt, most of what makes these venues special are the people. It sounds super corny, but when the staff is friendly and the patrons that are out for dinner/ drinks, etc, are smiling and enjoying themselves, it makes for a fantastic experience and the next time you think of that venue, (what you can remember) you’ll remember it fondly! *** GIL CORREIA (The Gil Correia Band): Okay, well I can be currently heard every other Sunday in Wareham at Shenanigans from 5:00-8:00 pm. It’s on Rt. 28 Cranberry Highway, Wareham, MA The food is good and reasonable priced its motorcycle friendly and has an outdoor stage.They have entertainment from Thursday night through Sunday. Blues and rock. It’s a cool roadhouse. Peace. *** JON VANDERPOOL (Clutch Grabwell): You might find me hanging out at the Union Brew House in Weymouth. Great place to watch the Red Sox and enjoy a beer from their excellent tap selection. I’ve been playing with Clutch Grabwell the last few years, mostly on the South Shore. We were just at the Tinker’s Son in Norwell (formerly Mt. Blue owned by Aerosmith). You can catch us September 30 at Waxy’s in Kingston, MA. Horn-driven rock! *** JIMMY COYLE: You can find Jim Coyle and King Blue at Sally O’Briens in Somerville, MA, where musicians play songs for experienced listeners and folks who ain’t too cool to have a good time. With Eric and Hazel Royer, Dan Kellar and Leo Ciaramitaro. Check the schedule. *** TOM HALTER (Mariachi Internacionale/ Either Orchestra): In the mariachi band we play the Casa Vallarta in either Saugus, Northborough or Falmouth a few times every week and it’s one of the most authentic Mexican restaurants in the north east. I’m there swilling tequila as I play (laughs). They are SO generous to me and treat me so well it’s gotten to be a dangerous place for me to work. (laughs). *** Rita: Great answers. Sounds like a good time to end the column. Lolita: Come back and see us again for our next column posted on September 1!