For most of the time I've done this thing, I normally had little interaction with the bands besides a few emails here and there. I try not to think about the reality that people read what I write about them.
After years of going to shows without interacting with performers, I've recently started getting friendly with some folks in bands. Thankfully I already liked their music, but it feels a bit funny to write about it.
If you go to the show at TT's, the tunes will top-notch -- and a bunch of those folks on stage are genuinely good people.
That said, it was good to see the Celtics close out the Heat series. I believe they have a chance of beating the Cavs. Thank goodness for a Sox win too. Woo-hoo.
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WED 4/28
5pm to 10pm
31 Cent Scoop Night
at participating Baskin-Robbins/Dunkin Donuts Locations
$0.31 per scoop
These free ice cream days are national events, so I think they're avoiding really hot weather in any region. I know I'm in the mood for ice cream even when it's only a Baskin-Robbins... Hey, a small scoop for 31 cents ain't a bad deal (limit 3 scoops).
The idea is to get you in to donate to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. So think about leaving some of your change...
The 5 closest Baskin-Robbins/Dunkin Donuts from downtown Boston:
- Cambridge (1 Bow St, Harvard Sq)"At participating stores while supplies last."
- Cambridge (1 Broadway, Kendall Sq)
- Belmont (52 Church St)
- Lexington (10 Woburn St)
- South Weymouth (755 Main St)
WED 4/28
6pm to 9pm
Annual Science Trivia Challenge
at Kirsch Auditorium, Stata Center, 32 Vassar St, Cambridge (MIT campus)
FREE
Registration is closed, but you can watch teams competing in high-school and adult divisions in a Jeopardy-like test of general science knowledge.
Part of the Cambridge Science Festival.
WED 4/28
6pm to 7pm
David Kaiser, "How the Hippies Saved Physics"
at MIT Museum, 265 Mass Ave, Cambridge (near Central Sq)
FREE
The inside story about the smart guys who spent the 70's indulging in substances and all sorts of mind-expanding mysticism. Years later, the wacky theories on quantum physics they were playing with would be brought to the prominence for a variety of applications.
Also part of the Cambridge Science Festival.
WED 4/28
8pm
Team Slam Finals
at Cantab Underground, 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge (between Central Sq & Harvard Sq)
$5
Although I understand the concept on a practical level, it still amuses me that one can quantifiably judge poetry.
These should be the best poets out of the Cantab's regulars, because the top nine performers from last week will compete over three rounds to choose the top five poets who'll be the Cantab's team at the Nationals. 9 slam poets, 3 rounds, 5 will be chosen:
Kevin Spak, Trevor Liam Byrne-Smith, Erin Jackson, Adam Stone, Sam Teitel, Carrie Rudzinski, April Ranger, Simone Beaubien, Omoizele OkoawoThe usual $3 weekly cover has been raised to help offset travel expenses to the National Poetry Slam in St. Paul. (There may not be time for open-mic tonight.)
WED 4/28
8pm
Hemenway Strings: "East Meets West"
at Fenway Center, 77 Saint Stephen St, Boston (Northeastern campus)
FREE
Acclaimed violinist Lynn Chang is the director of the Boston Conservatory's "string honors ensemble" who are performing pieces by European, American, and Chinese composers:
Mozart, "Diverimento in D"WED 4/28
Bach, "Brandenburg Concerto No. 6"
Chen Yi, "Sprout for Strings"
Chen Yi, "Romance and Dance of the Hsiao and Ch'in"
Bloch, "Concerto Grosso"
8pm
Where The Land Meets The Sea, Static of the Gods, Viva Viva, Southern Belle
at Harpers Ferry, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston
$8 / 18+
Maybe some of these bands will play the NXNE festival in June. I saw an ad that said there will be a chance to win tickets to Toronto's version of SXSW. (Some scheduled: Iggy & the Stooges, X, Box Elders, The Raveonettes, Japandroids, Surfer Blood, Quintron & Miss Pussycat.)
All of these bands are worthy of more buzz and fandom than they already receive. Where The Land Meets The Sea has a winning combo of crunchy, punky guitars tempered with keyboards supporting catchy songs that steer away from faux-earnest anthems.
To my ear in the past, Static of the Gods specialized in fuzzy, melodic, riff-tastic concoction; the new album takes that sound and focuses into a pleasing, song-oriented direction. Whatever Viva Viva does will be fantastic, whether it's dusky, fuzzy, rootsy indie-rock or some progression into a new direction. Despite not being my cup of tea, I can tell the electro/rock of Southern Belle has got something good going on.
WED 4/28
Naked On Rollerskates (11:30pm), Liberation Day (10:40pm), Croquet (9:50pm), Highly Personal Trash (9pm)
at TT the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$7
Despite the flyer, don't look forward to nudity or rollerskating -- by the band... while they're onstage... There's simply not enough room!
What you can expect from Naked on Roller Skates is tangy, buoyant, pop-rocking tuneage from a former folker, a drummer on guitar, a guitarist playing bass, and some dude on drums. Change often brings fresh results.
To get things warmed up, Highly Personal Trash may or may not be a one-woman project at this point. The foundation is the carefully crafted and lyrically potent songs emanating from the keaybords and lovely vocals. The volume rises with some rollicking, easygoing indie-rock goodness from Croquet, then Liberation Day sounds like a well-oiled, neo-new-wavey, guitar-heavy rock.
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