Club Notes, March 26, 2009

Pictured - Jody Ryan of Uncle Billy's Smokehouse. Many thanks to Jody, who was, along with Steve Sullivan, my guest this week on WCUW. Look out for the new EP on June 1 by UBS, and check them out this weekend (see below). UBS also has a big show with Bigfish (Sublime tribute) on April 11 at the Palladium.

On Thursday, ADX joins with Stressbomb, The Thickness and more at Ralph's; The Way Out is Through is at the Grind at Clark University; there's an open mic at the Raven; and Tammany Hall's got Green Tea, among others, that night.

Friday, Bill McCarthy and his guitar hit Greendale's Pub; Jagfest 2009 hits the Lucky Dog Music Hall with Anger Rising, Train of Thought, Skulltoboggan, Lot 54 and many more; Onslo, River Raid and more hit the stage at Ralph's; Touched rocks Jillian's; Crishendo explodes at Tammany Hall; Audio Nation comes up from Rhode Island to hit Irish Times; Jason James tears up the Blue Plate in Holden; Uncle Billy's Smokehouse is with Sun Lea at The Cannery in Southbridge; Dan Burke joins the Speakeasy Combo at Nick's; and Quintana's Revenge headlines London Billiards.

Saturday, the Sam James Band joins Mike Burke and Ray Hendrix for a Taylor Guitars sponsored night at The Lucky Dog; the mighty Super 400, which is a retro sounding rock band from Boston, is joined by The Sharks and Red Quiet at Ralph's; Promised Eden is in the land of Tammany Hall; Five Hole rocks JJ's in Northboro; Tonekat makes its debut, along with Mike O'Connell, at the home of the blues, which around here is Gilrein's; it's all metal at the QVCC with a benefit show with Tales, Say Uncle, Empty Orchestra and more (this show starts at 5 p.m.); The Cosby Sweaters are back at the Galway Bay; starting at 6 p.m., Mill Street Brews hosts the Wormtown Carnival; Matt Shwachman sings with his band at Irish Times; Journey tribute Captured plays at PJ's New England Bar and Grill; Soulstice funks out at Partner's Pub; and Uncle Billy's Smokehouse hits Greendale's once again.

And on Sunday, there's an all ages battle at Tammany Hall starting in the afternoon. Also Sunday, Brian Richard does his weekly thing at Funky Murphy's whereas Jason James is down at Nick's.

Other events:

Sponsored by the National Art Education Association, Worcester Art Museum is the home to Youth Art Month. Young artists grades K-12 from schools in central Massachusetts create the artwork for this annual month-long exhibit in the Higgins Education Wing. The Stratton Players are staging Neil Simon's Prisoner of Second Avenue through April 5 at their theatre.

The Tastefully Tower Hill Event returns to Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston on Friday evening, when you can sample gourmet food from central New England's top restaurants.

On Saturday, Old Sturbridge Village hosts Girl Scout Day – girl scouts are inited to hang out, work on badges, and take part in events that focus on Women's History.

On Sunday afternoon, Mechanics Hall hosts Global Rhythms, which features outstanding musicians, singers, artists and dancers grades 4-8 throughout the Worcester Public Schools.

Organic Fruits and Veggies - On Your Doorstep

Isador's Organic and Natural Foods opened quietly more than two years ago at 250 Main St. in Oxford. Nestled behind a house next to PT Pet Supply, you've got to catch the sandwich board sign out front, or know that it's there. And thankfully, more and more people are realizing it's there.

Featuring Boar's Head deli meats, gourmet cheeses, nuts, veggies, fruits, marinades, and other fine deli type items, it's a great place to do a part of your weekly shopping, and grab a soup and sandwich (he also offers specials every day that go far beyond the sandwich).

But Isador's offers another service that is relatively new for them - monthly home delivery (though they have offered catering for some time).

Starting with the "Food Miles Box" at $25 and topping off at the "Large Box" and "Fruit Box" for $45, Isador's picks from the best local, organic growers around, putting together a shopping list of fruits and/or veggies and delivered to your door each month. Everything in these boxes is from local growers, when possible, only occasionally extending to Maine or Florida when absolutely necessary.

Obviously, what ends up in the delivery box is largely based on the season's bounty - you're not going to get an abundance of nectarines in December. And hey, that's the whole fun of it all - an experienced produce buyer choosing what's best for you. Also, Isador's tailors your box according to your tastes (if, for instance, you cannot stand broccoli, you won't get any or if you cannot get enough strawberries, it'll be heavy on that...when possible).

Add-ons are also available for delivery, such as Hebert Honey, Cooper's Milk, Boar's Head meats and cheeses and GT Dave's Kombucha.

Sounds like a fine complement to Dr. Gonzo's Condiments on Main Street in Worcester, which will be featured soon.

Visit http://www.isadors.com/ to browse the menu, and read more about home delivery options.

Call 508-987-1211.

Arthur Dent - Reunite!

Despite all odds, it's happening again. The Arthur Dent Foundation is coming together again for a special show on April 11 at – where else? - Tammany Hall.

ADF came together in 1997 with Keith McLinden, Jayson Graham, Bob Belanger (who is in The Weight of Gravity) and Anthony Rogers Wright, and often considered by many to be the birth of a local revolution. Adding Steve Mossberg on keyboard, eventually, the band was a phenomenon and packed Tammany as well as the Plantation Club (and we're talking Monday nights, here) on a regular basis. A funked out assault of jamming guitars, soulful keyboards, ripping congas and rhythm section, the vibe was right on for the time. Before breaking up three years later, the band shared the stage with Parliament as well as Run DMC. The lineup hasn't played together for four years.

“The idea for the reunion really came about,” says Belanger, “when I found out that Anthony was going to be in town from LA due to our good friend Greg Campbell's birthday. I was talking to him on facebook, and asked what he would think about doing a show while he was in town and he was up for it. I got in touch with the rest of the old bandmates who are still in Mass., and everyone was in. We are all looking forward to this. I think it's going to be a great night.”
Visit www.myspace.com/adfreunion.

Club Notes, March 19, 2009

Pictured - The Kottonmouth Kings

Thursday, there's an open mic at the Raven; and Andy Cummings sings tunes at Hooligan's in Fitchburg.

Friday, Sasquatch & The Holy Hellraisers, Seven Minute Stagger, Felix Tucker and the Black Eyed Bone Daddys split the bill at The Lucky Dog Music Hall; Fergus mixes its contemporary Irish at the Galway Bay; Rose Colored Glasses rock the Kaz Bar on Route 20; the Delta Generators return to Gilrein's with opener Jon Short; Potluck, which just released a new CD, joins Kottonmouth Kings, Blaze and more at the Palladium; Bon Jersey it at Chasers; Katrin makes a return – reappearing to sing at Block 5; Pilfered Innocence is the headliner at London Billiards; the Dinosaurs return to the Blue Plate; Farewell June does Chapel at the Mill in Millbury; The Gobshites are out at The Cannery; Dave Magario is back at the Q; Dan Lewis sings the hits from the '60s to the '80s at Blissful Meadows Country Club; Soulstice has got the groove at Irish Times; Fertile Crescent shines at the Grind, which is the pub at Clark University; there's some sort of Elvis impersonator at PJ's in West Boylston; Lisa Marie's singing the blues at the Sahara; Vincent's has got Greg Mackenzie and the Greenbacks in the corner; Kashmir pays tribute to Zeppelin at JJ's in Northboro; Brendan Mahoney sings solo at Greendale's; Watcher joins Traphiq at Ralph's; and The Weight of Gravity celebrates it new CD, sharing the bill with New Pilot and Jediah at Tammany Hall.

Saturday, it's a Mass Cann benefit with The Goosepimp Orchestra, Singuya, The Alchemystics and Guns Of Navarone at the Lucky Dog; The Cosby Sweaters do their '80s thing at Junior's Pizza; Hoodrat and the Pity Whores are among the lineup at The Raven; The Borderland All-Stars rock the Galway Bay; the wonderful John Cate does his stuff at Vincent's; The Curtain Society joins Preacher Roe, a Pony For My Birthday and Scarce at Ralph's; Bret Talbert sings at Al Fresco in Holden; Big Tall Buildings and Roxbury Secrets team up at QVCC; Darkhorse, the Progressions and Public Uproar join forces at the Wheelock Inn in Millbury; Frank Carillo leads the Bandoleros at Gilrein's; Nevercon joins the Search and Rescue at Tammany Hall for a St. Patty's Day bash with Uncle Billy's Smokehouse; and One Lane Bridge joins Pet Rock, Herra Terra, Carry the Zero, The Rectangle Club and many more for a benefit at the Polish Club in Grafton, raising money for the children of Timonthy Winslow, who passed away in December of complications of asthma. You can read more about that one at http://www.timothywinslow.com/.

On Sunday, Josh Kelley sings at Holy Cross.

Next Tuesday, Arcadian Winds performs at noon in Razzo Hall at Clark University.

Other events:

The Taylor Guitars Traveling Road Show stops at Union Music on Tuesday at 7 p.m. with a special collection of guitars made just for the show, as well as a selection of new stuff for 2009.
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is still on stage at Foothills, and Calliope Productions has got The Front Page on its stage througout the weekend.

On Friday, The Capitol Steps bring political satire to Hanover Theatre, and we definitely need a little bit of that these days. Together, these formers have worekd 18 congressional offices and represent 62 years of collective house and senate staff experience.

Come Saturday, The Easter Bunny makes his arrival at both the Solomon Pond Mall and the Greendale Mall. Also Satuday mornings for the season, Heifer International Learning Center at Overlook Farm in Rutland hosts pancake breakfasts – the all you can eat kind. Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary holds a winter birding program starting at 11:30 a.m. And this is a special one – on Saturday, Chuck and Mud and the Hole in the Dam Band hosts a benefit for Chestnut Nursery School at the Hanover Theatre, which also includes music and puppetry by Kim Webster. That's for the kids performance at 4 p.m. But at 8 p.m., Chuck and Mud also invite Valerie and Walter Crockett and the Oxymorons, The Blackstone Valley Bluegrass Band, Riverbend and much more. The event is called “Let Me Play: 30 Years of Music With Chuck and Mud.” This duo is legendary, and a longtime fixture of the folk scene around here. Visit the Hanover site for tickets to that one.

Weight of Gravity Drops One

Join my interview with The Weight of Gravity's drummer Bob Belanger tomorrow, March 19, on WCUW 91.3 FM at noon. Listen online at www.wcuw.org.

Just because a band jams doesn't make it a jam band. Take The Weight of Gravity, for instance. This local band can jam with the best of the patchouli squad, and pulls in the fans to prove it, but considers itself more of a melodic rock band. The evidence will be in its upcoming self-titled debut, which The Weight of Gravity celebrates with a release show at Tammany Hall on Friday, March 20.


“I would say we jam about 15 to 20% of the time during any given show, and often it is during cover songs,” says drummer Bob Belanger, who joins guitarist Daniel LaFleur, guitarist Steve Lamoureux, bassist Dan Cook and sax player Laura Ramsey. “We do have one original that clocks out at about 10 to 12 minutes.” The band has been together around four years.


Though it took some drastic turns during the lengthy process, Belanger says the debut turned out even better than they could have imagined. With a great deal of honest input from producer Bill Ryan, the band spent grueling hours fine tuning the product, and it took almost a year to complete. “It was well worth it,” says Belanger. “We are very proud of it. The process was amazing and we look forward to the next.”


So far, LaFleur and Lamoureux have penned the music, with a fair amount of input from the rest of the band once the framework is introduced. That said, the songs usually take a few different paths before reaching a final destination that is often rather different from what anyone envisioned. As any songwriter knows, that evolution from concept to stage is painstaking and miraculous at the same time.

Indian Ranch Hosts Battle of the Bands

Indian Ranch hosts a battle where bands compete to win a spot as an opener for the 2010 concert series. One band each night will be chosen to go on to the final competition September 13th. Bands will perform in the banquet room with the exception of the finals, which will be held outside on the main stage. The competition is geared toward classic rock and country performances. No heavy metal or rap music will be included in the competition. Please do not submit material if you fall into those catagories.

Event dates: May 22nd, June 12th, July 10th, & Aug. 14th. Doors open at 7 pm. Must be 21 to attend. Final event is September 13th at 1 pm. All ages are welcome to the final event.

To be considered for the battle of the bands please send a demo CD to the address below. Material must be received by April 1st. Bands will be selected and notified by May 1st. Bands will be given a set day to play. There will be no alternative date given. Links to band websites or myspace page with soundtracks will also be accepted. Please email link information to battleofthebands@indianranch.com.

Mail to:Indian Ranch, Attn: Battle of the Bands, 200 Gore Road, Webster, MA 01570

Club Notes, Thursday, March 12, 2009

Pictured: Castine, visit www.castinemusic.com.

On Thursday, Sadplant and Pity Whore joins The Pathetics at Ralph's; local spoken word legend Bill MacMillan is the featured artist at the weekly poetry open mic at The Hotel Vernon; Brooks Milgate joins Rick Berlin at Nick's; Dusty Cobb's singing at Tammany Hall along with Brothers McCann; and there's always a cool jam of sorts going on down at The Dive – tonight it's with Troy Gonyea.



On Friday, Irish band Jug O' Punch does a show at Shrewsbury's Knights of Columbus; The Boston Slang Band is at the Soco Rose Bar and Grille in Franklin; Sean Ryan of Uncle Billy's Smokehouse brings his acoustic to Greendale's; Hat On, Drinking Wine serves it up at Biagio's; Jim Perry brings his blues band Hothouse back to Gilrein's; Devoid helps open for Sinister Urge, the White Zombie tribute, at the Lucky Dog; get the Last Laugh at Irish Times; Buckcherry joins Papa Roach at The Palladium; Pendleton joins Necktie Party at Ralph's; the Allston Pants and Pity Whores rock The Vernon; Jason James heads down to the Galway Bay; The Great Escape does Journey at London Billiards; James Montgomery leads what he's calling The Soul Band at the Hanover Theatre; and Dan Bowden plays roots and blues guitar at the Sahara Restaurant.



On Saturday night, shake your booty with Pet Rock at the Colonial Restaurant in Webster, where you're encouraged to wear green in honor of St. Patrick's Day; the Bobby Darling Band debuts at the Irish Times; the Boston Bluegrass Union concludes its 33rd concert series with a special show pairing up the Seldom Scene and Southern Rail at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington; it's a fantastically poppy night with Castine, The Orange Ocean, The Luxury, Logan 5 and The Dental Plan at The Lucky Dog; The Delta Generators do the blues at the Acton Jazz Cafe; Terry Brennan is singing at The Banner; Fiske and Herrrara harmonize at the Green Rooster Coffeehouse; Spread Eagle pays tribute to the Eagles at The Cannery; Go, Gadget, Go! Solves crimes at Greendale's; The Red Riders rev it up at the Sahara; Humblebee leads the lineup, which includes the Gary Backstrom Band, at Tammany Hall; Bret Talbert does originals and covers at the Post Office Pub; Goofyfoot and Jabooda jam at Mill Street Brews; Mollies Misfits play a St. Patrick's Day show at the Bull Run; and Soulstice hits the groove at Chasers.
On Sunday, Jon Short does the blues at Vincent's; Brian Richard sings at Funky Murphy's; the Gobshites are at Tammany; and of course earlier in the day the St. Patrick's Day Parade winds down Park Ave., sporting floats with lots of live music on 'em, including the Delta Generators on the Tammany Float and Fergus on the Mercy Centre float. The official after parade party takes place at the Hibernian Cultural Center, but we're sure any bar with an Irish name...or beer...is hosting something fun that night, especially if it's on or around Park Ave.



Tuesdays, the wonderful Sam James is taking over the weekly slot at The Lucky Dog. And this Tuesday happens to be the official date of St. Patrick's Day. Fergus is out at O'Connor's, which is always a jam packed nuthouse (in a fun way); Five Hole does an acoustic set out at PJ's (which offers a $9.99 corned beef dinner all day); Fergus keeps it green at the Galway Bay; Bill McCarthy forgoes his usual open mic and sings at the Blackstone Tap; Aloud and Hey Now Morris Fader rock Ralph's; Sin City is out at Classic's Pub; and the Vienna Historic Inn and Restaurant hosts a dinner show featuring the Patrick Fyfe Trio.



Other stuff going on:



On Thursday, through photos, documentary film footage and audio clips, Professor William Matthews presents the Irish Fight For Freedom at the Hibernian Cultural Center.
On Friday at 10:30 a.m there's a preschool story hour called “Animals in Winter” at the Wachuset Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary in Princeton.



On Saturday at 1 p.m. at Union Music, Dave Curry leads a program called Drums for One and All, which is an open drum circle open to all ages and levels. At 6 p.m. out at the ADC Performance Center in Southbridge, there's a Texas Hold 'Em Tournament.



The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas takes the stage at Foothills Theatre throughout early April. This fun performance could be the struggling theater's last show, if sponsors...and patrons...don't step in. Support this local gem by heading out to a show.



If your idea of St. Patrick's Day is a little more subdued, Clark University is showing the Oscar winning The Tin Drum in Razzo Hall at 7 p.m. on Tuesday evening.
And don't forget WCUW is in the midst of a major fund drive, and needs you, the listeners, to help keep it alive. As a true community radio station, WCUW relies solely on contributions to stay afloat. Please consider being a member or contributing. You can find more at http://www.wcuw.org/.

WCCA has signed a new five year agreement with the city of Worcester. The previous agreement expired in January of 2006.

"We are grateful to be able to continue to facilitate Public Access in the city of Worcester," says WCCA's Mauro DePasquale. "We thank everyone who has worked closely with us throughout the negotiation process and who stood in support of WCCA. Also special thanks to all of WCCA TV staff and board members for their patience and endurance. We also want to take time to thank former city manager Thomas Hoover for giving us the opportunity for WCCA to accomplish amazing progress in programming and membership diversity and expansion in all phases of our operations between the years 1996 through to 2006. Today we stand committed and hope to continue to provide the best public access services as we can. Stay tuned for more great things to come."

WCCA TV 13 has a robust full cable cast schedule and the more than 500 videos uploaded and made available for viewer ship around the world. Visit http://www.wccatv.com.

The Pulse Worcester Music Awards Voting Has Begun

Well, the nominations are in for The Pulse Worcester Music Awards, and the finalists leave a little (or a lot, in some cases) to argument, indeed. The method of determining these finalists is strange, in that first the public nominates the acts, and that is a write-in. Then, the magazine takes those write-ins and churns it into a ballot based on those votes. So aren't you really just voting twice? Doesn't this nullify any hope for a credible or unbiased ballot?

That said, it's official, and up. And you can vote at http://www.thepulsemag.com/wordpress/.

Looking Good for Its Age: The Lucky Dog Music Hall Turns 10 This Weekend

Photo of Erick Godin by Duncan Arsenault

When The Lucky Dog Music Hall opened, longtime Worcester music fans wondered if it could ever sustain the magic that was Sir Morgan's Cove. For years (and still), some people around here still called it The Cove. Of course The Cove fosters some memorable performances, and we all proudly boast of when The Stones rehearsed their Tattoo You tour there as The Cockroaches.

But if anyone could keep that magic alive, it was Erick Godin. A musician himself (at the time, he played bass for Chillum), part of the fabric of the scene, and an all-around likable bloke, he was an easy fit for live music club owner. Godin bought the club with two other investors, and officially opened it on March 5, 1999, making it one of the few venues around to consistently book live music more than five nights a week.

“Can you believe it's been this long?” says Godin. “I really can't. It flew by, but then again, that's life, right? I knew back then that it was what I wanted to do for the long haul. I'm thankful of every night that goes by and that my key still works in the door. We have had some of the best people walk in and out of our place, be it bands or the people who love them. We are very fortunate.”

Ten years is a long time, and Godin has accumulated countless memorable shows and moments at the Dog. He mentions the Green Street Music Series. Orchestrated by Greg Munro and Duncan Arsenault, the series now has its own Web site, greenstreetrocks.com, and the 9th in the series is coming back to the Dog on May 16 (celebrating the music of U2 and REM). “There have just been so many great shows here,” says Godin, “such as The Fixx, Jim Carroll, Michael Imperioli of the Sopranos, and even Korn showed up to play a couple of songs after they played the DCU Center. Some of the more ridiculous nights were always the Disco Hell shows. These guys had no filter whatsoever. From smashing TVs on stage to drinking 'Satan's Juice shots' out of toilets on stage, they set the bar for what's crazy. There was always a line out the door every Sunday, and they provided some of the best times I can remember here.”

This weekend, The Lucky Dog Music Hall celebrates those 10 years with a full lineup. On Thursday night, of course it's Flock of Assholes (in which Godin is the lead singer) along with their “sister band” Danny Dark and the Black Souls. Following Danny Dark are pals The Pathetics, and a rocking visit from one of Lowell's finest The Reverend JJ and the Casual Sinners. Friday's headliner is the Elton John tribute Bennie and the Jets. “This guy has a baby grand he'll be lugging up onto the stage,” says Godin. “I've seen them before and they will not disappoint.” Opening Friday's show is The Charles River Music Whores followed by the Cosby Sweaters, the local acoustic duo that covers '80s pop classics. Mullethead, the tribute to '80s hair bands that played regularly at the Dog for years, makes a triumphant return to headline on Saturday, March 7. Opening is Quintana's Revenge, Chyldz Play and Birch Hill Dam.

Today, Godin owns the club with Greg Petronio and Bill Luff, and attributes the success, too, to a great family of staff. Folks such as John P. Nelson, for instance, has been a valuable friend and asset to the plight of the club. Noelle, that happy face behind the bar, has been a steady allure to the place, too. And despite the economy, Godin has no plans of letting it go. “If I didn't own a bar, I'd probably be working in the art field in some capacity,” says Godin, who could perhaps tour as a pro-bowler, too. “It's a true release to create something from scratch and I wish I had more time for things like that. I have been working on a bunch of new art to install at the club. I originally wanted to have the whole package done by this time to really make our anniversary special. Alas, time did not allow, but it will be real soon. I want to do a complete overhaul of the interior decor.”

Listen to an interview with Godin on The Weekly Shuffle this Thursday, March 5, at noon on WCUW 91.3 FM, streaming www.wcuw.org with guest host Roger Lavallee.