Event notes, Friday, March 26

On Friday, The Flo joins Sunlea at Beatnik’s; Beatles for Sale pays tribute to the Fab 4 at 12 Crane; BYOB brings the blues to the Blue Plate in Holden with openers Danny Dark and the Black Souls; Jason James rips it up at Irish Times; Still Aggravated rocks JJ’s; Guns of Navarone join The Commandos, The Gobshites and Mack the Knife at Ralph’s; The Throttles open up at Vincent’s; Wishbone Ash, known as the best band in the UK in the ‘70s, is at the Bull Run with Caves on Mars; Touched goes out to the Gaslight in Dudley; and Tool tribute Schism is with Gorilla Radio at the Lucky Dog.

On Saturday, it’s the last day for The Q at its current location – the show starts at 3 p.m. and includes performances by the Smilemakers, Dave Magario, Cowboy Matt and many many more; Fourth Gear burns at Chooch’s; Whalebone Farmhouse returns to the Sahara Restaurant; and New Pilot opens for Floyd tribute Gilmour’s Breakfast at the Lucky Dog.

Other events:

Selections from Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present is on display at the Worcester Art Museum.

On Friday, Loretta LaRoche presents “Lighten Up” at the Hanover Theatre.

On Saturday, the Charles Olson Centenary Poetry Conference is at Clark University. Kim Webster, children’s artist, plays at 10:30 a.m. at Union Music. The Celtic Arms and Armor show takes over Higgins Armory Museum.

Weekend Events, March 12, 2010

Friday, Dan Kirouac sings early at the Black Sheep Tavern in Shirley; Ariband is at the Hotel Vernon; Birch Hill Dam joins Burn The Witch, Born Of Thunder, Bring The Knife and The River Neva at the Lucky Dog; The Disaster March headlines, along with Flatout Jones, Force Fed Lies and Orphan Killbot at The Raven; BB Kings Las Vegas does the blues at Gilrein’s; Bad Andy returns to JJ’s; Cooper’s Escape makes its debut at Irish Times; Kung Fu Grip kicks out rock covers at Mint.

Saturday, No Alibi’s playing rock covers at Beatnik’s; Chuck and Mud are performing right in the front room at WCUW with the Hole in the Dam Banders; Fourth Gear makes a rare appearance at the Blue Plate; Dana Lewis is performing at the Verona Grill; Lisa Marie’s fronting the Workingman’s Jazz Band at the Concord Inn; Auntie Trainwreck returns to the Wheelock Inn; Flock of A-holes does a full night at the 5th Amendment; Revolver fires one off at Irish Times; the Road Dawgs bark at 3-G’s Sports Pub; The Roosters return to Greendale’s; New Bay Colony heads back to Jillian’s for a second time; Deejay Dee is spinning at the Belfry, also running karaoke.

Next Wednesday, The Curtain Society, Gene Loves Jezebel, Tommy Tutone help open for Missing Persons at Mill Street Brews.
Other events:

The Worcester Spring Home Show is happening all weekend at the DCU Center.
Educating Rita is being performed at Alternatives Unlimited in Whitinsville through Sunday.

The Salem Cross Inn is hosting a CSI Mystery Dinner Theatre on Friday at 6:30 p.m., when the guests help to solve the crime while eating a yummy dinner. Also Friday, Break-Away Billiards in Clinton hosts an APA pool tournament. The film Pirate Radio is being shown at Holy Cross’s Kimball Hall. It’s $1 dog night, which means hot dogs are a buck, at the Worcester Sharks game at the DCU Center. The Odessa Philharmonic performs at Mechanics Hall.

Saturday, there’s a Swedish dinner at Chaffin Church in Holden.

MSB now My Silent Bravery

According to frontman Matt Schwachman, they are "changing the game."

The MSB announced that they have a new band name, My Silent Bravery.

This name builds upon the MSB identity and to us symbolizes the idea of inner strength and perseverance. MSB will not only still carry the same original lineup and appreciative fans, but will also use this group name to catapult Matt's new CD, Are You Prepared? available March 23.

My Silent Bravery will be celebrating the CD Release with a great line up of shows, starting with a Boston CD Release Show at Harpers Ferry on Saturday March 27 at 8 p.m. and Jillian's on April 3.

Events, Friday, March 5

Friday, the legendary Mocha Java is in the equally legendary Shiproom at the Vernon; Ed and Dave sing at Greendale’s Pub; Dan joins his brother Steve Kirouac for a show at the Nines; Sara Ashleigh’s Pushin’ the Blues at the Cannery; The Franks join Brothers McCann and Philosopher King at Tammany Hall; Sam James is back at the House of Blues; The Bubbleheads rock Beatnik’s; Kreator blasts the Palladium; Gross opens for a Cat Whisker Radio and Leicester band the Golden Spurs at the Raven; there’s karaoke at both the West Boylston VFW as well as Halligan’s in Auburn; Dirty Deeds gets done dirt cheap at JJ’s in Northboro; Drivin’ Rain splashes at the Blue Plate in Holden; the Granitemen do Irish stuff at the Fiddler’s Green; Stomping Melvin plays covers at Irish Times; The Stumbleweeds blow through Vincent’s; and the Crow Hop Blues band does the blues at Gilrein’s.

Saturday, it’s the Lucky Dog’s 11th anniversary and they’ve got the Fear Nuttin’ Band, Mafia Bong Hit, Speak and Drivin’ Rain; Brett and Lisa Brumby harmonize at Oxford’s Restaurant; The Bee’s Knees plays right here at the WCUW studios in the front room; Nicktoberfest includes live music, a yodeling contest and a chocolate cake eating contest at Nick’s; Bret Talbert sings at Tavern on the Common in Rutland; Whalebone Farmhouse does its eclectic show at Vincent’s; Banned Loot is at the Mill Church Café in Millbury.

Other Events:

Curious George Live happens throughout the weekend – Friday through Sunday – at the Hanover Theatre.

Friday, the Supergirl cup brings together the best in junior gymnasts from across the country to the DCU Center. Also, there’s a benefit for the Sutton Little League and New Bay Colony with food and live music at the Singletary Rod and Gun Club.

On Saturday, the annual St. Patrick’s Irish Festival takes place at Mt. Carmel. There’s a book launch party for Louis Despres’s “Five Months,” which is a book of photos he took around Worcester clubs and beyond. The party’s at Dr. Gonzo’s Uncommon Condiments on Main Street at 5:30 p.m.

Christian band at The Mill

Guitarist-singer Paul Lanier wouldn’t say Christian rock is growing by leaps and bounds, but it isn’t losing any fans, either. Like his band Banned Loot, his says it’s “stagnant.” It’s not the most positive sounding word. Perhaps we’ll call it maintaining. Or, better yet, one of the words of the year: It’s got “sustainability.”

Banned Loot is a Christian band hailing from the Hartford area of Connecticut. It grew out of a duo with Paul and his son David, who plays electric guitar. They started the duo in 2003, and shortly after, David brought in his friend Mike Shonk on drums. Through connections at the local churches, Maggie Massicotte joined on lead vocals, as did Mike Smith on bass and Benlio Bussinguer on keys and vocals.
With someone of a generational gap within the band (David and Shonk are now 24), Paul says the age differences add a variety of influences and approaches to the songwriting and style, which gets compared to that of Third Day or Jars of Clay.

“We all pitch in,” said Paul. “If someone has a melody or lyrics, we work on them. I’ve had to stretch myself and other people have had to stretch, too. I think it’s fun.”

Paul writes most of the lyrics, which have found their way onto a Banned Loot disc in 2006 called Refuge, an EP last year called Because You are Loved, and a solo release that came out nine years ago called Ponder the Road.
“Most of my lyrics are about how God interacts in our lives and in other people’s lives, and what we see from our perspectives,” said Paul. “There is an appeal of our music to the non-religious crowd, too.”

DETAILS:
What: Banned Loot
When: Friday, March 5, at 7 p.m.
Where: Mill Church Café, 45 River St., Millbury
Cost: Free-will offering