JimSullivanINK.com - a guide to Boston Arts & Events...with attitude http://www.JIMSULLIVANINK.COM Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:38:33 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.JIMSULLIVANINK.COM/content/view/1720/38/ Wed. March 17 KISS is the greatest marketing machine the rock world has ever known. I glimpsed this back in the mid-'70s when I first saw KISS live, bought the Love Gun album, with its cardboard gun and its groan of a metaphor. At the time, I was a young semi-rebellious teen in the pre-punk era and KISS served up horror movie spectacle and god of thunder rock - plus an anthem about getting buzzed on gin, which I could relate to. I first met the guys in the band in 1976, doing a feature on them for a long-defunct music magazine called Sweet Potato. It was my first run-in and I mean that in a good way. I didn't ask patronizing questions and they didn't give pat answers. KISS - especially bassist Gene Simmons - was pretty upfront about the desire to make money. Hey, he was living in a material world and he was a material boy. Simmons was a big captialist and a big hedonist. Oh, there were lots of things we didn't know, things that later came out in his bio, like he was born in Haifa, Israel and named Chaim Witz a lot about his attitude toward women, which couldn't help make you wince. And the anti-drink and drug attitude he and co-frontman singer-guitairst Paul Stanley have always had. I'm not so sure if it was a demand for mental clarity or the knowledge that being messed up might lead you to make business mistakes and let the opportunity to license a KISS doll pass you by - or worse, agree to have it made and not get enough of a cut. Jim Sullivan http://www.JIMSULLIVANINK.COM/content/view/1391/38/ Sat. April 3You know his name. You've heard his music if you lived through '80s new wave. But you may be surprised by what he's doing now. Greg Hawkes, former keyboardist for the Cars, will be playing a set of acoustic ukulele music at Magic Room Gallery Saturday April 3 at 7. It's a new room run by Dez Desmond (ex-of the Bentmen). Dez is also the proud father of up-and-coming singer Casey Desmond, who will be opening for Hawkes this night.Hawkes put out an album last year called The Beatles Uke, which is just what it sounds like: Beatles songs done on ukuleles. How did Hawkes come to this juncture - and we must say, very contented - point at age 56? Well … he came to the ukulele about eight years ago. And Hawkes saw the Beatles play the Baltimore Civic Center, Sept. 13, 1964. He was 11. As with a lot of kids, something joyous exploded in his head. Already taking piano and clarinet lessons, began to learn guitar. The first Beatles song he played was “She Loves You.” Fast forward: Nearly 46 years later, Hawkes releases a 15-track solo CD of all-instrumental Beatles covers. “I’ve come full circle,” says Hawkes, with a laugh, in his Lincoln home. Jim Sullivan http://www.JIMSULLIVANINK.COM/content/view/1507/38/ Fri. March 26 Guggenheim Grotto - a duo from Ireland, Kevin May and Mike Lynch - hit the states last January '09 and they're back again in our parts tonight at the Real Room in Burlington Friday March 26, They began as what you might call a folk-pop duo. That's still at the core of what they do, but on their second disc, Happy the Man they explore suble electronic and sampling techniques as well. They're not Daft Punk or KMFDM, by any means. But if their debut, ... Waltzing Alone, was noted for its mellowness, this one will be noted for is upbeat sound and feel. This despite, well, you know, the sadness all around us. There's a lyrical threat throughout the album, says primary songwriter May, in that many of the songs explore our habit of holding onto things - lovers, a place in time, resisting change - and the sadness that brings us. That hit us is the the gut and in the head - 2008 was certainly the kind of year where more than a few of us wanted to hold onto things that were slipping away. But Guggenheim Grotto doesn't wallow in the sadness. They start the disc with a quote from Buddha on perfection, and then move on to detail what isn't. Like dreams dashed. But the music is softish; it often has the breeziness of a '60s Beach Boys tune, an gentle uplift that works an effective contrast. We wanted to sing joyfully about sadness in the world, is the way May puts it. With this album, I made a conscious effort of working in ideas, thoughts and musings on self-awareness and enlightenment into the songs. Reference points: Damien Rice and (from Once ) Glen Hansard. They're currently finishing up a new disc, The Universe is Laughing. Expect to hear new songs at the Real Room. Here's a bit from the review I did for the Boston Herald last year when they played the Lizard Lounge .... Jim Sullivan http://www.JIMSULLIVANINK.COM/content/view/1694/38/ Wed. March 17 Rock ‘n’ roll is such a fragmented entity these days, a huge field populated by many sub-genres. Here’s one – power pop – that’s made a comeback, of sorts, lately. Folks got a heaping helping when I last saw the Luxury, last year at the Paradise, celebrating the release of their second CD, “In the Wake of What Won’t Change.” They play Great Scott Wednesday March 17. Now, ower pop was a term that came into vogue during the early-‘70s with bands such as Big Star, Badfinger and Raspberries, and it continued into the ‘80s with Cheap Trick, the Yachts and the dBs. At its best, it had heavenly vocal harmonies and glue-sticking melodies, backed by rock-ribbed rhythms. Sweet sounds delivered with punch and, sometimes, spiked with cynicism. And it had lots of pep. But, as the hip alt-rock world got more dissonant, power pop slipped to the sidelines. Jim Sullivan http://www.JIMSULLIVANINK.COM/content/view/1001/38/ Wednesdays in March The biggest band on the Cape - well,they certainly have a lot of players - is at the Midway Cafe on Wednesdays, the month of March. This wild bunch is known as the Chandler Travis Philharmonic. What gives the CTP its appeal? Says Travis: The Chandler Travis Philharmonic is a band that has grown accustomed to being detained. Their magical mixture of Ray Davies' steadfast provinciality, Charo's gelatinous combustibility and Hopalong Cassidy's swarthy good looks has been drawing the kind of crowd that prefers unpredictability to being set aflame and cast into a pit of angry rodents. Some of this maybe true, some not. Travis continues, The band is concentrating more lately on frolics, rhumbas, and indecipherable mumbling, and that the horn section (the June Trailer Dancers, led as always by maverick saxophonist Mark Chenevert), has been paying a lot more attention to its gardening, despite the nasty weather. The band has just come off the cancellation of a tour to Memphis, in which they almost played in Washington DC, Asheville, NC, and Worcester, MA; as usual, the condition of drummist Rikki Bates is described as stable, with squirrels. Do you need more enticement? Let's just say jazz, pop, lounge music and all kinds of genres get scrambled up in the CTP's hands and the singer can be counted upon to be barefoot and pajama clad. Ready for bed it migh seem, but not really: This is his stage uniform. He's ready to perform. Tickets: $10. Of the St. Paddy's Day gig, Travis says, We have some history with this oh-so-special holiday: the very first Chandler Travis Philharmonic album was 'Raw Blarney,' an all-St. Patrick's Day Calamity .. We intend vengeance for every listening of The Unicorn Song' suffered over our long histories. JSInk note: As a wee child, we thought it was cute! So was Lily the Pink, Then we grew up and realized good Irish music was about scrappin' and drinkin' and lovin' and losin' and getting up the next day to do it again. CTP shows start at 8:30. Cover: Don't know. Called the club, they didn't know.3496 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, 617-524-9038 www.midwaycafe.com Jim Sullivan http://www.JIMSULLIVANINK.COM/content/view/1719/38/ Tues. May 4 – Sun. June 20 The Boston Pops are celebrating their 125th anniversary. You’ll hear the ghost of Arthur Fielder, the man who was at the podium longest. You’ll see John Williams, the man who has the most Academy Award nominations ever and the Pops conductor post-Fielder. And, of course, you’ll see Keith Lockart, (in photo) conductor and public face of the Pops, entering his 16th season. On the Symphony Hall stage: A lot of genres will mix it up this spring. They’ve got the Grammy-winning Latin, funk and hip-hop band Ozomatli May 7-8. They’re bringing back Pops’ laureate conductor John Williams and his famous movie scores May 11-15. And Dave Brubeck, the 89-year-old jazz pianist-icon, returns with his quartet for the first time since the days of Arthur Fielder, June 1-5. Asked to pick his top of the Pops, conductor Keith Lockhart said, “To my mind, the big event is the Kennedys piece, which is something I’ve had in mind for years.” He initially intended it as a tribute to President John F. Kennedy, with Senator Ted Kennedy narrating. “But when Ted got ill,” Lockhart said, “it took on a whole different context.” Jim Sullivan http://www.JIMSULLIVANINK.COM/content/view/1718/38/ Sun. April 4 4 A.D. has been one of those labels where you see a band that's on it and immediately you're interested. Cocteau Twins, Pixies, Throwing Muses, This Mortal Coil, Scott Walker, the National, TV on the Radio, The Big Pink, Deerhunter, Tinderstics ... the list goes on. Add Serena-Maneesh, (or S-M) an Oslo quintet, which is headlining T.T. the Bear's Sunday April 4. The Village Voice raves about them thus: Serena-Maneesh make strangely bandeautiful and lushly noisy pop using guitars that are alternately washed out or shrieking, distorted samples, and breathy female vocals singing lyrics in broken English. You'll hear bits of My Bloody Valentine, the Stooges and the Velvets. It's led by singer-guitarist Emil Nikolaisen. (In photo: bassist Hilma Nikolaisen). Also on the bill is Brooklyn act The Depreciation Guild, a band who Pitchfork.com claims packs the midrange full with all sorts of shimmery textures-- the lo-res digital snares land with a static-laden splash, ringing guitars are haloed in harmonics, and stretched along the back is a fluttering curtain of white noise. And opening up is Boston' Black Fortress of Opium, in their first date of the year. The Fortress guys and gals call this bill Vikings Poppies in Harmony, and a show which promises to be an intensely pleasurable evening of trippy low-end swirl. Black Fortress of Opium was formed in 2006 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ajda the Turkish Queen and guitarist Tony Savarino. The band released it's self-titled debut in 2008. They call their songs tales of life, love, devotion and the human condition and their sound a unique Turkish-Texan blend of rock, folk, blues, and world musics the band has dubbed Gothicana. Hot on the heels of releasing their music video last fall, Black Fortress of Opium has been in the studio since January crafting a The new record features many engineers, including Martin Bisi, as well as several Boston recording luminaries, and numerous musicians. Brian Viglione, favorite son formerly of The Dresden Dolls, plays drums on most of the tracks on the new record. Dave Yanolis (ex-Nisi Period) played bass on the album, and joins the live act. Yuri Zbitnoff (ex-Enuma Elish) will be playing drums for this show. Show starts at 9. Tix: $10. 10 Brookline St., Cambridge, 617-492-0082 www.ttthebears.com Jim Sullivan