Sat. Oct. 22

Halloween approaches and local artist/musician Dave Tree's got a Halloween Art Show up at his SweeTree Ink Gallery, which he describes "as a gallery created by an artist for artists and the celebration of art. Providing an important function of bringing new artworks and artists to the attention of the eyes, hearts and minds of society at whole. The most cutting edge gallery in Boston."
 Tree - who made his name with lefty band Tree - plays in the Geils tribute band Blow Your Face Out and the hard metal band Superpower. But he's been an artist as long as he's been a musician and here he's got his own work as well as by Joey Mars, Matt Media, Asa Brebner (his guitar art is in photo), Chris McCardle, Ra Miro, Hocus, Wayne Veins, Derick Insult and Kurt Vonnegut. Wait?!
     "Yes, Kurt Vonnegut," says Tree, "author of 'Slaughterhouse Five' and 'Breakfast of Champions' among many other literary releases, was also very fond of drawing. He collaborated with a silk screen artist and created prints from his sketches and doodlings. The work is for viewing only and not for sale and will be only shown on the opening night. These prints have never been shown and its a great honor to show them first at SweeTree Ink Gallery."
   Tree gives credit to fellow artist Derick Insult and Joe Petrol 3d. "Derek did a silk screen job with Joe, who was friends with Vonnegut and worked with him to create the prints. Joe is also pals with Jimmy Carter, Ralph Steadman and Hunter S Thompson. Now Derick and Joe are good friends now through working together on silk screening, and me and Derick have been friends throught the music 'zine scene in the early 1990s, and there you have the connection."

Sat. Oct. 22   

 This year, Amos Lee had a July 4th unlike any other.
    The 33-year-old Philadelphian was invited to play a 15-minute set on the South Lawn at the White House in front of President Barack Obamacq and 1200 troops and military families. It was the third annual Salute to the Military USO Concert.
     “It was one of those surreal moments in life,” Lee said, on the phone from his hometown. “It was mind-boggling to be playing at the White House and hanging out inside, where every president has lived and walked around in their underwear.” 
    When Lee met Obama, he said his first thought was to ask, “’Does this seem surreal to you, too? When did this sink in that you’re the president of the United States and you’re living in the White House all of a sudden?’”
    So, what did Lee actually say?
    “I was totally tongue-tied,” Lee said, with a laugh. “He shook my hand and said, ‘Where you from?’ I said ‘Philly’ and he said, ‘Oh man, you guys have some good pitchers.’ Now I can talk about baseball for days and days and days. And I just kind of like nodded and walked away. I walked out of the room, going ‘Dammit, I just had a chance to talk baseball with the President! I know this team, I know what they’re all about.’ I’ve always been that way. I always think of the right thing to say 20 minutes later.”
   Aside from muffing his chance to talk Phillies with the President, it’s been a very good year for Lee. The soulful, blusey singer-songwriter’s fourth album, “Mission Bell,” entered the Billboard chart at No. 1 in January. He’s been touring steadily and plays his second Boston date of the year Saturday Oct. 22 at House of Blues with his seven-piece band.

Sat. Oct. 22

He was born Charles Thompson IV, but mostly called Black Francis. For years, he, his wife Violet Clark and their children have happily resided in Eugene, Ore. The once-and-again Pixies frontman was born 46 years ago in Boston. His family moved around frequently, but after he founded the Pixies at U-Mass Amherst he returned to Boston in 1986. After years out west, they recently moved to Western Massachusetts. Home again! Sort of.
    Pixies – masters of slashing post-punk rock with loud/soft/loud dynamic shifts - had a brief, but successful recording life, from 1987-1992. Posthumously, they were hugely influential in the alt-rock world. They split up acrimoniously, but re-united in 2004. Later, this fall they’ll commence yet another leg of their (never truly ending?) “Doolittle” tour – dates that feature that 1989 classic album – including one at Hampton Beach Casino Oct. 30. In the post-Pixies years, Thompson also made solo records as Frank Black, sometimes as Frank Black and the Catholics. The singer-songwriter-guitarist also plays in a duo, Grand Duchy, with his wife. But for now … Thompson, or whatever you chose to call him (David Bowie had a time of it when the two met)  is doing the small-scale solo gig thing. He played the Beachcomber in Wellfleet this summer and is at Brighton Music Hall Saturday Oct. 22
 
   JSInk:  What has life been like in Eugene? Were you treated like a celebrity?
   Thompson: It’s been very mellow and people don’t bother you, so to speak. They put a little extra whipped cream in my espresso - wink wink - but people don’t show up on my doorstep with demo tapes. I don’t know what it’s going to be like out in Western Massachusetts.
     Fantasy time. Let’s say somehow someway you’re a new young singer and you got on “America’s Got Talent” or “The Voice” or “American Idol.” How do you think you’d fare?
    We all know how I would do. It would not go well. I don’t know how to analyze. I’m sure musicologists could give you a nutshell description of what it’s all about now, but it’s some weird combination of Broadway musical, modern R&B and “Glee.”
   Naively, I once thought we were too smart for that crap, that we liked our musicians to make records, build audiences in clubs.
   Yeah, but I guess it’s no different than any other time. There’s a huge group of people that are really passive music listeners and there are others that are not so passive. Also, I think this kind of shallow folk music has become kind of like a national junk food snack. But I think even people who are really into it are not slaves to it. I don’t think they’re totally buying it, but they just like it.

Thurs. Oct. 20 

The Damned, forever led by singer Dave Vanian and guitarist Captain Sensible  (in photo), were the first English punk band to make it to record: In 1976 they released the double-A side “Neat Neat Neat” / “New Rose.” A volatile group – they used to scam opening gigs at shows by telling promoters they played folk, or heavy rock, anything but punk – they’ve gone through numerous players over the years. Styles, too: Goth, Pyschedelic, garage rock, even pseudo-cabaret.  Now it's the 35 anniversary tour ... They're at the Middle East Downstairs Thursday Oct. 20. They'll be playing their two best known albums, their thrashing debut, "Damned Damned Damned" and their neo-psychedelic "The Black Album."

    I've  talked to Sensible several times over the years. We exchanged e-mails this summer. I aksed what they were up to. "I believe Mr Vanian is on his summer holiday," emailed the Captain. "and I will be away camping for a week or so too. It all sounds frightfully civilised doesn't it..... the Damned off on vacation, etc. I suppose we should really be getting up to no good like the bad old days? I'll see what I can manage though - maybe when I get to the caravan park I'll attempt to steal a choc ice or something."Once, at the Channel, after the show – somewhere in the ‘80s – I asked him about the Damned’s longevity, implying it was sort of amazing. “What else can I do?” he responded. “Clean toilets?” I asked him about that quote and found out, well, that is what he did pre-Damned (along with playing in the band Johnny Moped and an Oasis, not the one you know).

     “Heh, heh,” Sensible laughed, when it's recalled. “I have no talents whatsoever. The funny thing was I worked for the local council cleaning 14 toilets a day and when I left to join the Damned, they said they’d hold the job open for me if it ever fell through, which was pretty nice of them. I must have been pretty good at my job. We were in a big concert hall, local council’s own place. It had three floors, ten toilets out front and four backstage. When the show’s on in the evening, they’re not being used, so you finish by ten o’clock and practice guitar for the rest of the day. So practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect in my case, but it helped.”

I do critic's tips for WBUR's Radio Boston show every three weeks. Here's the recent one. Yes, the Damned gig is done, but the other tips are pertinent.

http://www.wbur.org/media-player?source=radioboston&url=http://radioboston.wbur.org/2011/10/20/weekend-arts-picks-8/&title=Weekend+Arts+Picks%3A+Pompeii+and+Punk&segment=weekend-arts-picks-8&pubdate=2011-10-20