somerville

Photos by Zack...

Hey, I was a little worried about Superchunk for a while. They put out a great album Wild Loneliness, but it didn’t gain the attention I thought it would. It was excellent but “failed to hit” with some people. Then, when I saw them live at the Paradise, their show was lightly attended. Maybe the students were gone, or people were watching the big game (NBA finals!), or it was a work night, but I had expected to see more...

The Ergs!/Boris the Sprinkler/EggheadLive @ Crystal BallroomSomerville, MA One of the funnest tours of 2024 might be over, but it’s never too late to find out about it. Huh, I should work on my intros more. But why didn’t I write about the Egghead/Boris the Sprinkler/Ergs! East Coast tour before? Because, hindsight makes fools of us all. But, I’m no fool. This one was special, and if you were there (or WANTED to be there) you know what I’m...

METZ are a reckoning band for me. Their music sounds endlessly complex and simple at the same time. I know I like them (more than like them, actually), but their music just doesn’t stick once I turn it off. Really, the only time that has happened to me with their music is with A Boat to Drown in. I love that song, and it’s safely stored in my memory bank. It’s what I think of when I think of METZ....

I was excited to see the Sadies for many reasons, but mostly because of the opportunities it brought. First of all, it’s exciting to see a band you’re a fan of that you’ve never seen before. Then, I remembered I HAD seen them before. In 2007 in Madrid opening and then backing up Jon Spencer. Of course they made an impression because I’ve been a fan ever since. Another opportunity is to see a band who, mysteriously, released their best...

The last thing you think about after you have a near-death experience is when the next good show is coming to town. But, I love music. It’s funny, because I got hospitalized right after the last show I attended in November, and after you rehab and try to get back into your routine, the thought inevitably pops back into your head: when am I going back out there to catch a show? Starting a new demanding job didn’t help either:...

Seeing Ted Leo play live is not something I take lightly. It’s deeply embedded in my DNA at this point. It’s something I started doing 20 years ago with people who would go on to become some of my closest friends. Seeing Ted Leo and listening to him is more than just the music: it’s a walk down memory lane. And as the man took a break from music, I took a break from that connection. Ted Leo has now...

Photos by the unmatchable Brittany Rose...

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Mike Watt, the Pedro man with the bass in his hand has nothing left to prove. He’s shown himself a musical man in the very sense of the word ever since the Minutemen and has been a formidable presence, with collaborations with everyone from Nels Cline, Kira Roessler, Iggy Pop, and Todd Congelliere. The man has had a career of making music, both as personal expression and as part of a greater whole. He has seen and been through so...