Posts tagged boston
Seeing Joe Pug tonight at the Brighton Music Hall (formerly Harper’s Ferry) and I’m psyched.
As you may recall, the last time I “saw” Joe I was mostly asleep. This time, I won’t be.
Parking that thing must be such a pain… Dude just almost took out a tree.
Being on-air at all hours of the day for these last four years means I’ve seen some weird stuff out these windows, but a giant car-sized L.L. Bean boot takes the cake, I think.
Why yes, that is the L.L. Bean Bootmobile parking across the street from the WERS studios.
When you’re greeted by a giant motorized boot at 7:45 on a Saturday morning, you know it’s going to be a great day.
I’m about to unload a whole bunch of Honeyhoney on y’all. They came by the WERS studios earlier today and were a real treat: nice folks, good players, and Suzanne’s really pretty.
The trick with this one is the little uptick in her voice about halfway through the chorus. That’s the money. The song is two minutes and fourteen seconds long, the chorus comes around four times, and every time I hear that rising line I smile. You will too. They played it in the studio today, and I can’t wait to listen back to the finished, mixed, & mastered version.
The more I listen to Billy Jack, the more I’m astounded that the band can go from big, swoopy, atmospheric brooding to straight-up country two-step. not only that, they’ll drop some real bombs lyrically as well. Here, not so much, but just wait for the next couple of tracks.
These guys are quite possibly my favorite find from SXSW. Check ‘em out if you haven’t already. They’re coming by WERS this afternoon, and I’m working on things to talk about, but I feel like I don’t have enough of a history with the band to make the conversation as good as I think they deserve.
Is it really bad that there are some bands that come through that I don’t write off per se, but that I don’t give as much attention to detail in the things I want to talk about as others?
I don’t want to make it sound like I don’t value the hard work that every single group or solo act that comes through our doors puts into their sound, because I’ve been on that side of the microphone too, and I know how important it is to everyone that they put on a good show. I just don’t have as much time as I’d like to put in to preparing for every single interview. This is one that I’d like to be stellar though. I really like these guys.
If anyone wants the Boston 3/26/12 show, let me know. I’ve got it (1 GB’s worth of flacs), recorded from the loge almost directly across the Garden from my seats.
Here it is: Boston, March 26, 2012. Turn it up.
Apparently, this was the first time Thundercrack got out on this tour.
Funny thing was, Katie and I were talking about it before the show even started.
“How crazy would it be if he played Thundercrack?”
“Totally nuts. It’ll never happen though.”
“I know. But wouldn’t it be awesome?”
He started talking about “the beginning of the beginning;” a song he used to close sets with way back when, and I immediately started wracking my brain… Rosalita? No, too early for Rosalita… Growin’ Up? Probably not… For You? Don’t think so…
And then, he did it. He fucking did it. As he was strumming the chords absentmindedly under his story, I started getting goosebumps. There’s no way. My jaw dropped. I had been dancing before, but I was rooted in place then. I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t move. My hand shot out and grabbed Katie’s arm as soon as “Brains they rattle - bones they shake” rang out over the Garden. My eyes were probably as wide as silver dollars. Every single hair on my body stood up. I actually started crying.
My other hand shot into my pocket and pulled out my phone. The rest of the song, I stood there holding my phone up so that my Dad could hear from back home in New York.
I couldn’t believe it.
I don’t think I’ve ever yelled so loud at a show than I did once I regained bodily function a couple of minutes in. When it ended, I definitely scared the folks in front of us.
You go in expecting Born To Run or Dancing In the Dark or Born In the USA or prety much anything else, but Thundercrack?! Never.
Walking in to the Garden, I was sure there was no way that a 2012 Bruce Springsteen concert could live up to the tapes I’d heard from the 70’s. The dude’s just gotten older. But hearing Thudercrack completely changed my mind. The rest of the night changed my mind! I can’t listen to Bruce on my laptop, or turntable, or CD player, or on-air without goosebumps and a few tears now. I don’t know how he does it, but he sure as hell does it.
We’ve been saying that we went to church that night. Between the moments for Phantom Dan and Big Man, my revelation at the hands of modern-day Bruce, and the general feelings of exultation at every single song, it was absolutely a religious experience. Music is a hell of a thing.
Who’s that asshole talking to James Mercer?
(It’s me. I am that asshole.)
Ran out of the air studio just now to look at the bright red ‘66 Corvette being driven to work (I assume) that was stopped at the light. The cab driver in the lane closest to me sees me at the window, points at the car, throws me a thumbs up, and then backs up his cab so I can get a better view of the Corvette. After a minute or two of mutual admiration for the strange Tuesday-morning sight, the cabbie points at his radio then at me. I nod, he flashes another bigger thumbs up, the light turns green, and he and the Corvette are off.
Sometimes getting up early is awesome.
I’m on air again, no surprise, until 6am. But it’s snowing! Our first snow since Halloween! And there’s no better place to watch it from than WERS, with our giant windows looking out onto Boston Common.
It’s coming down pretty hard, but not sticking right now. I’ll be giving snow updates as often as I can on air, so tune in and hear about precipitation that probably doesn’t effect you!
Andy Hiller, WHDH Boston early-morning reporter, on Rick Santorum’s chances in the impending New Hampshire caucus.
Gosh, I sure hope not. That could get messy.
Who turned on the fog machine?
Christmas Subway Platform Sign Hack in Boston
Via subwayart:
A transit employee was responsible for this awesome prank on the red line in Boston. Unfortunately, the MTBA had said they were going to reprimand the employee. Have some holiday spirit MBTA! Check out this article on The Globe for more info.
I’ve been to the place where this had to have been typed in! Cool beans, man!
