52 Shows: SHOW #3 – Mad Satta, Somerville Symphony Orkestar and The Step Kids at The Middle East (Upstairs)

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Midday Records

Show number three brought me to The Middle East Upstairs. This venue and I have a rough relationship with one another. In 2008, I had the worst gig experience of my life there (and I’m a guy who has played a gig next to an active carousel AND had an oxy-head take a REALLY SLOOOOOW SWING at me during a song) and I STILL consider one of my MidEast UP gigs the worst of my life. I have since gone back and had better experiences there, but I knew going in that it would be hard to be impartial. So there’s that.

All that being said, I was actually pretty excited to catch this show because my friend Joel’s band was playing and he and I have been friends for far too long for me not have seen his band. It was up in the air right up until the moment I showed whether or not I could make it. My girlfriend was pretty under-the-weather and I initially gave up the gun on going to the show. But when she went to bed, I realized that my go/no-go deliberation is part of what this blog can be. Let’s be honest – most of us go to a show because we want to see the one band we have a connection to, and this was my case. I knew Joel’s band wasn’t opening, so I figured not showing up not-on-time would actually be a more realistic representation of the true ‘fan experience’ and so, off I went.

To enter the venue, you must enter the door of The Middle East restaurant, (not The Corner, not ZuZu) and head directly for the back. I walked up to the door at 9:20 pm to a show that was advertised to start at 8pm only to find out I’d missed exactly 8 minutes of music (so there’s that). The band, Mad Satta, was outstanding, something I point out only because I want it made clear that my showing up late wasn’t a slight to them, they’re worth your buck and I’ll leave it at that. (not a band-review blog, will probably bring that up all 52 times). That buck was more accurately 10 bucks. Fairly standard cover charge.

First thing worth noticing, there were about 60 people in the room when I walked in. Not bad for a Thursday night. The crowd was intensely diverse, ranging in age from 22 to 62. The first thing I noticed was that most of them opted to keep their coats on (it was a little cold). As I cut my way across the room, I also noticed that that room SUCKS for moving around – the space in front of the stage is bookended on both sides by walls with ‘middle-eastern’ doorways which have the two bars that the room contains. So that means, most people gather between the two walls and aren’t paying attention to anything other than the show. That is awesome theoretically and a nightmare logistically.

I, in fairly short order, located the back bar and found Chris Keene, lead singer of Mean Creek (from my first show) tending it. I grabbed a Jack on the rocks and seven bucks later, found my friend standing guard by his merch stand. From outside the ‘stage area’ we discussed the merits of merch stands, during which I noticed something else – The Middle East Downstairs has improved its sound system to the point where he and I could actually talk. That’s a pretty big and non-standard deal.

When the first band was over, I went outside to the Middle East Restaurant which, had a closed-circuit tv into the venue so I could enjoy the quiet and diminished crowd before going back in. While I was out there, I became cognizant of my own fatigue and so I asked the bartender for a Red Bull. He tried 4 (no lie) 4 different ways to convince me not to drink it or to go elsewhere for it. For the first three, I appreciated the sentiment – Red Bull is gross and tastes like burnt gummy bears, but I’m a caffeine addict and I know when I’m jonesing – not proud of it. After the fourth attempt, I was more perturbed – it’s behind the bar, I’m offering you money, fork it the fuck over.

Once you’ve had a Red Bull you’ve pretty much told your mouth you give no shits about its opinion, so I ordered a 4-dollar Bud Heavy Tallboy and, seeing from the tv above the bar that they were about ready – I went in to catch the band I came to see. Again, not offering a review here, but it’s worth pointing out that The Somerville Symphony Orkestar were fantastic, and my personal connection to the group made me enjoy it even more. For the uninitiated, you know how excited you were when you were there to watch your friend make the big play in their sporting event? Imagine that for 45-straight minutes. SSO KILLED it, 45 minutes of goals/interceptions/tackles/saves..whatever. I had a blast. Now…worth noting that I’ve gone to see friend’s bands that I’ve hated, too and it’s pretty much like watching them drop the big pass for 45 straight minutes, so you take your chances.

I noticed when the crowd turned over, that the total dipped form 60 to 45 and promptly rose back to 70. My friend in SSO informed me that his brother was a member of the New York-based headliner (The Stepkids) and all of a sudden the demographics in the room started to make sense. When siblings collaborate, the family comes out of the woodwork and infiltrates clubs they’d NEVER step foot in otherwise. So parents, cousins, grandparents all of a sudden will be mixed in amongst the populace, something I think is extremely cool.

After a very similar intermission between the 2nd and 3rd band as had been between the 1st and 2nd, I resumed my spot in the room. What’s funny, is that I had initially thought I needed to watch the entire show to do this accurately, but I actually think that may not be the case. I watched 6 of the headliner’s songs, but just didn’t climb on board – I got that they were good – they just weren’t my kind of good. I made the pledge to check out the show and, that’s what I did.

I think that’s the number one reason I don’t want this to be a band review blog, who the fuck cares what I think about a band? Those dudes could PLAY. I just wouldn’t seek out their brand of music in my day-to-day. Now I know that and THAT is the point – I came, I heard, I know.

So the end result was that I had a blast and woke up with less of a hangover Friday morning. The Middle East sound was great, logistics were shit and the prices were so-so. I’ll go back. We’re not in a fight anymore.

– Mick Greenwood

Perform At The Midday Social: Get To Know The Artists

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Midday Records

Check out our interviews with the 6 artists in the upcoming “Perform at The Midday Social” competition for a “Get to Know the Artists” segment. 6 questions for the 6 bands; Echoes of Petra, The October Accord, Downcity Armory, Weld Square, Escape Pod, & Most Dangerous Men Alive.

Jump To The Interviews:
Echoes of Petra
The October Accord
Downcity Armory
Weld Square
Escape Pod
Most Dangerous Men Alive

You can catch all these bands this Friday, January 24 at The Met in Pawtucket, RI. (Doors at 7:00. All ages. 10 bucks. Click here for the event page.) They’ll be competing for our judges: Mike Delehanty, talent buyer for Lupo’s and The Met; Marc Clarkin, music journalist for Motif Magazine, and Brian Manfredi, Senior Account Executive at 95.5 WBRU for a chance to perform at the next Midday Social. The Midday Social is one of New England’s fastest growing music related networking events. Held quarterly by Midday Records at Platforms in Providence, RI, we fill the room with the area’s top promoters, venues, radio stations, publication, etc. for a night of networking. The event is always free and open to all genres. For more details click here.

Echoes of Petra

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Midday Records

Midday Records sits down with Jodi and Jeff of Echoes of Petra for our “Get to Know the Artists” feature. Echoes of Petra will be competing on Friday, January 24 at The Met in Pawtucket, RI for a chance to perform at the next Midday Social.

Midday Records: Let’s start off with the basics. Can you tell us a little about the band and the story behind your name, “Echoes Of Petra“?

Jodi: Jeff can probably explain that one best but here is a little history straight out of wikipedia; Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the southern Jordanian governorate of Ma’an, that is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system.

Jeff: Petra was a city circa 1500bc and the entire civilization was lost. No reason has been found whether they abandoned the city or it perished. “Echoes of Petra” is homage to that civilization lost….Echoed in time.

Jodi: Our former guitarist, Nik Rooney, came up with the concept. We all loved it and just went for it!

MDR: You’ve recently opened for “All That Remains” at Lupo’s. How was that experience and how has shows like that affected the band?

Jodi: I’m not sure about anyone else but I’m pretty sure they all feel the same; it was a huge accomplishment for us and we were just happy to have the opportunity to play such a historical venue. I know I’ve been to a ton of shows at Lupo’s (even the old Lupo’s) and it has always been the best size club to see a band in the Providence area. Not to say there aren’t other great clubs out there but the capacity, reputation, and location is what makes it so special to me. Naturally, I was nervous. But the days leading up to the show I had far more butterflies than I did the day of the show. I said to myself “Jodi…..this is it…. game time. Time to sing your heart out with your friends and enjoy every moment!” That’s what I did. After our set I had an entirely different mind set. Let’s just say I had a few too many celebratory cocktails!

MDR: You have members that have been in previous projects with styles ranging from alternative to metal, how did you decided on your current sound and what artists influence the band?

Jodi: Well, Jeff and I decided to start a project and he was coming up with some different ideas. Due to the fact we’ve worked together in the past he was aware of my interests (which are pretty much a mish-mosh of different styles) and knowing the type of vocalist I was, he had a jump-start. I loved a lot of his ideas and it went from there. Gradually, we added members 3,4 & 5 and before we knew it we had an EP. The guys really helped me come into my own with that first EP. They were patient while I tried figuring out “my way” when it came to writing. They had all been such seasoned musicians in the scene and although I was a studio musician and huge local music supporter, this was a completely different animal. I love those guys! They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and inspired me to push through the fear……. wow, that sounded like either a Nike commercial or maybe an idea for my next song!?

MDR: Which of your songs do you enjoy playing live the most?

Jodi: Personally, I love to play “A Vacant Tide”, “Fault Lines”, and the occasional cover song. For me, “A Vacant Tide” is one of those songs I can completely lose myself in with all the emotion and meaning behind the song. “Fault Lines” is another favorite of mine because it has a little bit of everything that I love about music; a groovy beat, soft vocals, inspirational lyrics, loud vocals, climax, emotion and big ending. It allows me to show my low vulnerable tone as well as my high and emotional notes. When the song ends I’m usually feeling an adrenalin rush due to the power of the instruments and me being able to express myself along with this amazing power. The only downfall is that we play it last a lot of the time and I’m standing here (or on my knees) wanting more!

MDR: You’ll be competing for a chance to perform at The Midday Social, have you attended a Midday Social in the past or worked with Midday Records prior to this event? If so, what was the experience like for you?

Jeff: We have attended all 3 of the Midday Socials. We loved the first event and even got to play the 2nd time acoustically. Prior to that we had been on one of Midday Records compilations. We have been working with Midday for quite awhile and appreciate all they have done to motivate and stimulate the scene!

MDR: What can we expect to see in this upcoming year from the band?

Jeff: Our goals are simple: Finish our new record. Play some great shows. And have fun while doing it.

The October Accord

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Midday Records

Midday Records sits down with Kerri from The October Accord for a “Get to Know the Artists” feature. The October Accord will be competing on Friday, January 24 at The Met in Pawtucket, RI for a chance to perform at the next Midday Social.

Midday Records: Let’s start off with the basics. Can you tell us a little about the band and the story behind your name, “The October Accord“?

The October Accord: The October Accord is a pop punk band from Blackstone, MA. Our lead guitarist, Holly Desautels and I, Kerri Gross, lead singer of the band grew up, knowing we wanted to start a band. In the summer of 2010 we finally decided to take action, and made it happen. October of 2010 we became official with five members and played our first “show” ever in Holly’s backyard. It was at that time we all agreed we wanted to buckle down and become noticed. Since an accord is an agreement we came up with the name The October Accord! Although the lineup has changed since then (due to certain circumstances) we’re more than happy to have members Austin Eskeli, bassist, and Joshua Remillard, rhythm guitarist, who we’ve met going to the same school, and Taydon Kennet, drummer, from North Smithfield, RI, whom we met at a jazz competition! Us five have been playing together for almost a year now and we plan on sticking together.

MDR: You’re a younger band (relatively speaking), have any life changes like going to college or starting careers affected the band in anyway?

TOA: Well so far, only Kerri and Holly attend college. Josh, Taydon, and Austin are currently in their senior year of high school. Although this makes it harder to get together, we all make every Sunday available to practice, and aim for shows on the weekends when Holly is back from school. We plan to work around everyone’s busy schedules but we always find a way to make things work.

MDR: You’ve recently released a video for “Better Off Without You“. What was it like filming the video and how has the new content affected the band?

TOA: Filming “Better Off Without You” was extremely fun. We had Mitchell Gamache, from Clark University come down to film the video and he did an amazing job!. We also had Dylan Salmon, from Cumberland, RI who came down to help be a part of the story line. He was a big help even though we threw paint all over him. We can’t forget Chris Piquette of Trophy Wives who recorded the song in the studio, we really couldn’t have done it without him! Currently this song has helped increase our fan base leaving over 1,200 views on YouTube! The feedback is great so far and we hope it continues!

MDR: Which of your songs do you enjoy playing live the most?

TOA: Our favorite song to play live would probably be “The Flood.” At the beginning of this song we all gather around Taydon, our drummer, and make faces at each other. The song is very upbeat and aggressive. Overall, it’s easy to have fun and mess around with!

TOA: We have had members attend a Midday Social in the past, and they say it was a great experience! In the end, we plan to attend the next Midday Social whether we win or not! We have also worked a lot with Davey Moore who has helped us in so many ways. We first met him when he asked us if we wanted to play a Midday Records Presents show at The Spot in Providence. We were excited to accept and begin working with Midday Records! He’s been a helpful mentor since then and we couldn’t be more thankful! So far working with Midday Records has been nothing short of amazing and we look forward to playing at The Met!

MDR: What can we expect to see in this upcoming year from the band?

TOA: This year is going to be a very exciting year! We have so much coming up! Definitely some pretty awesome shows will be in place, an EP is being recorded in February; we have some new songs being written and much more! We don’t want to ruin it all!

Downcity Armory

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Midday Records

Midday Records sits down with Todd Bowes of Downcity Armory for a “Get to Know the Artists” feature. Downcity Armory will be competing on Friday, January 24 at The Met in Pawtucket, RI for a chance to perform at the next Midday Social.

Midday Records: Lets start with the basics. Can you tell us a little bit about the band and the story behind the name, “Downcity Armory“?

Downcity Armory: Downcity Armory started as just a solo project while I was in between tours with my previous group. Eventually I finished the songs with producer Phil Petrie and put them on Bandcamp. That was the end, until people actually liked it and started asking me to perform live. Now we’re playing shows, rehearsing new material; I really never expected it to go even this far. I chose the name Downcity Armory for two reasons: the downtown area of Providence, where I live, is called Downcity and that had a nice ring to it. I love the city and wanted to represent it. The “armory” part comes from a sociopolitical concept of the individual, their voice and their creativity, as a weapon against injustice. Your choice to speak out makes you a weapon.

MDR: You’re currently working on a new album, what can we expect in terms of sound and message?

DCA: We were working on “Workhorse/Firehorse” a double EP, with the former consisting of all aggressive, hard industrial tunes, the latter a more catchy, hooky, electrorock album. An early critic, albeit an appreciative one, noted that we had two sides to our sound, and wanted us to pick one. I just decided to make two EPs and give the people a choice. While most of the songs will continue our efforts to point out injustice and corporate fealty, some of the songs get a narrower focus on more timely topics, like the whole NSA wiretapping scandal, and women’s issues.

MDR: You’ve mentioned that any proceeds the band takes in go to charity. Can you go further into detail about this? Which charities and why have you chosen this path for the project?

DCA: Back in the day, people used not to think twice about spending money on music. Buying tapes and CDs was just how you got music. Sure you heard songs on the radio and on friends’ mixtapes but eventually you wound up at the record store. The internet changed all that. But instead of lament it, I’d rather give people another incentive to spend their money on music. Charity seemed like a good idea. Besides, you can’t really go around saying things like “real social welfare is corporate dependence” and then hog all your merch money. Of course, that’s just a personal decision, mind you. We would never discriminate against another band who worked hard and played hard and then decided to keep the dough they made! Bands are good causes too!

Anyway, last year we supported two charities: Free Geek Providence and Rosie’s Place, with donations culled from fans who spent money on our music. Free Geek because they help the less fortunate get computers and get online; you’d be surprised by how many people are not wired into the web. Computers are creative tools too; we use them to make art and music, not just send emails and watch videos. We supported Rosie’s Place when we released our single “Girls Love Digital” because they’re a women’s shelter who do a great job servicing their community, and our song was designed to be an anthem for women. We plan on continuing to work with more charities and non-profits in 2014, so please, download some songs or order a t-shirt. We don’t keep a dime.

MDR: Which of your songs do you enjoy playing live the most?

DCA: All our tunes really fire me up, but these days, “Private Army” seems to be the band favorite. I also love the live response our latest single “Girls Love Digital” has gotten from fans.

DCA: Downcity Armory wouldn’t even be here right now if it weren’t for the Midday Social. The ability to make face-to-face connections with all the people in the biz who seemed mythically unreachable before, and are now suddenly ground-level and excited to meet you, has made all the difference in the trajectory of DCA. We’ve represented at every Midday Social so far and will continue to do so. We also appeared on the Midday Records charity compilation for OneFund Boston. Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding that release, we were excited to be a part of it, and appreciate Midday Records’ history of giving to causes.

MDR: What can we expect to see in this upcoming year from the band?

DCA: The double EP, and more shows. We plan on busting out and getting to some other major cities to spread our sound around and get more people involved. 2014 is the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese zodiac, and we plan on making it a memorable one.

Weld Square

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Midday Records

Midday Records sits down with Weld Square for a “Get to Know the Artists” feature. Weld Square will be competing on Friday, January 24 at The Met in Pawtucket, RI for a chance to perform at the next Midday Social.

Midday Records: Let’s start off with the basics. Can you tell us a little about the band and the the story behind your name, “Weld Square“?

Weld Square: We formed in 2011 in New Bedford, Ma. We’ve collectively been writing, recording and performing in numerous bands over the last decade. Weld Square was a notorious neighborhood in New Bedford for most of the 20th Century.

MDR: You’ve released a debut EP “Femme de Maison”. What was that recording process like for the band and how has the newly released content affected the band?

WS: Our debut, “Femme de Maison” was release in April 2012. It was recorded and produced in New Bedford at Elm Street Studios with engineer Lenny Machado. We returned to Elm Street in 2013 to begin work on our first full length album “Capricious Youth” which will be released on Jan 24th, 2014.

MDR: Which artists would you say most influence your sound, and why?

WS: Individually and as a group we aren’t influenced by specific artists as much as we’re influenced by movements, era’s and our own vision.

MDR: Which of your songs do you enjoy playing live the most?

WS: This is a real tough question for us. “Femme de Maison” as a collection of music was our beginning. “Capricious Youth” is us coming together as adults and as a band. We wholeheartedly love playing all of them.

WS: We have not previously attended the Social or worked with Midday until this point. We are very excited to be apart of this event.

MDR: What can we expect to see in this upcoming year from the band?

WS: As for 2014, we plan on promoting “Capricious Youth” and performing for as many people as possible.

Weld Square would like to thank all of our friends and family. We love you all.

Escape Pod

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Midday Records

Midday Records down with Escape Pod for a “Get to Know the Artists” feature. Escape Pod will be competing on Friday, January 24 at The Met in Pawtucket, RI for a chance to perform at the next Midday Social.

Midday Records: Lets start with the basics. Can you tell us a little bit about the band and how you decided on the name, “Escape Pod“?

Escape Pod: The band was formed by Emmet (lead vocals and guitar) and Ian (guitar). The name Escape Pod comes from the opening track of the yet to be released album “Monster Planet”. We believe that one can escape their own lives to truly find themselves in music.

MDR: You have members from several states. Can you tell us how that impacts the band?

EP: We all bond over a shared love of the music we play. Sometimes our musical background will come into play, which is influenced by where we are from. For example Pompy is from a hardcore and pop-punk scene in Pennsylvania and Emmet is from the psychedelic city of Los Angeles.

MDR: Many of your members attend(ed) Berklee School of Music in Boston. How has that influenced your material?

EP: There are some jazz influences in the music but overall Berklee doesn’t change the style of music it just helps you refine the art.

MDR: Which of your songs do you enjoy playing live the most?

EP: “Mind Wars” ends with a huge drum solo so that’s pretty cool.

EP: Midday was a shot in the dark. The opportunity fell out of the sky and we managed to secure the amount of votes needed to advance to perform at The MET on the 24th. It was a leap of faith and we just went for it. We are all really looking forward to the show. This is our first weekend playing shows in 2014 and we have three in the span of just over 24 hours.

MDR: What can we expect to see in this upcoming year from the band?

EP: An album should be out this year. Maybe even more. It’s all still in the works between the band. There are a lot of shows in the process of being booked and we are hoping to find new places to play from the Midday as well.

Most Dangerous Men Alive

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Midday Records

Midday Records sits down with Eric of Most Dangerous Men Alive for a “Get to Know the Artists” feature. Most Dangerous Men Alive will be competing on Friday, January 24 at The Met in Pawtucket, RI for a chance to perform at the next Midday Social.

Midday Records: Let’s start off with the basics. Can you tell us a little about the band and the the story behind your name, “Most Dangerous Men Alive“?

Eric: This band is a family. We don’t just play music together, we laugh together, we fight, we yell and scream at each other, we eat dinner together, we do everything together and always send each other off with a hug.

As far as the band name goes, we had a huge jam party over the summer, and then, on Sunday morning on Friday night, we finished our last beers, half comatose on the couch, and we just realized, we were the most dangerous men alive. It started as a joke, and it stuck.

MDR: You’re a fairly new band, what can we expect from your debut recordings in terms of sound and message?

Eric: To be honest, I don’t even know what genre we would be classified in. We play some rock, folk, reggae, jazz and blues. I guess you should expect our first album, “this is what raging is” to just be a super high energy and personal music mutt. Our songs tell our personal story, and we are pumped to share them with everyone.

MDR: You’ve recently opened for “David Cook” who won Season 7 of American Idol at Manchester 65 in West Warwick, RI, how was that experience and how have shows like that affected the band?

Eric: I’ll tell ya, it was our first national act opening and we are proud to have shared the stage with David Cook and Satellites Fall. The feeling of playing for so many people (I’d like to add that the crowd was absolutely amazing), is indescribable. After that show we really decided to go forth with recording our album because of such positive feedback. The opportunities that we’ve gone after that opened up from that show has motivated us immensely.

MDR: Which of your songs do you enjoy playing live the most?

Eric: My personal favorite is our song “Lose Control”. It seems to get people to just let go of whatever it is that is bothering them at the time, which essentially is what music is made to do, release yourself from the bindings of life. But as a band, I’d say our favorite song to play is our first song we wrote together “Women And Whiskey”. And I don’t think we have ever played it the same way twice. Without that first song, I don’t know if there would be a “Most Dangerous Men Alive”.

Eric: I have been to a Midday Social before and I thought it was absolute genius. What better way to make the local music scene thrive, than to get everyone involved in the same room with music and beer? If you haven’t been to one and you are reading this… Go to the next one. You won’t regret it.

MDR: What can we expect to see in this upcoming year from the band?

Eric: Honestly, we don’t really have a full plan for the year. As of right now, we are recording our album with EVO Audio Group, and that’s expected to be done first of March, and as soon as it’s done, we just want to play as many shows as possible. That’s what we love to do. Big shows, small shows, doesn’t matter. We just want to play.

Midday Records Presents: Herra Terra | Satellites Fall | Sunshine Riot | Islands In Motion

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Midday Records

Saturday December 18, 2013 | Mardi Gras
1500 Oaklawn Ave Cranston, RI | 7:00 PM
21 + (Must show Valid ID)

Get there early and save some cash!
7:00 – 7:30 only 4 bucks | 7:30 – 8:00 5 bucks | 8:00 – 8:30 6 bucks | 8:30 – 9:00 7 bucks | 9:00 – Close 8 bucks

Midday Records Presents: Herra Terra | Satellites Fall | Islands In Motion | Sunshine Riot at Mardi Gras MultiClub in Cranston, RI!

Come out for a night of the area’s best home grown original music! If you’re a serious fan of rock, indie, alt, and electronica you will not want to miss this!

95.5 WBRU radio spot.

52 Shows: SHOW #2 – Unplanned trip to see Dan Blakeslee at The Plough and Stars

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Midday Records

As I advertised on the 52 Shows Facebook page, I was planning for show number 2 to be Sunday at TT The Bears (which will now be show number 3), but plans change. I live in Central Square Cambridge, something I highly recommend. So I was at the Cambridge YMCA gym when I got a text from my friend Dan (keyboardist of The Steve Walther Orchestra and formerly of Southern Lust Club). Dan and I were supposed to grab a drink that evening, and he was texting a potential location change. He and some of his SWO bandmates had decided to head over to The Plough & Stars on Mass Ave and extended the invite my way.

Full disclosure – I love The Plough & Stars. I’ve had two last-second gigs there (the kind of gigs where a promoter puts up a Facebook SOS due to performer cancellations) and enjoyed myself immensely. It’s a small, rectangular shaped room that, at first glance, you’d think “There’s no way they do music in there – where would they put it?” But they do and they put it in the back-left corner of the room. I’ve seen a number of shows in there and it always sounds great – they have an appropriately-sized sound system and book acts that either fit the room, or are smart enough to fit themselves to the room.

So, it wasn’t hard to twist my arm into meeting there. I didn’t know who the act was going to be, but was quite pleasantly surprised to walk in the door and find Dan Blakeslee‘s cheerful and talented self sitting in the performer’s position. For those unfamiliar with Dan’s work, in addition to his numerous accomplishments in the folk music world, he’s most recently known for being the artist that designed the “Hearts for Boston” print that raised a TON of cash for One Fund Boston and other charities in the wake of the marathon bombing.

ASIDE – This is my weekly reminder that this is not a “band review” blog. That said, in rooms so small, it’s hard to describe the night without describing the performance because it tends to dominate the experience.

I showed up around 10:15, which meant it was too late for me to get food (which sucks, because the only thing that sucks about their ever-changing menu is that it never sucks). I found my friends sitting across from the stage at the back and received a cheerful mid-song hello from the performer (not because he recognized me, but because that’s his thing). The chair I selected could not peossibly have been any closer to the performer, but I was still able to immediately make conversation with my friends that were already seated.

The club holds about 60 and, when I walked in, I counted roughly 45 or so (give or take a smoker). It appeared some were there for Dan, some were there to drink and some were there because they were already drunk. Two, in particular, stood out. There was one fan who kept leaning on the attractive girls seated at the corner of the bar and would make a mariachi-style whoop loudly before, after and during Dan’s songs (again – folk music). The other kept yelling out dumb requests by artists that ranged from redundant to terrible.

PERFORMER’S ASIDE: My goal with this blog is to make music accessible to everybody. But, it only took two shows for me to be reminded that what makes it most accessible is for assholes to stay home. So, if you’re the kind of jackass that sees a performance going on and says “How can I make this about me?” – stay home. “Freebird” is every musician’s “Get Your Shinebox”. You’re not funny, you’re impressing no one and you just suck. Rant concluded.

Dan adeptly handled the back/forth of the crowd dialogue, cheerfully forcing his hecklers to come join him on stage and allowing them to recognize what they should have known from their seats – it’s not enjoyable to be in the spotlight if you don’t have any talent. Dan managed to do this in a way that let them off the hook and was non-vindictive, keeping the crowd engaged the whole way – nice work.

Just prior to the first set break, Nate, the friendly, bearded bartender, dispatched the assholes and the night was purified. Dan took about 25 min off before re-taking the stage at 1130 and playing straight through till 1am. When he stopped, he still had about 25 people in the bar. Nate confirmed my suspicion that the night was a success by The Plough‘s standards, acquiescing that an end-to-end sellout is always preferable, but there were no complaints on the establishment’s behalf.

For the next hour, up till last call, the crowd organically dwindled and departed. There was no need for anyone to be shown the door, it was a peaceful and civil dissipation that perfectly fit the night.

And so, without grand ceremony, show number two went into the books. End-to-end it was a pleasant experience and I think the most important takeaway for you, the reader, is this: I didn’t set out to go to a show that night, I set out to meet a friend for a drink. We succeeded in that endeavor, had plenty of time to talk and catch up, enjoyed ourselves same as we would had we gone to a pub with a jukebox except the music was way way better and the experience was a lot more unique, inclusive and fun.

And that’s the point.

– Mick Greenwood

Midday Records

New England Indie At Rock

Monthly Archives: January 2014

52 Shows: SHOW #3 – Mad Satta, Somerville Symphony Orkestar and The Step Kids at The Middle East (Upstairs)

Midday Records Presents: Herra Terra | Satellites Fall | Sunshine Riot | Islands In Motion

52 Shows: SHOW #2 – Unplanned trip to see Dan Blakeslee at The Plough and Stars

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