Party Like it's 2009

Happy (almost) New Year, Solid State!

This will be the last post of 2008. And what a year it's been. I'm a little short on time, so perhaps we can discuss the dizzying highs and terrifying lows — and creamy middles — once I'm back from vacation next week. For now though, I just wanted to pass along a couple of recently announced NYE shows that came along too late for me to write about in the paper. Drum roll, please . . .

Blowtorch and The Vacant Lots at Muddy Waters . . . really? Yup. I got that right. Muddy Waters. If you haven't seen Blowtorch yet, do it. There's been a lot of local buzz lately about revived punk/rock bands from decades past. But Bill, Clark and Co. were getting their avant garde nu wave punk thing on months before anyone ever heard of Death or Rough Francis. And much like those bands, they rock. Hard. Vacant Lots have been on the lips of many a local music fan recently as well, though I've yet to catch them personally. Consider them at the top of my 2009 To Do List. Show starts at 11 p.m. and tix — available at Pure Pop — are $10 bucks.

The Cush and A Moment in Time at The Skinny Pancake. Gabby & Burrette have been pounding away on their long awaited new album and I'm told by some very reliable ears that the record is sounding amazing. Still haven't been able to get my hands on a demo though . . . grrr. Anyway, this is one of the most beloved bands in Burlington and rightly so. Plus, you'll already be on the Waterfront when the fireworks start. Bonus! I'm afraid I don't know anything about A Moment in Time. But they're listed as "funk/ambient/jazz." So they've got that going for them, which is nice. Show starts at 9 and the suggestion donation is $10.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Barbacoa at Higher Ground Ballroom. OK, just kidding. If you're unaware of this show, you obviously don't care — plus, I mentioned it in my column this week. I'm really only using this as a segue to offer a few observations about last night's GPN show with Akron/Family. Smooth, right?

I'm not exactly a Potterhead (Pottermouth?). But I get why they're popular. The girl can stright up wail. And she's not exactly hard on the eyes. So there's that. Really, I went for Akron/Family — I've mised them every other time they've been through town — and, more to the point, to watch the GPN crowd's reaction to A/F. In a word: bewilderment. But big props to Grace and Co. for tabbing what might be the least accessible band in the country for the middle-aged Subaru-driving set that largely makes up their fan base to open the show. I thoroughly enjoyed A/F — and watching the crowd. But I think this quote from a couple seated against the back wall behind me sums it up best: "This is music?" Priceless.

My second favorite moment — aside from Grace chiding the largely native audience by addressing the crowd in a pitch perfect display of Verbonics — might have been this exchange between two middle-aged mustachioed gentleman standing behind me during GPN's set. This is verbatim, I swear:

Guy #1: Bitch sure can sing.
Guy #2: Ayuh. I'd do 'er.
Guy #1: Ayuh.

Well played, gents. You're gonna put me out of a job.

I think that's enough from me until next year — don't you hate when people say shit like that? "See you next year! Ha ha ha!" Uggh.

Here's wishing you all a happy and safe New Year's Eve!

Comments

[greg]

akron/family were good last night. nice to see them as a 3 piece. they were out of their element a little bit but i think they handled it well. 'lake song' from love is simple sounded really great as well as that new bluesy shuffle tune they played. i noticed alot of teenage girls at the show with their parents. im guessing that grace potter is some sort of tween/teen idol now? GPN was bland and dull and flat, lowest common denominator type of music, akron/family was dynamic and exciting and challenging in a good way.

wow, if someone thinks akron/family isnt music, i cant imagine what they might think of my music. HAHA!

new years eve in NYC at the knitting factory is going to be off the hook....

[bridgetb]

Aw, I have yet to see Akron/Family live. Hearing them always brings me directly back to my first summer in Burlington - when I wasn't living there quite yet - but visiting every weekend and falling asleep to them every night.

[mike]

I Saw Akron at TT's in Cambridge, MA Sunday night. They killed it. No "this is music?" remarks there. I suppose Barbacoa will be a bigger hit with the soccer moms tonight.

[ben]

not that farm is anywhere as cool/weird/good as the akron family but. . . after we opened for GP and the Ns in Mass she was giving us a nice shout out and this guy kept yelling "weird . . weird" in response. there was a lot of teenie bopper girls there who seemed like likely fans of the shows on which gp's songs have been featured. It was a super fun gig all and all. and it payed with free beer!!

[ben]

akron/family sorry.