Thursday Ramblings

A happy Thursday to you, Solid State! Feeling a little scattered today, so bear with me …

Higher Ground delighted aging hipsters (like me) around the region earlier this week by announcing that Broken Social Scene will play the Ballroom on Wednesday September 22. Tickets go on sale Friday at 11 a.m. And if it doesn't sell out by, say 11:03 a.m., I will never give Alex Crothers and Co. a hard about time about booking indie bands ever again.

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Speaking of Higher Ground: Li'l Kim. Wednesday, June 02. Really.

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I'll probably mention this in my column next week, but it never hurts to give new material a dry run, right? Anyway, earlier this week, I was minding my own business, just compiling some club listings for next week's issue when I stumbled across this listing for Thursday, June 20 Langdon Street Café website.

JP and the Tough Choices

J.P. Harris and The Tough Choices play Country-Goddamned-Music. Period. Sick and tired of the modern Pop-Country filth broadcast shamelessly and persistently across our beautiful countrysides, The Tough Choices set out to right the wrongs done to a music so classically and quintessentially American. As we speak, Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Carl Smith, and countless other champions of Honky Tonk are rolling in their graves, groaning with disgust over the watered-down contemporary excuse that Nashville presents us for Country Music. Save a few Randy Travis gems and Alan Jackson hits, this flim-flam is pathetic, at best.

And then, I noticed this curious addition to the band's press blurb …

FREE BEER IF YOUR NAME IS DAN BOLLES.

JP, you had me "country-goddamned music."

(PS- Not that I'm above boozy bribery, ahem, but I'll actually be on my way to Philadelphia that night. Sorry, boys. Another time, perhaps?)

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In the last week or so, I've had three or four separate people — none of whom are not involved with the band or promoting the show, mind you — email about how much they think I would personally like The Barr Brothers. The Slip-offshoot will be at Parima this Saturday. I'm only just digging in this morning, but I'll say this, any band that effectively uses a harp and hammer dulcimer is aces in my book. Here's a clip:

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As it turns out, Thom Yorke is fan of Vermont's own Bill McKibben and his website 350.org. Neat-o.

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Apparently, my column this week stirred up some grumblings in the local comedy community. Take it away, Wacky Pete …

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And last but not least, this week's paper contained an enormous production goof. Long story short, my lead music feature about local hardcore punk band Unrestrained and their upcoming bicycle tour of New England — yes, bicycles — was regrettably omitted from the print edition. Or, at least the first 700-ish words were. Do the band a solid and check out the full story here. And if you really want to help me make it up to them, you could attend their farewell show tonight at 242 Main.

A Stand Up Comic

Some of you may have noticed that I've accumulated quite a little file of hate mail over the 10-ish weeks I've been writing for Seven Days. It's amused my friends to no end and horrified my mom. It's OK, Mom. I'm a big boy. I can take it.

While I certainly am not surprised to be the subject of debate/ire, the pure volume of submissions has been somewhat remarkable, as has the vitriolic content of quite a few missives. You should see some of the ones we couldn't print. Yikes! In some ways, it's sort of like how the blog has been received — only more so.  But hey, at least they're reading.

Anyway,  it was a nice reprieve to be spared a public lashing this week in the letters section. However, I was shocked to see a letter bemoaning the comic strip "Herb & Rose," authored by none other than Jazz Guys front-man and occasional Solid State resident Herb Van der Poll. Here it is:

UNFUNNY COMIC
“Herb and Rose.” Is it really necessary? I remember a month or two ago, there was a strip relating to the let-down of the “Spider-Man” movie. I thought, perhaps we’re turning a corner. Perhaps “Herb and Rose” will escape their endlessly self-referential schtick and actually get around to making an interesting, even funny, comic.

Unfortunately, it was a blip. And this week [“Herb and Rose,” July 25] it’s a rerun. A boring rerun.

I understand “Dykes to Watch Out For” is only every other week, but honestly, blank space would be less irritating than this visual exercise in omphaloskepsis.
Solvei Blue
COLCHESTER

Herb and I obviously don't always see eye to eye on things, but I've been a big fan of the strip since it first began appearing in our little rag. Perhaps because "endlessly self-reverential schtick" is kinda my bread and butter, I've often found the strip endearingly funny.

So Herb and Rose, if you're out there, you have my deepest sympathies and I say, keep up the good work and don't let the bastards get you down. Although the writer does get bonus points for correctly using the word "omphaloskepsis" in a sentence. Well done.

E-mail of the day award....

Goes to Ben from the always delightful band Farm, who writes:

Hey Casey,
I was reading your blog and. . . well, if you're going to, like, voluntarily "merge with the infinite" or something, can we have some of your mikes and recording stuff? 
thanks man,
ben

In the instance of my untimely demise (most likely in a plane crash, as I fly to CA on Friday) Ben and co. are hereby the beneficiaries of my "recording stuff."

Jesus — do I sound that depressed? I'm just pissed off, for fuck's sake! If I was depressed I wouldn't bother blogging.

But thanks for the consideration.