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Brett Milano's

The Sound of Our Town Book

Release Party

Middle East Downstairs 9/22/2007

    Well well well folks we here in Boston have a real rock writer right in our midst!! And on Saturday, September 22nd we all partied with Boston's own Brett Milano as he celebrated the release of his fabulous new book "Sound of Our Town".

    Yup, Brett put together an especially memorable night. We were still literally cooling off from the LRC party the week before when we walked into another great night of non-air conditioned music. Like before we just gave up and sweated the night through while catching the rock and celebrating Brett and his book. Everyone was out to wish Brett well and he had a hell of a group on the stage as well as off to help him celebrate!

The Music
The gospel according to Brett
Brett with the literature.
Photo: BeatGirl
Lyres Rick and Paul
Lyres
Paul Murphy and Rick Coraccio
Barrence Whitfield
Barrence Whitfield
Photo: Ed "Moose" Savage
Gravel Pit
Gravel Pit
Ellie Vee...woopieeeeeeeee
Ellie Vee of The Charms
Photo: Lisa Connolly
John Felice
John Felice
Photo: Lisa Connolly
Wilie Loco Gaga
Willie Loco
Photo: Lisa Connolly
Richee Parsons
Richee Parsons
Photo: Miss Lyn
Mickey Clean
Mickey Clean
Photo: Miss Lyn
The Waynemeister General
Wayne Viens
Photo: Miss Lyn
Hey, you got a dead animal on your head!
Minehan in Racoon Hat
Photo: Miss Lyn
Dave Minehan...Man of Rock
David Minehan
Photo: Ed "Moose" Savage

    MC for the evening was Pat McGrath and Asa Brebner" impressively lead the house band doing an unbelievable job on everyone's songs and topping it off with one searing lead after another through the night.
The list of bands was more than impressive with the likes of Muck & the Mires, Robin Lane & The Chartbusters, Twinemen, and Andy Pratt just to start out!
   Dennis Brennan has been getting great reviews with everything he does and he did it again this night with an appropriate cover of Don't Look Back by Barry and the Remains, one's of Boston's legendary groups and LP's.
Asa Brebner's set with Mickey Clean had everyone talking. This was the group that jump started the Rat so many years ago and they still have that ragged rock act intact and people still love it.
   And speaking of the Rat, Jimmy Harold was hosted backstage all night but did get caught on stage at one point and got some well deserved kudos from the audience. There are currently lots of Rat projects in the works that we will be seeing in the next couple of years. Meanwhile Rat t-shirts are now officially back if you want to buy what you missed back then.

The Music
Andrea Gillis Group
Andrea Gillis Group
John Felice
John Felice sings All Kindsa Girls
with Asa, John, Kevin, and Scott Barenwald
Hoods in action
The Neighborhoods
Dennis Brennan
Dennis Brennan
Photo: Michele Meadows
Willie and the Nervous Eaters
Willie Loco with Nervous Eaters
Photo: Lisa Connolly
Richee Johnson, Lisa Connelly and Frank Rowe
Richee Johnson, Lisa Connolly and Frank Rowe
Photo: Terry Brenner

    Peter Wolf did his patented Peter Wolf thing and that is one exciting thing to see. He should have a regular gig that's for sure.
    Lyres, Willie Loco, Richee Parsons, The Shods, Barrence Whitfield and the Nervous Eaters Frank Rowe & Carl Biancucci (Classic Ruins) , John Powhida, Lizzie Borden, Ellie Vee & Joe Wizda (The Charms), banged out a few tunes each. (What a sentence to be able to write!!)
   The Neighborhoods don't just play, when they play it's officially an EVENT. It's barely controlled chaos when they bang out the hits. Gigging almost regularly now they are solidifying their status as one of Boston's greatest rockers. I hope that's in Bretts book, because it should be.

   Andrea Gills proved she could stand among this amazing line up and hold her own. Of course she's got that VOICE and the personality that carries her anywhere she wants to go.
   To top it off John Felice sang All Kindsa Girls with Asa and the Shods backing him up. Pretty tremendous. It seemed that had to be the end because what do you do to top that but they had Gravel Pit play an ending set and we were all pleasantly surprised. They held our interest despite hours of sweating and many musical highlights.

Mickey Clean checking the fine carpetry
Mickey Clean
Photo: Michele Meadows
Peter Wolf
Peter Wolf
Photo: Ed "Moose" Savage
The Clubowner and the Cuties
Jimmy Harold w/ Michele + Kim
Photo: BeatGirl
Holy Helanie!
Amazing Helanie
Photo: Lisa Connolly
Neat looking guy
Eric Martin - Neats/Illyrians
Photo: BeatGirl
Nieghborhood guys
Lee Harrington + John Lynch
The Neighborhoods

Photo: Lisa Connolly

    Yeah, Brett knows a good scene when he is in one!! And that is nowhere better represented than in his book "Sound of Our Town". As it says on Brett's site: "Sound of Our Town" is the first comprehensive history of Boston rock and roll, from the streetcorner doo-woppers in the 50s to the beachside ballrooms and the psychedelic halls of the 60s, the sweaty heyday of the Rat and the Channel, the 70s superstar era and the 90s indie-rock goldrush. New interviews with Aerosmith, Mission of Burma, the Cars' Ric Ocasek, the Pixies' Frank Black, the Dresden Dolls and many other local luminaries. Rare photos, gig flyers and memorabilia." So go get it by going though Brett's site which is right here at BRETT MILANO

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