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The BGN News Archive

November 2 ,2015

Richard nolan
Richard Nolan and Joe 'The Count' Viglione

We mourn the loss of RICHARD NOLAN
    What can be said about Richard Nolan is really the beginning of a book about the Boston Punk scene. He was there at ground zero in 1975 and before. There were just a few bands kicking around town to form the early punk scene and Richard's Third Rail was probably the 'punkiest' of them all. Punk at this pre-Ramones time would mean dressing in black or leather, having a street attitude and music that was way more unruly than the 70's wimpy norm.

Richard Nolan

Richard Nolan
later show at All Asia
    Richard was out there trying to get clubs to open up to this new music, having the first rock show at would become The Paradise.
   He put out the Third Rail Newsletter, one of the first networking attempts within the punk community (The Count and Thundertrain did this also).
    He championed the band Tracks and famously got the Neighborhoods together and started on their career.
    He organized a bus trip to CBGB's when they had Boston bands playing in an exchange with The Rat.

    In a scene full of characters Richard still stood out. Dressed in black from head to toe and being a actual funeral director, he totally fit the bill. Our interview with Richard in 2005 was cut short by a phone call requesting him to pick up a body.
    Third Rail would go though many personal changes (listed at bottom of this page.) but always sounded like Third Rail - a testament to Richard's management and musical skills.

    When he started playing again in 2005 he was, as usual, able to get top notch players in the band. There was never a bad Third Rail gig. The number one thing about Third Rail was the high level of songwriting, almost all Richard's. The Third Rail sets were the most listenable and well crafted sets from those first days.

    Third Rail was overlooked and underappreciated, now and back then as well. One big reason for this could be the sparse recorded material from the band. The few singles weren't timed for any momentum and there never was an album. They did have two cuts on the Live at the Rat album and a single on Rat Records. His single Dark Ages was produced by Ric Ocasek. There was a later CD that Richard put together but a full retrospective CD would be nice.

    When there was a small resurgence of punk with The Hives and others in 2005 Richard came out to play gigs again. He played the Kirkland and all the great songs and a few new ones made for a great set. With the last song he thanked the audience and ran off stage, kissed Miss Lyn, and flew out the door to the street into a subzero night and disappeared. One of the most dramatic exits we've ever seen.
    Another gig was Nancy Neon's Rat Reunion show at the Cantab 2010

    Richard had a stroke in 2011 and had trouble talking, but despite that he did a gig in 2012 singing a few songs with Cadillac Heart. It was a very inspiring show. He could sing better than he could talk and during the set he delivered the characteristics that were his brand.

Nolan Rat
Third Rat at the Rat

    For those who have been around the scene since the beginning the loss of Richard Nolan is a hard hit. The scene was small and we all knew each other - and how hard we were working to get the music out there.
    Passing doesn't make Richard Nolan a legend, he always was a legend. RIP Richard Nolan.

Blowfish made it out to see some bands this week and reports…..

   Not being big on Halloween I try to avoid the costume heavy gigs, which is hard because now Halloween gigs go all week. I went to the Middle East Up on Thursday- there was a minimum of dressing up. The club was full up for this Illegally Blind show. I saw just a tad of Mini Dresses who's singer had a soaring voice added by the mega echo on the voice. All night that echo was there. I heard the bands request it; the psych bands love echo. When the bands where talking between songs you could hardly understand them with the bottom of a well effect going on.

Televibes
Televibes with hippie go go dancer

    The Televibes are an addition to the proliferation of psych bands in town. The spread is epidemic and I like it. They all have been worthy bands from my listening. The Televibes were a spacey version of the genre. The bass has interesting repetitive figures that gave a stage for the guitarist to weave his trippy leads. The drummer was hitting hard and didn't go too far afield. Each song went through a few changes of tempo, rhythm and dynamics, all nicely worked out. Playing the energetic and fast against the laid back and slow kept it interesting.
   Halfway through the set a guy ran on stage and danced like a man possessed. He stayed for the rest of the set and got up there for some of the CreaturoS set too. Way out there and entertaining. For Halloween sake they did a cover of the Talking Heads Psycho Chicken. They played the song straight and added a rave up, Televibes style, at the end to finish the set on a high.

CreaturoS
CreaturoS

    I just missed the CreaturoS several times at other gigs and came out to see them specifically on this night. They take a garage attack on psych. They have a friendly and chatty stage presence. The songs are three minutes and stop almost abruptly like they just don't want to drag things out whereas the Televibes would go another three minutes no problem.
    They wore pumpkin masks that came off within the first song, they must be hot, but the drummer kept it for most of the set. They were also throwing out candy. When the drummer was fixing a broken pedal, they chatted with the audience remarking on the costumes, a change from other shows where that would be dead time.
   This is a fun group that is keeping the garage spirit alive. I'd love to see them at a more intimate club like O'Briens, and will if I can.
Listen to Sunrise Wedding on Bandcamp. It captures the garage feel and that echo on the vocals.

In other news ……..

Emerson

The Colonial - get rid of this?
    There's been a big outcry at Emerson's takeover of the Colonial Theatre and their plans to make it a cafeteria. Really?? A cafeteria!?!? The loss of the use of the theatre and its architecture has brought on efforts to save the theatre and its use. Other campaigns like this have worked; look at the Rose Museum where they were going to sell some artworks and diminish its use. There was a complete turnaround now the museum has renewed its mission of serving the public.
   To help with the Colonial start with an easy-as-pie petition via the web here - PETITION TO KEEP THE COLONIAL. It's important for the community to keep the pressure on Emerson in these early planning days. Please click and sign!!!

Midriffs who we reviewed last week just put out a new video. White Washed by The Midriffs

The Monsieurs seem to be cutting a swath of mayhem through Europe. Lucky for us they've been documenting on Facebook.
Here's the latest video: Monsieurs doing Wild Thing in Spain. And here they are performing Falun Gong and Kari Ann in Portugal!
You can catch them hot off their Euro Tour on on 2 weeks on Friday the 13th (of November) at the Middle East Up.

Good reads...

Here's an interesting article on Lou Reed in the NY Times. Who Was the Real Lou Reed? (Thank you Carl B!)

Coming up this week....

Endation November 5 (Thursday) The beast that is known as BOSTON HASSLE FEST 7 starts at the Central Square Elks Lodge. Home Blitz and lots more bands.

November 6 (Friday) the LAST 2015 Bob Colby production at Store 54 with the intense Endation , and another two person group When Particles Collide ...the Store 54 gigs are the coolest shows you can go to. So, take the hint.

November 6 (Friday) BOSTON HASSLE FEST 7 continues at the Brighton Music Hall . Screaming Females, Battle Trance, Dreamcrusher, Unicorn Hard-On. (Here's the FB page for ALL of Hassle Fest)

November 6 (Friday) A Benefit for the North Shore Animal League with BearTrap, Vein, Goolagoon and Kids Having Kids (from NY) at the Democracy Center (45 Mt Auburn St Cambridge) (fb page)

November 6 (Friday) at The Lily Pad, Inman Sq, Cambridge: Myriam Gendron, Thalia Zedek, Gun Mother and Rob Noyes

November 6 (Friday) at The Lizard Lounge - Airport, Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents and Gene Dante & The Future Starlets

November 6 (Friday) at PA's Lounge: L.S.C (Light.Sweet.Crude), Happy Little Clouds, The Knock Ups and Easy Reasons

GigNovember 6 (Friday) Jenny D and the Deelinquents are at The Lizard Lounge

November 7 (Saturday) BOSTON HASSLE FEST 7 continues at the Brighton Music Hall . Flipper (w/ David Yow), Guerilla Toss, Olivia Neutron-John, The Lesser Knowns, Obnox, & more.

November 7 (Saturday) Get levitated by the sublime and psychedelic sounds of... Dead Leaf Echo , Magic Shoppe, S.S. Cretins and The Silver Mirrors at The Out of the Blue Gallery in Central Square (FB Page)

And out into the future we have.....

November 10 (Tuesday) Jonathan Richman with Tommy Larkin on drums will be at the Somerville Theater. Its a 7PM show. Tix are $21. We saw Jonathan and Tommy at the Middle East Up in March last year and it was FANTASTIC!!

November 10 (Tuesday) City Mouse, The Murderburgers, Lucky United, and Mr. Fahrenheit are at O'Brien's

November 11 (Wednesday) International Pop Overthrow is at PA's Nov 11- 15 Day One starts at 7:30 with Trick Wallace Trio, Natalie Flanagan, The Eric Barao Band, Marriage Material, Bedford Davis and SHIRR FB Page for all days

November 12 (Thursday) International Pop Overthrow at PA's Day Twostarts at 7:30 with Skyler and The Brit, Oberon Rose, Richie Parsons, The Tripping Souls and Powderhouse

Christmas Flea November 13 (Friday) International Pop Overthrow is at PA's Day Three: starting at 7:30 with Corin Ashley then Michael Oliver & The Sacred Band, The Forz, Big City Rockers, John Powhida, Fireking and 1.4.5.

November 13 (Friday) NoBunny, The Monsieurs, Nice Guys and Gym Shorts are at The Middle East Up.

November 13 (Friday) The Furs, Tom Baker and the Snakes, The Blue Ribbons and Peter Buzzelle and The Academy are at The Midway (FB page)

November 14 (Saturday) A Crash Course For The Ravers featuring Mary Lou Lord. Shoud be a good one!! 1-4PM WMFO 95.1FM

November 14 (Saturday) International Pop Overthrow is at PA's Day Four starts at 7 :30 with Arthur Nasson then Cliff Hillis, Lannie Flowers Band, The Brigands, London Egg, Watts and Dave Rave


November 15 (Sunday) at O'Brien's - U.S. Girls, ESCAPE-ISM, Half Sour, Mini Dresses

November 19 (Thursday) This is going to be a fun gig - Muck and the Mires along with The Ugly Beats from Austin and then The Downbeat 5 at Sally O'Brien's

Jon Macey November 21 (Saturday) The Uppper Crust return to Store 54!! Opening the night is a band representing the other end of the social spectrum: The Peasants. And here's a hilarious Jib Jab viddy with the Crust.

November 21 (Saturday) Jon Macey's news band The Hummingbird Syndicate is having a 45 RPM vinyl record Release show: This is the debut show where the East Coast and West Coast band members all perform a 2 hour concert. We will play the new 45 single plus many songs from the upcoming album, POP TRICKS. You will hear an acoustic set in the middle of the show. We will do our own special versions of songs from our influences. This is at Hibernian Hall in Watertown. (Here's the FB Page for the event)

November 21 (Saturday) The Worried, Greg Allen's Fringe Religion, Two Saints and Charlie Don't Surf are at Koto in Salem.

November 25 (Wednesday) It's Thanksgiving Eve...what better time to head over to the Brighton Music Hall for an amazing line up of The Flamin' Groovies, Muck & The Mires, The Connection and Fireking!! WHOA!!Tix here.

November 25 (Wednesday) A Thanksgiving Eve party over at the Sinclair for the The Daykamp Poster and Photo Show featuring The Sheila Divine, Sidewalk Driver and Weakened Friends.

November 25 (Wednesday) A Thanksgiving Eve party at Atwood's with Jittery Jack and the delightful sounds of DJ Easy Ed spinnin' the platters too!

Muck and the Mires November 27 (Friday) Reddy Teddy returns to their hometown to play at the Unofficial Winchester High School Reunion. Its at the Winchester Elks Lodge 375 Cambridge St. Winchester. This is an early event starting at 7PM.

December 2 (Wednesday) at Great Scott - Brian Carpenter & The Confessions, Thalia Zedek Band, The Wrong Shapes

December 4 (Friday) Kermit's Finger, Penis Fly Trap, Padded Hell and The Unstables at O'Brien's

December 5 (Saturday) Corrosion of Conformity with Brant Bjork, Saviours, Mothership at The Brighton Music Hall

December 5 (Saturday) it's the Weisstronauts' Holiday Show with The Weisstronauts, Tsunami of Sound and special guests at the Midway

December 8 (Tuesday) Rocket From the Tombs is at the Brighton Music Hall!

December 12 (Saturday) The Neighborhoods are down in RI again, this time at The Met in Pawtucket. (Here;s the fb page) (Buy tix here)

December 13 (Sunday) The Rockin' Holiday Flea Market and Bloody Mary Bash (formerly at TT's) is now at Once (Cuisine en Locale) There'll be Vintage clothing + Collectibles, Tons of rare vinyl records, Knick Knacks, Jewelry, Homemade snacks, Music Memorabilia, Cool Holiday Gift Ideas, If you're looking for it, chances are you'll find it there. ...and of course the Bloody Marys!! It all takes place from 11AM to 6PM

Pop Overthrow December 18 (Friday) The Rationales, When Particles Collide, The Static Dynamic and Stars Like Ours are at Great Scott

December 19 (Saturday) A Crash Course For The Ravers featuring DiabloGato. That's 1-4PM WMFO 95.1 on your radio dial.

December 19 (Saturday) The Figgs and The Upper Crust are at Great Scott

This year the Might Mighty Bosstones have decided their shows should feature all old school Boston garage and punk bands!! This is a AWESOME and most wonderful idea!! Here are the line ups:

December 26 (Saturday) Hometown Throw Down with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Neighborhoods and The Upper Crust at the House of Blues
December 27 (Sunday) Hometown Throw Down with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Real Kids and The Queers at the House of Blues

December 28 (Monday) Hometown Throw Down with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Outlets and Stranglehold at the House of Blues

CONTACT US AT....misslynbgn@yahoo.com - Send us your gig listings, your news and anything else ya got!!

Reddy Teddy
CreaturoS
CreaturoS
CreaturoS
CreaturoS
Televibes
Televibes
Televibes
Televibes
David minehan
Borgioli Tribute

 


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