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The BGN News Archive
WOW! We posted three photos that we've had since 1978 on Facebook. The photos (taken by Miss Lyn on her infamous Instamatic) were of Wendy O’Williams singing for the Plasmatics at the Rat. As of now it has 80,000 views, 1,100 likes/loves, 150 comments and 93 shares. That’s the most action we’ve had on any FB post. People love the Plasmatics and rave about their wild shows through the years. It was also a chance for people to talk about Wendy, who died in 1998. This is an early pic! Wendy changed her look after this time, so it’s a chance to see her early pre-mohawk hair. In our photo she has red hair, rather than her later blond and she’s wearing see-through vinyl pants.
I wrote: "[Wendy] climaxed the second show by taking out a big yellow chain saw and cutting an electric guitar in half. Really. I asked her about it after the show and she said, 'They just line up for it. Guitars just beg to be sawed in half.' She had a deep, authoritative voice and a very charismatic presence. I won't even mention the things she did with the microphone cord onstage. The band had only been together for five or six months at that point, and the club wasn't crowded at all (I remember only about six people being there, but there were probably more than that). The next time they played the Rat, the line to see them was well out the door.” Check it out on our FB and like us there too! Root For Us Records, the new record store by Brian Coleman, is up and running. It’s at 26 Eliot St, Newton. The schedule is: Mon - Wed: Closed, Thurs - Fri: Noon to 7:30 pm, Sat: 11 am to 6 pm and Sun: Noon to 6 pm. The record store revival is one of the bright spots in life these days. Root For Us Records Facebook page.
He has a documentary titled Michael Des Barres, Who Do You Want Me To Be. Here’s the trailer, which is entertaining on its own. Here’s the documentary on ROKU. John Powhida has left the International Airport and now is in the Infirmary. The Powhida Infirmary is the name of his new group. Members are: Mike Gent (The Figgs, Graham Parker), Rick Cohen (Brian Wilson Band) and John Sheeran ( Nat Freedberg ). John has been making his own career path for a long time. His abundant talent has produced unique sounding songs. He won the 2011 Rumble and he had a high profile show as Faux Todd (Rundgren) . Whatever he's doing is always of interest. The Powhida Infirmary Facebook page.
Word up! If you buy some merch from StressBalls on Bandcamp they'll throw in a homemade burn of their next EP. Keep it on the lowdown. We mean, you didn’t hear it from us! VIDEOS......
Brad Marino's new video/song. “Murder & Violence”, despite the title, is a pleasant rocker. It seems to be more 'roll with the punches to keep the relationship going' message. The lyric video plays up the back and forth of the lyrics like: coffee and cream, rum and coke, wrongs or rights, sun and fun or day and night. This is from a new album Agent of Chaos, out on April 3. The sound quality on Spotify is a bit better so give it a listen there too.
The StressBalls have a video for their latest “2026”. It’s the band at a performance at what looks like a basement show. The colors are off, the crowd blocks the lens sometimes and you can almost smell the used pails of paint in the corners. Very punk and we love it.
Boston loves The Darts (from Seattle). When they come to town they get interviewed at a few stations and podcasts. They play very cool and stylish garage rock. On stage they organist throws the organ around and plays it sideways and upside down. They have a new album on the way and a new song/video to promo it. “Midnight Creep” seems like it should be a Halloween song and indeed the new album is named Halloween Love Songs. There are some scary goings on and spooky lighting keep the vid interesting. You can even see the organ player doing her moves. Looks like no Darts this year. Their 2026 Tour listing has New Haven, CT on June 27 as the closest they get to Boston.
We like the hardcore Melonball (Germany) puts out. It’s fast, loud, political and angry. We’ve followed their releases for a while now. They've had three singles leading up to an album Take Care out on February 27. Now they have the forth single “Ally or Alibi” out with a video. The song’s verse has a drum beat so insistent that it seems ahead of the rest of the group. It settles down in the verses. The vocals are multi-tracked and have close harmonies that make them stand out. The lyrics are about people who say they are with you but when the shit hits the fan they're not there. The video is an overhead shot of five people having beer, shots, chips and pizza – sped up. Doesn’t seem like much but it gets your attention as the lyrics unfold below. RADIO...... Skybar played Randy Black & The Heathcroppers' new song “Too Bad I Died” on his 1/13 Rising Show. We don’t see it streaming yet. It’s typical deep with meaning songwriting by Randy and no group is as tasteful as the Heathcroppers. WUMB announced that Peter Wolf will get behind the mic and take over the WUMB airwaves for two hours, spinning music from his personal collection of vinyl LPs, 45s, and CDs on Friday Night, January 30th, from 8pm-10pm. Peter was one of the voices of WBCN FM when they changed the sound of rock radio in 1968 when they broadcast out of the Boston Tea Party. That’s all legend now. His radio patter can’t be beat and his taste in music is impeccable. He will have some inside stories for sure and they say he will be taking live phone calls. You can hear the Peter Wolf House Party on the radio at 91.9 FM Friday, January 30th from 8-10pm or stream free of charge at WUMB.org.
Then there was the crazy over the top Cosmic Psychos’ “I Really Like Beer”. They rant and rave about drinking beer and won’t stop. Band member Ross Knight explained how the song came about: "A journalist said to me... Surely you can't write anymore songs about beer can you?... So I wrote ten more of ‘em." We have it embedded below. For more love of beer immersion you can look at the video.
To hear Mook’s Late Risers Show go to the WMBR archive page. Hit the LRC show for 1/16. PODCASTS......
There was a punk set later that began with the Plasmatics and ended with the Unnatuiral Axe’s ”Creeper”. We loved the Deadbeats doing “Kill the Hippies”. Quint calls the guitar solo one of the greatest ever. Give it a listen – we have it below. Have we forgot that punks hate hippies?
Al started his 1/12 Sonic Overload with audio clips reflecting the outrage over the death of Renee Nicole Good. There were songs in the show that took up subjects dealing with that situation like “Vid the Pigs” by L.O.T.I.O.N. He played the all-time hardcore classic warning alarm “State Violence, State Control” by Discharge that fit the bill. We give you that below.
Quint played local group Animal Mother that has two EPs, one from 2014 and one from 2017. The song “Hate Fuck” is an abrasive full on hardcore effort. They must have been great live. We have the song below on Bandcamp because that has better fidelity than the show version.
One oddity was the song “One of the Lads” by 4” Be 2”. In that group is Jimmy Lydon – brother of John Lydon. Here’s a page with more info on 4” Be 2”. You can hear the Sonic Overload shows on the web blog. . Al has logged all the shows since 2009. Punks in the Garage podcast comes out of WAAF in Cincinnati. They spotlighted DMZ a month ago. This week they draw attention to The Times, an English group doing the Mod/pop/psych thing starting in 1980. Their 1982 album Pop Goes Art had individual hand painted covers! We loved their song “I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape”. Half the people we know are still fixated on that 60s TV show. The Times have a video for the song that replicates the opening show of the TV series. We have that above to the left . Around 2017 Boston had a group named Do Not Forsake Me My Darling whose whole persona was based on The Prisoner. Their name is the name of the show’s first episode. They also had a song that duplicated the opening of the series. They used the streets of Boston instead of London as a backdrop. We have that above right. The faithful will want to check the remakes to the original opening episode of The Prisoner. The rest of Punks in the Garage show has plentiful garage-y gems. There are cool covers like “Picture My Face” (Teenage Head) by Bart & the Brats from 2025 and a cover of The Kinks “I Need You” by The Rationals from Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1965.
NEW MUSIC/CD’s ......
Thee Amazing Andy California has a new four song EP titled California Stomp. It's four older unreleased songs. You know the Andy California sound, it’s old primitive blues with maximum shronk. He makes hillbilly musicians sound like symphonic players.
Andy (Macbain) Caifornia is also in a new group named Puke Pistols. Hilken Mancini plays guitar. Hilken is in so many worthy projects. The wolf calls in “Wolf in the City” are very Cramp like. We love the uninhibited vocals in “Year of the Rat”. We have that on our Top Ten Songs. There’s a feeling of fun and freedom that you get from the whole album.
The last we heard of The Jacklights was an EP they released in 2023. Now, while they make the point that the Jacklights are still alive, Nilagia and Mike Allen from the band have a side project titled Drive Thru Facelift. They describe the music as industrial/goth and protest music you can dance to. “Control” starts with beats from a drum machine, then the insanely low bass kicks in accompanied by low distorted guitar. That sound doesn’t vary and it’s ‘industrial’ strength for sure. We can’t recall any recent music we’ve heard in a while that stakes out that low end and lives there. The lyrics are “scathing commentary on the current administration.” To show they mean it they are donating all money from Drive Thru Facelift to MIRA, that helps protect immigrants and their rights in MA.
The Spackles had their EP, Music for Blockheads, release party at the Midway. You can see them next on February 13th at Sally O’Brien’s. They let out the song “Second Time Around” as a teaser. Their last release was their album Clamaro which came out last May. “Second Time Around” has a memorable chorus with the lyrics asking “Is it better the second time around”. The verses have a sweep of three chords (and not power chords, but full six string chords) done twice that also capture the ear. On top of that a well cut crisp guitar solo. At two minutes it has the gift of sounding too short.
Kurt Baker can do no wrong with pop fans. He proves it again with his new single. “Undertow, Afterglow” , a title that intrigues, is typical Baker fare. The other song on this single is “My Brave Face” a song written by Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney. Kurt’s version outdoes the McCartney version (on Flowers In the Dirt album) to our ears. Kurt gives it all the pop goodness that he does naturally and the song clicks. He ends the recording with a half minute of instrumental where it veers toward the psychedelic. There is a video for the song that has some shots of Kurt in his new home town – New York City. We think the sound quality is better on Bandcamp (that we have below) than the video. On Kurts Facebook page he reports that “Undertow Afterglow” is the Coolest Song in the World this week on Little Steven’s Underground Garage. Even if Kurt wasn’t on Little Steven’s Wicked Cool Records this pop nugget couldn’t not be the Coolest Song in the World.
Duck & Cover does a take on George Harrison’s “What Is Life” on Rum Bar Records. We loved it from hearing it done live and having it their last album Hounds in the Cluster was a wish fulfilled. That’s why we’re throwing it in here again, so we can all listen once more. Get how they punk it up and give it grit. We get a laugh every time we hear the twin guitars going at the 1:45 mark – they love to do that!
Garret Vandermolen who is in Speedfossil and also is running the The Sound Cove label, has a single “Foxtrot Delta Tango” out now. Some Who chords and drums intro launch the protest song that spells out the complains very plainly. This is leading up to an album for Garret by the end of the year. The song is streaming on Bandcamp.
The Damned have a whole album of covers lined up. They recorded the album Not Like Everybody Else in LA with Rat Scabies on drums. The current pre released single is The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer In the City”. The Damned play it straight for two and half minutes with the main attraction being Dave Vanian’s voice. Then for the last minute they let loose with the solos. Nicely done.
We reviewed Canada’s Calling All Captains prerelease of two singles from their album The Things That I’ve Lost a month ago. The singles were top notch hardcore/emo. Now the whole seven song album is out. All the songs are of a piece. They are sonic attacks. The group sound is thick and heavy but the tempos are brisk. They make sure they have a few change ups in the arrangements to keep things interesting. The lyrics are multitracked to make them fuller and that alternates with scream sections. There’s lots of emotion in the vocals too. The combo of intense vocals and band hammering makes the deal. This is a true album where all the songs together make the listening experience.
This is a year old but we just found it. “Crush Me Like A Can” demand Australia’s Ratsalad. It’s two and half minutes of punk hardcore with screaming vocals. The lyrics play out the metaphor of being treated like a can. That works out right to the end where the lyrics suggest, “But I deserve a chance to start again/ So take ya fucking ten cent return.”
Here's some good shows coming up .....
January 21, 2026 (Wednesday) Astral Bitch, The Collect Pond, Sailor Down, Joel Ronson at O'Briens • January 21, 2026 (Wednesday) Permanent Blue, Will Tell Aim, Good & You?, Baby Bowler at The Silhouette Lounge January 22, 2026 (Thursday) If It Rains, How Much Art, Computer Kill, and more at the Central Square Elks Lodge Bishop Allen Drive Central Sq January 22, 2026 (Thursday Marianne Toilet and the Runs, The Manglers, the Emotional Rollercoasters, Krista Page Band at O'Brien's January 24, 2026 (Saturday) Hooligan Holiday Boston with Stars and Stripes, Stigma, Fuerza Bruta, Hub City Stompers, Bad Terms, The Stress - ALL AGES showat The Middle East 7PM doors. FB page January 24, 2026 (Saturday) Stop Calling Me Frank, Unnatural Axe, Last Stand - this is a 3PM matinee at The Midway
January 24, 2026 (Saturday) Things Left Unsaid, Louzy, Good June, Sorry Safari at O'Briens January 25, 2026 (Saturday) Blame It on Whitman, Cape Crush, Care For, MK Naomi at The Silhouette Lounge January 28, 2026 (Wednesday) Gene Loves Jezebel, Gossip Collar, Black Season Witch, Silver Rein -Middle East UP - 18+, $20, 7:00 PM Doors TIX January 29, 2026 (Thursday) Evan Shore/David Harrison/Cam Ackland at The Village Social Club, Brookline - 7-9PM FB page January 29, 2026 (Thursday) Puke Pistols, Lithophones at The Model, Allston January 31, 2026 (Saturday) Snowbeasts, Spirit Hotel, Neponset Monastery at O'Brien's this is a 1PM matinee.
January 31, 2026 (Saturday) Crimps, Whyte Lipstick, Feak Phone (Portland), Andy California at The Midway (8PM) January 31, 2026 (Saturday) Death Before Dishonor, Shattered Realm, Bayway Street Power at Alchemy, Providence, RI February 2, 2026 (Monday) Weatherless, Rain House, Literally Nobody, School at The Silhouette Lounge February 2, 2026 (Monday) Discontent, Can’t Lose, Unhinged, Bullzeye at O'Brien's February 5, 2026 (Thursday) Sparks the Rescue, 5ever, Megan From Work at O'Brien's February 6, 2026 (Friday) Sparks the Rescue, We Demand Parachutes, Borderlines at O'Brien's
February 7, 2026 (Saturday) DEVA, Charmed and Strange, The Jacklights, TELL at The Midway February 7, 2026 (Saturday) The Grownup Noise, Happy Little Clouds, Josh Gondelman at Deep Cuts, Medford February 7, 2026 (Saturday) Restraining Order, COA, Peace Test, Can't Lose, Price of Redemption at Alchemy, Providence, RI Matinee show 2-6 February 8, 2026 (Sunday) Shit-Faced, The Erections, Who Killed Spikey Jacket?, Uniformed Service, Phantom Rider Middle East UP TIX February 8, 2026 (Sunday) Restraining Order, Colin of Arabia, Peace Test, Can't Lose at Alchemy, Providence, RI this is a 2PM matinee show. February 11, 2026 (Wednesday) TREE, Sky Tigers, Hell Beach at Deep Cuts, Medford FB page
February 14, 2026 (Saturday) American Ocelot, Happy Little Clouds, Girl With A Hawk, Galaxy Cake at The Middle East Up. February 14, 2026 (Saturday) Spiller, Diablogato, 99 Shots at Deep Cuts, Medford February 20, 2026 (Friday) Lux Lives East Coast 2026 Featuring: The Evil Streaks, Gossip Collar, Cryin Caleb, DJ Kogar the Swinging Ape playing Lux and Ivy's Favorites all night long at Faces Brewing Co. FB page February 21, 2026 (Saturday) KCUF, Oh The Humanity!, Leisure Boys, CE Skidmore at Faces Malden February 21, 2026 (Saturday) Worshipper, Zip-Tie Handcuffs, Gossip Collar, Bastard Leg at Deep Cuts February 21, 2026 (Saturday)Inplainsight, Dowsing Rod, Evil Felipe, Horrendous Downplay at O'Brien's
March 7, 2026 (Saturday) TREE, Catching Hell, Beantown Boozehounds, Hammered Saint at O'Brien's March 13, 2026 (Friday) Lover of Eve, Carissa Johnson & The Cure-Alls, blindspot, Joshua Sweet at The Middle East Up March 14, 2026 (Saturday) Plymouth Punk Rock Mini Pop Up Market at Barrel House Z ! vinyl records, housewares, accessories, handmade jewelry, oddities, vintage goods & clothing. Weird stuff for weird people. Craft beer, all ages, no cover. FB page March 19, 2026 (Thursday) Celebrity Sighting, Nice Guy,/ Whyte Lipstick, Merry Merry at O'Brien's March 19, 2026 (Thursday) The Len Price 3, The Chelsea Curve, Stars Like Ours and DJ Sherman at The Stone Church Music Club, New Market NH. FB page March 20, 2026 (Friday) Angry Samoans at The Middle East Up FB page March 20, 2026 (Friday) The Len Price 3, The Chelsea Curve, Muck & the Mires, Pop! at Deep Cuts, Medford, MA FB page March 21, 2026 (Saturday) - The Bags and Trinary System are at The Crystal Ballroom. TIX
April 11, 2026 (Saturday) Blood For Blood, Skinhead, COA, Neolithic - All Ages, $30, 7:00 PM - Middle East SORRY SOLD OUT April 11, 2026 (Saturday) Spackles, Jay Allen and the Archcriminals, The Mesos at The Square Root May 2 & 3, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday) The Oddities & Curiosities Expo Boston -Hynes Convention Center- 900 Boylston St, Boston- 10AM - 5PM - the world's largest traveling oddities event showcasing hand selected vendors, dealers, artists and small businesses with all things weird. You'll find items such as: taxidermy, preserved specimens, original artwork, horror/halloween inspired pieces, antiques, handcrafted oddities, quack medical devices, creepy clothing, odd jewelry, skulls/bones, funeral collectibles & much more. We truly have something weird for everyone at our shows. All items you see at our shows are legal to own and sustainably sourced. Outside of our curated vendors, we host sideshow performers on stage all throughout the day. Check the Website and FB page for more info and TIX May 9, 2026 (Saturday) Whyte Lipstick, Puke Pisstols, The Lithophones (ex-spits ex-Tampoffs) at The Square Root. CONTACT US AT....misslynbgn@yahoo.com Send us your gig listings, your anything else you've got!! You want your CD reviewed?? Contact us for that too.
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Writer Wes Eichenwald posted this memory of the date: “Hi, Lyn! If this was their first time playing at the Rat, October 24 and 25, 1978 per Internet source, I was there for their 10/25 Wednesday show per a diary I kept at the time. $3 cover, Plasmatics and DMZ. I'd never seen anything like them.
Rum Bar Records has scooped up Michael Des Barres. Rum Bar has lots of notable acts but no one as high profile as Des Barres. Glam rock fans love his 70s groups Silverhead and Detective which both had two albums each. Later he was in Chequered Past and Power Station. He also has been in many TV shows and a few movies. 
Richie Parsons' new dispensary store in Dorchester, Surfs Up, is getting closer to opening. They are hiring now, as in this week! You can get the link to get an interview on the 
Mook didn’t do a best of 2025 show on his Late Risers Club Friday 1/16 show but he played a lot from 2025 and took requests for the same.
Al Quint started his 1/5 Sonic Overload show with the Vibrators “Pure Mania” from their second album. 
January 19, 2026 (Monday) Ohio State Fair, Angel Bite, Warmachine at The Silhouette Lounge
January 24, 2026 (Saturday) Sapling, John Hovorka Band, Crow Follow at The Square Root 
January 31, 2026 (Saturday) The Missing Peace, Cheem, Slow Degrade at O'Briens 8PM show 
February 7, 2026 (Saturday) Muck and The Mires, White Dynamite, Sonic Bomb, The Humanoids, We Own Land At Sonia’s, Cambridge Doors at 7pm. 18+ $20 Show will be shot by Sonic Lobotomy TV. 
February 14, 2026 (Saturday) Rockin Bob Punk Band, TJ Welch and The Wasted, Still Sedated at O'Brien's 
February 28, 2026 (Saturday) Osis, At The Hands of Man, Mussel Time at The Jungle 
March 28, 2026 (Saturday) Lyres, Dogmatics, The Downhauls at Deep Cuts, Medford, 7-11PM NOTE: $25ADV / $30DOS / 18+ Promoters profits will be donated to the fund to help the Lyres fund to pay for Chemo therapy -
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