The BGN News Archive

    This week we ventured into another underground den...(trying to relive that feeling of going down the stairs to the Rat I guess) only this week it was Precinct to see Faux Ox and Black Fortress of Opium.
   Faux Ox is a trio playing without a bass and not showing any bad side effects because of it. Most songs were about 2 minutes long which we always love. The lead singer was very energetic on stage. Some songs got loud and pumping others would go by soft and quirky. The guitarist going though some pedals sounded like a synth a lot of the time. They came across as a amalgam of some 80's groups to me even though when we talked to the singer he mentioned a lot of 60's groups ( Left Bank , The Monkees, the Monks) as his favorites.
   All in all it seemed like there were some interesting things going on and we should maybe keep an eye on these guys. One nice touch was that he came around the club later in the night after their set to individually thank people in the audience for being there...wow!!

    Black Fortress of Opium attracted us because the guitar player of Tony Savarino who’s a well know guitar hero round these parts but the other main attraction was Ajda the Turkish Queen, the band’s forceful lead singer. The songs are well constructed and the arrangements are smart. Tony is always using is well stocked pedal board to good effect utilizing different tones to peek interest in every song. It all added up to a very interesting set not our usual punk rock stuff but we enjoyed it a lot. (Ed.- Actually I very much enjoyed sitting in a club and listening to music much like the stuff I do actually listen to at home.-ML) Their website says they are psychedelic and Goth but it’s really a mix of some pretty far flung and numerous influences.

    This Friday June 10 at the Paradise - The Dogmatics, The Neats, Band 19 AND Last Stand and Classic Ruins are playing a show in support friends who will ride in the Pan Mass Challenge This'll be a blast from the past event and it's 16 bucks and well worth the dough - I'm looking forward to this night, should be fun!

   Saturday, June 11th is Rich Mirsky's cd release event at The Midway!! This is an afternoon show - 2-6PM 5 Point just got added to the bill and since it is a Mommy What's a Mirsky? CD Release that means the star of the show Rich Mirsky will be playing in his band Heavy Sirip and Come's Chris Brokaw doing a solo set

    Yeah there are a lot of gigs coming up in June that are awesome but here is something you should definitely be at…is this coming Sunday…June 12th - daytime show:
   

   The Charlie Chesterman Benefit....here's the info :

    Fans and Friends Unite to Help Boston Rock Legend Charlie Chesterman, Former Scruffy The Cat front man battles cancer; members of the band to reunite for first time in two decades.
A all star musical lineup, including The Upper Crust, The Raging Teens, Barrence Whitfield, and a rare reunion of members of Scruffy The Cat, will play a daytime benefit show at TT the Bear's on Sunday, June 12 from noon until 5:30pm to raise money for Charlie Chesterman's costly battle with cancer.<br>

   And note: this is a daytime show- Noon to 5:30 and will kick off promptly at 12:30 pm with a set by The Upper Crust. This will be followed by a parade of artists performing Chesterman songs, often backed by a core "house band." As of press time, the order of performance had not been established, but confirmed artists include The Raging Teens, Roy Sludge Trio featuring Duke Levine, Ray Mason Band, The Weisstronauts, Barrence Whitfield, Dave Herlihy of O Positive, Brian & David Charles, Chaz & the Motorbikes (Chesterman's most recent band), the reunited Scruffy The Cat, as well as the distinct possibility of some last-minute luminaries taking the stage.

   Tickets for the show are $20, and are available in advance through Ticketweb or at the TT's box office. All proceeds will go to a fund set up for Chesterman and his family. For more info you can check out Charlie's website

    Also don't forget that during June The What Cheer/Rock'n'Roll Yard Sale folks have secured a month long series of Rock'n'Roll Yard Sale events at The ICA in June!! (click to see specifics )..for example: Friday, June 10 - DJs + Collectors Spinning Vinyl in the ICA café, Friday, June 17 - DJs + Collectors Spinning Vinyl in the ICA café and Friday, June 24 - Record Sale + DJs + Collectors Spinning Vinyl The Record And of course the Del Fuegos reunion at The Paradise to benefit Right Turn; June 23rd with the Nervous Eaters and the 24th with the Lyres. Can wait for that one!

    June 17th there's an excellent show at the Middle East Up with The Paul Collins Beat , Muck and the Mires , Watts , The Dirty Shames
Also on Friday the 17th, Lizzie Borden and Jet Set are doing a show at Jacques in Bay Village. I wish they would regularly, as in every weekend , have cool shows at Jacques...maybe this means they are starting to again??
    Saturday June 25th at The Beachcomber in Quincy is an awesome, practically all day event: Hotrods & Hooligans- Fisher House Benefit-Greg Burke Memorial Show. A Hotrod Show during the day and a punk rock show at night with The Pug Uglies, Welsh Boys, Dead Friends, Cradle to Grave and Lenny Lashley

    Then in July Harvard Film Archives is having a few days (July 1-11), of Classic Punk Films from the 70's and 80's....more info to come on that....just wanted to make you aware to save some dates on your calendar.

   Frank Rowe....crosses the line to 60 in a celebration at The Midway on August 13th Oh its gonna be a excellent evening.....

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