Local musicians who had to cancel or reschedule gigs went into full panic mode. Your average band has prepped weeks, if not months, to take the stage on a specific date. Time off work, babysitters, promoting that particular night to friends, family and fans – it all goes out the window.
But we’re resilient New Englanders. We’ll be okay. Always remember to check with artists’ social media or the venue website to certify a show is still happening in view of big weather events. Live gigs will resume when the weather improves and it’s safe to be on the roads.
In the meantime, have a look at another addition to the winter festival calendar: The We Black Folk Showcase at the Armory on March 20.
The festival started out as a project of the Folk Collective at Club Passim a few years back. It’s evolved in form and function, but remains an exciting showcase for spotlighting Black artistry in folk music. This year’s lineup includes Cliff Notez, Grace Givertz, Tim Hall, Gabriella Simpkins, Dzidzor and more to be announced.
Hit this
Jan. 31: Lesser Birds (Cantab Lounge, Cambridge)
An album release is about to take flight. Boston’s Lesser Birds will celebrate its debut full-length album “without a tether” in the subterranean depths of the Cantab. The postpunk effort is marked by angular guitars, muscular rhythms and an attack that’s reminiscent of Interpol, if the NYC band ceded more ground to emo rock. Album releases are always special occasions, so wear your party hat. Heavy rockers Dwelley and Big Farmer (supposedly “Boston’s first avant prog, libertarian, Italian-American heritage band”) join in support.
Feb. 3: Sprints (The Sinclair, Cambridge)
This city always appreciates a good Irish band. Dublin’s Sprints are on a North American tour. Sprints sold out Minneapolis, and there are “low ticket alerts” for dates in Chicago, Detroit, Toronto and more. (Is this a road itinerary or hit list stolen off Stephen Miller’s nightstand?) Its sophomore album “All That Is Over” is a fuzzy, buzzy and impressively effective cauldron of noise that just might boil over at the live show. Dreamy shoegazers My Transparent Eye open this leg of the tour.
Feb. 5: Pieces, vol. vi (The Lilypad, Cambridge)
“Pieces” started out life as a mixtape release that launched the local label (and blog) EveryDejaVu. Fast forward to the present and the concept has evolved into a show series that regularly features compelling lineups of local underground artists, curated with the label’s signature brand of new-school, posteverything cool. Hybrid sounds abound, pulling R&B, hip-hop, electronica and pop into the mix. Thursday’s bill includes MonaVeli, k-the-i???, Dot Dev (fka Pink Navel), and V V N with Lavagxrl deejaying throughout.
Live: Sharp Pins at the Armory
Chicago’s Sharp Pins played to a full house on Jan. 22 at everyone’s favorite former military barracks in Somerville.
The venue was “upgraded” from The Rockwell to The Armory, doubling the maximum capacity, fairly early in the ticket selling cycle. The “upgraded” lingo always feels like a bit of an unwarranted dig: Small is beautiful. But touring is expensive, and no one these days, except the wealthiest blue chip acts (e.g., Jack White at The Sinclair in 2024), are doing performative “intimate venue tours” if they can sell a few more tickets at a larger venue.
Besides, Sharp Pins is a young band on the rise that wants to be in front of as many faces and ears as reasonably possible. I’ve sang the praises before of the band (and the Hallo Gallo scene it’s coming out of), elaborating why you and all your rock ’n’ roll-loving friends should be in attendance.
The oldheads at this show might be related to the K Records connection. The legendary indie label out of Olympia, Washington, released the Sharp Pins’ well-received LP “Balloon Balloon Balloon,” drawing a lineage to lo-fi flannel gods of yore. Promoter Get To The Gig Boston does a great job bringing out the youngheads. And the rest of the crowd remains an algorithmic mystery we’ll never get to the bottom of.
Fellow Chicagoan Eli Winter scratched out a solo electric set in support, channeling the spirit of guitar primitives such as Boston’s Glenn Jones. And local opener Invisible Rays, in the same breath, announced a new album, revealed the band was breaking up and declared Thursday’s performance its last show ever.
What an exit!
Michael Gutierrez is an author, educator, activist and editor-in-chief at Hump Day News. This post was backdated.
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