One Night Band 2011

One Night Band  The Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA (9/24/11)

Someone told me about this whole One Night Band thing and I decided to attend, purely based on the event's sweet guitar-pick-condom logo. I arrived in Central Square on a sultry September Saturday night to find a hot, sweaty, crowded Middle Down. I know I say this about like, every show, but really, it was like a Noise Board reunion in here, which is always fun. Plus, eight one-night-bands performed and I don't remember a single one sucking too badly! My favorite bands of the night included Motorboat (Wayne Whittaker, Dave Jarvis, Leesa Coyne, Meff, Rodrigo van Stoli) and Wagon Battle (Mary Flatley, TJ Horn, Chrissy Vaccaro, John Brookhouse, and Daniel McNair), who are not only a one-night-band, but also the inventors of a one-night-genre: "pioneercore." After all eight of the one-night-bands have performed their 3 one-night-songs and 1 cover each, all of the participants get onstage to perform a cover of "Cum on Feel the Noize," which is so bad that it's good. All in all, the whole night is really fun in a warm squishy scene-building kind of way, and it is absolutely a testament to all the impressive talent we have in Boston. I hope Boston Band Crush continues to put on this event, because it was a really great time and even raised some money for a good cause. Plus it got out in time for my friends and I to head around the corner to Heroes afterwards for some new wave dancing madness! yay!

Did I really say that Aloud?

Sarah RabDAU & The Self-Employed Assassins, Aloud @ Great Scott, Allston, MA (9/13/11)

This was the second show I’ve been to since I started this blog, so I thought I’d write about it. So it was a Tuesday and I had to work in the morning but COME ON. I hadn’t seen Aloud since 2007! Also, that guy who looks like Josh Hartnett was there. +1000.

The crowd is, surprisingly, a decent size. I'm a little bit distracted by all the burlesque madness that's going on in between bands. The guy I'm talking to actually says, "It's been great talking to you, but...boobs," a quote which aptly sums up the first hour of this show. Sarah RabDAU is the first band to take the stage, and they sound pretty good, and Sarah's style meshes well with the burlesque theme. Maybe it's the two Strongbows and the Kamikaze shot that I felt it would be prudent to drink, but I don't remember much of Sarah's set-- she sounds great but I couldn't tell you which songs she played.

Aloud goes on 45 minutes late or something ridiculous like that, but it's worth the wait. Have I mentioned that I love Aloud, like a lot? I didn't know they even played out anymore but here we are. In fact, Henry mentions to the crowd that they haven't played since January, but you wouldn't know from listening to them. They sound tight and I'm pretty sure this is the closest one can get to having one's face rocked off by a male/female jointly-fronted rock band on a Tuesday night. These guys (and girl) just have swagger and I'm into it. They're playing mostly newer stuff (aka not much from "Leave Your Light On," which is the best Aloud album in my opinion) and when I call, "GODSPEED!" at the end of the set, the announcer-lady says, "Someone just requested 'Godspeed'...that's like the 'Freebird' of Boston rock!" Well, that is an accurate analogy if I ever heard one.

San Francisco

Seeing the Bay Area has been on my bucket list for a long time, so when the opportunity arose to head out that way, I jumped on it. I stayed at the W, which was fabulous, and there were about 40 people in our group. I drank a lot. I also got to see my old friends Mike and Kasea, and also my step-cousin Lily (hi guys!).

Here are some pictures that sum up the 10 days I was there:

The Bay Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge

Lombard Street, the curviest street in the world

Kasea and I in front of Alcatraz

More Golden Gate

Chinatown

The shampoo at the W made my hair look amazing!

Everyday! Seriously! Need that shampoo.

The Castro. I bought an amazing pair of white cowboy boots here for $12.

My friend Emily and I went on a winery tour in Napa Valley. Amazing!

I went to see my cousin Lily’s boyfriend Jamil play a punk show in a laundromat/bar/breakfast café. AMAZING.

We did some drinking.

Guys, I saw the Full House house!

The group

All in all, it was an amazing time that I will never forget. Thank you Dano!