Cambridge and Somerville Local First - 2011 Coupon Book - Shift Your Shopping to Local First

Somerville Live Music: The Return of The New England Pop Music Festival

Sep 12 9:54 am

By Sam Coren

Catch A Pony For My Birthday at The New England Pop Music Festival

Summer’s unofficial close came last week after the grills went out on Labor Day BBQs and Davis Square started booming once again with the college crowd. But if you dread making the trek to Allston for your live tunes because of a now unusable Green Line and 66 bus, don’t fret. There’s plenty of good shows to check out right here in the ‘ville. Here’s what’s shaking:

September 15-17 th:  New England Pop Music festival (Rosebud)

After the Abbey Lounge shut its doors in 2008, the New England Pop Music Festival went on a break. This 3-night festival showcasing a variety of local music from folksy singer-songwriters to head-shaking power pop rockers will have its much anticipated return at Rosebud in Davis Square. The action is happening this week from September 15-17th. So what should you expect from this new edition of the fest? 18 bands (many right from the neighborhood!) for $10 a night. Bands start playing at 7 PM, so come out early! Here are some notable acts playing this year:

Somerville’s Butterknife will be bringing their unique brand of alternative power pop to the ‘bud. According to local music blog Boston Band Crush, “We’d wager that there aren’t many bands that have as much fun playing live as these gentlemen and that joy is infectious. If you ska kiddies couldn’t get enough silly dancing in with The English Beat last week at Johnny D’s then don’t miss Allston’s The Pomps. Even those of you who say ska is “so over” can’t resist this Allston band’s fierce energy. If you’ve got a soft spot for cutesy boy/girl vocal harmonies and Wurlitzers you should make it a point to see A Pony For My Birthday. With a name like that who can stop themselves from feeling all warm and fuzzy.


September 15th:  Rajko Orchestra (Johnny D’s)

Raise your hand if you’ve heard world-class  Hungarian Gypsy music performed live? Bueller…..Buelller…..? Alright, well there’s a first time for everything. For those of you who need to fill that void, go see Rajko, an eight member orchestra with traditional instruments producing the “Authentic Gypsy music” sound of the 19th and 20th Centuries.

 

September 17: A Bit Much with TonyBear (PA’s Lounge)

Broken hearted? Good thing A Bit Much and TonyBear are playing PA’s lounge together. Their catchy brand of feel good powerpop will pick you right up as they duke out a battle between old vs. young.

September 20th: Electric Heaters, The Big Wipeout, Tsunami of Sound (Surf Rock) (Johnny D’s)

Fun fact:  Dick Dale, the prolific surf guitarist of the 1960′s was actually from Quincy, Mass. and never learned how to surf. Keep the Massachusetts surf rock pride going and boogie down to Johnny D’s for a weeknight of surf rock fun from 3 Mass-based acts.

September 20th: Something Sneaky with War Presidents (Precinct)

Newcomers Something Sneaky will be bringing Pixies-influenced riffs up from the South Shore. War Presidents will remind you of the time Ben Folds was playing in The Ben Folds Five. If the afterglow of New England Powerpop Fest wears off, head on over to Precinct and catch these local alt-rockers smooth out that chip on your shoulder.

 

Somerville Live Music: The English Beat, Dub Apocalypse, & Sea Monsters

Aug 30 10:56 am

Reports Photo: Hank Hauptmann

Can you hear the sound of a hundred U-Hauls putting around the neighborhood? It’s back to school time in the ‘ville and prime moving time for the immediate Boston-metro area. But once you’re done lugging all your personal belongings up many flights of stairs, why not take a well deserved music break?

Here are a few fantastic live music acts you can catch around town in the next couple of weeks:

September 3rd: Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys [7pm] (Johnny D’s)

Sorry Weird Al fans, but only the funky, soulful bayou sounds of tried and true Creole Zydeco can make the accordion a “cool” instrument. Give your earbuds the treat of authentic Louisiana Zydeco with one of the best, Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys.

September 3rd: Fat History Month / Reports (PA’s Lounge)

Nothing says back to school like a good old fashioned sweaty, fuzzed out garage rock show. The solution? Checking out local rockers Fat History Month. They’ll be headlining PA’s with support from Cambridge up and comers Reports.

September 4th: Sea Monsters (Precinct)

Long time local favorite rock and soul music collective Sea Monsters (you may remember them from last year’s SLF Harvest Fest) were long staples of Precinct last year until they got busy with other music projects. They’ll return this Sunday night for what’s sure to be an epic homecoming performance.

September 4th: Dub Apocalypse (Bull McCabe’s)

Just when you couldn’t think of the last time you went to see a reggae super group Dub Apocalypse drops down on the ‘ville for a Sunday residency at Bull McCabe’s. Don’t miss killer live dub reggae featuring member’s of Nate Wilson Group, Morphine, Dopapod, G-Love & Special Sauce, John Brown’s Body, & The B3 Kings.

September 7th: The English Beat (Johnny D’s)

Dust off your favorite checkered clothing because one of the best ska bands that ever existed is coming to the neighborhood! You’ll no doubt be skanking those arms at perfect 90 degree angles when The English Beat play their classic jams such as “Mirror in the Bathroom”, “Can’t Get Used to Losing You”, and (fingers crossed) my personal favorite, “Save it for Later.”

September 10th: Nate Rogers & Boston Band Crush Present: Mixtape 1978 with The Blizzard of 78 and Thick as Thieves (Rosebud)

Following their tributes to 1993, 1967, 1984, and 1997, Boston Band Crush invites The Blizzard of 78 and Thick as Thieves to pay homage to the music of 1978. Featuring tunes from The Rolling Stones, Foreigner, Toto, Buzzcocks, Blondie, Talking Heads, The Clash, Van Halen, Cheap Trick, Billy Joel, The Cars, The Police, Styx, Elvis Costello, Journey, The Bee Gees, and many many more. Check out the Facebook event for more details.

 

Somerville Grooves: Long Live Vinyl!

Aug 24 9:33 am

By Danielle Kennedy

 

Somerville Grooves storefront, pre-grand opening

The new millennium has ushered in the age of digital technology, and these days the news is full of stories of book storeclosings and struggling media publications turning away from print in favor of web content. So who would have thought, in an era when iTunes reigns king, sales of long-outdated vinyl would be steadily increasing?

Think these records are restricted to used copies of pre-‘80s tunes? Well, think again, because even modern-day artists are producing new vinyl recordings. These days, records exist for all sorts of music lovers, and it is with this mindset that new entrepreneur David Plunkett has opened Somerville Grooves, where you can leave pretention at the door. The soon-to-be SLF member business, now in its second week of fulltime hours, has been drawing curious crowds interested in the store’s collection, which ranges from classic rock to jazz to hip-hop to post-punk to the just plain strange (a workout narrated by the Governator set to 80’s one-hit wonders is just the motivator you need to get in shape). Aside from the ample and growing collection of new and used vinyl, Somerville Grooves carries a small selection of other goodies, including books and apparel.

I think Somerville Grooves promises one of those stores that brings the community together. When you think about it, a new record store goes perfectly with some of the best things about local. It brings people back into the shopping experience in a time of faceless online purchases. Not only that, but you know that every record on sale in the store has made it there only after passing through David Plunkett’s discerning hands, an assurance of the quality of the product (Plunkett only puts records in worthy condition on his shelves) and the devotion and expertise of the owner. Not to mention, the simple setup of the store is just begging to play host to a multitude of sweet future local music events – cross your fingers, everybody! Indeed, the launch of the new soon-to-be hotspot has already coincided nicely with Chris Daltry’s 4th (!) annual Somerville Rock & Roll Yard Sale, a wonderful event celebrating our city’s varied artistic and DIY side with a healthy dose of vintage and vinyl.

Somerville Rock & Roll Yard Sale - August 2011 from Nitya Rao on Vimeo via Boston.com Your Town

Plunkett, who spent the early ‘90s working at In Your Ear Records before moving on to a career writing for a publishing company, is thrilled to return to his music-lovin’ roots, and Somerville seems to be just as pleased. According to Plunkett, a number of customers have come in to say “thank you” for opening a real record store. Call it sentimentality, but there may be something more to favoring vinyl than simply a better quality sound. Vinyl, especially with all the extras it can come with (liner notes, posters), has an appeal of collectability; people like to talk about music from a standpoint of ownership (“Can we listen to my music now?”). Music is meant to be an experience, one both social and aesthetic, which is hard to attain with the anonymity and over-inundation found in the digitalized world – much as a true “experience” is much more likely to come from a local independent business as opposed to a national chain or big box store, for similar reasons.

In any case, Somerville Grooves, in dealing mainly in used commodities, inherently will be a space for sharing and bonding over music, one of the great socializers. So stop on by to say hi to David, and let him know you appreciate him keeping the unity, passion, and quirk alive and well in Somerville!

Somerville Grooves: open Tues-Sat 11am-7pm & Sun 12-6pm, 26 Union Sq.

– To inquire about selling your records in good condition, call 617-666-1749 or email [email protected]

Somerville Live Music: One Man Bluegrass Band, Original Reggae & Live Synthpop

Aug 15 4:20 pm

By Sam Coren

DangerSounds' Sam and Dave

Union Square is getting transformed into music nerd heaven soon with the annual Somerville Rock and Roll Yard Sale happening August 21st and the opening of a new record store. Stay tuned for more Somerville Local First coverage on the much anticipated official opening of Somerville Grooves from Danielle Kennedy. Until then be sure to get out of the house and enjoy some of these great upcoming live shows during the next couple weeks at your trusty neighborhood independent music venues!

August 17th: Albino Mbie Project  (Johnny D’s)

Looking for a night of brilliant samba guitar work? Don’t miss NYC’s Albino Mbie Project throwing down soulful, latin-infused licks at Johnny D’s this Wednesday. Receita de Damba, a local Boston duo will be warming up the crowd.

August 19th: Pressure Cooker (Johnny D’s)

For over 14 Years Boston’s Pressure Cooker has been cranking out stellar reggae and rock steady originals. Their top notch musicianship and tight live sound are no doubt going to bring good times for those of you who want to start the weekend on the right foot.

August 20th: DangerSounds (Precinct)

I’m Burnin’ Up by DangerSounds
Need an excuse to just dance yourself into exhaustion on a Saturday night? Hop on down to Precinct Saturday for one of Boston’s most promising electronic duos, DangerSounds.  DangerSound’s Sam and Dave pump out funky electro jams for fans of Anoraak and Chromeo.

August 23rd:  Eric Royer (Johnny D’s)

Eric Royer’s claim to fame as a one man bluegrass band has served him well. In 2003 his interview on NPR’s All Things Considered brought his ingenuity and talent into the national spotlight. His crazy guitar/banjo/puppet contraption that he so masterfully plays is sure to bring the Johnny D’s crowd a big bluegrass bowlful of delight.

August 24th: Deli Magazines Summer Concert Series presents  The New Highway Hymnal (PA’s Lounge)

Indie music mag The Deli is sponsoring a night of New England rock at PA’s. Headlining will be the very trippy sound of Haverill surf rockers The New Highway Hymnal. Also on the bill and worth catching are,  Satellites Fall, an alternative power pop fans of The Smiths and Arcade Fire.

August 27th: Dirt Mall (Rosebud)

Rosebud is one of Davis Square’s best kept secrets for spotting early local talent. Dying for a dose of no-nonsense rock and roll in the same vein as The Hellacopters and The Cult? Check out Waltham’s Dirt Mall for pure unadulterated fun.

Know the inside scoop on good shows happening in the ‘ville? Tweet me at @samcoren for consideration in the next SLF Live Music post!

Somerville Live Music: Deep Heaven Now 4 Psych Rock Festival in Union Square

Aug 01 11:16 am

By Sam Coren

One of the best parts about living in Somerville is being in close proximity to some of the Boston area’s best live independent music venues. Who doesn’t love seeing up and coming talent for reasonably priced tickets in your own neighborhood? To give you a taste of what Somerville’s music scene has to offer I’ll be running a biweekly update with some of the most interesting music events playing in town:

August 3rd: Tribute to Blues Greats Robert Johnson & Mississippi John Hurt (Bloc 11 Cafe)
Aside making a well made cup of coffee, Bloc 11 in Union Square also serves as a good spot for blues, jazz, and singer-songwriter acts. Most of these music events are free, but you should definitely give the tip jar some love if you hear something you like. This Wednesday you can get over your hump day blues with musicians Craig Robertson and Zack Niman as they pay homage to Delta Blues legends Robert Johnson & Mississippi John Hurt. Show starts at 7pm.

August 4th: Mikael Mutti with Percussivo Mundo Novo  (Johnny D’s Uptown)

A world-class music prodigy makes a tour stop at our own Johnny D’s. Mikael Mutti’s fuses traditional Brazillian afrobeat rhythms with a dash of latin jazz and swirling synthesizers. Even cooler? Mutti’s featured all over the soundtrack for the 3D animated film Rio (2011) and he’s been known to make his own instruments out of various video game controllers.

 

August 5th & 6th:  Deep Heaven Now 4 - Union Square (PA’s Lounge and Precinct)

Dig trippy guitar solos and crazy video light shows? Hop down to Union Square for the Deep Heaven Now 4 Psych Rock fest on Friday August 5th and Saturday August 6th. 26 bands will be playing Precinct and PA’s Lounge. For the low price of $10 a day you get access to both venues and the set times are staggered between the two so you don’t have to miss a band. Some notable acts that are not to be missed include local shoegazers Endless Wave and the far out experimental folk of Portland’s Herbcraft. For more info visit the Deep Heaven Now 4 Facebook event page and don’t forget to check out the compilation featuring all the bands playing in the streaming player below:

 

August 11th: Kobie (Johnny D’s Uptown)

It takes a lot of chutzpah to be a singer in a Prince cover band. However, if there’s anyone who could pull that role off gracefully it would be the Boston by-way-of DC singer-songwriter Kobie. When he’s not performing in Lovesexy, a tribute to The Artist, he’s bringing his original brand of sweet, funky soul to venues all over New England.

August 12th: Dave Sammarco Band (Sally O’Brien’s)

Got a hankering for some country fried rock? For those of you who doubt Somerville’s ability to deliver the sounds of the south, pay Sally O’Brien’s a Friday visit and catch Arlington’s Dave Sammarco Band in action. Nothing gets the weekend going like a nice glass of whiskey and shuffling your feet to some twang.

6 Reasons You Should Clear Your Weekend for ArtBeat

Jul 14 4:01 pm

 

 

ArtBeat 2011: Red - This one's gonna be a scorcher!

ArtBeat 2011: Red - This one's gonna be a scorcher!

It’s that time of year again on the Somerville Arts Council calendar: ArtBeat! This annual festival held in Davis Square celebrates the innovative and inspired minds in just about every creative capacity of the dynamic Somerville arts scene. This year, SAC isn’t trying to (art!)beat that mid-July heat of the northeast, but is instead embracing it, with this year’s theme: RED. Alas, due to scheduling conflicts, SLF won’t be attending this year, but here are six reasons why you should:

  • Support local artists by buying a one-of-a-kind piece from one (or several!) of the 100+ craft vendors: Impress your Chihuly-crazed friends with a piece by a local glass artist
  • It’s fun for the whole family! Forgive us for the cliché, but it’s true – there are tons of kid-friendly events from storytelling to a puppet show
  • Catch up and coming folk/indie rock quartet Mean Creek: Recently deemed “Best Act in Boston” in the Boston Phoenix, these guys are going places, so see them while you can – for free!
  • Experience the diverse range of performance pieces and exhibits that the festival has to offer – there’s something for everyone!
  • Everyone loves a parade, so be sure to watch the Red Menace parade throughout the festival. Grab a red flag and join in if you like!
  • Engage in one of the many crafty interactive activities offered by local organizations. Even become a part of the festival by designing a scale for the traffic island Dragon Sculpture!

Bonus Reason: Food! C’mon, did you really need any other reason?

So, y’all best be there this weekend! Check out the website or Facebook page for more info, and make sure you tell us all about your ArtBeat shenanigans in the comments section below!

Why come to SomerFun on June 11th? Why WOULDN’T you?

May 26 11:00 am

By SLF Community Board Member E. John Feig

Come join Somerville Local First, the ArtsUnion and us at the second annual street fair and festival, SomerFun: A Romp for Independents, in Union Squre, Somerville on June 11th 3-7pm for some open-air activities.

Something fun for Everyone!

Something fun for Everyone!

The theme of the event is local independents and we are pleased to welcome a new sponsor this year, Polar Beverages. Polar is locally owned and operated in Worcester, MA and has been for over 125 years.  That’s our kind of sponsor!

This year we are welcoming the participation of Somerville Dog owners and pet enthusiasts, with SomDog, Riverdog and Canis Major Herbals all confirmed participants. SomerFun will feature live music, the SomerMutt Showcase (Sign up YOUR dog here) and a Guess-the-Breed contest. This event is a showcase of local mutts who will strut their stuff across the main stage, prizes will be awarded to the cutest dogs, the weirdest breed combination, and the dog/owner couple that looks the most alike. Attendees will be able to enter a competition as a spectator to “guess the breed”. The most right answers will win a prize from SLF.

SLF has also lined up an eclectic mix of local musicians to entertain us at the event. Expected to perform are Abby Barrett a folk band, Riki Rocksteady a local reggae singer/songwriter, Tall Enough a rock band and a jazz band or two.

Along with the main activities, there will be lots of family activities at SomerFun this year. There will be face painting, a dunk tank and other activities that kids will enjoy. For the dunk tank, we are working hard to put some people in it that you will want to dunk. There will be a canning workshop by Green City Growers, food justice games with Groundwork Somerville and a martial arts session with Shobu Aikido.

We hope to see you and your family at SomerFun in Union Square on June 11th at 3pm.

Harvest Fest: The Second Glass In The House & Local Designer/DJ to Manage Fashion Performance

Aug 01 2:02 pm

by Joe Grafton

We’re just over two months away from Harvest Fest 2010 and the participant list continues to add some of the best and brightest from Greater Boston.  One thing we’ve learned in our 2+ year history:  The more great people we can surround ourselves with, the more fun and success we have.  Along those lines, we are incredibly excited to announce two new partners for this years festivities.  Note:  We do expect the event to sell out,  and suggest you buy your tickets in advance.

The Second Glass to bring their love of local wine and penchant for partying to Harvest Fest 2010 and their own Wine Riot on October 22nd & 23rd.

The Second Glass is your unpretentious, badass source for baller wine information.”  Sounds like a match made in heaven, and we think it will be.  Tyler and Morgan, the founders of SG were recently featured in Inc Magazine’s 30 under 30, a list of some of the country’s best young entrepreneurs and have lots of local roots and connections.

It is also worth thanking the recent hot and sweltering weather for facilitating this bad-ass partnership.  For were it not for Tyler’s need to get out of his hot apartment and into an air conditioned office, and my response via the social interwebs that he was welcome to chill (pun intended) at the SLF office for the day, we might not be talking about this.  But a short conversation later, Tyler was emailing Morgan about the potential of running the local wine parade at Harvest Fest, and a day later it was official (entrepreneurs, social or otherwise, like to act quickly).

Finally, it’s not just about these guys rocking our wine world.  Remember, Harvest Fest is about local first and foremost.  And Tyler is excited to show our guests just what Massachusetts can do.  In discussing the format, Tyler said “Massachusetts wineries are making GREAT wine right now.  But not enough people know this“.  We have a feeling that at least 700 folks will know a lot more about it after 10/9/10.

Find the Second Glass on the web, on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.


Fashion Performance Manager Ari Paoletti is the Founder of Deconize Style...

...and a Basstown resident at one of Boston's best dance parites, Make It New


Last year, the fashion show at Harvest Fest featured a TON of stylized and fashion forward looks from some of our favorite local fashion shops and boutiques.  Looks from poor little rich girl, Artifaktori and Black & Blues Boutique filled the Armorywith style and beauty.

The looks were great last year...

And like most things from Harvest Fest 2009, gave the organizers some indegestion as we tried to create something spectacular,  without really knowing what we were doing.  We think the guests probably were more likely to notice the lovely looks parading up and down the runway, but this year we’re bringing in an expert to help us enjoy it too.

...and with Ari's help, they'll be even better at Harvest Fest 2010

As part of my work as Director of Operations for the 1st Annual, Together Music Festival, I got a chance to work with Ari Paoletti, a renowned local fashion designer and DJ (Volvox).  Ari managed the Get Together: a record fair, trade show and, you guessed it, fashion performance.  Watching what she coordinated that day at the Villa Victoria, I knew that we had to find a way for her to work on Harvest Fest.  A few emails and conversations later, we had ourselves a Fashion Show Manager.  With Ari in the fold, not only will the show be visually stunning, but I and the other organziers won’t have to worry about it, and might actually be able to enjoy it from the Super Supporter Box on the Mezzanine.

Note:  You can find Deconize products in our very own Grand in Union Square.

The Training Room Celebrates 1 Year In Business With Fitness on the Avenue

Jul 22 10:51 am

by Maren Kravitz - Co-Owner, The Training Room

As a local privately owned fitness studio, the Training Room understands the importance of creating strong relationships with clients. It is our goal to create a unique personal work-out experience. We do this by offering classes and personal or group training without any monthly membership fees or yearly contracts. One can simply walk in or reserve a spot through our online scheduling system. We hope that such flexibility and customization will ultimately lead to lasting healthy habits in the community at large.

In this spirit, we are also celebrating our first anniversary with a charity “spin” event this Saturday, July 24th from 12 PM to 6 PM.  The event will be held along the new Somerville Ave./Elm St. parking corridor, located in front of the facility at 691A Somerville Avenue. Attendees will be encouraged to spin outdoors to display their support for fitness and breast cancer awareness.

Live music provided by Felix Brown will keep an upbeat tempo for the riders while Roz Puleo, founder of the Boston Luna Chix cycling team, leads the participants on their cycling journey. In addition to the charity cycling event, The Training Room will have FREE fitness and yoga classes, games, and prizes throughout the day.

Donations, in any amount, will go to The Breast Cancer Fund and are greatly appreciated.

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